Page 15 of My Fated Minotaur Hero

“Look, even with the other human having been accepted, sort of, I have no idea how you will be treated – but if anyone saw you trying to leave, you would be killed on sight. This is not something to be taken lightly. There are still those who do not trust your kind.

“Sounds a little complicated.”

“As I have been trying to tell you.”

I absorb this information, feeling a mix of awe, fear, and, surprisingly, relief. Despite the dire threats that may exist here, knowing Fablewood is part of my world feels reassuring.

He eyes me warily. "That was kind of a lot of information. Are you okay with all that?"

But I am actually more than okay with it. And am finding myself distracted once again.

I wish he would put some pants on.

At least I think I do ...

"Oh, absolutely," I say, my voice pitched a bit too high. "I'm just peachy. Woke up in a fairy tale town. Totally normal Friday ... Saturday? What day is it?"

"Saturday," Kalen confirms. "Look, I can only imagine you came here like the other human...

“The one with the leash fetish.”

“I never said ...”

“It was a joke.”

“Oh, right, well, I know this must all be a lot to take in-"

"A lot to take in?" I interrupt, feeling a manic energy building. "That's the understatement of the century! I'm in a town full of monsters! Mythical creatures! Things that shouldn't exist! And you’re only wearing a towel!”

Oh god, that last part ...

Unless I am imagining things he turns a bit red before grabbing a pair of what I assume are pants and backing out of the room without a word.

As he does, I return to the problem at hand.

Fine. I've already kinda accepted minotaurs are real, might as well throw magic and the rest of the lot into the mix.

A moment later he returns, regrettably fully clothed with what look a hell of a lot like tan Carhart work pants and a simple, yet finely made white button-down linen type shirt.

You and your big mouth.But he does clean up nice.

“Better?” He spreads his arms to show off the obvious fact that he is now dressed.

“I didn’t mean you had to change ... the towel was just ... um ... distracting.

Again, I feel that nervous heat spread over me as we lockeyes. For a second, I think he is going to step toward me, but he stops himself.

“Yes, right, well we wouldn’t want that ...”

Liv, you can’t bed a minotaur.

"So," I say, to break the unbearable tension, and trying to keep my voice steady, "What's it like? Your town, I mean."

His face lights up. Whether it is at the chance to talk about his home, or relief at the change in topic I can’t be sure. "I mean, I don’t know, it’s home. I like it. When I was younger, I lived just among my own kind. But we are few. I enjoy the village life here, and the company of so many other monsters. With you humans squeezing everyone – and everything- out, villages and territories like this are often the only places we can be ourselves openly. We’ve got ogres, fairies, trolls, pixies. Hells, we even get some aliens passing through from time to time. Pretty curious fellows. Very funky dressers too—"

"I want to see it," I blurt out. I decide to ignore the comment about aliens. I don’t want to know.

Kalen's eyes widen. "See what?”

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