The Mates of Monsters novel Chapter 65

I hear the front door open and close and I call, "Any update?"

It had only been ten or so minutes since Lyde left. I had been typing a response to Bonny's latest update regarding the campaign and her approaching visit, but I have yet to send it, and when Lyde doesn't answer, I look away from my proofreading. "Lyde?"

I stand from the table when David enters the archway. Little cuts and developing bruises sprinkle his skin, and I notice white gauze on the base of his neck. He's been patched up-Nicodra aimed there with purpose. My head goes nauseous at the thought. All of his marks and scrapes bring me to ball my hands into tight fists, pushing my anger out that way. My eyes scan over him. My lip quivers.

"Nicodra is dead?" I ask, forcing down my need to run to him, to cling and cry and thank the Goddess for sparing my love.

David nods. "He is," he says plainly, holding back things himself. "I hope you can forgive me."

"You want my forgiveness? For what?"

"For leaving when you begged me not to."

I hear the back doors in the kitchen-Helena leaving.

I roll my lips together then bite down to distract from the tidal waves thrashing around behind my eyes and in my chest. "It's fine," I hardly manage. "You promised you would do something to help Aurora if you could."

David peers to the side. "I heard you scream after me. It tore me to pieces, Brigette, to hear you... I'm sorry."

"I thought you were going to die. You could have. Imagine if our roles were reversed and you had to watch me walk out that door."

"I can't," he admits. "Even if I knew I could do it, you didn't. And I don't want you to resent me for going anyway."

"Resent you?" A frown flashes on my face. "I thought I was going to throw myself off the cliff. I-I was waiting there, on the edge."

"Pease," I say before he tears the thing from me. "I need you. I need to be as close to you as I can."

His hands clamp against the table on either side of my thighs. I comb my fingers into his hair, and he looks at my pink cheeks and longing eyes. The clasp to my bra has been undone, and it rests against me, rising with the in and out of my breath. "I'm yours," I murmur, running my hands around the back of his neck, "and I'm stronger than you think."

His finger hooks around the apex of my bra and guides it off. I move my arms through the straps so he can rid of it, but I beckon the removal of his shirt as well. David steps back and lifts it off, revealing another patch of gauze, a larger patch taped to his side. I gasp and he says, "It's not so bad."

"Are there more?" I ask. "Please, tell me that's it."

He turns around and discloses another patch on his back, across his left shoulder blade. I whimper and lift it up, finding a sickening streak of torn skin, likely the result of Nicodra's claws. "Damn it, David," I breathe. "Look at you. Look what he did."

David turns back. "I got away easy."