Page 6 of Wishing Upon a Monster (Monster Brides Romance #40)
“If we are done?” Olan placed his hands around my waist.
The hope that I would be able to not only leave the room but also my monster groom’s lap surged to the forefront.
“Yes, I believe so. If we could have a private word with your bride before you go?” Gatlin rose, signaling the others around the table that they could leave, too.
I wiggled in Olan’s lap.
A rusty chuckle was the only warning I had before I was lifted in the air and placed on my own two feet for the first time in hours.
“I will go and wait... outdoors for you. I am sure that you need to speak more than a word without me?” Olan’s shark-like grin scrunched his cheeks in an appealing way. I kept my eyes locked on his as he rose, still very much aware that he was naked.
Considering how long the rest of him was, well, I was afraid to look down.
One more––big surprise, and I’m done. I don't have the mental bandwidth to deal with anything more.
“Thank you, Olan, I will be out once we are done.”
“A word, sir?” Rocio had an easier time making eye contact with the god of wishes, being almost a foot and a half taller than I was. “One ancient being to another?”
“Certainly,” he agreed, leaving my side. I whirled away, heading to where Plamer, Gatlin, and Nash were waiting.
The door to the conference room shut with a soft click as I made it to their end of the table.
“Are you okay, Aurora?” Palmer asked, squeezing my shoulder. “This must be quite a shock.”
“It’s true, I didn’t think when I woke up this morning that I’d be married before the end of my shift.
” I chuckled uncomfortably, “Olan doesn’t make me feel unsafe, and I feel, thanks to his vow, that I can trust his word.
He said, ‘partner in any way I wish,’ which makes me think if I said I needed someone to contribute to my 401k, he would do it. ”
Gatlin chuckled, gathering up the old book and other documents they had brought to the meeting, “Trust me, I know this is a lot, but from my experience, I can say that magic favors humans. He made a pretty specific vow. It’s not a marriage contract, but it affords you plenty of protection while we figure this wish-binding thing out. ”
“Is there really anything to figure out?” Nash rested against the back of his chair, steepling his fingers. “That bracelet isn’t just a fashion statement.”
Palmer raised a silver brow at Nash, “As a being from a race of enchanted item makers, do you have any insight on Aurora’s new piece?”
Nash reached across the table, taking a breath before touching the bracelet. His fingers barely brushed the surface of the band before he jumped back, shaking his hand and wincing, “As I thought, magically protected. I doubt anyone, including Aurora, can remove it.”
I didn’t think too hard about why I hadn’t even thought to remove the wristlet in the first place; instead, I took the opportunity to try now. It was like one of those beautiful jade bracelets from overseas. It was too small to work over my hand, and the more I tried, the redder my skin became.
“I see,” Palmer reached out, stopping my machoistic movements with a touch of her hand on mine. “The closest thing I can equate this to is a life debt. You can’t really pay those off, and I don’t––I don’t know if we will be able to break this bond even with the help of the Nyxian Council.”
“We could kill him,” Nash muttered, tapping his chin.
“No.” A feeling of wrongness flooded through my body.
Nash continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “We don't really know how much of a god he is, anyway. Rocio is technically a goddess, and I’ve seen her bleed plenty of times. With the right research––”
“We aren’t killing beings,” Gatlin interrupted, shaking his head at Nash. “I get it, it’s in your blood to face a problem with force and demolish it through sheer magical might, but I think there is more to Aurora’s connection to this being than an irremovable friendship bracelet.”
“The fact of the matter is,” I said, raising my voice over the well-meaning men, “he saved my life, so I get to decide what happens to him, and killing him isn’t the answer. He made a vow. If he wants to eternally help me take care of Sashimi and her great-grand kittens, then he can.”
Palmer snorted, “While as a woman, I can––appreciate that you want to protect Aurora from this obstacle in her life, she has a point. He pledged to be her partner. He gave her a way they can coexist that gives her a lot of freedom. Surely, a god as old as he did this on purpose––which begs the question, why? Why say someone is your wife but then give them such broad verbiage? What does he know about this situation that we do not?”
What indeed–– “Then I guess I’d better figure that out while you all look,” I said, mulling over Palmer’s words. “I doubt he would tell just anyone that asked his reasons. I need to work on becoming someone that he would tell.”
“That may take years,” Nash warned.
“There are worse ways to pass the time,” I quipped. “Besides, while I’m discovering, you all will be looking into this as well, right? I’m not asking for your complete devotion to the situation, but if you’d ask around?”
“Of course,” Palmer agreed.
“Keep in mind that––” Gatlin began.
“I know,” I sighed, “I got myself into this, and I may need to accept there isn’t a way out.”
But first, I need to know how badly I need it and how long I have to find one––