Will stiffened.He’d allowed himself to be numb, now that Ed was dead—dead finally!—but he’d have to start paying Peter back.
“Are you… Do I have a curfew?You want me to stay with you now and—” Will wasn’t sure how to phrase the question.He knew what he wanted to ask, what he wanted to know.What do you want from me?Do you want more than company, more than someone cleaning your house?You haven’t even asked me to clean your house yet, but that is what you want, right?
Downstairs, Mike and Corvin were walking out of the factory arm in arm, surrounded by a bubble of happiness Will could only dream of.
“Whyever would I want you to stay with me, William?”Peter asked.He sounded more shocked than anything.“I own no pets for a reason, and I am not about to change that.”
“Uhm, I just…” Will looked around.He’d be okay now.He’d make do somehow, find a job, maybe learn a skill.No one’s after me now, and it’ll be fine.“Do you…I don’t know.Do you want me to—”
“Please, stop.”Peter headed toward the stairs.“I need to make a phone call.Just follow along.”Peter fished his phone out of his pocket and dialed.Will followed.“Pryce, hi there.Yes, I’m aware of the time.Well, death doesn’t keep regular hours, Pryce, which is to say, there is meat for you at the old cotton mill.I’m sending you the location, and you’re welcome.”
Will wanted to ask who Pryce was, and also…meat?But he didn’t dare.He didn’t dare say a single thing when Peter motioned him to get into his car or when he drove them away from the factory.Will kept his eyes down and his mouth shut.Waiting.Hoping whatever came next was…better.
When Peter stopped the car, they were in a different neighborhood again.Peter turned in his seat and fixed Will with a look he couldn’t meet for more than two seconds.
“Here is what will happen,” Peter said.“I found a witch who will take you as an apprentice.You will finish your apprenticeship with him.You will behave and not cause unnecessary trouble.I can have your name changed if you prefer.”
Will glanced up at Peter before looking down again.Peter found me a witch?So I can learn about magic?That’s…too good to be true.
“Why would I want to change my name?”Will shifted in his seat.“Or do I…do I take on a witch name?Like Merlin?”
“Like Merlin?Pup, Merlin is not an artist’s name—never mind.I meant would you like to change your name in case someone from your old pack comes looking for you.In case you don’t want to be found.In case you want to have a fresh start.”
Will snorted.“No one is coming for me.My grandfather—the alpha—he forbade that.I told my sister to stop making a fuss.But Will’s my name.My mom picked it.”But…is that why he gave Mike a false name for me?Because he wanted to give me that option?Because he would have let me be John forever if I’d wanted?
Will was tempted, he really was, but he had his memories to consider.His mom and dad, his sister, they had called him Will.Those memories were too precious to give away or dull with a new name.
Peter shrugged.“Fair enough.I lack the skill to deliver a certain type of news in the way it should be delivered, so allow me to be blunt for the next bit.Your grandfather died a year ago.”
Will’s jaw dropped.“He died?Are you kidding me?He fuckingdied?What a cosmic fucking joke.”
“Hmm.Not the reaction I expected.I rather thought it was karmic, not a cosmic joke.”
Will licked his lips.“He sold me.I almost died tonight.And now I can’t even go back and tell him I came out the other side.I can’t watch his face when he sees me alive.He probably thought they’d killed me already.”Did he grieve me?Did he let my sister grieve me?
“Why would you want to tell him that?Evidence would suggest he wasn’t concerned about your survival in the first place.If you’d like my professional opinion, the thing to do to really stick it to someone is unmake their life, starting with taking all their assets from them, then the habits they enjoy, then the people they are fond of.Ah, it’s the most satisfying thing, pup, you have no idea.”
Peter sounded dreamy.
“I just…I just wanted to show him they hadn’t broken me.”
Peter clicked his tongue.“To each their own.As I see it then, you should focus on your apprenticeship now.I expect you to complete it.”
“You never said how you want to be paid back,” Will mumbled.
Silence filled the car.Then, the comforting weight of Peter’s hand settled on Will’s neck.“You owe me nothing, William Albright, but you will promise to finish this apprenticeship.Yes?”
“I promise.”Will’s eyes were stinging.
“Good.”Peter left his hand on Will’s neck.“You also will not ever breathe a word of what you saw in my basement.Not to anyone.”
“I saw nothing in your basement,” Will said, his suspicions confirmed.There was some weird, obsessively stalkery thing going on there, and also, Peter was likely very lonely.Maybe he’s jealous too?But he deals with it differently.
“Excellent.You’re such a teachable pup.”Peter took his hand off Will’s neck.“Let’s just hope Sage can use that to introduce you to manners and things.”
Will followed Peter out of the car.The sun was just about to crest the horizon as they walked up a garden path to a cute little house, nestled in a garden whose vegetation was sort of viciously flowering and growing all over the place, looking almost like it wanted to swallow the house whole.Will smelled roses on the air, sweet like summer’s promise.
5
