Friends with the Monsters (Friends with the Monsters, #1)

by Albany Walker

Do you ever lie on your back, gazing up at the stars, wishing you were someone other than who you are? Yeah, me neither.

Not everyone that visits me is eager to be my friend, so I stand here, as still as a virgin at her first lay, and as silent as a corpse. Well, most corpses anyway, sometimes they’ll talk your ear off.

He reaches up, grabs the back of his neck, and looks down. He almost looks shy. If a two hundred and fifty pound wall of scarred muscle could look shy.

He’s pushed up his sleeves, baring his forearms, the sexy man equivalent of exposed cleavage.

I trail my fingers over his chest as I pass. I was right, the shirt didn’t do the hard body beneath it any justice.

I leave the screen closed, but open the door and watch as Calix lifts his leg over a sleek, black motorcycle. I left the outdoor lights on so it wouldn’t be too dark for him, good thing I did.

I think I need some hot chocolate for this. And I’m not even going to offer them any. Ha!

There’s no denying I still find him alluring. All his scars stand as proof of his will to survive, to fight for what he wants, and I actually respect that. It doesn’t hurt that he’s built like a brick shit house—his biceps look like they could crush a coconut.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Grim states, before I even have a chance to glance at him. “If having them around makes you happy, I can not kill them. I’ve suffered their existence this long.” He lowers his head an infinitesimal amount, like he’s conceding to me.

Stupid, lonely heart. It’s going to be the death of me. I peer up at Grim and realize how accurate my thoughts really are.

Berserker or not, I’ll rip his fucking arm off and beat him with it if he tries to touch me. He takes a step back.

What if I tugged too hard, did something wrong, and really hurt him? I could never live with myself, plus, deep down, I know I don’t want him to leave me. I want him to fight for me, even if he has to fight me.

“What do you see happening with all of us living here like one big family?” I snort, even though I secretly would love something like that.

“Make her doubt us again, and I will seek her forgiveness after slaying you, rather than ask her permission.”

Gunnar gives up trying to fix the chair and a piece of wood crashes to the ground, but everyone pretends to ignore it.

Of course, I would get three mates who are more interested in my feelings than getting between my legs.

“Little spoon is nice.” It’s almost as if he’s speaking to himself.

When I release him, Grim is watching me. “I knew it was your birthday too,” he blurts. A burst of laughter erupts from me. “If you want a kiss, all you have to do is ask.” I set my hands on my hips and wait.

Grim breaks the kiss, leaving me a little breathless. He doesn’t pull away though. While staring right into my eyes, he announces, “I call big spoon.” I take in how serious Grim’s face is, and another surge of laughter escapes me. “Ah, hell. Little spoon,” Calix grumbles. “There’s no calling dibs!” Gunnar hollers.

“You don’t have a special name for me,” Grim informs me. “You want a nickname?” I blink several times. The Angel of Death is asking me to give him a nickname when he already knows I call the Berserker kitten? Most men would more than likely feel emasculated by such a name.

I grab a hold of Grim’s arm and squeeze. “If they hurt her, I will hang them with their own entrails after I shred their souls.” “She’s perfect,” Gunnar whispers softly.

I shake my head, still smiling. “He’s cheeky.” I snort and look over at Grim. “Get it? Cheeky?” I’m such a dork.

Even if he had a micro dick, he would still be a wet dream. But fortunately, I know from our little make out session he’s not hurting in the package department either.

“This changes nothing,” I warn the both of us. I could grow addicted to the way he’s making me feel right now. Grim’s eyes flash with that fiery heat. With deft movements, he reaches down and slides his hands under my arms, lifting me from the floor as if I weigh nothing. “Fuck you,” he growls. “It changes everything.”

“I want inside you so fucking bad, my body aches.” Oh lord, don’t tell me that Grim, my stoic gentleman, is a filthy talker. I don’t think I’ve even heard him curse before the last ten minutes.

“I want to know what you taste like when you scream, when you quiver. I want to know what you will smell like after I come inside you, watch your eyes when I’m buried deep. Will I be able to touch your soul again when you come for me?”

I have no idea what he meant, but if he’s offering his soul, I’ll take it and hoard that shit like a dragon with treasure. I won’t ever let him leave me. I shake that thought away, scared that it even came from me.

“I want every inch of my body to cover yours, I want you under me, around me, I want to be inside you so deeply, you won’t know where you start and I begin.” His words are spoken like a confession, as if he will be punished for his thoughts.

I tighten my hold in his hair and push him harder against me. I’m about two seconds from flipping him over and sitting on his face.

I cling to his shoulders and curl my hips up to meet his. I’ll be damned if this missionary vanilla fucking doesn’t feel more intimate than I’m used to. A sliver of panic hollows out my belly. I shouldn’t be doing this, shouldn’t be letting him in like this, but I can’t make myself tell him to stop. If anything, I want to drag him closer, let him surround me.

Falling asleep with a dick inside you isn’t all that bad. Waking up after a short nap with a hard cock already raring to go and in position is even better.

Grim swats the side of his dick and it sways slowly, and 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.

Gunnar steps forward from the shadows, joining our group, as we form a line and head up to the outrageously oversized front door. I mean, come on, unless she’s entertaining trolls every night or guiding fucking marching bands through the door, does it really need to be this huge?

Grim is just standing a few feet away from me, but there’s a circle of bodies all around his feet. Not a hair is ruffled on his head. I grin up at him, wishing I would walk over and kiss the hell out of him. I look away, but my voice comes out a little husky as I say, “Vanessa is leaving.” Who knew I liked carnage so much?

“You could still kiss me, then you would have the last kiss instead of the first.” I

And that’s how Calix finds me, standing in the hallway massaging my own tit.