Monster's Mate

MONSTER’S MATE CELESTE KING ANNE HALE Copyright © 2023 by Celeste King All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Sign up for my newsletter Join my Facebook group here! DEDICATION This book is dedicated to Kaylee, Emily, Taylor, Jordon, Melanie, Jamie, Jennifer, Hannah, Donna and the whole “Project Protheka” family. Thanks for believing in the world. CONTENTS Books in The World of Protheka The World of Protheka 1. Tanem 2. Moira 3. Tanem 4. Moira 5. Tanem 6. Moira 7. Moira 8. Tanem 9. Tanem 10. Moira 11. Tanem 12. Moira 13. Tanem 14. Moira 15. Tanem 16. Moira 17. Tanem 18. Moira 19. Tanem 20. Moira 21. Tanem 22. Moira 23. Tanem 24. Moira 25. Tanem 26. Tanem 27. Moira 28. Tanem 29. Moira 30. Tanem Preview of Mated to the Dark Elf Amelie Kral Ishiraya Amelie Kral Ishiraya BOOKS IN THE WORLD OF PROTHEKA Orc Warriors of Protheka Series Mates of the Burning Sun Clan Series Dark Elves of Protheka Series Thoruk’s Prize: A Monster Romance Naga’s of Protheka Series Minotaur’s of Protheka Series Demon’s of Protheka Series Vampires of Protheka Gargoyles of Protheka THE WORLD OF PROTHEKA 1 TANEM The night is almost as dark as I am. Almost. Maybe nothing is darker than I am. I don’t know. I have lived a very long time. Somewhere in my memory, maybe I can find something as dark as I am. But I have no interest in searching through my memories for something that doesn’t matter. What matters is that I am darker than night, and I shift and ripple with the shadows of Eelry. I am not trying to hide. Not really. I am hunting, and maybe I should hide. Be stealthy. Maybe. But I have no patience for playing hide and seek with my prey. They will see me coming. They will see their deaths. They will certainly feel their deaths. Next time, I will try to be stealthy. The taste of surprise in the blood and flesh of whatever I am eating is quite exquisite. That, I have to admit to myself. My favorite meals are dark elves. They taste like nothing else I have ever consumed. And in my centuries of living… Centuries Tanem? Have you truly lived that long? In my centuries of living, I have never tasted anything like a dark elf. Their flesh is soft, supple, tender. Their dark sorcery flows through their veins, providing me with strength and keeping me sated days after the meal. My fangs are extending from my gums, just think about them. The muscles in the tentacles that are sealed into my back flex and twist. They are hungry. “Shh. Be still.” The words slip from between my fangs. My low, guttural voice a growl more than anything else. I catch the scent of humans when I lift my head to the air. My nose wrinkles involuntarily. I am not the biggest fan of eating humans. But perhaps tonight I will find something sweet to calm my tentacles. Maybe tonight, I should do the easy thing and give up on hunting the dark elves who have probably sensed my presence in the city. The humans are in a hurry, that much I gather from the way their energy sparks and whips in the air. Their voices are low, their footsteps hurried. I follow them, my footsteps soft and swift against the cobblestoned ground. My body has remained muscular, strong, and lean, despite my years of living. I find it fascinating that humans age to become decrepit creatures, unable to help themselves. The group of humans turn a dark corner, and my tentacles lift from where they were hanging down my back. I loom over them, and the fools still do not see me. You are so hungry. My voice speaks silently in my head, coaxing me on. I am about to attack, to grab one or two, when the scent reaches me. The fragrance is like nothing I have ever smelled before. It is fresh and bright and so sweet. It smells even better than the magical blood of the dark elves. Whatever it is, it is coming from the humans. I retract my tentacles, against their protests. I can’t eat yet. Not until I have found the source of the scent. I am aware that my heart is racing and my stomach is twisting. My skin prickles as I follow the humans around corner after corner. Soon, we come up to a one-story building with a low roof. I can’t go in just as I am, so I wait for the humans to enter. What is this place? I can hear dozens of footsteps crossing the dirt floor inside. A thousand different scents mingle and exude from the building. I allow the darkness to cover me, slipping inside before the elf guarding the door can see me. All he notices is a whisper of wind caressing his cheek as I pass. I remain close to the walls of the building, until a guard catches my scent. The giant creature looks up at me, signaling the guards behind me. I duck into an alcove to my left, and they follow. The tentacles stretch from my back and break their necks in seconds. I do not even have to move. I heft their bodies into the alcove, piling them on top of one another. There are bales of hay close by. I remain pressed into the darkness as I pile the hale on top of them. Finding my prey will be impossible now. I can’t hunt or else I will be hunted. Hunted to my end. When I turn, I realize exactly what is happening inside the building. It is an auction. Whoever is running it is auctioning off precious