Page 7 of Hazel’s Choice (A Monstrous World: Next Gen)

Chapter Six

Hazel

T he next few days are weird. Annex and I are on opposite schedules, so just as I’m leaving for work, he makes it home and vice versa. An obscene amount of food appears in the fridge and cabinets, which I only notice as I’m leaving my cursory “dirty” dishes in the sink.

The groceries trickle in a little at a time to the point I start to wonder if maybe we got another roommate, but upon talking to Greer, she assures me Annex is the only other tenant currently living in the house.

Annex must have wanted to be prepared for any guests he might have over. At least so far, I haven’t had to listen to any marathon sex sessions. In fact, I haven’t seen him bring a single guest over. That’s not to say it couldn’t occur while I’m at work, but so far, he’s been a thoughtful roommate.

I’ve spent the last few days trying to determine what I should do.

I could cut my losses and leave Black Cove.

That would be a terrible overreaction if Zephyr has already moved along to search for a capable witch in another town.

I’m probably not lucky enough for that to happen, but it would be the best-case scenario since I’ve already grown fond of living here.

I try not to let it bother me that the angel repeatedly referred to me as a creature . My monster is terrifying, but that was a little extreme.

Then again, I did devour his friend’s soul…

He probably has every right to call me names.

Actually, I don’t give a shit. It hurts my feelings.

Lisette spent the day at Spellbound today, meaning if he had come in, he would have been able to ask for her assistance. Most of my shift passed in a blur as I contemplated whether I should warn her of the possibility he might come back.

The only thing that stopped me was not knowing if she would cover for me or hand me over. She gave me a chance when I was a stranger, but angels are fucking terrifying.

It’s not her job to lie or manipulate to protect me. If I warned her of his presence and what he’s after, that would only put her in the middle of things. Not telling her I’m the creature he seeks will give her distance if the truth ever does come out.

Although if I had chosen to warn her, it might have given her the opportunity to refuse to work with him. We don’t have to serve every customer who comes in with money in hand.

Sighing, I let myself in the back door of the house.

Some days are worse than others, and today is one of the worst. Talking on the phone doesn’t feel the same as seeing them in person, and I really miss my family.

The television plays softly in the background as I flip the page on my book and snuggle deeper under the cable knit blanket Greer’s mate, Seiran, gave me as an apology for throwing a knitting needle at my heart.

I caught it with no trouble, but it was a thoughtful peace offering. It’s ridiculously soft and warm.

Black Cove is cooling off quickly for only being October, but that’s because it’s nestled in the mountains.

One of these days, I might watch a tutorial about how to use the fireplace to see if I can get it going.

I could probably use my magic to spark the flame, but I think there’s a flue or something that needs to be opened to avoid burning Greer’s house down.

That’s a good reason to put some effort into learning how fireplaces work before attempting to use one.

Sighing heavily, I close the book and drop it on my chest. I never cried as a baby or a young child, but my eyes ache like I might burst into tears.

Why did no one warn me how difficult it would be to leave the only home I’ve ever known?

I spent a lot of time worrying about whether Annex would be a terrible roommate, but I’ve barely seen him.

It would actually be nice if he hung around the house from time to time.

At least he doesn’t seem to be afraid of me.

I’ve tried to be friendly to everyone who comes into Spellbound with the hope I might make a friend or two. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as I hoped it would be.

I’m not sure if my monster scares people off, even when they can’t see it, or if I’m just too strange for others to want to be around.

My eyes burn, and I dart a look at the television. Some terrible reality show with housewives behaving badly plays in the background, but I know that won’t keep me entertained.

My stomach growls, and a hunger pang momentarily takes my mind off the self-pity. Ever since Zephyr made his way into town, I’ve been too afraid to siphon away to find a meal. The risk feels too high that he or his sentinel friends will sense me feeding and follow me back to Black Cove.

I have no proof that’s what occurred in Haven, but it’s the best guess I have of how they found my hometown. That, or they’re searching every sanctuary city in North America.

“Mmm, you look cozy,” Annex says, siphoning into the room and landing just behind me. He leans over the back of the couch, and I tilt my head until I’m staring at him upside down.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

“I went in and dosed Rut with lust,” he says, shrugging. “As long as I pop back in every hour or two, I imagine they won’t even know I’m gone.”

Rut is the sex club portion of the club that Greer’s mates own. The nightclub is called Chaos, while Rage is where the fights are held. I’ve been in the latter two, but never the first, and no matter how hard I try, my brain can’t conjure what Rut might look like.

Sometimes I feel like my family did my sister and me a disservice by keeping us so well insulated. I’m legally an adult, and I’ve never even been on an actual date, let alone ventured into a sex club.

“Won’t you get in trouble if someone does notice you’re missing?” I ask, licking my lips. He smells even more delicious than normal, and I have no idea why.

“I’m not obligated to stand around watching the debauchery.

There are limits to how much lust I can safely dose the crowd with.

We don’t want them fucking until they pass out from dehydration.

” He chuckles darkly, and my eyes widen as he boops my nose.

“It’s a delicate balance, and I’ll be back to replenish the room when they need it. ”

His wings stretch wide, and he uses them to propel himself over the couch.

He ends up on the opposite end of the sofa, and I pull my legs back as he settles across from me.

“Oh no, baby doll. There’s plenty of room for both of us.

” He holds the blanket up with one hand and grabs my ankles with his tail, redirecting my legs between his.

My feet end up between his thighs, and he drops the blanket over both of us.

“What are we watching? I can probably get in an episode or two before I have to pop back over to Rut.”

I flick my hand at the television, using a bit of magic to turn up the volume as Annex’s tail slithers around my right ankle.

“I’ve seen this before,” he says, staring at the television. “I believe the lesson is that money can’t buy happiness.” He pulls off my left sock and runs the backs of his fingers over the bottom of my foot. “You’re more familiar with the human world than I am. How did I do?”

“Lesson?” I ask, blinking repeatedly.

Annex’s gaze moves from the TV to me. “Isn’t there a moral to be learned from every human work of fiction?”

More blinking. “I believe you’re thinking of a fable. This is reality TV. It’s meant to be mindless entertainment. It doesn’t convey a life lesson.”

“Hmm,” he purrs, digging his thumb into the arch of my foot. “Well, in that case, I spent entirely too many weeks trying to decode the moral of that show with the brothers who hunt demons. That’s too bad. I was sure I finally caught on.”

I snort. “You’re joking.”

He flutters his long lashes. “Sadly, I am not.”

My head tilts, and my chest fills with his sadness. It makes me ache to search his memories to track down whoever or whatever caused such a stark change in his mood.

“That one actually does have a moral,” I say, lying my ass off. Hell, maybe it does. I don’t know. I don’t watch much human television. I only put this show on because my sister loves it, and hearing it play in the background gives me comfort. “What did you come up with?”

“The lesson?”

I nod.

“Never giving up, and the importance of putting family first.” He snaps with his free hand. “Loyalty too, but I’m big on thinking loyalty is earned, not owed.”

“Agreed.”

“My previous owner had a fondness for mind games, though, so I probably should have seen that coming.” He shrugs.

“Owner?” I choke out as my blood heats, and my monster reminds me just how hungry we are.

“Don’t fret. That was ages ago,” he says, focusing back on the TV.

“It’s the luck of the draw when being summoned.

I spent two hundred years with a spiteful troll, but as soon as our binding contract was complete, I killed him myself.

” His lips tip up. “And I got out of Hell, so really, it’s a win-win. ”

“If he wasn’t dead, I would gladly—” My eyes widen as I realize what I almost said. “Destroy him for you.”

“You’re more bloodthirsty than I expected.” Annex chuckles. “I like it.”

The sadness in his aura turns to humor, and his energy seems lighthearted again.

I don’t let myself wonder too much about why I disliked seeing him so upset.

Possibly it’s because he’s the closest thing I have to a friend in town outside of Greer and Lisette.

One of those is my boss, so I doubt she really counts as a friend.

I settle back against the couch cushion. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask him why he’s massaging my feet, but I’m afraid if I bring it up, he might stop.

Incubi are sexual creatures.

Maybe that spills over into being touchy-feely?

That must be it.

Either way.

I’m desperate for companionship, and being touched feels nice. I’m definitely not going to ask him to stop.