HORNS (BoyXBoy)

Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

I've always loved taking walks.

Long walks, mostly, since doing so gave me time to think whenever I was stressed.

I didn't really have that luxury at the moment, sadly, what with me being indoors and all, but I did take my time while I pondered over everything that had happened the last few days. To tell the truth, as stupid as it made me feel to admit it, I still didn't understand the whole situation with Echo. I couldn't piece together how it made sense in my head, not really.

So much just didn't add up.

In fact, in hindsight, it felt almost like things were being kept from me and I really didn't like it.

I didn't understand why that would be the case since everyone was normally pretty open and honest with me, but that was the overall vibe I was getting. Too much just didn't add up, which either meant that the people doing this were stupid--which they most certainly were not--or they were leaving out the variables that would make this, whatever the hell it was, make sense.

I really need to talk to my dad, I mentally muttered. Maybe he can help me figure this out or fill me in on what I'm missing. I don't like that I don't get it since it all seems to be a pretty big deal.

I let out a sigh and headed toward the kitchen, figuring I'd have a better chance at bumping into somebody there than anywhere else. Most of our guys had gone home after the party since they'd either had other things to do, like work, or they'd simply wanted to relax in their own beds, likely because the full moon was only a few days away.

I heard voices as I drew closer to the kitchen, and I prepared myself mentally to ask if anyone had seen my old man, but to my surprise I saw him sitting at the table talking to Raphael. I blinked as the smell of food hit my nose like a semi and I turned to see Diana standing in front of the stove, ears flicking forward to catch the sound of her humming amidst the hiss of steam.

Raph's eyes landed on me and he straightened, flicking his cowboy hat up with a grin.

"Evening, Sleepin' Beauty!" he called, and I rolled my eyes before clopping over and sitting down beside my father, who eyed me with an unreadable expression. "You napped the whole day away! I take it you're feeling better? Or did ya actually get hung over?"

"I had a headache," I admitted, and Raph grinned like a fox. "I'm not sure if it was a hangover, though, I think it had more to do with the fact that I woke up with a stranger in my bed."

Raph's grin was instantly wiped clean and my father made a low growling sound in his chest.

"Do not remind me," Jak muttered, shaking his head and rubbing his face. "I am still quite pissed off over dat crazy brat talkin' about you like you were a meal. Curdles my blood."

"It's not his fault," I said quietly, and both guys stared at me. "Try to keep an open mind about him, a'ight? I get that he's a vampire and I'm honestly beginning to understand why they're dangerous, but the fact of the matter is... he's kinda like a baby right now despite his age."

"A... a baby?" Diana asked, casting me a quick look over her shoulder before returning her attention to the pan full of what smelled like chicken stir fry. "Horst, Honey, that's not an accurate comparison. Vampires are more like robots than infants. Killer robots."

"I'm with her on this one," Raph agreed, jerking his thumb at her. "You can't lower your guard, Lil' Man. That bastard would rip your throat out just as quickly as he would speak to you if he perceived that it would benefit him somehow, logically. That's the biggest reason why I'm not too sure if you're up for this challenge, you know?"