Chapter 10

"Excuse me?" Adeline exclaimed in response to Ambrose's declaration they should leave.

"We have to go. Like, now," he insisted.

Adeline shook her head. "I can't leave. I have to clean this icky mess up before it permanently ruins my things."

"We don't have time. This was no accident." Ambrose pointed to a blinking light embedded in the bulkier part of the carcass.

"What is that?" she asked dumbly.

"Tracking device, which means we're going to have company. Soon, I'd wager."

"I don't understand. Why would a sewer monster have a tracking device?" And how the heck had it squeezed up through her pipes?

"We don't have the luxury of time to figure it out." Ambrose held out his hand. "We really have to go."

On the one hand, Adeline understood his urgency. On the other, she didn't want to leave her apartment. This was her home. Her safety. Or at least it used to be.

Meow . A furry head nudged her hand, and she looked down to see Smudge peering at her.

Fudge rubbed against her from behind. Her cats were encouraging her to follow Ambrose, who stood at the door, a handsome capable man who'd rushed to her rescue.

And then there was Orion… the dog. He'd also dove in to protect her.

As did her cats.

Cats that could grow to the size of ponies.

As her world toppled, a faint feeling flooded all her muscles, along with nausea. Her knees buckled, and she hit the floor.

"We don't have time for you to be having an episode," Orion grumbled, scooping her in his arms. Naked arms that tucked her to a naked chest.

It snapped her out of some of her stupor. "Why are you not wearing clothes?"

"Because I lost them in the shift."

Made sense. And didn't. In her world, men didn't turn into dogs. Then again, monsters also didn't come slithering out of her tub.

Orion carried her out while Ambrose led the way, her cats slinking alongside. He extended his key fob, and the lights on the SUV blinked. "Get in the back with Adeline. I'll drive."

Ambrose flung open the rear passenger door, but before Orion could toss Adeline in, Fudge and Smudge leapt onto the leather seats.

Adeline slid in after them, and then Orion squished against her, all naked six-feet-plus of him. It was hard to look away, but she did, cheeks hot, which she liked better than the bone-chilling cold of before.

What had just happened? Why would an octopus with a tracking device come after her? It made no sense.

The vehicle lurched into motion and turned down a street almost right away. "Where are we going?"

"We're renting a house nearby." Ambrose glanced at her via the rearview mirror. "It's halfway between your work and home to provide an easy base of operation for our mission."

"A mission to guard me," she repeated dully. "Guess you succeeded. The octopus is dead."

"That was a kraken, which are a tad smarter than an octopus. More dangerous, too. I've never heard of one leaving the water before," Ambrose explained, but Adeline didn't care. Octopus, kraken. Neither should have been in her apartment.

"Think it was following orders?" Orion asked.

The inanity had Adeline snorting. "Pretty sure a kraken isn't taking instructions from anyone. Most likely it was in a zoo or privately owned and escaped, hence the tracker. And now that you've saved me, I guess your goddess will have you moving on."

At her statement, Ambrose shook his head. "I doubt this is the last of the danger."

"Danger to me? Like, why? I'm a nobody." She rubbed her forehead. A nudge to her arm showed Smudge wanting some pets. The strokes over the fur did much to soothe until she remembered mega-Smudge and mega-Fudge. Had some survival instinct kicked in to make them huge? Did she care? Not really, since Smudge crept into her lap.

Nice kitty. And it only took a near-death seafood experience.

"We're here," Ambrose announced. "Hold on while I get us inside where we can't be seen."

The townhouse-style home had an automatic garage door that lifted to give entry and then closed behind them.

It took Orion opening the door of the SUV for her to realize that while she'd been petting the cat with one hand, her other gripped his bare thigh.

"Sorry." She turned her head, blushing, especially once she realized how close she was to his groin.

"You can grab me anytime," Orion promised. He turned around and held out a hand to help her out, unbothered by his nudity—and with good reason. Oh my . She averted her gaze but not before she saw his penis twitch and grow.

Even bigger. Oh my.

Fudge and Smudge leapt to the ground with no problem and waited for someone to give them access to the house. The interior garage door led to a small vestibule for the main entrance, with a closet and a sign on a closed door marked utility room. They headed for the stairs going up.

Ambrose led the way, a good thing because she might have been distracted if she'd had to stare at Orion's naked ass. Might have even drooled a bit. The man had a very fine physique. It now made her wish she'd flirted more. Wait, was she allowed to think that after kissing his partner?

Upon entering the main level of the house, which gleamed white—kitchen cabinets, countertops, white tile floor, and in the living room area, white leather couches and carpet—Adeline froze. "I'm too filthy to be in here. I'll stain something for sure."

"Don't worry about it. If we lose the cleaning deposit, so be it. We all need a scrub. There's only two showers. Since you and Orion are dirtiest, you go first. Orion, you take the hall bath. Adeline, you can have the master."

"I can't walk on the carpet." Her feet were covered in kraken slime.

"I've got you." Ambrose ditched his mucky shoes for his clean socks and held out his arms. Look at her being a princess carried twice in one day. She might have enjoyed it more if not so traumatized.

He lugged her up the stairs right into a large bedchamber with a huge bed. So that was what king-sized must mean. Did he and Orion share it? She didn't get the impression they were lovers, not with the way they'd both flirted with her.

The bathroom, like the kitchen, gleamed white and clean, the tiles shiny and new-looking. Ambrose started the shower with one hand, still holding her against him.

She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. "What an evening."

"It has been somewhat interesting," he agreed. "Glad we got to kiss before it went to hell."

That lifted her head. "Really?"

He smiled down at her. "Yes, really. I am hoping we can continue it once you've recovered from the ordeal."

Would it sound crazy if she claimed she was ready now? A kiss might make her forget the horror of her apartment. She settled for, "I'd like that."

"If I set you on your feet, can you stand long enough to undress and shower, or do you need my help?"

How tempting to have him strip her. Touch her.

She tingled with desire but, at the same time, shuddered. Covered in kraken guts wasn't the time for passionate thoughts or acts.

"I think I can manage."

"Holler if you need me." He left her in the bathroom with the steaming shower, and for a second, she almost called him back. All of a sudden, her arms felt heavy, her fingers leaden.

Shock set in, and it took her a few fumbling seconds to get off her shirt then her pants and undergarments. The entire time she trembled.

I could have died.

Sure, she'd been attacked before but never had she actually thought she'd be killed. She'd always easily come ahead. If it hadn't been for Ambrose and Orion…

Before she could collapse under the weight of her own thoughts, she stood under the hot spray. The pounding warmth eased the chill nestled in her bones, and as she relaxed, she sighed.

I'm alive.

Her apartment might be a write-off, and she'd probably end up evicted, but she'd emerged from that scary moment unscathed. It did, however, leave her with lots of questions, and she knew who might have the answers.

The fluffy towel proved large enough it could almost wrap around her twice. A smaller one provided a turban for her hair. A glance at her clothes had her wrinkling her nose. She couldn't put those back on. Maybe she could borrow something from the guys.

She emerged from the bathroom to find Ambrose changed into a clean outfit and lounging on the bed. An equally relaxed Orion, wearing only track pants, sprawled beside him, his hair still damp.

She paused because they provided quite the visual tableaux. A more sexually confident woman might have dropped the towel and seen what happened, but Adeline wrapped her arms around herself and muttered, "I don't have anything to wear."

"If you ask me, you're wearing too much." Orion winked.

Ambrose cuffed Orion. "Now is not the time. She's been through an ordeal."

"It's okay." She offered a wan smile.

"You look like you're feeling better," Orion stated.

"I wouldn't say better so much as not gross." She grimaced. "That was very unpleasant. I've never been attacked by something like that before. And never had to deal with such a mess. Usually, I zap with a taser, maybe give it a whack for good measure, and it's over."

"Not many people have faced a beast like that and lived to tell the tale. Luckily it was a young kraken, or we'd have been really screwed. Mature adults have been known to take down ships." Ambrose, the walking encyclopedia for monsters.

"I can't believe it managed to squeeze itself up through that tub drain."

"Not so farfetched if you've ever watched an octopus video. They can squeeze through the tiniest of gaps." Orion's turn to share bits of knowledge.

"I think it might be time to think of getting an apartment that's not on the ground level," her reply. Screw the cheap rent. Past time she took better steps to protect herself.

"Speaking of apartment…" Ambrose paused.

"What of it?"

Orion rolled from the bed and held out a phone. "It's not being mentioned on the news, but I managed to save a video posted on social media before it got scrubbed."

She grabbed his device and stared at the shaky video, taken from a few floors above her place. A trio of black vans came screeching to a halt in front of her building and men in combat gear emerged with guns out. They rushed down the stoop, and while she couldn't see what happened next, they must have entered her place given how many disappeared. They emerged not long after, one with a baggie holding the flashing device. Others had armfuls of her things.

Her mouth rounded. "Why are they taking my stuff?"

"To find out who you are," Ambrose's grim reply.

"But I did nothing wrong. I acted in self-defense."

"This isn't about the kraken. Or the wererat. This is about something bigger."

"No." She shook her head and handed back the phone. "They must have the wrong person."

"Or maybe there's something about you that's special, but hidden," Ambrose suggested.

"I'm almost forty. Don't you think I'd have noticed by now?"

Before the men could reply, Smudge sauntered in, tail high, looking cocky.

Adeline pointed. "Is it me, or did my cats get mega-sized back at the apartment?"

Ambrose and Orion glanced at each other before the latter said, "Your cats have been god-blessed. I'm thinking by Gaia most likely."

"Wait, so they're not cats?" She struggled to understand.

"They are, but they've been enhanced to provide you with protection."

She stared at him then Smudge. "That can't be right. I've had them for years, and they've never done that before."

"Because you usually handled threats on your own. Most likely they were instructed to be discreet."

Her lips pursed. "You know, the more I spend time with you guys, the more my life is unravelling. Next thing you know, you'll tell me my job isn't real and a god gave it to me so I could pay rent."

"It's a possibility, given the protections around your sandwich shop." Ambrose offered the possibility with a shrug.

"Don't you think if that hex were for me it'd also be around my apartment?" Ha, she had him there.

"They can't spell your building because its very structure nullifies magic," Ambrose countered.

"How would you know that?"

"Because I tried to install a hex of watchfulness the first day we arrived, and it was gone within the hour." Ambrose shrugged. "It's not entirely uncommon. Many humans aren't comfortable with magic, and so they built edifices to block it."

"Well, that explains a few things," she muttered. Such as why the few magical trinkets she brought home always stopped working. She glanced at Smudge. "How come it didn't affect my cats?"

"Blessings aren't magic. They are genetic changes to a body."

She sighed. "This is exhausting."

Ambrose patted the bed. "Then come lie down."

She stared at him. "With you?"

"Given what's happened, it would be best if you weren't left alone."

"How would anything find me here?"

"How did the kraken and rat find you at home?"

Good point. She glanced at Orion, wondering what he'd think of her sleeping with Ambrose.

He winked. "Don't worry about me, sweetheart. I lost rock, paper, scissors and got stuck with first watch. But fear not, I'll be by for a snuggle later."

Her mouth went dry, and then she wrung her hands. Ambrose had kissed her. She really should set him straight, only Orion left before she could say anything.

"What's wrong? You look sick."

She glanced at him. "I shouldn't be sharing a bed with Orion, given you and I kissed. It wouldn't be right."

"Would it help if I said he was my best friend?"

"Meaning what? Do you usually share w-w-women?" she stuttered, mostly because she didn't know what to say. Blame her frazzled nerves.

"No, we've never shared sexual partners, but then again, we've both never been interested in the same woman before."

"You're both interested in me?" she squeaked. Yes, they'd flirted, but they were guys. Guys did that, and it didn't always mean anything.

"Very much so, and while at first I was a tad hesitant, I can't think of anything more right than sharing someone very special with my best friend."

"I don't know if I'm into that kind of thing." Her honest reply, which came with hot cheeks.

"We don't have to indulge in a three-way if you're not comfortable, but what if we took turns pleasing you?" he murmured.

She wanted to huff she wasn't a whore, but at the same time, his suggestion had her tingling, her pulse racing. The thought of having these two virile men as her lovers… That kind of thing happened to other people, not middle-aged Adeline who worked at a nowhere job and whose idea of a fun Friday was Star Trek reruns.

"Come to bed." He patted the mattress once more, and this time she padded slowly to him, only to realize she still wore only a towel. "I need something to wear."

"Here." He sat up and stripped off his shirt, revealing a muscled torso that had her suddenly weak in the knees.

In a flash, he stood by her, steadying her. "Easy there. You've had a rough night. Let me help you."

She could only stand dumbly as his deft fingers stripped the towel from her body and then encased her in his shirt, still warm from his body. He then carried her to bed and tucked her under the covers. All that and not a single attempt to grope.

Not knowing what to expect, she held still as he climbed into bed with her. Would he stay on his side? Ask permission to cuddle? Or…

He slid close, laid an arm over her, and nuzzled her hair, whispering, "Go to sleep. You're safe."

More than that, she felt cared for, a strange and welcome sensation. At the same time, now that the shock had worn off, she couldn't help but think of his kiss. A kiss that had made her feel so alive.

And she wanted that really badly right now. A reminder that she wasn't being digested in a kraken's belly.

She wiggled her bottom to get close to him. His arm tightened to tuck her against his body. His erection pressed against her backside.

The arm draped over her shifted, and his hand went from palming her belly to sliding upward. He cupped her breast, squeezing it, and he shifted her hair aside to kiss her nape.

She sighed and shivered as pleasurable tingles spread through her body.

Was she being wanton? Yes. Did she care? No. She'd never been the type to be casual or take risks. But if anyone deserved it today, it was her. So when he tugged up his shirt and his hand began teasing her mound, she rolled to her back to give him access.

He slid a finger between her parted thighs, stroking her, drawing little gasps. She could feel her own juices slicking his digit as he rubbed it over her clit. He stopped for a moment to tug the shirt higher, baring her breasts. Regular breasts, not too small or big, the nipples already erect. He sucked on the tip of one while his finger stroked her.

She mewled, her hips rolling, excitement making her needy.

When he repositioned himself between her legs, she was ready for him to take her, only he slid down low and dipped his head.

Wait, what? Men rarely went down on her, even though she enjoyed it. Most were interested in getting off as quick as they could.

Not Ambrose.

At his first lick, she arched. By the second and third, she was grabbing the sheets and writhing. He inserted a finger then two as he lapped at her clit, teasing her.

Building her pleasure.

Tightening her body.

She came silently, mouth open wide, but nothing came out as an orgasm rolled through her, intense enough to leave her trembling.

She expected him to take his turn as she came down from her high, but he ended up behind her again, snuggling her close and whispering, "Sweet dreams, sweetheart."

To her surprise, she slept soundly and woke to a different man in bed.