Page 15 of Bianca and the Monsters

Fate will rule and we will either pay or rejoice.

Chapter12

Bianca

Ithought going through a portal dealie might cause itchiness or possibly zap me unpleasantly. But Nico assured me that the experience would be painless, though I would think his pain tolerance—as a ginormous monster person—might be different from mine, a woman who considers cardio equipment to be cruel and unusual punishment. He was thankfully right. It wasn’t painful at all; it was actually soothing, like all your cells going through a sloshy deluxe car wash. I approve.

From the back of my yard into the lushest forest I’ve ever imagined in one step through the magical device—incredible. As is what I observe next: a dapperly dressed grey monster man wearing a black fedora. He’s delicious. I want to sidle up and feel the fabric of his clothes and run my fingers over his glistening skin. The cracks in his flesh, revealing what appear to be smoldering coals, only inspire more curiosity. Just how hot is he?

It takes a moment for me to read his body language and to interpret the expression that his foreign features convey. His wide forehead includes a ridge that is more scale-like, but then I realize that his skin is scales. But it’s the look in his grey eyes that draws my focus. He’s concerned, frozen even, staring at the butterfly that appears to have joined us on this adventure.

“A monarch!” I say with an embarrassing amount of enthusiasm, suddenly remembering all the butterfly expeditions my dad and I used to take.

“Male or female?” the dapper creature asks in tightly spoken words.

I study the butterfly happily float-flapping around the massive flowers of a vine growing on a mossy tree. “It’s female. More white dots on its head than the males—that’s how you tell.”

In one collective exhale, Nico and the grey scaly man relax and my confusion turns petulant. “Why does it matter?” To Nico, I add, “I want the truth.”

“Only females may accompany us—like I mentioned—so we’re good.” Then he gestures grandly toward the forest. “Welcome to Clumberton land, Lady Bianca.”

I squint, knowing he’s concealing something, potentially something that might hurt him though undoubtedly not me. He wouldn’t risk me—I already know that with absolute certainty.

“Lady Bianca, allow me to present Pendragon Xavier Witherspoon, the Ninth—a truly legendary member of one of the oldest species in our realm.”

Pendragon bows and then holds me with his intense grey gaze. I’m drawn back to focusing on his skin, noticing how its sparkling sheen shimmers more impressively the longer I stare at him.

“Hello, Mr. Pendragon the Ninth.”

“Pennie, if you will, Lady Bianca.”

I lean into Nico, whose scent is now entirely comforting after growing quite pungent for a few seconds. “Pennie’s hot, isn’t he? In more ways than one.” I giggle as Nico’s arm surrounds me, holding me closely like we’ve always been the best of friends.

“He is,” Nico says with pride. “Our family wouldn’t have truly come together without him. And he’s a sharp dresser, isn’t he?”

“Definitely,” I purr, not at all shy about staring into Pennie’s eyes that are locked on mine.

I love his slightly pointed chin, the abrupt structure of his face, like he was carved not born. I really want to touch his skin, to discover all the ways it keeps changing. Where Nico’s fur tells his story, I can already see that Pennie’s skin does the same. The more he stares at me—or maybe the more I stare at him—the more he looks like a precious jewel illuminated from within.

“I really want to touch you,” I find myself saying, definitely smothering the barely usedpatiencesection of my brain.

Pennie steps toward me as though compelled by my obvious attraction, but Nico pulls me a little bit farther away.

Under his breath, Nico murmurs, “You are more than welcome to touch him, anyway you like—clearly—but just know that if you do, you may not be able to control your desires. We aren’t certain that you’ll be affected, but… and I… well, it’s challenging to speak delicately about this subject, but…”

When Nico’s words falter, Pennie huskily growls, “There’s a chance that if you touch me right now, we’ll both be spending the next twelve hours right here, consumed with an insatiable and desperate need to join our bodies until we are one.”

He groans as he forces himself to step back. “That would be cruel to the other members of our family, who are excited to welcome you. Until we know how you are affected by my essence, it’s best if we don’t touch.”

My heart pounds and I lean even harder into Nico, who will keep me upright even if I were to quite literally swoon from the enormity of my sexual desire. The promise in Pennie’s eyes, the certainty that I would experience a kind of intense gratification that has heretofore been entirely lacking in my life, has me leaning toward Pennie and the dream of getting nasty right here, right now.

But he’s right. That might not be the best introduction to the family Clumberton.

“One thing,” I mutter before I’m willing to move, “just tell me one thing.”

“Anything,” Pennie says.

“If later… likesoon-ish, I wanted to touch you and see where that leads, could I? Would you let me?”

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