Page 25 of Bewitching Her Monsters

What’s he hiding? Did I stumble onto some actual mob meeting?

Is the dog really his friend’s?

Oh, shit! What if it was all a lie?

The dog wanted nothing to do with Maxum. If he was truly a friend of his owner, then the dog should have acted like he recognized him.

I glance over my shoulder as I get a few doors from my house. I don’t see anyone, but I feel eyes on me.

A shiver races up my back. I run to my front door and unlock it. I crash through as soon as it’s open and slam the door shut, locking it.

The dog races over to me, sniffing me. He appears concerned by my dramatic return. At least the dog isn’t a complete asshole.

9

PARANORMAL INACTIVITY

ARRAN

The witch crashes into her front door like the demon is on her tail.

Her panic is real. I can smell its authenticity. Fear is flooding her mind. I wonder if Maxum found out something and threatened her.

Everything I found was odd, but not incriminating.

Is he pressing into her thoughts now, bending her consciousness to allow him access to all her secrets?

If she resists, he might scramble her brains. He might do that anyway for fun. The thought of her collapsing in front of me terrifies me. That realization alone is upsetting. I should want her gone just for being born a witch.

But the notes I found don’t suggest thatifthey sent her to spy, that she knew anything about us. The only thing that I’m fairly certain about is that she seems to have an untapped psychic gift. This ability is not surprising. Most witches have some sort of psychic ability. Depending on the witch, it can be premonitions, psychometry, mind reading, mediumship, empathic ability, or sensing nature. There are others, but the list is too long to remember.

But that she doesn’t even know she has an actual affinity? Thatisunusual.

Thanks to Maxum taking Jade out of the house, I was able to study her computer and tablet in more detail. No longer worried she was in the next room, I could keep my nervous energy to a minimum so I wouldn’t blow her computer’s circuits.

What I found makes me guess Jade has another gift too—writing. Her notes about us last night from the bar did actually seem to be notes for a book. She does write romance books about shifters and other supernaturals. There are physical copies on the shelves.

If it was a coincidence that she was at the bar, studying us for a book idea, I find it uncanny that she was able to intuit so many details.

However, for someone without training to be able to do this is unlikely.

The whole situation confuses me.

Does she know about us? Or not? And is her writing not just her witchy cover story, but also her day job? Is she a lust witch who uses her powers to sell romance books?

Maybe the Witch Council wanted her to get something more from us? Or she’s supposed to seduce us… that definitely won’t happen. Well, at least not to Flint or Calder. I am slightly concerned about my resolve. And Maxum released a scent indicating his attraction.

I need to rule out that Jade doesn’t live a double life. I need to make sure they have not sent her to kill us off one by one.

I need to know if she killed Osen.

But right now, she appears panicked and leans against the door as if she’s just been chased.

I sniff her but don’t scent magic, blood, or Maxum’s scent. So what happened, and where is Maxum now?

Deciding to lean into the dog cover story, I whine to prompt her to talk… shelovesto fucking speak to animals.

“It’s okay,” she tries to comfort me. Fortunately, she doesn’t reach out to me. She holds her chest and breathes hard. “I think that guy earlier might be a psycho.”

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