Page 35 of My Monster, My Choice

“I need to focus on my son. I don’t want anything else right now. Kenny will be with me the rest of my life and I need to remember that.”

“You’re still young. You might want more—”

“No.” I cut him off before he can make the painful statement. “I won’t want more. I raised a daughter. I’m raising a son, though he’ll never be gone. My life is totally complete.”

“How do you want to play this?” he says, and he looks so forlorn, I almost go back on my plan.

But I love him. I love him so damn much and I can’t give him what he deserves. His own babies.

“We can stay friends,” I say softly, easing the pain as much as I can. “If you should meet someone in the meantime, I’ll understand and wish the very best for you.” Lie. I’ll probably wish she’d fall on her face and lose all her front teeth.

Ugh. But then she’d be better at sucking his dick.

And that makes rage fly through me at the thought of some other bimbo on his dick.

“I won’t,” he says. “I’ll never be glad for anyone else.”

I sigh. “I can try to slowly prepare Kenny that we’re just friends if you can help me ease him into it.”

“I will do everything in my power to keep him from being hurt, Christina. I love him.” Elex moves in so quickly, he’s almost a blur, but I hold my hands out, keeping him away. Reminding him that this is how things must be.

“Will you keep our status quiet? Let Kenny assume we’re still a couple?”

“Mated. Your son calls us mated.” His voice is nearly a growl. “And I assume everyone else also? Our friends? Our family?”

Oh, my. How tangled the web becomes. I’ll also have to work on detangling those strings. Letting everyone slowly become aware that we’re not as close as they thought. That we were casually dating for nine months. So casual. And then when he returns home, maybe we can just slowly go our separate ways.

“Yes,” I whisper. “We’ll do it slowly.”

“And what do I get out of this, Christina? For my mate deciding she’s no longer mine?”

Even though I know we’re alone, I look around the small bathroom. “Elex, please. I’m not yours.”

“Every inch of you belongs to me. But I will promise you this. I will stop asking you to be mine and agree to pretending we are mates until you can figure things out on your end.”

“Okay.” I agree readily because isn’t this what I wanted?

“And I promise not to kill any male that enters your bed. As long as you keep males out of your bed.”

I suck in a deep inhalation, then give a short nod. I have no intentions of allowing anyone into my bed anyway.

“So come, sweet. Come and see me off. Let’s pretend for our friends and family.”

He seems a little too okay with this and for a brief second, I wonder if I’m missing something. But he takes me by the hand and leads me downstairs, through the back door.

Instead of taking my hand like he normally does when the three of us walk, Kenny jumps up and clutches Elex’s other hand. My heart sinks the tiniest bit.

This might be harder than I thought.

“You gonna be gone long, Elex?” Kenny asks, biting his lip.

“Not too long,” Elex murmurs. “It might seem like that at first. But I can send you postcards. And sometimes I can visit with the hologram conference. And sometimes I’ll be on Earth for a short time, so I can even call you on the phone.”

“I likka that.”

“And I’ll need you to take care of yourmamanwhile I’m gone. Remind her to eat her veggies.”

“An’ not drinkka pop. Momma bad about that.” Kenny gives me side eye and I snort, wondering if he thinks he’s fooling anyone.

---