Chapter 34: Saved

Extra Announcement: Not using author notes for this announcement. It has come to my notice that aggregator sites, like novelbin 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 (scribblehub .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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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 searched my mind for the answer. But it felt like grasping at straws.

“I don’t know.”

The words left my lips before I could even think, and the emptiness that followed felt worse than any answer I could’ve given.

Nora’s expression relaxed, softening into something almost… gentle.

“You’ve gone through a really traumatic experience, Markus,” she said, brushing a damp strand of hair from my forehead. “You need to rest.”

I shook my head. “No. I need to know.” My voice was firmer this time, laced with something close to desperation. “What happened? How did you get there? How did you know I was in danger? What-” I swallowed, dread pressing against my ribs. “What did you do?”

Nora’s mouth twitched at the edges. her golden eyes scanning my face like she was searching for something, figuring out how to answer, some opening. Then, with an exhale, she straightened.

“I just came to see how you were doing,” she said lightly. “That’s all.”

But then her gaze darkened, something unreadable flashing behind her expression.

“…Until I saw that.” She sighed, stepping closer. “I’m sorry… I wish I could’ve arrived sooner.”

And in a sudden moment, she held mine, her arms wrapped me in like vines. Her soft embrace was firm yet careful, like she was holding something fragile.

Her scent, familiar and sweet, and her warmth dazzling as always. It filled my senses, and for a moment, my body betrayed me. I let myself sink into it. Into her.

She held me like she always did. Like she always would.

“…I’m sorry,” she whispered again, softer this time, as if the word carried more weight than I could grasp.

Guilt pricked at my chest. The first thing I did after waking up, the first thing I said to her, was to question her. Interrogate her. After she had saved me.

With that hug, the memories slithered back, slow and creeping. Selina’s eyes. The way she loomed over me, hungry, overpowering. The feeling of my body being hers to take. The way she nearly… consumed me, in front of everyone… like a- like a spectacle to be watched.

A shudder ran down my spine.

I clung to her tighter, unconsciously. I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to remember how close I had been, how powerless I was.

I just wanted to stay like this. Wrapped in her warmth, where nothing could reach me. My fingers curled into her back, gripping tighter.

I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed closer, seeking the steady rhythm of Nora’s breathing, the rise and fall of her chest, the quiet reassurance that I was here, not there.

Nora let out a soft smile as she gently patted my back.

“You don’t have to thank me,” she murmured. “I’ll always be there to help you.”

She then gave a light chuckle, her hand running through my hair in slow, soothing strokes. "You know," she murmured, "the food's going to get cold if you keep holding onto me like this."

Her words should’ve been enough to calm me, but the moment she shifted, the second I felt her warmth start to pull away, my panicked hands moved on their own.

I held onto her, fingers tightening, refusing to let her go. She froze for a moment, then glanced down at me. That was when I saw it.

A smile. The biggest, most satisfied beaming expression I had ever seen on her face. As if I had just gifted the entire world to her. As if she had been waiting for this moment.

“Oh?” she cooed, shifting her head slightly, strands of her silver hair cascading over her shoulder. “Do you want me to stay close?”

I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. “I just-”

She didn’t let me finish.

Nora shifted, pressing in closer, her warmth radiating through the thin fabric of my shirt. Her curves firmly settling against me, her body fitting so snugly against mine that it sent my heart into a frenzied rhythm.

I stiffened, heat crawling up my neck, but I didn’t let go. She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper, teasing yet undeniably tender.

“Then I won’t go anywhere…”

Her breath tracing against my ear, making my pulse hammer.

“-but I won’t let you go anywhere either.”

~~~

The day passed with Nora never once leaving my side. It was as if she had declared herself my personal guardian.

Eventually, she brought the reheated food to me, a warm meal that should have been comforting. But as I picked up the spoon, my hand trembled.

It was subtle, barely noticeable, but I could feel it. An ache in my chest that flared the moment my fingers left her warmth.

Nora, sitting close beside me, noticed instantly. She didn’t say anything at first. Just watched.

The shaking didn’t stop. It got worse. I couldn’t help but frown, not from hunger, but from the realization of how sudden my unconscious need for her grew. I gritted my teeth, trying to force the spoon to my lips, but it felt like my body was rebelling against me.

Then, a soft hand wrapped around my wrist.

“Brother,” Nora hummed, taking the spoon from my grasp with ease, “there’s no need to push yourself.”

I tried to protest, but she didn’t give me the luxury to. Nora lifted the spoon, scooping up some of the food with practiced ease. She held it up to my lips, her other hand gently rubbing my back in slow, steady circles.

“Come on,” she cooed, like a mother soothing a stubborn child. “Open up.”

I hesitated. My pride denied this, burning at the idea of being spoon-fed by my little sister. I grabbed the spoon again, only for it to fall helplessly through my fingertips. Then another shiver followed, stronger than the last.

As I sat there, hands weak, body trembling from something I couldn’t quite explain, Nora’s hand moved. Slowly, she patted my back. Something about her touch made my muscles slacken.

My breathing slowed, my grip on reality loosening as I unconsciously leaned in, my head finding its resting place against her chest.

I could feel it, the steady rising and heaving of her chest, slightly quickening at my touch, like a rhythmic lullaby. It all felt too soothing, too perfect to pull away from.

She kept patting me, her fingers threading into my hair now, stroking in soft, calming motions.

“There, there… it’s okay,” she murmured, her voice dripping with quiet affection. “I’m right here. No one’s watching.”

Nora soon reached over without hesitation, grabbing a new spoon and dipping up some of the warm soup she had brought for me.

“Here,” she said gently, holding it up to my lips. Reluctantly, I parted my lips, letting her feed me.

“Good boy,” she cooed, patting my head lightly as if rewarding me. “See? Nothing to be embarrassed about.”

I hated this. I hated how easily I was giving in. But it just felt all so comforting. That I didn’t have to worry about anything. That I could just rely on her forever. That she’d be willing to take care of me. Like the parasite I was.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself before speaking.

"Nora… I think I need some space."

Her fingers, which had been gently tracing circles on my back, stilled. I felt her shift beside me, and when I turned to look at her, she had that dejected look, like that of an unhappy child.

"You're sure?" she asked, her voice quiet, hesitant.

I nodded, more firmly this time. "Yeah. I'm feeling better now. I just… I need a little time to clear my head."

But even as I said it, she didn’t move away. Instead, her arms remained where they were. She exhaled, a small, knowing smile forming on her lips. "If not for yourself… at least for me," she murmured.

I blinked, caught off guard.

"Let me take care of you today," she continued, her voice thick with something I couldn’t place. "You’ve been through so much recently. We’ve been through so much recently."

Her grip on me tightened, like a doll she didn’t want to detach from.

"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.