Friends With The Monsters

by Albany Walker

  Gunnar’s hand moves to his groin and he adjusts himself, but his fingers linger. I crack a smile, but I’ve already wasted too much time fucking around, plus, there’s a small part of me that’s worried I would be disappointing Grim.

  That thought sends a cold wave over me, even though the water is still piping hot in the shower.

  I twist the water off with a snap of my wrist and snatch the towel on the hook next to the shower. I’m irritated with myself for even allowing the thought.

  “Vanessa,” I spit. “Why aren’t we going over there and demanding answers?” My question comes out accusatory.

  Gunnar opens his arms and his lips flatten. “I’m being a team player. If that’s our next move, then we can go right now.”

  “Is Calix back?” I wrap the towel around my body and grab another for my dripping hair.

  “Right here.” He comes into the bathroom and his eyes roam over me. “And seconds too late, I see,” he mutters.

  “Did you find out anything?” I tip my chin up to Calix while squeezing the water from my hair. I can’t believe they’re both just standing there, watching me like this is an everyday occurrence. I can’t believe I’m letting them stand there like it’s completely normal.

  “Nothing, but I honestly didn’t think I would. Brownie assassins usually stick to their own kind.” Calix walks over slowly and pulls the towel from my hands. With a gentle palm on my shoulder, he pushes me down to sit in my chair. I tip my head back and look at him. He holds up the towel between his hands, asking for permission. I face forward and Calix places the towel over my hair.

  My eyes jump up to Gunnar, but he’s just watching us, his face almost calm. I keep quiet as Calix dries my hair, again struck by the intimacy of the moment, but too enamored with being taken care of to stop him.

  When Calix’s hands rest on my shoulders, signaling he’s done, I mutter a soft, “Thank you,” and look down at the floor. I feel strangely exposed in a way that Gunnar watching me shower didn’t even create.

  “I should get dressed.” I pinch the towel around me and stand. “Is Grim still here?”

  Calix hooks his thumb over his shoulder. “He’s lying in your bed, where I’m sure you left him.”

  Grim fills the doorframe in the next second, naked as the day he was born, or created, whatever. I look at the other two guys. “Uh…” That’s all I can say. No one is reacting to his state of undress. I decide to follow suit. “Should we go to Vanessa’s?” I scratch the tip of my nose, trying not to look at Grim and his insanely perfect body. It’s a losing battle, though. I can’t seem to not look. “Can you put some clothes on? I can’t think!”

  Grim swats the side of his dick, and it sways slowly. My eyes are drawn to it like a fucking pendulum. “This is hard again; I’m in need of you.” I slap my hand over my eyes.

  Calix lets out a heavy snort. “That’s not quite how it works, my man.”

  “Are you sure?” Grim cuts his eyes to Calix.

  I look up at the ceiling, “Ah, Grim?” I’m again at a loss for words. I’ve had the most ludicrous thought, and I don’t even know how to ask the question without just asking the damn question. I clap my hands together slowly and bring them up to cover my mouth. “So, when you said you had been waiting forever for me…you actually meant…you’d never…?” I glance around, looking for someone to help me.

  Gunnar turns to face Grim slowly. “No…just no. Tha-That’s not a thing,” Gunnar stutters incredulously.

  Grim looks completely unperturbed by the entire conversation. He takes a step forward and his dick bobs with the movement. I find my head nodding to follow along. “I was waiting for you,” Grim answers sincerely.

  I pinch my temples between my fingers. “Can I have a second alone with Grim, please?” Calix snickers, then Gunnar’s unmistakable retreating, heavy footfalls alerts me that the others are leaving.

  I peek up at Grim from under my hand and whisper, “That was you as a fucking virgin?”

  Grim’s eyebrows draw in and I scrub my hands over my face. “Holy hellion balls.”

  “Only the first time,” he tells me pragmatically.

  I groan. “So, all that stamina?” I roll my lips in.

  “It’s been a long, few years.” Grim plants his hands on his hips and it draws my eyes back to his dick.

  “Well,” I give him my most approving look, “from one masturbator to another, that was fucking amazing. Skills are on point.” I’m actually a little in awe, and I’ll be damned, but a lot turned on too.

  The crest of Grim’s cheeks flush with a slight tinge of red, before he peers at me from under his brow. “Wait until I have more practice,” he promises. I fan my face and blow out a breath, and his dick bobs again while he watches me.

  “Ahh, guys?” I call out to the others, or I might just take Grim up on his request to ease his hard-on.

  Calix pokes his head around the door, I knew they wouldn’t go far. “Did you get him worked over…out…” Calix frowns. “Are we all set?” he questions, finally settling on what to ask.

  “Taking care of it now,” I reply, and turn my focus back to Grim. I step a little closer, so he knows my words are just for him. “Listen, Loverboy, if I got to get down every time, I was horny, I’d probably never get out of bed.”

  Grim nods eagerly and hooks his hand over his shoulder. “I like your bed,” he tells me, as if to say he’s totally fine with that option.

  “Death.” Calix walks back into the bathroom with his arms folded over his chest. “Look, man…” He starts, but he pauses too, like he can’t find the right words.

  “I’m guessing you never had the urge before Damiana, am I right?” Gunnar sidles up next to Calix.

  Grim nods, and his dick does, too. I wave my hand over at Calix and motion for him to grab the dry towel still on the hook. Understanding my silent plea, he reaches for the cloth and tosses it to me. I nab it out of the air and shake it out, before snapping it open and slipping it behind Grim to wrap it around his waist. However, it brings me up close and personal to all that warm, perfect skin, and my mouth literally waters with the thought of licking my way up his chest. I pinch the fabric at his hip and step back a little.

  I force my eyes down, but the sight of his dick tenting the front of the towel does absolutely nothing to curb my desire. I can even see the outline of his blunt head. Fucking hell, he’s like some naughty calendar picture come to life.

  “Bet being around her is torture.” Gunnar’s lips curl into a cruel smile, but it melts quickly. “It’s rough on all of us, man. But just ‘cause your dick gets hard, doesn’t mean it needs servicing. You get me?”

  My hand holding the towel slips a little, and I regather the fabric. I’m completely caught off guard by the sincerity in Gunnar’s voice. He’s not teasing or poking fun, he’s actually trying to help in his own way.

  Grim’s eyes go unfocused and he nods. “It’s worse now that I know what she tastes like, feels like—she’s so soft and warm.” The towel bobs up.

  “Gonna ask you to keep that info to yourself. We don’t want to hear about it,” Calix interjects quickly, crossing his arms over his chest and tipping his chin up.

  “Yeah, so…” I look around, still holding Grim’s towel in place. “Now that that’s handled, we should get dressed and go take care of Vanessa.”

  “It’s noon. She’s not going to be doing anything for the next few hours. We should rest,” Gunnar suggests, sounding confident that she isn’t going anywhere.

  The lack of sleep is catching up to me. I already sapped the reserves for the hour nap I got with Grim. Sleep sounds really good actually.

  I grab Grim’s hand and place it over the towel where I’m holding it. “There.” I pull my hand away and watch as he tightens the fabric over his groin.

  “You like my body. Why do you keep trying to cover it up?”

  I blow out a raspberry. “You’re not the only one who gets horny, Loverboy. Now, all of you out, so I can get
dressed in peace.”

  I hear a few low grumbles, but they all file out of the bathroom then through my bedroom door. “Dude, cover your chubby,” Calix hisses, as Grim releases his grip on the towel, and I get another good look at his perfectly round ass before a pair of dark pants and a black shirt covers him in the next blink. The towel disappears from his hand and he saunters out the door—not a purposeful swag, just his natural gait.

  I tip my head back and look up at the ceiling. “I don’t know if I’m blessed or fucking cursed,” I mutter, wondering how the hell I ended up with all three of them somehow tied to me.

  After sliding on a pair of silk sleep shorts and a cami, I peel back my covers and sigh when my overheated skin touches the cool sheets. I drag the comforter up to my chin and dip my head down. I can smell Grim. I let out a soft purr, liking the reminder.

  A noise from downstairs has my eyes jerking open before I can fall asleep. I’m not used to visitors during the day, and they’re loud. I thought we were supposed to rest. I nuzzle my head back into the pillow, then the floor outside my door creaks.

  I know who it is, so I don’t open my eyes. It’s not as if a stranger could get in unnoticed with all three of them here.

  The bed bounces and someone launches himself at me, landing half on my legs. I do sit up then and growl down at Gunnar.

  “Big spoon!” he shouts, scooting up behind me in the same moment.

  “You said no dibs.” Grim enters the doorway with a frown on his face.

  “Because you thought of it before me,” Gunnar answers, unrepentant.

  Grim’s eyes travel over Gunnar as he lays his arm over my torso and pulls me back to the mattress. “I have things that I need to attend to,” he mutters dejectedly.

  “When will you be back?” My voice is soft, sleepy. Gunnar is warm, and it’s surprisingly easy to accept having him in my bed.

  “Soon, Damiana, most likely before you wake.” Grim comes over and sits on the side of the bed, and pushes my hair behind my ear.

  I reach for his arm, suddenly more alert. “The last time you left, you said it was because of the Mimic. Did another monster die?” I search his eyes. Worry for Aeson eats at my stomach; should I really be resting right now?

  Grim lays his hand over mine, and his eyes soften. “No, I would just rather check on the other side now than have to do it later when I could be here with you,” Grim confesses easily.

  “You’ll tell me if you find out anything…” I can’t bring myself to say the words.

  Grim leans down and places a gentle kiss on my temple. “I will,” he whispers. I feel the portal open up behind him. A wave of rage boils through, and it turns my stomach. Grim tilts his head as he pulls back. “When was the last time you fed?”

  I gather my hand over my stomach, holding the blanket tighter. “A few nights ago.” It feels like so much longer though.

  “Are you hungry?” Grim assesses me.

  I shake my head. “No, not in the least.” I scrunch up my nose.

  Grim makes a humming noise and brushes my hair back again. His eyes go above my shoulder. “I’ll be back soon.” The tone of his voice shifts, and I know he’s talking to Gunnar.

  “We’ll wait for you,” Gunnar tells him, and Grim nods his head quickly before standing and taking one large step backwards, his eyes on me the entire time.

  I pat Gunnar’s hand over my waist once the portal closes. “Look at my kitten, being all nice and shit.”

  “Your kitten?” I can hear the grin in Gunnar’s words.

  “Of course you’re my kitten. Who else would you belong to?” I scoff, and resettle myself next to him.

  “Considering I would probably kill anyone that dared call me a kitten, I would say no one.”

  “You know you love it when I call you Kitten, Kitten,” I goad him, really enjoying the way Gunnar’s body is relaxing behind mine.

  “Only because you know I’m going to make you purr.”

  A low chuckle starts in my chest, and I feel Gunnar’s body jerk. I twist and look over at him, his face is slightly red, and I burst out laughing. “That was so cheesy.”

  Gunnar chuckles dryly at himself. “Shut up and go to sleep,” he orders, back to his bossy self.

  I snicker a few more times but turn back around. “What’s so funny?” Calix questions as he comes in. Using his toe on the heel of his boot, he steps out of them and yanks his shirt off next.

  “Nothing.” Gunnar pouts, which makes me laugh even harder.

  When I open my eyes, Calix is grinning down at me and pulling back the covers. He’s back in the tight, white undies that seem way too sinful for the childish moniker I dubbed them earlier. I lick my lips as something warm blooms in my lower stomach. All the humor dies, though, when he skootches his body closer to me.

  Being between two men isn’t new to me, but being between these two is, and having Grim only seemed to whet my appetite. I close my eyes and force my breathing to even out. Calix brushes against my nipple with his arm as he settles himself. I ignore the ache and focus on lowering my heart rate. Gunnar doesn’t need to tell me he’s not the kind of guy to share, it’s in every fiber of his being. I know Calix likes an audience, but I somehow doubt Gunnar would be up for that either.

  “Should we set an alarm?” It’s such a mundane question coming from Calix. I want to punch the bed over the fact they can seem so completely unaffected.

  “Go ahead.” Gunnar’s voice is lazy as he dips his face until his lips are hovering right over the spot where my neck and shoulder meet. I feel every heavy breath that passes his lips. I should have put on a turtleneck and leggings. Why am I letting them into my bed to begin with when I have plenty of other rooms?

  I kick my legs back and forth a little. “I’m hot. Are you guys hot? I think I need a drink.” I lean up on my elbows.

  “Lie down and go to sleep,” Gunnar orders. His eyes are closed, but he still manages to drag me back down to the mattress and tuck me right back where I was.

  “Yeah, right,” I mutter under my breath. I’ll just wait for them to fall asleep and sneak out. Idea formed, I close my eyes and match my breathing to Calix’s. He turns over and curls his ass tight up against the curve of my body. I’m forced to put my arm over his waist or let the blood flow between us get cut off.

  Calix grabs my fingers and holds them to his chest. Leaning his head down, he kisses my knuckles and lets out a soft sigh. Instead of worrying about how sexy it is to be pinned between them, I think about the way Gunnar’s body is softening behind me, and the little sigh of contentment that Calix just let out.

  What was it like for them, knowing there was someone out there that was supposed to be their match, the one person that would make them feel whole? I’m not sure I believe in the fated thing, but they seem to believe it wholeheartedly. I mean, Grim never even slept with anyone else.

  I think about how much I craved my parents’ attention when I was younger, how I would have done just about anything if it meant they would acknowledge me, and tell me I wasn’t crazy for seeing and talking to the monsters that visited me.

  I think about how lonely I felt when no one would visit me for days on end. How isolated I became, because I felt so removed from everyone in the real world. Did they feel the same when only standing next to people? Alone in a crowd?

  I think about Grim’s visits and him feeding me, about how many times I found a new stone sitting in my bathroom, on my kitchen counter. My hand flexes over Calix’s flat stomach. He said he stayed away so that he would never have to leave once he was able to be with me.

  They were biding their time, waiting for something they didn’t even know was going to happen. I’ve been adrift in a sea of loneliness that I never dared hope could change. Yet here I am, surrounded by them.

  Which of us had it worse? Those thoughts and so many others circle around in my head until eventually, the darkness of sleep pulls me under.

  Chapter 24

  “Why did you l
et me sleep so late?” I growl. I’m not cheery when I first wake up. Add to that the fact that I went to bed with my hair still damp so I look like some 1980’s video girl, and I am definitely not a happy camper.

  All three guys pretend to be busy, or just outright ignore me. With jerky movements, I wrangle my hair back and snarl, “I’m not taking a shower,” like it’s an actual threat.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see Grim’s lip curl up before he tamps it down. Too late—I already saw it. “What are you smiling at, Loverboy?” Grim looks down and doesn’t fight the grin this time.

  Calix’s head lolls on his shoulder, and he looks over at me. “He’s being cocky,” he accuses.

  I narrow my eyes. “How so?” I wrap a hair band around my high ponytail, and it tames the top of my hair, but, oh my, it’s the opposite of sleek. I give up caring.

  Grim peers up at me from under his brow and reaches down to adjust himself. “I’m still on your skin, shower or not.” He licks his bottom lip. The sexy rat bastard. It’s worse because he probably doesn’t even know it.

  “Anyone with any sense of power would know he was with you.” Calix pushes his hands down his thighs as his knees start to bounce.

  “Why are you so talkative today?” I ask Calix, as he tugs at his shirt collar.

  “He’s aroused,” Grim supplies with a narrow-eyed glare at Calix. A little tit-for-tat this evening it seems, as Grim rats out Calix just as Calix did to him.

  “Like that’s news.” Calix rolls his eyes, but his knees continue to bounce.

  “Well, is something else bothering you then?” I lower myself onto my bed.

  “No.” Calix rolls his lips in and shakes his head.

  I hold up my hands in surrender. I’m not going to force him to talk to me. He will if and when he wants to.

  I turn away from him and look at Gunnar, who’s been relatively quiet. “So, what’s the plan for tonight?” I glance at the clock, noting that, even though I was complaining, it’s still early. I bet Vanessa’s not at the club yet, which is good. I’d rather catch her where we can’t be interrupted again.