Page 82 of Land of Monsters

“Unfortunately.” Ash sighed. Turning to face me, he noticed the worry on my face. “Hey.” He sat his bare ass on the windowsill and pulled me between his legs, completely comfortable with being naked. “It’s okay.”

“Did we hurt them?” I lifted my gaze back to the gnarled limbs together.

“No.” A slight smile hinted on his face. “It didn’t hurt themat all.”

“What do you mean?”

He took another deep breath, his head lowering.

“They feel what I do.” He peered back up at me. “I can share energy with trees, and they can feel my emotions. They could feel both of us… so more than anything, they are pollinating very early this year.”

“What?” Heat traveled up my neck to my face.

“The entire floor watched us fuck in the shower last night, and this gets you blushing?” His thumb swept over my cheek. I melted at his touch, his tease causing me to redden more at the memory. With Ash, I felt comfortable to explore, to see what I liked. Wyatt had been great, but we were young, and he wasn’t really in love with me, so something was always slightly off.

This was…

My attention went back outside, taking in the power we created together, feeling the fear creep back in.

“Ash…” I nipped my lip. “What happened last night between us—”

“And the night before last and all of last night and this morning.” He lifted a brow. “Yeah, I know what it means.”

“I shouldn’t be able to… We shouldn’t be able to do any of this.” I swallowed, not able to say the word, motioning to the trees, indicating what it symbolized. “It shouldn’t be possible.” There weren’t a lot of women dark dwellers anymore, my aunt Gabby being the only full-bred one left. And she told me knotting between mates should only happen when dark dweller women mated with another dark dweller. I was just half dweller, so I shouldn’t experience it at all. I couldn’t even link mentally to my alpha or family, so I sure as hell shouldn’t be able to do this. “I don’t understand. It is so rare and should only happen with another of my kind.” I stepped back, wanting to run. “This is bad.” I swore under my breath, the burden of what this meant sagging on my shoulders, knowing of all people, a tree fairy was not the mating or knotting type. “This is the lastthing you want. Plus, I’m a freak! I shouldn’t even be capable of it.”

“You are not a freak.” He yanked me back into him, his face going serious.

“How many obscurers, dark dwellers do you know? And one who can’t fully turn into either? I can’t link with my family like other dark dwellers. I can’t use my powers without either killing others or myself! I am a freak and a monster!”

“Makes you rare, not a freak and definitelynota monster.” He threaded his fingers with mine. “And who said it was the last thing I wanted?”

“Ash.” I slanted my head. “You came here to avenge your lovers, not find me, or…” I cleared my throat, not looking at him. “Knot with some girl.”

“Hey.” He tilted my chin up until I was looking into his eyes. “You are notsomegirl.” Annoyance flashed in his eyes. “Not even close. You think I could share my magic with some girl?” I sucked in at his declaration. We hadn’t spoken about what happened between us when we fled the castle. The raw intimacy of sharing his magic with me. Once again, it shouldn’t have been possible.

“You’re right, I didn’t come here looking for you oranyone. I was supposed to get the information on Sonya and Iain that night and walk out of the bar, none the wiser. I’d come here to kill them—and probably die in the process. But the plan went to shit the moment you stepped into that pub. I didn’t prepare for you, and I tried like hell to get rid of you.”

I tried to step back again, but he didn’t let me move.

“Before Sonya’s men took you to the castle, I thought you left me. Went back home without saying goodbye.” His throat bobbed. “And I realized it was the last thing I wanted. You have burrowed under my skin,dziubus.” His head wagged with astonishment. “All my life, the notion of being with one personforever bored the fuck out of me, made me feel restless and agitated. And I was fine with that because it’s who I am. Nature fairies don’t have mates. You understand, right?” His throat bobbed, fear twitching his cheek. “So, I don’t know what the fuck is happening here.”

He didn’t want this. And I felt it was my fault. He had no say when my body decided he was the one.

My father told us the story of when my mom first rejected him. The year he lived in agony. What happened to dwellers when their mate refused the connection. They would grow weaker and weaker, and some eventually died.

Panic fizzled in my chest at the notion of Ash walking away from me. I not only had the bond, but my body knotted with him. Him, of all people. A tree fairy whose very nature went against being mated.

I could see no way out for me, but I couldn’t do that to him.

“This isn’t your fault.” I stepped out of his hold. “It’s on me. And don’t worry, I’m not asking you for anything.”

His lids narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“This.” I motioned between us. “It’s my problem. I’m the one who glitched—”

“Raven.” He cut me off. “You’re not hearing me.” He spread his legs wider, pulling me back in, his cock erect against his stomach. “I don’t know what the fuck you did to me,dziubus.” His voice scraped between my legs. “I never had a problem sharing before.Never. But the thought of someone else touching you, being with you… Just know. I willnotshare you.” His hand grazed up my thigh under my shirt, forcing me to bite my lip. “This is mine.” He trailed over my pussy. “I have lived alongfucking time, fuckeda lotof people, some I even loved. But I’ve never felt like this.” His fingers parted me, making me gasp. “I won’t pretend it doesn’t freak me out. But I can’t walk away from you now.” His free hand laced through my hair,gripping the back of my head. “Even when I know this can’t go anywhere.”

“What?” His words contradicted what his hands were doing to my body.

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