Page 77 of Monsters in Love

“Listen to me, Chad. You need to take a deep breath, calm down, and get in your car. This conversation is done. You need to go.”

“No! You can’t just tell me to leave. We have to figure out a deal. I’ll pay you more! My investors are counting on this!”

That’s when it hits. I feel it the second the sun slips beneath the horizon, casting dusk upon Mabon Manor and loosening my shackles.

I’m free.

ANNIE

I’m holding Chad back with magic, but with the way he looks, I’m not sure how long it’ll last. I’ve never seen him so furious, stomping around like a toddler who didn’t get his way. This entitled asshole thinks he can intimidate me into selling my house…just because he wants it.

Fuck that.

Chad springs and collides with the barrier, but he’s undeterred. He charges it again, his face contorted with fury. Not only did I stand up to him about the house, I’m standing up to him physically, and he’s like an enraged bull intent on taking down the matador. What an entitled, small-dicked little shit. What did I ever see in him?

He squares his shoulders and lunges again, and this time, he manages to push through. I stumble back to regroup, but I’m not fast enough. Chad’s hands are on my neck; his face is red and his eyes are wild.

He’s squeezing, cutting off my air, and little black dots begin to dance in my vision. I tug at his hands, but they’re strong and immobile, and I frantically try to think of another spell before I pass out.

As I struggle, growing weaker by the second, there’s a flurry of motion out of the corner of my eye. I’m able to look up just enough to see Lucienexplodeoff the eaves, plummeting straight down like a blue-gray rocket. He lands behind Chad with an audible thud that actually shakes the ground, and yanks him off me with one mighty tug, then plants himself between us. He rears up to his full height, wings expanded, talons exposed, tail swishing. I’ve never seen him like this and there’s only one word for it: magnificent.

“What the fuck?” Chad shouts.

Luc responds with a massive growl. He flaps his wings, and I know the resulting gust is enough to knock Chad on his ass. I giggle at the thought.

Luc roars again, and this time I peek around him to see Chad backpedaling, only to stumble over the rake I dropped.

“What the hell is that thing?”

“This is Lucien,” I call, voice a little raspy. Fortunately, Luc interceded before Chad managed to do real damage, though I’ll be wearing his fingerprints as a necklace for a few days. “He’s my roommate and he’s not happy about your presence here.”

Luc glances at me. “Are you okay?”

I nod. “I’ll be fine.”

He stalks forward. “To say I’m not pleased about your presence here is an understatement. Time to go, Chad Alder. And never return. Or else I throw you over the bluff and let the vultures feast on your corpse.” I don’t know if we even have vultures in these parts, but as threats go, it’s a good one.

Chad turns ashen. “But Annie and I have business,” he says weakly.

I can’t see his face, but I hear Luc’s snarl. “Your business is concluded. Never set foot on this property again.”

“You should listen to him!” I call. “Lucien is very casual about murder. Defending me from it, of course. But also committing it.”

“What?” Chad squeaks.

“You almost choked me to death, you fucking psycho. Get out of here before Lucien pays you back in full!”

Luc growls again. “This town is Annie’s now. You don’t belong here anymore. It’s time to move,” Luc tells him.

“But my house, my business…you can’t kick me out of a town!”

“Are you sure about that?” I ask. “You’ve just been given an order by an eight-foot-tall monster who does not like you. You really wanna take your chances against him? Or me when I take pictures of these bruises and press charges?”

“But it’s not fair—” Chad starts, only for Luc to interrupt.

“GO!” Luc bellows, and that’s when something occurs to me.

“Wait,” I say, and Luc turns to me.

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