Page 74 of Aberrant Monsters
“Earlier at the dock,” he clarified.
Was he serious? “You made it clear you didn’t want to be around me earlier.”
“No,youtold me to piss off, remember?”
Had I? Oh yeah, I had. “After you were a dick about my mother, saying she didn’t matter.”
He leaned in closer. “She doesn’t matter, because she’s dead, and if you continue to act recklessly, you’ll be dead too.”
“And you’ll be pulled back to the eldritch realm. I know. I get it. But here’s the thing. This is my job. It was my job before you came into my life, and it’ll be my job when you leave. It’s who I am and it’s what I do. It’s dangerous and that isn’t going to change just becauseyouwant it to.”
“Yes, it will,” he bit out. “From now on, you will take me with you oneverydangerous job. And if for some reason I am not with you, you will call me as soon as you scent danger. If you do not, then I will eat your friends and your uncle. Are we clear?”
My veins filled with ice. “You wouldn’t do that.”
“Try me.”
He had a look of cold resolution on his face, a look that told me to shut the hell up and nod.
I did just that, not because I feared him but because I didn’t have the energy to argue with him right now. I needed my bed. I needed sleep.
“Good.” He scooped me out of the tub, enveloping me in his heat and a sense of safety that contradicted what he was. “You need to sleep.”
I didn’t protest as he carried me out of the bathroom, and I didn’t protest as he peeled the shower curtain from my damp body or when he pressed a fluffy towel to my skin to soak up the water.
Instead, I closed my eyes and let him pull the duvet up over my naked body and tuck me in.
Heh, my monster was tucking me into bed.
Nice and warm.
So warm…
* * *
I woketo the gray light of dawn and the sound of knocking on my door.
“Come in.” I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.
Telarion was already tucked up in his special spot inside me, silent and…asleep?
The door opened and Quentin popped his head in. “Do you still want to go to the rift?”
I sat up quickly. “Yeah, just give me a minute.”
His gaze fell to my chest, eyes going wide before he dropped his gaze. “I’ll be downstairs.” He slammed the door closed.
I looked down at my bare tits. Fuck. I’d gone to sleep naked last night and now my handler had seen my boobies. Great. Just fucking great!
I shoved the covers off and hurried to my dresser, digging out a pair of sweats, a long-sleeve tee, and underwear. I dressed fast, brushed my teeth, and pulled my hair into a messy bun before slipping on my sneakers and heading downstairs to join Quentin.
He stood in the kitchen with his back to me, fiddling with the kettle.
I sighed. “Okay, so you saw my boobs, big deal. I’m sure you’ve seen boobs before.”
He was silent.
Wait… “Youhaveseen boobs before, right?”
