Page 3 of When Monsters Rise
Ohplease.
Heentered me slowly, filling the emptiness with his essence.TheMorningstarpower pressed at my senses, surging and desperate to be free.ButIpushed it back, pressing my will against the door and abandoning my body toShem.
Hemoved slow and easy, long strokes that deepened.Hekissed me with leisurely exploration, his tongue teasing mine, his teeth grazing my lips while his fingers sank into my hair, clenching and unclenching like a heartbeat.Myheart felt too large for my chest, my breath twisted and trapped in my lungs because this wasn’t fucking.Notanymore…
I’dtold him thatIwasn’t playing games.Thatmy heart was involved, and he’d admitted the same, but this…
Thiswas making love.
Wewere making love.
Myheart was more thaninvolved.Itwas invested.
IlovedShem.
* * *
Wedidn’t speak afterwards,but he held me—his chest to my back, his arm a welcome weight around my waist—caging me to his body.Ourhearts beat in tandem, and after a while, his breathing slowed and his arm grew heavier, but for me, sleep was a long time coming as doubts moved in.
I’dlovedJamieand lost him.IlovedBastian, but ifIdidn’t find a way to cure the damage the serum had done to his body,I’dlose him too.AndnowShem…Whatwould happen if we succeeded in putting theMorningstarback together?Themonsters would be expelled back toGehenna, but what about the celestials?Shemhad said they’d be free to return home, but everythingI’dseen and learned led me to believe that theDominionsdidn’t want to go to heaven.Thatthey’d orchestrated the fall and wanted this world.We’drid ourselves of one type of monster, only to be left with another.We’dhave tomakethem leave, which meant war and death and…
Imight loseShem.Imight loseBastian,Beeand the watchers, and everyoneIcared about.
Mychest ached.
Breathe.Just…
Onestep at a time,Rue.
Butthe stakes seemed suddenly much higher.
AsIfinally drifted off to sleep, something shifted in the shadows by the door.Butthe stab of alarm was buried beneath a wave of exhaustion.Icaught the impression of two orange eyes glowing in the dark just before sleep dragged me under.
Chapter2
“Theghost had orange eyes?”Beefrowned. “Thatcan’t be normal.”
“Iknow.Ineed to speak toShemabout it, but he and the watchers were gone whenIwoke.Bastiantoo.”
I’dwoken alone in a cocoon of blankets and immediately been assaulted by the memory of the orange eyes.Therewas something in our haven, and yes, it hadn’t tried to attack me or anyone else, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t.
Weneeded to understand what we were dealing with here.
“IsawShemwithMichaela little while ago,”Beesaid, “andBastianis doing a security check withTumiel.”Hercheeks grew pink when she said the watcher’s name.
Iarched a brow. “You’vebeen spending a lot of time withTumielthe past few days.Anythingyou want to tell me?”
Shedropped her gaze, picking at a cracked spot on the plastic table. “There’snothing to tell.He’snice, and he makes me feel…safe.”Sheexhaled and shook her head. “Idon’t know,Rue.Imean,Ryanis dead, andI…HowcanIbe feeling this way about someone else?”
“Becauselife is short.Becausewe could die tomorrow, and we need to take every moment of happiness we can and hold it close.Cherishit.Ryanwould want you to be happy.Lookedafter.Safe.Don’tdeny yourself that.”
“EvenifIdid decide to get to knowTumielmore,I’mbonded toMichael.”
“Thatdoesn’t mean anything.Hedid that to save your life.He’snot going to hold you to it.”
Hersmile was weary. “Maybewhen this is all over…Whenwe’re safe and the monsters and power-hungry celestials are gone…”
Ireached across the table and took her hand. “Notmaybe.Definitely.”
