Page 53 of Enticing Monsters

The elevator lets out a loud chime, and I exit and turn down the hallway, sending my shadows out ahead of me to search. It only takes a moment for them to find the room I need, and then they return to me swiftly, dissipating into the ether. I take a deep breath, centering myself, before I open the door, step inside, and shut it with a solid click behind me.

Sera’s family stands on one side of the room, with Devyn in a guard position in front of them. Gage is shackled to a table, the queen standing over him, one of her hands around his throat, and the other gripping his shoulder tight enough that I’m sure there will be marks left behind. His eyes are wide, his face as pale as her blouse, but he isn’t fighting against her hold as she screams into his face.

Fear surges through me, but I push it down, letting the shadows swallow it so I can stay centered. I’ve never seen the queen lose her composure. She may as well be standing before us naked.

Something is clearly very wrong, and I cuss Devyn ten ways to Sunday in my head, shooting him a scathing glare. It would have been nice going into this with a heads-up and some preplanning.

But Devyn isn’t looking at me or at Gage. His attention is fixed on his hands as if he’s never seen them before.

What the fuck is up with him?

“Your Majesty.” I keep my tone calm, even, and just on the right side of cold.

The queen is normally rational, but she never tolerates disrespect of any kind. V may be a hot-headed psycho, but bloodthirsty behaviors aren’t abnormal within the family. Even the queen isn’t immune. I’ve seen her break the necks of more than one fae who has broken protocols or disrespected her, and I’m not going to add myself or my family into that mix.

She doesn’t even spare me a look, continuing to tower over a pale-faced Gage, her features pinched and her eyes radiating unfettered fury.

I step forward around the table, ignoring the protesting noises from the Jenkins family as I move into her line of sight. Devyn shifts his weight slightly, the only tell that he’s tense and unsure, as I place a hand on Gage’s shoulder.

“I’m sure there’s been some misunderstanding, Your Majesty,” I say, squeezing Gage’s shoulder in a show of support.

Her lip is curled away from her teeth, and tears mar her cheeks, falling unheeded to add to the stains on her blouse.

“He should have been killed years ago,” she screams, the words echoing around us, nearly covering the sound of the door slamming open.

She grabs Gage’s cheek, her fingernails digging into his skin hard enough to draw blood.

Sera is inside and across the room in a dozen steps, daggers in her hands as she glares.

“I see we’re having a lovely little gathering,” she taunts as she flicks her wrists, releasing daggers into her palms. “Release my mate. Now.”

She doesn’t waver in the slightest, and it’s clear this isn’t her skinwalker riding her. This is all Sera, protective down to the bone.

It’s not going to stop me from spanking her ass later for putting herself in danger.

Devyn is quick to join Sera and me, leaving Foster to coral Sera’s family.

“Sera, please. Let us handle this,” Sheila begs.

“Sweetheart, you need to remain calm,” Jensen adds, holding his hands up placatingly. He takes a step closer to her, but Maddox gets in his father’s face with a scowl.

“Don’t touch her,” he snaps, tension riding his shoulders. Anyone with eyes could see that Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins would never hurt Serafina, but emotions are running rampant. No one is thinking clearly.

“Get out of my face, Maddox,” Jensen barks, and Maddox puffs out his chest.

“Make me.”

“Maddox! Enough!” That comes from Caleb, who places a hand on Maddox’s shoulder in an attempt to pull him away. Maddox simply shakes him off with a scowl.

“Sweetie, come here.” Sheila moves towards Sera, but Foster lifts his hand, and a ring of fire surrounds her family, preventing them from getting closer to her.

The looks Caleb and Maddox shoot him? He’s likely to be in for it later if we all manage to get out of this alive.

“Enough!” Devyn’s voice is a shattering roar, echoing around us as though he yelled through a megaphone.

The queen releases Gage and staggers back a step, though she continues to watch my mate with wary, narrowed eyes, her chest heaving as she reaches up to swipe at her tears.

“Yourmatekilled my daughter and a dozen others today,” she hisses at Sera. “The same way he destroyed his father years ago. He was a monster then, and he’s one now, and he’ll turn your brain to jello next.”

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