Page 32 of Secondhand Garagyre

Hersmile falters, just a bit, as she rubs at her chest with one tiny hand, before it blooms into something so beautiful it takes my breath away.

Shefeels my love for her.

Itis enough…for now.

Chapter Thirty-Three

PAISLEY

Heloves me!

Laithog.

Loves.

Me.

Ittook all of my mental capabilities to focus on the conversation floating back and forth betweenLaithogand my parents during lunch.Whichwent far better thanIexpected it to.Fora creature that’s been asleep for hundreds, if not thousands of years, he adapts exceptionally well.Therewere only one or two faux pas thatIhad to quickly cover, but other than thatIconsider lunch to be a resounding success.

Standingon the sidewalk,Iwave to my parents as they back out of the parking lot in their silverFordExplorerto head back home.Turningto faceLaithog,Ilook up and relay my mental musings to him, “Thatwent much better thanIexpected it to.Youmust have been listening intently to me for the last six months to know so much about this modern world you awoke to.”

Chuckling, he wraps his tail around my waist and pulls me to him. “Iam from a time when it was adapt or die.Thatis no different than whatIam doing now.IfIdon’t blend in,Icall attention to myself.IfIdie, you die, andIwill not put you in danger because of my actions,” he says solemnly.

Hiswords are low, just in case there’s anyone close enough to hear our private conversation.Squeezingme one more time, we start to head to my pick-up when a soft breeze gust past us.Laithogstiffens and emits a soundIhaven’t heard before.It’sa snarling growl so low it vibrates my entire body.Jerkingme behind him, he whirls to face the direction we just came from.

“Demon.”

Ifreeze at his word.Whatthe fuck does he mean “demon?!”

Peekingout from behind his back, whatIsee causes terror to slide down my spine.It’sBradley… butLaithogsaid there was a demon.

Theimplication makes me freeze in place.

“Well, well.Iguess the cat is out of the bag now.Naughty,Garagyre, telling my future mate about my true nature beforeIcould.”Hetakes a step closer, ignoringLaithog’swarning snarl, and just what the fuck does he mean ‘future mate,’Iwould rather die than marryBradley!

“Paisley, you are looking rather well.InterferingGaragyrefigured out how to heal you, did he?It’sof no matter;I’msure a week of suffering taught you a valuable lesson, but maybe not.Sinceinstead of coming to heel, like you should have, you went and found the onlyGaragyremale left on this plane.Hmm.Andnot just anyGaragyre, if my nose is telling me the truth…Hello,Laithog.Tellme, how isIlayahandoing…oh wait, that’s right.Ikilled her, didn’tI?” he chortles with sadistic glee.

Ican feel the rage simmering inLaithogas well as determination.AtBrad’slast words, however, disbelief and astonishment filter to me through our bond.

That…cannot be true.

Laithogtold me that he killedRulzikin a battle long ago…

Bradleypauses, his nose twitching as if he smells something that catches him by surprise.Iwatch as he takes another deep breath and flinch at his exhaled rage filled shriek.Athis apparent loss of control,I’mgiven a brief glimpse of what’s hiding beneathBradley’shandsome exterior.

It’shorrifying… and colossal.

Pitchblack skin.

Blood-red eyes.

Massivehorns.

Sharpteeth.

Curiously, smoke immediately starts rising from the nonhuman image, andIrecall whatLaithogsaid about demons being bound to the darkness.

So, how is he out in the sun?

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