“Look who finally decided to show up,” he snapped. Seeing the items in Mel's arms seemed to infuriate him. “What's all that crap?”
I tensed, ready to defend my mate, but Mel stood his ground. He squared his shoulders and met the land-lord’s intense gaze without faltering.
“I'm moving out. Tonight,” Mel told him. “So I won't be bothering you anymore. That's all.”
The man squinted angrily. I didn't like the calculating look on his face. He seemed ready to turn it into an argument when it was an open and shut case.
The land-lord smacked his lips. “Fine. Good riddance. But you still owe me next month's rent.”
“What?” Mel cried. “No, I don't. My lease is month-to-month, and I won't live here during November.”
“I don't care! You've been nothing but a pain in my ass since you moved in, so cough it up and we'll call it even!”
The man advanced on Mel, who stumbled back, and that's when I lost the final strand of my patience.
Reaching inside my phantasm body, I took a deep breath and unleashed the most uncanny, terrible sound I could muster. The ghastly roar escaped my lips as a physical force of frigid air. It blasted the man away from Mel, slamming him into the wall.
“Step away from my mate, or feel my wrath, human!”
My unreal voice echoed throughout the hall. Fear made the man's face go pale and clammy. He slid down the wall before scrambling to his feet and yelping, “I don't care anymore, just get the hell out of here!”
He slammed the door for the final time. After a moment of silence, Mel turned around and quipped in a small voice, “I guess this means I don't owe him anything?”
Proud of him, I flew close to affirmatively kiss his cheek.
Nine
Mel
After the whirlwindevents at my apartment and the clunky, arms-full trek back to the house on Raven Hill, I was winded. Bert still had energy and offered to arrange my work items in the living room—well,oneof the living rooms—while I sat down. Once everything was in place, I thanked him profusely. I wouldn't have been able to move without his help.
“No problem,” Bert said. He glanced between me and Edgar, his lips quirking into a smile. “I'm glad to help out my friends. And by the way, I'm happy for you both.”
I blushed. Had Edgar told him the details of our relationship? Even if he hadn't, I'm sure Edgar's frightening display and proclamation that I was his mate would've been a big hint...
After saying goodbye to Bert, the gravity of it all hit me.
I was Edgar's fated mate. He was mine, too—my handsome phantasm alpha.
As if reading my mind, Edgar laced his pleasantly cool fingers with mine.
“Welcome home, dear Mel,” he said.
I laughed, tears of joy brimming in my eyes. “This is officially the best Halloween ever.”
* * *
1 Month Later...
I wokeup to the warmth of morning light streaming across my face, as well as the familiar, cuddly, cool-yet-warm body of Edgar. Not yet ready to be awake, I sighed and nestled closer to him in bed. It was a king sized one, and it had taken me weeks to get used to compared to my narrow twin.
Edgar peeked his glowing blue eyes open. He didn't sleep like humans did, but went into a kind of slow trance. It was easier for him to ‘wake up’ than it was for me.
“Good morning, my love,” Edgar said.
“Mornin',” I said, stifling a yawn. As if I wasn't close enough to Edgar, I cuddled closer. The feeling of his cool, liquidy body was comforting to me. “Geez, nobody told me having a fated mate made it impossible to get out of bed…”
Edgar chuckled. “Would it help if I made you some coffee?”
