Page 20 of Monster's Naughty List
“By the sounds of it, they have to be wrapping up soon,” Rez muttered, sounding bitter as hell.
That would be an act of mercy I did not think we’d be receiving.
I grunted my disagreement because there was no way Oz wouldn’t drag their time out for as long as possible, and Rez pinned me with a hard stare. “You might not want to say it out loud, but do you think Oz and I can’t see you’re just as enraptured by her as we are?”
Apparently we were stating the obvious today.
My brows lifted as I grumbled, “Well, if you can see it, then why do I need to talk about it?”
Perhaps it wasn’t fair of me to be so curt and ice him out like that, but what did he want me to say exactly?
Did he want me to admit that this small human woman could command me to my knees and I wouldn’t think twice. I’d fall to them with ease and worship the ground she walked on.
Did he want me to admit that she was the first spark of joy in my existence that made me feel like maybe this seemingly endless life was worth living? That I could have fulfillment and joy in my life outside of the job I was bred to do?
No, he didn’t want to hear all of that because he felt the exact fucking same way, and what were we supposed to do then? I couldn’t picture us all being okay with sharing her, and how the hell could we expect her to want all of us equally? That went against my understanding of human nature. They tended to expect to find one person to copulate with for the rest of their lives.
How they thought someone could be satisfied with that kind of restriction had been beyond me before meeting Tinsley. But ever since I’d laid eyes upon her, I'd been overcome by a possessive need to claim her for eternity.
So, I ignored his eye roll and huff of annoyance at me and the way his tail flicked around in agitation. However, it flicked too close to a branch of the tree behind him and got tangled in it, pulling it down to crash on top of him.
Karma, perhaps, for pushing me to talk when I clearly didn’t want to.
He let out a string of curses as he stood, pushing the tree back up, but her ornaments were scattered everywhere. The crunch of them breaking underfoot as he struggled to stand the tree back up had a wicked smile tugging at my lips.
Tinsley wouldn’t like this one bit.
The door to her room opened and giggling flowed through the air, quickly turning my smile into a scowl. Just that sound said all I needed to know: Oz had won her over.
I could fucking wring his neck right now.
As they rounded the corner of the small hallway to the living room, they both stopped and took in the disaster before them. Tinsley's mouth parted in shock before quickly morphing to a grin. I heard her tinkling laughter as Oz stated, “Damn, someone’s anger got the best of them.”
It was a pointed jab at Rez, who didn’t take the bait. I, however, was tired of being around my brothers and felt the tingling sensation of being pulled to fulfill my role. I’d have her alone now, and I wasn’t wasting another moment before making that happen.
Oz may have softened her to him—and possibly taken the lead in the battle of who she wanted more—but I wouldn’t fucking lie down and accept it. I’d fight for her and show her that I’d give her everything she needed.
Without a word, I pushed up from the couch and strode to her other side, enjoying the way her eyes traced my face without that flash of fear in them now. I had wanted to carve my own heart out and offer it to her when I had seen her scared and attempting to put space between us because of the dark emotion I naturally pulled from her.
Grabbing her small hand, I tugged on it and led her back to her room. “It’s my turn,” I grumbled, unsure of what to actually say now. I wasn’t an eloquent man.
I had no problem talking out my emotions in my head, and I typically enjoyed sitting back and observing those around me instead of taking an active role. The shadows of existence were my comfort, and Tinsley was tempting me from them.
Thankfully, she didn’t fight me, following obediently behind me as we rounded the corner. My feet suddenly halted as the scent in her room wafted out the open door. It smacked me in the face like a pile of bricks, making it impossible not to think about what had occurred between them.
It smelled like sex, and a shiver of explosive rage made my body shake and my cock harden.
A soft stroke of her hand on my back had me forcing myself to step into the room. She followed me in, asking, “Are you okay?”
I stared in shock as she shut the door behind herself.
I couldn’t recall the last time anyone had cared enough about me to ask such a simple question, and it caught me off guard for a second, briefly making me forget about the way her honey scent teased my senses.
But when I came back around and the reality of the situation set in once more, the rush of anger combined with my longing for her had me losing my mind. I let my instincts take over. She squeaked as I bent to pick her up and wrap her legs above the hard armor of my waist, walking her back until she was pressed between my chest and the closed door.
I felt the hammering of her heart against me, and it almost made me drop her. I didn’t want her to fear me. I wanted her to know I’d strike fear into anyone else’s heart to keep her safe.
What was I doing?Being a completely inconsiderate brute. This was all new to her, and here I was, stuck in my head with my thoughts, incapable of voicing them to her or my brothers.
