Chapter 8

Atowering female monster walks in, a massive double-edged ax in her hand. Her dark red braids whip around her armored shoulders. Tusks protrude from her mouth, and large hoops gleam in her ears beneath the moonlight. Dark eyes scan the scene before they settle on me, dropping to the baby next.

She's… kind of gorgeous. I had no idea a monster could be good-looking, and yet these two prove me wrong.

The female snarls and grunts. She bares her teeth at me, the hand on the ax tightening. Fear races down my body, but I keep my chin up. I've never seen so much killing intent in someone's eyes.

The male stretches a hand between the woman and us, stopping her. He grunts again, a series of guttural noises that must mean something to them, but it's lost on me. It sounds like nothing I've ever heard. His presence looms as he waits, unmoving. Observing.

I shake my head. "I don't understand." My voice comes out stronger than I feel and I stand up straighter. "I mean no harm." I show a hand while holding the baby with the other, bouncing it gently. It breathes against my chest now, completely unbothered. A little hand has snaked out of the bundle of fabric to grab onto my jacket.

The male looks between the baby and me for a solid minute, studying my face in search of—I don't know what. Finally, he sighs—a great, rumbling release of air—and motions to the female with a shrug. My blood runs cold.

This is it. This is how I die.

In one smooth stride, he closes in. My breath is a knot. I gasp, but there's not enough time to move. With swift precision, he snatches the baby from my arms, passing the child to the red-haired female, who cradles it in her arms with unexpected gentleness.

Oh, shit. Are they the parents, after all?

Can I even make one wise decision today?

Before I can process the exchange, the male closes a massive hand around my hip and hoists me over his shoulder as if I weigh nothing. My world lurches upside down as my face hits his fur cape.

I slam my hands down, pushing myself off him. Once that does nothing, I start to kick. Once more, he doesn't flinch. I just tire myself out. He's a mountain of muscle and too tall. The ground is so far away. Would I die if I fell head-first from here?

The male doesn't stop. He turns around—impressively quiet for someone this big—and, in one fluid motion, he scoops up the body of the fallen woman with his free hand. He grunts something in his strange language, his chest rumbling against my thighs. I watch the red-haired grab my backpack from where I left it with the same hand as she holds the massive ax.

Shit. She's strong.

It doesn't matter now. Nothing does. My mind races through every fairy tale warning, every whispered story of monsters, every cautionary tale from my hometown. Only one certainty comes up.

I don't have to worry about going back to New Obernzell too soon. No worries at all.

Because I'll never see it again.