Hidden Monster (The Monsters Among Us Book 1)

by Amanda Strong

  “Sam, listen to me. You need to camo out now!” His words were laced with urgency.

  “I don’t know how!”

  “It’s easy, all you have to do—” His words were cut off when something slammed into the both of us. The impact pushed me back, knocking the air out of me. I gasped and then scrambled to feel Blake again, but he was gone. I could hear him though; the sound of punches, groans, bones popping, and yelling assaulted my ears. Someone invisible must have attacked him, or maybe it was the other way around. I couldn’t tell.

  Off in the distance, I heard Mack yell out, “How do you like them apples, sucker!” Then his words were muffled by his gasping groan, like he’d been punched in the gut. Scanning the sky, I could decipher silhouettes shifting, changing their camo to match their surroundings. I wondered who they were and how many were here. By the sounds I heard, I knew there were at least three or four of them. Seemed like Mack and Blake were fighting off multiple assailants.

  “Sam, get out of here!” Blake growled from above me.

  His words snapped me into action. What am I doing? I didn’t know how to camo, but I knew how to fly. As much as I wanted to help them, I knew I’d be no match physically. I jetted downward, pushing my wings to their limit. In my haste, I made the decision to head for the trees, spotting a place where the pine trees were thick. I needed to somewhere to hide. I prayed no one had followed me, but I felt like a huge target for the taking. Curses! Why didn’t I learn to camo first thing?

  I hit the trees hard, breaking branches as I tried to slow down. If my escape hadn’t drawn attention, my crash landing would. I swore under my breath as I clutched at one tree’s trunk, ignoring the sting of the thousands of scrapes and bruises I was receiving. My wings finally stopped and I clambered up on a branch, pressing my back against the bark. I didn’t want to be on the ground. I gulped in air and slowly exhaled, straining to hear anything above my panting. Sweat rolled down my forehead and dripped into my eyes. I’d never flown that hard before.

  Nothing. Not even the sound of the fight high above me.

  I exhaled and swiped the sweat off my face.

  Then I heard it. A hiss of air and a creak of a branch right above me.

  I froze. Crap, crap, crap!

  I inhaled sharply, paying attention to the scent. No musky mint… not Kory. Not woodsy, not Blake. I realize then I had no idea how Mack smelled. Better give him a sniff next time. When Dragon Fae were camo’ed, you relied heavily on your other senses, that much I was learning. I held perfectly still. There was definitely a smell to my visitor.

  It reminded me of a cellar. Cold, dank, and smelling of rotting potatoes. Ugh…

  I shrunk against the bark. I knew he or she could see me. I sensed they were watching, waiting. I willed myself to become invisible. But nothing happened. How is camo so dang easy to Blake?

  I felt like I’d been frozen in place forever. I didn’t know why he/she hadn’t done anything yet when it was apparent his/her friends had no problem attacking my friends. What is he waiting for?

  My spine tingled. I’d felt this feeling before. He was stalking me. Like a mountain lion biding his time, getting to know its prey’s habits, patiently waiting for the importune time. Why not now? I’m defenseless!

  I tried to still my breathing, to stop hyperventilating. I felt the tree tremble ever so slightly. Maybe my fear caused him to move; maybe he liked me being afraid. Maybe this was what he was waiting for. To see the terror on my face when he attacked. I commanded myself to calm down. Focus on what you know. That smell, have I smelled it before? For some reason, the memory of walking to Blake’s that day came to mind. Is this who I’d sensed watching me? That followed me to his house?

  My gut said yes. Well, that’s something, I guess. I honed in on the details surrounding me. The faint sounds of the battle carried on somewhere above me. I heard Blake growl, and then there was a yelp. I prayed it wasn’t Mack. As worried as I was for them, I knew my situation had proven to be much more precarious. I focused on my visitor. I tucked its stench away, determined to never forget it. Its mustiness made me wonder. It smells old. Blake doesn’t believe bugs exist anymore, but can he be wrong? Maybe it’s what Kory’s been tracking. I don’t even know what a bug really is? Is it just a really old dragon? What makes it a ‘bug’ anyway?

  If I survived this, I’d get my answers. Time seemed irrelevant. I had no idea how long I’d been on that branch. My breathing had steadied, the sweat on my face and chest dried, leaving my skin feeling cool. Its stench grew stronger. Is it getting closer?

  I had to know. I forced my chin up and scrutinized the branch above me, straining to make out the minutest details. Amid crisscrossing branches and leaves bouncing in the breeze, that was when the silhouette of a hulking frame became visible. I gasped. He’s a monster!

  He crouched down only a few feet above me. How he didn’t crash through the flimsy branch he perched on was beyond me. Bugs were definitely not the same as dragons. I’m so dead…

  The outline of its head was double the size of mine. It tilted it to the side, as if considering me. I swallowed, but my eyes remained fixated on it. I couldn’t look away as I steeled myself for it to lunge at me. I knew it wanted to… I sensed it wanted to.

  Should I say something? Beg for mercy? But my lips felt sealed shut.

  Then it exhaled slowly, deliberately loud. I think he knows I can see him now. There was a low rumble, raspy, yet wet sounding. Like an old man who needs to cough. Is it laughing at me?

  Ask him what he wants! my mind screamed, but I couldn’t. What if he said the words I hated? What if he said I’d love him one day? Then I’d know he’s my monster… Although, he’s twice the size of the guy in the cabin…

  I opened my mouth just as its head snapped upward. It took me a second minute to refocus on him. He searched the skies. That was when I realized the battle overhead had grown quiet. I heard nothing, no groans or grunts from punches received.

  “Sam!” Blake called down.

  The branch above me snapped up violently. A blast of wind hit my face, the impact from the wake his massive wings had left behind. The thing had taken off, the smell of it fading away.

  “Blake!” I screamed. “Watch out!”

  I thought for sure it would attack him. Blake became visible, soaring down into the trees. His T-shirt was all but threads, his chest bare and glistening in sweat. Cuts and scrapes covered his arms, and blood trailed from the corner of his mouth. As his wings carried him to me, he ripped what was left of his shirt off and wiped his face clean.

  I searched for the musty smell, but the bug was gone. It hadn’t wanted Blake; it wanted me.

  He landed beside me, grabbing my arms. His eyes searched me up and down. “Are you hurt?”

  I didn’t miss the panic in his voice. “No, he left me alone. You’re the one who’s hurt.”

  “Wait, he? You weren’t alone?” Then he released me, sniffing at the air. If it weren’t a serious time, I probably would have laughed. Images of Blake’s dog came to mind. But now wasn’t the time.

  I heard him gasp and breathe out, “No way,” then his eyes bore down on me. “Stay here.” Before I could say another word, he had disappeared, bursting through the trees.

  I wanted to plead with him not follow the thing that had hovered over me, but I knew it wouldn’t matter. If Blake had caught its scent, he wasn’t coming back without putting up a fight. That much I was sure of.

  I felt something stir on the other side of me at the same time the scent of orange citrus and spices wafted at me. It reminded me of the potpourri my mom used to burn, but more subtle. He ditched the camo fast enough that I didn’t have time to be afraid.

  “Did you know you smell like potpourri, Mack?” I exclaimed.

  At the same time, he asked, “Sammy, you okay?”

  Then I noticed Mack’s appearance. I gasped, “I’m fine, but you’re not.” A deep gash above his right eye left a river of blood flowing down his cheek and
dripping off his jaw.

  “It’s all good,” Mack said, shrugging. “That’s nothing. You should’ve seen the other guy.” He lifted his arm to wipe it away with his sleeve.

  I grabbed his arm, stopping him. “No, wait, you’ll make it worse. Let me do it.” I searched for an adequate bandage, and then settled on ripping the bottom half of my T-shirt off. It was pretty clean, better than Mack’s filthy one. Cool air hit my naked stomach as I dabbed up the blood running down his face and then pressed the clean side of the cloth against his injury.

  His hand covered mine as he took over. “Thanks, Sammy, I got it.”

  Our eyes met, and since I stood a bit lower on the branch, we were exactly eye level. For a moment, we stayed like that, saying nothing, his hand holding mine. It felt familiar and comforting on some level. Well duh, Samantha, he’s only been your best friend since fourth grade, I reminded myself. Honestly, it felt like more than that though. I had a weird feeling we’d stared at each like this before.

  I pulled my hand free and nodded. “Glad you’re okay, Mack.”

  His eyes searched mine and then he grinned. “Like I said, you should have seen the other guy.”

  Chapter 26

  “It’s not hard. You are overthinking it,” Blake said, standing in front of me, his legs shoulder-width apart and his arms clasped behind his back.

  “Easy for you to say, you’ve been doing it for years,” I muttered, getting frustrated with Blake’s impatience with me. “I’m trying,” I said, holding my hands up. My skinny fingers remained flesh colored and painfully visible.

  “Let me have a go at it, Blake. Sammy listens to me,” Mack said with a crooked grin.

  I made a face at Mack. “You are no help either. Listen, I just can’t do it, okay! Maybe my special formula’s missing the camo bit and that’s what made it special.”

  Blake seemed to consider me for a moment. Since he’d returned from his fruitless search, which had ended in a dead end, he’d been nothing but agitated, pacing back and forth, wringing his hands together, cursing in some language I didn’t understand, and demanding I learn camo. It had started out with him gently taking my arms and explaining how easy it was, but after thirty minutes of unsuccessful attempts, he’d turned all drill sergeant on me. I knew deep down, it was because he wanted to protect me.

  But now we’d been at it for over an hour, and I’d turned tired, cranky, and hungry.

  Mack shook his head. “Tonbo wouldn’t allow that to be taken out of any of his formulas, no matter what the beast might have done to it. The chameleon DNA has been in there forever. That can’t be it.”

  “Mack’s right, Sam. You can do it. It’s a part of who you are. All you have to do is—”

  “Think of my surroundings, think about what I’m touching, feelings, smelling, I know, Blake, I know. You’ve told me a thousand times. It’s not working, okay? I’ve been trying! Don’t you think I want it to work just as much as you?” My voice hitched up an octave with every second. Uh oh… female hormones are taking over, and not in a good way! My eyes were stinging, and my throat closing up. I’m going to cry. Great, just great.

  Blake’s eyes widened, and his stance relaxed. “Sorry, Sam. I’m pushing you too hard. How can you do anything starving to death?”

  “How did you…?” I began asking

  “Know? Because you just flew harder and longer than you probably ever have,” Blake answered.

  “And flying does stir up quite the appetite,” Mack confirmed, rubbing his stomach. “How about some fishing?”

  “Another time, Mack. Until she can camo, it’s just too dangerous. Let’s head back. Your family is probably wondering where you’re at, Sam.”

  “What time is it?” I asked, realizing the daylight was fading for the first time.

  “It’s about five,” Blake answered. He glanced around and said, “Okay, I think we probably made a statement in the skies earlier. We should be fine flying back to my car at least. But keep alert,” he added to Mack.

  Mack nodded and was airborne. He flew fast in several directions, and then returned.

  “Coast is clear,” he announced.

  “Mack has an uncanny sense of smell,” Blake said. “If he says we’re good, we’re good.”

  “Okay,” I said, smelling the air for myself. No rotten potatoes; just warm honey and the woods after the rain, Blake. And if I focused, I picked up on the hint of ginger, or perhaps cloves, Mack.

  Blake levitated but didn’t take off. He was clearly waiting for me to lift off, but I felt completely drained. Still, I pushed my wings into action and rose next to him.

  “I still can’t believe you guys had to fight off dragons in the first place. What did they want, anyway?” I asked, ignoring the fatigue settling into every ounce of me.

  Blake looked surprised. “Don’t you know? They wanted you, Sam. Your scent’s enough to drive any dragon crazy.”

  I gaped at him. “Are you being serious?”

  “Yeah.” His eyes danced back at me.

  “So four dragons showed up just to smell me?” I asked, giggling. Maybe it was the effect of my adrenaline fading, leaving me exhausted that brought on the laughter. Either way, what they were saying just sounded ridiculous. I knew I could pick up others’ scents too, but that didn’t mean I actively hunted them down for that.

  “Four? More like thirty,” Mack snickered, staying just ahead of us as we flew.

  I gasped. “Thirty?”

  “I don’t know, I think Mack’s being modest. Thirty wouldn’t have gotten close enough to give me these.” Blake gestured to the scrapes on his arms. “I’d bet it was at least fifty.”

  I wanted to snicker at his exaggeration, but I wasn’t sure he was joking. I’d seen enough of the guys now to know that they were formidable opponents.

  “For shizzer,” Mack sang, flying on his back so he could face us. “Got to get you indoors Sammy. You’re too delish for the taking.”

  I snorted at Mack. “Whatever.” He flipped back around and flew ahead, chuckling.

  Still, what they said worried me. How can there be so many dragons in Durango? It’s not a huge city. Just how many Dragon Fae are out there anyway? I hadn’t realized I’d lagged behind Blake until I felt his arms wrap around me, pulling me close to him.

  I cocked an eyebrow. “Can’t resist my scent either, huh?”

  Blake wasn’t grinning, though. If anything, his face appeared concerned. “You are irresistible, but it’s not that. You’re exhausted; let me fly you back.”

  I wanted to protest, but he was right. My joints ached, my limbs felt like dead weight hanging from my body, and my wings protested every flap.

  “Okay, just this once,” I said, semi-hoping he wouldn’t hold me to that agreement. I let him secure me against him, one arm tucked under my knees, and the other holding me firmly to his chest. His bare chest. So tempting… oh, why not? I caved and leaned my face against his skin. Almost instantly, my eyes fell shut. I was sort of surprised his hard muscles could be so comfortable. The air slapping against my body soothed me, lulling me to sleep like a cradled baby. I felt safe in his arms. Blake will do whatever it takes to keep me safe. He’s been doing it since he saved me from drowning. He loves me.

  Something within me stirred—an exuberance I hadn’t ever felt before. A part of me felt thrilled I trusted him again. Must be the damsel in me. Well, that makes two of us! I wanted to say to her. I grinned, realizing how silly that sounded, and nestled my face into Blake’s chest. He responded by tightening his grip on my body. I couldn’t stop myself from falling deeper into the grogginess. Guess Blake knew I was about to pass out.

  As the dream world tugged at my consciousness, my own breathing deep and even, I felt Blake’s lips brush the top of my forehead, his kiss leaving a fire behind. I yearned to tilt my head up and let his lips make their way to my mouth.

  But Mack’s words sliced through the air. “So? Was it one?”

  Blake’s body stiffened, and
a moment passed. He must be deciding whether to answer. Hopefully, he thinks I’m asleep. Then I felt his voice rumbled against my cheek. “Tonbo lied. It’s definitely a bug and damn it all, it’s hunting Sam.”

  Chapter 27

  You’d think after Blake acknowledged the fact that a bug not only existed but was actively hunting me, I would have had no problem staying awake, but the next thing I knew, there was a hand shaking my shoulder.

  “Sam, wake up. You’re home,” Blake said softly.

  I didn’t want to open my eyes yet. Then I realized who spoke and that I no longer felt his arms holding me. My eyes popped opened. I sat in Blake’s car, seat belt on, parked in front of my house. I glanced over at him. He wore a clean shirt, hair brushed, and his mouth no longer bleeding. Mack was gone.

  “What happened?” I asked, running my hand across my face and smoothing down my hair. Felt like I’d been asleep for days.

  “You fell asleep, and I drove you home. Oh and I stopped by my house and grabbed some new clothes. Wouldn’t do for your parents to see me shirtless, now would it? Your dad might get the wrong idea about what we’ve been doing all day.” He held up a hoodie sweatshirt. “This is Anna’s. It’s the best I could do for you since your window was locked.”

  I stared back at him, not understanding, and then glanced down at my naked midriff. Oh yeah.

  He grinned. “Not that it’s a bad look for you.”

  I took the proffered hoodie and unsnapped my seatbelt so I could slip it on. “Haha. I was trying to help Mack.”

  “He’s fine. We heal fast.” He cocked an eyebrow at me. “But while you’re playing nurse, I might have a few scrapes that could use bandaging.”

  I zipped up my hoodie. “I bet you do.” He chuckled, and I made a rash decision. “You think the bug’s after me?”

  The light in his eyes faded as his smile fell. “Oh. So you weren’t asleep after all.”