Page 81
“You’re manipulating me.”
“Is it working?” she purrs, leaning in to lick my lips.
“Yes, damn it.”
“So tasty, he’ll love you.” Smacking my ass, she kicks me out of the truck.
Within five minutes, we are set up. The others are scattered throughout the forest as I kick my shoes off and wade into the water. When I’m knee deep, I smack my hands into the surface a couple of times.
“Oh no, I’m lost and all alone. I hope nothing in this big lake comes out to eat me,” I call dramatically. After a few minutes of splashing, I look back.
Go deeper, Kitt instructs.
You asshole.
Come on, baby, or are you scared? Ferol taunts.
You bet your ass I wade in deeper until the water reaches my chest. “It’s just me, swimming in this very creepy lake at night, because what else would I do?” I start to sing a Shrek song. It’s one of Torrin’s favourite movies and comes to my head automatically. Suddenly, bubbles pop up a few feet away, and I narrow my eyes. They grow closer, so I start to back up.
My legs are suddenly pulled from under me, and I let out a yelp as I’m turned then dragged. Surprisingly enough, I’m yanked from the water and onto the shore, and something pins me. I manage to struggle away and flip over to see the amphibian motherfucker on top of me. The only person allowed to top me is my mate! There are gills on his neck and face. He is blue, with a round head and big eyes, but when he opens his mouth to roar, slime falls across me, making me gag.
“Dude, that’s nasty!” I yell, kicking him up and off as the others materialise. He spins, hissing at them, and dives for the water, but I grab its huge lizard tale and tug him back, throwing him towards Torrin.
It’s a struggle, but he, Bram, and Kitt manage to subdue the creature, and Ferol and Emrys uncork the medication we found at the collector’s warehouse and sedate him.
Looking down at the newly drugged amphibian man, I wipe the slime from my face. “Next time, I’m not the bait,” I grumble.
“But you play it so well,” Ferol purrs, keeping her distance with a wince as I flick off more slime.
“There better be a reward.” I point in her face, and she grins, making my cock harden at the images that flash through her head. “Okay, I’ll play bait whenever.” I swallow hard as she laughs, making my heart soar.
Damn stupid organ.
Damn beautiful mate.
CHAPTER
FORTY-TWO
Three weeks later . . .
We’ve found a rhythm over the last few weeks. We track the monsters around the globe on our boat, and when we find them, we drug them and call Tate. She sends in a local hunter team who will relocate them somewhere they can safely live. Originally, Ferol wanted to choose, but she was soon daunted by the task. I guess she never wanted anyone’s life in her hands again, but she does give every monster a chance, no matter what. Like now, when news reports of the tiny town on the French coast are scattered with horror stories of locals being attacked and eaten, she is determined to save the monster from the people who would hurt it.
Just like me.
She sees the best in everyone and accepts the worst, no matter how dark. I guess when you survive in hell and darkness for so long, nothing else compares.
This new life we have created is nice. Don’t get me wrong, we still argue. We are all hot-headed, and she seems to get off on making us angry. After is my favourite, though. She calls it make-up sex. It’s a whole lot of fun and makes fighting worthwhile. Living in cramped quarters while in each other’s heads would be some people’s worst nightmare, but we are never alone now, and I like that, as well as waking up to her singing off-key in our kitchen.
I like life with her, and I love her.
It’s something I realised long ago but denied. I don’t know if it’s the mate bond’s effects or not, but to me, it doesn’t matter. It’s just the truth.
The others are out in town, searching for clues, but she’s at my side in an old farmhouse. Her head turns to me as she reads my thoughts, and her smile is soft as she reaches for me and caresses the scar on my face. She always does that, making sure to touch them and letting me feel her reaction to them. She makes them something beautiful, something wondrous, and after seeing myself through her eyes, how could I ever hate them again?
“Are you sure?” she asks.
“It would be an honour,” I admit, knowing she read my mind.
