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“It isn’t as effective when I’m like this,” he waves his hands down his body. “But delicate minds react poorly to even this form.”

Hence, Mike’s total freak out. He’s still trying to convince himself that Ben is a figment of his imagination with his face jammed in my back. And damn you, Mitri, for reintroducing me to the word hence. It’s going to pop up every chance it gets.

“He stopped as soon as she touched him,” King points out, openly gleeful at Mike’s fear.

“Yeah, Mom said something about it,” Ben’s head tilts to the side, his voice taking on its dual tone. “The closer she is to the victim, the better their resistance.”

“I swear, if you say, ‘that’s interesting,’ I will smack you,” I shake my finger at him accusingly. I’m lying. I would never hit him, but I can threaten with the best of them.

He huffs out a laugh as I try to internally process this. Does this mean that, in hisentire life, only Scilla and a few rare individuals are the only ones who could hang around him? How lonely would that be? Happy, sweet, glass half full, Ben? He must be miserable!

My hands drop to my sides with shame, “I wouldn’t really hit you.”

“I know,” he smiles as his head tilts. He is adorable! How are people afraid of him???

“Do you have to maintain physical contact with him at all times?” Mitri asks and takes a drag from his cigarette.

My eyes open wide with horror, and Ben laughs out loud at my expense. He holds his hands up, making the shape of a circle with his fingers and thumbs before separating them with a cracking sound. He follows that up with his dual-toned voice, “Oh no! My personal space bubble!”

Mal starts laughing at that, and I glare at him. “What the fuck, Ben? Also, I can’t believe I hugged you, Mal! So, fuck you too!”

“The first one is always the hardest for her,” Ben informs Mal with a grin as he returns to the front door. “It gradually gets better. You have to be pushy and obvious about it, or it won’t happen.”

“Noted,” Mal’s laugh echoes through the yard.

“You’re all assholes,” I grumble with a pout. “I can hug people if I want to.”

“Does this mean that I have to touch the homicidal crazy lady the whole time I’m here?” Mike sounds panicked as he stares from over my shoulder.

It makes Ben crack up laughing again. “Bring your new pet inside, Bees. We need to feed and water him.”

“I’ll feed and water him all right,” I glare at Mike over my shoulder with gritted teeth.

Mike ducks back down with a whisper, “Please don’t kill me.”

I sigh and roll my eyes, “Come on.”

We pause to pick up his backpack and shuffle inside. It’s like walking with a conga line behind me, so it’s hard to match my stride to his. We would fail a one-legged race for sure.

Mal watches it all, not bothering to hide his laughter. King is pouting. Mitri and Kimi are giving Mike their own versions of judgy eye as we pass. To make matters worse, Mitri follows so close behind us that Mike practically glues himself to my back to get away from him.

“I take it back,” he whispers to me. “You’re the least scary crazy person here.”

“Don’t worry, Mike. If anything happens, yourheroMal will rescue you.” I lean around Mitri to smile viciously at Mal.

King’s eyes narrow, and his head snaps around to glare at Mal. The dragon completely ignores him and comes inside, a level two scowl on display as he walks past me with a malevolent side-eye.

I slowly pace over to the table, tripping over Mike’s feet the whole way, and stop when I see a food and water bowl fit for a dog in front of one of the seats.

“Really, Ben?” I cry in exasperation.

His laughter echoes to me from down the hall towards his room.

Mike and I both stare down at the bowls, frowning.

“What now?” He asks with a sigh.

“I guess have a seat,” I contemplate one of the other chairs, away from the kibble.