Page 39 of Monster's Pet

“I hope that never goes away,” Aiden said, kissing the side of my knee. “I will want you when I’m on my deathbed.”

“Morbid.”

“When I’m old and gray.”

“Better.”

Aiden stood up and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing our bodies together. I pressed my lips to his quickly and then pulled away. “As much as I wouldloveto have sex with you in the shower all night long, I’m exhausted.”

“Understood.” Aiden flipped the water off and grabbed the towel he’d brought, wrapping it around my body before scooping me up in a cradle carry.

“What about your clothes?” I asked. “Are you going to walk out there naked?”

Aiden shrugged. “It’s the middle of the night. It’s just a few doors down. As for my clothes...” He glared at them as if they had mortally offended him by being covered in mud, and then sighed. “Can you carry them? That was my favorite pair of jeans.”

I smothered a giggle and nodded. “Put them in your shower caddy.”

Aiden put me down again, washed out his clothing, and then hung them over the edge of the metal basket. “Satisfied?”

“How about you carry that and I walk?” I asked, sauntering to the door.

He pouted. “But I was looking forward to carrying you.”

“Aww, muffin.”

It wasa struggle to stay awake during Qualitative Spellcraft the next morning, even with Professor Reynolds teaching a new twist on casting a sight spell. He promised that this new way would use less energy. I was looking forward to trying it, but couldn’t think of a reason yet.

At lunch, I gobbled down my meal and ran down to the library, hoping to get in a little research before Care of Magical Creatures that afternoon. I wasn’t looking forward to seeing Professor Wright, especially since we’d ignored his direct order to return Moonbeam to the forest.

Instead, I saw Paige sitting at a study desk with a thick book in front of her.

“Paige! I haven’t seen you outside of class in ages! Even in class, you’re not sitting near me. What’s up? How was your holiday?”

Paige practically jumped out of her seat, half-covering the library book with one of her notebooks. “Siobhan!” she squeaked. “I thought you preferred to sit by yourself so that you aren’t distracted.”

“That’s true. But you haven’t been joining us for lunch either. And where did that investigative spirit go?”

“What do you mean?”

“This fall, you practically jumped down every potential suspect’s throat about the murder. Nearly a whole day has passed since Professor Wright identified the manducare thatAiden and I rescued, and you haven’t interrogated either of us even once.”

Paige flushed. “Oh. Well, you say the manducare isn’t the reason for the ley lines disappearing, and I believe you.”

My eyebrows rose. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Okay then. Good luck with your research.” My gaze flicked over the book she was hiding. It was about nexus points.

Why is she hiding that from me?

CHAPTER 11

“We needtoys that Moonbeam can play with,” I said to our friends who had gathered in Aiden’s room. They were perched on every available surface; Lilia, Hazel, Rhiannon, and Una on Aiden’s bed, Bruce and Clarissa on the chair and desk respectively, and Brom, looking larger than usual, squished on the floor between Lilia’s legs. “Something that we can put the magic generator inside, so she has to figure out how to get at it. It will occupy her, but she won’t get frustrated and go after the magical lock on the door because it’s easier to get at.”

Bruce whistled. “That’s a tall order.”

“She’s very playful,” Rhiannon said, dangling her fingers over Moonbeam’s head for the kitten to bat. “She likes a challenge. If it’s too easy, she’ll get bored and go hunting for Aiden.”

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