Page 29 of How to Hide Your Angel Kid

“What do you propose we do, then?” Galent snarled, his eyes flashing red.

“I don’t know!”

They reached the end of the parking lot, boxed in by moving vehicles on the street. Galent spun around, shoving Pinks behind him. Pinks peeked out from Galent’s side just to have an idea how they would die.

The spindly creature slowed down and surveyed them with beady silver eyes. It skittered closer, snapping its maw.

“Any last words?” Galent asked.

“Please don’t turn into a statue again.”

Galent snorted, backing away from the creature, still shielding Pinks with his own body.

Out of nowhere, their shopping cart slammed into the creature, unraveled TP trailing behind it like a superhero’s cape.

The creature fell over and struggled, its top-heavy body thumping against the asphalt. Galent leaped at it immediately, grabbing its legs and snapping them off.

Pinks would’ve felt bad if the creature hadn’t just threatened his baby.

Then, Galent hissed. His hand was bleeding—blood had smeared against one of the creature’s still-kicking legs. “Don’t come close. These are sharp.”

“You’re hurt!”

Galent breathed out. “Fuck. I have to kill it now. It knows the scent of my blood. If I don’t, it’ll regrow its legs and follow us back.”

“Kill it,” Pinks growled.

Galent took the creature’s legs and shoved the pointed ends into its mouth, piercing its insides. It shuddered and went still, twitching occasionally.

Pinks couldn’t move closer. “Is it really dead?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.” Galent wiped his hands on his pants, smearing blood everywhere. He grabbed some of the fluttering TP and wiped his blood off the dead creature, too.

“Why’re you cleaning it? To get rid of evidence?”

“So no one can use my blood against me,” Galent said, his eyes narrowed. “The last thing you need is me becoming a threat to you, too.”

It was... oddly touching. Pinks relaxed slightly when Galent pulled him close, wrapping one arm around his shoulder. Zarrie tried to grab Galent’s shirt again; Pinks had to wrap her blanket around her to trap her arms. She scrunched up her face and made an unhappy sound. “Awwhh!”

“I’ll let you play with your toys when we get home,” Pinks promised, bobbing her in his arms. She babbled more and squirmed. “Hush, Galent isn’t a toy.”

The giant snorted. “Yeah? I don’t mind crawling around like a horse if she wants to sit on my back.”

“Really?”

“When I’m not cursed,” Galent said dryly.

“Oh. Yeah.” Pinks sighed. He’d give so much to see Galent pretending to be a horse. Galent was still bleeding too much for Pinks to be comfortable, though. “You should wrap up your hand, or you’ll bleed everywhere.”

Galent grabbed one of the new shirts, but Pinks was faster.

With a quick look to make sure no one else was nearby, Pinks set Zarrie in the cart and hooked his leg through its metal base so it couldn’t rush off. Then he took the shirt from Galent and carefully tied up his hand, making sure it was tight enough to slow down the bleeding. “Put some pressure on it.”

Galent was watching him closely. “Do you do this all the time for other people?”

Pinks flushed. “Just the people I need to keep around to protect Zarrie.”

Galent grinned. “Thanks.”

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