Revealing the Monster (Playing with Monsters #4) by Amelia Hutchins

I studied Alden’s face, noting the wrinkles that had aged him since my mother died. He searched my eyes as if he’d find the answer within them. Swallowing, I considered how much to disclose, but after a moment, I decided that honesty was the best direction.

“Sex,” I grunted, and his mouth opened to the perfect ‘O’ while his eyes widened to match them. “We tried it, but I couldn’t do what was needed. Now, it’s his life on the line. He did the right thing, and the price the magic is taking would be his sanity. Considering what he is—well, let’s just say he’d make Lucifer seem more like a warm-up act. Spyder asked Lucian to put him down because he’s the only one who could. They’ve been together since their creation. I can’t let that happen.”

“Kinky.” Alden’s face turned red before he peered up at the stars. Then, lowering his eyes, he smiled. “I can’t tell you what to do in this situation, kid. That’s between you and them, and at the end of the day, we all have baggage. The only thing that really matters is how you carry yours. Do you put it back into the bag, or do you empty it so it’s not so heavy to carry? When’s the last time you unpacked some of your own?”

“Are we taking a trip, Alden?” I asked, uncertain what the hell he meant.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Can you live with Spyder dying? Can you carry that weight around with you? You’re looking for answers, but you already made your choice. You’re going to do it because you cannot bear his death on your soul.” He rocked back and forth on his heels while scratching the back of his neck, chuckling at the absurdity of the conversation.

“I don’t have a soul,” I grumbled, exhaling. “The bond we share, it pulls us together. I need it to stop. I am in love with Lucian, and I can’t keep craving Spyder, too. It’s not fair to either of them.”

“And you, Lena. It isn’t fair to you, either. You often take yourself out of the equation, and you shouldn’t. Maybe it’s time for you to let go of your past and any lingering reservations about your situation. Do you remember when we first met? You were terrified of us. Now, you’re like family. You’ve been through hell, and you have refused to break. You committed suicide to protect the ones you loved and your unborn son that they thought to use as a weapon. You’re selfless, and that’s not something many people can say honestly. If you’re serious about being with Lucian, Lena, you need to let Spyder go.”

“I am, but first, I have to find him. I need your help with another matter, though. I’m looking for any information you can find on the original three furies and what happens when they claim their mates. Or, in our case, how to escape being claimed by furies,” I admitted, knowing Alden had a vast library with ancient tomes his people had stolen over the years. “If there’s a way to free Spyder from being bound to me, I’d like to have the solution as soon as possible. If it includes body fluids, I need to know so I can plan to do everything required all at once.”

He winced physically at my choice of words before shaking his head. “I found some things in the fae’s library about furies, details that showed what the furies were and what they protected. And, well, we figured you’d come to us for more information, eventually. I promised your mother I’d look after you, Kid. I’m in over my head on this one.”

“My mother,” I whispered, swallowing past the lump that saying her name created. “She did not know what they were. We were all in over our heads, drowning in a war that we didn’t know was happening around us. Lucian was there to protect the world, and we didn’t even realize the danger of his presence to ours or us. I had the seal within me, slumbering. If it had awoken, we’d all be nothing more than husks of flesh after it had spit out our bones.”

“This world was already heading down the highway to Hell. Now, we have shit happening that makes me wonder if we can ever come back from this. I need to show you one more thing if you can spare a few more minutes.”

“For you, old man, I will always make time.” Hearing a noise behind me, I turned to see Zahruk coming down the stairs toward us. He had dual blades attached to his back, with leather straps that crossed over his ripped chest. Eyes the color of freshly polished sapphires smiled the moment they landed on me, and then slowly moved back to Alden.

“You’ll need to remove the crystals, Kid. Zahruk is here to see the newest clusterfuck unfolding in town.”

Bending down, I retrieved the crystals while holding Zahruk’s gaze. His lips tightened, curving into a wicked grin when he reached us.

“You called for me, Elder?” Zahruk asked, his attention shifting to Alden.

“It’s just Alden now,” he corrected, pushing his fingers through his hair. “You can bring Lena with us, right?”

“She’s light and easily captured,” Zahruk stated, dragging his gaze down my curves. “Shame she got claimed so early on.”

“Careful,” Alden chuckled, his blue eyes sparkling with the secret. “She’s taken by something none of us could deal with once it was pissed off.”

“Sounds fun.” Zahruk held his hand out for mine. “Don’t be scared. You’ll like my bite.”

“You may not like mine. It’s to die for,” I returned, as one side of Zahruk’s mouth tipped up in a sinful grin. “After we’ve finished here, can you drop me off at Vlad’s club?”