Page 2 of A Monstrous World: The Complete Series

Chapter Two

Emerson

T he next couple of weeks are hard. Packing up everything I own with a toddler at my side is an ordeal.

I quit my job at the diner and nearly have a panic attack once I walk out into the parking lot. It might not be glamorous, but it's honest work and steady income.

Moving everything isn't as bad as it could be. Several of Nadia’s friends come over to pack the moving truck, and one of the guys drives the truck while Ember and I ride with Nadia. Unloading it is even quicker than loading it.

Nadia's friends even help assemble Ember's crib before they head out to grab dinner.

There are boxes everywhere, and despite my exhaustion, I struggle to fall asleep.

My stress is high as my brain replays every single thing I have to do in the coming days.

It doesn't care that it's one in the morning and I can't do anything right this minute.

I should be sleeping in preparation for all I can do during the daylight hours.

I grunt, roll over on the unfamiliar mattress, and bury my head in the pillow. I need everything to work out. It's a terrifying feeling, realizing I'd likely be homeless right now without Nadia and Meena.

It takes almost two weeks, but I finally get settled in. Nadia demands I see her hair stylist before attending the job interview, and I need employment so badly that I don't put up a fight.

I interview for and get a job at Venom, the bar and nightclub portion of The Monster's Den. I've been around a few supernaturals over the years, but now I'll be delivering drinks and working in a monster-exclusive environment.

My nerves are shot. I don't know what to expect, and I'm currently having a showdown with the most rotten almost-two-year-old on the planet.

Ember growls at me and grabs the cookie from my hand.

“Hey, that wasn't very nice,” I say, frowning at my daughter.

She shrugs a tiny shoulder and shoves the treat into her mouth. In spite of her terrible attitude, she chews with zero shame. She's showing her backside, that's for sure. This afternoon is apparently going to be one of those days.

She stares into my eyes, and something in her gaze forces me to look away. I'm not sure why, but it feels impossible to make eye contact with her for too long sometimes, especially when she's being problematic.

Ember grins, showing off her very sharp teeth. Like most shifters, she's not afraid to use them. It can be challenging to parent her now; I can only imagine how much more difficult it'll get over time.

“You got the cookie,” I say, scooping her up and setting her on a kitchen chair. I've learned by now I can't show any fear. “Let me finish your hair, please?”

Ember huffs, but she lets me run the brush through her thick blonde hair.

She only wiggles a bit, which I'll consider a win, since she's on a roll today.

It's not even four p.m., but I've already fed her dinner and given her a before-bed bath.

I'm trying to make everything as easy as possible on Meena.

I can't afford another Mrs. Brown situation.

Meena shuffles into the kitchen in her long gauzy dress and slippers.

“That pup is going to be a handful,” she says in her low, raspy tone.

From looking at her, you could never tell she’s over seventy.

My best friend's grandma could easily pass for late forties with no problem.

Her dark black hair is shiny and healthy as it sways behind her.

“Aren't you going to be late for your first shift?”

“Oh, crap,” I hiss.

My eyes fly to the clock. If I want to make it there on time, I should be walking out the door right now. And I still need to dress and put on my makeup. I showered when I bathed Ember, but I've made zero effort to look nice, and from my understanding, this is an upscale club.

I mean, it was fancy as hell during the day when I went for my interview. Yeah, my anxiety is through the damn roof.

I help Ember down from the chair and toss the hairbrush on the table. “Oh, no,” I say, wiping off my hands on my skirt. “Ember, come give me a kiss. I've got to go to work.”

My daughter barrels into my knees, and I scoop her up. “Promise you'll be good for Meena?”

“Yes!” she shrieks, laying a chocolate-covered kiss on my cheek.

I squeeze her tight as my stomach wobbles uncomfortably. I'm not sure if this is a step in the right direction or not, but desperation will make a person do things they never imagined...like work with monsters.

I'll do whatever the fuck I have to in order to keep my kid safe, so I bolt for the bedroom and try to make myself look half decent.

My feet throb as I scoot around the monsters lining the path to my table. Working at Venom is different from a job in a normal restaurant or bar, but it's also weirdly the same.

After a week, I finally feel confident that I understand what's expected of me.

I aim for the table in the back of my section, wishing I could wear flats.

Then again, I'm a foot or more shorter than most of these monsters, so without the heels, it would be even more noticeable.

I originally started on the lower level of the club, but a few days ago, my supervisor moved me up to VIP.

There are multiple sections for the high-profile patrons, and the one I'm in tonight is especially nice.

A glass half wall circles this part of the third floor, open to the club below.

There are monsters and humans alike standing around, leaning against the wall and talking.

Others dance on the small dance floor for this section.

Along the back wall are high-top tables and even booths.

They're all positioned so they have a view of the dance floor and eventually look out over the open club.

They're staggered in height so the ones on the end are slightly lower than the next.

It's an intriguing design. The ones in the middle of the back wall are the highest, but the ones on the end look out over the club below, and the effect is incredible.

I paste on a plastic smile to cover the fact that I'm completely freaking beat. This job isn't terrible, but like any gig as a server, I'm always on my feet. The base pay is better than anywhere I've ever worked, and the tips are definitely more generous than in a regular bar or restaurant.

I don't let myself think about the calculations I did a few nights ago. It'll only take me roughly ten years of working full time to pay off Alpha Brayden's supposed debt. That's if I don't have to pay rent or decide to buy myself a car.

I shake away that thought and approach one of my tables.

There's some type of arachnid demon with three ladies surrounding him in the booth.

He's got long, floppy black hair that falls in his eyes as he grins when he spots me.

He looks mostly human, or maybe that's a glamor.

Nadia did tell me most of the more obscure monsters use them to cover their natural appearance.

His torso has eight legs that pop out like lines of arms.

“Yay!” One of the women claps as I set down their drinks. She's the only human and she's stunningly beautiful.

“Can I get anything for you before I head off?” I ask, glancing around the table.

They decline.

I grab my tray and prepare to head back to the bar, needing to check on a few of my other tables along the way.

It's a little crazy to me how supernaturals interact with humans in Haven like their existence isn't a fairly well-kept secret in the rest of the world.

I mean, there are books and movies. I'd say a large portion of people want to believe, but they don't know for sure.

Apparently, a sanctuary ward protects the entire town of Haven. It keeps out those who aren't supernaturals, unless they're invited in or come with a purpose, like delivery trucks. Immediately upon leaving the ward, they forget they ever saw anything unusual.

My first question to Nadia was, if I leave town, will I magically forget everything? She assured me that, since I know of the supernatural world due to Ember and my own very diluted witch blood, it wouldn't affect me. I don't know how it all works, but I'm not anxious to put it to the test either.

I place the heavy tray between myself and a bigfoot, who's dancing with some other type of fae, then slide around a few extremely handsome men.

I think they might be vampires. Giving them a smile, I ignore their fangs and aim for the table on the far wall.

It's got a view down over the half wall, and it's the best table in the building.

There's a small circular cutout surrounding the front, and you can see everything happening on the lower levels from this booth.

When I finally make it to the table, all I can think about is how much I'd love to take a seat and rest for a few minutes. High heels do not feel delightful after a six-hour shift. In fact, my feet and lower back hate me right now.

I focus on plastering on a smile. At one end of the table is a massive gargoyle. His black leathery wings are stretched out behind him, and it's ridiculously hard not to stare in awe. His wing tips seem to have bone claws at the top. If it's not bone, I actually have no idea what they are.

I've seen a few gargoyles since I started working here, and they're all regal and imposing. They're also cold and removed, never smiling or chitchatting like the other patrons. They dance the line of being rude, but never cross it.

“Can I get you anything?” I ask, focusing on the blond and the massive guy in the middle.

The blond on my right is a vampire. He's got that type of unearthly beauty that usually points to fae or vampire. His massive amount of blond hair is piled on the back of his head in a ridiculous man bun. His canines are sharp and extremely pointy as he grins predatorily.

“I wouldn't mind a refill.” He nods to his empty tumbler of O negative.

“Of course,” I agree with a nod.

My eyes fly to the hulking man in the middle seat.

He has long, dark hair that hangs to his shoulders in waves and bright red eyes.

They glow in the low light of the club as he studies me intently.

Eventually, I begin to squirm. My eyes fall to my body as I briefly make sure I'm not covered in stains or having a wardrobe malfunction.

The last damn thing I need is to have a nip slip in this tiny bandage dress. I don't hate the view. I’m never going to be one of those women who can fit into single digits for pants, but I'm old enough to recognize that a decent number of men enjoy extra curves.

I've got those in droves.

My eyes pop up, and the giant in the middle is still busy staring at my hips or possibly my tits.

“Can I get you anything, sir?” I ask, trying to keep the quaver of discomfort out of my voice. He's very much looking at me as though he'd like to eat me alive, and that's a bit concerning. Yeah, he's hot as fuck , but he's also an unknown supernatural, and I have a job to do.

“Dread?” the blond vampire asks, chuckling. “Another round?”

“Mmm, yes, of course,” the mountain of a man says in a low, rumbly tone. His eyes finally meet mine and he nods. “Thank you.”

I give him a small smile as my gaze moves to the gargoyle. He doesn't say a word, simply flicks his hand through the air to dismiss me.

Dick , I grumble internally.

“I'll be right back with those,” I say, giving the vampire and the man in the middle a smile.

I pivot on my toes and aim for the bar in the corner.

Each level of VIP has its own bar, which is very convenient.

Honestly, I don't know how my feet are surviving the long days in heels now.

I can only imagine how painful it would be to take those flights of stairs multiple times a shift, especially with a full tray.

I'm a few feet away from Bernard, the bartender on this level, when a low, dangerous growl fills the air to my left.

It all happens so fast. My eyes fly to the side just in time to pick up a massive body hurtling toward me. My instinct is to pull up the heavy tray to try to block the hit. It's a trick I learned working in dive bars before I had Ember. Someone was always picking a fight.

I try to stagger away, but it's clear I'm going to be slammed into by the massive monster. I don't even know what he is. An orc? Some kind of green demon? It doesn't really matter, because it's going to hurt like hell.

Cool hands wrap around my waist as I'm pulled in close to someone's chest. The fabric of my dress muffles the chilly touch, but my arms bounce against cold hands as we move.

In one second, I'm about to be slammed into by a big ass green giant. In the next, I'm lifted and pulled several feet away.

“That was very close,” the vampire from my table says. He sounds amused. “Oh, don't miss the show. Dread is about to teach those assholes the consequences of fighting in our club.”

My chest heaves as the vampire spins me back to face the room. He even helpfully grips my chin and points me toward the man with dark hair.

Dread is apparently his name. He's got the huge, eight-foot-tall demon on the ground, slamming his fist into his face over and over. My eyes seem to be hyper-focused on the strong lines of muscle under his t-shirt.

The other monster, some type of shifter by the looks of it, is being held by the gargoyle.

It's now clear the second man is a bear shifter. He's currently mid-shift.

Dread jumps up and heads over to the gargoyle restraining the bear shifter. The gargoyle releases the shifter, and Dread lets out a ferocious growl. His hands change to claws, and he very quickly and efficiently breaks the bear’s neck.

“Ohmigod, no!” I shriek, slapping at the vampire’s hands.

“Shh,” he coos very close to my ear. “That’s not a killing blow for a shifter. It’s more of a pain in the ass than anything. They’ll both be more likely to consider tempering their anger in the future. We have a strict zero-tolerance policy for violence.”

I scoff. “Are you insane? That was exceptionally violent.” I bite my lip to keep from saying more. “Crap. I’m so sorry.”

“Never apologize for being interesting,” the vampire muses. “Now, are you all right? Need to take a break before getting back to work?”

“I'm fine,” I assure him, brushing his hands off my hips. “Thank you very much for the quick save.”

“No problem, little human,” he says in a mirth-lined tone. “We ensure the safety of all our employees.”

Oh, crap. A shiver runs down my spine. Nadia told me a bit about the owners. Apparently, I was serving their table before the whole bear and demon fight.

“I'll get back to work,” I tell my boss. “Thanks again.”

“Anytime,” he murmurs. Then, before I can blink, his cool frame disappears from my back and he's gone.