Page 52 of The Monster's Desire

I’ve got plenty of experience sneaking out after a one-night stand. The majority of partners I’ve snuck out on were humans, or monsters who didn’t give a fuck and didn’t want the trouble of kicking me out in the morning.

Ridge either has extremely thick curtains, or it’s the middle of the night. I’m not sure where we are. Running would likely be stupid, since I’m pretty sure I’m on pack lands.

It’s a slow process disentangling myself from the cuddly wolf in human form. My bare feet hit wood flooring, but I can’t help myself. I gawk at his muscular frame like I have the right. Blond hair falls around his face as he sleeps silently. He looks oddly peaceful with his lashes falling over his tan cheeks. He has on a pair of sweatpants that hang low on his hips and, even unconscious, his muscles are evident.

Okay, way to be a total lady perv.I shake myself out of the trance that his incredible body pulled me into.

It’s dim in the room, but my eyes are adjusted enough that I make it to the door without any trouble.

The only problem? I don’t know where I’m going. My cell phone is either still in Echo’s vehicle, or I have no idea, but it’s not here.

This is a major problem of my generation. I know exactly three numbers by heart. The rest, I only vaguely recognize when they pop up with someone’s picture as I answer a call. It’s the middle of the night, but Nan is old school. She answers any call from any number. She also doesn’t lock her front door, but that’s another story, considering the house is warded.

I make it to the end of the hallway and a long, straight set of stairs that leads to the first floor. Nan’s house is old like this one, and the wood floors creak when you hit certain steps, no matter how carefully you put your weight down. She owned that house in Haven before I was ever born, but when my grandpa died, she left and didn’t go back until we needed somewhere to settle after everything happened with my mom.

As my fingers slide down the cool wood of the banister, I’m fully expecting Echo to pop out or Ridge to come stomping down the hallway.

The living room is spacious and has a fireplace that isn’t lit. Moving past that, I catch sight of the kitchen. Most people I know don’t have house phones. We don’t need them, since we’re glued to our cells at all hours. However, I dance around in pure excitement, or possibly relief, when I spot a corded telephone hanging on the wall next to the fridge. It only takes me a few more seconds to realize that having a phone isn’t a guarantee there will be service, but I’m still going to try.

I open the fridge and frown because there’s no bottled water. There are three different kinds of beer and several brands of soda. None are diet, so I grab one at random and carefully pop the top. The cracking fizz makes me freeze as I tilt my head, trying to see if I can catch any movement.

My ears are weak compared to a supernatural’s, but the house is basically silent. I’m pretty sure I’d hear someone coming. I close the fridge, taking a long sip of the sugary soda, and pad over to the phone.

I place the can down on the counter, and my hands shake as I make a grab for the handheld device.

This model feels like it’s circa the 1990s, but there’s a dial tone when I bring it to my ear. It’s the style with the numbers on the receiver, so I pull it away to type in Nan’s number.

It begins to ring, and my eyes dart around, looking for anything to focus on. I cringe a little when I spot the numbers on the stove clock. It’s almost three in the morning.

“I wondered when I would hear from you,” Nan says, answering the call. “How are you, my dear?”

“I-I’m...” My voice stalls as I realize I can’t say any of the things I want to. Warren and his stupid compulsion. “I love you.”

“Oh, sweetheart. I love you, too.” She sighs. “Tell me about your day.”

“Did you see it?” I ask with a quaver in my voice I can’t shake.

Nan and I are a team. I love that old lady like nothing else in this world. She’s always in my corner, and I have zero shame about how much she means to me. I’m the reason she lost her only daughter, but she never once blamed me. I couldn’t understand why she didn’t see it coming. Why she couldn’t save all of us from that horrible day, but seers don’t choose their visions. They have no control over what they’re shown.

“Bits and pieces.” She hums. “I saw two sweet babies. Tell me, did that go okay?”

I scoff a terrible sound between a snort and a cough. “My magic is acting strange. Some weird things happened.”

“That’s magic, in general. Are you safe?”

“For the moment,” I mutter, twirling the cord around my finger.

“Did the hunk with the man bun carry you off into the night? Because I don’t know... If that was me,” she laughs, “things might be looking up.”

“Nan!” I snort.

“The wolf with the tight buns. Please tell—”

I squeak, turning in a circle at the sound of the floor creaking behind me.

“Tight buns, really?” Ridge leans against the doorway to the kitchen, looking like sex personified. His blond hair is in a tie, but pieces fall around his shoulders while his sweatpants hang low on his hips.

I lick my lips.

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