“I’m fine,” I snapped and tried to lean up against the pole. Instead, I missed the pole but caught myself at the last minute and stood up straight like nothing had happened.
“She’s really got you worked up, doesn’t she?” Lucien whispered to me in concern. “She’s just a female. Nothing to worry about. You will do great, okay? And if not, she will carry on the conversation. I didn’t mean to rile you up.”
My throat bobbed, and I shook my head. “No, I need to be better. More like a male.” I wobbled and grabbed hold of the tent pole.
I blinked several times. My vision was… blurry.
Before I could ask what was wrong with me, the party tent fell away into nothingness as my antennae twitched with her unmistakable scent. My head snapped toward her. There she stood at the entrance, Kassie, while beside her, her roommate wore some rabbit getup I barely registered. All I could see were Kassie's curves wrapped in black sheer fabric, fishnet patterns hugging her body in all the right places. And crowning her head, like some divine joke aimed at my species: a lampshade with an actual working bulb glowing above her dark curls.
Praise be to Night.
I took another patch from my pocket and slapped it on the side of my neck. Cannot mess this up.
Lucien's gaze tracked mine to the entrance. He squeaked in amusement. "Well, would you look at that," he said, drink sloshing in his clawed grip. "A walking moth trap. Every male with antennae in this place is about to lose his mind."
I swayed and grabbed his arm.
“Atlas, what the hell is wrong with you? Wait… why do you have another patch on? Do you have more on you?”
I swayed again, then launched myself toward the center of the crowd. Each step felt like wading through honey as I fixated on her standing there, bathed in light, drawing me in like gravity itself.
Pretty light.
The wind blew, sending her scent toward me. It was like slow motion when our eyes met. Kassie’s eyes lit up, her dark red lips made my tongue salivate.
Why was I even scared to begin with? She always had a welcoming smile for me.
Did she like me?
My tongue hung from my mouth, my wings widened, pushing people away. Nothing else mattered. I was going to go talk to Kassie.I was going to talk to Kassie,who had turned herself into one of my favorite things.
She was my light.My lamp.
As I staggered closer, her eyes widened, tracking upward to meet mine. My antennae twitched with sudden awareness—I towered over her. Without thinking, I folded my legs beneath me, crouching until we were face-to-face.
Such a pretty female.
Pretty lamp.
After the long, slow walk to her, I couldn’t think of anything to say! Her eyes looked at me expectantly, and my thorax thrummed with excitement. My wings fluttered on their own, widening to their full potential.
Her roommate gasped, watching us.
“Atlas,” Kassie breathed. “Those wings arebeautiful!”
My eyes brightened, reflecting red off of Kassie’s face.
I wobbled and stood up straight and then blurted… “Ilovelamp!”
Chapter Eight
Kassie
Iblinked several times as we entered the tent. Harlow wasn’t kidding; it was like stepping into a paranormal cosplay convention.
How other humans didn’t realize that these were monsters, the paranormal walking among us, was insane.
Harlow clutched her cookie basket to her chest. "Everyone else must be under some kind of enchantment. I mean, look at that." She nodded toward a headless figure in a black Victorian suit and cloak, who stood beside a midnight-black stallion. The horse snorted and pawed at the ground impatiently while its mastertipped a glass of wine into its neck hole. Yeah, there was no head. "How else could anyone mistake that for a costume? It's obviously real."
