Genius

1- The New Cellmate

James watched as they dragged the restrained werewolf through the front doors of the basement. He was limping even as he struggled to get out of their hold and dripping blood all over the stairs.

James sighed. They're gonna make me clean that up. If they have to do shit like this, can't they at least be neater about it?

They dragged the rather large man to the barred cell in the corner of the room and tossed him into the cell. As the bars slammed shut behind him, he let out a rumbling growl that sent vibrations through the floor and shook dust loose from the ceiling.

Pretty. James thought as he watched the dust motes float through the air towards the floor.

Dan and Horatius, the guards that had tossed the werewolf into his cell, walked over to where James was flopped over his comfortable couch. Horatius grunted in greeting, still the overly blunt man he had been when James met him.

"Hey James!" Dan called cheerfully. Dan was a new addition to the ranks of the household and had seemingly warmed up to James quickly. "Do you have time? Maybe we could hang out? We could play video games, or watch a show.. O-or something..." Dan stuttered out as his face became increasingly redder.

James smirked inwardly, but showed the poor boy a soft smile.

"You'd have to ask Mal first, but if you get permission, I'd love to do just about anything with you." He said in a low, soft, and rather seductive voice.

Dan gulped. "I'll definitely ask."

Horatius rolled his eyes, already used to James' little tricks that he would play on newbies.

"You shouldn't call Elder so casually James, you'll get your privileges taken away." Horatius grunted out.

James pouted. "Fine."

As much fun as it is teasing a little cutie like Dan, I don't want my books taken away... The last time Mal punished me was the longest week of my life.

Dan startled at Horatius' mention of the Elder.

"Elder? Did you just call Elder Malcom, 'Mal'???!" Dan just about screeched in terror. He looked around as if Mal would suddenly appear out of nowhere to kill him for blaspheming his name.

"James has... Special circumstances. We should just go Dan." Horatius stated.

Dan looked even more confused at the statement as Horatius pulled him by the arm up the stairs, but James knew Horatius would likely explain his "circumstances" to Dan as soon as they were out of earshot. It was kind of Horatius to do so. It wasn't something James liked to talk about even after all these years, so explaining to Dan sounded worse than having his books taken away.

Horatius and Dan left the basement and the heavy door slowly swung shut silently.

"Click."

The sound of the lock was extremely soft, just loud enough for his super hearing to pick it up, but the sound rattled through him, like it always did, and a shudder moved through his body in a wave.

James surveyed his surroundings. He was laying on a plush sofa that was across from a coffee table and a couple bookshelves full of books from all different eras. On the coffee table was a couple stacks of paperwork and a laptop open to a spreadsheet that he was supposed to be finishing, but James had quickly lost his motivation.

It looked like a lovely little living room that any normal human or supernatural could have. But James knew that it was just a gilded cage, disguised to try to trick him into comfort. He was no more free than the poor muzzled beast in the corner.