Page 5 of The Monster at the End of This Molt (The Monster at the End of His Pregnancy #4)

Chapter Five

Robin

At first, I'd been terrified of the ocean. It looked so deep, and with the way Kermit kept diving into it with his long neck or dipping his legs in to snatch fish right out of the water, I conjured a new waking nightmare where I fell head-first into the depths. Then Weld wrapped his arms around me, and I felt safer than ever before.

My life hadn't been one of strife or terror, by any means, but I'd always felt a little uneasy around my family and friends. It felt like a piece of me was missing.

Weld was it, my missing piece. And even though I knew his cock would fit perfectly inside me and his knot would bring me intense pleasure unlike anything I'd ever known, this feeling of safety and acceptance came from a higher place in my chest where our bond lived, not from my desire to mate.

Obviously, I wanted the sex, the mark, and the mating, too. For now, I enjoyed spending time with my mate. I soaked in every experience he showed me of the lovely place he'd chosen for his hideaway.

Once Kermit had his fill of fish, Weld directed him to the cliffs overlooking a beach. I'd never seen lavender sand before. It was beautiful.

Weld served us a meal of salads, from potato to gelatin and everything in between. I missed the bacon bits my dad usually mixed into our pasta salad, but Weld's had a spicy kick to it that enticed me to take a second and third helping.

When we were both stuffed and sunning ourselves on the ledge like the satisfied half-lizards we were, Weld scooped up my hand, lacing our fingers together. "Do you want to fly back to the cabin?" From his tone, I guessed he had something else in mind.

"Not really," I said. "It's such a lovely day."

"We could explore up the coastline instead," he said. "There are some dragon ruins an hour north."

"Dragon ruins?" Color me intrigued. I sat up, tugging on our linked hands until he followed.

"You don't get airsick, do you?"

I laughed. "You still have to ask, after Kermit practically tossed us into the sea?"

"I'm fine on an empty stomach, but sometimes I get a little queasy after a big meal." He shrugged, like admitting the small weakness to me was no big deal. He'd come a long way from the kobold alpha who had bitten my dad's ear after a fight. "Until our food settles, we could walk along the cliffs."

I nodded, the words still stuck in my throat. "Thank you," I finally croaked. "I know that wasn't easy for you to share."

He released my hand. I thought I'd said something wrong until he draped his arm over my shoulders and pulled me in to plant a kiss behind my ear. "Everything is easier with you," he said. "What you said this morning … I'm sorry being my fated mate isn't as wonderful as you'd hoped."

But it was. That had been the whole point of my teary tirade. Weld was everything I wanted, if only he could get his head out of his ass and realize that for himself.

He wouldn't, though. If I knew anything about my fated mate, it was how stubborn he could be.

"Being your fated mate is the best thing that's ever happened to me." Before he could interject, I slid my arm around his waist for balance and held my finger to his lips. I managed to stay in step with him and not trip us both, which was a miracle. This was as close to dancing as I'd ever come.

"I'm having a great time on this trip," I continued. "Let's enjoy the afternoon and see where it takes us, shall we?"

He puckered his lips against my finger, a whisper of a kiss. I pressed it to my lips before letting my hand drop back to my side.

Weld squeezed my shoulder, and I glanced up to find him grinning at me. "What?"

"You're adorable." Instead of kissing me for real, he pulled my head to his chest and ruffled my hair with his other hand. I almost lost my balance, but he caught my armpit and pulled me upright.

I wanted to shout, "I'm not a kid," at the top of my lungs. It would be childish, but it would feel good to expunge some of my pent-up frustration.

Instead, I walked beside him, focusing on the sandy trail and interesting vines worming their way up the cliffs and sometimes across our path.

Weld had never been the type to fill the silence, unlike almost everyone else in my life. I was grateful for the peace. It gave me time to daydream about a future where Weld would want to claim me as his fated mate.

Just when I was about to pull him to the side of the path and make my dreams of kissing him real, Weld released me and motioned for Kermit to land in a clearing up ahead. "Are you ready to see some dragon ruins?"

"You know it."

Sitting in the saddle with Weld was exquisite torture. I loved the feel of his cock pressed against my ass. I wanted to squirm against him. Instead, I practiced deep breathing and focused on the landscape below. The dark ocean stretched to the horizon, reflecting two white lines from our suns. It was truly beautiful.

Weld's breath was hot on the back of my neck. "Look, over those trees."

I followed his pointing finger to a dark mound rising above the ironwood forest. Back home, I would have assumed it was a mountain, but the closest mountains were to the east, and almost too far to see through the thin veil of clouds.

As we neared, it became clear the mound had once been stone blocks formed into a steeple. The point had long since fallen away, leaving a mound of rubble. The structure had been massive, far larger than our dragon temple back home. Even in its ruined state, it was twice the size of the fortress.

"Dragons built this?" I asked.

"Kobolds built this," he said, "to worship their dragons by the sea." Kermit landed in a nearby clearing, and Weld slid to the ground a moment later. Yearning for his warmth, I closed my eyes and shivered.

"Robin?"

I opened my eyes. He held his hands outstretched, ready to help me down if I needed it.

"I'm fine." As easy as it would be to fall into his arms, I needed to show him I was his adult omega mate.

"You look cold," he said with a shrug.

Once I was on the ground, he draped his arm over me. I slung my arm around his waist again, and we approached the building's gaping entryway.

His warmth reinvigorated me. I longed for this easy companionship every day.

Inside, we could only take a few steps forward before the collapsed walls halted our movement. Weld pulled me to the left, where the path went a little further toward a narrow alcove. Inside was a tiny kobold statue. Beneath it were symbols in the old kobold script.

"Names," Weld said. "Either they were the kobolds who built this place, or they died trying."

"I can't believe we used to look like that," I said. The kobold statue looked closer to movie gremlins than a kobold/human hybrid.

"I can't imagine being that short." Weld chuckled and nuzzled my temple. "What's it like?"

"I am not short." I was tall for an omega, but Weld was one of the tallest alphas I knew. "I was made for you," I reminded him. "Your perfect fit."

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I still say whatever comes to mind, even if it's mean."

"Some might call that behavior immature." I stuck my tongue out at him to prove my point. Maybe I didn’t have to try so hard to prove I was an adult. "Another reason we're perfect for each other."

"Maybe you're right."

We couldn't go any farther. I shifted around in the crowded space and led him back the way we came.

The suns were sinking toward the horizon, leaving us in the forest's shadow. In the clearing, Kermit paced, as though he feared the approaching darkness.

Weld climbed into the saddle first again, and I settled in front of him, this time not resisting the urge to grind against him. Only once, but it had the desired effect. His erection poked me in the back the entire way home.

We ate our salad leftovers for dinner. To further the daydream I'd had, I helped Weld do the dishes. When he sent me to the bathroom to get ready for bed, I complied, except when it was his turn, I waited on the couch until he finished and then followed him to his bedroom.

"What are you doing?" he asked, as though it wasn't obvious.

"I want to sleep with you."

He leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms over his chest. "Sleep. That's all we're doing."

That was all the concession I needed. "Yep!" I shoved past him and threw myself on his bed. My elbow landed the wrong way on something as hard as a rock, and I screamed. "Ow!"

It hurt so bad, my reflexes kicked in. Bone spikes jutted from my elbows, relieving some of the searing pain.

"Gods, must you be such a child?" Weld hadn't moved from the doorway, and now he shook his head at me with a wry grin curving his lips.

"What the hell is this?" I fished the offending rock, it really was a fucking rock, from beneath his sheets.

"Warming rock." He shrugged his shoulders, and his arms loosened a little. "It gets cold at night."

I dragged it from his bed. As much as I wanted to heave it into the corner and shatter it into a hundred pieces for hurting me, I bent at the knees and placed the heavy thing about the size of a standard pillow on the floor instead.

"See? I can be an adult."

When I stood up, Weld stood behind me, and I felt his breath on my nape. "I can see that." He grabbed my ass and swayed our hips together for a moment, with his chin resting on my shoulder. "Don't tempt me, Robin." His tone held a note of desperation. "I don't want to hurt us both by moving too quickly."

"Name one fated mates couple who has divorced," I said.

"Galen's parents."

"Galen's a dragon, not a kobold, and they never divorced."

"Right." His tone was thick with sarcasm. "They split for a hundred years. Like we've got that kind of time."

I sighed. When he was like this, I saw no point in arguing with him. I turned in his arms instead, daring him to kiss me with my mouth mere inches from his.

"I'm sorry the horrible rock bit you," he said, "but it's time to sleep now."

"Don't I get a goodnight kiss?"

"Get in bed, and I'll tuck you in."

"Like my parents would? Ew. No."

He laughed. "You're insufferable."

"Stop suffering!" He brought it all on himself, and we both knew it. I was his in every way imaginable. "You know you want me."

"I do." He rested his forehead against mine. "But you gave me a week to fix this fucking tractor, and I'm not done yet."

I huffed out an exasperated breath. Arguing wouldn't help. He had his heart set on fixing the tractor, and I wouldn’t deny him the right to do it on his own.

He slid his hands behind my neck and cupped the back of my head, holding me in place while he stared into my eyes. "I'm so glad you're here." His voice was rough with emotion.

He kissed me, and the rest of the world melted away. I closed my eyes and dropped my hands to his waist for an anchor. I opened for him, and his tongue slid between my lips. The intensity of it popped my ears like I was under water. I'd never experienced anything like it, and I never wanted it to end.

This was a real kiss, not a goodnight peck after a date or a sloppy make-out session. Making out with humans in college had inevitably led to more, most ending with boring blow jobs or lackluster sex.

Weld had no intention of fucking me tonight, but his kiss left me breathless and satisfied, even while my cock pulsed with my heartbeat and my magical underwear worked overtime to regulate my body's slick. The bond between us had been there since I could remember, but tonight, it changed. Weld wasn't ready to claim me, but the kiss settled the bond. I couldn't hear his thoughts in my head, but I could sense what he was feeling when we were physically close.

Through our bond, I felt his conflicting emotions. He loved me, but he was afraid. Over the next few days, I would make it my mission to allay his fears.