Page 25 of Monstrous Truths


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“And I didn’t get them all. Tiger attack.” I shrug. “That means we need to go back if we want to understand it all and protect it. It would be best to keep it here. The lab will be the first place they search, and when we don’t come back with it, who knows what they will send.”

“You’re right,” he agrees, and I blink before slowly smiling.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard a man say that.” I chuckle.

Standing, he grips my chin and tilts it up with a frown. “Not a man, Tally, a monster.” He moves away, grabbing something and putting it into bags. “If we are to get the research, we need to sneak in. It’s in Akuji’s land, so he might let me get away with it, but if his people find me and a human in the one place they hate?” He shakes his head, and the warmth that had been invading my body from his touch and words flees, only to be replaced by cold stark fear. It was so easy to forget I should fear the monsters, since Cato would never hurt me. He’s kind, gentle, and smart, so yeah, easy to forget, but he’s very serious, so I nod stiffly.

“I’ll do whatever you say.”

“You? Obedient?” He chuckles again as he comes over, slinging a bag over his shoulder. “Even I don’t believe that, Tally.” He winks. “We’ll sneak out. I’ll have to carry you through their land, since it’s less likely we’ll leave your tracks and scent, plus I’m faster and quieter. We get in and get out. You stay at my side at all times, understood?”

Part of me chafes at the stern command, but I see the worry in his eyes and I know he’s only doing this to protect me. “Understood.”

Towering over me, he searches my gaze. “I mean it, Talia. I will protect you, but I need you to listen to me on this. We are knowingly walking into another tribe’s land without invitation and invading the desecrated sanctuary where many of our own died. We have to be careful and smart.”

Standing, I take his hand in mine and squeeze it. “I promise, Cato.” I need him to believe me for some reason, and when he sighs in relief, it’s obvious he does. “Let me cause a distraction to clear the way,” he mutters, and then he’s gone. I wait behind the door, almost bouncing on my toes.

Fear and excitement war within me—fear from being in danger, but everything is dangerous over the wall, and excitement for finally being out of the lab and getting my hands on the missing research. Maybe we’ll even find Aria, since that’s where it all started.

As much as I like being in a lab, I miss fresh air and seeing the sun and sky.

I miss being free.

My whole world has shifted since I’ve been over the wall. My mind still scrambles to make sense of everything, but there are some things I’m certain of.

One, humans created the monsters.

Two, they experimented on them and hurt them until it started a war.

Three, they built the wall to contain their mistakes.

Four, they want the research back.

Logically, I am assuming it’s so they can continue their experiments, something I cannot allow to happen. Look what happened last time they did. We lost thousands of people, as did the monsters, and our lives were irrevocably changed.

Five, I trust Cato with my life, and certainly more than I ever trusted a human.

Six, I can do good here. I can help.

Seven, Aria may be hurt or in danger, and I need to help her.

Eight, monsters are scary but also not the villains they are made out to be.

Nine, I don’t miss my life over the wall, only the safety and certainty it came with.

Isn’t that strange?

I’m still getting used to everything and Cato has been nothing but kind and answering every little question I might have, one that popped up earlier was about the power and he proudly declared he had managed to fix the grid for them all.

Smart monster.

Cato comes back and takes my hand, hurrying me down the stairs. I almost stumble as I try to keep up with him, so he lifts me into his arms, carrying me bridal style, and just leaps down the staircase. We are moving too fast to see, and it starts to make me dizzy, so I bury my head in his throat, keeping my eyes tightly shut, even as I feel the jostle of us moving, and then the scent of fresh air blows across us. Even then, he doesn’t slow, so I keep myself as still as possible, sucking in a deep breath and stiffening at the scent of him.

A scent that burrows into my body and seems to awaken every inch of it.

It’s musky, male, dark, and almost foreign, but it’s so sensuous, it wraps me in a protective, sensual bubble, making every inch of me throb even as I relax. I feel both safe and aroused. God, I hope he doesn’t notice, but he seems intent on keeping us safe, moving faster and faster. I feel us leaping and turning corners, but I don’t lift my head.

If I did, I would be sick.

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