Page 21 of Hot Monster Summer

Both are determined to claim her.

A small sapling at my feet curls toward me, sensing my disquiet. I kneel, touching its tender leaves with careful fingers. “Too young to understand,” I tell it. “Human female. Temporary. Fragile.”

But even as I say the words, I know they’re a lie. There is nothing temporary about how she has rooted herself in my thoughts. Nothing fragile about the way she stands her ground against three ancient monsters.

I have lived alongside humans watching their brief lives with the detached curiosity one might feel for butterflies—beautiful but ephemeral, gone before you truly learn their patterns. I have never wanted to bind one to me, to keep them beyond their natural time in my forest.

Yet with Lily, I find myself thinking of ways to convince her to stay.

To make her mine.

“Not right,” I tell the listening trees. “Her choice. Always, her choice.”

But if it is her choice. If she were to choose me. What then? Humans are not meant for immortality and are not designed to bond with creatures like me even if she is somehow compatible. The thought of watching her age, wither, and die, while I remain unchanging, sends a pain through me sharper than any axe blade.

Unless…

There are ways. Ancient magics tied to the forest’s heart, rituals as old as the earth itself—possibilities I have never considered for any human before.

But first, she must choose. Freely, fully, with complete understanding of what such a choice would mean.

I straighten. I will show her the true heart of my domain, share with her the wonders I have shared with no one before—not the surface beauty of sunlit clearings and gentle streams, but the deep magic that pulses beneath the forest floor.

I will show her the truth of what I am—not just a guardian and protector, but an ancient being with wants and needs long suppressed. I will let her see how deeply she has affected me and how thoroughly she has awakened feelings I thought had turned to stone centuries ago.

I begin gathering what I need—rare flowers that bloom only in moonlight, crystals that have absorbed the forest’s energy for millennia, herbs that open the senses to deeper awareness. I will create a sacred space where I can show her my truest self, where I can mark her with more than just my scent, more than just a kiss.

Kaelen and Caspian make their claims with displays of strength, with possessive touches and dominant postures. I will show her something different—the vulnerability beneath my bark-like exterior, the tenderness that only she has uncovered.

I will respect her, her right to choose any of us—or none. But I will ensure she understands precisely what choosing me would mean.

Not possession, but partnership. Not dominance, but devotion.

The trees around me seem to stand straighter, sensing my renewed purpose. Small creatures of the forest edge closer, curious about my activities, about the unusual energy emanating from their ancient guardian.

“Soon,” I tell them, carefully arranging my gathered treasures. “Bringing special one. Human woman. Lily.”

The name feels like a prayer on my lips, a sacred syllable that changes the very air around me. The flowers on my shouldersbloom brighter at the sound, and I know then that I am already far past the point of turning back.

She has taken root in the core of my being, and whatever grows from this strange seed—be it joy or pain—I will nurture it as carefully as I tend my most precious saplings.

Let the others make their claims with water and fangs. I will show her the steadfast heart that beats beneath ancient bark, and hope she finds something worth choosing.

9

Lily

Two days later, I wake up to sunlight streaming through the old cabin windows, with the distinct feeling of being watched.

A quick glance outside confirms my suspicion—amber eyes peer in from just beyond the porch, disappearing in a blur of gray fur when I make eye contact.

Fantastic.

I’ve got a dire wolf stalker, a kraken who kissed me underwater, and a forest troll who makes flowers bloom when he touches me.

My rebound phase is a little out of control.

I roll out of bed with a groan, wondering if there’s a self-help book titled “So You’re The Object Of Multiple Monster Affections: Now What?”

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