Page 100 of Monster. Me.

I need a short break, so I slide down into a small clearing and collapse to the ground, my wide wings brushing against bushes.

That’s when my spatial vision catches movement, and the predator in me, highly sensitive, focuses on it. Hunger drives me to hunt down and devour anything living in the forest… but that wouldn't be a good idea.

I turn my head without moving my body toward the potential food source.

At the edge of the clearing stands a strange being.

It’s hard to describe. It’s completely green, with traces of something like veins in a rusty-gold color. An aura of magic surrounds it, slightly sparkly, and a strange kind of calm, like the forest itself. It looks at me hypnotically. Its green-hazel eyes seem to glow faintly, locking me in place.

Under normal circumstances, the creature I am now operates in only two modes: catch and kill in order to feed, or catch and breed.

However, right now, against my will, I feel myself starting to transform back! As if the forest being is pushing off my second nature, trying to understand it or tame it?

To my disappointment, I soon shift back into my human form.

But I’m not alone in this. The mysterious being transforms as well, and soon we’re standing face to face.

It’s a young, very beautiful alpha with dark hazel eyes and dark auburn hair.

Well, what a meeting.

But since I’m already in this highly awkward situation, I might as well get straight to the point.

I blurt out what I have to say.

"I’m trying to get to Rainbow Springs; someone I love is at the airport, and I have to beg him to stay. If you can help and show me the shortest way, I’d be very grateful."

The man studies me for a moment.

Well, for him, the situation has to be even more unusual. It’s not every day that a giant beast turns into a human and asks for directions.

But on the other hand, he's not a normal dude either. Our eyes meet for a moment, and he tilts his head slightly, as if making a decision.

Then he slowly nods and gestures for me to follow him.

It’s a bit strange that we’re both naked, so I quickly pull my bundled clothes on. He just walks away like this, but I don’t focus on his body, though an omega would probably find him almost stunningly attractive.

But for me, no one is attractive anymore except Marlow, so I just follow the guy.

We walk about one hundred yards and reach a forest road barely visible in the undergrowth.

A dark green SUV is parked there.

I stop, staring. It’s absurd: a forest creature arrived here in an off-road vehicle?

The man bends down, pulls his own bundle of clothes from under a bush, puts them on, and takes the keys from his pocket.

Then he hands them to me and points at the car.

"You’re lending it to me?"

A nod.

I look at the side of the SUV and see the words:

Santoro Timber and Construction

with a phone number and logo.