© Amber Kalkes 2014
*Song Of The Chapter: "Ready To Start" By Arcade Fire
Chapter Eleven: Curiosity Killed The…Human?
“You look tired” Seth commented as I exited my bathroom.
I just got out of the shower and was dressed in some black leggings, an oversized orange sweater that fell mid-thigh and my thick black-framed glasses. My contacts had been driving me nuts and I was curious to see Seth’s reaction to them.
My hair was piled on the top of my head in a messy bun. I was just too lazy and drained to deal with that Kraken. Really, the biting ordeal had taken it out of me but I was also starving and still dealing with a massive headache.
“Do I?” I rasped out eventually. “I guess I should wear more makeup then.”
“I like you without it.” He shrugged, pulling a black t-shirt over his head.
I silently damned that shirt for covering his chest so nicely. I kind of wanted to demand he was not allowed to wear shirts in my house but that seemed a bit desperate. Why the hell should I care?
Okay, that was the new rule. Seth was banned from shirts in my house.
I would inform him later.
“So.” I sighed. “Are we going to talk about last night?”
Seth’s look was wary at best. “I guess we could but personally I’d like to get some food in you first. The marking can be a bit draining and I don’t want you to get sick.”
“That’s sweet.” I breathed out.
Girly girl alert! Someone needed to put my in quarantine.
“Shall we?” he said offering me his hand.
I took it with a small smile. “Direct me to the goodies, Sir.”
“My pleasure.”
We walked down the steps and into the kitchen on the left. It was a pretty modern kitchen considering how old the house was. Which was older than dirt, honestly. I was pretty sure the dinosaurs had helped build the first house on this plot of land.
Seth deposited me in a chair at the kitchen table with a grin. He looked so boyish when he grinned and I had a hard time not swooning like an idiot every time he did it. It lit up his face and made him seem…like he was glowing with inner light. Cheesy but captivating too. He was slowly turning me into mush and well…I found that I liked it.
I’m dragged out of my oogling episode by a plate being placed before me. My mouth watered at the sight. Bacon, eggs, toast and a hash brown sat there begging to be ripped apart and devoured like the martyrs to my hunger that they were. I promised myself that if Seth cooked like this everyday I would marry the poor bastard.
“Is this okay because I can---“
I cut him off. “Are you insane? This is amazing! I can only cook things with directions or in a can! This is freaking impressive!”
Seth’s eyes were glittering with amusement. “Then I may have to make this a habit.”
“If you do then I may have to chain you in my basement as my very own breakfast slave. Unless you can cook lunch and dinner too. Then I guess you can just be an all around food servant.” I rambled.
“Deal.” He agreed then added, “But I want to sleep in your bed instead of the basement. I’m not big on mice.”
“Awe. Is the big bad wolf scared of a wittle mouse?” I cooed.
He was about to retort when a knock on the door made me jump out of my skin. I also may or may not have choked on a piece of bacon. God, the word bacon could make me drool. Anyway, I gave a quizzical looking Seth a kiss on the cheek before going for the door. Who the hell would come to my house? I swung it open to see the last person I expected to ever see again…
Ethan.
“Oh sweet baby Jesus.” I mumbled before going on, my tone annoyed. “What are you doing here, man? Did Newman send you?”
Ethan shook his head, looking apologetic. “No. I came on my own.”
I sighed and leaned on the doorframe and crossed my arms. “State your purpose.”
“Yes, Ethan, do tell.”
I glanced over my shoulder to see a deceivingly calm looking Seth looking squarely at Ethan. His wide stance and the flexing in his crossed arms just screamed of dangerous. Was it wrong for me to be turned on? Cause I was.
Focus!
Yes. Focusing would be good.
“I came to talk to, Sylvie. Not you, Seth.” Ethan said, spitting Seth’s name like a curse.
“Hey.” I snapped at Ethan, getting his attention. “Manners are the rule in my house. If you’re going to be rude to my guests then leave. We clear?”
Ethan nodded slowly and I sighed. “So what do you want?”
“First off, I want to talk to you alone.” He said shooting a pointed glance at Seth before continuing. “Then we can get on to my reasons for being here. Alright?”
I was about to speak when Seth’s voice over rid me. “That is never fucking happening! She is my mate and you don’t get alone time with my goddamn mate whenever you fucking want, Glenn.”
Well then…
“Don’t you think that’s up to her, Seth?” Ethan replied with obviously forced politeness. “I mean she is her own person, isn’t she?”
“And she is right here.” I added, feeling a little peeved. “So this is what’s going to happen. Seth, your going to hang out in the house and Ethan and I will stay on the porch to talk. If I need you I’ll holler, deal?”
I turned to see Seth give me ridged nod.
“Work for you Ethan?”
A nod mixed with a smug smile comes from him. Suddenly, I found Ethan very annoying. I would have just let Seth do whatever but I was curious about what Ethan had to say…I mean it had to be good, right? At least worth a chuckle at the least.
“Well then, lets do this.”
I began walking toward the porch where Ethan was standing then held a finger up to tell him to wait a minute. I then shut the front door turned on a heel and jumped up on Seth. His arms caught me and held me to him by cupping my ass like he owned it, the cheeky bugger.
But we like him that way. My inner voice said happily.
Damn straight.
My head, for once, was higher than his so I had to bend down to kiss him. After the marking he felt, tasted, and smelled so much better. I mean he smelled, tasted, and felt great before but now it was like mind blowingly amazing. In the back of my head I wondered if this is how he felt about me? Was this what it felt like for him this whole time? How could he keep his hands off?
Seth pulled back and gave me a furrow browed look. His eyes were shining in happiness so I wasn’t too concerned with the worry brow. Instead of answering his silent question I attacked his lips again, making him groan. That was officially my favorite new sound.
“What was that for?” he asked, after breaking free for air.
I gave a half assed shrug. “Just letting you know I want you.”
“You made that very obvious to me, thank you.”
I smirked at his smug tone.
My lips made their way to his ear and whispered. “You are very welcome, mate.”
He groaned again and I chuckled quietly. “You’re a tease.”
“Just for you.” I assured him, slowly climbing off him. “I’ll make this fast.”
“Thank god.”
Did he just pout?
“Behave.” I warned him, giving him a quick peck.
I went back out to the door and onto the deck to an annoyed looking Ethan sitting on the porch swing. He was dressed in jeans and a long sleeve dark green thermal shirt with three buttons off the rim of the neck. It didn’t look half bad on him but he wasn’t really on my good side this morning.
“Alright, spill it. I got a killer headache this morning and no patience to speak of.”
Ethan looked up and gave me a small smile. “Sit.”
I sat by him but kept my body angled to face his side. If I needed to run or use my other…methods then I would. Shit, I still had to talk to Seth about that. I mentioned it to Alek but Seth needed to know the whole truth. Secretly I was hoping he wouldn’t freak out or hate me. Could he hate me? I mean I was his----
“Listen,” Ethan sighed, cutting off my thoughts. “I’m sorry about yesterday. Newman is my Alpha’s son and standing up for you really doesn’t help me out in the long run. I mean I like you and all but I doubt you’d like me with a bruised up face.”
His Alpha? Ah, shit. He was a Lycan too? Well call me the Lycan whisperer!
Fuck me this was mess up.
“Honestly, Ethan, the bruises would make you look more manly.” I admitted, and then added, “And I kind of figured you would be doing any saving when you figured out who I was anyway. I get it. You’re a nice guy just not when people are looking. Which is shitty of you but I get it.”
“I really do like you.”
My brain stopped. “Like as in….”
“Like as in I wish it was my scent on you right now instead of that mutt’s.”
“Don’t be rude.” I snapped.
Ethan ran a hand through his hair. “Sylvie, I just…this is messed up. I like you and here you are mated to a guy I hate from a pack I hate. I’m a little screwed up right now but I wanted to offer you an option before I give up, alright?”
“Go on.”
“You can leave this life, this house, this servitude and that mutt and leave with me. You could come and be my mate and be with me and I would cherish you and love you. I know I would. Sylvie, I care about you and being stuck here and with him isn’t the life you want, is it?”
Wha….?
“Are you kidding me right now?”
Ethan shook his head, looking at me with pleading brown eyes. “This isn’t for you. We could be normal. We could have a life together.”
“Your not my mate though.” I whispered, more to myself.
“Damn right he isn’t.”
My head shot up to a very enraged looking Seth. His eyes were black with rage, his knuckles were white from his hands being fisted so tight, and his chest was heaving in rapid breaths. I barely got a syllable out to tell him to calm down before he suddenly walked over and punched Ethan Square in the face. He fell off the swing and I had to hand on to the chains so I didn’t fall with him. He groaned a bit before the groan turned into a growl as he righted his body from the floor.
“She is mine!” Seth snarled.
Ethan smirked. “Only because she doesn’t know you. If she knew who you really are under this…act of yours she’d be long gone. Should I enlighten her?”
Cue another punch. This time Ethan just stumbled.
“Come on, Seth.” Ethan chuckled hoarsely. “All is fair in love and war.”
Seth grabbed him by the throat this time and threw him off the porch, over the stairs and onto the ground below. Seth was still standing on the porch as Ethan was trying to catch his breath since the wind had been knocked out of him. I wish I could say I screamed for him to stop and got Ethan to run away. I wish I did but instead I just sat there and watched as Seth continued to toss Ethan around like a rag doll. Dare I say I felt pride watching him?
He was defending what was his. He was defending me and he looked damn good doing it too. His wolf needed this and it would have been downright insensitive of me to deny him that. So instead I watched him from the porch.
“T-Tell her or I will.” Ethan threatened hoarsely, spitting some blood.
“Tell me what?” I said, suddenly very interested.
Ethan gave me a blood smirk as Seth froze. His back was to me and I could see the tension in his muscles. What was he hiding?
“I…Sylvie you have to understand it was a long time ago.” Seth said, still not looking at me.
“Then just tell me.” I ordered.
“He killed his brother.” Ethan rasped. “Killed him in cold blood. That’s why he was exiled from his pack and forced to join this new one. That’s why he was banished to live on neutral land with all the other rejects and outcasts. Your mate is a killer.”
“Seth?” I asked to his back. “Is it true?”
Seth’s head turned to look at me over his shoulder, tears in his eyes. He looked so broken. Sadness radiated off him like a solar panel. I saw the grief, the fear, the desperation, and most of all the overwheling need as he looked at me. He thought he would lose me.
“Yes.” He almost whispered. “Yes, it’s true.”
“Ethan?” I asked, still looking at Seth. “About that offer….you can keep it.”
“What?” Ethan roared
Seth looked at me in awe. “You mean you’ll stay with me?”
“No one can cook like you can.” I smirked.
Seth gave a watery chuckle and was about to come to me when I put a hand out. Hurt and confusion flashed across his face. I gave him a reassuring smile and looked pointedly at our uninvited guest. The guest who was looking at me like I was the biggest piece of trash in history.
“You idiotic bitch!” Ethan spat at me. “You could have had me! A real fucking wolf and yet your going to choose him? Are you mental handicapped or just that worthless?”
Seth shifted so quick I almost missed it. Ethan seemed startled but quickly shifted into a smaller brown wolf that compared to Seth’s big black wolf looked pathetic. Suddenly I was very happy I never got anywhere romantic with Ethan. He was just like I feared most men were…assholes.
A series of growls and snarls brought me back to the bloodbath in my lawn where Seth’s massive jaws were ripping into Ethan’s neck. Ethan snarled back and tried to bite back but his head was locked in Seth’s mouth. Ethan really had no chance. I watched as Seth kept him still until Ethan stopped struggling. The sickening snap of Ethan’s neck made me flinch. The sound seemed to echo through the empty prarie around my house.
Nothing but the trees here to witness Ethan’s death other than us.