Chapter Three
Kaos
Darkness. No, not completely. There was fire next to me, and under my head…a snake!
I took a deep breath and screamed my lungs out.
The snake moved, and someone yelled.
Blinding light suddenly illuminated the room, and I gasped for air, ready to let out another shriek. Burgundy tentacles wove around me as Spiros sat with his hands up like I was about to shoot, holding a remote pointed at the overhead fixture.
Oops. Last evening came rushing back to me.
“It’s just me. Spiro.” His lip quirked into a smile. “I come in peace.”
I wish my name was peace. “Sorry. I dozed off.” I took in the room and frowned. “But why are you still here? On the floor.”
Deep purple tinged his light burgundy cheeks. Was he one of those cephalopods with blue blood? Did that mean that he was blushing? Oh, I’d have to ask him if he squirted ink.
“You fell asleep on my tentacles, so I didn’t wanna move. You looked dead tired.”
I was about to expire from cuteness. The same grump who’d refused to let me in when I’d first knocked on the door of the house he’d rented, had later stayed on the floor cause I was cozy on his lap. Wait, had it been his lap?
Tentacles floated all around him, then he took a deep breath and they settled along his body.
No wonder I’d thought they were snakes in my sleep.
He was wearing the same Swimming with the Sharks T-shirt as before, but now had a blanket over his lower half.
I took him in—from red and black hair, muscular arms, to slim waist—and frowned.
“Where are your legs?”
So technically, I had slept on his lap. So he had two human arms, a set of four upper tentacles, one on each side and two shiftable legs. “Do you shift when you sleep?”
So technically, I had slept on his lap. “Do you shift when you sleep?”
“No. I shift when I want to, but I’m most comfortable in my natural form.” He answered automatically, as if he didn’t mind my questions at all. But now, he was looking at something behind me with an expression full of curiosity.
I followed his gaze. Shit, my tail was out.
“I keep it hidden in my hoodie,” I said, curling the orange fur behind my back. One could assume that a dude made mostly of tentacles wouldn’t mind my ears and tail, but I’d met with intolerance often enough to get used to hiding everything different about myself from strangers.
A small smile played on his handsome face as he shifted to follow the tail’s movement. “It’s so fluffy, even more than your ears.”
“So what?” I pulled the hood over my head with a sharp tug.
“It’s cute.”
“Don’t treat me like a child,” I snapped, shuffling back.
“I’m not.” His tone was calm, putting me at ease. “I like your fur. It’s different.”
I snorted. “Says a guy with wiggly legs and suckers.”
“Exactly.” He gave me a pointed stare.
I didn’t think he was making fun of me at this point. “Sorry. I better see if anyone replied to me.”
“Go ahead.” He unplugged my phone and handed it over. “But it’s three in the morning. You can crash in the guest room and check when the sun’s up. How’s that?”
I weighed my options. I had nowhere to go, and Spiro returned my connection to the outside world. No major red flags so far. Although I’d been known to be drawn to those like a moth to a flame.
“Sounds amazing, thank you.” I held onto the blanket and grabbed the charger from the table.
A whoosh and a gust of warm air hit me, and I jumped, startled.
Spiros stood in front of me on two smooth burgundy legs, wearing only a pair of loose boxers. “Sorry. I weirded you out enough today, but I wanted to walk with you.”
“Oh no, it’s fine. Can I touch one?” I pointed to one of the tentacles on his side, underneath his arm.
“Go ahead. You used my legs as pillows for half the night, after all.” He directed us farther into the house while letting me inspect his tentacle.
I felt heat fill my cheeks as I imagined snuggling against the smooth appendages.
Stroking the soft tip, I marveled at how the suckers farther down contracted and expanded.
I’d expected them to be slimy, but the delicate skin was pleasant to stroke.
My finger pricked as if stung by static electricity.
Ouch! That hurt, but not in an unpleasant way.
Was that static electricity, because of the blanket I’d been wrapped in?
I let go of the tentacle and shoved my hands into the pockets of my hoodie.
The en suite guest room Spiro had shown me into had a king bed in the middle covered in white sheets. The neutral colors of the walls and light wooden furniture had a generic look while giving off cosy vibes, like the rest of the house.
“Can I shower? I feel nasty.” I glanced at Spiro and wasn’t sure if he was judging me or if he had that curious look when it came to me.
“Of course,” Spiro said but lingered in the doorway.
Whenever I met someone new, they were confused with my feline nature. They were usually human though.
“What? I like water, okay?” Another tidbit that set me apart from my relatives was my positive relationship with water.
My siblings and parents, even extended family, hated getting wet, whether it was rain or a swim in a lake.
They showered of course, but not because they liked it.
I was just the opposite. “It relaxes me, and the hum of the ocean calms me down.”
“Oh, I totally get that. I’ll leave you to it.” Spiro nodded once and closed the door behind himself.
I plugged the phone in next to the bed and shuffled to the bathroom. All the bottles had labels in French, but after sniffing the contents, I distinguished the delicately minty shampoo from the perfumed shower gel.
I lathered my hair, ears, and tail thoroughly, then used soap for the rest of my body. Exhausted, I wrapped myself in two towels and padded to the bed.
Collapsing on top of it, I pulled the sheet over myself and entered dreamland. This time, the tentacles in my imagination were wrapping around me like a hug of comfort, but soon found their way to my upper thighs and my cock, bringing me pleasure the likes of which I could only dream of.
The smell of food was too mouthwatering not to be real. I stretched on the bed and rolled to the side, but got stuck in the sheet, and fell to the ground with a dull thump. My poor hip. Meh, I’d be fine as always.
My morning wood and naked ass were not the most appropriate attire for leaving the room, but thankfully, my suitcase was by the door.
Spiros must have brought it when I was asleep.
I put on fresh clothes, which included The Banshees of Munster hoodie I’d bought at their gig in LA, black jeans, and a random pair of colorful socks.
I did the basics in the bathroom but didn’t bother brushing my hair. I regretted that decision when I saw the look of surprise on Spiros’s face as he saw me entering the kitchen. He took me in, from banana-patterned socks, to crazy scientist hair, and his lips quirked.
“Scrambled eggs?” he asked, poking the contents of the frying pan with a spatula.
“Did you make me breakfast?” I grabbed an imaginary pearl necklace. “Did we fuck?”
He snorted out a laugh and lowered the volume of the music playing from his phone. “No, we didn’t. And since I was making food for myself, I added a bit more for you. It’s no problem. Since you invaded my space anyway, I might as well treat you properly.”
“Thanks.” So he was feeling sorry for me, on top of admitting that I wasn’t welcome.
Way to take the tiny gust of wind out of my morning sails.
“I’ll see about getting a place to stay today.
” I sat at the kitchen island facing Spiro, then powered my phone on.
It blew up with notifications and a warning. “Uhh, is there a snowstorm here?”
“What?” Spiro glanced toward the window, beyond which was white and nothing else. “Was it snowing all night?” He switched on the TV behind me to the NBC5 Chicago channel.
The lady on the morning news looked at us with a serious expression through the screen.
“Chicago authorities warn against going outside, so if you have enough supplies, consider staying at home for the next few days until the heavy snowfall stops and the roads are safe again. The strong wind poses a danger for drivers and pedestrians, but if you can, walk to the local store rather than drive. The city is dealing with black ice, and the pavements are being covered with salt, but we urge you to remain vigilant. We were advised that the best course of action is to remain indoors and enjoy some quality time with family, friends, or your pets. If you’re alone, make sure you have a way to reach your neighbors in case you need help, lose power or water, or your house suffers damage. ”
“This sounds serious.” I scrolled frantically through the emails.
No vacancies… Apologies, Mr. Kotturson… Due to the weather…
We regret to inform you… “No one wants to take me.” My fingers shook as I kept clicking on the replies, and I turned away so Spiro wouldn’t see how upset I was.
Crying was not an option. I had to act. “The places I contacted are booked and full. But there must be something.”
“Well, Michelle the news lady makes it sound like you’d better stay with me for a while longer.” Spiro’s voice was serious, making it a statement rather than an offer.
“For one more night,” I said, as if I had any other choice. “Then I’ll be out of your hair.”
He sighed. “Well, I guess I can’t exactly throw you out into the snow. I was looking forward to being alone, but maybe spending a few days with you won’t be too bad.” He flipped something in the pan, the smirk on his face unmistakable.
I narrowed my eyes. Was he only teasing? Or being mean? “Thanks.” Sarcasm was strong with me. “I appreciate it.”
“Bacon and toast with your egg?”
“No bread, thanks.”
I watched him serve up the same food for me as he did for himself, so it definitely wasn’t poisoned. The many times my cousins and siblings snuck in stuff I was allergic to just to see me suffer had left me scarred.
Spiro handed me the plate with a pile of scrambled egg and bacon, then sat next to me with his own.
I took the first forkful and moaned at the explosion of flavor and spices. “It’s so fluffy!” I was halfway through the sizable portion in record time when my stomach cramped. Uh oh. “What did you use to fry it in?” I aimed at sounding casual.
Spiro swallowed his bite of toast. “Butter. Why?”
Shit shit shit. “Did you add any milk?”
“Well yes, the egg is much more flavorful and moist with milk.” He frowned, scanning my face. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’ll be right back.” I shot to my feet and ran to the bathroom. No way was I gonna fart—or worse—next to Mr. Sexy Tentacles.