HORNS (BoyXBoy)

Chapter 165

Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Five

Babies were peculiar creatures.

They had the power to bewitch nearly everyone into paying attention to them without having to do much. Whether it was because of giggles, or crying, or even just packing a diaper full of nose-destroying poop, people just seemed to naturally flock to them and around them.

Echo's siblings were no different.

If anything, the attention showered upon them was amplified because most werewolves happened to love babies to the point of being extremely obnoxious. Even hardass Sebastian was as soft as a marshmallow around them. Instinct just couldn't be denied, I guess.

Speaking of him, Aerin, of course, had gone totally ballistic upon his return, flying across the room and literally leaping into his arms like a flying monkey, and when I say everyone in the cottage started fawning over Echo's siblings, I mean literally everyone present did so, and they also took a copious amount of time and pleasure in greeting his mother, too.

Then, more greetings were exchanged between Sam, Buck, and Bash, and the three of them had a slightly uncomfortable talk with Hench about the nature of his arrival. It went about the way anyone might have expected, with Sebastian being his grumpy, growly, 'I-will-fucking-destroy-you-if-you-pose-a-threat-to-my-family' self, but Aerin naturally involved himself in the conversation and reminded him to be patient and empathetic and kind, etcetera, etcetera.

You know, the usual.

Of course, not everyone was so energetic. Sasha ended up going to her room not long before the third Harry Potter movie ended, claiming to need sleep. I didn't blame her since she'd been out and about for a long time during the day, and after giving me a big hug and kissing my cheek with an ear-wiggle, she'd hobbled for the stairs with Luka dotingly helping her.

He'd given me a happy yet tired grin of his own before they'd vanished.

Flashes of his warm emotions ebbed through my soul even after they did, reminding me of how loved I was by them and brightening my mood, but of course, it couldn't last. Just as I was about to take a seat beside Echo, who'd been glued to his mother's wheelchair throughout all of the greetings and niceties between the guys while I'd kind of just stood off to the side, I heard it.

"I know, you don't have to explain this shit," Sebastian growled, low and threatening. "Echo and Horst already explained to me what was going on over the phone. I know that they had no scent, I know about the letter, and I know about the polaroids, but it isn't Jasper! He's still locked up!"

"But this is nearly identical to five years ago!" Aerin hissed, visibly tense. "I don't like it! I don't wanna have to deal with this shit again, running around in fear that someone is gonna hurt us!"

"Nobody is going to hurt anyone under my roof again," he spit, neck bunching up as his eyes flared brilliant yellow. "I'm doing my best to prepare for a worst-case scenario. If my home is attacked? We'll either escape through the fairy rings Thomas and Chi have erected or we'll barricade ourselves in specially designated rooms until help can arrive. If they go after the Masons' cabin? Tiffany will deafen herself and Woody will scream."

"Wait, WHAT?!" Aerin squawked, so shrill that everyone winced. "Will Tiffy actually be safe if she does that though?! We don't know how his power works, Sebastian! Not completely! Just because it works with my power doesn't mean it will with his, and it's far too dangerous to try testing it on someone! The risk is literal death! If you're wrong, Tiffany could die, Babe!"

"I know," the werewolf grumbled, shaking his head, "but--"

"No buts! And what the hell will we do if the college is attacked?!" Aerin cried, wringing his hands and anxiously bouncing on his toes, white hair swinging. His silvery eyes were large, and his face was paler than normal when he blurted, "my grandniece is there, Babe! And not just her, but Louise's little brother, too! And Horst! And his friends! And a bunch of innocent kids and teachers--normal human people who might get caught in the crossfire if something bad really does happen! What will we do if there's actually another attack?! Who's gonna save them?"