Page 100 of Charming Her Monsters

“I’ve known some famous supernaturally inspired authors in my day,” Maxum grins at my excited face. “Also, I helped invent rock n’ roll… at least the human version.”

“Fuuuck,” I say, but I sort of always wondered about the arts being otherworldly inspired. I can’t wait to learn about all the things he’s done in his life.

And this guy… this demon… this fine ass male, who has experienced more things than I can imagine (which is saying a lot), wantsme?

As I hurry to keep up with his long strides, Maxum pulls me closer to his warm body and gives me a kiss on the top of my head. “You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

I snap my gaze up to him. “You read my mind too easily. I didn’t even feel it.”

“This is my power source. My magic is stronger here.”

I think about his compliment. I suppose I’m more interesting now that I’m a witch.

“You aren’t special to me because of your magical side. That’s a dime a dozen in my life.”

“Okay, so why?”

“Even when faced with adversity and abuse you have suffered, you are yourself. To still be genuine and kind after a hard life is a rare thing.”

“Many people are nice. I’m not unusual in that.”

“No. Kind and nice are two different things. Beingniceis doing things because they are expected in your society’s norms. It isn’t necessarily genuine or good-hearted. Being kind sometimes doesn’t even mean being nice. Kindness comes from the heart. It’s thinking of someone’s needs and suffering, then doing what is best for them to grow.”

“I get what you are saying. Like someone might not be sickly sweet about it, but they will save someone’s life or help them in an important way.”

Maxum tilts his head toward the other guys and says in a low voice, “Your kindness, understanding, and compassion have healed them.”

He gives me a grumpy look when he hears my brain, wanting to argue that I haven’t donethatmuch.

“Okay, fine. I’ll play along. But I haven’t helped you.”

“Jade, you have. In my long life, I have never had love, with the exception of my affection for these guys. Honestly, I’ve never cared if I died. Then you showed up, and for the first time in six hundred years, I have something to live for. Someone to love.”

I feel my face heating with emotion.

Or perhaps it’s more than that, because Maxum snatches me up and breaks out in a full run for our destination. Bouncing in his arms, I glance over his shoulder and see a huge dog-like creature racing toward us. I swear the thing is as big as a mule.

Its eyes are flaming with orange fire. The cracks in his dark gray skin reveal lava circulating underneath.

A hellhound?

The rest of our group races to keep up with us. The demon dog is hot on their heels. Genuine fear reflects in my guys’ eyes.

Maxum chants, opening a portal ahead of us.

Mid-stride, Arran shifts to his berserker form.

Calder is the slowest of us. He’s carrying the fur babies, slowing him down further.

The hellhound snaps his massive jaws at him.

Calder unfurls his wings, but beating them only slows him further.

I know this won’t end well. My power swirls inside my body and, with an instinctive gesture, I throw my hand out to stop the hellhound from harming my phoenix. A bolt of lightning shoots from my fingertips and crashes into the hellhound’s snout.

Its head hits the ground with the force of my assault, and it flips over, letting out a painful howl.

A portal opens up in front of us to what appears to be a dark forest, and we race through.

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