The Ugly Love of Monster Girls

Chapter 34: Saved

Spoiler

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Not using author notes for this announcement. It has come to my notice that aggregator sites, like are hosting my novel there. For the readers there, I'd suggest reading on scribble hub if you want to take a look at character images ( .c om/series/1428770/ the-ugly-love-of-monster-girls/) [enter without the spaces]. I'd be updating my glossary, so you can take a peek at the character images without having to go through all the chapters. Anyways, enjoy.

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Selina: Cat girl with black hair, part of the jock group. Tried to force herself on Markus.Nora: Markus’ moth sister.Kael: Chatty rat girl with light blue hair, Markus’ friend.

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I woke up drenched in sweat. My sheets clung to my skin, my breathing uneven, chest rising and falling like I’d just run for miles. My head felt heavy, like I had been sinking into some deep, murky dream and just barely clawed my way out of it.

But as I tried to gather my thoughts, they were scattered, and a gnawing headache kept eating away at my sanity.

Selina. The court. Her eyes. The way she cornered me.

It was all slowly coming back to me.

Then I gradually came to recall other tidbits. I could picture how Nora came to save me, how she pushed her aside and then… and then-

Nothing.

It felt cut-off. Like someone had ripped a page out of my mind. 

As I was trying to navigate through my thoughts, a familiar voice jolted me.

“Markus! You’re awake!”

I turned my head toward the doorway.

Nora stood there, holding a tray of food, her antennae twitching slightly as she looked at me with a concerned look. The smell of something warm like soup filled the air. 

I blinked at her, still caught between reality and whatever haze my memory had left me. 

“…How did I get here?” My voice came out raspier than I expected.

Nora tilted her head, her face warped with worry, but there was a glint in her eyes that made me pause.

“You don’t remember?”

I swallowed, throat dry.

“I remember you coming to get me… and then…” My words trailed off.

Nora stepped closer, setting the tray down on the bedside table before leaning over me, her face inches from mine, studying me closely.

“Then what?” she asked softly.

I

"It’s just…" She hesitated, her eyes flickering away for a brief second before locking back onto mine. "I want to spend some precious time with you."

I swallowed. Something in her words, in the way she was looking at me, made my resolve waver.

I let out a slow breath, knowing full well that resisting her now would be pointless.

“…Fine,” I muttered.

Before I could brace myself, Nora practically tackled me back into the bed. A soft laugh escaped her lips as she snuggled in close, her arms wrapped tightly around me like she had no intention of letting go.

A quiet sigh escaped her lips before she murmured, "I know you might not like me to say this, but I’m happy I was there in time, before anything serious occurred. Now you'll be safe by my side, brother.”

I lay there, struggling between exhaustion and a nagging sense of unease. I still needed answers. Whatever had happened back there, whatever had made my memories cut off so suddenly, wasn’t something I could just ignore.

The silence between us stretched. Then, barely above a whisper, she asked “Tell me the truth… do you still want to continue going to the academy?” Her fingers tensed slightly against my arm, as if bracing for my answer.

I paused. The question lingered in my mind, forcing me to really think about it. After everything that had happened, after how badly shaken I was, should I even consider going back?

But… I didn’t just want to avoid my problems forever. And I still needed to see Kael, too.

“Yeah,” I finally said. “I still want to.”

Nora’s expression darkened, her lips pressing into a thin line. She stared at me for a moment before letting out a sharp exhale.

“You should take a break,” she insisted, her arms tightening slightly around me. “At least a week, maybe even a month. You’ve dealt with so much, Markus. You’re not in the right headspace to be making decisions like this.”

I opened my mouth, ready to argue. “A month is-”

Even before I finished, Nora shifted. I barely had time to react before she pressed against me, her arms curling around my back, holding me in place.

My words caught in my throat as Nora bridged the distance between us. There was no warning, just the sudden press of her body against mine, arms locking around me with a grip like iron.

“You’ll listen,” she murmured, her voice soft but carrying an unmistakable weight. Like a threat hanging in the air. “And I won’t accept any other excuses.”

I opened my mouth, unwilling. “But I…” The words faltered on my tongue, her grip tightening ever so slightly. I let out a quiet sigh, shoulders sinking. “…Alright.”

But as I stared up at the ceiling, my thoughts swimming in uncertainty, Nora shifted against me, pressing herself even closer. Her content sigh, the way her warmth and heavy softness melted into my side, made it impossible not to notice just how happy she was.

For now, just for now, I let her have this moment. 

But deep down, no matter how much she tried to keep me inside, I needed answers, and a week or month was too long. 

Even Nora couldn’t stop me from finding them.