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"Are you into like. . . Monster Porn?"

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" Mom look I know I said I'd stop by your place, but the weather was a bitch," I excused myself, phone tucked between my shoulder and ear as I rummaged through my luggage for a pair of shorts and a thin shirt. " And, no, me and Bennett aren't sharing a bed, and no we still aren't dating. . ."

" Yet," she cut me off instantly.

My hunch told me she was smiling from ear to ear at that thought. " He's such a sweet boy Jade you really should give him more attention, but no sex after marriage you hear?!" She nagged, despite chuckling at the other end of the phone. " He's grown up to be so fine ~ I guess it was expected since Diluc did basically raise him, such a dashing gentleman."

"Yeah, bet dad's gonna love hearing that from his grave," I joked despite a small ache tugging at my chest.

My dear mother went silent for a moment before she sighed over the phone. " You're father was a great man Jade, a jealous one too, but the hardest worker you'd ever meet, and a wonderful husband," suddenly I regretted even mentioning my dad upon hearing her giving me "the talk."

Finally switching into comfy shorts, I threw myself into bed, topless, with my pink bra covering so little. " I know," I groaned into my pillow while fumbling with my necklace. " Worked himself to death."

" JADE!" She called me out. " Mind your words! I know the city is great and all, but no foul language you hear ?"

After managing to calm her down and get her to go to bed, it was just me and Mr.Fussy, my stuffed elephant toy. " She got too much time on her hands," I mumbled to the fluffed-up snuggle buddy.

What was currently frustrating was that there was no night light. Like seriously what if you woke up in the middle of the night for a cup of water?

" Miss Jade, would you mind if I come in?" A voice came from outside the room, followed by a light knock, it sounded like the butler.

" Just a minute!" I called back, yanking on my white shirt, before pulling myself away from the fluffy comfort of the bed and opening the door.

And just as I was ready to welcome the old man . . . I was gretted with red hair and a face with red eyes that looked bored out of their minds. " Oh it's you, I swore I thought I heard Gramps," It took every cell in my being not to shut the door in the redhead's perfect face which by the way aged nicely considering his face looked so bloody smooth.

"May I come in?" He arched his brow at me and didn't even wait for my reply, before pushing me gently aside with a gloved hand.

He waltzed right into the center like he owned the place, which he technically did. " Technically speaking I don't really need permission now that I think about it," he smirked upon looking around the room.

My eye twitched at his completely unnecessary and discourteous comments that completely did not match the image of fictional novels with the whole, " Rich, owns a mansion, and gentleman duke."

I was met with Disappointment. Disappointment I say.

"Why did you even knock?" I spoke with a strained smile, mostly because I was concerned he would pull off another silent killer move on me.

He sighed, looking around the room, from the fur blankets of the bed, the wooden oak drawers underneath the windows, the painting of children over the bed, and finally to the bookshelf wall that took about half of the small room. " Let's just say I feared you'd be busy or lacking in certain garments," he smoothly exclaimed and brushed the tips of his gloved fingers over the spines of ancient-looking books.

" Yea no, you clearly have watched wayyyyy too much porn to think that's all a girl does when in her room," he froze, stiffened, and then pulled a thin book from the dark shelf. " Oh, am I right ?"

The tips of his ears darkened into a light shade of red, which made me kinda hope he would turn around, just so I couldt see exactly what type of face he was making. " Insolent girl," he grumbled between gritted teeth.

"Oh my fweelings, Daddy you're so mean!" I teased, which only resulted in said man slamming his large, clenched fist into a shelf and sending some of the books flying into space.

" Jeez temper," he did not even reply, perhaps too pissed off or speechless at my incredible communication skills.

So it felt up to me to pick up at mess he made, I know generous, considering his ego perhaps had taken a low blow from some "insolent peasant girl," as rich people would probably put it, which makes me question how did Bennett even live with this guy for so many years? Must have been a pain. With my dumbass just thinking of many ways to insult the grumpy dilf , my attention shifted slightly upon picking a few of the scattered old books. "Beginner's guide to hunting spirits? " The book's black leather cover made it look something out of fantasy merchandise with its yellow pages and withered corners.

The other books' name got even weirder. " Ghouls and Ghosts and Differences? Species of Ghouls? How to cast wards ? Okay this one sounds interesting, How to Charm Your Way with Ogres and Dwarves, kinky. Dude are you a DND nerd? "

I glanced at the red head, and it may have been my imagination, but he was instantly right in my face ; skin red with rage instead of embarrassment, strands of red hair sticking out in odd ways and teeth bared at me . " Okay . . . " I stretched out the word far more than necessarily and placed the heap of books down back on the floor , before crawling back as those ruby eyes tracked me like a I was bound to be dead meat.

Correction, I probably was going to be dead meat. "You're nosy, foolish, ridiculous, utterly unbearable. . . " He growled as his figure rised and bulged in ways I was sure a human body doesn't usually, and took slow steps towards me until I was cornered between a shelf, and a wall. "Maybe I should just throw you to them and see how that mouth of yours will save you tonight?"

Did he mean the weird monster thingies? Or did he mean. . . " So like suck off fantasy beasts or do you mean just talking? Cuz your books giving mixed signals," the blue veins popping at the corner of his forehead was not reassuring, and perhaps a clear indicator I said something I perhaps should have not. I guess that's where Bennett got his passion for DND and everything about supernatural. This grown ass man was being serious. Like crazy mad-man serious. " Crazy son of a bitch. . . " I cursed, purposely , and loud enough for him to hear. " Wait do you like. . . watch monster porn ? Is that is ?"

Before he could even get another inch closer the door sung open again, but this time with the old butler and Bennett next to him. " Father that's enough!" My little-itty-bitty- Benny-boi was all fired up and yanked the larger man away from me while only in black silky pajamas that looked fucking crazy expensive and not to mention he looked older? Nah more mature, or probably like a lil cute angel. " Benny is he like hyperventilating or something?" Me being me I glanced at the old man at the door and picked up one of the books from the shelf, which at the moment seemed like the best weapon if things came down to me bashing the rich duke's head if I had to.

"Miss please, " Charles helped me up to my feet while continuously glancing back at Diluc as Bennett whispered something into his ear as he strangled him down to the ground. He was a beast, breathing in and out rapidly and the muscles on his shoulder became visible as he clawed his coat off. " Miss Jade please wait for us in the living room."

. . . And just like that I was pushed out, standing outside the room with the door sealed behind me as Bennett and Charles voices became muffled between thuds and growls. " Well . . . That's a new level of irritating people . . . And I thought dad had it bad," I chuckled at the thought, before staring back out the window I'd seen the other day.

It took me a moment to comprehend that my hands were clearly shaking. The storm had become a little more gentle, however, the rain was still falling and the light grey clouds still blocked the light from the arcs of grapevines. "So gloomy . . . " The words slipped out of my lips.

There was no music blaring from the karaoke on the opposite road, or drunk friends and lovers waltzing around and making sure everyone heard their sad ass laughter, or the blaring neon lights of the city glaring out the windows.

Thunder crackled in that moment, bringing me back to the realization of the book still in my hand, Demon Breeds: Spirits; Volume One. "Crazy rich people stuff I guess, " The thunder crackled again, flashing in front of the window, and blood. . . .Blood started to rain against the window's panels. The small droplets did not slide down and fused instead over the glass panel. " Cutie," the words spelled on the glass , before it shriveled as it collapsed and reformed again into, " Downtown, Maryland."

I blinked. Once. Twice, but the words did not disappear. " Tomorrow," I tapped the glass, but it sure as hell did not go away.

Instead, the windows rattled, it's lock shaking as the blood rain broke apart and fused again. " 12pm," It was only when the door to the bedroom cracked opened again did the blood washed away, hastily replaced by water droplets of regular rain again. Parts of my brain short-circuited as I stared at the glass panels. Did I get high? Were the books hiding some were drugs? Did I eat something bad? Was the Duke planning on killing me slowly? This place certainly was crazier than I remembered as a child. The thought alone of black wiggling shadows that would lurk in the storage room of the school gym or the old school building was enough to give my neck an irritating tingle. " Don't make me wait," the breeze whispered, circling me. " He is. . . "

A howl so deep and thunderous cut off the wind and dominated the chaotic voices of the subsiding storm outside. The odd presence of the wind's breeze faded instantly and the whole manor cracked like an aged man's bones, but nothing happened. The storm had become silent, the window was no longer attacked by a bombardment of bullets and the moonlight shined down through the sturdy glass panels. " And I found office jobs exhausting," I groaned, glancing at the bedroom door, before making my way to the living room.

Despite in a manor so lush and beautifully furnished, I couldn't find another spare guest room since most of them were locked or reeked of dust and dead bugs. Hence I had settled in the living room where I lay now, on the leather couch, cold and blanket less; lucky alone to find a comfy pillow, and wondering what type of cult did Bennett's "dad " really partake in and if I was a recruitment target.