AN: I am sorry, I completely missed that this chapter was supposed to be posted on monday! So here, have two chapters in a row.

Maduke: Monsters II – Werewolf Island, 31th January, 00:15

It wasn't like him to miss appointments - but Maduke has been unable to resist Ignes' demands for attention. Finally she put some effort into this unofficial relationship of theirs. The bedroom was well heated by the fireplace and their slightly sweaty bodies and Maduke pulled her closer against his chest. "Stay for the night." He usually sent her away when he was done.

Well, it wasn't like she could do anything else. "Okay." It hurt less. She still hated it, but things had actually gone well for once.

He nuzzled his face against the back of her head while idly running his fingertips over her arms and torso. Soft, warm skin. "It's a pity nobles don't really smell like anything."

"And why is that?" That was a really weird thing to say.

"Everyone has a very particular individual smell. Individual enough I can usually tell who just entered the room."

"Except me." She just used their aura. Didn't everyone do that? Except for the weak humans, of course.

"Except you." He shifted slightly for a more comfortable position. "At least not from five feet away."

"The rooms here are large. Isn't it more like twenty?"

"In fact, about an inch. That's how close one has to get to you."

"... Do I... need to fix that?" She could clean more often. It was an automatic thing, but she could increase the frequency.

"No." He pressed a kiss against her neck. "I like it." It wasn't an unclean scent, like sweat or anything like that.

She was faintly surprised that her skin didn't crawl from the touch. Was she getting used to this? "Okay."

"When this whole shitshow is over, I'll take you somewhere nice."

"Somewhere nice?" She really couldn't imagine him actually enjoying anything. Beyond hurting people.

"Maybe Madeira. Or Thailand. Greenland. Anywhere. Where would you like to go?"

"The bottom of the ocean."

A chuckle. "Not an ideal place for leisure time. How about Morocco?"

"Sounds good." She didn't know what half of these places were.

"We spend the days basking in the sun at a secluded private beach, enjoy the finest exotic cuisine in the evenings and make love all night and don't even waste a minute of our days thinking about here."

She didn't know how to tell him she didn't like eating. Or sex. Or being with him in general. So she simply responded, "Sounds good," once more. "I enjoy the beach."

"Good." He placed another kiss against her bare shoulder. "A part of me wants to just go now. Leave behind the werewolves and this bloody murder investigation, screw the Union and forget about the nobles. Just you and me and a white beach in the sunset."

"We could." She laughed. It was a long shot, and not likely to happen, but it would leave this place basically unguarded indefinitely. Without their Lord, the werewolves were far more vulnerable.

"No. We couldn't." He brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "But a man can daydream."

She huffed. "Yeah."

"But when all of this is over, I'm going to spoil you."

"You better. I worked hard on Titan and I'm still mad about him being wrecked." She was building another, yes. But that didn't change losing the first.

"Hmmh. It did turn out useful though. We would've had a hard time without your brilliant work." Another kiss to her neck.

She liked the compliments. They felt nice. Being able to do something right for once. She just wished they weren't coming from him.

After a few minutes, he pulled away from her a bit. It's been long enough. "Turn around." He liked looking at her face.

She swallowed, turning over. Looking at him was horrid. At least she could maybe pretend he wasn't here when she was looking away.

A surprisingly tender kiss. She'd put him in a good mood. "Why are you still here?"

She blinked. "You asked me to stay the night."

"No. Here. we both know you despise me and you have no friends here."

She swallowed. "I don't have any anywhere. Better like a queen here than a beggar elsewhere."

Maduke hummed, shifting until their bodies were pressed against each other and their legs entwined. "You think of me as a monster, don't you?" He caressed her cheek.

"Are you claiming you aren't one?"
"I believe in relativity."
"Relativity?"
"Tell me... Have I ever done something you wouldn't have done?"
"Yes." The answer was blunt. No need to think about it.
"What did I do?"

"That time in my labs." She still remembered clearly the first time he'd taken her. How she'd hadn't even fought back and how she hated herself for it. No. No. Not hated. It was all part of the plan, right? So it was fine. She didn't need to because everything was going perfectly.

"... It wasn't what I intended." And for a moment, genuine regret flared up in his eyes before the usual emptiness returned. It was supposed to be something special for both of them. And then he lost control. "But it's not something you wouldn't do either."

"It's not something that interest me." So of course she wouldn't.
"And you never stuck a knife or probe into someone?"
"That's different."
"How so?"
"I'm doing it to learn things and make stuff. Not..." Whatever goal he'd had.
"And why? What noble purpose does your probing and slicing serve?"
"I made the enhancements you wanted, didn't I?"
"It's convenient. But you would have done this research regardless. You don't care about my plans or anything."
"So?" What was the point?

"You do it for yourself." He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Because being good at it makes you feel good."

Where was he going with this. He wasn't wrong, so she couldn't nay-say him. But she still thought it wasn't the same.

"All the people you experiment on... Do they want you to? Do you care?"

What? She stayed silent. What was she supposed to say to that?

"Of course you don't. Because you're stronger than them and so you do it. Because you can."

And he was saying that's why he took her? Because he could?

"So don't say I did something you wouldn't do. Because you would. If you could, you'd probably adore dissecting me."

"I already have." There was nothing else to learn from him.

"Not for fun." He settled in comfortable, keeping her pressed against him. "My point is made. Deny it all you want, but if I'm a monster, then so are you."

"I never said I wasn't." She just wasn't as bad as him. She wasn't.

"Good. I don't want you to forget what you are."