Page 78 of Beauty's Monstrous Demons

“You work your ass off, and I want you to be safe,” he says, taking my hand to squeeze it. “You’re important to me and I love you.”

Throwing caution to the wind, I say, “I love you, too. So much. It’s overwhelming, huge, and kind of scares the shit out of me.”

That was more than I expected to say.

“Breathe,” he purrs, the rumble deep in his chest. I love when he does this. When I’m really stressed out, it always helps so much.

My lungs release the clenching pressure they’ve been holding, and I take a deep breath for my alpha.

“Again,” he encourages, nodding as his eyes remain on the road. “That’s my girl. I love that you love me so much. I know it’s scary, especially with so much up in the air. We’re in this together.”

I think that’s what scares me.I hate that my fate is tied to his because I don’t want him to get hurt.

Yet, I nod and let myself release some of that anxiety. I need to learn to enjoy the present, or else I’m wasting my life. I never want to do that.

Not when it could be gone in an instant. Fatalistic? Possibly, but it’s also practical.

“So what are you naming your new car?” he asks. “I already transferred everything into your name.”

No more tears. Nope. Fuck, Samael is a rare breed.

“Street Demon,” I tease him, smirking as he snickers. “There’s no way I could call my car that with a straight face. She’s definitely more reliable than Bertie. I’ll call her Miss Daisy.”

“Your mind is fascinating,” he mutters, turning into the university. “You had an entire conversation with yourself.”

“It’s a gift,” I say with a shrug.

“Alecto was still at the apartment when I left. I don’t know if he’ll still be there,” Samael says. “We finished going through the wagon of everything I packed from your dorm.”

“I’m sure a lot of things needed to be trashed,” I sigh. “As you can see, I’m terribly attached to things.”

“If there were holes in things, they did go into the trash,” he says. “Unless they were things that obviously had sentimental value. Your boots are also back from the cobbler, and ready for you. They’re perfect now.”

“You’re going to spoil me,” I tell him, grinning.

“Good, you deserve it.”

Samael finds a parking spot near the apartment building, and chuckles to himself.

“By the way, Miss Daisy has a teacher parking permit,” he says. “Now you won’t have to park so far away from home.”

“Now that’s a fucking present,” I say, happiness bubbling inside of me.

Often, I have to park a lot farther away, and then Samael will transport us to the apartment since it’s so far of a walk. I love that I’ll have the ability to park right next door.

Opening the door, Samael and I get out of the vehicle, linking hands as we walk to the apartment building. Home has a really nice ring to it.

No one is around since it’s so late, and we walk together to the apartment. Samael and I both have keys now, but Phenex must have been waiting for us, because he opens the door immediately.

“Welcome back,” he says, tugging me into a hug. “All of your things are clean and are hanging up or in a closet. I feel like you’re fully moved in now.”

“I do too,” I mumble against his chest.

“Pretty sure you’re suffocating her,” Alecto says as Samael closes the door behind us.

“She’s fine,” Phenex says, though he steps back and looks down at me to check.

“I’m tired, but good,” I agree.

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