Page 55 of Bewitching Her Monsters

I want her. I want to protect her. My wolf wants to claim her.

He likes the ear scratches and tells me he wants to be around her again.

It’s difficult explaining to your animal self that it’s not as simple as all that.

I tell him soon, but I worry I shouldn’t show my wolf until I confess my sins. I spied on her and pretended to be a dog to discover her secrets. She might not forgive me.

As she wakes, her cheeks turn pink when she realizes she’s drooled on me. Beast loves it. Honestly, we both find it charming.

After convincing her to let me stay to make breakfast, she rushes off to freshen up. I hear her giggling before she comes out. Probably texting her friends about me.

I’m half-tempted to spy again and see what she says about my performance last night. From her facial expressions and body’s reaction, I seem to have got the physical part right.

But does she see me as someone she might want for more than a few nights of fun? I felt her distancing herself already.

And last night, she appeared baffled that I would want to snuggle rather than get my dick sucked.

It would have baffled me as well, if I had been just a regular guy. However, I’m not a regular guy. I have a beast inside me. Besides, I secretly lived a dog’s life in her house for the last couple of days. I can’t take this too far without confessing what I am and what I’ve done. But first, I want her to get to know the person behind the supernatural curse and all my deceptions.

I start some coffee in her stovetop percolator. I love that she has an old-school coffee maker. Opening the fridge, I find there’s enough ingredients to make an omelet, barely—dangerously close to expired eggs and a chunk of cheese.

This woman really needs someone to grocery shop for her. She can strategize an entire series plot line, but not what to eat for the next three days. There are tortillas with nothing to put inside them. Not much in vegetables, except for the stuff she purchases for her pets. Her frozen dinners are all she has for full meals. However, she’s fully stocked with ice cream… and chips.

I realize she probably eats out regularly.

My alpha instinct to protect and care for my pack extends to making sure she has whatever she needs. And right now, she needs good food. Not that I think she needs me to help her, but she needssomeoneto help her. I want it to be me.

When she emerges from her bedroom, she wears a loose t-shirt and leggings. Both look soft, and I fight the urge to find out if they are.

I don’t want her to think I’m clingy. She already accused Beast of that. I’m guessing she isn’t used to a lot of physical attention… even when she has a significant other.

She’s surprised I don’t want coffee, but shifters can’t usually stomach it. Not that I’m telling her that reason. She’ll assume I’m a health nut, which isn’t completely wrong.

“I’ll be a few more minutes with the omelet if you want to check on your pets.”

Jade raises her eyebrows and remembers telling me about her fur babies. “Good idea,” she saunters off, sipping her coffee.

When she returns, we have a nice, simple breakfast filled with talking about her animal hostages, as she likes to call them. I laugh like it’s the first time I’ve heard this joke. And I admit, it’s funny now that I know she isn’treallykeeping abducted shifters.

“What are you doing today?” I ask.

“Uh, I’ve been goofing off too much lately, so I need to get my word count in.”

“Is that your not-so-subtle hint for me to get lost?”

She finishes her omelet and clears her throat. Nothing good ever comes from a throat clearing when relationship topics are in play. “Look, I really enjoyed last night, but you said we should take this slow.”

“Physically… sexually,” I correct.

“Well, I suppose I need to take it slowemotionally.” She looks me in the eye and waves her hands in my direction. “You seem serious about wanting to date me, which is lovely.”

“Lovely?” I laugh without humor.

“I’m guessing I’m close to a decade older than you.”

“How old are you?” I know this, but she doesn’t know I do.

“Forty,” she says with defiance, crossing her arms.

---