Page 68 of Monster. Me.

When the visit is over, he reaches for his wallet and presses several bills into my hand.

I glance down and immediately frown.

"This is too much."

"Nonsense."

"It really is."

"You came all the way out here and helped me."

He closes my fingers around the money before I can hand it back.

"Take it."

I consider arguing again but quickly realize it would be pointless.

Before I can escape, he pulls out his phone.

"And I also need your number."

I stare at him.

"Why?"

"For emergencies. Just in case."

A minute later, despite my best efforts, he has my number, and I finally make it to the front door.

Unfortunately, the moment I open it, two more people are standing on the porch waiting for me with big, hopeful eyes. Dammit.

The first is an older beta holding a remarkably overweight corgi. The second is a slim teenage alpha carrying an orange cat against his chest. I realize I've seen him before. He was at the funeral. He's the teenager with the vertical pupils.

I stop. Behind me, Davos brightens immediately.

"Oh good, you're here."

A sinking feeling settles in my stomach.

"I might have mentioned to them that you'd be visiting," Davos says with an apologetic giggle.

The beta adjusts the corgi in his arms.

"My dog keeps scratching his neck."

The teenager lifts the cat slightly.

"His eyelid looks weird."

I close my eyes for a second. Of course. Apparently Davos was a bit too talkative…

They are both still looking at me with the same desperate expression. I let out a slow breath.

"Fine."

The corgi turns out to be easy. Once I get my hands beneath his collar and work through an impressive amount of fur and neck fat, I find a tick buried against the skin. The dog barely reacts while I remove it, and the beta looks as though I've just saved his life.

"I knew something was bothering him!"