Page 51 of Beauty's Monstrous Demons

Regrets are something I try not to have, which is another reason why I’m here. It’s true that it’s fucking up my grand plan to do the equivalent of tossing a toaster oven into my bath water, but even I’m not selfish enough to do that to Lorelei. As her scent match, I exist solely for her in this period in time.

It doesn’t matter if she has other scent matches, or if I’m easily jealous, or if she hasn’t scent matched with me because I mask mine.

My feet begin moving toward the main door of the building, intent on following the creature currently opening the door. After eight at night, you need a pass key to get into the building, and I’m not an exception.

“I’m sorry, do you live here?” a woman with long red hair asks. She’s a snake shifter, and one of them peeks out of her hair as if curious.

I’m a very likable demon. I get my way more often than not, my honeyed tone pulling people to see my side of things. I’m capable of excelling at anything I put my mind to, I simply need the accessibility to do it. An example of this is teaching both chemistry and business at the same time.

I pitched my idea to the school and they jumped at the opportunity to have me teach despite it never being done before. It’s as if good luck and charm had a baby together.

It’s why I thought it so interesting that my ability to charm didn’t work on Lorelei at all.

So tonight, I’m running my own type of experiment. When I cleaned myself up after my drunken stupor, I didn’t mask my scent. As we’re tied together for the entirety of her lifetime, I don’t want to hide from her.

Smiling at the woman, I incline my head. “I’m here to see Professor Gorsch,” I tell her. “I understand if you feel the need to slam the door in my face so I’ll be forced to call his apartment.”

There’s a key pad to the right of the door with the ability to call different apartments for visitors. It also would be incredibly rude for her to close the door on me since I’m standing right here.

I’m dressed down tonight, feeling as if a full suit may be overkill. So instead, I’m wearing a pair of ripped jeans, a white t-shirt, and a vintage dark green jacket. As a monster who has lived as long as I have, vintage could mean anything.

However, it’s well loved and soft, which is why I’m wearing it.

I’m highly aware of the shifter in front of me as she holds the door open with her back, her eyes moving over me slowly.

“I suppose I’ll let you in,” she purrs. Ugh, she’s not the one I want, but I smile at her anyway.

“Thank you,” I say. Passing through the door, I walk quickly across the lobby, ignoring the woman’s sharp heels as she walks behind me.

I looked up Gorsch’s apartment number today without a single care for his privacy. It doesn’t mean shit when it’s coming between Lorelei and I. My boots are silent along the marble before I turn toward his apartment. I no longer hear the shifter, and my tail swings from side to side impatiently. If she’s following me, I’m very likely to smack her with it.

Stopping at the apartment door, I turn my head toward the left, finding it empty. The female must have decided to mind her own damn business, which is the best decision for her continued health. Raising my fist, I bang on the door, unrelenting until Samael stumbles to open it, his pants unbuttoned and shirtless.

“Do you usually open the door like this—” that’s all I’m able to get out before Samael’s clawed fist punches me in the face.

Granted, I think I deserve more than that, but in the next breath, he’s grabbing my shirt and yanking me inside.

“What the fuck,” I hiss as he slams and locks the door. It’s then that I’m hit in the face with the scent of sex, slick, and cherries and cream.

There’s only one reason for this.I remember these days with Dahlia, and it was exhausting to keep up with her alone.

“She went into heat,” I whisper, eyes wide. “Is she okay?”

Her scream makes me flinch, and Samael’s tail wraps around my waist and yanks me back. Without realizing it, I’d already started walking toward the bedroom. Rubbing my face, I shake my head.

“Fuck, I had no right to do that. I have no idea why I’m even here,” I groan. “No, that’s a lie. I’ve had this fucking pain in my chest for the last two days.”

“She went into heat the night she met you,” Samael grunts. “We were doing fine, but we can’t keep up or give her what she wants. One of her scent matches is MIA, and that’s who she wants.”

“I wasn’t myself when I saw her at the lab,” I apologize. “Is this the same creature that you said broke into her dorm room?”

“Mmhmm,” Samael grunts, looking torn. “I don’t understand not wanting to seek her out if you knew she was yours. I know you have a different situation?—”

“Grief is a bitch,” I sigh. “My brand of it involves destroying my apartment in town and getting drunk. I may still slip up, but I won’t take it out on her again. I swear it.”

“Why are you here? As you heard, she’s not doing well. Her heat hasn’t broken outside of moments of clarity. When it first began happening, she was in pain but able to speak, but?—”

“Every heat is different,” I interrupt. “She missed work and I heard that she called out for several days, which doesn’t seem like her, so I came to investigate. In my experience, sometimes you’ll have a really good start and then it’ll devolve to grunts and crying for a knot. Others, it’ll be like that the entire time.”

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