by Mell Eight
He led the way out of the kitchen in a different direction than Orion had gone. Denton stood for a second in a short hallway with two open doorways. To the left was a large walk-in pantry with fully stocked shelves. To the right was a laundry room with an industrial sized washer and dryer tucked away. Carter led them straight past to what, when Denton was younger, would have been called a servant's stairway in houses this grand. It led upwards and downwards. They went down, further away from Orion.
"There are no windows downstairs or in the hallway leading to the basement stairs. If you're able to be awake during the day," from his tone, Denton knew Carter thought that was a real possibility and he was correct—although Denton usually slept through the day anyway, "then remember that the kitchen has windows and the bedrooms upstairs do too." The stairs led into another short hallway with two doors. "To the left is a second staircase leading further underground. If a wolf loses control or becomes unruly, they go to a special silver-lined cage down there to recuperate. Feel free to ignore the door's existence if you prefer."
Carter opened the second door, and Denton followed him through. He kept his thoughts on looking at his surroundings because if he didn't, Denton would have run upstairs to Orion's side long ago. Orion needed space and his pack to heal, not a vampire hovering over him. Denton could wait—he had to for Orion's sake, no matter how much his beating heart wished otherwise.
The room they entered was a generic sitting room. There were large couches and an equally large TV. The floor was bare plywood, but padding and a roll of carpet were tucked off to the side. An arched doorway led into a minimal kitchen with a large fridge, a stove, and a microwave. Denton didn't comment because if he was spending time with Orion, who had to eat, the kitchen was necessary.
"That door there is the bedroom," Carter finished explaining with a pointed finger at a closed door across the sitting room. "I'll let you relax. If you like living here, we can arrange for all of your belongings from your current apartment to be brought here too."
"Thank you," Denton said politely. Carter left and Denton stood in the middle of the sitting room for a few long moments, just staring around himself in awe. They had built this room just for him. He could smell damp cement where the basement windows were recently bricked up and the carpet was obviously brand new.
They had built Denton a new home solely because he was Orion's mate. They loved Orion that much, and they were willing to put a high level of trust in Denton by inviting him to live in their home too. It was a novel experience for Denton, one he greatly appreciated. He had never been part of a family before, and he was definitely anticipating learning and experiencing everything that meant. He was scared too, because if Orion's family didn't like him, their relationship would start off with terrible drama, but Denton hoped for the best.
He walked across the sitting room, noting that the couches were overstuffed and very comfortable looking as he walked by. His own couch would look sad next to them, but his coffee table might fit in nicely. The bedroom door opened smoothly under his hand. The carpet was down in the room: a deep shag that Denton really liked. An extra-long twin bed was tucked into one corner, but that was the only furniture present. Luckily, Denton had a full set of furniture at his apartment that he could bring over. The room was larger than his own apartment, and he wasn't even counting the bathroom to the left. It was absolutely marvelous.
The fridge was fully stocked. Denton settled down onto the couch with a blood bag and a straw. He would watch some mindless TV until bed to help keep his mind off of Orion, injured a few floors up. The next night at dusk, he would accept Alpha Carter's generous offer and check on Orion, who probably needed space to recuperate and come to terms with having a mate.
When he felt dawn approaching, Denton cleaned up dinner, got in a quick shower, and climbed into the unfamiliar bed. He was just drifting off, the rays of the hidden sun calling him back to the realm of death, when he heard a door creak open.
Orion's scent wafted ahead as the bedroom door soon slid open too and Orion stepped into Denton's bedroom.
"Can I stay here?" Orion asked shyly, a slight blush staining his cheeks.
Denton smiled, showing his fangs but not caring. "Of course." He lifted a corner of the blankets, and Orion hurried over to climb in. Denton drifted off to sleep with his mate in his arms and his heart beating steadily.
FIN
About the Author
When Mell Eight was in high school she wrote a short story for an English class. The assignment was for no more than five pages, yet she had turned in ten and the story wasn’t completed. Her teacher was impressed, but writing stories for fun was her main source of procrastination from homework; handing in an assignment that actually asked her to write fiction was too good to pass up. Since then Mell has continued writing, posting in many online communities for fanfiction and original fiction and eventually branching into slash fiction. She mostly writes paranormal or fantasy stories, but has been seen exploring the real world once or twice.
For more information on Mell’s stories and future writing plans, visit her website: http://melleightfiction.weebly.com/
