I have yet to figure out what kind of creature Ethan is. He has no markings of any kind, and no one will tell me, so I’m assuming he must be something truly dreadful, a night creature of some kind. I’ve avoided saying his name over the past weeks until I can be certain it holds no power.
“Ethan’s just grouchy because he shares a wall with Dred,” Tysin clarifies.
“Bloodsucker can’t feed outside the house?” Ethan mutters, flipping the page with a little more fervor than before. “I’m tired of hearing them whine all night.”
Tysin’s face blanches, or perhaps it blushes. It’s hard to tell with her brown coloring and the sunlight peeking through from under her skin.
I see why Dred is obsessed with her. She’s absolutely stunning and one of the nicest creatures I’ve ever met. She’s also the only woman who can stand to listen to Dred for longer than thirty seconds. If I were him, I’d be obsessed too.
“Let me know if you can’t find anything,” she adds. “Oh, and don’t eat the sun-flour in the fridge. Unless you feel like shitting rainbows for a week.”
Elliot and I look at each other, more than a little confused, but Tysin is already halfway out of the room, so we don’t get a chance to ask. And Ethan is still grumbling something about listening to women scream Dred’s name all night.
His long, black hair sweeps over his shoulder as he continues muttering under his breath.
I think he and Elliot will get along great. He isn’t one for chatting, and he doesn’t linger unnecessarily. He follows Tysin out of the room shortly after she disappears, and Elliot and I excuse ourselves to his room before Dred can come wandering in.
The room is still in a state. Boxes in every corner, most of them filled with books, and the mattress undressed. It’s not as big as his previous quarters at Crescent House, so I have to squeeze past the unopened boxes before I can make it to the bed.
Elliot’s phone rings, but he groans as he glances at the screen.
“Is that Vanessa?” I ask.
He nods, pocketing the phone without answering.
“You know you have to talk to her eventually,” I say.
“I know, I’m just not ready to deal with her screaming.”
“Maybe she’ll understand. You don’t know until you talk to her.”
Elliot shakes his head.
“Yes, I do. Because I know my sister.”
The phone rings again, and this time he hits decline rather than just letting it ring through.
I don’t argue with him as he sets the phone face down on the dresser. He’ll answer eventually. I just hope it won’t be too late.
He shuts the door and drops down on the bed beside me with a groan.
“You okay?” I ask, digging through the box on the floor by my feet. This one is full of random stuff, haphazardly set inside until it couldn’t fit anything more. Definitely one that I packed.
“Yeah,” he says. “I’m just a little surprised. I thought I’d miss the pack more.”
“We can head over to Crescent House for a bit, if you want.”
I’ve been weaning him off of Kitty and Dame. Or rather, I’ve been weaning Kitty and Dame off of him.
They call every day just to be sure he’s alright, and they’ve visited at least five times since we slowly started moving Elliot’s things over.
I know it’s only because they miss him. I imagine that after seeing someone every day for twenty-two years, it can be difficult to go even an hour without them.
But I made them promise they’d give him a few days after we got everything moved in. But if Elliot needs to see them, I won’t stop him.
“Nah,” he mutters, looping an arm around my hip. “I have everything I need in this room.”
He smiles at me, and I reach down our bond, soothing his wolf’s energy, and watch as his eyes close and he leans against the doorway, sighing.
