Page 98 of Nightshades

Brutally.

Lula shoves me forward.

“Fine,” I mumble. “Thanks.”

“You and Creed won’t be allowed to interact. It’s a rule.”

“I’d fucking kill him anyway,” Creed dares.

My nightmare is inside him before he has a chance to blow his fucking smoke. Creed’s eyes turn black, but shockingly, I don’t find a single thing he is afraid of.

Demi is all that is in his mind, so if I wanted to truly kill him, I’d kill her, which I wouldn’t do because she’s good.

Loud, sorrow-filled screams pierce the air, which has me rescinding the shadow.

“Who are they?” I question, staring down the end of the driveway.

“Uh, like paranormal police but way more dangerous,” Fitz, the human, explains. “Led by Abaddon, then The Four Horsemen.”

“…theFour Horsemen.”

Everyone nods.

Motorcycles come down the driveway, their bikes bigger, made of bones too, but the screams come from within the bike. The closer they get, the more I see the souls pressing their faces against the motorcycle, begging to be set free.

Something about their nearness calms me, in a way. It’s as if my nightmare recognizes them. I don’t know how or why.

They are massive though. Bigger than me.

“Another DNA experiment,” the leader says. “I’ve learned not to try to do anything with you lot. Especially now since you’re mated.” He stands in front of me, and a giant wave of power actually causes my beasts to still.

All but the nightmare.

He’s ready to do whatever this guy tells him to.

“Abaddon,” he holds out his hand.

“Shade.” I shake it, a vibration passing between us.

“Well, well, well, that is interesting. I knew you were part nightmare. It was the only thing that made sense when I heard about how the victims died. Good thing I brought the reinforcement, or we would all be fucked.”

“He can’t be stronger than you guys.” Rhett is taken aback and confused.

“Are you kidding? He’s one pissed off rage away from taking over this entire town to give every person deadly nightmares.”

“He can do that?” Lula asks with a terrified gasp.

Mmm, her terror tastes good.

“Oh, yeah. If he really wanted, if something really triggered it, depending on his rage, he could collapse this planet and give everyone deadly nightmares.”

“What could trigger something like that?” Lula questions, her worry vibrating through the bond.

I go to her side and wrap my arms around her, doing my best to change that.

“It would need to be huge. The loss of a mate or child would do it.”

I snarl low in warning, telling him in the darkest, deepest gravel I have to shut the fuck up. No one will talk about my mate or unborn child that way.