Page 13 of The Monster's Obsession
“You’re such a dick,” he grumbles, swiping a hand over his face. “But I guess you’ll have to. I don’t want her lying over there in agony, and I won’t be able to touch her until she passes the eggs.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” I ask, rocking back on my heels.
“My stinger secretes a fluid that signals to the eggs that it’s time to be fertilized…” He looks at me like I’m stupid and finally goes on. “That means I can’t fuck her at all until she passes those eggs. Vivie has a birth control spell, but it won’t override the fertilization of the eggs. It controlsherovulation.”
“I thought her body had to accept the eggs for them to be fertilized.”
Laz raises a hand, twisting it from side to side. “Kinda. Her body has to consent for the eggs to beimplantedfor successful gestation. They can be fertilized and still degrade and pass if she doesn’t accept them as her own or agree to incubate them, but my kraken is very attached to those eggs. He’ll do everything in his power to keep his offspring safe, meaning he’ll do his best to push her into accepting them.”
“So…” I shrug. “Keep his ass locked down. It’s what I do with my sphinx when he’s being a pain in the ass.”
“You’ve never been around your mate in heat,” Laz says, a cocky smirk crossing his face. “Have you, Saber?”
My eyes narrow.
This isn’t the first time he’s made shitty little comments that he thinks Vivienne is my mate.
“Are you planning to get up, or am I dragging you over there by your tentacles?”
Chapter Five
Laz
Saber is one of the most stubborn monsters I’ve ever met. At first I assumed he kept his distance from Vivie out of respect for her relationship with me. Over time, a different picture started to form. He pretends he doesn’t like her over-the-top behavior, but that’s him deluding himself.
The universe doesn’t make mistakes when it comes to fated mates.
My kraken told me a while ago that he suspected their connection, and the more I paid attention, the more the signs made themselves known. The way Saber watches her anytime she’s in the room. How he follows her around more than any of the other performers. Even his distaste at seeing her do shows with anyone outside of me.
Vivie is none the wiser.
She questions herself a lot, and even if she feels the pull toward him, there would be no way for her to verify it without being able to scent him. Perhaps if they finally fucked, they would feel the connection. That, or if Vivie saw him with another female. I’m sure her natural instincts would take over, making her unable to control herself.
I’ve avoided bringing it up to Vivie because, at least in my mind, Saber needs to be the one to decide if he intends to pursue that connection.
Vivie would never be able to turn down a relationship with one of her fated mates, but I don’t have that same level of assuredness in Saber.
He really is a haughty fucker.
It’s clear how much he dislikes watching her perform with other monsters, and for a while, I was convinced that was why he chose not to pursue their connection.
For all I know, it could be any number of things. I’m not in his head, so all I can do is guess. It’s hard to put myself in his shoes, even when I try.
Kraken are polyamorous by nature.
My mother has seven mates—three of which are solely chosen partners rather than fated mates.
I loved growing up in a big family, but I’d also be content in a small pack.
I suppose it is different having to watch someone you love put on sexual performances with partners who aren’t members of the pack.
I don’t consider myself a jealous person, and I’ve considered asking if she would like to limit her stage partners to just me.
Those were fleeting thoughts, at best. Mostly because I don’t want to damage what we have. I’m the one who gets to cuddle her while she falls asleep at night. I’m the one she comes to when she needs to talk.
She might not have let her walls down completely, but she has deep trauma. As long as I continue to show up and put in the work, the day will come that she lets me break through that final shield she has around her heart.
It doesn’t take Saber physically dragging me across the hall and into Vivie’s apartment, but it’s close.
