A frustrated sound rumbles up from my chest as I twist my head side to side, then roll my shoulders, trying to work loose the relentless tension coiled beneath my skin.
When I open my eyes, I find Louie sitting directly in front of me. A snarl twists her face, but from the years I’ve spent shifting into a dog, I recognize the look of pure disdain.
Normally I’d bait her for fun, just to watch the sparks fly—but not today.
We both know I’d win.
And Louie? She’s not my enemy.
“You look like you want to say something, Louie. Out with it.”
What could she possibly have to say to me? If the hellhound thinks she’s going to convince me to fuck off, she’s in for a big surprise.
Apparently, I’m here to stay.
“You … she … ugh, she’s an innocent, ya know? Yeah, she’s had boyfriends before, but they were pathetic and gone in a matter of days. It’s always been me and her. But you? You’re different. Fuck, even I can feel the pull between you two.
“I know it’s only a matter of time until you take her virginity and she gains her power, but you need to prepare her for what comes next. She’ll have to master magic she barely understands while navigating a world that doesn’t care if she’s ready. Some of them will protect her. Some will try to use her. Christ, the woman can’t even get to work on time.
“And yeah … I’m scared. Not of her being powerful, but of what it might do to her. What if this changes her? What if she’s notmyAurora anymore?”
A minuscule part of me almost feels bad for the little hellhound. She’s been Aurora’s loyal protector for almost three decades and, until recently, didn’t even realize what she truly was.
Louie doesn’t like me or trust me.
And for good reason.
But if she thinks I’m going to walk away because Aurora is innocent and kind and everything good in this putrid, rotting world, then she’s sorely mistaken.
Running a hand through my hair, I choose my next words carefully.
“I suppose I understand your concerns. Aurora is your world, and I respect what you’ve done for her all these years. But she’s my world now, too.
“We must find some sort of peaceful compromise because, although I find it difficult to think straight when I’m around her, our focus now should be on protecting her from the Disciples.”
Louie glares at me, curling her lips to reveal her mouthful of razor-sharp teeth.
Christ, that was the nicest I’ve ever been to anyone, so fuck you too, hell-mutt.
“Ezra, mate, I say this with my whole heart and soul—you’re a fucking whore. A charismatic, attentive whore, but a whore, nonetheless.
“Aurora doesn’t stand a chance against your … charms. You’re a goddamn predator, Ezra. You’ll tell her everything she wants to hear until you get what you want. I know she’ll eventually claim her power. I just want it to be her decision, not the decision of an ancient twat who spent most of his life fucking anything with a hole.”
Louie is much smarter than she looks, although her assessment is just a smidge off.
“You’re not wrong, Lou, about me fucking anything with a hole, but that got dull. So dull, in fact, that it’s been three hundred years since my last sexual encounter. Aurora woke something deep within me. Something I can’t ignore, even when I try.
“I hate how I feel when I think about her because it’s antithetical to who I’ve been for billions of years. It’s very confusing. But as I said in the woods, I don’t take anything that isn’t offered and, until she’s ready, Aurora will only get what she asks for.”
The hellhound looks unconvinced.
“What if you get bored? What if you come to think she’s dull and unexciting? You’ve had billions of years to figure out what you want and who you are. She’s only been alive for twenty-seven years. That’s it! The Daughters were never immortal. But no one’s ever had the balls—or been dumb enough—to break one before. What happens when you shatter the one thing monsters actually believe in?”
“Louie,” I say quietly. “There’s nothing to fear. You have to trust Aurora and trust that her power wouldn’t change who she is. That tiny female is so goddamn stubborn, not even the end of the world could shake her.
“And let’s be honest. Up until now, the Daughters were barely more than folklore performing cute little party tricks. A little fire. Some taller plants. Even in the tales the underborne whisper late at night, their magic is sweet but forgettable.
“Aurora’s magic will be the same. She has the opportunity to step into something more, but that’s her choice. And even if she does decide to be a queen to the underborne, that won’t change her power—just her status. Andthat’swhat’s dangerous.
