Lone Werewolf Duology (bxb)

16. Before He Was Famous

Volya heard Liam's singing before he opened the door to his bedroom. He considered knocking first, but this was his bedroom. If Liam thought nothing of barging in and playing a concert on Volya's bed, he sure was under no obligation to knock.

The singer sprawled on Volya's formerly perfectly tucked-in, wrinkle-free bedspread, with his shoes and headphones on, eyes closed.

For a few minutes, Volya leaned against the door, sizzling inside, but listening to the heart-rending tune. Why the modern musicians loved elaborating on human misery so much beat him. Couldn't they compose something upbeat to push a guy to get stuff done rather than wallow in his misery? The subliminal messages he imbued from the Soviet posters was that a man was born to conquer nature, work hard to propel humanity to the radiant future and the like. The Komsomol-boys didn't sulk on other guys' beds with their frigging shoes on!

Maybe he should sneak up on Liam and pound him with a pillow, like stop with this emo crap. I do emo, you're the sunshine boy.

It would instantly transform him into a terror of all the kindergarten-aged children; a million of their teenage sisters would envy him. It wasn't that hard to understand them: Liam's face was squelched into such a rapturous grimace, his fingers snapped in time with the music so elegantly, that traitorous glow kindled in Volya's chest. Then it spread lower too, because body and heart worked together.

"Liam! What the..." He didn't need the app to say this in English, nor for the word that he sullenly plastered at the end.

Liam's eyes flung wide, showcasing the trademark curved eyelashes and soft gaze. "Volya."

He tore off the headset, tossed it away, palmed the bed for the phone. The sleek device trawled the blanket's folds like the fish does the waves. Finally, with an exclamation of delight, he caught it, and switched the translation on.

"You'd have thought me crazy if I'd told you the truth. It was much more believable out of my step-mom's mouth."

Liam sounded so charming, disarming and earnest.

"You don't understand," Volya said, massaging his temples. "All you see is a delay of a few hours. But there is so much more to it... you would never get it."

Liam sighed. "Volya, you'd have never believed me."

"I would have." Last moment, he didn't thump his chest Tarzan-style; he rubbed it instead. He was of the wolves, not of the monkeys. "I'd have felt the truth here."

"I..." Liam licked his lips. "I'm sorry." But he still didn't understand.

No way Volya could explain it either. Liam had always had his family; he had a sister. He had been kissed a thousand times. Million fans screamed and gyrated because they didn't know how else to deal with loving him from afar. Liam was forever spoiled for love.

"So, Damir went to search for me, and you waited in my room."

"Yes," Liam admitted.

"Covered all the bases, didn't you?"

"It was a lot to take in." Liam's eyes implored. "I was worried about you."

That one nearly did it. On a normal day, Volya would have given into his urges, run and hugged Liam, everything forgotten. If it were Toshka, he would have done it. But today wasn't a normal day. Liam wasn't Toshka, so he felt not an inkling of forgiveness. Unfair—yes, but such is life. Everything about Liam set his teeth on edge, even the inevitable throbbing he induced.

"You figured I would run to my room to sulk?"

Liam shrugged noncommittally, his gaze slipping away from Volya's, moving toward the pillows Volya had piled up in the corner last night. So, he didn't want to talk about it. Ha! "Get out of my room, Liam."