Page 54 of Mortis

Hidden amongst the trees, the Beast stalked them. Patient. Hungry. And when His glowing eyes finally caught their attention, they ran. The forest split them apart, but one escaped. Apparently with just enough time to capture a blurred photograph.

The other . . .

The other became another meal.

And the Beast had always enjoyed playing with His food.

Teddy shifted beside me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. I couldn’t bring myself to confirm what he already knew.

I was the reason that man was considered missing.

I was the reason his family was still waiting for him to come home, unaware that he never would.

The weight of my guilt settled heavily across my shoulders, and it took every ounce of concentration to maintain my human form.

“Did he speak to the Bugle himself?” Teddy asked, somehow holding himself together while I quietly fell apart beside him.

Arlo shook his head. “Nah. He uploaded the video to YouTube this afternoon.”

Teddy scoffed. “So his friend’s missing, but that didn’t stop him uploading a bullshit video for clout?”

Arlo pursed his lips, causing the dried face mask to crack around his mouth.

“I guess,” he admitted. “It’s got loads of views, though.”

“How many?”

“Like, fifty thousand.”

Teddy inhaled sharply.

“Is that a lot?” I asked.

I still wasn’t entirely certain what YouTube was, let alone whether the number was considered impressive.

Teddy pushed his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose. “I mean, compared to the massive creators, not really. But considering he only uploaded it a few hours ago . . .” He grimaced. “Yeah. It’ll probably keep growing.”

Hearing Teddy sound so uncertain made my stomach tighten.

“And don’t forget the picture,” Arlo added, holding his phone out again as though we’d somehow forgotten.

Teddy closed his eyes for just a fraction too long to be called a blink. He was thinking. Planning. And when he opened them again, he leaned forward and squinted at the blurred photograph.

“That doesn’t really prove anything.” He waved a dismissive hand. “It’s so blurry he could’ve made the whole thing in Photoshop.”

Arlo pressed the button on the side of his phone, darkening the screen before planting his hands on his hips.

“You’ve always been a sceptic, Teddy Adler.” He gave an exaggerated sigh. “But I’m choosing to believe there’s a monster in those woods.”

A grin spread across his face.

“And that he’s incredibly attractive, with a giant cock that’d absolutely ruin me in all the best ways.”

I inhaled sharply and almost choked on my own saliva. Heat rushed into my face. When Teddy noticed the blush creeping across my cheeks, he rolled his eyes towards the ceiling.

“You’ve been reading too much monster romance!” he shouted after Arlo, who was marching back towards his bedroom.

“You just need to get laid, you fuckin’ prude!”