Page 1 of Charming Her Monsters

1

MISSING

ARRAN

Obsessive worry pulls my attention away from the chaotic scene I’m in, making me no use to the victims who are relying on me to rescue them.

Yet, I can’t help it. I need to get back toher. My heart, my love… my future mate, Jade.

I don’t know how long I’ve been moving debris and rescuing innocent supernaturals from the destruction of the community center, but it feels like days. However, perhaps that is only my dread. When I check the old grandfather clock that somehow escaped damage, I see it’s been less than an hour since my pack has been here to help.

I hate that so many have been hurt, and the longer we take to find the rest of the victims, the less likely their chances are to survive. Fortunately, reinforcements have arrived, allowing me a moment to take a breath.

Another pang of dread hits me. This time it feels different from the worry over the victims here. I scan the huge, demolished room and the frantic supes here to help.

Maxum has dropped his glamour and is in his huge demon form—red skin, horns, tail, and wings on display. Flint is in his stony, gargoyle body. Together, we are tossing huge beams and concrete aside as part of the rescue mission. But I don’t see our phoenix.

“Where the fuck is Calder?” I call out.

Maxum looks around and then turns back at me with confusion behind his eyes. “I don’t sense him nearby. I can’t say I have for a while now.”

That’s not good. The unsettling feeling that’s stabbing at my heart takes on a new urgency.

Is he okay?

Then my next thought is…where is he?

And …would he hurt Jade?

I sure as hell hope he wouldn’t. But he’s been on edge more than ever since Osen died. I don’t think he will ever recover from that loss.

Ironically, it only pisses Calder off more that Osen’s spirit has attached itself to Jade. You would think he’d be happy that his former lover wasn’t completely out of his life.

My heart pinches with hurt again. As though I’m losing a mate.

“Something’s wrong.Jade.” My skin ripples. My berserker beast is begging to be released. That’s not good. He might attack anyone in sight with his fear. Despite his crazed persona, he likes Jade. Dare I say he loves her—if that cursed part of me could ever love someone.

Could it be that our death-omen-sensitive phoenix felt Jade was in danger and checked it out on his own? It’s not out of the realm of possibility, but with his hatred of witches, I doubt he would care.

Unless my pack mate was worried about how Maxum and I would feel if we lost her. Or he might only care about Osen’s spirit trapped inside Jade.

I shift into my giant, dire wolf form and rush to the door.

“Wait!” Maxum calls, racing after me. “A portal will be faster.”

I keep moving but stop far from the commotion of the community center.

Maxum and Flint follow me.

Behind a shielded corner of a building, so no one can see the location of our safe house, Maxum opens a portal a few houses down from ours.

As I reach our house, I shift back into my human form so I can open the door and charge through. In my hurry, I neglect to test if there’s a magical booby trap waiting for us.

Maxum curses behind me. When he sees no spell has been activated, he runs inside and admonishes me, “You need to be more careful! If only for Jade’s sake.”

He’s right that I can’t die on her. She’d be pissed. Who knows what kind of power she has? She might catch my soul and punish me for decades for being a bad boyfriend.

“Jade!” I shout and run into my bedroom, where she’s slept since she’s been hiding out with us. “Calder!”

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