Page 123 of Monster. Me.

Without a word, but with a wide smile, I walk over to Fenn, who grins back at me.

His hair is messy, and his face, covered with red streaks, still looks sleepy, yet somehow adorable at the same time. My domesticated monster.

"Hey, sleepyhead…" I touch his chest with my fingers, enjoying the feeling of his smooth skin against mine. His muscular, broad arms wrap tightly around me and lift me slightly off the ground, and his lips kiss my temple; he radiates warmth.

Pressed safely against his neck, I’m inhaling his scent.

Am I sensing something new coming from him? After all, the mating bite is meant to change the scent of a person's pheromones, signaling to others that the person is mated and taken. I'm still not sure what exactly I'm picking up from him. My blockers are wearing off, so it may just be his natural Allure scent pushing through. It has a… hmm, faint cherry note? Like mine. A curious thing.

Well, there will be more time to explore it later. But now I have something extremely important to tell him.

"I have the best news possible," I whisper into his ear.

"Oh, yeah? Hit me with it!"

I continue in a celebratory tone. "Dr. Lee called. Listen…" For a moment, I want to tease it out, stretch it a little longer instead of saying it outright, but no, it slips out of me on its own, almost like an excited cry.

"Rupert isn't the father of my children!"

Fenn blinks.

He obviously has a similar moment to the one I had before.

"What?"

"Yeah! You are the father. You!"

I let go of his arms and start bouncing up and down like an idiot, grinning from ear to ear in sheer euphoria. "The blood tests confirmed it. Dr. Lee double-checked it!" I shout the words out joyfully, each sentence punctuated by a wild jump.

Fenn’s face looks like never before, confused, shocked, and amazed as his purple eyes stare at me.

"The twins… they're my biological children?"

"Yes, Fenn! They are!"

I see a flash of happiness on his face, as if a ray of sunlight had broken through the clouds and fallen across it. His eyes brighten, and he swallows, visibly moved.

"This is wonderful news, Marlow!" he exclaims, then suddenly hesitates. "But Marlow, listen." He frowns a bit. "I want you to know that I was telling the truth before. I would've loved them even if they weren't mine, because they would still be a part of you. And that means everything to me."

"I know, Fenn!" I keep jumping like an idiot. "And thank you for that. It makes me love you even more."

I stop suddenly because I realize what I just said in my exhilaration.

Fenn blinks in shock, and I gape too, matching his stunned expression.

This was my first confession, and I almost wish it had happened in a more romantic way, but his mouth breaks into a wide grin.

"Really?"

Sudden shyness overtakes me. I bite my lip and nod, my face probably bright red.

He closes his eyes for a second, as if breathing in my words and savoring them. Then he lets out a slow breath and smiles broadly again.

"And I love you, Marlow… So much."

The solemnity of the moment makes me a little fluttery. My cheeks warm as I raise my hands and place them on his glands in a possessive gesture.

"So, Fenn… it's official now. Wow. We're going to be parents… you and me." I stare at him as I say it, celebrating each word.