The Monsters in Your Neighborhood Read Online Free PDF Page A

reminded everyone as she leaned against the barrier. Monster strength might just come in handy today.
    “I know,” Kai murmured. “Patrick and Rehu, hold his arms. He’s going to struggle.”
    Rehu’s eyes widened as Kai reached for the stake. “You’re going to pull it out?”
    She nodded. “Until I do, his healing abilities won’t be able to help him. Alec, hold his head steady.”
    Rehu didn’t argue further and the two men grabbed Drake under the armpits while Alec covered his forehead with a hand in a surprisingly gentle way. They all held tight as Kai gripped the wooden stake with both hands and tugged straight back.
    Drake roared in agony as the wood slipped from his muscle, bone, and flesh. When the stake was free, Natalie stared at it. It had once been the handle of some kind of tool, a shovel or hoe perhaps, sharpened to a wicked point through whittling rather than by a machine, given the crudeness of the cuts.
    Rehu shifted and began applying pressure to the wound with both hands. Drake thrashed, but Patrick and Alec were able to hold him still using their combined monster strength against his.
    “Steady, Drake,” Alec soothed. “Let your body help you, don’t fight it.”
    Natalie cringed. Most of them had some kind of healing ability. They had to in order to maintain their longevity, in order to survive the multiple attacks on their lives. Hers was a little different. If she was injured she could attach a new body part. Not healing in the strictest sense of the word, but it kept her going.
    Still, recovery was utter agony for them all. She’d never met a monster who didn’t suffer cruelly when injured.
    “We need to clean up,” she said, trying to take her mind off of what Drake must be feeling. “We don’t have much time.”
    Kai nodded and looked around for something to put the bloody stake in. Meanwhile, Natalie ducked into the hallway so she could run to the bathroom for paper towels.
    Just as she reached the ladies’ room door, the priest appeared at the top of the stairs. He was dressed like he was about to conduct a service, even though Natalie was pretty sure there weren’t any more on the schedule that night.
    “Hello, sir,” she said, feigning as much brightness as possible.
    “Good evening,” he said, peering down the hallway toward where Drake’s muffled moans and groans still echoed. “I heard a cry. Is everything all right with your group?”
    Natalie swallowed. Huh—how to proceed here? It wasn’t as if she could say, Nothing much, just ye ole stake in a vampire, please carry on.
    “Miss?” the priest encouraged when she didn’t respond.
    “Ah, yes, I’m so sorry. We’re trying a new therapy this week,” she said, stalling. “Um . . . screaming therapy. Sorry, we should have mentioned it to you so you wouldn’t be alarmed.”
    The older man furrowed his brow, staring into her face like he was trying to read her soul (even though she doubted she had one by his definition). She got ready for him to call bullshit and was scrambling to think of another excuse, but before she could, he nodded.
    “Ah, yes, I’ve heard about such things at counseling retreats I’ve attended for the church.”
    Natalie blinked. So that was a real thing? Cool.
    “Does it work?” he asked.
    She swallowed. “Does what work?” she squeaked.
    He stared at her. “The screaming therapy.”
    “Oh yes, of course.” She faked a hollow laugh. “Sorry, just tired. The screaming therapy. Yes, we’ve seen it have . . . mixed results.”
    She glanced over her shoulder toward the room. Drake was still moaning back there. She wasn’t sure if that was helping her case or not.
    “It’s an interesting theory . . .” the priest said, sounding like he was going to expound at length on the ins and outs of modern counseling.
    “Great, y-yes, interesting. Very,” she stammered. He didn’t move. Apparently he still wanted to chat. “Well, I need to take care of, um, business