Monstrous, tome 2 : Edin

[Edin]

I wondered for a moment if love was different for humans. If he meant something different by it. For me, it was an overwhelming sensation in my chest that swelled so big when I looked at him, or breathed him in, or lost myself in his beautiful body. It was a bone-deep instinct to keep Hunter safe. To keep him fed and warm and happy. To do anything, risk anything, to see those things happen.

It was knowing that the pain of losing him, when it did happen, was worth the time that would precede it. Because it would happen; I would outlive him, as much as the thought filled me with bone-crushing despair. But in some ways, I felt like that knowledge made me love him even more.

I hoped that Hunter felt something similar for me. I hoped that was what he meant when he said he loved me. But in the end, I supposed it didn't overly matter if our ideas of love were not perfectly matched. They were enough.

I tried to picture myself here, with Edin, growing food and hunting and just... being. Living freely, truly, for the first time in my adult life.

Suddenly, I couldn't wait, and even the idea of returning to the military became unthinkable. How could I give all this up to go back to that grey, order-filled life that felt like a string of endless non-achievements and pointless tasks? Maybe my life out here would still be pointless and achieve nothing other than a hopefully comfortable existence, but at least it would be mine. My decisions. My choices.

And I chose Edin.

Movement to my left caught my attention, eyes snapping that way as a tall figure appeared from a doorway. Wearing a grey coat with the hood up over all black clothes, I couldn't see his face—but I definitely noticed the jagged horns protruding from his hood. Those things were weapons in their own right, even if the right was quite a bit longer than the left.

I noticed the long white fingers with their blackened tips, adorned in rings that looked like they were made from bone. My stomach twisted at the casual predatory grace with which he moved, as he leaned his shoulder on the door jamb, crossing his arms and looking totally at ease.

Wyn of the Wild Hunt. Wyn the Soul Eater.

Now that I could see more than an outline, the creature looked male. We assessed each other silently for a few moments. I could see his eyes tracing over the scar visible above my mask before dropping to take in the rest of me.

I did the same. The dude was... massive. He towered over me, which was an odd sensation. The fact that he had curving horns rising over his forehead only added to his height. His skin was a pale purple, and I could see the hint of a fang peeking from between his lips. His hair was long and kind of messy. Also purple. Dark purple, like his eyes, which were bigger than a human's and had much larger irises, giving them a creepy look.

He had a cord of leather with a pendant around his neck, and wore nothing else except a black kilt that fell just below his knees, and heavy black boots. Every inch of him was muscle, I realised as unease settled in my gut. If he did try and attack me, I wouldn't stand a chance. The thing that snagged and held my gaze, though, was the long tail that flicked lazily back and forth behind his legs. Its tip was a lethal, wicked sharp point. Like a dagger.

If I stayed with Edin and Charlie went back... there was a chance we'd never see each other again. Part of me would be heartbroken, but what I felt for Edin was... deeper. More consuming. Eclipsing. I could survive being apart from Charlie, if I knew he was safe and happy. I didn't know if I could say the same about being apart from Edin, and that thought was as terrifying as it was exhilarating.