Page 13 of Misbehaving With Minotaurs
She said no.
My heart shattered.
We split up.
And here we are.
The Annabelle creaks again, sounding happy to me and thankfully breaking through my self-pitying train of thought.
Catherine slides my credit card toward me with a big smile. “I’ll take you to your room now, Manorin, and if you’d like a tour of Ever at any point, please allow me to show you around.”
I grin as I grab my bag, staring as she emerges from behind the desk and heads for the stairs. “Just keep walking in front of me,” I say. “Best damn view in town.”
She tosses me a sassy look, but her scent strengthens anyhow. She always loved my dirty mouth, and I’m not feeling too inclined to clean it up, despite the years between us.
Annabelle creaks happily again, the carpet on the stairs rippling to grab my attention.
“I’m happy for you, old friend,” I manage, even as something deep inside me aches to be filled the way she described her love for Annabelle. What would it be like to have the same level of success in my personal life as I have in my career?
Is anyone ever that lucky?
CHAPTER FIVE
CATHERINE
Hours later, I’m in the kitchen baking quiche for the morning buffet when an insistent scratching at the back door announces my neighbor Iggy’s arrival. Before I can even turn to let the young gargoyle in, he rips the door open and zips through, executing a wild spin before he lands on the countertop, narrowly missing the uncooked quiche.
Annabelle groans in warning.
Iggy throws both purple hands on top of his horns. “Catherine! Come quick! Minnie had herpuppies,and they’re so cute! You have to come see!!”
Without waiting for an answer, he grabs my hand and leaps into the air, dragging me toward the back door. Annabelle swings it open, and we rush out into the night. I can barely see where I’m going, but that doesn’t stop Ignatius from dragging me down the small path leading to his cottage next door.
When we get there, Alo stands there with arms crossed and a wry smile on his handsome face. “Sorry, Cath, there was no stopping him.”
Miriam, his pixie mate, pops out with a smile and a twinklein her fuchsia eyes. “But I’ve got a pitcher of margaritas, so there’s that!”
I laugh as Iggy drags me into their kitchen, situated at the back of the cottage. He opens the pantry to reveal his hellhound, Minnie, lying in a cushy-looking dog bed as puppies squirm at her swollen teats. Lazy rivulets of fire run under her black fur, red eyes halfway closed.
Iggy pulls me to the ground, then sits next to Minnie’s head. She fully closes her eyes as he strokes her fur softly. “Well done, Minnie girl.” He looks up at me. “That’s what Dirk the hunter used to call her before she decided she liked me best.”
I reach out and rub one of Minnie’s big ears softly as I smile at Iggy. “She’s bonded to you for life, Ignatius. What an incredible gift.”
His return smile is thoughtful. “But her puppies won’t be, right?”
“They’ll bond with you for a while, but not forever,” I admit. “Once they’re grown, they’ll go off into the world and find their own monsters. Who knows when that’ll happen though. If we’re lucky, they’ll all remain in Ever.”
His eyes go glossy with unshed tears. “Or maybe Dirk will take them back to his hunter work at headquarters, and they’ll have law enforcement jobs. That’s what Minnie did.”
“We can’t know, son,” Alo says cautiously as he hands me down a margarita. “But you’ll always, always have Minnie.”
Miriam drops down next to us, translucent pixie wings fluttering at her back as she rests a hand on one of three squirming puppies. “And don’t forget, we still have a lot to do to help take care of them as they grow. Starting tomorrow! We’re still making collars for them, right? Did you decide on names?”
He shrugs as he keeps petting Minnie. “Minnie’s name isn’t that cool, so I kind of want to name them something badass like Brimstone.”
“Ignatius!” Alo and I shout his name at the same time.
Minnie jolts and looks up at us, lips curling into a warning snarl.
