Harlow groaned. “You are going to be honest about something ten minutes before she has to go on?”
I gave Harlow the kill signal with a finger slicing through my neck.
“Yes, I… am going through a hard time, and I am very possessive of you right now. I am trying to give you space, but I have an urge to… to…”
Hell. Please tell me you want to rut me with my ass up in the forest.
“Rut you.”
“Yesss, my Mothman daddy. That is exactly what I want to hear!” I sat up and kissed his human form.
My desk timer shrieked its ten-minute warning. Harlow lunged to silence it, then planted her hands on her hips with an exaggerated sigh. "Hate to break up the love-fest, but your gaming nemesis awaits. Better log in now and check for system updates before you destroy TeaBag's fragile ego."
My fingers found the invisible softness around Atlas' neck, tracing through fur I couldn't see but knew existed beneath the concealment spell. He tightened his grip in response, and I buried my face against his. Before him, I'd kept everyone at arm's length—no mushy stuff, no vulnerability. But somehow this Mothman had dismantled my defenses without effort. He was just so… simple and pure.
He claimed he needed me, but he has no idea how much I needed him.
The thought of him flying away, just disappearing back into the forest, made something twist painfully in my chest. I never planned to need anyone this much. Yet here I was, completely undone by a giant moth creature who kneaded my breasts like some oversized, supernatural housecat.
I pressed my forehead to his. “I love you, Atlas. What can I do to make this easier for you? Do I need to cancel?”
Atlas' eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No, you should play." His hands found my hips, fingers pressing into the soft curve there as he inhaled deeply against my neck. "Being close to you when you're... excited like this... It's difficult, but it helps me control my urges. Otherwise, I might find myself hunting down your opponent instead of just watching you defeat him."
I paused, my brows furrowing. “Why would you care about Titan?”
Atlas mumbled, squeezing me tighter, “No reason.”
Does he think I’m that stupid?
Footsteps up the creaking stairs interrupted us. Harlow stomped her foot, a small growl leaving her lips. “Seriously, he decides to show up now?”
The mayor-slash-Slenderman-slash-Gideon-slash pain in my ass, appeared in the doorway clutching an elaborate bouquet, his bright pink tie a stark contrast against his crisp white shirt. A flush crept across his cheeks as he cleared his throat. "Pardon the intrusion, your door was open. I was hoping to find Harlow?" His voice lilted upward with uncertainty.
Harlow eyed him. “Just because the door is unlocked doesn’t mean you can come in. Where did you learn your manners?” she said with playfulness in her voice.
The mayor stumbled on his words and stepped back. “My apologies, did not mean to offend.”
Harlow snatched the bouquet from his hands, her eyes widening at the sight of orchids, tulips, and daisies in soft pastels—all her favorites. "These are gorgeous," she said, burying her nose in the petals before looking up with feigned innocence. "Who's the lucky girl?"
I couldn't tell if Harlow was deliberately torturing the poor man or if she was genuinely that oblivious.
The mayor tugged at his collar, a flush creeping up his neck as he cleared his throat. "I had rather hoped... that is to say, these are for you. Would you consider joining me this evening? For dinner? At my residence?"
How in the fuck does this guy talk?
Harlow looked to me, and we both smirked at each other. The mayor was trying to get Harlow away from Atlas and not expose him. The mayor was still unaware that Harlow already knew the whole town was crawling with monsters.
And we knew there was some sort of spell that could keep them in their human form longer, just not very long.
These guys were just adorable.
Harlow twirled the white tulip between her fingers, watching the petals spin. "Dinner would run past curfew, wouldn't it? And I promised Kassie I'd watch her destroy TeaBag tonight." She looked up through her lashes at the mayor, her bottom lip jutting out just enough to make his posture stiffen. Her hips swayed slightly as she waited for his response, knowing exactly what effect she was having.
This girl.
Atlas whined and held onto me tighter. I petted his head and nodded for Harlow that it was best if she would just leave with the Slenderman.
“Alright, show me the way, handsome. You’re not fun, Kassie,” she snarked at me and put her arm through his.
