Page 23 of Becoming Monsterous

"I know that. I just... didn't realize that all the monsters here can feed off humans. Or pass for human, for that matter."

Angus rumbles, "Some of us pass better than others. But we all have human forms we can use on Earth. They just get... itchy after a while."

"Greymark House shifters are able to pass far better than we can," Morpheus adds, smoothly stepping in to take over the lecture. "You can tell them because they don't have an in-between, monstrous form. They pass for completely human or completely animal, depending on which way they've shifted. And while they're stronger and often larger than most natural animals, they walk on Earth without any issues."

I can see that now. Greymark House shifters are the ones who are lounging against the pillars near the archery targets. If we were back on Earth, no one would look at them funny or run screaming from them.

"The other houses are made obvious by—well, here are two Magna House members," Morpheus juts his chin towards the open doors, "and they're obvious by their size. They don't fit in well with the human world. Only Greymark House and Occult House can pull that off."

I look over to see a large, two-headed wolf creature with glittering intelligent eyes. It's at least eight feet tall at the shoulder, with both heads rising above eventhatheight. Massive paws step carefully into the room, and I become keenly aware that all my insides could easily become my outsides if one of those claws opened me up.

Well, not entirely,a little voice reminds me, as Medusa steps in to reassure me.You're a goddess now. That comes with a few perks.

But it doesn't change the quivering of my insides as one of those heads swings towards me, and the intelligent eyes stare me down.

Morpheus inclines his head respectfully towards the Banestrike, who walks further into the room, finds a good place, and curls up on the ground with one head facing each direction.

I can't stop staring. "It's so big."

"Sheis over a thousand years old, and keenly intelligent," Morpheus corrects me. "More than one legendary creature of human myth is inspired by the sight of her. Some even think Banestrikes had something to do with the creation of werewolves, though they'll neither confirm now deny that."

I've moved away from Aleron and towards him now, and I can smell the sweet scent of jasmine on his skin. He must've bathed before he got here.

Leaning in, I lick my lips as I glance up into his handsome face. "What about the others?"

"That giant over there is a Colossus," he motions subtly towards a large man who has two tusks spiraling out of his mouth. "They can be temperamental. I don't think one has been on Earth for centuries. Like a lot of Magna House, they just don't fit in."

I can't stop staring at the giant man. Each second reveals new parts of him that are inhuman: the pointed ears, slitted pupils, and three fingers on each hand instead of four. It's hard to imagine that something likehimever walked among humanity.

Even harder to imagine how humans would react if he showed up at their local grocery store on a Saturday and started shopping for steaks.

The Colossus turns his head towards me and lifts a lip, revealing pointed teeth. "What areyoulooking at?"

Chapter19

Ellie

Iwant to saynothingand look away, but I'm still in my goddess form, and Medusa's strength flows through me. So I raise my chin to stare him down, even though my heart is hammering. My snakes surge around my head, flaring to life, their tongues flicking out.

"I'm just looking," I tell the Colossus, trying not to show how intimidated I am. "No offense intended."

He grunts, turns away, and lumbers over to where the Banestrike lounges. My lungs immediately deflate, and my snakes go back to draping my shoulders again. Reaching into their thick lengths, I find Cornelia and bump her head with my fingertip.

"You might want to change back. Most of Occult House is in their human form right now, to separate us out from Brute House."

I look up at Angus as he speaks, and notice that his face looks more human than I've ever seen it. Even his ears are nearly round and human-shaped, and his horns have receded into his head so much that his hair mostly covers them.

"Is that what we're doing?" I glance over at Morpheus, whose eyes are a shade of grey that almost passes for blue, and at Aleron, who has pulled his sleeves down over his wings. "Are we hiding who we are?"

Aleron snorts. "You've barely gotten your inhuman form, and already you're affronted at the thought of hiding it."

I'm more than a little affronted. All this time making fun of me for being human, and now he wonders why I'm enjoying my gorgon form so much? It's the first part of being a monster that feels like it really belongs tome.Even if I do take on Aphrodite's powers, I struggle at the thought of giving up Medusa's strength.

At my raised brow, Aleron adds, "Not meant as an insult. Just pointing out that you'll want to get used to this. We'll all be using our human forms more often once the gates to the Shadow World have been opened and we return to Earth. Not all monsters will be able to hide from humanity, but passing can have its advantages from time to time."

"Also, we don't want to rep the wrong house," Morpheus adds pleasantly. "You'll see once we encounter more of Brute House. The monsters you encountered in the Shadow World—the ones you thought of astruemonsters—are just the tip of the monstrous iceberg."

"Gotcha. I'll show my more human side then, I suppose... though I don't want to gofullhuman."

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