Page 43 of The Monster's Desire

Fuck my life.

My fangs pop out, but honestly, they’re more embarrassing than anything. I’ve got the world’s tiniest pair of incisors. They just happen to be pointy at times.

“Want to switch?” I call over my shoulder to Echo. He’s at my side in an instant. “I don’t suppose you have some type of weapon you can give me?”

Echo snorts, shaking his head at me. That’s not cool. Laughing derisively when I ask for a weapon to help with the fight is the opposite of helpful. If we don’t die, I’m definitely punching him in the throat for that.

Echo and one of the higher demons circle each other. They go at it as I carefully meander toward the runestone. My magic aches to fight. My wounds have sealed themselves, so I’m not losing any extra energy, but I’m not able to aid them until I do the closing runes.

Ridge comes out of nowhere, tackling a demon on my right side. He’s still in wolf form, and I glance away as he rips out the demon’s throat.

Blood splatters everywhere as Ridge pounces on the next demon. My magic finally perks up, turning the spilled energy to smoke to help with the ward.

Holy shit, that guy was far too close. What the hell is up with my magic? It can’t even give me a heads-up? Apparently not. I’m baffled by what has changed recently.

I’m probably not helping matters. I have yet to do anything right since getting to this town.

This particular disaster, I’m blaming on Echo. I’m not dressed appropriately at all. I need my boots. They’ve got a spell to hide my daggers. I’m in flipping sandals right now.

If you’re going to wear a dress, at least dress up and go for stilettos. A stiletto to the eye will stop someone in their tracks. A high heel to the cock? That’s how you make them turn tail and run the other direction.

I mentally addorder more high heelsto my to-do list. I need to get to the column, so I can close the circuit and conjure something.

I’m only five feet away from the stone when a huge, black, furry arm appears at my side. It blocks my face from something.

A garbled cry comes from the creature attached to the arm. It’s a bigfoot. One of the few left in this world, and he just saved my life. There’s an arrow protruding from his arm, and the spiky end is only inches away from my face. Wow, that tip is super pointy. It made it all the way through his forearm, and I’m pretty sure his skin is stronger than mine.

“Thank you.” My eyes meet his. His face is humanoid but covered in dark fur. He’s one of the fae that live on this side of the veil. All the yeti and bigfoot are. He’ll have a human form, and his monster form is what I’m seeing now.

He nods, accepting my appreciation.

“You saved my life,” I tell him as the battle rages behind us. My magic swarms back to me, but that apprehensive feeling I get when someone means me harm is absent.

“Mate dying.” It sounds like a weird shriek, like all bigfoot in monster form. “Need help.”

My heart stalls. Please tell me this isn’t the woman I originally came to North Falls to help. It doesn’t matter. Either way, he just saved my life, meaning I owe him big time.

“Okay,” I agree, pulling my shoulders back. “We have to get to the runestone. If I don’t close the circuit, my magic will continue to flow here to strengthen the ward. It won’t matter how far away I am.”

“Got it,” he says.

A huge bird the size of a full-size truck flies over the peak.

I shiver, taking a step back.

“Holy shit,” I whisper. I’ve never seen one in person, but thunderbirds are terrifying. Electric blue lightning shoots from its eyes and mouth, connecting to its wings.

“Okay,” I hiss. “Please let that guy be on our side.”

It could be a lady thunderbird, but honestly, it’s massive even for its species...so, yeah, I’m going with it being a guy. I learned about them through books and pictures. Those images did not do them justice.

“Friend,” the hairy man says.

He’s still got an arrow through his forearm. He lifts me with little difficulty in his injured arm and stomps to the runestone before placing me back on my feet.

It’s pandemonium as Ridge growls and snarls.

Vampires and demons attack all around us. The bigfoot viciously fends off the ones who get close. I’m drawing the closing pattern on the runestone when the thunderbird swoops down, scooping up someone from directly behind me.

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