Page 53 of Monster's Pet

“Do you think that’s really necessary?” I asked anxiously, biting my lower lip.

“No.” Aiden rubbed my arms slowly, the movement soothing. “But if we didn’t have a plan for that, you’d be worried the entire time we were gone.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

“How were your office hours?”

“Fine.” I shrugged. “Finished half the essay set by Professor Reynolds and scoured my grimoire for mentions of manducares.”

“I’m guessing no luck?” he asked with a grimace.

“None yet, but I haven’t searched the hidden compartment.”

“Why don’t you do that while we cuddle on the bed? You can give me half while you look through the other half.”

I beamed at him. “Great suggestion!”

We made a little nest of his blankets and pillows on the bed. I curled up between his legs, resting my chin on his knee and flipping through my half of the spells on the mattress.

Despite not finding anything of use relating to the Dark Ages, the ley lines vanishing, or the manducares, I felt infinitely better after a long snuggle session.

I needed to bottle up whatever it was about Aiden that rejuvenated me. At the very least, I should study it.

Was it his warmth?

His presence?

I snuggled deeper into his embrace and he kissed the top of my head absent-mindedly.

It must be his kisses,I decided, my eyes drifting closed.

That’ll be hard to capture.

CHAPTER 15

It was morethan a little weird, going to breakfast wearing a full wetsuit. It was easy to spot my classmates in the mess hall, everyone wearing a skin-tight suit and drinking the requisite smoothie that Professor Akhtar had ordered from the culinary class.

Since we’d be gone all day, with no access to bathrooms under the ocean, the smoothies contained a special formula that allowed our bodies to intake all the nutrients with no waste. It would wear off in twenty-four hours, and it wasn’t wise to use it often, but for special occasions like this one, it was perfect.

Perfect, other than the taste.

“I’m not sure I can stomach this,” Bruce whined, pushing his smoothie away. “It’s so gross.”

“What flavor did you ask for?” I asked, sipping on my straw.

“Chocolate. I thought it would be the best.”

I winced. “That sucks. I’ve been a bit averse to chocolate ever since the pudding incident,” I teased Aiden, bumping my shoulder into his arm.

“I’m never going to live that down, am I?” Aiden replied with a sigh.

“Nope.”

Aiden had been so shocked by our soul bond snapping into place when he saw me the first time that he’d frozen, and I hadn’t been paying attention to where I was walking. The chocolate pudding he’d been holding had ended up on my head when I bumped into him.

“Is your smoothie any better?” Bruce asked, leaning over to sniff my cup with a wrinkled nose.

“Not much,” I admitted. “I chose strawberry for this morning, and vanilla last night. Both are…” I trailed off, searching for the best word. “Unpleasant.”

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