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Monstera sighed, feigning dismay. “I won’t lie, Koko, it was a struggle but as you can see, I persevered.”

I snickered quietly, gifting Miko a wide grin.

“Uh, there’s a lot of stuff here. How are we meant to get it all done on time. Do we have to memorize this thing?” someone asked, their nondescript voice rising from the ranks.

Monstera huffed and squeezed her eyes shut, muttering to herself. “You do not need to know or memorize everyone's tasks. Focus on your own and do it well.”

“But what if we lose our packet,” someone else called.

She narrowed her eyes in the direction of the speaker. “Look, this the plan hinges on everyone accomplishing their prescribed tasks withing their assigned group. So, I repeat, please,” the witch flung her hands out to the side, “for-the-love-of-fucking-fresh-baked-bread, please focus on your own section. If you lose your packet, share with someone else. I don’t give a damn, just figure it the fuck out.”

For a moment, complete silence greeted her statement, and she continued before anyone could get a word in, “These are the main the key points along with our strategy…”

I tuned out the dregs of her speech, certain that Miko would fill me in after the proceedings. My eyes drifted to my mate, and I found myself, once again, incapable of looking away. I pushed a palm against my sternum, realizing, somehow, like a fucking lunatic, I missed her. Honeybee sat no less than ten yards away, yet I needed more.

“For those of you who waited patiently and paid attention, you have my thanks.” Monstera stood on the tips of her toes, peering over the heads in the front rows, then winked. “Yes, I'm talking to you, the adorable little rascals in the back,” she cooed, smiling at the hoard of red caps.

My eyes widened as I discovered the source of her flattery. Aurey climbed down the side of my face, and I nudged her gently with my cheek. “There's something wrong with that with that woman,” I whisper-shouted. “No one in the right mind would go all sow-eyed over the likes of the red caps. I'm not one to judge, but those arseholes are godsdamn monsters, and that's really saying something coming for me.”

An hour later, I leaned against a tree, watching Miko stretch and imagining the endless positions we could try.

I bounded over, my talons sinking into the grass and settling myself snuggly against her backside as she bent at the waist, pressing her palms to the ground. “Mmm,” I groaned, my purr rumbling to life. “I had no idea you were so flexible, Mate. But I’m not sure if stretching is a necessarily a grand use of your time. There’s a rather perfect tree over there with a low branch the ideal height for a pre-battle snack.”

She laughed. “Tempting. However, the human condition requires that I warm up my muscles or risk injury. If you want to pull a muscle or over extended tendon, that's your own prerogative,” she explained. “Plus, I wanted to get a feel of this armor Mo created for me. Honestly, it’s one of the most comfortable damn things I've ever worn.”

I stepped back as Miko rolled her body to a standing position one vertebrae at a time, humming my approval. “Fascinating. It looks just like old-fashioned armor but almost feels,” pausing, I skimmed my fingertips along the small of her back as I circled her slowly, “like silk.”

“Well, let's just hope it's much more durable than that slippery fabric.”

A laugh tickled my senses, causing my cat ears to swivel and flick. Miko turned in the direction of the sound, lowering her arms to her sides.

Monstera continued to express her amusement, leading a group of people where we stood beneath the cover of the trees on the edge of the clearing. “Hey, Fated B,” the witch said, folding Miko into a fierce hug. “The covens are almost done preparing the ritual, so, I thought it’d be a good time to introduce the remainder of your group. and then one of the witches from the Bermuda Triangle coven will be over to open the portal near where we believe the HHC are gathering right now.

A grin curved my lips, and I laughed as my mate slid a tiny hand into her pocket, because yes, of course the witch included pockets in motherfucking armor.

Monstera moved to the side, her shoes crunching the dry summer grass, and gestured grandly as if she were a game show host. “Meet Rumpelstiltskin, Dax, and Grimnyr, whom Miko already knows.”

A stern-faced female stepped forward, clad head to toe in leather armor the shade of a crystal-clear lagoon, dotted with shimmering, opalescent scales.

Purposefully overlooking Miko’s hard side eye, I crossed my arms, glaring at the female. “I thought your kind died out three centuries past.”

She scoffed, managing to look down her nose at me despite being a few inches shorter. “As the fates will it, grotesque. Especially seeing as you need my help.” She laughed heartily. “Don’t you.”

I clenched my jaw, weighing the risks, both mentally and physically, of trusting another being honed from stone. My hand caught my tail as it whipped against the back of my legs, stilling its agitated movements before it pinched my calf scales between the fabric of my pants again. “Fuck it. That old argument between our clan elders means not to the likes of us, eh? Truce?” I smiled wide enough to show both sets of fangs, tilting my head as my fist connected with her shoulder, stone scraping against stone.

“What the shit, Bane?” my mate whispered.

I winked, waving her worries away. “It’s fine, Honeybee. Trust me, she can take it.”

The female held my stare, dominance rolling off her, then as if she’d made a decision, the serious warrior’s expression melded with a welcoming familiarity that only came from centuries of interspecies relations. Quicker than I could block, she aimed a skilled jab at my pec.

My mate gasped, her fists balling at her sides as tension choked the air.

The female rolled her eyes, and we both burst into laughter. After the amusement subsided, she scanned Miko, appearing to take her measure. “You, little one, can call me Stilly if you like. Rumpelstiltskin is not my chosen name, but rather a grandiose title afforded by my fairytale reputation.”

I laced my fingers with Miko’s, feeling her fascination flooding the bond.

“I can see the questions building behind your eyes, Miko,” Stilly said. “I’m a gargoyle.”