Page 24 of The Monster's Mate

“Skiden,” I say, looking at him with wide eyes. “You can do it.”

“Do what?”

“You can enter your name in the Match. Along with Samantha.”

He freezes.

At the look of horror on his face, I hurry to explain. “You know Mikhail personally. Maybe you can tell him you need to be matched to her, that it’s not just for compatibility, but to get her off this planet—”

“Mating is forever for my people,” he grits out.

But River was able to take Isabel. Maybe… just maybe, Sam would be able to claim me? Wait, how would that even work? If my name flags me, can a relationship between us be proven? The adoption records have been destroyed. If not, then I’ll be left here, exposed—but at least she will be safe.

I’m not prepared for the hissing sound that comes from Skiden. I gape, watching his body somehow grow in size, his tentacles thickening as they undulate across the floor, taking up the space. The air feels heavier and it’s harder to breathe suddenly.

I’m not sure what’s happening, but I know this—alien, who made love to me so tenderly, my first lover ever, is terrifying. That perhaps that tenderness was a façade and maybe they are these vicious, dangerous creatures that everyone claims.

Because right now my pulse is racing and limbs are tingling with the urge to flee.

Lucy stares at me, white-faced. She’s terrified.

Of me.

That angers me even more, so I’m on a constant wheel of rushing, white-hot emotions. It’s impossible to keep my posturing at bay. I may not get angry often but when I do? I think it surprises people that the easygoing son can reach that level. Like the true warriors we are, our bodies grow, our teeth elongate. Venom fills in my glands. I could easily spit a poisoned dart at an enemy from ten feet away.

She’s looking at me with horror. And regret. I don’t miss the way her eyes skim over my tentacles, the reach slowly taking over the living room floor.

She’s thinking about how I pleasured her with my appendages just last night. And now I’m a monster to her. A dangerous predator she had no idea existed.

A red haze covers my vision. “Let me get this straight. After making love to me, you want me to mate your cousin?” I barely recognize my own voice. I sound like my patron.

Lucy looks down at the floor. “You need to understand… I owe Sam everything. She’s the only person on this entire planet who has my back. Now they’re after her and I want her to be safe.”

“And leave yourself here to die alone?” My voice is harsh, but I can’t help it. I’m so incredulous that she’d throw us away.

Does she realize that we mate for life? That agreeing to mate with humans was a huge sacrifice on our part because the humans had a choice after six months to take our offspring and leave?

Leaving a male utterly gutted and tortured for the rest of his life?

“I-I’m used to taking care of myself—”

Not doing a good job. She barely lives and is willing to let our one chance at love and happiness slip from her fingers. It makes me sneer out, “And yet Sam has taken care of you your whole life.”

“Which is why I want to do this for her!” she snaps.

“I can’t mate your cousin.” I shake my head, bile rising in my throat. “I don’t feel that way about her. I feel that way about you.”

“I’m not looking for love, especially not in all the wrong places—” Again she eyes my roving appendages, distress making them jerk continuously against their hard, foreign flooring.

“Who’s looking for love?” I sneer, my heart crushed. “Sometimes a good virginal fuck is all we need.”

Her face pales. “Get out.”

“What’s wrong, Lucy? Afraid your cousin will find out you fucked the alien? And that you want him to fuck her too? Was it really that good?”

I know the answer to that. We were that good, together.

“Get out. I would rather be alone. I would rather face my enemies than look at you for one more minute.”

---