Page 105 of An Invocation of Monsters

My beautiful little mate, he whispered. You must never leave. You are what we have craved all our lives.

I melted against him, enjoying being held, being full of him. After a while I had the faint sensation of movement, water rushing past; in time the darkness receded as he brought me to the shallower parts of the lake.

When I could just barely see through the water, Drazan stopped. He still held me, but he slowly eased me off his cock.

His semen gushed out of me, and his tentacles delicately cleaned me. I was covered in slick and come, but soon enough I was shiny-new; these monsters took cleaning their mates very seriously, I was coming to realize. There were a lot of baths in my future.

I would like to keep you down here, but I hear disturbances. They wish to see you, he said. I kept my arms around him; I was relaxed, no longer terrified, and perfectly happy to drift in this peaceful abyss.

Finally I sighed. “I know.” He couldn’t hear me, but he could probably read my lips.

Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t time to bask in the afterglow.

I’d been chased out of my bed by a creature that never should have been there in the first place. There was too much to take care of.

I kissed Drazan’s cheek, feeling the bubble-mask tickling between us, and gave him a rueful smile.

I will be here, Elle, ready to fill you again, he said, a wicked glint in his eye.

“Don’t tempt me,” I told him, and his laugh filled my head.

Reluctantly, I let go of him and swam towards shallower water. As soon as my face breached the surface, the bubble-mask popped and disappeared, like it had never been there.

One day I would wake up, and all my mysteries and problems would be solved.

I was determined to do this, because all I wanted was one day of living out that monstrous fantasy that Drazan had put in my head.

Monster sandwich.

I sighed. Maybe one day.

33

Elle

I emerged from the water and threw back my hair, wringing it out as I strode up the beach.

My fear had left me entirely; I knew Toth would be there, and the creature was dead and gone.

But I was still stopped dead by the sight in front of me. Kiraxis was further up the beach, watching me over his shoulder; he had been crouched in the grass, speaking to a dark, hulking shadow.

It was another Mlul’dra.

I paused, my hair half-wrung in my grasp, staring at this newcomer.

He was clearly of the same species as Kiraxis, but he looked… older, somehow. Six angular crimson eyes watched me just as cautiously as I watched him. His dark pelt was accented by pale, silvery hairs that seemed to be forming spirals in his fur.

I exhaled slowly, lowering my hands. I didn’t want to appear threatening to this strange Mlul’dra. “Kiraxis?”

My mate came to me, but he didn’t seem alarmed.

If anything, he was more joyous than usual, picking me up and cradling me.

“See?” he said to the stranger. “This is my mate. She is very perfect, as I told you.”

The stranger nodded, his eyes running over me. I felt a brief moment of alarm as I considered my monsters’ territorial tendencies; what if this Mlul’dra was planning to attack Kiraxis for his treasures, or even worse, me?

But the newcomer just inclined his head.

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