Blood of My Monster (Monster Trilogy, #1)

by Rina Kent

To every girl who was fascinated by monsters

I’m ninety-nine percent sure Lipovsky is a woman. The only reason I keep addressing him as a he is because that’s the gender he chooses to display on the outside. In fact, he’s making a lot of effort to avoid standing out.

“Do you or do you not know that you fainted, sunshine?”

“I told you that I couldn’t take it anymore, sir,”

“Say that again.”

“Cat got your tongue?”

He jumps in front of me so that his chest nearly slams against mine. I stare down at him, and I can smell the soft tones of his skin. The little fucking tease.

There’s a dark intonation in his voice.

“How hurt are you?”

“Shot to the upper back, the shoulder, I think, but ...

“Like fuck it is. You’re barely...

“Ha… Guess that means my attempts to sound ...

“Don’t you dare lose consciousness, Lipovsky. T...

“You…called me Aleksander...

My eyes ...

“I like that ...

than the fake last name. No idea why I told him that, but it seemed imperative for some reason. At least Aleksander is the male version of my real name, ...

“Lipo...

Aleksandra. My name is Aleksandra, damn it. But I don’t have the strength to say that as my head lolls to the side. Some shots sound around me, continuing the symphony of war. I try to lift my rifle even when I can’t open my eyes. It’s instinct, I think. The need to remain alive no matter what. But my fingers barely move. I don’t know how much time passes or if it passes at all before I strong arms surround me. They feel big and cage-like, but instead of trappi...

“What the fuck am I going to d...

start to lift Lipovsky on my back. He’s so light, it’s easy to carry him. But since he’s unconscious, he starts tilting to the side, so I use the sling of his rifle to attach his hands to my neck. He moans when I put pressure against his wound. No fucking kidding, he actually moans. The sound is soft, too, like… I narrow my eyes on his unconscious face, but I let it go.

In no time, I remove my clothes and lay them on the snow, then put on the pants and cardigan I stole, plus the coat. After I’m done, I lay Lipovsky down. He moans again, the sound weaker and barely audible. I hesitate, but only for a second before I rip off his shirt, exposing his—or should I say her pale skin to the cold. As I suspected, her chest is bound with a bandage, and she has the figure of a woman. Now, I don’t know why she goes by a male name or why she went through all the trouble to join the military, but I do know it’s important enough that she sacrificed her gender identity for it. Or maybe she wants to be a he, which does make sense, considering how much she loathes being weak. At any rate, she’s more comfortable being addressed as a he, but she really needs to be a she right now. The only way these villagers will help is if we approach them as ordinary people. I remove the bandages, stopping when her breasts bounce free. They’re neither big nor small. They’re just the right size to grab onto while⁠— Focus. I put the dress on her, then make a hole where her wound is and soak it with blood. After I’m satisfied with the way it looks, I remove her pants, cover her with the coat, and slip the boots on her feet. They’re a size too big, but they’ll do. Mine will stay since they fit the clothes I got for me. Once I’m finished, I pause, staring at her. It’s weird that a mere change of clothes can make such a difference in the way she looks.

The door bangs open, and the pain dulls to the background when I’m met with familiar icy blue eyes. Captain Kirill. He’s dressed in casual pants, his black army boots, and a heavy coat that’s covered with snow. He removes the hat, revealing the entirety of his face, and he’s wearing…glasses. My heart thuds behind my rib cage as this unusual image of him sinks in. He looks regal, all muscle and destructive energy tucked neatly behind the casualwear. The glasses give him the appearance of an intelligent accountant who might or might not be hiding some dangerous tendencies.

Did Nadia just call me his…wife? There must be some sort of misunderstanding, because what the fuck? My thoughts whither and vanish as he sits beside me on the mattress and wraps his arm around my waist. The heavy weight of his hand settles on my hip, large and imposing, and effectively steals my breath. His fingers splay out on the fabric, and even though our skin is separated by the nightgown, he might as well be touching me naked. He’s never touched me this way, and the novelty of it throws me off.

“Capt…”

I trail off when my eyes clash with the warning in his harsh ones. The intensity behind them riv...

“It’s only a ...

His voice carries like warmth in the harsh winter. Deep and firm, but not as authoritative as I’m used to. Jesus. Is this an imposter or something? “That’s what I’ve been telling her,” Nadia supplies from beside me, but I’m too focused on the captain’s face to pay attention to her. His f...

“You can do this, So...

My sun."

No. Nope. I must be dreaming or else…or else…Captain Kirill just called me his sun. A term of endearment that’s only used between lovers. My jaw is about to hit the ground when he strokes my chin, subtly closing my parted lips. The motion is fast and straightforward, but he might as well have provoked a war in my chest. The place where he touched me tingles and heats, leaving me gasping due to something a lot different than pain. A prick swe...

“Look at me, Sol...

As if hypnotized, I turn my head in his direction. For some reason, his icy eyes aren’t so savage anymore, but they’re still dangerous. He’s successfully hidden his nature behind th...

“It’s going to b...

he says in that fake softness that wrenches a shiver out of me. What…is this? How am I supposed to stare at the captain and not think of him as my captain? The space between my legs warms and tingles. It’s uncomfortable...

“Excuse my wife.”

The captain tightens his hold on my waist.

“She’s not usually this way, but the gunshot has flipped our ...

“I understand.” Her gaze softens before she directs it at me. “You’re lucky to have such a devoted husband, young lady. Not many would carry another per...

I don’t dare look up at him as if I’ve done something wrong. The fact that he still has his arm around my waist doesn’t help, though. He lifts my chin with an index finger and leans forward, so I have no choice but to be trapped in those punishing eyes. My lips are a breath away from his, and I can’t help staring at his mouth. It’s clamped in a line, the lower lip fuller than the upper one, and his strong jaw is set. If he inches closer, the tiny space that separates us will be gone, and I’ll get to taste those lips⁠— What the… No.

Even my ears feel like they’re on fire as I stare at the rippling muscles of his back.

They don’t trust soldiers around here, and Nadia already asked me why we don’t have rings.”

“What did you tell her?”

“We were robbed, and then when we struggled and ran away, we were shot at. Thankfully, we got fa...

“They must’ve picked up that we don’t have a rural accent. Did they ask you why we were ...

He raises ...

“They did. I told them we were lovers of nature and were celebrating ou...

I can feel the heat rising in...

“That’s good ...

He motions at ...

“Looking horrified when I gave you a pet...