bathroom earlier. He’d asked Raylan if he was going to scent mark him all over again if he got cleaned up, but Raylan had just grinned, all sharp teeth and flashing eyes, and shook his head. His scent, Raylan had said, was deep enough inside of Darin now that he could get away with showering, that anything with a sense of smell would be able to tell who he belonged to. That wasn’t of course to say that there wouldn’t be more marking, of an extensive kind, in the future, but for now in the privacy of Darin’s home Raylan’s instincts were appeased.
Dressed in a pair of loose shorts and an old shirt, Darin makes his way towards the kitchen, unable to help the way his toes curl and his heart skips a beat when Raylan catches him in a quick deep kiss as they pass each other in the hall. Raylan’s intent on taking advantage of what’s left of the hot water, and Darin is set on scrounging up some sort of lunch for the two of them. He hears the water turn on as he moves around the kitchen, defrosting what’s left of some frozen lasagna and scraping together other odds and ends since he’s a bit short in the grocery department.
He’s leaning against the counter, a long neck beer bottle dangling from his fingertips and thoughts of Raylan, shower slick and eyes shining, dancing through his mind when there’s a knock on his front door. Jolting out of his daydream, Darin puts his beer down and makes his way to the front door only to feel his brows draw down in confusion when he doesn’t see anyone through the peephole. Curious, Darin unbolts the door and opens it slowly only to be met with the sight of an empty front yard and a unmarked, brown wrapped package lying innocently on his doorstep.
After another look around, Darin bends down and carefully scoops the package up as he moves back into the house, closing and locking the door behind him. He looks it over carefully on his way to the kitchen, but there’s nothing, no postage mark, no name, nothing besides thick brown paper and a few pieces of strategically placed tape. Darin puts the package down gently on the island and tries his best to ignore it, determined to wait for Raylan in case it’s something dangerous.
It doesn’t take long for his curiosity to get the better of him, and after a second’s hesitation Darin’s rummaging around in a drawer for a knife and carefully slicing through the tape and unfolding the brown paper. There’s a wooden box inside, the wood a rich golden color that matches well with the gold catch that holds it closed. The lid is embossed with the outline of a wolf that catches Darin’s eye as he picks it up carefully, moving the wrapping paper out of the way so that he can set it back down against the stone of his countertop with a gentle click.
The catch gives easily, and the box opens without as much as a squeak, and Darin can feel the frown on his face deepening in confusion at the sight of the contents. The box is filled with what seem to be flower petals. They’re a dark purple and strangely shaped and even from a distance Darin can tell that their scent is strong. There’s also a plain white card on top, and Darin reaches down a picks it up curiously only to feel himself startle and dread begin to churn wildly in his stomach when he reads the message printed on the other side.
Found you.
A loud, rumbling growl cuts through the air of the kitchen, and Darin jumps, card falling from his fingers to flutter back down into its place on top of the flower petals. He whips around and comes almost face to face with Raylan, chest bare and hair still wet from his shower. It’s Raylan like he’s never seen him, his shoulders hunched over like his spine is twisting, ears slightly pointed and fangs fully visible. His eyes are that burning amber from before, but there’s rage in their depths instead of desire; his clawed fingers are spread and hooked as if he’s barely restraining himself from
Dressed in a pair of loose shorts and an old shirt, Darin makes his way towards the kitchen, unable to help the way his toes curl and his heart skips a beat when Raylan catches him in a quick deep kiss as they pass each other in the hall. Raylan’s intent on taking advantage of what’s left of the hot water, and Darin is set on scrounging up some sort of lunch for the two of them. He hears the water turn on as he moves around the kitchen, defrosting what’s left of some frozen lasagna and scraping together other odds and ends since he’s a bit short in the grocery department.
He’s leaning against the counter, a long neck beer bottle dangling from his fingertips and thoughts of Raylan, shower slick and eyes shining, dancing through his mind when there’s a knock on his front door. Jolting out of his daydream, Darin puts his beer down and makes his way to the front door only to feel his brows draw down in confusion when he doesn’t see anyone through the peephole. Curious, Darin unbolts the door and opens it slowly only to be met with the sight of an empty front yard and a unmarked, brown wrapped package lying innocently on his doorstep.
After another look around, Darin bends down and carefully scoops the package up as he moves back into the house, closing and locking the door behind him. He looks it over carefully on his way to the kitchen, but there’s nothing, no postage mark, no name, nothing besides thick brown paper and a few pieces of strategically placed tape. Darin puts the package down gently on the island and tries his best to ignore it, determined to wait for Raylan in case it’s something dangerous.
It doesn’t take long for his curiosity to get the better of him, and after a second’s hesitation Darin’s rummaging around in a drawer for a knife and carefully slicing through the tape and unfolding the brown paper. There’s a wooden box inside, the wood a rich golden color that matches well with the gold catch that holds it closed. The lid is embossed with the outline of a wolf that catches Darin’s eye as he picks it up carefully, moving the wrapping paper out of the way so that he can set it back down against the stone of his countertop with a gentle click.
The catch gives easily, and the box opens without as much as a squeak, and Darin can feel the frown on his face deepening in confusion at the sight of the contents. The box is filled with what seem to be flower petals. They’re a dark purple and strangely shaped and even from a distance Darin can tell that their scent is strong. There’s also a plain white card on top, and Darin reaches down a picks it up curiously only to feel himself startle and dread begin to churn wildly in his stomach when he reads the message printed on the other side.
Found you.
A loud, rumbling growl cuts through the air of the kitchen, and Darin jumps, card falling from his fingers to flutter back down into its place on top of the flower petals. He whips around and comes almost face to face with Raylan, chest bare and hair still wet from his shower. It’s Raylan like he’s never seen him, his shoulders hunched over like his spine is twisting, ears slightly pointed and fangs fully visible. His eyes are that burning amber from before, but there’s rage in their depths instead of desire; his clawed fingers are spread and hooked as if he’s barely restraining himself from
Similar Books
