Page 9 of Bewitching Her Monsters

Butalphahole? Was she dating a jerky wolf shifter? Maybe that’s why she works for the Witch Council as a spy—for revenge.

I have so many questions.

Is that why she’s so comfortable with me in my wolf form? Maybe she has already dated one?

Her eyes water, but she doesn’t let the tears fall. Turning her face from me, she brushes away the moisture and stands.

“Why don’t you come over here and eat?” She motions me over to the kitchen.

I don’t follow. Rather, I continue my inspection of the living room, intent on figuring out what this witch is up to.

The witch doesn’t force me to go to the kitchen. Instead, she sweeps up the glass with furtive glances my way. She’s trying to figure me out, just as I am trying to understand her.

I suppose I should just shift and interrogate her.

“Do you have anyone who will miss you?” she asks, sounding sad.

That’s a fucking threat if I’ve ever heard one.

And the sadness? I suppose she regrets that she needs to eliminate me. Perhaps she is one of the few witches with a conscience.

Just as I’m about to snarl and show her I won’t go down without a fight, she stops me cold.

“I’ll call animal control in the morning to find your humans. I’m sure someone is worried sick about losing such a beautiful dog.” She looks about ready to cry again.

Holy crap. Shereallydoes think I’m a regular dog.

She must be a magically weak witch and can’t sense I’m the supe she was watching earlier.

She might know nothing about the four of us. And they sent her on a reconnaissance mission without many details about her targets. Maybe the council only picked her to watch us because of her proximity.

I sniff the air again and only get a faint hint of witch magic, but I don’t know why it suddenly appeared now. So she doesn’t practice her craft—much. Or she doesn’t know how to use it. I almost didn’t scent her muted magic at the bar either. But oddly, the magic was stronger there while she was watching us.

The witch pulls her computer tablet and phone out of her purse. But after she glances at me, she shoves it back inside and takes all her personal belongings with her as she heads toward the bedrooms. “There’s food in the bowl if you get hungry. I hope you don’t mind staying out here alone. Oh, and please don’t eat my sofa. I’m going to bed. Don’t worry, we’ll get you sorted in the morning.”

4

HAUNTING DREAMS

JADE

This dog is the most intense animal I’ve ever encountered. And I’ve dealt with some animals I was sure had human souls. I have a couple of highly intelligent brats in my spare room right now.

I leave the huge canine to check on my little ones. When I open the door, they look at me like I’ve disturbed them. “We have a visitor, so don’t get freaked out. Kay?”

They obviously don’t reply, because, yeah, they're animals. I’m not that weird.

I suppose I talk to my furry friends because it’s a bit of a lonely life, writing all day long and promoting stuff online. And I often go days without human contact—physical human contact. Sure, I network online and interact with my author friends there. I make comments on their posts and support them as much as I can. And that’s rewarding, but it isn’t the same as physically touching or talking with a living person in front of me. Sometimes I miss seeing a friend’s smile and the crinkle of their eyes when we joke around or hug each other. Maybe that’s why I go to the bar at least once a week—to experience humans.

I carry my purse into my bedroom and shut the door behind me. I don’t think my new friend will chew up my stuff, but I don’t want to risk having to go through the hassle of replacing my credit cards, ID, and tablet.

I don’t hear him whine or bark, so I relax and lock my bedroom door. It’s an instinct now. I do it out of habit. Lessons learned and all that.

Using my ensuite bathroom, I brush my teeth and wash my face.

The bed invites me to a good time. And I pull back the covers,realslow. Okay, maybe those hot guys tonight worked me up a bit.

I pull my vibrator, Mr. O’Mygawd, from the side table drawer and imagine my new harem picks. I wonder which one of them I would choose first. The intense leader? The stony giant? The smoldering player? The broody bad boy?

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