Page 19 of Ogre on Patrol (Monsters, PI #5)

Chapter 19

Ellie

H e laid with me as the sun continued to rise and the birds started singing, before he slid off the bed and looked down at me. “When you’re ready, you tell me. Please? I’m a patient male, and you’re well worth waiting for.”

I could only nod.

He turned and left my room, striding down to the bathroom. The door shut behind him.

I climbed off the bed and dressed again, then made my shaky legs take me to the kitchen, where I got things out to make breakfast. Eggs. Bacon. Toast. Lots of each to satisfy Thain's big appetite.

It was all I could do to focus. His mouth…

How long before I couldn’t hold back, and we did it all?

He joined me as I was placing everything on plates and carrying them over to the small kitchen table, striding right over to me and curling around me to kiss the side of my neck. He sucked in a breath and growled.

That made my body start throbbing all over again. There wasn’t much I wouldn’t give this guy, but despite feeling that way, I wasn’t quite ready to take his hand and give him everything.

We were still finding each other again, and there wasn’t anything wrong with that. This was a time to be savored and enjoyed. I’d get to know the male he was today, and he’d do the same with me.

Then I could drag him to my bedroom and never let him go.

We sat to eat. At least I had a monster-sized chair, though I couldn't take the credit for that. The owners left it behind when I bought the place, and I kept it for any monster friends who might stop by.

“This looks amazing,” he said, his gaze warm on my face. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” There went my clit again, standing at attention and begging for more.

Business. Focus. I needed to put what happened in its place and pay attention to what I needed to get done today. Customers would be arriving soon. They’d expect me to be waiting and here it was, eight already, and we still hadn’t eaten.

While we ate, Crouton perched under Thain’s chair, begging for scraps.

“How was the bed in the spare room?” I asked as I spread jam on a slice of toast. “Were you comfortable enough? ”

Thain paused, his fork halfway to his mouth, as if he was considering how best to respond. “It was great.” He quickly stuffed a bite of bacon and eggs into his mouth. His tone, combined with the tight look on his face, told me everything I needed to know.

I raised an eyebrow. “You never could tell a lie.”

He gave me a lopsided grin. “Caught me, did you?”

I winced. “Was it too small?”

He chewed slowly before swallowing. “Everyone says it’s not the size that counts.”

I rolled my eyes. “You were folded up like a pretzel, weren’t you?” I took a sip of coffee and placed my mug back on the table.

“It was alright. I was glad to be here. I got up every hour and patrolled the grounds, but I didn't see anything suspicious.”

“That's a relief. You must be tired.”

“This is the norm when I worked with the force. I take this seriously. I want you safe, and I don't want anyone doing any more damage to your property.”

My chest heated at his words, though I tried to bury the feeling under practicality. “I really appreciate it. I don’t know what I’d do without your help right now.”

He gave me a soft smile, one that reached his eyes and made something flutter in my belly. “You won’t have to find out.”

Thain finished his meal, pushing it aside. Once I was done, he stood and took our plates over to the sink. “I’ll wash the dishes.”

I stood. “I don't mind. You have things to do. ”

He sent me a level look over his shoulder. “So do you, and you cooked. I'm cleaning, got it?” The sparkle in his eyes lit something on fire inside me.

“Let me help, then.”

“Nope.” He turned on the water and added suds to the sink. “I love washing dishes.”

I laughed. “Then I won't try to talk you out of it.”

As he scrubbed, he started whistling under his breath and sashaying his hips.

I brought over my empty coffee mug and scooted from the kitchen before I slumped back in my chair and sat there, watching him while he worked.

Outside and with Crouton trotting beside me, I started collecting the signs off the lawn.

Thain appeared not long later. “All done. I’m going to finish up with the cameras. It shouldn’t take me more than a couple of hours to get everything mounted and calibrated. Shout if you need anything.”

I nodded, watching him walk toward the ladder he'd leaned against the house last night. Seeing him moving around in the autumn morning, tall and powerful, made me feel safe. Safer than I had in a long time.

After placing the signs in the firepit for burning later and helping a few customers, I had a lull. I strode toward my row of greenhouses with Crouton playing guard duty. The walk was peaceful, sunlight dappling the gravel path, though the gnawing to-do list in my head was anything but. The air smelled of damp earth and lavender from a nearby flower bed, a comfort I clung to as I stepped inside the building near the end, taking stock of the damage.

Broken pots littered the floor, and the acrid stench of spray paint still hung heavy in the air despite leaving the doors open yesterday to air it out. The graffiti slashed across the glass walls screamed its accusation in red streaks. I shoved up my sleeves and got to work, telling myself that every task and every small repair would bring me one step closer to setting things right.

Some of the plants weren’t salvageable, their leaves curling in on themselves like charred paper. I focused on the survivors, carefully trimming away wilted bits and whispering small spells of encouragement to the battered greenery. My fingers brushed over the glossy leaves of a young trundlebar plant, its edges bruised but alive. It had survived. That counted for something.

Crouton scampered around as I worked, his snuffling nose leading him to every corner of the greenhouse. At one point, he tried to help by bringing me a piece of clay pot, but I coaxed it out of his mouth before he could get hurt.

By the time I'd repotted the surviving plants and swept up most of the debris, the sun had climbed higher, its golden beams fighting their way through the glass.

My stomach rumbled, and I realized it must be time for lunch. I urged Crouton outside. The fresh air smelled sweeter after being inside the greenhouse, but the sight of him standing stock-still at the doorway froze me in place.

He was facing the woods, his entire body stiff, his tail straight out like an arrow. A growl ripped from his chest before he released sharp, high-pitched barks.

“Crouton?” My knees went weak at the thought of someone lurking inside the woods. Had the witch or wizard come back? I cast a protective spell, but that wasn't my strength, so it wouldn’t stand up against someone as skilled as them. I needed to call my grandmother and ask for help. This was her forte, not mine.

I scanned the edge of the woods but saw nothing moving, nothing out of place.

Crouton barked again, his little paws scraping at the gravel as if he were ready to bolt in that direction. I dropped the tools I was holding and jogged toward the house, calling out for Thain.

Hearing the whirring sound of a drill, I ran in that direction, finding him near the road, mounting a camera to a post he’d sunk into the ground.

He turned to me, his expression sharpening. “What happened?”

“It’s Crouton.” I pointed back toward the greenhouse. “He keeps barking toward the woods. I think he sees or hears something.”

Thain dropped what he was doing and ran toward the greenhouses, his long legs eating up the distance.

When we reached Crouton, the terrier whined and looked up at Thain. Thain waved to me. “Stay back and hold him, would you? I’ll check it out, but I don't want him in danger. You either.”

What about Thain? But he was a former special agent. He was savvier about this sort of thing than me .

While he started toward the woods, I ran to Crouton.

Crouton had other plans. The moment Thain shot past the greenhouse door, Crouton darted inside, barking wildly. His sudden change in direction threw me off, and I sprinted after him, following him through the open door.

Thain wasn’t gone long, returning to stand beside me. “Nothing.”

At his appearance, Crouton scrambled across the concrete floor to a bench at the far end of the greenhouse, the one with the dead plants I hadn’t cleaned up yet.

Thain stepped inside, ducking beneath the low doorway. “What’s up, little guy?” he asked.

Crouton planted himself near the bench, barking frantically at it. His body vibrated and his ears were flattened back as if he was trying to ward off something dangerous. I hurried to scoop him up, tucking him under one arm as I stared at the place he seemed intent on attacking.

“What’s he so worked up about?” My chest tightened at how desperate his barking had become. His little legs scrambled, and I could tell he wanted to get down and leap at the bench. No idea why, though.

Thain crouched near the bench, his hand skimming along the dirt-streaked floorboards underneath. “There’s something here.” His voice held a note of concern, and I moved closer, gripping Crouton tighter.

He carefully swept his fingers past a cluster of broken roots and wilted leaves. When his hand stopped, his entire body went still.

“What is it?” I asked, unable to keep the tremor out of my voice.

His voice came out low. “A rock with a rune.” He leaned back so I could see, lifting something from beneath the bench. A flat stone, no bigger than my palm, dangled between his fingertips, etched with a glowing red marking that pulsed like a heartbeat.

The sight of it sent a shiver through my body. “That wasn’t there before.”

“It was planted,” Thain said, his jaw tightening. “I'd say recently. Yesterday? The marking feels fresh. This one basically feels alive.” He cradled the stone, taking care not to get his fingers near the marking, as if it might bite. With witches and wizards, he could be right. Crouton squirmed in my arms, still growling and barking in short bursts. Whatever it was, even he could sense the wrongness of it.

“Planted by the person in the woods yesterday?” My voice cracked. The idea of someone sneaking into my greenhouse, tampering with my plants, then leaving this, sent fear bolting through me.

Thain didn’t answer immediately. He shifted onto one knee, his expression closing off into something guarded. His other hand hovered over the rune, hesitating for one moment before he pressed his palm to its surface.

A ripple passed through him. Not externally, but I could feel it, a strange, subtle change in the air, like a guitar string snapping. His shoulders tensed, and the muscles in his jaw shifted. I felt like I stood at the edge of a storm, watching it roll in but not knowing exactly when it would strike.

His eyes narrowed, a soft growl rising in his chest as his fingers tightened around the stone. For a split second, I thought he’d crush it, but his grip loosened. Whatever impression he was getting seemed to hit him hard, because his shoulders dropped, and his jaw ticked like he was forcing himself to stay steady.

I’d seen this before. Thain touching objects, pulling fragments of their story from thin air. It wasn’t always a perfect skill. Sometimes he’d get nothing, other times he’d catch glimpses that were more puzzle pieces than a picture. But this time, the tension around him made my heart pound. Whoever had left that rune had done more than vandalize the greenhouse. They’d sent a message, and Thain was reading it.

He let out a slow breath and pulled his hand back, his fingers twitching as if something clung to them. When he glanced up at me, I couldn’t miss the anger in his gaze, though he softened it when Crouton whimpered, leaning closer to sniff his face.

“What did you see?” I asked. Every nerve in my body itched to know, even if the answer wasn’t what I wanted to hear.

“I think Ophelia's involved in this.”