Page 15 of Rescued By the Beast
"Hey, did you forget your own birthday?" Ethan asks from the doorway.
"Of course you did," Ted replies with a broad smile, slapping me on the shoulder while holding a cooler in his other hand. "You really don't like to celebrate anything, do you?"
I snort, shaking my head.
"With all the shit that's been going on in town, I'm surprised you guys remembered." I frown even more. "Besides, it's just another day like any other."
"You only say that because you're getting old. And grumpy," Ted teases, laughing briefly.
"He's always been grumpy," Ethan retorts, flashing that dimpled smile that makes him look innocent, even though he's been a thorn in my side since I met him.
"Are you going to let us in or not?" Ted asks, raising an eyebrow.
For a second, I think about slamming the door in their faces, but I shake my head in resignation.
I let them in and head inside the cabin, not looking back, but with my senses sharp — ears and nose tuned. Although Itrust them more than anyone else, I can never completely let my guard down. I just can't.
Ethan plonks himself on the sofa with the confidence of someone who feels at home. Because, in a way, he is at home.
His mother was the vet who took care of me as a child, when my transformations got out of control and I was stuck in animal form for too long. She was also a neighbour of the man who raised me after I was rejected by my biological father and lost my mother. A werewolf without a clan, rejected by his own pack, he was the only one who offered to take in a mongrel bastard — as people often call me.
He was my father by choice, until he was killed by another werewolf in a stupid duel.
My only real family was not related by blood. Ethan and his mother became an extension of that. He grew up alongside me. Our paths intertwined in such a way that I consider him more than a friend, he is like a cousin who lives across the street.
Ted, on the other hand, is another story. I met the big guy at supernatural school when I was a teenager. While everyone else kept their distance, he persisted. He pestered me until I accepted him as a friend. And here we are.
"Did you really bring a chocolate cake?" I ask incredulously as Ted places a cooler on the kitchen island and opens the lid. The aroma that escapes is so good that it makes my stomach growl in response.
"And beer, obviously," Ted replies with that smug smile. "Yesterday you practically ran out of the tavern after one measly pint. It was like your trousers were on fire."
"Did you go to Pandemonium?" Ethan asks, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Yes, it's the only place he'll go these days."
"I think it's because of..."
"The beer," I interrupt, shooting Ethan an angry look.
He lets out a laugh.
"And even then we couldn't get him to stay," Ted continues, staring at me with a broad smile. "You're getting more and more boring, mate. You need to socialise, get out a bit."
"I hate people, supernatural or not," I retort, shrugging. "I much prefer animals."
"Then why don't you get a pet?" Ethan suggests, the provocation evident in his voice. "That way, at least you won't be so lonely."
"I like being alone, for fuck's sake!" I growl, my irritation bubbling to the surface. "You're the ones who piss me off."
Ted crosses his arms, impassive.
"If it weren't for us bothering you, you wouldn't have any friends."
I rub my face, trying to push the irritation away.
They're right. I know they are. But I won't admit it.
"You two are already too much. I don't need anyone else to piss me off. I spend my day dealing with chaos, so when I can, I just want to be alone and breathe in peace."
