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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Shannon Mae
Read between
September 1 - September 2, 2025
Shit. He grabbed my arms, dragging me up. I winced—there would be bruises later.
😭😡
“I just wanted some time with you where we weren’t arguing.” I laughed tearily. “I guess that’s too much to ask for.”
🥺🥺🥺🥺
“I have no fucking idea why I’m with you sometimes, Josh, because I have to deal with shit like this all the fucking time! It’s always you, you, you. You’re whiny, boring as fuck, and an uptight control freak. You’re lucky I’m with you, because no one else would deal with your issues. I sure as fuck don’t get anything from this,” he yelled.
DUDE 😭
The slap whipped my head to the side, and god, it hurt.
JOSH MY BABY
I didn’t try to hold back my crying anymore, and the sobs made it hard to get a deep breath in. He’d left.
😭
Aiden didn’t show up alone—he had his big-ass dog with him, Fluffy.
🥰😭
“Ok, then. Let’s get what you need packed, and you’re coming to stay with us,” he said matter-of-factly,
😭
Suddenly I was just so tired. Not like have-a-nap tired, but more a bone deep weariness, like everything was just too much. Like I could just go lay in bed for a few years because I was so exhausted with life. It all seemed like too much.
😭
I was just so damn tired. My face and wrist were both throbbing, and my eyes were heavy and ached from crying. Aiden seemed to sense it, because he said, “Just close your eyes and rest a minute. It’s okay, Josh. You’re safe.” Safe. I was safe. I don’t know why I believed him, but I did exactly as he said, closing my eyes and letting myself rest.
Please I’m at work I can’t cry
Dexter smiled at me, looking slightly maniacal since he was covered in blood. You could never give your kids too much praise. Yes, he had made a massive mess, but Dexter was good about cleaning things up.
Oh yeah. This is gonna be a good one.
But Atlas, the most feral of my boys, had found himself a truly sweet and lovely mate in Aiden,
🥰
“Isn’t it a grandfather’s job to spoil his grandchildren?” I asked.
STOP HES PERFECT
I didn’t make a conscious decision—I was just in his arms, crying onto his chest.
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
don’t know how long I cried. It felt like ages, but it could have been two minutes. My eyes hurt. Everything hurt. Wilder was still rumbling in a soothing way. He gently guided me to the couch, leaving me tucked into his chest. He sat down and sort of pulled me into his lap as he did, like I was a little kid.
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Wilder rumbled against my ear again, only it was deeper, and it seemed to settle inside of my bones somehow.
🥰
“He’s pack,” I said. “We take care of our own, and we don’t judge.”
Nothing permanent, of course. I could control myself. Hopefully.
🤭
If Josh needed toys, I would provide new ones.
🤭
Wasn’t it customary for humans to give each other flowers when they were interested? I couldn’t deny my interest in Josh, and the idea of courting him made me want to rumble in pleasure.
I smiled indulgently and led my boys off to the cash register, happy to buy them some new toys. You were never too old to enjoy things that made you happy.
I had to remind myself to go slow. I was patient.
Patience, I reminded myself. I had patience.
The sheriff undid the handcuffs, muttering at Jude the whole time. Jude just blew him a kiss and whispered something that made the sheriff blush.
“Ohhhh, you guys are in trouble with step-dad!”
🤣
But they work for the government or something, and they really do only go after bad people.”
🫣
Nothing on the dating front, unless you count the birds,” he answered. I chuckled. Seb had befriended the local crows, and he was sort of fascinated with them.
Plus, and this is really wild—they left me a stuffed crow.
OMG stop that’s fucking cute.
Being in Wilder’s arms made me feel safe.
“Fine, but you’re still not off the hook, because you’re my boyfriend, and if there is fucking gossip to be shared, I am the first one who is supposed to hear it, so the fact that you knew this and didn’t tell me is a problem.”
🤣
Ah, perhaps not the wisest course of action. Now both humans were glaring at me.
Ah yes, like father, like sons 🤣
Well, shit. Apparently he hadn’t taken the news about us being hellhounds quite the way I’d thought he had.
🤣
Atlas obviously felt the need to weigh in on the conversation, though, because Fluffy was gone, and Atlas was standing in his place.
🤣🤣🤣
Liam chuckled, and using a typical you got in trouble and I didn’t voice said, “Yeah, Fluffy, no flames in the house. First the naked thing, then this. What, were you raised by wolves?”
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Well, that seemed to be the point where reality checked out, because Fluffy was once again Atlas, and he was still naked, and Atlas lunged at Liam, and the two of them were rolling around on the floor smacking each other and wrestling.
CACKLING
well, Q looks like he’s about to eviscerate someone most of the time. And Liam just gazes dopily at him like it’s the cutest thing he’s ever seen,”
“Death,” I heard a voice say, the bird sounds getting louder for a minute, and then there was silence.
🤯
“Oh, brother. Not even original,” Thea mumbled under her breath.
😂
“She is not death, little reaper. Do you know why?” Corbin asked
Oh my god. Please let the next book be theirs.
“She is not death,” Corbin said again, still staring. “Why not, little reaper?”
LITTLE REAPER IS SUCH A CUTE FUCKING NICKNAME FOR SEBBIE
“Do what must be done, ferryman,” Corbin said. He smiled, though it looked sad.
WHAT IS HAPPENING
“Am I dead?” I asked, shifting my feet and trying to dislodge the weight. “Ow. What the fuck, Josh?” Thea’s voice said. “Are you dead, too?”
😂
After all, I wasn’t sure if Josh was ready to deal with the fact that one of his best friends was a grim reaper and death ferryman.
It was kind of cute in an adolescent sort of way. I think all the boys wanted to feel accepted by Josh, and reprimanding was his love language. The boys knew it and were pleased each time they got told not to do something. In return, they jokingly called him step-dad or dad, and Josh blushed adorably each time they did.
🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
