Page 75 of Virgin Lust

He nodded solemnly.

My heart ached. “It’s why I’m late. August, I feelnothingin myself when it happens.”

“Incomplete is how I describe it,” he added, ruffling my hair. I swatted his hand away. Was he trying to lighten the mood? “I’m glad you weren’t here when you lost them. Even a few seconds without them could be fatal.”

Covering mylips, I coughed through the billowing smoke. It was hard to see, evenwith my heightened senses.But the circular fortress put even Dad’s castle to shame. The brick palace had two towers—one on its right side, one on the left, with the creature right at its center. Something about the citadel seemed familiar….

As people, shouting and screaming, poured from the structure, I realized we stood in front of the Louvre. Flames quickly took over the historic monument. My gut twisted as the panic ensued.

Oh, Hades.

Thegiantshouted andswung his arm, hitting the right side of the museum. The brick buckled and began collapsing.The ground shook, and I swayed.

August glowered at the monster. “You can’t tell from this distance, but on the other side of the flames,his flesh is stitched together.Someone made this creature.”

“Harvest.” I tightened my fists. “Didn’t Isabella tell us he liked to create things?”

“Looks like he’s succeeded.” August materialized his scythe and hung it over his shoulder.

“How do we stop the beast?” I asked.

Looking away from us, August asked, “By the way, why are you with a soul reaper and three gremlins?”

“The name’s Shepherd,” my soulmate said.

August grunted.

“I don’t like this guy,” Dirk grumbled, and I rolled my eyes. Dirk didn’t like anyone.

August’s gaze swept over Shepherd as if he was sizing him up.

I got chills when August’s brows furrowed when he looked at my soulmate.

“Think you can eat that thing?” August said to Shepherd, gesturing at the monster.

“It doesn’t have a soul,” Shepherd murmured. “It has millions. Besides, I’ve never walked through flames to know if I can do it in my reaping form.” He inched forward, then smirked. “It’s a good day to find out.”

The monster roared, and fire burst from its mouth. The blast headed in our direction.

“Watch out!” August yelled and then jumped.

I glanced down at the gremlins. No way could I fade them all in time. Waving my hand, I used my power and pushed them to the side. I looked to Shepherd, getting ready to fade us when he shifted into his reaping form and slipped through me. No, not through me exactly. I felt him caging me in, like a lover’s caress. At first, all I could see was his black soul. Scorching red flames engulfed us.Oh, God.We were inside the monster’s assault. With our position, I should have been on fire, but I wasn’t.

“Shepherd!” I screamed.

“I feel you,” he replied in his husky voice. “Relax.”

As the flames died down, I gawked at Shepherd’s soul surrounding me. I reached out, trying to touch it, but his shadowy mass moved as I did. I couldn’t slip through him. “You’re acting like a shield.”

“About time my DNA came in handy for something,” he deadpanned.

“Shepherd…”

“Cool trick.” August appeared beside us again. Morphing his scythe into a sword, he asked, “Mind doing that to me?”

“It’s incredibly intimate,” I squeaked. “You can’t do that.”

August sighed. “It’s only intimate because you’re lovers. I need to get close to that thing.”