Page 29 of Their Fierce Little Monster

The more they consume, the more feral the addiction becomes. Too many of our kind disappeared over the years, others dragged from homes, some found in rivers or fresh graves. The Ice Fire Court insisted their hands were clean, but everyone knew better.

Finally, someone had enough of waiting and served their own justice. They destroyed the Ice Fire Court once and for all.

For a long time, I held nothing but rage. So when the king of Ice Fire Court arrived at my house carrying his child and begging me to save her, I saw my chance to take something back. So I took her as my fucking payment for what I’d lost. And because she belonged to them. I craved revenge, promising myself that’s all she’d ever be to me.

But after all these years, she’s broken me, and now I find myself consumed by her.

She shudders from that damned fruit she ate, yet all I can see is my mother dying.

“Kazak,” she croaks, and something inside me cracks.

Fuck the bloodlines, my past, and Grimvale. Dawn is my everything, and I’ll save her.

“Am I dying?” she asks softly, her hand gripping my arm. Her touch slides up my forearm to my bicep, and she stares at me hungrily.

“I won’t let you die. I need you to get up for me. We’re going to fix this,” I explain, making the decision that there’s no other option.

She glances up at me, eyes locking with mine, and a sob bursts from her lips. She writhes and screams, frantically grabbing onto me.

“I’m with you.” I swoop an arm under her back and pull her up. Her legs slide over the edge of the bed, but her fists are clasping onto me, her body swaying.

“Something’s really wrong. I don’t feel right.” She shakes violently. Then her shoulders droop forward, and a deep growl rolls inside her chest.

I grasp her arms, keeping her upright. “Dawn, can you hear me? Fuck, open your eyes.”

She suddenly shoves herself upright, head flung back, and screams. Gold seems to be spreading beneath her skin, rising over her body as if a light inside her has been switched on. Her pale skin turns into a burnished gold, fire lines slicing across her flesh. It traces every inch of her, seeming to almost pulse with a heartbeat.

They stretch up her neck and climb to her face, sliding over her cheeks and temples. All the while, her hair lengthens down to her hips. Gold threads weave through her hair, and when her eyes slide open, they’re burning with a violet fire.

She collapses back down on the bed, sitting there, breathless.

She’s fucking beautiful. More so than any monster I’ve ever seen in my life.

“Dawn, you don’t need to be afraid. The fruit released your monster form. It must have healed you.” I can’t stop staring at her, telling myself I’m being fucking creepy, but I can’t help it. I itch to touch her. The Ice Fire royal family was renowned for their beauty.

She flushes and glances at herself in the mirror at the corner of the room. “Is that really me?” She strokes her hair and follows the gold lines on her neck. Her hand strokes over the dragonfly across her heart, then she leans in, widening her eyes. “I-I’m actually pretty, and I shine.”

“Fuck, Dawn, you’re incredible.” I reach over, grabbing her arms, and she smiles at me, leaning in closer, batting her eyes. I’m so fucking territorial over Dawn with those outside who want to bring her harm.

Except, that pretty smile fades instantly. And a horrid moan spills past her lips as she falls into me, and I catch her. She shudders against me, crying. “The pain’s coming back. It’s still there.”

Dread hammers through me. Fuck, no!

“Listen to me.” I straighten her back to where she sits on the bed so she’s facing me. Despite the moans rumbling in her throat or how hard she shuts her eyes, I need her to hear me. “You’ve been poisoned, Dawn, but turning hasn’t healed you as I hoped. There’s nothing in this human village to eradicate the venom. And no fucking way am I handing you over to the other two. I need you to stay awake so I can help you, all right?” Waiting any longer will kill her.

The angry storm outside thunders with a crack of lightning, and rain taps the window.

She flinches in my arms. “Do it. Anything to stop the pain.”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “It wasn’t how I imagined us doing this for the first time.”

“What do you mean?” She shivers against me.

My palms are slick with sweat. Then I step back, peel my shirt up and over my head, and toss it aside. I toe my boots off and tug at my belt, and meet her widening gaze. Despite sitting there trembling, hugging her stomach, she watches me with curiosity.

“In Grimvale, your bloodline heals by feeding on other monsters.”

She blinks. “Like feeding on blood?” Her nose scrunches up, looking away.