The Lone Wolf

25, There's More Than Meets the Eye

Fox enjoyed the rest of his day off by reading. He lounged on the living room couch, tucked into a corner with his legs stretched out, and his toes tucked underneath Ahren's thigh to keep them warm while the Alpha watched a show on his tv.

The day passed by pleasantly. Fox's tired body relished the chance to lie down for hours on end, cocooned in the house's warmth and desires satiated. His stomach was full from the delicious belated lunch Ahren had made for them. Whatever concerns he had stayed in the back of his mind, quieted for now.

Nothing truly eventful happened for a majority of the day. That was, until later that evening when Ahren's phone rang.

He read the caller ID and answered the phone right away. He paused his show so he could listen better.

"Hey, what's up?" Ahren greeted.

Fox couldn't pick up exact words, the voice on the other end too quiet and hoarse, but he could make out a stressed tone.

Ahren listened for a few moments, brows furrowed. "You need to get out of that house. Come spend the night here, bring your game console. It's not good for you to be alone right now."

The man on the other end responded with more quiet words, followed by an anxious sound.

"You know he won't bother you. Just come over, please," Ahren replied. The man on the other end paused for a long moment, then gave a resigned response.

The call ended and Ahren got up to head over to the front room. He stood by the front windows, peering out of the gaps in the curtains to make sure whoever had been on the phone with him was actually coming over.

A few minutes later, Ahren opened the front door and Fox saw Evander waiting on the other side. Even from his spot in the living room, he could see that Evander's visage was one of distress and strife.

He carried a gaming console with a couple controllers and a few different games. It seemed so out of place with his current demeanor that it made him look strangely younger, like he was a child again, miserable and clinging to the only escape he could find.

"Hey," Ahren greeted, stepping aside to let Evander in. Evander trudged his way through the front room, but just as he made it by the stairs, he slowed to a stop. His eyes gradually widened, and Fox could hear him inhaling.

Fox's lungs seized as he realized that neither he nor Ahren had showered after their sex, and surely Ahren's room still housed their mixed scents. He darted a panicked look towards Ahren and could see a similar realization in his eyes. Oh, shit.

Fox waited for the inevitable, for Evander to either direct his anger at him or at his friend, to start yelling about how bad it was for an Alpha to bed with a loner, to demand that Fox no longer be treated with such privilege.

But Evander didn't do any of those things. He just took a deep breath, steeled his expression, and continued on into the living room.

Ahren cautiously followed him. He shared a look with Fox, uncertain but seemingly hopeful. Evander trudged over to the tv and set his gaming stuff down on the floor. Fox grew uncomfortable staying where he was, like continuing to sit on the couch somehow meant that he belonged here more than Evander did. Fox quietly got up from the couch and took his book with him as he made his way to the stairs. Ahren watched him do so, eyebrows drawn together in apology, but Ahren had nothing to be sorry for. Fox lightly waved him off with a shake of his head as a way to reassure him.

He made his way upstairs. He paused as he reached the landing, curiosity getting the better of him. He listened as Ahren spoke to Evander in the living room.