Page 43 of Maneater

Darien

The closer we get to Yellowstone, the more my anxiety rises. Not because of the park itself—I love Yellowstone. I’ve gone on many backpacking trips there. However, the mysterious invisible veil between the human and monster world has me a tad on edge. Not to mention all the cryptids and supernatural creatures I’ll be meeting. Rex gave me an extremely descriptive preview of what I can expect, and yeah. Kinda trying not to freak the fuck out here.

The road trip, however? It’s been a blast. Rex and I together around the clock, stopping at different scenic spots on our journey, buying cheesy souvenirs, and laughing our heads off. It’s sunk in that we’re a real couple. Wanting to be with him is no longer about exploration.

Plus, the nights cuddling and falling asleep in each other’s arms, feeling safe in Rex’s strong embrace. It’s been a revelation. I’ve never experienced such a strong connection with another being before. Other spicier things happened in addition to the snuggling, but my attraction to Rex isn’t only about how hot he is or his talented mouth and hands.

My dick starts firming up, and I inconspicuously place my hoodie so it covers my lap. At least I hope I’m being subtle. I steal a quick glance at Rex and note his attention is a hundred percent focused on the road.

I tell myself I shouldn’t be embarrassed. It’s a ridiculous emotion, considering our deepening relationship. At the same time, I’m trying to cut myself a break. Falling in love with a dude of any species was not on my bingo or any other card.

I swallow hard, stealing another glance at Rex. His expression is as serious as always, but his head is bobbing slightly to a Chappell Roan song. He announced yesterday that this is his favorite CD of all time and thanked me for introducing her to him. It’s been on autoplay ever since.

My brain latches onto the thought prior to my boner and Rex’s musical interests.

Love.

Do I fully comprehend what that means? I mean, yeah. I know what love is in a generalized way. I love my folks, my grandma, my buddy Kade. And I loved Gia. That’s something I’ve now been able to reconcile since our breakup. It’s okay that I loved her and it didn’t work out. I can acknowledge that feelings don’t fix problems. They only made us keep trying for as long as we did.

Yet what I’m experiencing with Rex goes beyond any other emotional attachment in my life. Whatever this is makes me ache in a wonderful, thrilling way, makes my heart race at the mere thought of being with him. Whenever I see Rex, it's like coming home for the first time.

Rex turns down the volume on the music. “We’re about two hours away. I was thinking we could grab lunch before we get there.” He chuckles. “There’ll be a lot of chaos when we arrive. Boone is anxious to meet you—even though he’ll never admit it. I know a lot of others are, too.” He smiles. “Lil Chu is one I haven’t known long, but he seems like a cool guy.”

“Lilchew?”

Rex chuckles. “Sorry. That’s his nickname. He’s a chupacabra. You might know them as goat-sucking demons.”

I almost choke on my spit. Nope. I do not.

Rex scrunches his brow. “I also told you about Calder, the Beast, right? He’s bringing his human.” Rex shakes his head with a light laugh. “See? You’ll have plenty of company.” He squeezes my arm. “Just because I told you I never thought I’d be with a human, doesn’t mean other monsters are as narrow-minded as I am.” He sighs. “Or was. I spent way too much time worrying that a human would either be so disgusted or terrified by me that I didn’t consider the alternative. Even if I saw the proof that it wasn’t the case every year.”

“Hey, don’t do that.” I can’t imagine being in his, or any of the other monsters' shoes. “Being worried that humans might hunt down cryptids if they were ever discovered to be real is a legit concern. I understand.”

His smile is wistful, and he squeezes my hand before taking the wheel again.

A few more miles down the road, and we arrive at an out-of-the-way diner. Rex tells me that Buffalo Junction Café is his usual stop every year on the way to Yellowstone, and he thinks I’ll love it. Yet another moment that makes me feel coupley. I sense that he wants to share every bit of his life with me, no matter how minute, and I’m here for it.

After a pile of comfort food that makes me want to take a nap, we continue on our way. Rex is determined to be there early enough to unload the tables and bins from the truck and get settled in his designated cave. Then it’ll be time to meet up with his crew for dinner.

That’s the part that has me on edge.

Talking and interacting will be involved. I’m on the shy and dorky side of the social scale when it comes to meeting other humans, let alone legendary monsters. What if I behave badly? I don’t think my new boyfriend wants me shrieking in terror around his buddies. Fainting wouldn’t be appropriate either. Rex has been great about reassuring me. He’s gone out of his way to describe the different cryptids I’ll encounter to remove some of the fear of the unknown. But I still worry I’ll embarrass him.

“Look.” Rex points ahead. “See that in the distance? That’s our landmark that means we’re getting close. The side road will be coming up shortly.”

I stretch forward, scanning the landscape. We’re on a road above the valley floor that I don’t remember taking before.

“Oh, you mean Nevada Falls?”

“Hmm…” Rex ponders then jerks his chin. “Yes, I believe that’s what humans call it.”

“What do you guys call it?”

“The landmark before the road.”

“Catchy.”

Rex seems oblivious to my response, so I relax against the seat, my nerves building again the closer we get. I hate sounding so clueless, but I also want to make sure I’ve got the facts right.