Page 57 of Zodiac Monsters

Progress. This was progress.

“I’m glad we can still be friends.” She spoke idly between bites.

“Why wouldn’t we? You haven’t done anything wrong.” I reassured her with a pat on her shoulder. That one was honest and a lie at the same time, depending on if one was analyzing the statement based on objective or subjective reasoning.

“I mean, I thought you wouldn’t want to talk to me anymore after I—” She cut herself off, then returned to her food, using chewing as an excuse to recalibrate her thoughts. Though I heard the “after I slept with your brother again” loud and fucking clear.

“After I spent the last full moon talking to Adrian, I mean.” She finished.

Talking.

“I’m sure you had your reasons.” Wrapping my arm around her shoulder, I pulled her closer to me on the couch, then I pressed a kiss to her hair. “It’s fine, Lila. Like I explained earlier, my mother has two mates. I don’t expect to be the only person in your life at this point. If my brother is helping you somehow, then I don’t want to get in the way of you two.” Now that was absolutely a goddamn lie. Some months, I might have been unbothered. But not this month. I had goals this month.

“You’re not mad?”

“At you? Never.”

“I don’t want to feel like I’m going back and forth between both of you though.” She whispered while willfully nuzzling into my chest. I liked the way she fit so well against me. I was liking a lot of things about this blood arrangement right now. “It seems wrong, somehow.”

“Then how about I help you make that choice.” I dropped my nose into her hair and inhaled deeply. The light wafting of her Apples and Cinnamon was just barely detectable. She smelled too delicious to be safe. “Let me show you what being with me feels like this month. And if in the end, you prefer Adrian, then we’ll navigate those feelings, however they look for you.”

She tipped her chin upwards, nearly connecting our lips as she strained to meet my gaze. “Deal.” She said with the most genuine smile.

Oh, she’s going to regret that.

I returned the gesture, then closed that small gap between our lips the rest of the way. She accepted my kiss, just like she always did. If only she knew how much this little contract actually meant. But I’d show her. It was only a matter of time.