Page 45 of Beauty's Monstrous Demons

“I’d call bullshit,” he says. “I don’t want a mate who will leave me when she dies too. I’d much rather snap your neck and be done with it. The pain of my scent match dying nearly broke me. I won’t allow it to happen again.”

I’m still in Samael’s arms as Alecto’s clawed hand wraps around my throat, but this time it squeezes so tightly, I can’t gasp in a breath. There’s nothing Samael can do, though the veins in Alecto’s throat are strained with exertion.

“I’ve already lived through every fucked up thing you could possibly imagine,” he growls. “My mate died eight hundred years ago, and the last in our line left me bereft of anything good. You’re intriguing, but that’s all.”

“Liar,” Samael breathes. “You’re afraid of watching her age, and I can’t say that isn’t also my fear. I’d rather spend as much time as possible with Lorelei rather than worry about the day she’ll no longer grace the earth with her presence. I can feel the soul crushing fear you feel without needing to enhance it and see what ails you. Let it go, Alecto. Take the second chance to build something.”

Spots begin to burst in my vision, clouding the angry monster leaning in my face. I can feel his warm breath, see his white pupils enlarge with fear and a small bit of hope.

And then… he releases me. Coughing, I hear his scream of pain as he stalks out of the room, and Samael rubs my back slowly, striding to my backpack to get my water from it. Sitting on the ground with his back to the wall, he feeds me some water slowly, his facial features pinched.

“So you know Alecto?” I rasp, my voice rough.

“We’ve met in passing over the years,” he grunts. “The world is only so large, and we’ve lived a lot of years. He never really recovered after watching his entire lineage die. I can sense that he’s determined to wrap up his loose ends before he kills himself.”

“I’ve never heard of a suicidal monster,” I say, coughing before taking another sip of water.

“It doesn’t happen often, but it’s very systematic. They make their final decisions, and then fade from the world,” he says. “He’s hiding his scent to safeguard from being responsible for another person.”

“I’m responsible for myself,” I whisper. “I always have been. I don’t need caretakers.”

“That’s true enough,” he agrees. “It’s not exactly how I mean it, though. We take care of each other. You’re not helpless by any means, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to stop from easing into your passenger seat each night after you’re done with your shift.”

Laying my head on his chest, I nod.

“I’ve never had anyone before,” I tell him. “There’s been a lot of years of avoiding shitty foster or group homes, groping hands of guys who don’t understand the word no, and not always getting enough to eat. I’ve been working side jobs since I was sixteen. I bought Bertie with my own money too.”

“Is that why you love the old bitch so much,” he teases me, his lips grazing my temple.

“It is,” I sigh. “Alecto is my boss, Samael. What the fuck am I going to do?”

“No, Patrice is your boss,” he says. “I thoroughly cased the place the first couple of nights that you worked. I never saw him.”

“He said he’s a silent partner,” I explain. “I saw him last night as he was walking out. He conned Dr. Alvaro into an introduction.”

“He’s a manipulative prick, Lorelei,” Samael rumbles. “The end always justifies the means as long as he gets his way. I don’t know how far he’ll take this. I’m going to take you home to put something on your neck. It’s starting to bruise.”

“More bruises, fantastic,” I say.

“More?” Samael asks, helping me stand. The world spins on me, and my fingers tighten on his arm as he freezes, gazing at me. “Did you eat yet, Lorelei?”

“Too busy,” I murmur, my eyes firmly closed as I beg my body to settle. “I’ll grab something quick on the way to my next class.”

“Fucking hell,” he growls. “You still have three more classes today. This is one insane schedule you have.”

“I know,” I gulp, blinking my eyes open. “I just need to wait for this to finish cooling before I go.”

“No, that’s what I’m going to do,” he insists. “Show me what you’d usually do so I don’t fuck this up and go on about your day.”

Nodding, I explain that the liquid needs to cool for another fifteen minutes and then he can pour it into the glass container that I had set aside, waiting for it.

“Then, if you can just wash everything and put it away, that would be wonderful, please,” I rush out.

“Got it. Please go eat,” he says. “I’ll meet you somewhere with some arnica cream.”

Knowing Samael, he has me lo-jacked. Smirking at the thought, I agree.

“Thank you. See you later,” I say, taking off my safety glasses and putting away my laboratory jacket.

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