Page 17 of Abdominal Snowman

Sage had expected the man to use a 3-in-one, but leave it to the monster-but-not-a-werewolf-shifter to have proper hygiene.

With a huff, Sage sat her clothes on the counter and went back into the bedroom. Beside the door was a plain wooden chair with a cushion on it. She tugged it into the bathroom with her and once she’d closed the door, she jammed the headrest of the chair beneath the knob.

Would it stop a beast man? She wasn’t certain, but it gave her peace of mind long enough to undress herself and turn on the water.

It was only when she was about to step in that she realized she’d forgotten her own bathroom supplies and glared at the labels of Soren’s.

“Dammit,” she muttered.

There was no way in hell she was moving the chair and going back downstairs naked just to get her favorite strawberry scented soap. With a grumble, Sage stepped over the lip of the tub and into the rainfall of water.

It was the perfect temperature, with steam filling the room and the water pinkening her skin from the heat. Washing the remainder of the day off her skin was an experience. Even if she had to do it using Soren’s items, which were scented just like she’d expect: Amber Pine. What the hell did that even mean? Who wanted to smell like a Christmas tree?

Sage grumbled to herself as she washed, and by the time she got out and pulled a huge fluffy towel from the closet, she smelled more like the forest than when she’d gone in. After toweling off, she dressed in a pair of extra comfy leggings and an oversized long-sleeved top.

Moving the chair back to its original spot was more work than she’d bargained for, and when she finally escaped from the steamy bathroom, she was almost breaking a sweat. There was still no sign of Soren, and the house was eerily quiet. The only sound was the murmur of the television from the living room.

With nothing else to do, Sage retrieved her taser and descended the stairs to the first floor once again. She guessed she could wait up for Soren and finally get some answers to her questions without him storming off.

She claimed her spot on the giant, comfy couch and pulled a soft blanket off the back. With the fireplace crackling and keeping her warm, the hum of the television, and the… hominess she felt suddenly… Sage was doubting why she was so wary of this place. Of its owner.

Picking up the remote, Sage shelved those thoughts for later and grabbed her taser again. Just in case.

But scrolling the local channels was boring, and the rerun of a hero show lulled her into calm while the warm flames called her to sleep.

And Sage simply didn’t want to fight it anymore.