Page 36 of Our Little Monster
I glanced around the grand room, seeing it was larger than your average bedroom. A quaint library sat off to the right in the corner with a small couch serving as the seating area.
In the other corner sat a simple, clean office. Perfectly organized, and it made me wonder if anyone even used it. Next to it stood a wooden dresser.
My eyes met Thorne’s again with all their softness, and I took another steadying breath before I realized I was still holding the old man’s neck.
I released him. “I’m sorry, I—”
“No need to apologize. I’ve dealt with worse dealing with these three,” he said, waving his hand in the air and gesturing toward the house just as Bastian and Nox sauntered in the room.
I lifted my other hand realizing I was attached to an IV.
“You’re a doctor?” I asked, my brows furrowing,
“Yes, I’m their family doctor. You can call me Todd,” he replied, continuing his work from before at my side, his fingers moving gently over the newly stitched skin.
“Why do Vampires need a doctor?” I glanced at all of them.
“I’m not just any old doctor.” He waggled his brows at me before pushing around on my stomach.
I winced and looked him over, searching for any abnormalities. Waiting for the hairs on my neck to stand on end when I figured out what he truly was, but the sensation never came.
“What are you?” I pushed further, not coming up with anything based off of his looks alone.
“I’m a Warlock who just happens to also be a doctor, and these nitwits stumbled across me a long time ago and have kept me on speed dial ever since.”
“Oh, you couldn’t get rid of them either?” I joked, eyeing them.
“Ah, they’re good lads once you see behind the teeth.”
I directed my words toward Bastian, “You could have had a doctor tend to me the entire time. Why didn’t you say something at the warehouse?”
“I had to ensure you’d come back,” he said with a grin, and I scowled at him before changing the subject.
“So, what made a Warlock doctor stick around for Vampires?”
“Let’s just say we both needed something, and we struck a deal.”
“Ah, blackmail,” I grunted as I used my fists on either side of my body to lift myself up on the bed.
“Not entirely,” Bastain corrected, placing a large cup of water on the nightstand and motioning for me to drink it. I instinctively smelled it, and Bastian rolled his eyes.
“It has a floral scent. What’s in it?” I questioned.
“You seriously think we’d go through all this trouble just to poison you now?” he huffed, running a hand down his face. “It’s vervain. It’ll protect you against compulsion.”
I took down the water, giving him another lingering glance.
“I don’t need vervain; my tattoo keeps me from being compelled,” I said as I set the cup down. “But I’ll take it anyway to keep any of you from using me as a snack.”
“As if vervain would stop us,” Bastian chuckled, giving me those confident eyes. I was sure nothing would stop this man if he was determined enough. It was something I could respect, even if he was a Vampire.
“We’d only snack on you if you asked nicely,” Nox quipped back as Todd began to speak.
“She should be good to come off the IV once those liquids are done. Stick to the antibiotics I left in the fridge downstairs for two weeks. I’ll be back to take her stitches out then.” He turned to me. “Lots of bedrest, and you should be good as new.”
With that, he clapped Bastian on the shoulder and walked out of the bedroom. Thorne and Nox followed him out; I assumed they were escorting him, but after a few minutes they didn’t come back in, and it was just me and Bastian.
He stood leaning against the door frame as if he were waiting for me to speak. I looked around. Catching sight of my phone on the nightstand, I picked it up, seeing a text from Sam.
