Page 32 of How Not to Date a Demon

Maeve narrowed her gaze before snapping out of it. “You’re mine now,” she bit out. Racing to the door, she stabbed her feet into her sneakers and grabbed her keys and jacket before shutting the door behind her and locking it.

Her mind raced with ideas as she hurried down the stairs and onto the sidewalk. With quick but quiet steps, she jogged in the direction she’d seen Galen go. There was a turn up ahead, and she slowed down as she approached, not wanting to give herself away.

She didn’t see him straight ahead, so he must have taken the left. Glancing down the road, she spied his tall figure a few blocks ahead, and followed.

Her knees were still fucking weak from the way she’d made him fuck her, and yet here she was, stalking her boyfriend to see why the fuck he was leaving the house at three in the morning.

First investigating, now stalking?

No, it’s like a stake out. You’re gathering information.

“Yeah, that,” she whispered.

Honestly, Maeve should have tried this whole detective thing earlier. Obviously, she was a natural, because now she knew something was up. There was no normal reason to be leaving the house secretly at three in the morning.

So maybe he wasn’t a supernatural creature. But something was going on, and she damned well was going to find out what.

Galen was a couple yards ahead of her, pace hurried, but not rushed. The more she followed, the more she could make out about him. He had earbuds in, hands in his pockets like he was taking an evening stroll.

It was weird that he was wearing headphones in the middle of the night. Wouldn’t he want to know if someone was coming up behind him? It was dangerous out here this time of night.

Unless… she blinked. Unless he was the thing to be afraid of in the dark?

A shiver danced up her spine and she shimmied it away and continued to slink on Galen’s trail.

For the longest time, it was only streetlamps and the eerie sound of the quiet city. And Galen. It wasn’t long before she began to wonder if she’d made it all up. Why was she even out here? Galen was clearly wandering around with no destination. Hell, maybe he liked to go on late night walks?

But why wouldn’t he just tell me that?

Maeve huffed. Her subconscious had a good point.

So she kept on his trail, until he finally took a sharp right. But Maeve knew this area, knew that he’d taken a turn into an alley with no outlet. It was a dead end.

Nervous, her heart began thumping harder in her chest as she glued herself to the sides of the buildings and eased closer. Her steps were silent as she inched toward the alleyway.

She crouched to her knees and tried to calm her racing heart. The brick wall was rough against her hands as she splayed them out to keep her balance on her toes. It was cold, making her nose burn.

With a deep, painful breath, she peeked around the corner of the building into the alley.

And for a split second, Galen was just standing there, facing the back of the alley and breathing deeply. Confusion swirled in Maeve’s chest. Why would he come all the way out here just to stare at a brick wall—

Galen’s voice echoed around the alley, more words that she didn’t recognize, couldn’t comprehend. Goosebumps spread over her body, head to toe, and she shivered though it had nothing to do with the cold.

Heart racing, she stared at her boyfriend as he chanted more nonsense—just like he had with the puppies—before a soft glow filled the alley. At first, she only had to squint against it, but it got so bright so fast that she ducked back behind the brick corner to shield her eyes.

When it faded, she blinked her eyes open and slid back around the corner.

She froze.

In place of Galen stood… something. Something more. With… with wings.

Beneath the soft glow of them, she spied the remaining tatters of his black shirt.

Just like all the others.

The glow faded all together and all Maeve was left with was shock. She couldn’t blink, afraid he would disappear, and she would convince herself it was all a dream.

But this was real. That was Galen. With wings and… horns.