Page 5 of The Monster’s Obsession (A Monstrous World #5)

Chapter Five

Laz

S aber is one of the most stubborn monsters I’ve ever met. At first I assumed he kept his distance from Vivie out of respect for her relationship with me. Over time, a different picture started to form. He pretends he doesn’t like her over-the-top behavior, but that’s him deluding himself.

The universe doesn’t make mistakes when it comes to fated mates.

My kraken told me a while ago that he suspected their connection, and the more I paid attention, the more the signs made themselves known.

The way Saber watches her anytime she’s in the room.

How he follows her around more than any of the other performers.

Even his distaste at seeing her do shows with anyone outside of me.

Vivie is none the wiser.

She questions herself a lot, and even if she feels the pull toward him, there would be no way for her to verify it without being able to scent him.

Perhaps if they finally fucked, they would feel the connection.

That, or if Vivie saw him with another female.

I’m sure her natural instincts would take over, making her unable to control herself.

I’ve avoided bringing it up to Vivie because, at least in my mind, Saber needs to be the one to decide if he intends to pursue that connection.

Vivie would never be able to turn down a relationship with one of her fated mates, but I don’t have that same level of assuredness in Saber.

He really is a haughty fucker.

It’s clear how much he dislikes watching her perform with other monsters, and for a while, I was convinced that was why he chose not to pursue their connection.

For all I know, it could be any number of things. I’m not in his head, so all I can do is guess. It’s hard to put myself in his shoes, even when I try.

Kraken are polyamorous by nature.

My mother has seven mates—three of which are solely chosen partners rather than fated mates.

I loved growing up in a big family, but I’d also be content in a small pack.

I suppose it is different having to watch someone you love put on sexual performances with partners who aren’t members of the pack.

I don’t consider myself a jealous person, and I’ve considered asking if she would like to limit her stage partners to just me.

Those were fleeting thoughts, at best. Mostly because I don’t want to damage what we have. I’m the one who gets to cuddle her while she falls asleep at night. I’m the one she comes to when she needs to talk.

She might not have let her walls down completely, but she has deep trauma. As long as I continue to show up and put in the work, the day will come that she lets me break through that final shield she has around her heart.

It doesn’t take Saber physically dragging me across the hall and into Vivie’s apartment, but it’s close.

I know better than to be close to her when my kraken is all jacked up. He thought all of his dreams came true all at once when Vivie asked for his eggs. I knew better, and I tried to tell him as much, but he shut me out completely.

The complicated part is that we’re one in the same. I might think of him as a separate being, but we share one body. His thoughts and feelings are in some way my own, and that makes me question a lot of shit I haven’t let myself focus on before now.

Hence the massive amount of alcohol. Well, that and the guilt. I needed some way to numb the constant berating myself.

Saber shoves inside Vivie’s apartment like he’s more familiar with the place than he truly is.

I couldn’t be bothered with transforming back to human form, mostly because pants are annoying.

Then there’s the fact that I have no idea how my human form will handle the obscene amounts of liquor I’ve imbibed since last night.

It takes an extreme volume of alcohol to overpower my shifter DNA, and if I transition back to human form, I might face-plant.

Vivie’s bedroom is dark as Saber steps inside. I follow him in, blocking the doorway as I freeze.

She’s covered up from the top of her head to the bottom of her toes.

“She was feverish. You should take care of that,” he says, trying to pass me to exit the room.

I toss out my tentacles, preventing him from getting through. “I need a monitor now, probably more than ever.”

That’s not an exaggeration, either.

The blanket flies toward the foot of the bed, and Vivie pops up. “Laz…”

I want verbal confirmation from Saber that he’s going to stay, but seeing how wrecked Vivie looks, I don’t hesitate to make my way to the bed.

I’m big in partially shifted form, but I make it work. My tentacles slither around Vivie, and I lift her. “I’m here, precious.”

She falls into my chest, burying her face in my throat.

Although Vivie has no sense of smell, she is able to soak up my pheromones through inhaling them, as well as skin-on-skin contact. “I’m so sorry. I’ll incubate the eggs or accept them. I’ll probably be an awful mother, but I will try. I think I can do better than my own mom?—”

“Vivienne, enough,” I murmur, smoothing my hand down her back over my hoodie that she’s wearing.

“I don’t want to pressure you into anything you’re not ready for.

” I always assumed that I would have children, but I want her more than offspring.

“What we really need to talk about is this fever you’re running…

” I glance at the door just in time to see Saber inching toward it.

“Not a chance. Get your ass over here and fuck Vivie.”

“What?” Vivie chokes out.

“I can’t help you this quickening. My seminal fluid will signal to the eggs that it’s time to be fertilized.” I nuzzle my cheek to the top of her head. “But luckily, Saber can. He can come inside you over and over again, and it won’t fertilize the eggs. Not unless I come inside you first.”

My kraken tries to convince me that we could fuck her—as long as I don’t finish in her pussy. But I’m not sure if my precum could trigger the reaction in my eggs, so it’s better not to risk it.

This is exactly what I meant when I warned Saber about how much different it is being around your mate when they’re fertile.

My kraken loves and respects Vivie just as much as I do, but he’s guided completely by instinct. To him, it’s not sneaky at all to do everything in his power to protect our offspring.

He and I usually coexist peacefully, but I know he’s going to make this hard on me.

“You really should ask me if I’m down for that before you go making assumptions,” Saber says, reminding me I just told him to fuck my mate. He takes a seat on the edge of the mattress, and his icy gray eyes glow with his monster.

I almost laugh. “Are you?”

His eyes flash even brighter, and I’m sure he’s telepathically communicating with his sphinx. My eyes have been known to glow when my kraken wants to make his desires known. His beast likes the idea of fucking Vivie through the mattress, which says it all.

I just can’t determine why the man is so stubborn.

“Well, I’m not going to leave her suffering just because the two of you can’t get your shit together,” he says.

Gods.

He loves to take jabs.

Vivie’s arms tighten around my torso, and I’m once again reminded just how hot she is.

“It’s okay,” I murmur, patting her back. “We’re going to make sure you’re well taken care of. I’ll use my tentacles if it comes down to it.”

The terrifying part is that it isn’t just her need to be filled. The waves of cramps settle with semen, so Saber better be up for the job. She’s run me ragged during past quickenings, but hopefully between the two of us, we can get creative and handle the waves without her being in agony.

“How about you, precious? Are you comfortable with Saber fucking you while I can’t?” I ask.

“You can,” she mumbles. “I already said I wanted to keep the eggs.”

“Is that a yes or no to Saber joining us for this quickening?” I ask, ignoring her statement about my eggs. There will be plenty of time to talk about that later. Right now, we need to focus on getting her fever under control.

She nods. “Yeah.”

“This place is too cramped. It’s giving me claustrophobia,” Saber says, shoving himself off the bed. “Both of you need to pack a bag. You’re coming to my house.” He smirks. “I have a pool.”

“Salt water or chlorine?” I ask as my kraken perks up.

“Chlorine. Sorry, man.”

I sigh, shrugging. “I’ll deal.”

The ride to Saber’s house is impressive. I’ve seen him partially shifted a time or two, but never have I seen him in full sphinx form.

His coat is golden, and his wingspan has to be ten or twelve feet. He’s a regal beast and more than capable of carrying Vivie’s and my combined weight… Even while I’m shifted.

Staying in partially shifted kraken form allows me the additional security of being able to wrap my tentacles around his sphinx, even though he assured us before we left that he wouldn’t let us fall.

My kind is comfortable in the ocean, not the air. I won’t make any apologies for ensuring he can’t drop me.

Vivie stays so tightly wrapped around my front that I’m fairly sure she misses the entire ride, but she does perk up once we’re on the ground.

I open my bag and toss him his pants. He had to disrobe completely to shift. He moves farther away and changes back before pulling on his jeans, but he doesn’t bother to zip or button them.

“Holy shit, Saber,” she says, glancing around the spacious courtyard. The brick fence has to be at least ten feet tall, wrapping around the entire house, and from what I could tell from the air, the backyard too. “How can you afford this place?”

She might have asked the question, but I was wondering myself.

The Den is a great place to work, and they pay us well.

Not this well, though.

Space in Haven is limited due to the sanctuary ward that surrounds the city.

A house like this could easily go for three or four million dollars. Monsters have long lifespans, and they’ll overpay just to ensure they get what they want.

“My father is obnoxiously wealthy,” Saber says, smiling tightly.

“When I came of age, several members of his harem started looking at me as a viable option for a second husband. My father doesn’t like splitting his attention with anyone—not that I was interested in any of his swarm of partners.

Anyway, he shoved an obscene inheritance at me and told me it was my time to make my way in the world.

I spent a few hundred years traveling aimlessly and eventually landed in Haven.

The rest is history. Come along. I’ll show you the bedroom options. ”

He does an about-face and takes off.

Vivie still clings to my chest, and I have our bags tucked over my tentacles. How generous of him to offer to help.

I almost snort.

This should be an adventure.