Monsterland Mayhem (Fairy Tales With A Monstrous Twist)

8. Catum

8

CATUM

Ailsa’s scent is like a drug. I want to lean into her neck, inhale, and bite .

But I hold myself back—just barely—and watch the emotions playing out across her pretty face.

She has no idea how important she is to us, how valuable, how rare .

Denial is written across her features, drowning out all of the competing reactions. At least until curiosity starts to peek through, causing her full lips to curl slightly downward. “What’s the Monsterland court?” she asks in a breathy voice, one that reminds me of sex.

Flames, I want her. I want to strip that cloak I just wrapped her up in, remove the remains of her blue dress, and devour every inch of her with my tongue.

It’s a visceral need that’s been begging to be released for two fucking years. Since I took over as Master Pillar .

I should correct her, give her my first name, but I love the way master sounds on her tongue.

“Monster royalty,” Krolic tells her. “It’s tradition for the king and his mate-circle to hunt for an Omega mate. The royal court is supposed to be protected in the king’s absence. But an imposter stepped in during our absence. And with your help, we’re going to expose his real identity.”

“I don’t…” She shakes her head. “I don’t understand. How am I going to help you expose…? What are we exposing exactly? I mean, who?”

“We’re going to take back the Silver King’s throne,” Krolic says, trying a new route. “And we’re going to make you the Monsterland Queen.”

“ Me? ” She gapes at him. “Did you miss the part about me being human?”

Krolic catches her chin between his thumb and forefinger, then crowds her personal space. “You say that like there’s something wrong with being human, Ailsa.”

“I’m… I’m nothing,” she sputters. “No powers. No… no anything.”

“You have no idea what you’re capable of, little mate,” he murmurs. “But we’re going to show you. We’re going to help you. And we’re going to protect you.”

“I don’t even know you!” she shouts back, clearly at her wits’ end. I can’t really blame her. This is a lot of change for one day.

“You’ve spent the last two years getting to know me,” Krolic reminds her. “Just in my wolf form. Craze might be new to you, but we both know Catum isn’t. You’ve been dreaming about him for two years.”

She sputters, her cheeks pinkening. “I have not.”

“Little liar,” I murmur, my lips curling. “You have quite the wicked little mind, Miss Marvel.” I know because I’ve witnessed some of those dreams, and perhaps influenced them a little, too. “You’ve been ours since Krolic first scented you. Now we’re going to ensure all of Monsterland knows.”

“This is insane,” she whispers. “ Insane .”

“Welcome to the mayhem, little rabbit,” Craze says with a wink. “Sorry, Ailsa .”

I frown. “What’s wrong with little rabbit ?”

“Our mate doesn’t like nicknames,” he tells me.

“Well, that’s too bad,” I reply, looking at her again. “Because I can think of a lot of things I’d like to call you, Miss Marvel.” Starting with mine .

A pretty red shade steals over her cheeks again. “I… I don’t mind nicknames. But I don’t… I don’t know you. Any of you. Not, not really. And why are we even having this conversation? I am not a queen. Let alone anything important. I’m human. Ailsa Marvel. Nothing else. Simply me.”

“You’re everything,” Krolic counters, still holding her chin. “I realize your world didn’t respect you or make you feel like a queen, but I promise we will. Just give us some time to show you, Ailsa.”

She swallows, her gaze searching his before glancing at me and then at Craze. “This is insane,” she says again. I suspect she’s been repeating that phrase a lot in her mind as well.

“As I said, welcome to the mayhem,” Craze murmurs with a wink. “You’re in Monsterland now, Ailsa.”

“Where you will become queen,” Krolic adds. “ Our queen.”

She shakes her head again but doesn’t speak. It’s like she’s utterly flummoxed and unable to fathom what to say next.

Which means it’s officially time for us to go.

“Remember what Krolic said about being a good girl for us,” I say as I call a portal with a flick of my wrist. “The Tea Village isn’t a place for Omegas to wander around alone.”

“We’re going to the Tavern?” Craze asks, his dark eyebrow arching upward.

I nod. “As Krolic said, there’s been a change in plans.”

Craze doesn’t ask questions, just shrugs. “I guess I’ll be getting that violet tea after all.”

“You and that damn tea,” Krolic mutters, his hand dropping away from Ailsa’s face.

Craze merely grins. “It’s excellent.”

“It’s a psychedelic trip,” Krolic tells him.

“Hence the reason it’s excellent,” Craze replies.

Krolic’s head sways from side to side. “Just keep your cards handy. We’re probably going to need them.”

“My cards are always ready, K,” Craze drawls, pulling the deck out of thin air to run them through his fingers.

Ailsa flinches, telling me she’s become quite familiar with those sharp little weapons. I have no idea who Craze has taken down in the last few hours since arriving in Monsterland, but I would guess it’s been more than a few creatures.

Things have not gone according to plan.

Well, that’s not true.

We wanted Ailsa’s presence to be known, and we accomplished that. What we didn’t desire, however, was the Crimson King’s quick response in dispatching his minions.

It’s a damn shame how gullible some of the beings of this world have become. They’ve all fallen for the imposter’s charm and truly believe he’s their leader.

Ridiculous.

The eldest of our world know how the kingdom should work—a real king hunts his prey.

This imposter simply sends others to do his bidding.

It’s fucking insulting that they actually believe he’s the Silver King.

I meet the gaze of the actual Silver King now and give him a nod. “It’s your show, Your Majesty.”

He grunts. “Fuck you, Second.”

My lips curl. “You hear that, Craze? I’m the second-in-command.”

Craze folds his arms. “Only because he prefers me as his Enforcer.”

“You’re both children,” Krolic growls, his gaze going to Ailsa. “Come with me, my queen. I’ll escort you to the Tavern.”

She looks ready to protest.

But all Krolic does is lift a single silver brow, his gaze burning into hers, and her head bows slightly in submission.

I suppress a sigh. This is the side of her I’ve known for two very long years. I want the fiery female beneath. The one who expressed dissent just moments ago.

Reaching forward, I catch her chin in a fashion similar to Krolic’s previous hold and gently guide her eyes back up. “You submit to no one, Miss Marvel,” I tell her softly. “You’re a queen— our queen.”

She blinks. “But… but you all keep telling me to obey you.”

My lips curl. “There’s a difference between willing obedience and outright submission, sweet one. The former earns rewards. The latter… the latter will never apply to you.”

“He’s right,” Krolic says, his hand still outstretched for hers. “I’ve asked you to be a good girl and do what we say because we want to keep you safe, not control you. There’s a difference.”

“But how can I even trust you?” she sputters out. “You… you’re… Beast .”

“I’m Krolic,” he corrects her. “And also your Beast, yes.”

“So you… you lied to me,” she accuses him. “I thought you were a wolf!”

“I am a wolf, Ailsa. A shifter, to be precise. And I’m also the rightful Silver King.”

She gapes at him. “You…” She swallows. “Oh, Gods, you want to breed me.” She takes a step back from the portal I created.

I share a look with Craze. “I told you it was too much.”

“And I told you that I don’t understand this reaction.” He folds his arms. “That elixir is supposed to make her insatiable and begging for our knots, not afraid of them.”

“Kn-knots?” she repeats. “What… what’s a knot?”

“Neither of you are helping,” Krolic informs us.

“I’m not sure there’s much that can be helped,” Craze tosses back. “She’s terrified of us.”

“ Terrified is a strong word,” she snaps at him. “ Confused and overwhelmed would be better. Now what’s a knot? And why did you lie about being a wolf?”

“Two very different questions,” Craze drawls unhelpfully. “Give us your favorite color first.”

I stare at him, baffled by his comments. But that’s nothing new. Craze frequently loses me with his chaotic statements and word choices.

He uses his hand to create a “hand it over” gesture as he stares her down.

“Oh my Gods, you’re impossible,” she says to him. “ Purple , okay? I love purple. Now tell me what a knot is!”

“I would much rather show you,” he says softly.

“Craze,” Krolic warns.

“I’m just being honest,” he replies.

Perhaps a little too honest, I think.

“I didn’t lie about being a wolf,” Krolic says, ignoring Craze and focusing on our intended. “I am a wolf. A shifter. There’s no lie. And I didn’t try to trick you, either. I just wanted to get to know you, and it was safest for me to do so in my animal form.”

“Just like I took over as the master of your district so I could also be close to you,” I insert. “As to what a knot is, it’s something you’ll learn more about later. Something sexual.” I reach for her chin again, dragging her focus to me. “And no one will be breeding you without your permission. Okay?”

She blinks at me. “I… But that voice said the king wants to breed me.”

“And I do,” Krolic admits. “However, only with your permission.”

“That voice ”—I cut a glare at a grinning Craze before returning my attention to Ailsa—“was referring to the imposter on the throne. The Crimson King wants to force you to carry his heir. That’s how he’ll solidify his claim over the kingdom.”

Krolic winces at the formal name for the jackass who took over the monarchy. He was from a rival bloodline. A supposedly dead one.

Alas, we discovered the hard way that it was very much alive.

Rather than steal the throne back, we continued hunting for our mate. We just didn’t expect it to take hundreds of years to find her.

Now our home is nothing like it was before.

So many weak inhabitants, all of them under the Crimson King’s spell.

“I have no intention of forcing you to do anything,” Krolic adds softly. “The last two years are proof of that. I only ever followed you in the woods to keep you company. Your realm may not be as mad as this one, but there are dangers everywhere. Especially for a rare Omega.”

“If you knew what I was—and that’s assuming I believe you at all—why make me take the elixir?” she asks.

“The imposter is the one who issued the edict regarding the elixir,” he says. “And we needed to be certain.”

“As well as ensuring others found out about your existence,” I add. “Which brings me back to the portal.” I point to the swirling darkness. “We are expected at the Tavern.”

Krolic checks his watch with a curse. “Yes, and we’re very late.”

Craze simply stuffs his hands into his jeans pockets and rocks on the heels of his boots. “What’s it going to be, Ailsa?” he asks her. “Portal or more running in the Orange Desert?”

My nose curls at the formal name for this area of Monsterland. Primarily because it’s a misnomer.

Oh, the color is orange.

But it certainly doesn’t smell all that citrusy out here.

It’s more swamp-like, reminding me of mold and musk. I’m tempted to take a step toward Ailsa just to inhale her sweet perfume again.

The moment she swallowed that elixir, her alluring aroma sprang to life, nearly knocking me on my ass. I was speechless and starving at the same time. It took serious restraint not to grab her and bring one of those naughty fantasies of hers to life.

Ailsa glances between the three of us, her expression conflicted as she looks down at the dress I’ve fashioned for her. It’s a cloak that masks her scent. At least to everyone but us.

Enough inhabitants have picked up on her fragrant presence. They know she’s here. Now it’s time to make her harder to find.

Which means hiding her in plain sight.

No one will expect her to be staying at the Tea Village.

Not after we’ve left so many clues in the caves.

That’s the key to surviving in Monsterland—always having a plan A, B, C, D, and Z.

Ailsa will learn. We’ll teach her. And we’ll protect her in the interim.

Krolic holds out his hand once more. “Please, my queen?”

“I’m not your queen,” she tells him.

“See? She doesn’t like nicknames,” Craze says in his usual singsong voice, making it impossible to know which of his personalities is in charge right now. It could be a playful one or a deadly one. Fortunately, most of his personalities like us.

Most being the operative phrase there.

“No princess . No rabbit . No gorgeous , even though she’s fucking beautiful,” he continues, shaking his head. “A damn shame, really. I have so many nicknames. So many.”

She gapes at him. “There’s something seriously wrong with you.”

“Well, obviously,” he drawls, giving her a lopsided grin. “But at least I have decent hearing, unlike you.”

Her eyes widen even more. “My hearing is fine.”

“Then why are we still standing here?” he counters.

“Because I have no idea what’s really going on here or why I should trust you.”

“Well, I saved you from the Blood Ocean, then helped you out of the Gum Tree, carried you through the Hot Chocolate Fields so you wouldn’t accidentally be burned alive by a fudge bomb, and I knocked out those spikers back there so they wouldn’t drag you into their cactus house. What more do I need to do to earn your trust, Ailsa?”

Ah, fuck. I know this side of Craze. It’s his grumpier personality, the one who lacks patience and doesn’t appreciate being spoken down to. He usually only rears his head when he’s feeling frustrated or incredibly bored. I suspect now is a result of a mixture of the two.

“You’re a bit of a brat, aren’t you?” Craze goes on, causing Krolic’s head to fall back on a loud sigh. Because he knows there’s no stopping the man now.

“A bit of a brat?” Ailsa echoes. “I literally fell into this realm because of one of those portal things, and everything’s been trying to kill me since.”

“Nothing wants to kill you, Ailsa. Just fuck you. You’re an Omega who is about to go into heat. Everything here wants to knot you.” He folds his arms, his dark eyes glittering with flecks of gold.

It’s a warning.

A tell that says a much more violent part of Craze’s wild personality has come out to play.

Both Krolic and I take a step forward, but Craze throws up a hand. “Stay out of this.”

“We really need to go,” Krolic says.

“No shit,” Craze fires back. “Tell that to the ungrateful Omega who keeps questioning our intentions.”

“I think I’m well within my rights to question everything,” she snaps at him. “It’s not my fault you keep wasting your questions on frivolous details like flowers and colors.”

His eyebrows lift. “There’s nothing frivolous about my questions, Ailsa.”

She takes a step back as he moves toward her.

But he catches her by the hip, preventing her from running.

“I want to know what fruit to feed you in the morning, and now I know you enjoy cherries,” he says, clearly startling her.

“I—”

“I wanted to know what flowers to get you when I’ve upset you,” he goes on, cutting her off. “And now I know you like sunshine flowers, or sunflowers, as you call them. And I know what color shirt to wear tomorrow since you like purple. Those are called important details, darling. Not frivolous ones.”

Her lips part, no words leaving her.

“And further, I answered your questions with honesty and integrity. Yet you still have the audacity to say you can’t trust me?” He blows out his breath and shakes his head. “You certainly know how to make an Alpha work for it, Ailsa. I’m trying. We’re all trying. But a little understanding would go a long way.”

While he’s not wrong, he’s not exactly going easy on her.

However, a glimmer of comprehension shines in her gaze, dismantling the shock in her features. “You’re… right.”

“I know I am, but thank you for acknowledging it,” he replies. “Now can we go, please?”