Page 63 of Mated to the Monster Under my Bed
Not just because she was my anchor…not just because she made me real.
But because she was my everything—she always had been.
I didn’t stop to think—didn’t hesitate, even though I knew touching the Soul-Sucker would destroy me. It fed on souls and I was nearly all soul.
But I was also something else—I was hers.
And I would not let her die.
“Get away from her!” I snarled, my voice echoing like a storm through the clearing.
Then I ran straight at the creature.
And leapt.
36
DANNI
“Shadow!”
The word ripped out of me as my monster collided with the corpse-thing. The impact made a sound like a thunderclap—an unholy crack of bone and air—and both figures went tumbling across the clearing.
But the creature didn’t stay down.
Even as Shadow landed a heavy blow to its torso, the thing began to split. A jagged line tore through its gray, decayed skin, and a wet, tearing sound filled the clearing. It was like watching something shed—like a nightmare butterfly clawing its way out of a rotten cocoon.
The human skin peeled back in long, sticky strips, and what came out made my stomach twist with sudden nausea.
It wasn’t a man—it wasn’t even close.
It was huge—twice Shadow’s size. Its body was a solid, heaving shadow and its bat-like wings unfurled with a leathery whisper that made me want to cover my ears. Its eyes glowed red, bright and bottomless, and I could feel its hunger when it looked at me—a hollow, gnawing emptiness that wanted to swallow everything.
“Stay away from her!” Shadow bellowed, striking again. His massive fist caught the creature in what should have been its jaw, and for a moment, it reeled backward.
Then it screamed—a sound so high and sharp it felt like claws raking the inside of my skull.
Shadow stumbled. I saw his body flicker at the edges. For a heartbeat, I could see through him—through his chest and arms—like he was made of smoke and memory.
“Shadow!” I screamed. “Get away—run!”
He didn’t even look at me at first. He was fighting, his body half-shadow now, half-solid. His strikes still landed, but they passed through the monster’s form like punches into mist.
Finally, he turned his head toward me, his golden eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
“I can’t hold it off forever, Danni!” His voice was rough, desperate. “Run back to the bubble—get to safety!”
I shook my head so hard my vision blurred.
“No—I won’t leave you!”
“You have to!” His form flickered again, his shoulders starting to dissolve into the smoky edges of nothing. “Get to safety—now!”
“Shadow, please—” I was starting to cry now—my eyes stinging with salty tears.
“Don’t let my sacrifice be in vain,” he said, and his voice broke on the words. “Please, little witch… I love you. Go!”
And then he turned back to the monster, slamming into it with everything he had left.
