Page 104 of My Monster’s Keeper

I cock my head to the side and hear footsteps. I abandon the other three and race for the front door, yanking it open and hurling myself into Wilder’s arms.

“Wilder!”

He wraps his arms around my back, holding me to him.

“I missed you,” he murmurs and lifts me so I can wrap my legs around his waist. His green eyes seem to reach into my soul.

“I missed you, too.” It’s true. So true. I don’t even know who I am anymore, and I don’t care.

He glances at the table and yanks out a chair, tapping my thighs to let go. I do, but, before I can get free, he swings me up into his arms bridal style and sits down. With a deft move, I’m set, straddling one of his thick thighs, facing the table.

We eat in relative silence but comfort. It isn’t strained or weird. Even the undercurrent of danger Puppy normally puts out is toned down.

I wait until we’ve all finished eating to address the room.

“So, who wants to tell me why I feel all tingly and not in a good way?”

The silence gets thick and heavy.

“You saved me,” Puppy growls. “Then it hit you, and your bones splintered inside you.”

I swallow heavily, feeling ill at the thought of my splintered bones inside me. “Did…did I die?”

Stix reaches across the table and touches my hand. “Puppy took you to our home and bartered with the Healer to save you.”

“The Healer?”

“A female of extraordinary ability. She is both far more vulnerable than even the young of our species, and yet, she is extraordinarily gifted. She was able to heal you.”

Stix exchanges glances with Frost and Wilder.

He takes a breath and then scans the room really quickly in a way that makes me nervous. “Also, there’s a possibility that you might, uh, hem, well, absorb some of our skills when we mate with you.”

“You keep saying mate. What does this mean, exactly?”

“Mate means to bond, to be with forever.”

I stand up off Wilder and put some space between us. Mate? Forever? I should be upset, horrified. I should be screaming, appalled. But there’s a tiny smile and a bubble of happiness.

Ridiculously happy is the feeling that comes to mind.

I turn away, lest they see it and notice something shimmering in the air. I follow it out of the house and turn in time to see Hartley coming up the path.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” I say back. He’s covered in tiny little glowing bits of dust. It’s like miniature fireflies. I’m fascinated.

Diablos comes up after him. He’s surrounded by black smoke. Thick and curling smoke that doesn’t seem to disappear.

“Wow.”

I turn back, and my guys look normal, but when I turn back to Hartley, he’s definitely glowing.

“Why are you glowing?” I ask Hartley.

“Oh, well, he just got-”

“She doesn’t mean that!” Hartley interrupts. “We don’t need to share with our friends.”