Page 65 of Beauty's Monstrous Demons

I love my life so much.

The weeks are flying by and Valentine’s Day is next week. I’m unsure what that means, though. I’ve never celebrated the fake holiday because I’ve never had anyone to enjoy it with. It seems trivial to ask about it, which means I’m going to let things ride.

After all, I have more important things to worry about. I dropped Bertie off at the mechanic early this morning, and Samael had me drive the SUV back that he swears he’s had for ages.

Except, it has a new car smell, and this is a newer model car. Things aren’t adding up. It appears as if Samael is giving me this incredibly elaborate gift under the guise of being a loaner.

Or I could be mistaken. My thoughts have officially launched themselves into the land of delulu. Who would go through so much trouble for me?

I’m on my way to get myself lunch from the apartment when my phone dings. It’s the only day where I actually have time to return to where I call home, and I have a delicious meal waiting for me with my mates.

Please don’t let whatever this notification is ruin that.

Sighing, I pull my phone out of my pocket to glare at it. I really don’t appreciate this interruption. Finding where the notification came from, I curse myself for not having put the damn thing on silent.

It’s an email from the Dean of Student Housing, stating that I’m urgently needed in her office as soon as I receive the email.

“Damnit,” I mutter.

Pouting, I text the group text message the guys set up with Alecto.

Me:

I’m forwarding an email here. My day is being hijacked and I’m unamused. I may need to skip lunch.

Sending the email as promised, I put my phone on vibrate and head in the opposite direction of where I was going. Since it’s on the far end of campus, I’ll be lucky if I even make it to my next class on time depending on how long this takes.

Eating lunch at all isn’t happening.

My pocket vibrates a couple of times, but I assume it’s the guys texting me in response, so I ignore it since I’m climbing the stairs of the Student Housing building. I’ll just text them back when I’m done here.

Following the signs for a Therese Taylor, I force myself to take a cleansing breath. I’m surprised she hasn’t emailed before this. One of my roommates at the dorm must have complained that I haven’t been back.

Or worse, they reported me missing. Professor Dalca wouldn’t have because he recently saw me. Unless he decided to be an asshole.

Because he is one, I guess he’s not off the table as an instigator either.

Fuck, I’m spiraling and I need to keep it together until I’m out of here at the very least. Raising my hand, I knock on the door, surprised that she doesn’t have a secretary of some sort.

“Come in,” she calls out, sounding stressed.

Wincing, because I will not go back to the dorm unless I’m under duress, and I am about to make her day more difficult if she attempts to force me.

Opening the door, I peek in to find a relatively small office, and that Therese is petite compared to the many other monsters I’ve seen.

“Who are you then?” she asks. “I’m very busy.”

There’s piles of files around her, and if I was bitch, I’d give her attitude in return. Despite not having eaten yet, I refuse to drop to a level that isn’t me.

“I’m Lorelei Rose,” I explain. “I just received your email on my way to get lunch.”

Okay, I may as well let her know that she’s inconveniencing me.

“Oh! Yes, yes, please come in,” she says. “I didn’t think you’d get back to me so quickly, as you’ve been deemed missing in the wind.”

“I’m no such thing,” I state, taking a single step inside of the room and no further. “I’m not at all missing.”

“One of your roommates called me this morning, very worried,” she says, dropping her glasses down to look at me before fixing them. Therese Taylor has frizzy hair, a permanent pinched look on her face, and exudes the need for a vacation. “Please, close the door behind you.”

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