Page 85 of My Monster’s Keeper

“Warn a girl before you spring that on her.”

Diablos shouts for Puppy, and when he sees the Grim, he bounds after him, leaping through the forest on all fours. And he, too, has a tail he holds high in the air.

“Oh, that’s, yeah, he’s going to hear about this,” I whisper.

Frost chuckles darkly and rubs his thumb over my hand.

Diablos reappears, sobbing, and starts to sing a loud ballad of love and loss. It’s so mournful and truly ear-shatteringly awful. The demon has no musical ability whatsoever.

For a couple of hours, we hang out, and it’s not so bad. Diablos is funny when he’s not dictating to us and really cares about this place. I can see how much he and Hartley love each other.

I guess I can be a demon friend.

And it’s nice to have someone like Hartley who knows where I’m coming from, who gets me. Seeing how he’s done this all alone, I have a lot of respect for him.

Diablos continues to chatter until Hartley stands up and insists to his drunken demon mate that they need to go home.

It takes four attempts, and I just have enough sense to shout to Hartley to text me to let me know they got home safe before they disappear.

When the sun sets, Stix, Wilder, and Puppy walk out of the trees. I lift my head from Frost’s chest and watch them come.

Now, it feels right again.

Why isn’t that scary anymore?

Chapter 25

Puppy

Icrawl down the wall and nose the pillows aside until I find what she’s buried. A knife. I lick the cold metal, tasting the lingering oils her fingers have left behind.

It’s sharper, clearer, spicy, and floral.

The rest of the pack has missed the signs. She filled the cupboards and fridges with food and drinks. She only sleeps when she’s safely in the middle of the bed, surrounded by us. Her scent has changed just a tiny bit. It’s more intense and heated and flares every now and then.

The posturing of the others is different as well. The Nightmare and Fae surround her at all times, circulating around her, touching more, murmuring and bringing her gifts to make her scent bloom in the air.

Their smells have grown stronger and changed slightly to complement hers. And to my surprise, each other.

She’s nesting.

Her scent is changing.

The omega side of this female is coming to the surface, and now the desire to eat her has dimmed. Every time I think I will, there is a stronger and stronger pull not to.

I inspect every weapon she’s laid, every food item. In the dark of the night with the Fae and Shadow sleeping beside her, I scent the omega in Becky Dawson rising just under the surface of her skin, and the horror of it is, I don’t want to consume her.

I crawl up to the corner of the ceiling where I can watch them.

They are changing me.

I’m not the same Grim I used to be. And I hate it.

I should eat her now.

“No! Stop!”

I scramble across the wall, peering at her as she thrashes. The others wake immediately and try to soothe her, but her fear fills the room with a stench that is impossible to miss. Sour grapes and wet mulch.