The Housemates

Past Problems and Present Plans

Chapter Thirty-One

Past Problems and Present Plans

After getting ready for the day, throwing on one of her white t-shirts and a pair of jeans, the first thing Elli did was go over to Desmond’s room to check up on him. He gave her permission to enter as soon as she knocked.

He sat at his desk, papers scattered around and books piled high. A few mugs sat on the desk and reeked of coffee. He glanced over at her and she could see the dark circles under his eyes.

“Did you sleep?” Why she bothered to ask at all was beyond her. Perhaps she was hoping he would tell her that he had, even for just a few hours.

“No.” Well, there went that hope. “I’ve been researching. Nothing solid yet but I have a few ideas. I just hope I find something before it’s too late.”

She nodded and sat onto his bed. “Are you okay?”

He sighed, staring at his hands. “Yeah. I’m… I’ve been better, but it’s okay. Meg-- Luna,” he corrected, making a face that looked pained, “She’s a hunter?”

“Yes. She’s Victor’s daughter and she’s a little on the crazy side, honestly.”

A small smile appeared on his lips before rapidly vanishing, as he muttered, “I remember that.” His eyes met hers and he had the most heartbreaking look on his face. She had never seen him look so sad, not even that afternoon in the attic could rival this expression. “I loved her and then… I thought I’d killed her. She let me think that I had killed her. Then a little after her ‘death’ a hunter tried to kill me and I was just so… I felt so guilty that I almost let him. Now, I feel like that was her goal all along. We dated for a year, Elli, and I loved her so much and it turns out she wasn’t even real. I didn’t even know her name. Everything was a lie.”

There was nothing Elli could say so she stood up and just hugged her best friend. She’d never had her heart broken and she had certainly never been through anything remotely relatable to what Luna had done. This was the most incompetent she had ever felt, as a friend and an alpha. That was really saying something since she had felt incompetent as an alpha from the beginning.

He pulled out of the hug with a sigh. “I really need to get back to researching. I’ll be okay, Elli. Just give me some time.”

She frowned, but nodded, knowing there was little else she could do. Time would heal him and the support of his housemates would help when he was ready. She left him to his work and went to find Kate.

The banshee was in the living room, cleaning a pistol that had come from Gods only knew where. She sat cross-legged and barefoot on the floor, some of the pieces resting on the coffee table beside her. Elli plopped onto the couch in front of her.

“Come on, spit it out,” Kate prompted after a few moments of silence, while Elli gathered her thoughts.

“Were you controlling that wind yesterday?” It sounded like a stupid question once she voiced it, but it was a power she didn’t know the banshee possessed or who else it could have been if not Kate.

She smirked. “No, it was just conveniently dramatic. Yes, Elli. I was.”

“But how?” She regretted not paying more attention when she had learned about magical beings as a child. Noah probably knew the answer to her question. She knew she should.

“Banshee’s are technically fairies and nature fairies at that. I mean, death is a natural thing, right? So we’re nature fairies, with death as a focus. My elemental powers are tied to my emotions. I was angry yesterday,” she ended with a shrug. She began to reassemble the gun once she finished cleaning it. Her movements were calm, precise, and confident. It was somewhat fascinating to watch.