Page 55 of Held By a Monster

Thurl put his hand tentatively on my shoulder. His ears drooped and he whined. “Why are you sad, Kendal?”

“I’m not sad, I’m happy. These are happy tears.”

He looked at his brothers, his head cocking. “This place makes you happy?”

I shook my head. “No, you make me happy. It’s been a while since I’ve had friends who cared about me. Even longer since I’ve had a family.”

Quin, Cavi and Thurl tilted their heads back and howled. Kragen had an indulgent smile on his face.

“What’s happening?”

“You make us happy, too. These are happy howls.”

My tears didn’t stop, even through a burst of laughter. Thurl picked me up and twirled me around before almost throwing me down and backing away. “Sorry.”

I swiped at the tears on my cheeks. “It’s okay.”

Bull appeared from somewhere, his tall lanky frame and habit of going everywhere with a laptop not hampering his ability to move without sound. Though the ‘fangs heard him, their heads swiveling like a school of fish.

“Our offer has been accepted and they’re willing to close immediately. Apparently the property has sat vacant long enough they’re just happy to be rid of it.” He held the laptop in the palm of his left hand, his eyes glued to the screen, his right hand typing away. He finally looked up after a few minutes. “We’ll need to send a representative to the closing. Who wants to stand as proxy for the wyrfang?”

Kragen stepped up. “Kendal should go.”

Zeus swung his head in that direction. “Whoever goes will sign the paperwork to gain ownership of the property. One of my team members can stand in using one of your new identities.”

I laid my hand on Kragen’s forearm, and it tensed beneath my fingers. It reminded me how they were unused to affectionate touch and my heart broke for them. I decided to hug them each once a day.

“Kragen, I appreciate that you’re offering to put me on the deed, and I’ll go if you want that, but you or one of your brothers should also be on it. Then you can officially name beneficiaries, so if something were to happen to one of you, the others wouldn’t have to worry about their homes being taken away.”

“Couldn’t you make us your beneficiary?” He stumbled over the unfamiliar word.

I nodded. “I could, I suppose?” I looked at Zeus for confirmation. I’d never owned anything worth assigning a beneficiary before.

“Yes. That would work. In the eyes of Society’s council, you and Drym are bonded, so you’ve automatically become the inheritor of each other’s property. It’s the normal’s rules andregulations that can prove tricky sometimes. We have a fae lawyer who can navigate the complexities later.”

“Well then.” I dusted my hands on my jeans. “I’ll sign the paperwork. While I’m doing that, Zeus, can you show the ‘fangs each of the housing sites so they can decide who will be where?”

“Of course.”

As I slid into the passenger side of Bull’s SUV, the joy of the successful property expedition faded. The bond lights floated around my head and stretched into the distance.I hope you’re okay.I scanned my body for any new aches and pains and there were none, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that the beast I loved was in a miserable place with awful people.

And I couldn’t do anything to help him.

thirty-six

Thoughts of Kendal keptme from spiraling into a well of self-pity. That and Isabelle’s sporadic visits were the only things breaking the monotony of life inside the laboratory.

She told me during one visit that my presence had provided enough of a distraction that her search for damning evidence sped up considerably.

At least there was one good thing about my capture.

They had yet to open my cell for any reason, which meant I wasn’t able to help her at all. I knew Kendal was safe with my brothers beyond the reach of these scientists, but Isabelle was undercover in the thick of them. I worried for her. If something happened to her, Roul would go mad.

Thurl was already so shy and reserved that he was almost feral. I couldn’t lose another brother to brooding withdrawal.

Roul was heartbroken when she disappeared after our escape. My brothers and I stopped asking if he wanted to look for her when his disposition kept getting worse. I knew the hurt he felt was overwhelming. Especially since none of us knew why she refused to come with us.

Now I knew. She never really left us. She was trying to protect us the only way she knew how—by going back into BioSynth undercover. Literally risking her life.

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