Some Kind of Monster

by Albany Walker

  “You can’t just pretend you didn’t ditch me for over a week.”

  “I got a little tangled up with an Alven. I didn’t even realize how much time had passed.” She shifts her attention to me.

  “Who’s Alven?” I grouse, but I’m too curious to stay mad.

  “Not who, darling, what. Alven are water fae,” she tells me, and moseys over near the chair I was sitting on.

  “Is that a Brownie?” Torin asks out of the side of his mouth, as if she can’t hear him.

  “Aeson’s the name, wolf. You’re charmed, I’m sure.” With quick, deft movements, she grapples her way up the table leg and perches on the top, examining Gunnar’s knives. “Nice craftsmanship. Not Brownie, but eh…”

  I fall back into my chair. “Was this a good tangled or bad?”

  Aeson turns to look at me slowly as if my question is absurd. “Good for all parties involved.” She winces. “Except that chap who couldn’t walk, he may recover though.” She shrugs and hops over to my thigh.

  “How’d you know where we were?”

  “Samson. He checked in with the boys,” Aeson answers, then perches herself on the arm of the chair opposite from Grim. I look over at him.

  “You sent Samson to them?” I swoon. He’s so thoughtful.

  Torin leans a little closer to Gunnar. “Is this kind of thing normal?”

  “Just thank the stars she’s here and you aren’t at her place,” Gunnar retorts.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I glare at him.

  “Most people don’t have Nettle Rats living in their pantries, or the crooked man stopping over for a visit. Don’t even get me started on Uncle.”

  “Are we going to go over this again? He’s a sweetie,” I defend.

  “Maybe to you, but I’m sure there are many others who would disagree.” Gunnar lifts his arms. “I’m just saying, being around Dami, it’s a good idea to be prepared for the unexpected.”

  “The crooked man?” Torin looks around, waiting for someone to explain.

  “Unless you want him to visit your nightmares, it’s better not to ask,” Calix mumbles.

  I click my tongue. “You’re being dramatic.”

  “I’m really not,” Calix counters.

  “Want to tell me why you’re in Savannah in the late summer?” Aeson makes a show of wiping her brow of nonexistent sweat.

  “Antonio,” I sneer.

  “Oh, so the slippery fuck is in town?” Aeson taps her hand on her thigh, and I can see the scheming glint in her eyes.

  “He may be,” Grim confirms.

  “Well, it looks like I arrived just in time.”

  Chapter 17

  “Funny how we can be clear across the country, and everything is just the same.” I look out over the crowd of bodies dancing and drinking.

  “Did you expect it to be different?” Calix wraps his arm around my waist, and I lean back against him.

  “I think I did. Lame, huh?”

  “Not lame, sweetheart.” His hand wanders a little farther down my body and I don’t stop him, not even when he slides his fingers between my legs.

  “Whatchya doing?” I murmur.

  “Touching you. Want me to stop?”

  “Uh-uh.” I lean my head back until it’s resting against his chest and widen my legs. I knew this flared skirt would come in handy tonight.

  Calix pushes my lacy panties to the side and glides his fingers up and down my slit. The loud thrum of the music is tickling my bones and filling my chest with every low beat of bass. Everyone around us is too lost in their own worlds to worry about mine. “Remember the first time you came over and asked to sit down?”

  I nod. How could I forget? It was the first time I’d seen the real him, and I was drawn to him immediately. I didn’t know why then, but I do now.

  “I imagined what it would be like to touch you then, to slide my hand up your thigh, wondering if you would be wet, hot.” He nibbles the back of my ear.

  “I would have been. I wanted you too.” His finger slides farther down, and I feel him graze over my clit. A heavy sigh falls from my lips.

  “I followed you home. You didn’t know that, did you?”

  I don’t answer, just give a slight shake of my head. “I shifted when we reached your property so I wouldn’t be tempted to follow you inside the house. Would you have let me inside, Dami?” He pushes his finger inside me and begins to fuck me with it. It’s not enough, I want more.

  “I probably would have tried to kill you, or at least pretended to try,” I reply, forcing my voice to stay even. Calix chuckles, and I feel it rumble up my back.

  “I bet you would have enjoyed the fight.” He slides another finger inside to join the first. At this angle he can’t get deep, but knowing we’re in a crowded room full of people and he’s got his hands on me, in me, is more than enough to have me panting for release.

  Calix uses his foot to hit the inside of my shoe, forcing my legs farther apart. I can feel the bulge of his cock against my ass, so I grind on him a little. The song changes, and he speeds up his rhythm, fucking me to the faster tempo.

  A hand brushing against the front of my thigh has my eyes snapping open. I’m okay with providing a little show, but no one else is allowed to touch me. Grim’s tall figure looms over me. His face doesn’t give his thoughts away, but the way his fingers are sliding up my leg makes me think he approves.

  Holy hell, just thinking about being between him and Calix is enough to have my pulse racing. “Are you just going to watch or help me out?” I feel Calix’s lips move against my temple as he speaks.

  “Spin her,” Grim demands.

  Calix slowly slides his fingers out of my pussy, making sure to tease my clit briefly before removing his hand completely. The next second, Grim grabs my upper arms and spins me so my ass is against him. He’s already hard. I wonder how long he’s been watching.

  Calix slides his glistening fingers into his mouth and sucks as if he’s eager to taste me. It’s hot enough that I clench my thighs, but Grim isn’t having any of that. His hand snakes down my body and he grabs my ass cheek possessively. His other hand comes up in front of my face, and he orders, “Spit.” I don’t pretend I’m too ladylike for that shit; instead, I pull his fingers into my mouth and curl my tongue around them a few times while collecting saliva. When I pull them out, there’s a string hanging from his fingertips to my lips.

  He uses the hand on my ass to separate my cheeks and rims my rear opening with his slickened fingers. I drop my forehead against Calix’s chest and breathe through the slight burn that makes me want just a little more. I feel another hand on my hip as Calix fiddles with the side of my panties, then they break away and slowly start to slide down my leg.

  Completely unencumbered now, he pushes both of his fingers back inside me. I grip the front of Calix’s shirt and groan as the sensation of both of them touching me at once about knocks me off my damn feet.

  Grim steps even closer to me so his hand is crushed between our bodies, but it doesn’t stop his finger from moving in and out of me. I want to curse the fact that we’re out in public and not at home in our bed—where we could take this much further—but considering being here is what it took to get both of them to touch me at the same time, I guess I should just be happy with the moment and hope for more later.

  My heart is beating so fast I feel like my entire body is vibrating with the thrum. Everything around me seems to fade away, and the thrill of exhibitionism is completely overridden as they bring me closer to orgasm. “Sweetheart, you’re killing me,” Calix murmurs.

  I groan out a plea, but the sound is swallowed by the music. I’m killing him? I’m about to fucking combust. Calix hooks his fingers inside me and pushes his thumb against my clit. My body tightens as the first wave of euphoria crashes against me. I tilt my head back, and Grim’s hand wraps around my waist, keeping me from collapsing to the floor. My orgasm is fast and dirty, and neither of them stop finger fucking me until I l
iterally push Calix’s hand away from my clit. Every touch was sending little shockwaves through my body, making my inner muscles constrict around them.

  “What the fuck are you two doing?” Gunnar growls. I open my eyes but leave the back of my head resting against Grim. “You’re supposed to be watching the shifters and the witches.”

  Calix pats the side of my hip after pulling his hand out from under my skirt. “They’re right over there.” He tips his head to the left. “We have it under control.”

  Gunnar scowls. “You can’t even keep your dick under control.”

  When my knees no longer feel like they’ll buckle when I walk, I move out from between the two of them. “Quit being a party pooper. You weren’t complaining when I had your dick in my mouth at the party a few nights ago.” I raise my brow in challenge.

  Gunnar lifts his lip in a sneer, but smartly keeps his mouth shut about the matter. “I got you a water,” he offers instead.

  “Thank you, I’m parched.” I crack the top and take a big gulp. All that heavy breathing can sure dry a girl out. I offer it to Calix, but he lifts a bottle of beer to his lips, so I turn and give it to Grim who takes it. Tipping his head back, he drains the rest of it with just a few bobs of his Adam’s apple. I have no idea why the move is so sexy, but it is.

  “Should we go over now, or give them more time?” I lean a little closer to Gunnar. “Wait, where did Torin go?”

  “Shit!” Calix curses.

  “See? You should have been paying attention.” Gunnar sounds pleased with himself.

  “I was, fucker. He was there when you walked over.”

  “Jesus, you act like I need a fucking babysitter,” Torin deadpans, ignoring Gunnar and Calix’s bickering.

  I spin around. There are several people watching him, both men and women, some with interest while others seem wary of him. “I just wanted to make sure our ride didn’t bail.” I punch him in the arm. It’s not the whole truth, but he doesn’t need to know that. “Did you find anything out?”

  “I’ll leave that to them. I don’t really associate with the witches.” Torin looks over the crowd much like he did at the party at his own house, like he’s seen it all before and it bores him. We should probably try to make sure this night doesn’t end like the other—in bloodshed. Unless it’s Antonio’s, then I’m totally on board. I’m not going to get my hopes up by thinking finding him will be this easy though.

  “Is the coven leader here?” I look around, expecting to see someone like Vanessa sauntering around the club with an entourage and too much lip filler.

  “That’s him.” Torin openly points to a man seated in a semicircle booth by himself. His eyes are already on us. I note the graying hair near his temples. He looks like he could be anywhere from his late thirties to early fifties, and he wears the distinguished gentleman look well. There’s a short glass of amber liquid resting near his hand, and I see the twinkle of his cuff link from across the room.

  “You guys gave him one hell of a show.” Torin chugs his drink, seeming rather disinterested. I have a moment to wonder if it was a good idea to bring him here. It was just a few days ago when he was wasting away on a couch.

  “Oh well, then we should probably go introduce ourselves.” I don’t wait for the others. I know they will follow me.

  He never once breaks eye contact with me as we approach. As we grow closer, I focus hard to see his aura. It’s taken some practice to isolate auras in such a busy place, but it’s coming to me easier every time I try. Not long ago, I would have had to touch him to glean any useful information. He’s not covered in soot the way I expected him to be, instead his aura is mostly green with some red laced throughout.

  Gunnar somehow ends up in front of me when we reach the man’s table. I step to the side and give the Berserker a glare before looking at the man seated in the booth. He seems completely calm, even with Grim standing on my other side. His presence seems to make most people very uncomfortable, so it’s notable that this witch doesn’t seem bothered.

  “Hello,” he offers in a light, friendly voice.

  “Hi, I’m Dami. What’s your name?” I push Grim to the side with my body and take a seat at the edge of the booth. My legs are still trembling a little, so the break is welcome.

  “Gregory.” He steeples his fingers on the table and examines me with shrewd eyes. “Excuse my forwardness, but what are you?”

  “Direct, I can respect that,” I reply, even as Gunnar lets out a little growl. “It’s okay, Kitten.” I reach out and pat the side of his thigh. “What I am isn’t nearly as important as why I’m here. Now that would be a good question to ask.”

  The man dips his head in what seems like an apology. “Forgive me, I’ve just never met someone with so much potential.”

  “Potential? That’s what you’re calling it?” Torin chuckles and drains another glass. “What he means is raw power.”

  “Why are you here, dear lady?” the witch inquires.

  “I’m looking for someone, someone it would be in your best interest to help me find, if I’m being honest.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Well, you see, it’s another witch. One who’s been very naughty and needs to be stopped. I’m afraid if we don’t put a stop to him sooner rather than later, it may be bad for your entire species.” I take a closer look at Gregory’s aura. It’s pretty clear he has evidence of sins on his soul, but that works in his favor right now, because I know he hasn’t been working with Antonio.

  “This witch you’re speaking of—what have they done to warrant your attention?”

  Calix slides into the other side of the circular bench so Gregory is trapped between us. “As I said, he’s been a very bad man, and he hurt a friend of mine.” I don’t tell him who. I would never betray Aeson that way. Speaking of the Brownie, she’s around here somewhere, probably learning way more than we have just by observing. One of the reasons Brownies are so dangerous is because they can go virtually unseen.

  “That is certainly a shame. Is that why you’ve collected this group? To avenge your friend? If I join the effort, do I get the rewards?” Grim moves so fast it’s as if he blinked the few feet to Gregory. He leans over the table, his hand wrapped around the witch’s throat.

  From my seated position, I can see the red flames dancing in Grim’s eyes. Gregory finally shows the first sign of fear—his eyes widen and his face goes unnaturally pale. Torin lets out a belly laugh, sounding slightly unhinged.

  I lay my hand on Grim’s forearm to calm him. “Not smart, Gregory,” I admonish him. “Grim, let’s not kill him until we see if he has any information for us. Plus, it will leave Kitten in a right mess. We did just kill the coven leader of our city.”

  “I don’t care,” Gunnar spits. “Kill him.”

  “You’re not helping,” I snap at Gunnar. “Grim, let him go please. You won’t speak like that again, will you, Gregory?”

  The witch never even bothers lifting his hands to fight off Grim; he knows it will be no use. He does, however, give the slightest shake of his head—as much as Grim’s grip allows.

  “See? He just didn’t know you guys are mine and I’m yours.” Grim turns his head and looks at me. His eyes are full of flames and I sigh a little. He’s just so monstrously gorgeous.

  “Mine,” he growls.

  “Ours,” Gunnar amends.

  “You should let him go. He’s turning purple,” I urge. Grim releases the witch with a shove. In the next second, he snatches me up from the bench and forces me to stand right in front of him. I feel how heavily he’s breathing when he molds our bodies together.

  Torin takes the seat I vacated. “Hey, Greg,” he greets the witch.

  “Alpha.” The man croaks out the greeting, not taking his eyes off the threat behind me. Surprisingly, he doesn’t look as frightened as he should.

  “My apologies.” The witch dips his chin and closes his eyes briefly. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

  “Not fuck
ing accepted. You should have just killed him,” Gunnar grouses. Grim doesn’t acknowledge either of them, his posture rigid behind me. If the man makes one more misstep, there will be no saving him.

  “I would be happy to help in any way that I can,” Gregory offers. He’s telling the truth.

  Calix has been quiet, but he’s been assessing the entire time. I note the fact that he didn’t try to stop Grim from strangling the witch. Maybe I should tell them just how close he was to losing his shit the other night. Would they even care?

  “The witch we’re looking for is a male. Goes by the name Antonio.” Calix’s voice is calm but cold. I don’t think Gregory made himself any friends tonight. Not that I blame the guys. If some chick just blatantly alluded to getting busy with my men, I probably would have killed her. The difference is, I would have stopped with just her. I’m not sure Grim wouldn’t have reaped the entire club. “He would have come to town within the last couple weeks,” Calix continues.

  “No one has come to me, but I’ve noticed a few of my seekers have gone missing. I assumed they’d turn up eventually.” He gives a slightly indifferent shrug. “Could that have something to do with this Antonio?”

  I look over at Gunnar before answering. “It could. He was working with the coven leader in Washington, but maybe he’s starting off smaller here.”

  “If I may ask…” Gregory looks to Calix, seemingly the most reasonable one of the group. “What kind of trouble were they getting into? It might help to know what I’m looking for.”

  “Torturing and killing Charmed to steal their powers.” Gregory blinks at my announcement. “But he’s—”

  Gunnar clears his throat, interrupting me before I can tell Gregory that Antonio has found a way to kill without taking the stain on his soul.

  “A terrible deed for sure,” Gregory concedes. I tilt my head. He’s being honest. He must catch my movement, because he turns his attention back to me. “You seem surprised.”