Page 16 of Charming Her Monsters

“What about Osen? I’m afraid he’s gone for good.”

Here it comes—they will say don’t worry, he’ll be back. Then I’ll know that’s why they want to keep me around.

“Hold on. Do you think that’s why I want to keep you safe? For Osen?” Arran asks, hurt rings clear in his voice.

“Uh, partly?” I shrug. A woman can only get rejected so much without expecting the other testicle to drop.

Arran catches my chin and forces me to look at him. “Jade, you are mine. Understand?”

“But I—” I protest, but he shuts me up with a consuming kiss that makes it impossible to think.

When Arran finishes exploding my brain cells with his passion, Maxum captures my attention, his hand cupping my jaw. “You aren’t getting rid of me, little witch.”

I gasp at the intensity with which these guys are claiming me.

Maxum leans in and licks over my parted lips, then dips in. He growls into my mouth and pulls back. “This will have to wait until I get you somewhere safe. Then I will make sure you understand.”

That threat of pleasure rings my clit like a gong. I wish I had more energy to demand he make me understand right now. However, I am still recovering from yet another near-death experience. This is becoming an ugly habit.

Arran stands, lifts me bridal style, and carries me down the hall to his room. He gently places me on his bed and packs his things.

Maxum nods to me from the door. “I’m gathering my stuff. When we are done here, we’ll pick up what you need at your place, so think of what you want to bring.”

“Okay.” My heart flips a few times, dismissing the possibility that they only want me around for access to Osen.

Could whatever is developing between us be real?

The thought is both scary and thrilling. I’ve always dreamed and obsessed over having someone truly love me. Hell, I write books about it, getting lost in that idea for months at a time. I become each one of my characters, imagining what it must feel like to be so desperately wanted that the men would move mountains or kill any enemy in their way for me.

Now that the potential for that sort of devotion is right in front of me, I’m a bit terrified of how I will fuck it up, and I probably will.

I’m set in my ways. I’m a loner. The relationships in my books are (mostly) in my control. I don’t know how to manage an actual relationship with all its ups and downs. Working out healthy compromises and overcoming day-to-day challenges are not my forte. In other words, I can write them well, but suck at real relationships.

Besides, I’m hyper-focused on my career…usually. But not lately, since they have been an enormous distraction. Well, and Rob trying to kill me a few times has definitely disrupted my work-life balance.

“I thought I lost you forever,” Arran says in a quiet voice as he places the last of his personal items in his luggage.

“I’m sorry to scare you. Osen insisted I go. If I didn’t, he would have taken over my body—maybe for good. And I had no way of telling you what was happening.”

Arran kneels down at my feet where I’m sitting on his bed. He clasps my hands in his. “I’m not blaming you. I know exactly how obsessive Osen could be. It’s what got him killed, and now he’s risking your life.”

“I still feel like if I were stronger—a better witch—that I could have stopped him.”

“I don’t plan on letting you out of my sight. But if I have to leave you alone, I will have Maxum or Flint watch over you.”

“To babysit me?” I huff.

“To protect you.” Arran tucks a loose lock of silver hair behind my ear and tilts my chin to meet his eyes. “At least until you can learn to use your powers and protect yourself. Good news is Maxum can train you.”

“Can he teach mewitchmagic?”

“Maxum knows how to do almost everything—it comes with being alive as long as he has been. He gets bored,” Arran explains.

The mention of Maxum getting bored hits me harder than it should. How do you keep a relationship fresh when everything in the universe feels stale? I expect love for people who live forever can be complicated. Maybe long-lived supernaturals have to break up before they get too attached? Or do these relationships rarely last because one gets old and the other doesn’t?

Or are they like most relationships? Love and lust fade, and life gets in the way of a happily ever after.

It’s something to think about while moving forward with these guys—longevity in all senses of the word. When I asked about lifespans, Maxum told me witches can live longer than regular humans, usually between one hundred to hundred and fifty. It all depends on the strength of their magic.

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