Page 36 of Monster

“All they do is roar and growl and scream. It’s deafening.” The smile partially returned. “That’s why I like it in here.It’s quieter.”

“I’m sure you do prefer it here,” he replied. After a few seconds, he attempted a question since Luca appeared a bit forthcoming. “Have you ever ventured outside your home?”

The smile evaporated. “It’s too dangerous.”

“You never leave this room?”

“I can’t.”

Drake sensed the man was getting upset, so he backed off. “Well, it’s a lovely room, and you have all you need, don’t you?”

The stress in the air lessened some.

“Let me check the soup.”

When he leaned in, the soup had somehow cooked in a matter of moments. The vegetables were soft and the soup tasty—even better than he’d expected it to be.But then, it wasn’t real. None of it was real. He ladled some broth into one of the two bowls they’d used the last time, now clean—though there was no sink or appearance of a wash bin.

Drake moved to the side of the bed and brought the broth to Luca’s lips.

Luca eagerly drank, little by little, until it was gone. “Thank you. I feel stronger already.”

“Would you like more?”

“No. I think that was enough for now.I can get more later.”

Drake placed the used bowl on the table, noticing it was clean the second he set it down. Frowning, he realized the rules of logic didn’t hold here. That could make convincing Luca to leave even harder.

He turned to Luca, now with more questions than he’d had before he’d arrived. A thought came into his mind…

“You know, your son is the one who sent me here to find you,” Drake said.

“My son?” He frowned.“I have no son.”

“Bull,” Drake said, hoping the name would ring a bell, but it didn’t appear to. “The rhino shifter,” he added and got a slight turn to the head. “Your son… the rhino shifter… he sent me here. To find you… to make sure you were well… and to find a way to bring you back home.”

“This is my home,” Luca said stubbornly. “I don’t have a son.” He paused a moment, frowning. “At least… he’s not here yet.”

Drake moved closer, kneeling beside the bed. “He’s here… with me on the other side… waiting for you.”

“No. You’re trying to trick me into leaving my home,” Luca said, shaking his head.

The whole world shook around them, just like before.

“You can’t stay locked up in here forever,” Drake said, pushing further. “You’re dying here.I can sense it.You need to come with me.”

The world only shook more.

“Leave!” Luca roared.

“Come with me!” Drake roared back.

The door to the shack burst open… and something sucked Drake through it.Suddenly, he felt as if he was underwater, struggling to breathe.

When he was finally able to suck a breath in, he heard Jaeger calling his name.He opened his eyes and saw he was back in the real world. A scream pierced the air…

And he realized it came from him.

He closed his lips and drew in a deep breath.

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