Chapter Thirteen #2
Caden narrows his eyes at me, not liking what I have to say, when finally, he puts his defenses down and sags against the table.
“Yes, she’s right,” he says to Demi. “It’s hard seeing all of you find your fated mates.
I want mine too. I don’t think you realize how big a deal it is to paranormals, to creatures like me, like Creed, to find someone destined for them.
Some paranormals wait their entire lives and never meet the other half of their soul, someone meant for them, created to make their soul whole again, someone to spend eternity with.
I know with Creed it was hard because of all the DNA he has, but at least his vampire would have only lived two hundred years, and he would have died if he hadn’t met you,” Caden explains, and a large realization slams against me.
I’m Shade’s fated mate. Everything he said last night makes sense. How he would protect me for all eternity, how I am his, and he is mine. He didn’t go into detail about fated mates, and I don’t think he knows why he needs me.
“So yes, I want that, and my fox is sad with every day that passes that we don’t meet the one meant for us.
I’m so happy for you, Rhett, and Fitz. I love seeing your families grow.
The way Creed would kill anyone for you, Demi, that’s how any paranormal would react.
We kill anyone we see as a threat to our mate.
If I ever met my mate and she was in danger, I would create the most dangerous hurricanes and tornadoes.
I would rip cities to pieces if it meant protecting her.
I’m young in kitsune years. I have plenty of time to find my mate, but living three hundred years already—”
I knew it.
“—It’s just a long time to not have anyone.”
Demi doesn’t say anything. Instead, she wraps her arms around him, embracing him in a tight hug.
His fox becomes smaller, relieved that he doesn’t feel the need to have to protect himself.
“I didn’t mean to start anything,” I say between chewing. “It’s hard not to talk about it when I can see things for what they are.”
“Must be hard to see things like us and not know what will happen to you,” Caden steals a piece of my bacon off my plate.
“I’ve never come across anyone who has wanted to hurt me before. I have found that a lot of creatures are like humans. There are good ones and bad ones.”
Caden nods in agreement.
The bell to the diner door rings. I look up to see Creed, followed by a few others who look similar to Shade. Monster DNA experiments.
“Can no one see what they look like? I find it hard to think they can walk around like that and not get noticed,” I ask, never taking my eyes off the chaos that just walked through the door.
“Spelled rain. I know a witch. People see the versions of us we want them to see. They just see normal people,” Caden explains.
“Spelled rain. Makes sense,” I mumble, taking a large gulp of my coffee.
“So that’s Creed, you remember him.” Demi sighs as if Creed is the dreamiest thing to ever exist. “Then, that’s Rhett behind him.
He owns the garage, and he is part crocodile, but that’s not really my place to say.
Then, that’s Fitz, who is human, and that’s his mate Holly, who is very pregnant.
Rhett’s mate is off today; her name is Mickey, but it must be a kid’s day out.
I’m surprised they have all of them. I can’t wait for you to meet them!
” Demi stands, waving her arms to gesture them to us.
Creed frowns when he sees Demi with us. It’s a bit hilarious to see him wearing a baby sling in the front, pushing a stroller, holding hands with one, while the oldest one bites his pant leg, growling and snarling with every step Creed takes.
I hide my smile behind the mug. The little creature babies are actually really cute. I want one.
My eyes widen as a memory slams against me from last night. My hand flies to my stomach, wondering if I’m pregnant.
“You smell weird.”
Caden groans. “You can’t be going around telling people they smell weird all the time, Creed.”
“Well. She does. Do you want me to lie about it?” He stands there, calm and collected as his oldest child growls, continuing to tug on his leg.
“That’s Storm. Don’t mind him. He’s a bit…feral.” Demi grins, like the proud mom she is. “And then the youngest, Chaos. Then, the second youngest is Pain. The one that is the most well-behaved is Strife—surprisingly—he is the one holding Creed’s hand. Aren’t they so cute?” Demi beams with pride.
They are adorable. I’ll give her that. “They are lovely, Demi. All boys too. Goodness.”
“We will have a girl. We’re working on it. We worked on it this morning. Twice.”
“Creed!” Demi blushes, hiding her face in her hands.
“You still smell weird. Even if you did say my kids are cute.”
“Caden is right, Creed. You can’t say people smell weird.
I’m Rhett, the one with the most humanity of the monsters.
” He holds out his hand to me, and I’d have to agree, he does seem more human than the others I’ve met.
“And these are the twins, Agonie and Havock.” He has a baby on each arm.
“Aggie is a daddy’s girl, isn’t that right, princess?
” He blows a raspberry on her crocodile-skin neck.
“I’m Fitz. Regular human, this is my mate, Holly.”
Holly sits down next to me, groaning as she gets off her feet. “This kid could come out right now, and I’d be happy. Eight months. I can’t believe I’ve had a human pregnancy,” she sneers. “And Creed is right; you do smell weird.”
“You know, Mickey smelled weird when she mated Rhett,” Creed remembers, grabbing his kid by the wings to stop him from tugging at his pants.
Caden snaps his fingers together. “And Demi smelled weird because of you,” he points to Creed.
Creed growls, smoke drifting from his nose. “I’m going to take your smelling abilities away if you keep talking.”
Caden smirks. “I’m just saying. People around here tend to smell ‘weird.’” He quotes with his fingers. “When they mate someone.”
I feel every single pair of eyes on me and my entire body becomes hot, the truth sizzling underneath my skin. I don’t know how much to share. This would be the safest place to share my secret.
But do I say that the killer in this town is my mate?
And that I’m not going to do anything to stop him.
My phone rings in the nick of time. “Sorry. I have to get this. It’s Jake,” I tell them which makes Caden and Demi pout because they wanted to know who I was mated to.
“Sanchez,” I answer, wiping my mouth with a napkin.
“We have a robbery and a homicide at Harold’s Jewelers. I’ll need you there.”
I finish off my hashbrowns and wash it down with my lukewarm coffee. “Finally need me there?”
“Get your ass here, Sanchez.”
He hangs up the phone and I wince, digging out some cash from my pocket to pay for breakfast.
“Sorry everyone. I have to run. Homicide.”
“Another? Interesting, they tend to skyrocket when new monsters come around.” Caden eyes stop on each beast at the table.
I lift a shoulder, wanting to keep my mate to myself since it’s so new.
After breakfast, my body begins to feel better.
My head doesn’t hurt anymore, my bones don’t seem to ache, and I’m ready to figure out how the hell I’m going to balance being a detective mated to a monster who needs to feed off fear and kills people.
Hay, Dios mío.
I’m in such a normal healthy relationship.