Page 95 of Not Your Ex's Hexes
Okay, so that sounded bad. “Or else what?”
“I’m not certain we want to find out. In fact, I know we don’t, and since releasing the captured Gryndors is out of the question, we need to go on the offensive. Quickly. Before things go too far and people get hurt. Damian may be a pain in my ass, but he’s the only Hunter equipped to do this job… except for you. You managed the first trio pretty well.”
Rose nibbled her lip as she weighed her options, which were not good. “Under different circumstances, I’d be first to help you out, but I promised Damian I wouldn’t do any Hunt jobs without him. It was one of his conditions.”
“Normally, I’d accept that, but I’m at a loss as to what to do. If it makes you feel better, I’ll go with you. It’s been a day since I’ve been in the field, but I hear it’s like riding a bicycle.”
Saying no would be the smart thing. Two letters. One syllable. N-O.
But then she thought about the money, and all the good it would do the sanctuary animals, and yeah, the load it would lighten from Damian’s shoulders.
Rose redialed Damian’s number once more, and this time, left a message.
“Don’t get grouchy, but Julius is in a huge bind and neither of us can reach you, so I’m helping him out. And you don’t have to worry because he’ll be with me. I’ll let you know how it goes, so… bye.”
She hung up, already knowing Damian would blow a gasket when he listened to it. “So where do we find a Gryndor Mate?”
They didn’t seek too hard. The second they got into Julius’s car, the news blared about the massive winged demon terrorizing Times Square, but hearing about it and seeing it firsthand were two vastly different things.
Mouth gaping as she crouched behind a cement barricade, Rose looked up at the massive female Gryndor sitting on top of the jumbotron TV, her wings stretched out wider than a minivan was long, and cursed.
“She’s huge… and pissed. Why is she so huge? She’s like easily double the size of the Blood Moon Gryndors,” she pointed out.
Julius snuck a glance from around the corner, keeping his head low. “Gryndor females are notoriously larger than the males, and quite a bit more volatile.”
The demon howled into the skyline, the noise shaking the ground.
She snorted. “Gee, I never would’ve guessed.”
“Their venom is quite a bit more potent, too. It’s one of few poisons that can knock another demon on its ass. Even an upper-level one.”
She shot Julius a hard glare.
“What?” he asked innocently.
“I feel like there’s an awful lot of information that could’ve been shared on our drive here, Julius.”
“Would it have changed your mind about coming?”
Damn it, no. And he knew it, too.
From beneath the red-step bleachers, a group of tourists broke into a run, making a mad dash toward the hotel across the street. With a mighty roar, the massive Gryndor took flight. She swooped through the air like a scary hang glider with scales until midway, a fuzzy Elmo caught her attention. The street character beelined for a tearstained little girl crouched alone by the wheel of the nearby pretzel stand.
The Gryndor roared again, her immense jaws wide open as she targeted her new victims.
“Oh, I don’t think so.” Priming her Magic, Rose stepped into the open and fired off a warning shot that flew millimeters over the demon’s left shoulder. The Gryndor paused her pursuit, her head swiveling until locking on Rose. “Just because you’re having a shit day doesn’t make snarling at everyone who crosses your path okay.”
Behind her, still hiding, Julius cursed. “Fuck. She’s looking this way.”
“That’s the point.”
The Gryndor released another eardrum-piercing roar. “I. Want. My. Mates.”
Rose shrugged, forcing herself still while every fiber in her body told her to run and hide. “Get in line. Most of us would love to find our special someone, but that doesn’t mean we’ll terrorize an entire city until we do.”
“They’ve been taken by the Council.”
“Then they obviously did something they weren’t supposed to do… kind of like what you’re doing now.”
