Blackmailing Belle (The Lost Girls, #4)

by Holly Roberds

"They’re…adorable." Cute aggression is becoming a very real problem as the flying rabbits with tiny horns fly around me, and I have to fold my hands into my stomach to keep from catching and squeezing the bajeezus out of all of them at once. "They’re a disaster," Dominic snaps, his voice tight with irritation as he reaches up to shoo a particularly bold bunny-like animal off his shoulder. "And now they’re everywhere." The creature chirps indignantly before flapping off, its wings brushing his cheek. I cover my mouth, but it doesn’t help to suppress the giggle that escapes me. "What are they?" Dominic glares at me, his jaw tightening, but there’s a flicker of something softer in his eyes as he watches me try to compose myself. He swipes at the one on his shoulder but it swoops out of reach, letting out an indignant chirp before darting to a nearby bookshelf. "They are called flutterbuns." One of the lighter-colored animals lands on my arm, its tiny claws tickling my skin. I lift it closer, marveling at the softness of its fur and the delicate veins that thread through its wings. It nuzzles against my cheek, and my heart squeezes to the point of pain. "You’ve got to be joking," I murmur, stroking its tiny head. I might have dissolved into uncontrollable laughter at hearing that ridiculous word slide out of my husband’s mouth if I weren’t being so careful not to startle my new friend. "I assure you, I’m not. They are creatures from the Midnight Realm." Dominic exhales sharply...