Page 118 of Bewitching Her Monsters

I feel my spirit fading. He’s draining my life force.“I didn’t do this!”

“That woman looks just like you,”Osen points out.

“She does, but actually put together—polished. I’m a warmed-over mess most of the time, not even a full hot mess.”

“Jade, the game is over. Just tell me why.”

“Yeah! If I’m some witch mafia boss,whywould Rob kill me yesterday?”

“Because you were compromised by me.”

“Maybe it’s a glamour like Maxum or Flint wears?”

“Unlikely.”

“And I live in a tiny house with magical creatures? And write romance books?”

“That’s just some stupid cover story,”he says, but sounds less certain.

“This was you!” he growls in my voice out loud.

“Hell, this woman looks more like my crazy grandmother than me!”

Osen stops his stranglehold on my soul.“What did you say?”

Now that I take a moment to put a pin in my terror, I realize it’s true.“She looks like my abuela. I swear the women in my family don’t age.”

“Witchesdon’tage like humans.”He shouts, “Fuck!”

34

BETRAYED

CALDER

Idon’t have much magic outside of my phoenix gift of regeneration and shifting, but I have premonitions, especially concerning death.

It’s one reason I was so close to the community center’s attack when it happened. My psychic senses were pinging.

In the middle of the cleanup and pulling survivors from the rubble, I have another ping.

Osen’s death spot.

I glance over to see Maxum, Arran, and Flint removing debris to get to another victim. They are needed here. All of them are stronger than I am. And I don’t want them to get involved if it’s nothing.

My mind flashes to an image of the witch.

I’m unhappy that I seem to be mistaken about her innocence. It’s getting under my skin.

Her magical creatures adore her as if she were their pet and not the other way around. Magical creatures are usually not wrong about a person’s character and are rarely corrupted.

I’ve been trying to catch them in a lie, but they appear as innocent as they look.

It shouldn’t bother me that I might have messed up my chances to spread her thighs and plunder her depths.

I don’t want to lust after women—especially witches.

I’m pissed that I want to hear her make those wicked sounds while she chokes on my cock.

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