Page 32 of Monsterland Mayhem

She gapes at him. “There’s something seriously wrong with you.”

“Well, obviously,” he drawls, giving her a lopsided grin. “But at least I have decent hearing, unlike you.”

Her eyes widen even more. “My hearing is fine.”

“Then why are we still standing here?” he counters.

“Because I have no idea what’s really going on here or why I should trust you.”

“Well, I saved you from the Blood Ocean, then helped you out of the Gum Tree, carried you through the Hot Chocolate Fields so you wouldn’t accidentally be burned alive by a fudge bomb, and I knocked out those spikers back there so they wouldn’t drag you into their cactus house. What more do I need to do to earn your trust, Ailsa?”

Ah, fuck.I know this side of Craze. It’s his grumpier personality, the one who lacks patience and doesn’t appreciate being spoken down to. He usually only rears his head when he’s feeling frustrated or incredibly bored. I suspect now is a result of a mixture of the two.

“You’re a bit of a brat, aren’t you?” Craze goes on, causing Krolic’s head to fall back on a loud sigh. Because he knows there’s no stopping the man now.

“A bit of a brat?” Ailsa echoes. “I literallyfellinto this realm because of one of those portal things, and everything’s been trying to kill me since.”

“Nothing wants to kill you, Ailsa. Just fuck you. You’re an Omega who is about to go into heat. Everything here wants toknotyou.” He folds his arms, his dark eyes glittering with flecks of gold.

It’s a warning.

A tell that says a much more violent part of Craze’s wild personality has come out to play.

Both Krolic and I take a step forward, but Craze throws up a hand. “Stay out of this.”

“We really need to go,” Krolic says.

“No shit,” Craze fires back. “Tell that to the ungrateful Omega who keeps questioning our intentions.”

“I think I’m well within my rights to question everything,” she snaps at him. “It’s not my fault you keep wasting your questions on frivolous details like flowers and colors.”

His eyebrows lift. “There’s nothingfrivolousabout my questions, Ailsa.”

She takes a step back as he moves toward her.

But he catches her by the hip, preventing her from running.

“I want to know what fruit to feed you in the morning, and now I know you enjoy cherries,” he says, clearly startling her.

“I—”

“I wanted to know what flowers to get you when I’ve upset you,” he goes on, cutting her off. “And now I know you like sunshine flowers, or sunflowers, as you call them.AndI know what color shirt to wear tomorrow since you like purple. Those are called important details, darling. Notfrivolousones.”

Her lips part, no words leaving her.

“And further, I answered your questions with honesty and integrity. Yet you still have the audacity to say you can’t trust me?” He blows out his breath and shakes his head. “You certainly know how to make an Alpha work for it, Ailsa. I’m trying. We’re all trying. But a little understanding would go a long way.”

While he’s not wrong, he’s not exactly going easy on her.

However, a glimmer of comprehension shines in her gaze, dismantling the shock in her features. “You’re… right.”

“I know I am, but thank you for acknowledging it,” he replies. “Now can we go, please?”

CHAPTER NINE

CRAZE

I’m beinghard on her. I know I am. However, there’s a time for patience, and now isn’t it. Those spikers will be waking up soon, my cards having only slayed them temporarily.