City of Magic: The Complete Series by Helen Harper (book club recommendations TXT) 📕

meant he was at least maintaining some self-control. I nodded and squared my shoulders. ‘I’ll deal with this,’ I said. ‘You two head downstairs. There are two newbies in the kitchen who are probably going to be hanging around for a while.’

Lizzy brightened. ‘Oh good.’

I hesitated. ‘Don’t be alone with the older woman.’

‘Why not?’

I pushed away the temptation to lie and smiled uneasily. They deserved to know what Julie was if she was going to stay here. I let my upper teeth bite down over my lip, as if I also possessed massive, sharp fangs capable of draining a person of all their blood.

‘A vampire?’ Cath looked delighted. ‘Are you serious?’

‘Mmmm.’

She beamed and whirled round, darting past me to run downstairs. Lizzy looked at me warily. ‘When you think about it, that kid is incredibly bloodthirsty.’

That was somewhat ironic, given who had inspired that reaction in her. ‘She’s also got medical skills, which we might need,’ I said.

‘I’m not saying I don’t like her or I don’t want her here. I’m pointing out that beneath that mousy exterior beats a rather … strange heart.’

I exhaled and ran a hand through my hair. ‘To be fair, I don’t think there’s any such thing as normal. Not any more.’

We grinned suddenly at each other. ‘Amen to that,’ Lizzy said.

Chapter Thirteen

I waited until Lizzy had also loped off downstairs then I knocked softly on the door. There was a crashing sound and a loud growl. Okay dokey. I chewed my bottom lip. Under any other circumstances, I’d have left Monroe to it. He was grieving and he was a werewolf; those were two things that would usually permit someone to enjoy a bit of me-time. I needed him, though. Time was against us and he could be invaluable.

I decided I’d give it twenty minutes. If I couldn’t rouse him enough in that time, I’d have to give up. I hate giving up.

Feeling somewhat nervous about what was going to greet me, I turned the doorknob and gently pushed the door open an inch or two. It was dark inside because of the old, heavy curtains draped across the window but I could see enough to tell that the bed was empty. I scanned the room until I spotted two slitted blue eyes watching me from the corner. They flashed at me in warning, as if daring me to come one step closer.

I shaped my lips into a gently reassuring smile. ‘Hi, Monroe.’

He snarled and stepped forward. He was in full wolf form, his fur standing on end. I drew in a sharp breath at the size of him; normal wolves were surely not as big as this. I only just forced my feet to stay where they were. I told my rapidly beating heart to calm down and pushed the door open further, then held up my palms in the universal sign for surrender.

‘I’m glad to see you’re awake,’ I told him. ‘You’re looking better than you did when I found you.’

His lips drew back, baring glistening fangs that I imagined even Julie would envy.

‘How are those wounds doing? You had some nasty gashes. I was worried that you might have internal injuries too. You’re lucky that you’re standing. Do you feel much pain?’

Monroe huffed at me. I raised an eyebrow.

‘I’m asking because I know it’s not the physical wounds that are hurting the most.’

His nostrils flared but deep within his eyes I spotted unadulterated anguish. Whatever predatory arrogance he’d displayed when I first met him had all but disappeared. This was a man – or rather a wolf – in pain.

With my heart in my mouth, unsure what Monroe was going to do, I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me. His muscles bunched up and his head lowered a fraction as if he were about to spring at me. I got down onto the floor and crossed my legs. If he attacked me, I was a sitting duck. A sitting enchantress duck, but still…

‘I went to Castlefield,’ I told him. ‘I saw the devastation there. And your other – werewolves.’

A low growl rumbled inside Monroe’s chest.

‘There’s nothing about that which isn’t shit. I’m sorry about what happened to your companions. I’m sorry they’re all dead.’

Monroe couldn’t hold himself back. He lunged forward, fur bristling and eyes narrowed into slits. In one bound, he was right in front of me, his dangerous teeth inches away from my face. I tried very, very hard not to be scared. Right now, he was a wild animal. And wild animals could scent fear.

‘They died saving the world,’ I said softly. ‘That’s not much comfort but if it wasn’t for you and your wolves, we might all be pushing up daisies. They were heroes. You’re a hero.’

He glared at me. For a moment I felt sure that all was lost and he was on the verge of ripping out my throat, then he threw back his head and howled, a keening sound that reverberated around the room.

Suddenly his fur melted back into his body, leaving smooth, scarred skin and angry welts. Within seconds Monroe the man, still on all fours, was staring back at me. Even after what had occurred with Lizzy, I was astounded. That was certainly something you didn’t see every day.

‘They were slaughtered,’ he spat at me. ‘The last thing I am is any sort of hero.’

I reached out with one hand but he glared so ferociously that I pulled back. ‘You saved us,’ I reiterated.

‘We saved nothing. It was the fucking faeries that did everything. They created the problem and they solved it. My pack was nothing more than collateral damage.’ The searing hurt in his words was obvious.

‘I wasn’t there,’ I told him quietly. ‘I don’t understand much about what’s gone on. But I do know that we were on the verge of the end of the world and we’re all still here. You were a part of that, so I thank you from the bottom