Moth (Monstrous, #5)

by Lily Mayne

“Shit.” Hunter’s eyes were wide. “I think… this is the camp Cat’s from.”

OH MY GOD YES HES GOING TO TELL ANCHOR THAT CAT IS ALIVE. THANK GOD. POOR ANCHOR

Seemed like it wasn’t just Hunter chasing monster dick, then. Well—and Danny. I’d only met him briefly, but he had apparently decided on the most monstrous dick of monster dicks. The Soul Eater was… terrifying.

“Is this Cat’s camp?” Aury froze completely, except for his wings, which twitched and fluttered. “You know Cat?” Hunter nodded. “We have a message from him. For, uh… Anchor?”

Oh my god poor anchor just tell her already

“Tiny horns,” Edin muttered in a conspiratorial tone to Hunter as we approached. He snorted. “So?” “Just saying.”

“Your mate is safe. And your… Charlie.” I cleared my throat. “I’m Hunter’s best friend. We’re not a throuple.”

He’s hot.” Edin let out a disgruntled snarl from the other side of him and smacked Hunter in the chest. It was immensely satisfying for me—and I suspected for Edin—to hear Hunter wheeze at the impact.

That was what had jarred me when I’d first spotted him, I realised. He was too perfect. Too stunningly beautiful to really look human. He looked more like what an artist would picture the perfect human to look like.

I love moth already

And they were aimed at Ghost with an embarrassingly obvious expression. Christ, his pupils had practically reshaped themselves into cartoon hearts. I suppressed my wince, glancing down at Ghost’s hand firmly tucked inside Aury’s. Tough break, dude.

“And we’ll wait here for Charlie to get back,” Edin continued, appearing oblivious to the way all the raiders stiffened at his declaration.

“Hunter’s not an introvert,” I said cheerfully. “He’s just an unlikeable asshole.”

Gloam stroked a big hand through his hair and smiled down at him. Geez, everyone was just loving monsters these days, huh?

There are things about him that they don’t know.” I stared. “What things?” Gloam shook his head. “It’s not my place. They are his secrets. His burdens.”

This is so ominous I’m excited

“And at least you’ll be in the company of a half monster out there. He should understand their actions and customs better than others. That will help.” I gave a polite chuckle. “Yeah.” But as he started to walk away toward the hatch, his words registered properly. I turned to stare at the big black spot on the back of his bald head. “Wait, what?”

Everyone just fucking loved the new human in the camp. Edin’s surly human lover didn’t really speak to anyone or make an effort to ingratiate himself with the raiders, but the one with dark hair and grey eyes—Charlie—seemed to effortlessly draw attention and make people want to flock to him. With his big, stupid smile and smooth, low voice with a southern accent.

I’d waited for them at first. Waited for them to come back, even though they hadn’t been nice. I’d had no one else.

POOR MOTH. I also wonder why lilys doing a dual pov now. I kinda liked the single pov

I’d crept forward and snatched up the bracelet. I’d curled back up clutching it, pretending it had belonged to my mom. Pretending I had something of value in the world, even though it was just a cheap bit of metal. The bracelet had rusted and turned discoloured over the years. Sometimes if I fiddled with it for too long, it stained my fingers green. And even though I obviously knew it didn’t belong to my mother, the lie I’d told myself as a child had become a twisted half-truth

POOR MOTH

I’d been convinced he was going to tell them all, and I didn’t know what they’d have done to me if they’d found out.

Tell them all what?????

I didn’t think I’d be able to stand seeing the horror and disgust in Ghost’s eyes if he knew.

Knew what?? Oh my god tell me

My face burned as Hunter and Edin fussed over me like I was their only child getting ready to go on his first school field trip.

Oh my god I know why lily is doing dual pov. It’s bc moth is half monster

He’d been sitting all alone when I went over the night before. I didn’t know if it was because he didn’t like any of the raiders, or he didn’t feel like he was welcome.

He was irritatingly attractive. Even the back of him was. The wide shoulders and long legs. The sword. Why was the sword so hot? He should have looked like a douche.

I need a full body pic of this man like right now

I’d seen the weird tattoos covering his neck and hands. My belly heated when I wondered where else he had them. And whether he had any other piercings, aside from the three in his lips and the several small hoops I could see in his ears, which weren’t human—they tapered into delicate points.

He actually sounds so hot

But before I could, Moth was suddenly there, moving with blurring speed. My brain struggled to catch up as I watched him swing his sword down and cut off both of the skinny guy’s hands, before lopping off the arm of the redhead as he stumbled back, clutching his shoulder and trying to get away.

THIS IS SO HOT

He calmly wiped the blood off his sword with the skinny guy’s shirt, ignoring his thrashing and gurgling screams as he waved his two handless arms that were spurting blood everywhere.

Oh my god I love moth

And I was only there for one night before Hunter got me out, so… it wasn’t too bad.” It had been terrifying. I’d been shitting bricks the entire time they’d dragged me across the Wastes, even though they hadn’t hurt me. And then I thought I was going to be stuck in that prison until I got the shit beaten out of me by another human or a monster and died a painful death all alone.

I stared at the office door, picturing Moth sleeping behind it. What were Moth’s secrets?

Sadness tightened my chest despite the incredulous anger. Damn, Moth had issues. And I knew my initial assessment of him had been right. It wasn’t just about helping Ghost, despite what he’d said. He desperately wanted to be accepted by the camp, but he wasn’t. And he hated that I had been so easily. I couldn’t imagine what it was like, straddling both worlds. He didn’t seem to have been fully accepted by either.

This is so sad

Yeah, I was attracted to Moth, even though he was an asshole most of the time and in love with a raider. And I was pretty sure that he was attracted to me too, even just a little. I was also pretty sure that he hated it.

“Shall we meet up by the pawn shop?” I asked Moth, my brows twitching when he got a panicked look on his face. “Uh…” He looked around the room like he couldn’t see the big, bright pink letters flickering directly opposite him. “…There?” I said slowly, pointing at it. He stared at it, then nodded tightly

I wonder if moth is illiterate?? Oh my god i just want to give him a big hug

He appeared after about ten minutes, face blank as though he didn’t notice the raiders who stared at him and muttered to one another, but I knew he had. He looked tense.

Oh my god I just want to give him a giant hug UGHHHHHHHHHHH

“You got me a scarf?” I let out a blissful sigh, my warm breath heating my cold chin and nose under the fabric. “Thanks, Moth.” He grunted, pale eyes flashing to me before he started walking again. “So you stop bitching about being cold.”

He didn’t answer, or maybe I didn’t hear it over the wind. I glanced back and almost stumbled as I jerked to a sudden halt. Moth was gone.

HES SO MYSTERIOUS WHATS GOING ON

He wasn’t there. He was just gone. I looked around wildly, trying to spot any boot prints in the snow that would indicate where he’d gone. But there were none except our tracks from the yard, and it looked like he’d been walking in the footprints I’d made anyway. There were no drag marks. Nothing to indicate that he’d fallen or sprinted off.

THIS IS SO CREEPY

Moth looked dishevelled, his hair coming free from its braid. He was breathing hard, and his pale eyes flared with relief when he saw me. All anger fled. I couldn’t stop myself from striding forward and pulling him into a hard hug, holding my gun down at my side.

POOR MOTH OH MY GOD. I finally understand everyone’s obsession with him oh my god

“Fuck, are you okay?” I asked worriedly. “What happened? Where did you go?”

WAIT A SECOND. THIS SAME THING HAPPENED TO GHOST ON A SCOUTING TRIP. MOTH JUST LEFT HIM. WHATS GOING ON?????

“Did you—You were there one second and gone the next. Did you fall? Did something grab you?” “I—” He looked panicked, which just made me more worried. “I had to—go and do something. I’m sorry,” he blurted again.

What did he have to do? Did it have something to do with him being a monster???????

“Look, I’m sorry,” he snapped, reaching up and shoving back his messy hair. He ripped the tie free with a snarl of irritation and ran his fingers through the strands to get rid of the braid.

This is so hot

He stared at the floor. “I can’t tell you.” “What the fuck?” I exploded, shoving a hand through my hair. “Why not? What were you doing?” “Charlie, just drop it.” He sounded weary as he picked up his bag and walked around to where I’d been sitting before.

OH MY GOD MOTH I JUST WANT TO GIVE HIM A GIANT HUG OH MY GOD. I finally understand why everyone is obsessed with him 😭 😭 😭

Moth exhaled and reached up to wipe his forehead. He looked even paler than normal in the faint glow from the snow coming in through the windows. There were shadows under his eyes.

OH MY GOD I WANT TO GIVE HIM A GIANT HUG OH MY GAWD LILY MAYNE WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME

Worry cut through the anger, just a little. Seriously, what the fuck had happened? Where had he gone?

“I can’t,” he said hoarsely. “But I didn’t want to go. I wouldn’t—I didn’t want to just leave you, Charlie. I mean it.”

Is there a medicine or something that he needs to take in private? I can’t think of anything else. It sounds like he just disappeared then got dropped back onto the earth

It looked like he’d… landed on all fours in the snow.

Maybe he’s actually a moth and he had to go flying somewhere

I looked around wildly. It looked like he’d just been fucking dropped from the air.

“Did you drop out of the fucking sky?” His eyes darted to the doors. “What?” I gestured behind me. “There are no tracks, then suddenly your handprints appear. Like you just fell out of the sky.”

Lmaoaoaoao

He just grunted, lifting the bottle to his lips as he watched the fire. I tried not to stare at him. His face was faintly flushed from both the booze and being scrubbed clean. His hair was wet and braided back again. The firelight flickered over the tattoos on his neck and long fingers.

He’s so hot

the older you get, the more you realise that it’s pointless wasting time worrying about the people who don’t like you. They’re not gonna like you whatever you do. Focus on what makes you happy.”

Moth said nothing, still looking down at the bottle. He looked so… lost. I hated it. I hated that he felt completely alone in the world and chose to close himself off from everyone.

“So… what is your monster half?” I asked tentatively, glancing at him. “Maybe I’ve made up a stupid name for your species,” I added with a little smile to try and cheer him up. But he didn’t smile back. He tensed up, fingers tightening on the bottle. “I’m going to bed,” he mumbled

I’m guessing he doesn’t know what his monster half is. Oh my god I want to give him a giant hug

The thought of Moth living here alone was heartbreaking. In a dark, empty house on a dark, empty street in the middle of nowhere. Surely he had to get lonely, otherwise he wouldn’t visit the camp.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” I blurted and spun back into the hallway, slamming the door behind me, my heart pounding. “Fucking knock.” Moth sounded furious, but his voice shook. The shame swelled, making me bite my lip. “I’m so sorry, Moth.” I stood there clenching the door handle tight in a sweaty hand. “I didn’t realise—I—”