Page 23 of Monsters of Midlife

“I am not some fucking cargo,” Caroline said, glaring at Ava.

“Maybe that was a wrong choice of words,” I pointed out to Ava.

She shrugged her shoulders.

“We don’t have all day, so either she comes willingly or…?” Ava shrugged her shoulders, and I knew exactly what she was alluding to.

My gaze went to Ratchet, and he nodded as well. He knew exactly what needed to be done. I was the only one hesitating.

“Get in the plane. This is the last time I’m going to say it.”

“Or what?” Caroline said, moving away from me and stepping toward the gate to the airfield as if she were going to walk.

I crossed the distance between us in three long steps at a pace she could never keep up with and I grabbed her arms quickly.

“Let me go,” she said. “You’re a monster.”

“Yes, I am a monster,” I growled at Caroline.

“I told you that,” she hissed back.

“It’s not what I mean.” I ran my hands through my hair, trying to explain to her even while I kept a tight grip on one of her arms.

“Just show her,” Ava said, shrugging her shoulders.

“It’ll be the fastest way,” Ratchet agreed with a nod. “Maybe then she’ll understand.”

This was crazier than anything I had ever expected to do, but my relationship with Caroline was ruined anyhow. What did it matter if she knew what I really was? A monster.

I took a deep breath and allowed my body to relax. It wasn’t always the easiest thing, staying in human form; it required a lot of emotions and at the same time, a defense mechanism. The truth was, though, I had to be very careful. If I shifted into monster form right here in front of Caroline, there was always the danger, well, I would lose control.

And I couldn’t afford to do that, not with her. Not with any human really, but especially not with her.

“What the heck’s going on?” Caroline’s voice was hushed and worried, but I didn’t pay much attention to it; I couldn’t. My body was shifting and moving, growing larger as I let the monster form take over, trying to hold it in check enough to make sure I didn’t actually attack her.

“Get in the plane.” The words flew out of my mouth in desperation as I felt my body shift and grow. The talons on the end of my fingers came out. I heard Caroline scream as the horns protruded from my black hair and the long teeth that grew out from my mouth. I took a step toward her, but Ratchet held up his hand. Caroline was standing there frozen screaming, staring at me and then suddenly her eyes fluttered to the back of her head, her lashes batted a couple of times and she swayed and fell backwards into Ratchet’s waiting arms.

“Give her to me,” I said with a growl. Ratchet acquiesced, carefully placing her in my arms. I carried her slowly toward the plane, shifting into my human body, even as I held her.

“That’s one way to impress the ladies,” Ava said, stepping aside and giving me leave to board the aircraft.

Chapter 16

CAROLINE

“This will be where you stay,” Ryder said as we walked up the front steps to a massive gray Victorian house that sat on a large lot in the corner of Alameda. It was a small island in the Bay Area separated from the mainland by a couple of small bridges. At least that’s what Ratchet had told me when the plane landed. Ryder had remained ominously silent for the entire flight.

He was a monster.

I had seen it with my own eyes. When I had come to on the plane I had just stared at the back of his head. He had been sitting up in the cockpit next to the pretty middle-aged pilot. I probably would have been jealous if I wasn’t in such a state of shock.

“What are you?” I had asked Ratchet, but he had simply looked at me.

“Not a monster.” Then he’d gone back to staring out the window.

Clearly no one on the flight was going to tell me shit about this.

As I trailed Ryder into the house, I took a deep breath. The house was stunning. Painstakingly restored to its original Victorian glory with polished wood, chandeliers and high ceilings, but it was the least of my worries at the moment.

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