Edin (Monstrous, #2)

by Lily Mayne

His skin was a pale purple, and I could see the hint of a fang peeking from between his lips. His hair was long and kind of messy. Also purple. Dark purple, like his eyes, which were bigger than a human’s and had much larger irises, giving them a creepy look.

“I like the look of you, human.” He grinned at me again, fangs glinting.

This guy was infuriatingly placid.

Don’t worry, human.” He shot me a wide, fanged grin. “I think you’re pretty.”

He shot me a wolfish grin. “You can call me whatever you want, human.” His voice was a low rumble, somehow intensely intimate. My breath caught, and I felt my throat bob as I swallowed. I saw his big eyes track the movement before he turned to face forward again.

I glanced over at him, and my eyes snagged on his tiny nipples. They were a dark brownish purple, which was kind of weird, but also… My belly swooped and I looked away again quickly, clearing my throat.

“Although now you won’t be able to stare at my ass all day as we walk.” I choked on a breath, cheeks getting hot even as I glared at him. At least the lower half of my face was covered behind my mask. “In your dreams, scratch.” “Mm.” His big eyes gleamed as he side-eyed me. “Yes.”

I hadn’t ever realised I’d be into someone who was bigger than me. Taller and stronger. Because I’d never come across it before. I’d always been the one in control. The one who had to be careful because of my size. The one who’d done all the work, so to speak. With Edin, I wouldn’t have to worry about that.

“I’m not getting into bed with you leering at me, scratch.” I raised a brow back at him. “Or is this just an excuse for you to stare at my ass.” I wasn’t sure what made me say it, but my stomach lurched with anticipation when I did. Edin just chuckled. “I don’t need an excuse to do that, human. But I would appreciate a look at it while you’re not wearing pants.”

other humans were attracted to monsters, too. And, I mean, fuck… Edin was just like a big, overgrown, jacked up purple dude. Wyn was… inhuman. Everything about him screamed demon. Ghoul. A creature that lurked in the shadows and the dead of night. By comparison, Edin was just a big lovable teddy bear. With fangs. And horns. And a long prehensile tail with a very sharp tip.

I wanted him. I wanted to touch all that hot, smooth skin that was always on view, always fucking tempting me. I wanted to hear that impossibly deep voice groaning out with pleasure. I wanted to fuck Edin. And judging by the way he was looking back at me, he knew exactly what I was thinking. And he wanted it too.

“I’ve wanted to fuck you since the first moment I saw you, josdo,” he said, and my heart started to pound harder in my chest. “Josdo?” I repeated, trying to pronounce it just how he had—joz-doh. My voice was hoarse. “What does that mean?” Edin grinned wide, fangs glinting as he leaned forward. “It means ‘morsel’, human. Because that day we met, when I told you I didn’t want to eat you…” He leaned even closer to nuzzle my ear, making a pleasant shiver run up my spine. “…I lied.”

“You smell like… I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. Normally I can, but…” He shook his head and pressed his nose against my pulse point on my inner wrist. My heart sped up, goosebumps prickling down my arms at the brush of his nose against the sensitive, fragile skin. “Just… comforting. Like a nice memory.”

You tend to travel a lot. My stomach roiled. I thought about what Wyn had said the day before. About what Edin had told me. He’d been on his own for so long. I pictured Edin walking alone for miles across the Wastes. Just walking. That was what he’d been doing when he found me in that sinkhole. I hated it. I hated the thought of it. Did he get lonely?

“I don’t want anyone else, Hunter,” he told me, his impossibly deep voice curling through my belly. Pure, unadulterated pleasure shot through me. I wanted to reach out and grab him and force his body close to me. I wanted to kiss the shit out of him. Only the monsters milling around stopped me doing any of it. “Me neither.” I flushed. “I mean, I don’t either.”

“Please be careful, Hunter,” he said. “I’ll be worrying for you.” It felt like my heart melted, which was an entirely foreign sensation for me. I was filled with an overwhelming urge to crush this big purple monster against me. To hold him tight in my arms and not let go.

“I wish we had some privacy,” he said, then looked back at me. “I want to kiss you badly, my Hunter.”

I could still see the word Wyn had carved into his chest with painstaking precision. MONSTER.