Page 106 of A Monstrous World: The Complete Series

Chapter Eight

Nadia

T he next several minutes are spent breathing in through my mouth and out through my nose. I have no idea why it helps me feel more stable, but I’ve learned over the years that it does.

The alpha goes over, talking to the two teenage boys.

I look at Jenny. She’s standing around, looking extremely uncomfortable.

“Can I talk to you?” I stagger a few feet away.

“What’s up?” she asks pensively. Her shoulders hunch, and she looks uncomfortable with me now for some reason.

Oh, I’m sorry... Did my shadows, which saved your fuck buddy’s life, disturb you? Too bad.

“Do I owe you some life debt now or something?” Her eyes dart over to her alpha, who is busy helping Brock off the ground.

“Hell, no.” I laugh. “How old are you?”

“Eighteen,” she murmurs. “Almost nineteen.”

I nod. Good for her. I hope she keeps living life to the fullest. I keep my voice low to keep the wolves from overhearing. “Human contraceptives are notoriously ineffective on shifters. Do you have a contraceptive spell?”

A shiver of discomfort slides through my system as her head shakes. She blinks at me with wide eyes. No one, especially at her age, should have to leave that up to chance.

Dipping a finger into the opposite wrist, I nod to her bare abdomen. “I can handle that for you, if you’d like?” I offer. “You need to decide quickly, before my blood dries...”

She nods. “Fuck, yes. Absolutely. I mean, please.”

I draw on her skin, placing the runes I know by heart.

“It’ll last for a year,” I say, feeling woozier by the second. “Be aware it’s a consensual spell. If you and your partner actively acknowledge that you wish it to dissolve, it could become ineffective.”

“You are a healer,” Jenny says with wide eyes. “There are a few other girls who would want this too.”

“Give me a couple of days to settle in, then come find me... I’ll see what I can do. It’s active as soon as the blood dries.”

“Thank you,” she squeals, tossing herself at me. I wobble, but eventually pat her awkwardly on the back.

Shifters are so strange.

“The three of you will take yourselves to your own homes. Now!” The alpha’s words ring out with the power of his command.

Jenny jogs toward her men and shifts mid-stride. The teens disappear back the way we came. I think .

“Why are they headed back toward the danger?” I ask with genuine confusion. “I don’t have enough blood left to heal them all again tonight.”

The alpha snorts a laugh. His long blond hair falls around his face as he shoots me a disapproving look.

“Ask your shadows which way your car is,” he suggests. “Go on.”

The massive wolf alpha prowls toward me, looking every bit the predator I know he is. He could rip out my throat, and I’d have no chance of stopping him in this state. Let’s hope he’s feeling generous after my good deed.

That would be such a bummer.

I’ve been pretty consistently reminded in my life that it’s dangerous to go out of my way to help people.

Huh, I guess I am too stupid to live, because somehow I always seem to be drawn to do the right thing, no matter the risk.

“Why did you help my wolves?” he asks, pouring all the strength of his alpha compulsion into his words.

His head cocks to the side as he studies me. His eyes glow a yellowy color that indicates his wolf is very near the surface.

“They’re barely more than pups.” I hate that tingly feeling that comes from being forced to answer. “It’s not like the universe was going to let me get back to my hotel tonight, anyway...not without doing whatever bidding it deemed needed to be done.”

“What?” he growls in a low, menacing tone.

“I spent the last hour or two driving around, trying to find my hotel. I might have a crappy sense of direction, but I can assure you, it’s not that bad.

” My vision gets hazy, and I stumble a step.

“I hate that alpha bark crap. You couldn’t have just asked nicely?

What the hell, jackass? I did you a favor, and you bark at me? That’s so uncalled for.”

The alpha’s eyes cease to glow, and he laughs, shaking his head at the star-filled sky.

That’s just unacceptable. He looks far too devastatingly handsome while also letting his insanity show. It’s inconvenient and distracting. And also, kind of appealing. No one should be that hot with their crazy on display.

“Blood or fuck?” he asks, suddenly very close. He wraps a muscled arm around my back and pulls me into his chest. “Feed or fuck to replenish what you so freely gave to protect my pups?”

“W-what?” I stutter. “We probably need to have a completely different conversation, if those are your kids, because they were definitely?—”

A calloused hand clamps over my mouth. “They’re part of my pack so they’re mine,” he murmurs, dipping his face into the crook of my neck. “You smell fucking fantastic.”

“Thank you,” I mumble into his hand.

“How do you prefer to feed?” He repeats the question. He finally removes his hand from my mouth, and I blink at him for an awkward amount of time.

“You owe me nothing.” Not many pick up on the demon blood in my ancestry, but clearly, he has.

One of my relatives definitely took a dip in the demon pond.

Most likely with an incubus or a succubus.

It’s how I’ve managed to stay under the radar working at The Den.

The sex charged atmosphere replenishes my magic without me having to do much.

The same can be said for fertility witches, making it the perfect cover.

“Little witch,” he barks, drawing me out of my hazy thoughts.

“Blood,” I say without the ability to hold back the word. I’m drained to the point I don’t think the small buzz I’d get from sex would touch how empty I am.

“Pity,” he mutters. “Get on with it, then...”

Blood witches can consume blood to replenish our magic, but in general, we do not have fangs.

And yet, mine slide out at the invitation.

It’s like a teenager popping a boner when their girlfriend comes out in a bikini.

“I knew it.” His very nude body is exceptionally hard against mine.

His strong forearm wraps under my bottom, lifting me.

My legs twine around his waist as my heart pounds violently in my chest. My tongue involuntarily runs over my teeth as I study his neck.

I’d also really like to know what he knew .

“Sink your teeth in, little witch,” he growls.

His eyes glow, signaling either his wolf is very unhappy with his form of repayment or. ..I don’t really know.

That’s probably the only option.

Wolves don’t care to be fed on.

My teeth ache as I dive forward.

My mouth latches to his throat, and I let out an embarrassing little moan as my tongue flicks over his skin.

Awesome, Nadia, way to make this even more awkward.

All reasonable thought flees my mind as my teeth sink into his flesh. The delicious flavor of alpha blood fills my mouth, making me whimper. A large hand squeezes my ass as the other cups the back of my head. My tongue flicks over the salty skin of his neck as I gulp greedily.

My hands dig into his shoulders, and after several strong pulls of his blood, I’m no longer on the edge of passing out. The alpha groans wickedly as I take a few more satisfying drinks. My teeth pull out of his vein, but my mouth stays close to catch the last pulses before his skin heals itself.

Obviously, we’re going from dancing the line to full-blown crossing it. My tongue teases over the wound, cleaning his flesh for him as his hands cup my ass, dragging my pussy over his very hard erection. Yeah, not even the material of my clothing can hide how impressive he is.

Ahh, hell.

I haven’t even been in town an entire day. I have no clue if this alpha is someone of importance.

The awkward feeling doesn’t let up as I clear my throat and wiggle to be let down.

“Thanks,” I say as my knees wobble and threaten to give out.

“It was my pleasure, little witch,” he rumbles, smirking down at me.

How the hell does he manage to call me that without it sounding insulting?

I’ve had men call me that before, and it always sounded patronizing from their lips.

Not that it doesn’t from him, but it’s lined in just enough raw sexual desire that it’s really hard to convince my system it’s time to get back to the hotel.

“See ya around.” I give an awkward little wave and head off toward my car.

The low rumbling laugh sends a damn shiver down my spine.

“Wrong way, again .” Those massive paws wrap around my shoulders in human form, and I’m guided...a completely different way than I expected.

My headlights finally come into view, and I blow out a relieved breath.

“I’ll be seeing you very soon. Safe travels,” he whispers against my throat. His warmth disappears from my back an instant later, and the sound of his paws hitting the dirt fills the air.

Some fucking introduction to North Falls.