Page 3 of The Monster at the End of This Molt

I wasn't here to play matchmaker, though. "Can you point me toward an alpha named Weld?"

"That old bastard?" The beta laughed and pointed to a nearby cabin. "He's probably out back of the machine shed beyond. He's been working on something he calls a tractor."

"Thanks."

"What's your name?" The beta asked. "That way, if he chases you off, I'll know who to look for back at The Pavilion."

"Robin," I said. "And he won't chase me off. He's my mate."

He paused for a moment, and then said, "I'm Tim."

My face burned as I realized he'd been waiting for me to ask his name. I'd rushed on with too much information like the air-headed omega Clementine said I was.

"We have some rooms for visiting omegas at the big house," he continued, pointing to an extensive structure with rough-hewn logs and a thatched roof. "If you need somewhere to stay the night."

Tim didn't have much faith in my ability to charm my fated mate. I was starting to wonder if I'd made a horrible mistake. What if Weld had moved on without me or decided to be a hermit for the rest of his life?

I couldn't think like that. I'd waited too long for this.

Tugging my backpack over my shoulders, I made my way to a worn path that led toward the building Tim said I wanted. The building's shadow stretched before me in the setting sun. I shivered as relative darkness flowed over me.

I didn't see a door, so I walked around to the side of the building. Still no door, but I could hear someone hammering out back. The sound reminded me of a blacksmith's forge.

I rounded a shipping container on wheels, still following the sound. In a clearing, Weld stood with his back to me, naked to the waist. His green hair was dark with sweat at his temples and neck. He swung the hammer hard, trying to shift the bent metal back into its rounded shape.

I hadn't seen him in twenty-four years, and still, he was the most gorgeous kobold I had ever seen. He was tall, even for an alpha kobold, and he'd gotten bulkier over time. His muscles bulged with each swing, and he made little grunts when metal impacted with metal. It wasn't hard to imagine him making the same sounds in the bedroom.

He dropped the hammer to the ground with a sigh of frustration. "Tomorrow."

I shrugged off my bags, expecting him to turn at any moment and see me. The bond between us pulsed now that I was this close to him. Instead, he grabbed his shirt from where it draped over his water bottle, using it to dry his brow before taking a swig.

I should have said something, but my mouth wanted other things. His scent already made me drool from his proximity. It had been so long. Finally, here I was, close enough to scent, touch, and take what was mine.

I grabbed Weld's shoulder and spun him around. Before he had a chance to register who I was or what I was doing, I kissed him.

He shoved me away, his face twisted with revulsion. "What the actual fuck do you think you're doing, omega?"

ChapterTwo

Weld

Oh,thank fuck. Someone had kissed me, but it wasn't Lemon, the shy omega who had been trying to work up the guts to make a move for several weeks.

But … if it wasn't him, who the fuck was it?

"Weld? I'm sorry. I—I didn't think?—"

I knew that voice. Gods, how long had I been dreaming of hearing that voice?

"Robin?" I grabbed his shoulders and spun us so the sunlight wasn't blaring in my face. I could smell him now, all sweet grass and nectar.

The ache in my chest that I kept buried flared to life with recognition. Our mate bond wanted me to claim, but it was still too early. He was less than half my age. That wasn't fair to either of us.

I'd been twenty-seven when my fated mate was born. Twenty-six years had passed since then, and I'd carried every one of them like a burden in my heart.

This was my punishment for picking a fight with Lark, the strongest alpha in our class. I'd beaten him, too, but only because he didn't use his magic on me. He could have disintegrated me with a fireball, but he tapped out. I carved a notch in his ear to show my dominance.

Gods, what an arrogant asshole I'd been. I didn't deserve Lark's only omega son as my fated mate. Robin was a million leagues too good for me, or however that baseball metaphor went. At least I thought it was baseball, or maybe nautical. Either way, Robin was miles ahead and above my basement-dwelling ass.

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