Shudder

25

Holden had finished off his tale, saying the next day he had convinced Sarah's pack to allow her to move in with his and the rest was history.

Roman and I said our goodbyes, leaving the happy, older couple alone again and we wandered down the hall passing other rooms, two bathrooms and wound up back in the living room where no one sat.

"So where is everyone now?" I asked, maneuvering over to one of the couches and sinking down into it.

"Well..." Roman tilted his head, as if he was thinking or listening. "Luke and my brother are probably out for another run or training. Yorik is up where we left him, his room/office, obviously Sarah and Holden are on the porch. Annalise is with her daughter in the kitchen, probably about to prepare dinner, Cody and Trevor are down in the bar/game room in the basement...though they shouldn't be after what happened up here in this living room. And the...'witches', Eva and Winter are off doing their own things in their room or in the more humanized world as well as Garrett and Chloe with Lilith."

"So..that means were alone for now?" I asked, cautiously.

Roman looked down at me, his eyes serious. "Looks like it."

"Sooo.. can I ask about you now?" I murmured, watching Roman slide down into the other end of the couch I sat on.

He nodded, eyes still on me. "A few before dinner. Then tomorrow you have the option of going to school or learning more about us and adjusting."

My mouth dropped open, I had completely forgot about school. I asked the first thing on my mind. "How will I go to school without my stuff?"

"It's already been collected today and placed in the room you awoke in by Annalise," Roman answered quickly.

"And what will I say?"

"That you had a really bad flu. That's what Claire and Dean were saying you had to Bree and Jason."

I snorted. It was rather ironic since I did have a bug alright -- a wolfy one. But I relaxed knowing I could return alright and ignored my rage at the thought of Claire and Dean lying while they plotted my death. I shook my mind clear and began thinking of a new, more personal question for Roman. My mind remembered Yorik telling me Roman had waited a long time to be with me...I knew he knew things about me...but that'd have to mean he had watched me when he said he hadn't been, so I thought that was just too soon to ask.

"Have you always been a Lupus?"

Roman studied me a bit before answering. "Yes, my father and mother gave birth to me. I am a born Lupus, not turned like Cody and Trevor."

I wanted to ask how a human could be turned, but decided to just ask Cody and Trevor the next time I bumped into them.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Purple," he murmured quietly.

"Well, as you know mine is black," I smiled.

"Yes, but why is it black?" He asked, his lips turning up to smile right back at me.

"It goes with everything," I grinned, thoroughly enjoying this normal, basic banter that most people getting to know each other would have.

I continued to ask simple questions, learning his favorite food was steak (which I found amusing), his favorite thing to do was to honestly sit down and read a book or go for a run in his Lupus skin, he loved to be outdoors and take in the smells. He asked me the same questions in turn and I found myself answering him with ease. Just when I was about to turn things up a notch and question about his mother who I hadn't met, he held up a hand and murmured that the food was almost ready.