Page 36 of The Monster's Desire

No matter how badly this situation sucks for me, it has to be even worse for Echo. The town council essentially forced him to be my walking, talking magic reservoir. It’s shitty on a level you don’t see often in the modern world. He doesn’t say a word as his eyebrow arches, as if he’s waiting for me to object.

I’d pretty much rather die than admit how much I want to command him to stay. He scoffs, spinning and striding out on long legs.

“Thanks, asshole. You totally promised to feed me if I cooperated,” I grumble, tossing myself back into the couch cushion.

ChapterThirteen

Nadia

My shadows dance out of my skin and set to warding the apartment. I need a sound barrier and a protection ward up immediately.

I don’t bother getting up as I pull the pin from my wrist cuff and slice. Blood trickles into smoke and spills out across the room to do its job.

I’m exhausted on a bone-deep level as I heave myself off the couch. I circle the apartment, covering the ground level windows and doors in runes before heading downstairs.

Dipping my finger into the blood of my wrist, I etch the sigils over the wood surrounding the frame of each doorway. There are no windows down here, which makes a lot more sense when I consider it belongs to a vampire.

My skin burns as it knits back together. I’m woozy and exhausted as I face plant onto Echo’s bed.

* * *

Peeking out the door that leads to the parking lot, I check for anyone shady. Nope, no lingering creeps or stalkers.

My magic urges me forward with a level of insistence that’s hard to explain. It’s extremely annoying. I need a nap. The strange itch of Warren’s compulsion hits when I think of blowing off starting on the ward.

If I have a hope in hell of working on it today, then I need to eat and replenish my energy. I dart down the gravel-lined path and cringe every time the rocks crunch under my feet. Quickly sliding into my car, I head for the diner. Carina went to grab us lunch earlier, but I didn’t get to eat.

Echo is a shitty host. There’s no food and nothing to drink in his apartment. Well, except for copious amounts of alcohol. Which was tempting, considering this shit show of a day, but it would be empty calories.

North Falls is captivating in its own way. Downtown sidewalks lead to shops, restaurants, and other businesses. The mountains in the background make for a truly beautiful vibe.

A thick forest surrounds the small town. If you keep driving through the city center, you get to a massive lake that’s fed by several streams.

The parking lot for the diner is relatively empty as I pull in. My stomach gurgles, and I quickly climb out of the car. The light-headed feeling only gets worse the closer I get to the door. The diner is old, like the rest of the town, but it’s not rundown or dirty.

“Sit wherever you’d like,” an older waitress says as she eyes me.

Do I look drunk? Possibly.

I stumble toward a booth on the right side of the diner.

Before even sliding onto the bench, I smell the alpha wolf. He gently grabs my shoulders and guides me down the aisle toward the back wall.

I’m carefully shoved into the women’s room, and the wolf follows.

“What the fuck happened to you?” he growls in his low, rumbly voice.

“I met your town council,” I say before I can stop myself. “What’s your name?”

I’ve had this wolf’s blood, but I don’t know his name. It’s very on par for my life at this point.

“Ridge,” he says, shoving his face into my neck. He’s close to the same place Echo drank from me.

“Nadia,” I reply.

“I know,” he rumbles. “Why do you smell like the council’s errand boy?”

He pulls back and his eyes glow that yellowy-green color.

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