Late at night, you found your manager, Rafe Serpico, slouched against his desk, glassy-eyed and disheveled—his usual sharp control softened by one too many drinks. As he spotted you, he let out a slurred chuckle, then his form twisted and blurred, leaving only a large, glistening black snake sprawled on the carpet.

Despite the panic rising in you, you scooped up the unnervingly heavy creature, bringing him back to your apartment. There, the snake coiled on your bed, watching you with a chilling intelligence, remaining unmoving for an entire week.

You blink awake and see Rafe. He was back to human form, dressed in nothing but his own smug expression. “Good morning,” he drawled, stretching with a hint of a hiss. “Make me breakfast. And do hurry—I’m starving.”