Page 66 of Monster. Me.

Can you really build a life with a monster?

Then another question hits me: what exactly am I?

Let’s be honest.

Maybe I turn into something cute, a fluffy, purring ball of fur. That doesn’t change the fact that plenty of people would still see me as a freak, an abomination, a curiosity. My dad used to tell me the same thing over and over: never reveal yourself. You’ll end up in a cage! People experiment on creatures like us. The first one in our bloodline spent two decades locked behind bars. They will never understand us, never accept us.

Well, Fenn Drax has exactly that fate. He and I could never be just normal.

I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment and force myself to focus on the road.

The map on my phone points me toward Raspberry Hill.

The area is so beautiful that even my tangled thoughts begin to loosen.

The cottage is built from white-painted wood, surrounded by gardens and dense clouds of blue and pink hydrangeas.

I stop the engine. The view from here is beautiful, with even more cottages scattered across the tops of gentle green hills. What an idyllic place, almost like something out of my dreams… yeah, the ones I was indulging in just five minutes ago, and gave up.

Ehhh. But then I remember why I came here in the first place: an unexpected veterinary call, one I still have serious doubts about.

Muttering something incoherently under my breath, I get out of the car. I'm not in the right place mentally, but here I am still, standing on the porch of a small yellow house.

The front door swings open before I knock. The gray-haired omega I met at the funeral is standing there. For a moment, he just stares at me. Then recognition flashes across his face, and he quickly snaps out of it.

"Hello! So you came… I'm so happy. I gave up hope, actually."

I clear my throat. "Yeah. I'm here."

His eyes travel upward, taking in my height, then back down again.

"Well, please come in." He waves his hand. "And my name’s Davos! Nice to meet you."

"Marlow Nolan."

"Sorry, but I have to say this: you're gorgeous."

"Um. Thanks."

"Now, come here, dear. Peaches has been waiting."

The house smells of lavender, cookies, and dog. A yellow Labrador appears from around the corner, tail wagging lazily as she approaches. Peaches comes toward me, but after a few steps, she slows down. Her nose twitches as she sniffs my jeans, then my hand, and finally tilts her head as though she's trying to place something familiar. Most animals react to the faint scent of cat beneath my deodorant sooner or later. The deodorant masks most of it, but not completely.

"Good girl," I murmur, crouching to let her investigate.

"Oh, she likes you already," Davos says.

I straighten. "Let's take a look."

He leads me into the living room while Peaches follows behind us. The Labrador settles comfortably on a rug, and I begin the examination. While I work, Davos talks almost nonstop.

"She's had two litters before. Beautiful puppies. Healthy puppies. But this time something feels different. I can't explain it, I just know her."

"When was she bred?"

"Six weeks ago. Maybe a little more."

I nod. Forty days or so. I should be able to find at least some indication of pregnancy if everything is progressing normally.