Page 82 of Monster. Me.

It’s almost impossible to voice it in my head.

I slowly stand up, then walk over to him and kneel beside the chair on one knee.

It takes some effort to overcome my shyness, but I reach for his hand and slowly lace my fingers with his.

That’s almost funny. I can fuck, but intimate, tender gestures? Those are a whole other level.

Now we both look at our intertwined hands.

"Do you like Rainbow Spring?" I ask quietly.

Marlow slowly nods.

"It’s a truly beautiful town. I rarely get such a positive reading of the energy as I did here. The closeness of this facility hasn’t affected it negatively. Besides, it’s seven miles away."

Marlow bites his lip. I can tell he's a little self-conscious, as if all of this has caught even him off guard.

"And… I’ve also started considering replacing the local veterinarian who recently passed away. A few people have already texted me asking for help with their pets. Today I went on two visits, and I have several more planned for the next few days…"

I widen my eyes slightly because it still doesn’t fit in my head.

Damn, am I dreaming? He barely knows me. Does he feel the same thing I do? The Pull, the desire to get closer, to form a Bond?

"And you would want," I loudly clear my throat, "to include me in those plans?"

I ask it so directly because I need to be sure. I can’t assume anything. Monsters don’t have that luxury.

Damn, how shaky and uncertain my voice sounds. It probably looks funny, coming from such a large body.

Marlow raises his gaze, and our eyes meet. He looks at me for a moment, and again, I can pick up on his energy perfectly well. He’s a little shy too, and yet something in him is pulling toward me. I can sense it… It’s as if he’s gently holding me in his mind, and a moment later he actually does.

He raises his arm and moves his fingers over my cheek.

"I—I’d be open to trying more. I’m not the type who is interested in just casual sex. And you?"

I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling a strong, intense wave of joy that almost takes my breath away. I let out a rough exhale, but this has to be said:

"Marlow, I’m a monster with a past that no one will forgive easily, and definitely no one will want to understand. You won’t be able to walk through the town center with me holding hands on the tourist promenade… do you understand that?"

Marlow looks somewhere over my head. His expression turns slightly melancholy, his gaze distant, and then he starts speaking softly, though there's a strange intensity to it.

"I’m a loner, Fenn. The kind of person who walks his own path, finds one special person, and is perfectly happy spending the rest of his life like this. In that way, I’m truly like a cat. I’ve never cared much about crowds, social circles, or being seen. I don’t need parties, attention, or a busy social life. I don’t need to show people who I’m with or prove that I’m happy. What I want is something peaceful. A white house surrounded by flowers. And kids… and maybe a yellow Labrador who won’t mind that his owner is a cat shifter." Marlow adds the last part in a whisper, his voice shaky, as if he’s embarrassed by those secret dreams, but I realize how important this moment really is, and I tremble all over.

"That sounds—"

My voice breaks. I can’t stop it. For the first time, probably since I was a child, I feel tears gathering in my eyes.

Somebody takes me seriously, considers building a life with me?

A monster. Me!

So I whisper, "That sounds wonderful. A dream, something I was afraid to even let myself think about… and I want the same thing, Marlow!"

I wrap my hands around his fingers and give them a gentle squeeze, wanting him to feel how seriously I take his words.

Marlow exhales heavily and lowers his eyelids.

"You know… both of us ended up somewhere off the path of our lives, derailed, lost, but maybe together we can get back on it? Build something together."