Hidden Monster

by Amanda Strong

  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.”

  A yawn pushed its way through my words. “No, I was, but I heard you tell Mack there’s a bug.”

  Blake seemed relieved, and I’d wished I had stayed awake longer. Darn it. Perfect time to eavesdrop and I conked out!

  “Yeah, well, by the scent I caught by the tree, I’m pretty sure we have another one.”

  “You mean there are more of those things? It was a humongous!”

  “Wait, you saw it?”

  “Well, no, but I could make out its silhouette. That was scary enough for me.”

  Blake seemed to consider my words for a moment. “Your eyes are better than mine.”

  I stared at him. “What do you mean?”

  “I can’t see a dragon once it’s in camo.”

  “Then how did you fight today?” I asked.

  “All sense of smell and sound.”

  “Oh. I think I can smell pretty good too. I caught the bug’s scent. It smelled like a musty cellar with mildew and rotten food in it.”

  “That’s a pretty good summation. What do I smell like to you?”

  I smiled. “Better than that.”

  Blake grinned and leaned in toward me. My pulse became rampant. He brushed his face against my neck, his lips trailing along slowly, leaving a fire behind.

  “You’re like Hawaiian flower, sweet and fresh,” he whispered, kissing my collarbone, sending goose bumps crawling across my skin, “and like a coconut cream pie.”

  I couldn’t help myself and ruined the moment by saying, “I smell like a pie?”

  Blake sat back and grinned. “What? It’s the best I’ve got. I’m no poet.”

  “So you’re telling me all those dragons wanted to get at me because I smell like a pastry?”

  At the mention of dragons wanting me, Blake’s expression sobered.

  “Sam.” His tone hushed my giggling. “I’m not worried about dragons, I can handle them and so can Mack. Besides, once they know you’re my damsel, they’ll leave you alone. But a bug is a whole other problem. They’re ruthless and strong. It’s one of the few things Kory and I agree on. Bugs have to be destroyed and fast.”

  “Do you know how to kill it?” I asked, trying to swallow back the fear rising in my throat, while liking he referred to me as his damsel. Was that the same as saying I was his girlfriend in the Dragon Fae world?

  Blake sighed and nodded. “Tonbo promised me that the one Kory and I killed was the last one. But apparently, that’s not the case. I don’t know, maybe Tonbo just doesn’t know. I need to talk to him, find out who this one might have been.”

  “What do you mean, might have been?” I asked.

  “Tonbo knew them before they became monsters. He created them. They were to be super soldiers in WWII. The Nazis forced Tonbo to use the serum before it was ready. He knew the risks but the lives of his family were at stake, so he injected ten of the strongest, fastest, most cunning soldiers the Germans had with it. Well, needless to say, it backfired. The dragons were not only huge, but they were completely out of control. They didn’t like to be told what to do or to work as a team for that matter. They began a killing spree among the Nazis, and even killed a few of each other, which wasn’t a bad thing. Tonbo barely escaped and rushed home to Czech to save his family, but he was too late. One of the bugs beat him and slaughtered his wife and kids. Tonbo went into hiding, desperate to perfect the serum. He wanted to make himself a super soldier to avenge his family’s deaths. To right his wrong.”

  I could only stare. It sounded like a sci-fi movie gone wrong. I couldn’t believe this could all be real.

  “By the time Kory and I heard the rumors of Tonbo’s monsters, all but one had been killed by Tonbo’s dragons. We were young and joked we would slaughter the last bugger.” He chuckled. “Guess we fancied ourselves Ender and Bean. Kory being Bean, of course. I suppose that’s where the nickname bug came from, come to think of it. Anyways, we became obsessed with killing it.”

  “Did you? Kill it, I mean?”

  “Yeah. Just as we turned fifteen, almost like a birthday present, word spread that the bug was found hiding in Montana. We gathered a team, and we destroyed it. Lost a few other dragons in the process though.” Blake paused. “After the kill, Kory got crazy cocky, saying we were invincible and that the world should basically bow down to us. I just saw dead dragons at my feet. I don’t want that responsibility, Sam. I still don’t. But I will join with Kory to kill this thing.”

  I reached over and took his hand in mine. How could I have ever doubted him? To think that this morning I had been trying to run away from him, scared to death of his touch. Now, I wanted nothing more than to be near him.

  Blake stared at our fingers and then to my surprise, frowned. “I need to talk to Tonbo.”

  My heart squeezed painfully. I understood why he had to go, but I didn’t want him to. “Okay. Going back to California then, to the island?”

  Blake pressed my hand against his lips. “Yes, but I want you to come with me this time.”