Page 82 of Our Little Monster
“Look, I know you lost your dad, and I know how hard that has been for you, but you can’t keep pushing me away, Serina. I love you, and I’m sorry for being mad at you over the hunts. But just know you weren’t the only one who lost someone that day, and I can’t lose you too.”
“Sam,” I interrupted, gripping the phone tighter. “I hear you, I do. I know. I’m sorry, too. But right now, I need your help.”
There was a hitch in her breath, a pause that stretched between us. But Sam was family, resilient and relentless. She rallied, the resolve in her voice clear as she asked, “What do you need?”
“Information,” I said quickly. “There’s a warehouse; I’m sending you the location now. I need everything you can dig up on it. Layout, security, guards, monsters, anything unusual, the comings and goings. No detail is too small.”
“Got it,” Sam replied. I could hear her scribbling down the address, but then an eerie quiet fell over the line.
“Sam, you there?” I pressed.
“Uh, yeah, I-I…” she fumbled over her strained words before she cleared her throat and tried again. “Consider it done.” Her response was immediate, unwavering. “And Serina, listen to me,” she added, her tone taking on that fierce protectiveness I’d missed more than I’d ever admit. “You’re not doing this solo anymore. Do you understand me?”
“I…” The knot in my throat tightened, words failing me for a moment as I battled with my demons all over again before finally responding. “Thanks, Sam. I love you. And I promise, when it’s time to make a move, you’ll be the first to know.”
“I love you, too.” She didn’t have to say it, but I heard the relief in her voice, like we’d both found our way back from a long, cold silence.
We hung up, and I let my phone slip from my fingers, its impact against the cushion lost in the hush of the house. Alone now, I wandered to the window again, pressing my palm against the cool glass.
The darkness outside seemed less suffocating knowing Sam was out there, somewhere, helping me.
I hugged myself, trying to chase away the chill that had nothing to do with the night air. Thorne, Nox, Bastian—they were out there too, and I didn’t know how much time we’d have left together, but I was determined to make the best of it.
I heard the tires coming up the driveway and rushed downstairs through the front door and out on the porch.
The car came to a stop, and Thorne and Nox both quickly got out and opened the back door, where they helped Bastian to his feet by slinging his arms over both of their shoulders.
He looked like hell, but he was alive.
I guess whatever they said worked, or maybe they just let him go like they had said before. Maybe after Victor was done and didn’t get any answers, he would move along now.
I wanted to leap off the patio and tackle all three of them to the ground, but I held myself back. My stomach was doing somersaults from seeing all three of them together again.
It had only been a week, but fuck, what a year this week had felt like.
As soon as they got a little closer, I ran to Bastian, but his body slammed into mine first as he moved at his Vampire speeds and pinned me against the side of the house. His eyes were red, the whites were black, and the veins were reaching further down his face than normal.
He stared at me, his eyes unwavering and fucking filled with desperation.
Desperation to eat me because he wasstarving.
Or desperation to keep himself from eating me.
My breath stilled as Thorne and Nox caged both of us on either side.
“Bastian,” Thorne warned, grabbing his arm while Nox grabbed the other one.
“Let her go,” Nox ordered as they eyed him, but I wasn’t scared. I lifted a hand and gently ran it down the side of his bruised face. He closed his eyes, taking multiple steadying breaths before he finally released me, but his eyes stayed the same.
“Serina,” he rasped, his voice hoarse and weak and filled with so much emotion as he took a few steps away from me. “Get away from me,” he demanded on a growl. “Please.”
His hands practically trembled with restraint as Nox and Thorne kept a soft grip above his elbows.
“Go back inside, Serina,” Nox said. “We’re going to go for a hunt. We’ll be home soon. We only brought him here so you could see he was okay,” he said as they shifted Bastian away from me, giving me all of their backs.
“Wait,” I whispered as I walked up behind them, and I noticed Bastian’s muscles get more taut the closer I got.
I wrapped my arms around his waist, assuring myself that he was okay, and he slouched a little in my hold. I laid my cheek against his strong back.
