Page 98 of Bewitching Her Monsters

Flint returns to his flesh form and staggers backward until he slams his body into the hallway wall behind him. His eyes are wide with panic and shame. “I’m sorry, Jade. It’s my fault, not yours.” He runs off before I can tell him it’s okay.

I feel something wet under my hand and see a glass of spilt water that Flint must have been bringing me when I crashed into him.

He was trying to take care of me.

Arran rushes inside and lifts me into his arms. “I got you, sweetness.”

This little misadventure took more out of me than I realized. “I don’t feel well,” I say as I pass out.

* * *

My eyes are still closed when I hear the guys talking.

“Jade needs healing,” Arran says to Maxum. “The killing hex is still hurting her.”

“She won’t want it from me,” Maxum argues.

I slowly open my eyes. “Why not?” My words come out slurred.

“You would see my true form, and the healing is… sexual in nature,” the demon sounds contrite.

“My beast won’t like you touching until he’s claimed her,” Arran whispers to Maxum.

I start to giggle until I’m in full chuckling mode.

“Why is that funny?”

“Because, of course, it’ssexual!” I believe I’ve lost my mind. “Why can’t anything be simple?” My humor drops like a stone. “Besides, you want me dead. So you wouldn’t want to sex magic me up anyway, right?”

“I didn’t say that,” Maxum says quietly.

My mind spins as I turn to look at him. “What part?”

He squares his broad shoulders. “I don’t want you to die. And I would share my magic to heal you.”

“But you seem hesitant.” Nervousness crawls over me. I wonder what his version of sex magic is. “So I’m guessing you don’t want to fuck me.”

“It’s not that. My true form will scare you.” Maxum nods to Arran. “And it will trigger his berserker beast if I have sexual relations with you.”

I snicker at the use of ‘sexual relations.’ I turn to Arran, “Will your beast hurt us if Maxum does his sex magic thing on me?”

“Hold on.” Maxum’s usually calm exterior cracks. “Are you saying you want to fuck a demon?”

“It’s on my bucket list,” I joke. Well, I sort of joke… It’s totally on my imaginary bucket list. Or it was, when I thought it was fictional.

“Arran?” Maxum looks at his friend. I know he’s not asking permission per se, but he doesn’t want his beast to hurt us… probably me.

“I… I want to say that I’ll be okay.” Arran turns to me. “But my beast is riding me right now, since I’ve messed things up with you.”

I take a moment to consider what’s really happening. On the one hand, this all feels like I’m caught in some strange fantasy-nightmare. On another, I look at it as if I’m writing one of my paranormal novels. Rules don’t apply the same way in a supernatural world. I’m familiar with this concept.

And sure, Arran made mistake after mistake, but I still don’t get that icky feeling like Rob gave me.

I believe I’ve already forgiven Arran after I’ve thought about all of it and what Flint said.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” I ask, knowing why, but needing it confirmed.

“You didn’t know about supes. I thought you’d turn me away. I knew I was over the line with my behavior.”

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