Page 38 of Held By a Monster

I swallowed a lump in my throat and opened my binder. Kragen had given me the information on shifters, and in the neatly typed table of contents I found “The Fates & Fated Mates.”

My heart raced. As much as I wanted, I couldn’t flip directly to that information. We’d agreed to brief each other on the topics in our binders, so none of us would need to read the entirety unless we wanted.

Kragen and I would read everything, but the others would pick the subjects they were interested in from each.

I wanted to make sure Kendal had a choice. That she could leave with no adverse effects. It was the last thing I wanted to happen, but it was important.

She shouldn’t be tied unwillingly to a monster like me.

twenty-five

I yawned so hardmy jaw popped. Several heads rose around the table, their heads cocked and their ears pricked forward.

“Sorry guys, I’m a little tired.”

I hadn’t finished the sentence before Drym had me in his arms, striding away from the main space toward his room.

I still wasn’t used to that. His quick action to get me whatever I needed. I’d say he could read my mind, but I knew he couldn’t. I’d asked. I didn’t want to leave while the others still worked on getting through their binders, but I knew arguing was futile. If I tried, the others would back Drym up in shooing me off to bed. I’d learned to just go with it.

It was amazing, really, how little sleep they needed. Being able to stay alert for so long made them better soldiers, but from my perspective, hearing their low voices echo through the cavern was soothing. A lullaby of safety and comfort.

Drym snuggled against my back, his warmth making me even more drowsy.

“Why does Thurl not like to read?”

He rubbed the underside of his jaw on the top of my head. “He lost the use of one eye completely, and the other strains when he tries to read. It was kind of you to take the task from him without question.”

“Did he lose his eye the same way that Roul got his scars?”

I felt his chest rumble through my back as he chuckled. “No. Thurl lost sight in one eye while on a mission. They gave us faulty gear to see how we handled failure, and the premature explosion of a flash grenade sent shrapnel into his eye. Roul’s ear notches and scars were won in a different battle. You should ask him to tell you about Texas.”

I think I made a noise of assent, but I was already half asleep.

I dreamed I was running.

Not from rich assholes with nothing better to do with their time and money than stage human hunts, but from skinnynerds in lab coats. I woke up alone, drenched in cold sweat, and disoriented.

The cave system was always full of small sounds. Dripping water from somewhere deep underground and the hushed voices of the wyrfangs echoing down the tunnels were usually soothing, but I couldn’t shake the note of fear my dream caused.

I stumbled to my feet and grabbed the small lantern Drym left for me. I couldn’t navigate the entire system by myself, but I’d learned the path from Drym’s room to the main chamber.

The six of them were crammed together, staring at an open binder. My toe caught a loose pebble and I found myself with six pairs of glowing eyes fixed on me.

It was unnerving.

Even though I knew them, and they were gentle and kind to me, I’d also seen firsthand how destructive and deadly they were. A shiver ran down my spine and I reassessed my thought that Bill pissing himself was totally overreacting.

The end of Roul’s tail dragged back and forth on the ground, theshushof its sweep somehow ominous.

“What’s wrong?” My voice wasn’t as steady as I wanted.

Drym shook, his entire body shaking like a dog ridding itself of water. “We think…”

He looked around at his five brothers, and the pause stretched until I felt like I would snap.

“Just spit it out!”

All of them startled at my shout. Cavi even took a step back. Quin pushed his way in front of the others.

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