Page 13 of The Monster at the End of This Molt

I opened my eyes. He held his hands outstretched, ready to help me down if I needed it.

"I'm fine." As easy as it would be to fall into his arms, I needed to show him I was his adult omega mate.

"You look cold," he said with a shrug.

Once I was on the ground, he draped his arm over me. I slung my arm around his waist again, and we approached the building's gaping entryway.

His warmth reinvigorated me. I longed for this easy companionship every day.

Inside, we could only take a few steps forward before the collapsed walls halted our movement. Weld pulled me to the left, where the path went a little further toward a narrow alcove. Inside was a tiny kobold statue. Beneath it were symbols in the old kobold script.

"Names," Weld said. "Either they were the kobolds who built this place, or they died trying."

"I can't believe we used to look like that," I said. The kobold statue looked closer to movie gremlins than a kobold/human hybrid.

"I can't imagine being that short." Weld chuckled and nuzzled my temple. "What's it like?"

"I am not short." I was tall for an omega, but Weld was one of the tallest alphas I knew. "I was made for you," I reminded him. "Your perfect fit."

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I still say whatever comes to mind, even if it's mean."

"Some might call that behavior immature." I stuck my tongue out at him to prove my point. Maybe I didn’t have to try so hard to prove I was an adult. "Another reason we're perfect for each other."

"Maybe you're right."

We couldn't go any farther. I shifted around in the crowded space and led him back the way we came.

The suns were sinking toward the horizon, leaving us in the forest's shadow. In the clearing, Kermit paced, as though he feared the approaching darkness.

Weld climbed into the saddle first again, and I settled in front of him, this time not resisting the urge to grind against him. Only once, but it had the desired effect. His erection poked me in the back the entire way home.

We ate our salad leftovers for dinner. To further the daydream I'd had, I helped Weld do the dishes. When he sent me to the bathroom to get ready for bed, I complied, except when it was his turn, I waited on the couch until he finished and then followed him to his bedroom.

"What are you doing?" he asked, as though it wasn't obvious.

"I want to sleep with you."

He leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms over his chest. "Sleep. That's all we're doing."

That was all the concession I needed. "Yep!" I shoved past him and threw myself on his bed. My elbow landed the wrong way on something as hard as a rock, and I screamed. "Ow!"

It hurt so bad, my reflexes kicked in. Bone spikes jutted from my elbows, relieving some of the searing pain.

"Gods, must you be such a child?" Weld hadn't moved from the doorway, and now he shook his head at me with a wry grin curving his lips.

"What the hell is this?" I fished the offending rock, it really was a fucking rock, from beneath his sheets.

"Warming rock." He shrugged his shoulders, and his arms loosened a little. "It gets cold at night."

I dragged it from his bed. As much as I wanted to heave it into the corner and shatter it into a hundred pieces for hurting me, I bent at the knees and placed the heavy thing about the size of a standard pillow on the floor instead.

"See? I can be an adult."

When I stood up, Weld stood behind me, and I felt his breath on my nape. "I can see that." He grabbed my ass and swayed our hips together for a moment, with his chin resting on my shoulder. "Don't tempt me, Robin." His tone held a note of desperation. "I don't want to hurt us both by moving too quickly."

"Name one fated mates couple who has divorced," I said.

"Galen's parents."

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