Page 62 of Hollyhocks

It rings three times before her voice comes across the speaker. “Hey, Fitz.”

“You sound tired. Is Eli doing okay?”

“No… We’re… I won’t be there today, Fitz. We can’t be.”

I rub my chin with one hand, keeping the other on the wheel. “I’m worried, Heather. I need you to be on the lookout, okay? Arm yourself.”

“Why is this different than all the other times he has found you, Fitz?”

“Because out of all those times, he has never threatened to come for you. This time he did. That’s how I know he is serious. The moment Eli is better, you come to me. I have the space. I never should have left—”

“—Stop. You sacrificed so much for me and Eli. You deserved to go do something for yourself.”

“I’ll come to you now. I’ll help you guys get here. Do you need money?”

“No, you send plenty every week even though I tell you not to,” she scolds. “We’re okay. I promise I’ll update you. I need to go. The nurse is calling for us to go into the room.”

“Okay. Promise me you’ll be extra careful?”

“Fiz, I promise. I swear to you. I love you, okay? We will be there as soon as we can.”

I ball my fist as tight as I can, doing my best to remain calm. I’m very protective of my sister. She’s the only one I will change my morality for. I will kill to protect her and my nephew. I don’t care what that would mean for me as long as they are safe.

“I love you too. Let me know what the doctor says.”

“I will. Next time, I’ll have him call you when he is feeling better.”

I grin, excited to talk to him. “Perfect. I can’t wait. Give him a hug for me.”

“I always do. Talk to you later.”

The call ends just as I pull into the urgent care parking lot again. It’s empty because only I would come here this fucking early. Everyone is smart enough not to wake up at this ungodly hour.

I thud my forehead against the steering wheel. “These mornings are getting worse and worse. At this point, I might stay in bed.” I drag my ass out of the truck, pocketing my keys.

The skin on the back of my neck tingles. Every hair stands up on its end and I freeze. I swear to all things wild; someone is breathing on the back of my neck. I lift my arms to show I’m not a threat. My mouth becomes dry. My heart pounds in my chest but to my surprise, it isn’t because I’m afraid.

A small tremble irritates my body as that warm breath ghosts across my pulse on the side of my neck. I swear something slides down my back, bringing me nothing but comfort.

Closing my eyes, I allow the feeling to inject me. Peace eases the panic in the back of my mind. A soft pressure haunts my skin at the base of my throat. Inhaling a sharp breath, I open my eyes and spin around.

Nothing is there.

Only a nearly empty parking lot, the morning fog, and a few frogs croaking in the woods.

“What the fuck is going on?” I ask myself, absolutely discombobulated at how I have found myself in this situation.

I’m not going to be delusional to myself. I don’t know what, but there’s something happening to me. Ifeltit. I’m going to go with my instincts. Maybe I do have a monster.

I just haven’t seen her yet.

“You don’t need to be afraid,” I announce to the empty parking lot.

If anyone were to see me right now, they would label me unstable.

“I know you’re here.”Someone is fucking here.“I won’t care if you’re a monster DNA experiment. I’m totally cool with it. I love it, actually.”Oh, so fucking much.“I’m someone you can trust. I have friends like you.” I stand in the middle of the parking lot under a dimly lit streetlight calling out to my little monster. Excitement burns me from within. “I’m wondering if maybe you’re my mate? Maybe you don’t know what that means. My friends didn’t until they were taught by other paranormals but if I am your fated mate, it means I’m destined to be yours. I want that, you know. I want to be destined to you.”

Everything that has happened makes so much sense if a monster is involved. It checks all of my boxes.

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