Page 19 of Echo (A Monster’s Prey #2)

The next morning, I stepped out of the house, letting my eyes scan the trees for Echo. I swallowed more than an acceptable amount of disappointment when I didn’t sense him. It was mental to have any disappointment at all. I should have been filled with elation and relief.

I fed the animals and watered the garden, before painting the door black for the third time.

When I was done, I pointed at the door. “Stay, black.”

I turned to put the paint up and found Echo standing there watching me. I hadn’t sensed or heard him, and I jumped out of my skin.

“What is wrong with you?” I screeched and back-handed him in the chest. Only for the impact to hurt the bones of my hand, without having any effect on him.

His glowing eyes brightened with mirth. “I’m not the one commanding a dead tree to not turn colors.”

He had me there.

“Are you painting the door different colors to scare me?”

He blinked at me. “Would you trust me if I said no?”

“Probably not.” I shrugged and picked everything up, taking it back to the barn. He followed, giving me a wide berth on the pathway. I didn’t understand what the black rock did, but I took note of his avoidance.

For when he inevitably turned on me. Like they always do.

That said, he appeared content to follow me around and it was not unnerving with him standing by my side, instead of stalking me from the woods. “Do you happen to know where these stupid Rinah bees are?”

“I do.” He smiled and reached his hand out for me.

Having sex and letting a motherfucker hold my hand were too different things. I wasn’t sure I wanted him to have that tight of a grip on me. I crossed my arms across my chest to resist the temptation. “Lead the way.”

I followed behind him, and for a long distance, the silence between us was deafening. That paired with the fact that all the forest noises were also awkwardly quiet too.

“You weren’t so suspicious yesterday.”

“Who said I’m suspicious?”

He turned around, continuing to lead me as he walked backwards. That giant grin on his face made me want to smack him. “Little Rabbit, you talk to yourself more than you are speaking to me right now.”

“Yesterday, my nerves were soaked in delicious orgasms and my brain wasn’t even properly functioning. That wasn’t even really me, if you think about it.”

“I can fix that.” He smirked playfully.

“You’d like that. Wouldn’t you?”

“You are the greatest gift I’ve been given.” His eyes slowly passed over me, appreciating every inch of my body the same way a starved man drools over steak.

My face grew unbearably warm, and my breathing stuttered. I shook it off and forced a laugh. “I’ve heard my ass is too fat, and I run my mouth too much for you. Pearl thought you would kill me on sight.”

“I never said that. Actually, I was hoping to request that you mouth off more and wear even shorter pants.” He pointed to my shorts. “Those are my favorite so far.”

I tugged on my jean shorts to pull them down a little more, suddenly vividly aware that my ass was one wrong move from hanging out the bottom.

“Don’t,” he begged with a wistful edge in his voice. “I love it.”

“Were you loving it when that delivery boy was looking? Since I’m yours and all.”

“Let them lust for you.. So long as no one is foolish enough to touch you.” He shrugged, “And if they do, I’ll teach them a lesson they won’t forget.”

“Shame on you. Shouldn’t I be more modest?” That was what I was told. I was curvy, and it was my job to keep it hidden.

“No. The men need to control themselves, and not touch things that aren’t theirs.”

A painful chuckle built in my chest. “You sound like my ex-husband.”

There was so much about Aurelio that I missed. That was one of them. I could wear whatever I wanted, and it was up to everyone else to behave. Or they’d meet his wrath.

“You were married?”

“Once upon a time.”

“Seems he’s a fool for letting you escape.”

“It took him a long time to accept that I was tired. I think the only reason he finally let go was because his messes almost got me killed. One of his men betrayed him and handed me over to his enemy. After that, he let me walk away.”

I’d never told anyone that. I guess confessing to a monster was easier than a friend.

“He should have protected you better. He knew he wasn’t worthy anymore,” Echo answered in that tone that was hard to argue with.

“You were human once. Were you ever married?”

“Once upon a time.”

“What was she like?”

“I didn’t know her well. She was the chief’s daughter from another clan. I was one of the strongest warriors of mine, and her father needed fierce allies that could help in an upcoming war.”

“So a political marriage?”

“If that’s what you call it.”

“How long were you married?”

“A couple of days,” he said. “Her clan was wiped out, and our shaman believed they found a way to give us the strength of a thousand warriors. He asked our strongest to volunteer.”

“I assume that’s how you changed?”

“Yes. Ten of us volunteered. Even my kid brother. Once the ritual was done, the clan turned on us and cast us out.”

A frown weighed down my mouth. He was a warrior that protected his people, and he sacrificed so much for them. His humanity, maybe even his soul.

His lips twitched with amusement. “Not everyone can accept a monster.”

“Who said I accept you?” I crossed my arms again.

“That wasn’t empathy in your eyes a moment ago?”

“Well,” I sputtered. “That was mean and heartless. Anyone can see that.”

“I’ve been stuck in this body for hundreds of years. No, not anyone.” He reached across with his long arms to caress my face. His long claw carefully went across my cheek without cutting the flesh. “Just you. The first time my wife saw me, she screamed like a stuck hog.”

“I ran.”

“And you loved it.” He groaned. “I could smell your excitement.”

“Liar!” I shoved his chest, but I didn’t even jostle him. That was when a low buzz finally filled my ears. “Bees!”

He chuckled and ducked under a branch, sneakily grabbing my hand from his chest to intertwine our fingers together. Echo used his body to hold brush out of my way, so I could clear into a beautiful meadow. Manufactured beehives and beautiful flowers filled the area.

Bees flew in the air, and I ducked away from a few going overhead.

He came behind me and grabbed my shoulders. “Calm.”

Right. If I started flailing and disrupting them, I’d regret it. Deep practiced breaths that were second nature filled me.

“That’s it,” he encouraged with a growl in his voice.

“I’ve never been around so many bees before,” I confessed. “All the deadliest things are the most beautiful.”

He hummed an agreement.

Okay, Madison. This is how we’re going to make it. So suck it up.

I slowly walked through the field, ignoring the tickle of the bees brushing up against me.

“So brave.” Something like a purr came from him. His tone was akin to admiration.

“So stupid.” I chuckled.

“No. Stupid would mean you don’t understand the danger you’re in.” His fingers brushed over my shoulders again. “You feel your fear, and rise above it.”

The way his words subtly appreciated the things I’d always thought were my worst qualities made butterflies flutter in my stomach.

“You’d have made a hell of a warrior for my people.”

“Stop that.”

He blinked and it was hard for a seven-foot creature adorned in shadows to look confused, but the message was clear all the same. “What?”

“Complimenting me.”

“You are mine. It is my duty to express my reverence to the one I have claimed, so you understand how much I value and desire your companionship.”

Why couldn’t it be a normal man who wanted to appreciate me?

I bit my tongue to keep the ‘aww’ inside my head where it belonged. Bad enough my internal thoughts were turning against me; he didn’t need to know about it.

I was a magnet for fucked up men with tragic backstories. I really need to get in with a therapist, because every bone in my body wanted to give him a big hug and fix his hurt.

“You’re not supposed to treat me well. You’re supposed to be a monster that terrorizes me.”

His tongue took a long lick from my shoulder to behind my ear, making me gasp in surprise and my nipples tightened without my permission.

“Why can’t I do both?” he whispered into my ear, sending trembles down my spine.

I was so screwed.

His hand slid down every curve of my body until it slipped into the waistband of my shorts.

“Stay still.” His fingers slid over my clit, those sharp claws a reminder to obey him. I spread my legs to make it easier for him.

Two fingers dipped inside me, thrusting with the precision that he somehow didn’t rip me apart. My heart pounded, understanding that one wrong move would turn my lady bits to ribbons, but he felt so good, I couldn’t get the umph together to tell him to stop.

“See. You want both.” His fingers curled into my g-spot making a moan leave me. “You want me to treat you like my prey, then choose not to eat you.”

“I never said not to eat me,” I replied. He’d already shown how good at that he was.

Every stroke of his finger kept me hyper aware of every movement he made.There was no pain, just mind numbing bliss and a rapidly growing knot in my gut.

Without warning, the claws disappeared, and his entire body shrank. Instead, human hands went into double time, hitting my G-spot with wild precision. I guess without the claws he wasn’t worried about hurting me.

His free hand yanked the front of my tank-top and bra down until my breasts popped out. I was shocked to look up and see Aaron Falin’s face looking back at me.

“What are you doing?” I panted.

“Terrorizing someone.” He chuckled in my ear. “Across the woods, Aaron Falin was headed to his hunting land. Until he heard your sweet cries, now he’s jerking off to the idea of getting to fuck you.”

“You’re wrecked.” The poor man was going to be kicking himself for imagining himself fucking the new neighbor lady. He probably wouldn’t be able to look his woman in the eye for three business days.