Will
Will’sstomachhadgivenhim away in the elevator of the very nice chrome and glass office building, and Peter had left him in the break room with instructions to raid the fridge.Will had checked his pocket a few times—the change from the money Peter had given him was still in there, even if Will had lost the granola bars.
The break room was just as nice and fancy as the rest of the office.There was a couch and a table with chairs sitting next to a window that overlooked New Elvenswood.
Will opened the fridge.A glass container Post-it-marked “Mike” grabbed Will’s attention, and he went for it, peeling the lid open.
The smell that filled his nostrils was out of this world.He could smell the heartiness of the tomatoes and pasta, but also basil and something fresh—lime or lemon zest.
Will only just managed to grab a fork before he fell on the salad.The flavors were unreal.There were pine nuts in there, adding a buttery balance and just bringing it all together, and if Will could’ve eaten nothing but this salad for the rest of his life, he’d have died happy.
He inhaled the food, then regretted it, because it had been the kind of thing you were supposed to savor.Will placed the now-empty container on the counter.
I didn’t even sit down.That tasted like a sit-down meal.I should’ve done at least that.Manners.
Even after everything, Will had enough decency left to feel bad for eating what wasn’t his.He closed the container, took some of the money Peter had given him out of his pocket and tucked it underneath the Post-it.
He looked around the room, and found the expensive-looking bamboo container that held the sugar packets had a pen in there as well.Will scrawled “Sorry!”onto a corner of the Post-it, hoping this Mike person wouldn’t hate him.
With the hunger taken care of, there wasn’t much else to do but wait, so Will pulled out a chair and sat at the table.He looked out the window, wondering where they were, Ed and the pack.Still looking for me, most likely.They have my trail.They’re probably looking forward to—they’re probably looking forward to finding me.
Will’s thoughts became a whirlpool of memories and fear in short order.He wanted to get away, go home, but there was no place to run to, and his wolf knew better.Even if Peter wasn’t safety, he was better than what Will had escaped from.
He hasn’t beaten me.That’s a lot better.
Will couldn’t say how long it was before the door opened and Peter came into the room.He pulled out a chair and sat down across from Will.
“You’ll be staying with an associate of mine while I deal with this.You’ll be going by ‘John’ while you are there since I am still looking into your original pack and want your presence to remain quiet for now.”
“I’m sorry I went into your basement,” Will blurted out.“It…was an accident.”
Peter tapped the tabletop with his index finger.“I should have known you need supervision, but Michael might even imbue you with a touch of basic manners.”
“I have fucking manners!”Will immediately regretted the outburst and dared a brief look at Peter, whose glacial gaze was dark and unrelenting.If he’d been in his wolf form, Will would’ve whined and shown his belly.As it was, he looked down at the table.
“Yes, William, you clearly have them on full display.Now, come along.”
Before Will could even comprehend what was going on, he found himself in the passenger seat of a siren’s car, parked right outside that siren’s house.
Maybe Peter is trying to see if he can…loan me to other people?
Will decided that was still better than the alternative, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure how he felt about what was happening.Then again, I can’t do much.Maybe I can charm them.
He glanced at the siren.The man didn’t look like he was open to being charmed.In Will’s opinion, he looked like he had a stick up his butt, but he wasn’t going to say that out loud.Especially not when his name was Mike, potential owner of the pasta salad.
The only thing Will knew was that this one lived with a human who had no idea he was getting in bed with a siren.Would I tell someone I love what I am?Wouldn’t even tell them my name as things are now.But if they’re in love…if I were in love, I think I’d want my person to know.
Will decided he wasn’t going to look pitiful or guilty, despite his theft of the pasta salad.At least until I figure out why Peter is doing this, it’s probably wise.
“So, is he cute?”Will asked, forcing himself to sound carefree, like “John,” who was no one—certainly not someone who’d been given to a bunch of loups-garous as payment.“Did you, like, enchant him so he does what you want in the sack?I mean, that’s what sirens do, right?They enchant men and then drag them into their lair.”
Even as he said the words, Will realized he should’ve thought them through first.Mom always used to tell me to think before I speak.Will tensed.No one had told him that in a long time.Ed and the others had used their fists when they didn’t like whatever came out of his mouth.
But…the siren was one of the heads from Peter’s creepy-weird photo project.And a siren.They were creepy.And there was a human in the house, and Will wasn’t allowed to tell the human anything other than…
Then again, maybe it was better this way.If Will had to be John, and if John was supposed to be human, then John hadn’t gone through all the shit Will had gone through over the past several years.And Will was okay with taking that kind of life for as long as he had the chance.
The siren was clearly pissed but kept calm.“I didn’tenchanthim, and I’ve never used my song on him, not that that’s any business of yours.”
