Page 12 of Hollyhocks

He grins, the same one I saw in my mind. His dimples are better in person, deep and pronounced. He is clean-shaven which allows me to see how the straight beautiful teeth, full pink lips, and all those freckles I’m already obsessed with.

His phone rings, interrupting our moment. Now, I want to kill the person who called him.

“I have to take this. It’s work, but maybe I’ll see you around, Holly.” He gives me one last look before walking to his truck, answering the person who dared to ruin our first moment together.

Oh, you have no idea how much you’ll be seeing me, Doe Eyes.

That was wild.

I blow out a breath when I park the tow truck behind the shop. My heart won’t stop racing. A nervous sweat breaks out over my entire body, and I have to wipe my forehead, so the warm salty liquid doesn’t drip into my eyes.

I’m not sure who she was, why she is here, or if she is only visiting. One thing I do know is that I have to see that woman again. Even my palms are sweaty. Something about her calls to me. There was a uniqueness about her I can’t quite put my finger on.

One moment, I swear her eyes were blue, then the next they were glowing orange. In the blink of an eye, she had horns protruding from her forehead, then they were gone. One minute she had blue hair and the next it was blonde.

I think my mind is playing tricks on me because even though I’m drawn to her like I’ve never been drawn to another woman in my life, I’m slightly disappointed. She is normal.

I don’t want normal.

Groaning, I rub my hands down my face. “Snap out of it, Fitz. You know that will never happen.” My head thuds against the headrest as I stare out of the windshield.

I want a monster.

I don’t want a regular human woman. After finding Rhett and meeting Creed, I want what their mates have.

I want to be someone’s fated mate.

Rhett and Creed are monster DNA experiments. Rhett is my best friend and when he went missing, a part of me died. He is my brother. When I found him and he showed himself to me, his true self, I didn’t fucking care what he looked like—I was just glad he was alive.

I hated what happened to him, what was done to him, the abuse, the torment, and I hate that he can’t show the world who he is without humans casting judgment. He gets to hide in plain sight since our friend Caden knows a witch who casts a spell on the rain, tricking everyone into thinking Rhett and Creed are normal.

I’m not sure why the rain won’t work on me. Maybe it’s because I’m so open-minded? Or accepting. I’m not sure. Rhett seems to think it’s because I must have a mate out there somewhere. The spell didn’t work on Demi or Mickey, Creed and Rhett’s human mates.

All I can do is hope that is the truth because I want to be mated. I want to belong to someone to the point where my soul is lost in theirs. I want my soul to be so intertwined that if they died, I’d die.

I know Rhett is just giving me hope about having a mate, but so far, only Rhett and Creed have made their way into this town.What are the chances there is a monster DNA experiment who is a woman?

And why would she even want me when she could have anyone?

I try to think about why I want what Demi and Mickey have with Rhett and Creed. I tap the steering wheel as my mind wanders and the only thing I can think of is the happiness that always shines from the two women when I see them. It’s different from ordinary human couples.

I want to be so loved that my partner is obsessed with me. I want that deeply—fiercely. And while I’ve dated before, I’ve never loved or have had anyone love me to the point of madness.

That’s what I want. More than anything, I want madness.

A knock at the window startles me. I roll it down and hold a hand to my chest. “Damn, Rhett. Warn a guy. You just scared ten years off my life.”

His reptilian eyes harden and narrow. “Don’t say that. You know I don’t like it when you talk about your lifespan. Even if it’s a joke.”

“What about your lifespan? You need someone to shorten it? I’ll do it,” Creed shouts from the office.

For some reason, Rhett hired him for security. Creed has to follow one rule.

Do not scare the customers away.

He broke that rule the first day so now we keep him in the office to watch the security tapes.

“Fuck you, Creed,” I shout out of my window.

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