Page 9 of My Monster’s Keeper

Stix

I ’m the only one who showed up. I clasp my hands behind my back and eye the diminutive woman beside me. She keeps her eyes scanning our surroundings, her muscles are tense, she’s ready to attack or flee. Hunting behaviour in an insecure environment. Impressive.

My appreciation for her goes up.

Not that it can go much higher. The second I saw her, I felt like I was hit with a thousand sunbeams. I felt exposed.

I don’t regret sending the team in to destroy those who hurt her.

Not even a little bit. Though, I will have to play this carefully.

The Fae won’t hesitate to use her against me, and Puppy will eat her if he even thinks that I value her life.

It isn’t our way to be kind to each other.

It is, in fact, our way to use whatever weakness we can gather and tear each other apart. Life is war.

And I try to regret the fact that she is now embroiled in this war with us, but I can’t tear myself away from her side in order to think clearly. I’m a selfish nightmare. I know that’s true, but I’m loyal.

I’m loyal to her. She doesn’t know it yet, but I would walk into an oncoming army of nightmare demons on my knees for her. Diablos says she’s not an omega, but he’s wrong. I don’t care if she doesn’t have the smells or any other markers. I know she’s mine.

She turns to me and half smiles. “They aren’t coming.” I think I see a shadow of disappointment in her eyes, but she pushes it back. I want to know what she’s thinking.

Shame, which I am unused to, floods my body. I’ve disappointed her. Outrageous. I grit my teeth and reach for her wrist. “As you Earthlings like to say, fuck them. Let me show you what I’m capable of.”

She peers up at me, those alien blue eyes probing deep inside the shadows of who I am and seeing me. Kind of seeing me. I want to show her the rest of me, impress her, dazzle her .

It’s ironic, really, how many creatures from my void have chased and demanded my attention that I coldly refused to dole out, and here I am, desperately trying to get this…

human to like me. They were not worthy mates.

The word burns into my mind, and I clear my throat and lose my grip on the human shape I’m wearing.

It slips, but I grab it back, causing no more than a flicker.

“All right, Stix. Show me.”

Excitement rushes through my veins. This is it. This is my moment. I jog to the shadows away from the sun beating down and let go of the human form. I straighten up to my full height and smile.

Her eyes are wide, round, and startled. I snatch the shadows and hug them around me, vanishing from view. I move through the dark, appearing twenty feet away and climbing the wall with ease.

She moves closer, watching as I walk up the wall as if I’m walking on the ground beside her. As soon as she steps into the shadows, I feel it. I feel her. I drop down, rising behind her, silently. My fingers slip around her throat, cradling the precious pale flesh.

“In my world, I’m the Shadow King. The strongest, fastest, and most dangerous.

I control shadows, I use them. Wherever there is a shadow, I have access.

If you stand in them, you aren’t safe. Not from me,” I murmur.

“There is nowhere you can hide, where I won’t find you, for you always have a shadow unless you are standing in mine. ”

She makes a tiny sound, one that sends need burning through me. I force myself to unclench my fingers, allowing her to slip away. I’ll be patient with her.

A sound like a boot shifting on concrete catches my attention, and I turn.

Wilder stands in the middle of the car park with a pack of hounds.

He lifts an arm and points. The dogs charge, snapping, snarling, frothing at the mouth.

I stay close to her, just in case. But, at the last minute, the Lord of the Hunt whistles, and the dogs veer off.

Birds drop from the sky, diving towards us, shrieking, only to swerve at the last minute.

Wilder lets out a shrill feral scream, and when I glance at him, he’s astride a massive, monstrous black horse. It’s got horns running down its neck and face and black ichor runs from its massive hooves. But it’s Wilder himself that impresses me.

His black and green hair hangs down to his waist and seems to float as if on water.

Those huge horns reach proudly into the air, and they seem to be covered in cobwebs with tiny jewels.

He’s covered in a deep green armour that has bronze and gold leaves and thorns all over it.

I cluck my tongue. The Fae is pretty, that is annoying .

He doesn’t move the horse, just stands there, and a deep fog comes up to cover the brush. The atmosphere gets darker and more dangerous. Bringing more shadows for me to play in.

A howl comes from close by, the sound of it tearing my awareness from the Fae and searching for the Grim. Even by the rules that govern my world, Grims are notorious for their rebellious behaviour and uncontrollable natures. They are too powerful. It’s why they are so rare and hated.

But Puppy is not a normal Grim, he is a tortured and twisted version of what a Grim should be. He is not sane.

I do not fear the Grim.

I am concerned about what he might do.

It’s different.

A warning inside me drags my attention around, and I spot him. He stands perfectly still, and then he’s gone. But the world feels the wrongness. It gets darker, like it’s trying to hide. The wind picks up, snatching his howl with him. The urge to run will infect every creature within miles.

“Still with me?” I ask.

She nods.

“Grims upset the balance of the world. It’s like the natural order of the world wants to reject them. That’s why when people see them, they feel strange. It’s why when my people see them, they fear him. The nature of a Grim is to destroy and to be alone.”

She nods sharply. “And your nature?”

“To maintain order through chaos. To bring fear to the darkness.”

We turn back to Wilder. His horse rears up, and when its hooves thud down, I swear the earth shakes. The horse moves sideways.

A moment later, I spot the pale movement through the trees. The lost prince is more ethereal than I expected. He has snow white hair that is just as floaty as Wilder’s. His armour is silver and white, but it’s the power that turns the air alive that makes me reassemble my thoughts on him.

My future mate is transfixed by the team. I’m mildly annoyed. I want her attention on me.

“Well, hell. I’m going to need some better knives,” she whispers.

I don’t think I’m meant to hear her, but her reaction makes me smile .

Then the prince flicks his finger, and frost explodes onto the ground around us, stretching in a wide arch. He turns the day to winter.

I glower at him.

The asshole sets the ice on fire. He’s a showy, flashy, prideful waste of space, but I can tell that my human is impressed with his showboating.

There’s a ripping feeling, and then Grim is standing beside us, leaning heavily against her, his tongue lashes out, covering her face in his scent.

I seethe.

I lash out, causing the Grim to yelp and jerk away. I charge him, but he dances into the Fae’s fire.

I expect him to burn. He doesn’t. He licks at it, eating it up. Consuming the Fae’s magic. Holy shit, this Grim is broken.

Will Diablos take him back? I wonder.

“Um, so Puppy is eating the fire. Is that a thing you can all do?”

“No,” I say shortly. “That’s not normal.”

“Ah, well, in the realm of normal versus not normal, this whole morning is feeling pretty much like I’ve been dumped in Neverland.”

Her face is serious, but I can’t be sure. “I have not heard of this Neverland. Where is this place?”

Becky’s face drops, and she looks horrified, almost more than when her bulbous partner pulled a gun on her.

“We’re introducing TV and movies next,” she mutters.

I’m not sure of those words, but I hate the constant feeling of being stupid around this woman, so I don’t ask her to clarify.

The Fae are back in their human forms now, and Puppy has managed to retain his shape, too. We walk towards them just as Diablos appears.

“Fantastic. I knew you’d be getting along perfectly.”

My human whirls, marching on the demon without fear. “You will arrange for the house to be fixed. I want plumbing. I want electricity. Furniture. I want a fridge to put food in. I want it fucking cleaned.”

“Those were not my terms, tiny human,” Diablos growls.

“No! It’s common courtesy. It’s basic human needs. You shouldn’t have to ask for these things. Humans need them to live.”

He frowns. “Why? ”

“I can’t charge the phone to pay for things without electricity. I need to purchase food and eat. Diablos,” she glowers as she says his name. “I can’t piss and flush it even right now. It’s a health hazard.”

Diablos pulls a phone out of thin air and talks low into it for a moment.

“Well, how was I supposed to know?” Diablos thunders.

“You don’t tell me you need all that stuff.

No, I never noticed that your shit went into the throne in the bathroom.

I thought that was for drinking. Hartley!

I don’t know! I just thought maybe humans ate their own crap, it’s not something one asks one’s mate. It destroys the mood.”

I glance in alarm at Becky. She would never eat her own shit, I know it.

“I never noticed.” Diablos is sullen, almost sulky. “Don’t all dens just magically come equipped with this stuff?” He rakes his hand through his long hair and groans.

Dens get better than what we have already? I’m intrigued.

“Fine. I’ll fix it. But you will show me when I get home tonight.

I want to see this cupboard with food and this thing you call a toilet.

I will expect to witness this defecation of yours and confirm if you are telling me truths, Hart, my love.

No, I don’t care how embarrassing it is.

I will not be made a fool. You will shit for me like a good boy. ”

Okay, I think I just threw up some shadows. I shudder and turn to find Becky staring with wide eyes and an expression that appears to be a cross between fascination and horror.

Diablos hisses and then turns back to us. “It will be done.”

“Fantastic.” Becky claps her hands together, making Puppy jump. “Now, what’s our first job?”

“Go and kill the demon and rescue the humans that are living in the Wellsbridge Community Center. I got a tip one of the women might be an omega queen.”

Becky goes still. “Kill?”

Diablos raises his eyebrows. “No? Not kill?”

“No, we have to negotiate and then arrest.”

“How do you mean, arrest? The heart?” The princeling asks. “I can freeze them easily enough.”

“NO!” she shouts. “We lock them up in a place with a cage.”

“Ah, for torture later. Smart idea,” I say and kiss the top of her head.

“No. Wait.” But she’s lost her strength and almost seems flustered.

“I will eat them,” Puppy says sulkily and side-eyes my human.

I bare my fangs at him, but he just flicks a tongue out, poking her in her ear .

Puppy moves close to her and throws an arm over her shoulder. She turns her head, and, for a moment, they are staring face-to-face. He could eat her. I panic and stay tense, but then she reaches into her pocket and comes out with a lolly pop that she shoves into his mouth.

His eyes widen, and he sucks hard and dashes away.

“Just so you know, I shan’t be tempted by sweets,” Frost says with an arched eyebrow.

“Oh, I know. You prefer the hot food. Tell me, Your Majesty, have you ever had a hot dog?”

“Certainly not. Eating dogs is frowned upon. They are companions in the wild places.”

Her eyes widen. “It’s a name of a food. It’s not made of actual dogs.”

He narrows his eyes. “Are you certain?”

“Cross my heart and hope to die. In this part of the country, eating cats or dogs is considered a crime.”

“Fine, I will try your hot dog.”

Wilder scratches his chest. I’m not sure why he likes wearing shirts that he doesn’t do up, but I find the humans like this. Perhaps I should try it.

“You have your mission!” Diablos growls. “You can eat later. Go and ‘arrest’ these wrongdoers.”

“Wait.”

Diablos turns back, smoke pouring from his nostrils. “Yes?”

“What exactly is an omega queen?”

I tense, watching Diablos carefully to see what he will reveal.

“There are normal omegas, and there are omegas who are stronger, more dominant, their nature hidden until their heats. They command, and, depending on their strength, everyone obeys. There is an omega queen here on Earth. We need to find and save her. She will be the one to save this planet and stop the alphas.”

“And what will her role be?”

“She will be able to say who can live in this world. She can choose to stop the alphas from entering. An omega queen will be able to command any alpha, not just her own. All omegas, betas, and alphas will obey her.”

Her eyes open wide. “She can make every single one of you go back to your worlds?”

“Yes, she can.”

“I can see why you’re trying to find her first. All right, let’s go find this omega queen. ”

Becky attempts to turn, but I wrap my arm around her and move her into Wilder’s arms.

“What are you doing?”

“We need to get there fast. Wilder will take you.”

She gives me a dubious look. “But a car, taxi, train, anything-”

“Fae horse is faster.” I shrug and blow her a kiss. “Puppy, come!”

The nightmare Grim lifts his head, hissing, but, as soon as they all move, like any other hunter, he can’t help but chase.

I whirl on Diablos the second we’re alone. “Remove it.”

He smirks at me. “Not a chance in hell.”

“Maybe not in hell, but there will be one in your Nightmares. Remove that binding from her thumb and undo it.”

“I will not. I gave her protection.”

“I need to hear her!” I whisper dangerously, stepping into his space. Diablos might think he has brought me to heel, but I’m only here because I want to be.

“No, you don’t. She needs to be safe until-”

I grab his throat, dragging us into the shadows and shifting until we’re standing over the edge of a bridge. “Can your kind fly?”

Diablos snarls, thrashing, but, the truth is, he’s no match for me.

“Remove it.”

“And have her vulnerable to everyone else? Have any information she finds open for creatures like you to steal?”

The hate in his eyes burns with a crimson fire.

“She’s mine.”

“No, she’s not. She’s a police officer. An Earth woman. She’s not an omega, and therefore, you can’t touch her without violating the agreement that we made. Until or unless she presents.”

I stare at him, enraged. My fingers tremble with the effort not to let go. “Unless she asks,” I whisper, reminding him of the clause I added. “If she asks for my touch, all bets are off.”

I shift us back and dump him on the ground where I found him, then I follow my strange new companions and the mate that will be mine.