The Call of Monsters (My Beautiful Monsters #3) - J.B. Trepagnier Page 0,2

they were upsetting Cerberus.

Tryphon couldn’t keep his tentacles to himself around River. I didn’t want those slimy things anywhere near me, but she didn’t seem to mind. He wrapped one around her waist and gave her a little squeeze.

“You’re the Monster Whisperer, River. Talk to us the way you did when we were trapped. You won’t be able to use words like that. I know it’s strange at first.”

That was when I really looked into her eyes. They were now red with slits down the middle, but River looked utterly terrified. I should have known. I was born this way, but I imagine every single monster in the Underworld went through this the first time they changed. I needed to be there for her.

Stupid Kimon. He was closer and got his arms around her before I could.

“It’s okay, baby bird. You’re magnificent. You’ve got teeth, claws, and you can even fly.”

“I’ll teach you how to fly,” I said.

I puffed my chest out and let my ego soar. Kimon, Tryphon, and Pavlina brought things to the table that weren’t in my DNA to do. I’d never been able to pull off Tryphon’s ethereal calm. I’d never be as sweet as Kimon. I’d never be able to relate to River the way Pavlina could because I wasn’t a woman.

But I was two for two with matching abilities I could help her with making her stronger. Yeah, I was a selfish bastard, but it meant I got to have her to myself for a little while. Teaching her how to use her fire was how I slowly got over my fear of this strange creature in the Underworld. Teaching her to fly would just bring us even closer.

I spent a lot of time alienating people because there just weren’t many I found worthy of my time. They got on my nerves, and I wanted them to go as far away from me as possible. Aside from Pavlina, it wasn’t like that with my team, and it definitely wasn’t like that with River. I wanted her as close to me as possible, and that had honestly never happened to me before.

I wasn’t in love with the nymph I thought cheated on me with Pavlina. She didn’t break my heart or anything. She got on my nerves, and I was tiring of her, to be honest. I think I was more pissed off that she dared step out on me with someone else when she had a phoenix in her bed.

I stepped in and tried to horn my way into this hug action. I couldn’t just rely on having similar abilities to teach her. I had to be different than I was in any of my other relationships. I had to be there for her when she was upset. I wanted to be. I didn’t like it when she was upset or afraid. I tried to make it better, but Kimon was right there, Tryphon had a tentacle around her waist, and those wings on her back were massive.

“I think I’m stuck,” she finally said, using a voice we could understand.

Ah. So that was the rub. She must be totally terrified if she thought she was stuck like this, even if we all thought she was beautiful this way. Barbatos just took over and practically shoved Kimon out of the way. He grasped River’s shoulders and looked her dead in the eyes.

“Listen to me, River. You are not stuck. This is just an unfamiliar experience, but soon, it will feel like second nature. You are magnificent like this. I’m so proud. Before I walk you through changing back, did you see your reflection in the mirror?”

“Yes, but I’m still trying to process the fact that I have a cat head and wings.”

Barbatos scratched behind her ear like she was an actual cat.

“Own it, River. There are some dukes in Hell that would kill for it. Bael is one of the seven kings that runs Hell, but everyone answers to him. He has three different heads, River, and he’s one of the most respected men in our realm.”

Okay, I was going to have to make a trip to Hell at least once. On Earth, everyone hated the monsters and were continually trying to kill us. In the Underworld, it took a lot of time for people to trust us. Hades did right away, but the other people here didn’t.

It sounded like Hell was the type of realm where the scarier you looked, the more celebrated you