Page 4 of Savage Monster

Police showed up, ushering everyone away and back to their campsites. I doubted anyone would be staying any longer. Most of them looked pretty freaked out and panicked. The park would be empty by nightfall if these tourists had any fucking sense about them.

Korain came to stand beside me, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes scanning the area around us before they landed on me.

“What do you think?” he quietly asked me as police chattered around us.

I shrugged one shoulder. “Pretty fucking grim,” I said, my tone coming off bored.

He glared at me.

“What?” I asked. “I’m a fucking psychopath, Korain. This shit,” I waved my hand toward the lifeless, bloody girl, “doesn’t faze me.”

He scoffed. “But you had a whole freakout over someone snooping around my cabin.”

I turned to face him, my face serious. He swallowed thickly when he looked up at me, like I made him nervous.

“You aremine,” I quietly warned him. I took a step closer to him, the tips of our shoes touching. “I don’t wantanyonearound you. Itolerateyour fucking coworkers. But the creep around your place last night?” I leaned into him, our chests brushing. He was breathing a little too fast, his lips slightly parted, his pupils dilating as he focused on me like he was waiting for my next words with bated breath. “When I get my hands on them, I’llslaughterthem.”

He licked his lips. “You’re fucking crazy.”

A cold smirk tilted my lips. “I never claimed not to be,” I coolly reminded him. “But no matter what, you’re always safe with me. That I can fucking vow. And it’s a vow I’ll take to my grave.”

An officer caught Korain’s attention before he could respond, and he blinked like he was coming out of a trance. Clearing his throat, he stepped away from me, going to the cop and avoiding looking at the body as much as possible. I couldn’t hear what was said, but I watched closely, reading his body language. Korain tensed, and I cocked my head the slightest bit. Whatever he was being told, it had him on edge.

Which had me on edge.

My burner phone vibrated in my pocket. With a sigh, I tugged it out, answering Pops’s call.

“Yeah?” I grunted.

“Why did you need that info?” Pops asked me. “And where the fuck are you?”

I sighed. “There’s been another body.” He remained silent. “I’m at the scene of the crime.”

“Why?” he finally bit out.

I grimaced, knowing he’d chew my ass out for this one. “Some fucker was creeping around Korain’s place last night. I rushed over here because he wasn’t answering his phone, and I sat with him until he woke up. But?—”

“Youwhat?” Pops growled.

“Can I finish?” I snapped. He made a low sound of warning. I sighed. “We heard a scream. Came to check it out. Girl about eighteen to nineteen. Slit throat.” I looked at her again. “Her hands are resting on her chest like some Wednesday Addams kind of shit—just like our fucker’s MO.”

“Fuck,” Pops sighed. “Unless there’s a copycat running around, which I highly doubt there is, it’s the same person who killed the other four.”

I gritted my teeth. “Yeah… And he seems to be taking a path.” I watched Korain nod at the officer and shake his hand. “I’m sticking around here whether you like it or not, Pops. The only way you’re prying me away from Korain is with me in a body bag.”

Pops sighed. “I’ll rein your dad in because he’s not going to like this.” Yeah… Dad tried to keep us as “human” as possible, but it didn’t always work. We were too much like Pops. “Be careful. And call for backup if you need us, understand?”

“Got it.”

I ended the call just as Korain turned, looking at me. Our eyes met, and I held his gaze, my focus calm and unwavering. His shoulders slumped just the slightest bit. I doubted he even noticed.

He might want to hate me, but instinctively, he knew I wasn’t the enemy. His soul knew I was here to protect him and keep him safe.

three

Korain

I’d beena mess of emotions since I woke up and found Onyx just sitting in the chair in my bedroom, watching me like a fucking creep. I both loved and hating having him so close after that poor girl’s body was found. And his threat about slaughtering whoever was doing this… I was choosing to ignore how hard that had made me and how badly I’d wanted him in that moment. Because I knew I shouldn’t want a creep who broke into my house and invited himself to just watch me sleep like some crazed fucking stalker.

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