Page 22 of Becoming Monsterous

I share his frustration, but I can't help grinning at him. Winding my hands around his neck, I press my face against his and let my snakes twist around us, their scaled forms drawing us together.

"You," I tell him pointedly, "are going to be a very,verygood boyfriend."

Aleron lifts a disdainful lip and snarls in return.

I know it's his way of calling me a good girlfriend.

Love is like that sometimes—it lets you interpret the truth beneath the superficial lie.

AndmyMothman is a big softie underneath it all. I just know it.

Chapter18

Ellie

"Ican't believe how terrible his timing is," Aleron grumbles, snaking his arm around my lower back and pulling me against him. He looks down at me with heat in his eyes and vows, "We're going to make up for lost time... after this."

I swallow, heat in my cheeks. This change in him is so extreme that it's hard to believe it's real. If I didn't know why he's suddenly started opening up to me, I wouldn't believe it.

But we've gone through so much recently. I've learned more about him than I ever thought that I would know. And he's starting to trust me, I can feel it.

This is more than lust.

I just wish I knew why I can't see any strings of love or lust coming from him towards me. I see the purple of worship more than once as we pass other monsters headed to the combat room. There are flares of affection and heartache as well. But from Aleron—nothing, nothing at all.

Maybe it's something to do with the triumvirate connection. It may block me from seeing any of my trio's feelings of love, lust, or affection towards me.

If that's the case, I have the worst luck in the world. The only upside to seeing love connections was going to be seeingmylove connections. Without that, the power is basically useless.

Or at least, almost useless. As we walk into the combat room, which is wide with high ceilings big enough to house even giants, it occurs to me that I might be able to use my ability forsomethings.

Like viewing allegiances and alliances that are kept secret.

The room is already brimming with threads of lust, affection, brotherly love, and more, even though I can sense that all the monsters haven't arrived yet. So far I only see Occult House members and a few Greymark House shifters—wherever the others are, they must be making a late and dramatic entrance.

Aleron guides me with a hand on my lower back, which is a new thing for him to do. I feel strangely self-conscious of it. Something about his gentle touch is even more intimate than the sexual banter we exchanged.

He draws me across the room, to a spot where Morpheus and Angus are waiting. I feel their eyes on me. Morpheus's deep, dark irises seem to burn in my direction.

As we get close, Angus leans his massive head down towards me, his brows furrowed in concern. "Ellie, are you okay?"

"Yes... why?"

"You're flushed." His nostrils flare as he inhales slowly and deliberately. "And you smell stressed."

Well. I did almost have sex with the Mothman while he was in his full-out, darkness-filled monster state. Maybethat'swhat Angus is smelling on me.

"I'm alright," I reassure him, feeling Aleron's hand on my lower back like it's a heavy weight. "Just a little... intimidated by everything. All the houses in one place? It seems like it could be a bad thing."

Morpheus sighs, sliding up to me and saying, "It could be. We don't know—they're not all here yet. Those that are here are keeping their mouths shut."

Surveying the assembled monsters, I have to admit that I find it difficult to tell which houses are which. "How do I know who's Occult House and who isn't?"

Aleron chimes in with the dry answer, "Members of Occult House pass for human and feed off humans. You won't be able to tell us from the other houses without paying attention."

"Feed off humans?" I feel dizzy for a moment. "How did I not know this?"

"You didn't ask," Aleron points out. "But don't get all in a tizzy. We feed off humanemotion. Dreams, nightmares, and myths count as well—that's what the three of us feed off of. It doesn't have to be literal human flesh and blood."

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