return • theo raeken [2]

epilogue.

FIVE MONTHS LATER.

Luna

The paint fumes were strong even with all the windows and the door to the bedroom open. The pink color of the walls is slowly replaced with a light, cobalt blue. The process of turning my old bedroom into Theo's room has been slow. With the holidays and everything with the Hunters just coming to an end, it was about time they started to settle down. I have a lot of work to do in my new room, my parent's bedroom, to make it my own but cleaning the dust and switching the mattress and bed frame is enough for now. My focus is making Theo feel at home.

"Are you sure this is the color you want?" I ask Theo again.

Theo sighs and says, "For the hundredth time, Luna. I picked the color, it's what I want. Besides, it's a little too late since we have half a wall left."

"I knew it. You hate it. Let's go back to the store." I drop the paintbrush into the pan, splashing paint onto the plastic covering the wooden floors. Theo grabs at me by wrapping his arm around my waist before I can leave the room.

"You are driving me insane." Theo turns me around in his arms. "You need to chill out."

I place my hands on his upper arms and say, "I just want you to have everything you want. This is your home, too. I want it to feel like it."

His hand cups my cheek so he can stare right into my eyes.

"My home is wherever you are."

We stare at each other for a few moments, but then I'm laughing so loudly my head is tilted back and I pull away from him. Theo rolls his eyes.

"That's so cheesy, you weirdo."

Theo shakes his head and eyes the paintbrush he dropped when grabbing me. As I start to protest, Theo quickly grabs the paintbrush and swipes a blue stripe across my neck and chest. The paint is so cold it pauses me in my tracks to deal with the shock. Our eyes meet, and I see he's smirking at me and holding his paintbrush proudly. I push the tip of my tongue into my cheek and start nodding as I bend down to grab my own paintbrush. He steps away from me quickly, not expecting me to sling the paint at him from where I stand. Droplets of paint hit the entire side of his body, including his face and his hair. Theo stops the same way I did from the cold shock and that gives me time to load up another shot of paint to hit him again. I don't get to sling it at him though because he clicks into motion to grab my wrists.

"Oh, no, you don't," Theo says, holding my hands up and away from our bodies.

I shake my head and ask, "Oh, so it's okay if you do it?"

I use my Beast strength to over power him and push the hand gripping the paintbrush to swipe across his cheek and mouth. He tries to tilt his head away but it's no use. I giggle the whole time as he accepts defeat. Or so I thought. Once I stop using my werewolf strength, Theo immediately wraps me into a hug and smears the paint on his face across mine and into my hair.

"Theo! Not the hair!"

I fight my way out of his arms, prying his fingers off of me. All the while Theo's taunting and laughing at me. I slip on the paint coated plastic but get away from him. I get to the bedroom door, but Theo's not chasing after me because he's cracking up on the floor. I grab my cane sitting just outside the room and point at him with it.

"Glad you think it's funny because now you get to do the second coat all by yourself," I say, completely serious. Theo sits back on his calves to look at me, but the sight of me makes him coil over again. I can feel my hair sticking to the side of my head, probably stuck up as well because of the paint. I roll my eyes and walk down the hall to my room. Over my shoulder, I say, "You're such an ass."