Page 14 of The Monster's Mate

The female who, I could almost swear to it, kissed me back so sweetly. As much as she protests, I’m sure she enjoyed it. Until we got caught and then she protested viciously.

She doesn’t want the others to know and I’m okay with that. Humans are funny about such things. I can already see a gleam in my maman’s eye as she hopes we’ll connect. I caught River look between us as if she wondered what was going on. But poor Bel? She is clueless, just as she is about my brother. Of course, to be fair, right now my brother takes her entire focus.

My honesty seems to soothe Lucy.

“No, it’s okay,” she says. Her cheeks are pink, her eyes drop, and as she finds herself studying the musculature of my chest, she suddenly looks away. “I’m sure we can be adults about sleeping in the same bed.”

There is a wall of pillows propped in the middle of the bed. She scrambles into one side while I make a show of removing my shirt. I drape it over her chair, the one directly in her line of vision. I want her to know who sleeps in her bed. And then I stretch, aware of her eyes on me. I pluck a pillow from the wall between us to lay it in my spot. I crawl underneath her blankets, aware that her skin has touched every aspect of this bed. It smells like her, faintly sweet and flowery. Her back is toward me, and she lies perfectly still, as if afraid to move.

Which is exactly why I placed my shirt in her line of vision. Either way she’s going to know who shares her bed.

Ten minutes later, I’m sure she’s still awake. When a creature suddenly meows outside, she jumps.

Her window is cracked slightly open. That’s how she was able to hear me roving past earlier.

“Are you always this jumpy?” I whisper.

She takes a long moment to respond. “Living by oneself, I suppose.”

“I imagine the house makes all sorts of strange noises at night when you’re alone.”

“It does. Especially on my days off.”

“When are those?”

“The next two, actually. I’m off Tuesday and Wednesday.”

“Oh, good. I could use a mini vacation. Though, is it really a mini when you vacation on another planet and have to hide indoors?” I reach out for a pillow and fling it to the floor so I can see her better.

“I’m not sure the other ladies would be able to handle you sticking around,” she says tentatively.

“Oh, the plan was to prepare them to leave in the morning,” I assure her. “My brothers won’t let their mates out of their sight for long. And Mikhail? He begged me to come and keep an eye on Maman. Unfortunately, she’s a wild one.”

Lucy chuckles, not saying anything about the missing pillow. So, I fling another to the floor.

“I-I didn’t know Isabel was mated too.”

I sigh. “Technically, I don’t think she knows either. She wantskishrenand Maman talked her into becoming a breeder. A high position within our clan where a female chooses males to impregnate her. I don’t think she realizes that Bronan will never allow anyone between her legs but him.”

“She… uh, she likes him?”

“Oh, she loves him.” I assure her. “And he is crazy over her. Always has been. Will offer her the world on a platter. I mean, think about it. She wants dozens ofkish, and my anal, control-freak brother is willing to have such an unruly household for her. Is willing to keep her by letting her think she has a coveted position of breeder.”

She turns over to face me, giggling softly. I remove the pillow from between us so she can see me as I also turn on my side to face her.

“The two are ridiculous,” I assure her. “Bel innocently asking where all the other candidates are and Bronan growing all red-faced and scowling with his enormous brow, making up excuses like, ‘Perhaps we must wait until ourjavel’inkttrials to find the winners.’ Yet on the other hand, tells each male who enters that this one will be a life and death contest to force them away. As you can imagine, there have been no entries this year.”

“So, he’ll be the only one left to impregnate Isabel?”

“He will. And before she can blink, she’ll be mated or married, whichever her little heart desires.”

She giggles softly.

“It sounds like it would be kind of fun to sit back and watch.”

“It has been,” I assure her. “I wish you could come see for yourself.”

“Too bad it’s impossible,” she says, and I hear the regret in her voice. Whether she realizes it or not, she really is intrigued with visiting our planet.

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