Chapter 16 Theo #2
He was pale—not unusual after he’d been bitten. Once again, he looked for the marks from Peter’s teeth. The two tiny holes in Theo’s skin had faded almost completely, just like the first time Peter had done this, and Theo had to lean in close to see them at all.
He finished getting ready and got dressed, then went downstairs. It wasn’t like he would keel over anytime soon, but there was a bit of lightheadedness, even if Peter hadn’t drunk all that much from him.
At the bend of the staircase past the second floor, a stranger was leaning against the window the birds had shattered the previous night. The guy was cute, all russet skin with a head full of curls, and golden eyes that widened when his gaze fell on Theo.
“Oh, hi there, cutie-pie,” he said. A shard of colored glass fell from the frame and broke in two on the stairs. “Shit.”
Theo stopped. “Who are you?”
“Will,” the guy said. He bent to pick up the two pieces of glass and set them into the frame, then focused his attention on them and muttered something.
The glass moved slightly, like a knot tying itself.
“There, that should do it.” Will pulled his palms away from the glass and came up a step toward Theo.
“So, what’s your deal? Witness protection?
Or is this more like an ‘I’ll rub your dick if you rub mine’ kind of situation? ”
“William,” Peter said, coming up the stairs. “Do watch your mouth around Theodore.”
Theo looked on as Will’s head dropped, his gaze going to the floor. “Sorry,” he said.
“Jeez, Peter, there’s no need to hit him with a fucking metaphorical newspaper,” said the guy who was coming up the stairs behind Peter.
He had brown hair that reached past his ears and a five-o’clock shadow.
“Seriously though, who’s the human?” He looked at Theo, and Theo didn’t really like all the attention, even if Will was staring at the stairs now rather than at Theo.
“My guest,” Peter said. He’d come up and now put a hand on the small of Theo’s back to give him a slight push. “Come have some breakfast, Theodore.”
The brown-haired dude with the accidental beard perked up. “You kidding? There’s fucking food in the house, and you didn’t offer us anything after you called me in the middle of the fucking night and made me come over this fucking early in the day?”
Peter snorted as he walked down the stairs next to Theo. “You and the pup are not here for brunch, Sage, but by all means, do feel free to help yourselves.”
Theo felt the two guys’ eyes on him, boring holes in the back of his head. Peter’s arm felt like a hot brand against Theo’s skin, even through his clothes.
“What’s happening?” Theo asked quietly when they got to the kitchen and Peter handed him a mug of fresh coffee.
“Sage is a witch, and William, while also a werewolf, is his apprentice. They are here to go over the warding.”
Theo perked up at that. “You mean those are the witches who are going to deal with Bernard?”
Peter narrowed his eyes a fraction as the other two came into the kitchen as well.
“Who’s Bernard?” Sage asked. “Sounds dickish just from the name.”
“He’s Theodore’s vampire ex, and you’re quite right about the dickishness,” Peter said.
Sage’s eyes widened. “Oh. He’s the poor fuck who got the birds to crash through the window.”
Theo turned to the witch. “Can you get rid of him? Peter said the witches here could handle a vampire.”
William snorted noisily and Peter looked over his shoulder straight at him. Almost as if he’d been hit, Will shut up and actually whimpered while his eyes found something terribly interesting on the kitchen floor to focus on.
Sage cursed under his breath. “Just fan-fucking-tastic, Peter. Can you stop trying to get my apprentice to pee his pants, please?”
“I wasn’t going to pee my pants,” Will said defensively.
“I clearly told you he had discipline issues and needed to be taught manners.” Peter leaned against the counter in his sexy, effortless way; quite a feat to pull off in a black silk bathrobe. “Do not put your failure to teach him on me, Sage.”
Sage ran his hands through his hair. “I’m not even gonna respond to that.
” He walked over to the fridge and peeked inside.
“Wow.” He looked over his shoulder straight at Theo, who hid behind his coffee mug.
The witch had very intense blue eyes, even though they were nowhere near as piercing as Peter’s.
“Fridge is stuffed. You’re not just some rando guest, human.
” Sage pulled out bread and all the fixings for sandwiches.
“Peter, why does your human think we’re here to go after a vampire? ”
Peter buffed his nails on his silky robe. “I explained to him about the history of the New Elvenswood witches.”
Sage laid out slices of bread and slathered them with mayo and mustard. “Hmm. Will, can you stop slinking and just sit at the fucking table? You’re making me nervous.”
Theo watched as the werewolf rounded the kitchen island quickly and calmly and did as he was told. Since Theo didn’t really feel like standing after his blood donation either, he joined Will. The werewolf eyed Theo as he sat down across from him.
“Don’t sit there,” Will whispered.
“Huh?”
Will frowned. “That’s where Peter sits. Move.”
Peter came over and sat down next to Theo. “My dear William, Theodore may sit wherever he wishes, so hush.”
With another whimper, the werewolf shut up and looked at his lap.
Sage groaned while he topped the bread with lettuce and tomato slices, then cucumber and marinaded mushrooms. Theo didn’t really know what else to say, so he just waited while Sage plated the sandwiches and came over to join them, putting plates in front of Theo, then Will, before taking the last remaining chair.
“So. You and a human.” Sage bit into his food.
Peter slowly turned to face the witch.
“A guest in my house,” Peter said, and that just did it.
Theo put his mug on the table with so much force that he felt almost guilty for about half a second, which for some reason made Will yelp all over again.
“Are you ashamed of me or something, Peter?”
Peter looked at Theo. His eyes were intense; full of fire, despite their icy color. “No.”
That single word came out hard and with total conviction. The anger that had flared up inside of Theo deflated like one of those fancy soufflé dessert thingies.
“Oh.”
Sage looked back and forth between them while chewing. “Yeah, okay, this is weird, but whatever. None of my business, and I really don’t care. Theodore, right? Could you please start eating so Will can?”
“Excuse me?”
Sage shrugged and gestured toward Will, who was still staring at the ground and had barely moved.
“Werewolf thing. Doesn’t matter. Just eat your food.”
Theo pulled his plate toward him and nibbled at his sandwich. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Will dig into his. The werewolf was done with his food in about two bites. One and a half, maybe.
“Okay, look.” Sage put his own half-finished sandwich down, then slid the plate over to Will, who enthusiastically finished it.
“Definitely not going to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong, but you don’t need any witch to grind your ex to dust if that ex got Peter worried enough to call me in the middle of the fucking night to do some unnecessary double-checking of the wards. ”
Theo tensed. “Meaning you’re not here to help?”
Sage snorted. “I think Peter has you covered, Theodore.”
Theo tried to keep calm, but he felt his skin break into goose bumps. “Peter? You can’t expect Peter to take on Bernard all by himself just because he’s a vampire too. I thought you protected humans from the supernatural. Did he tell you he got his eye pecked out last night?”
“Damn,” Sage said. “Fucker’s in for some hot payback.”
“But—”
Peter reached out and closed his hand around Theo’s. “Theodore, all will be well.”
“Not so well if you’re Bernard the dickwad,” Sage threw in. “Look, little human, your vampire can handle himself.” He pointed at Will with a thumb. “Ask him sometime.”
“You have no idea what Bernard’s capable of,” Theo said quietly. “Either of you.”
Peter squeezed Theo’s hand. “I do. I saw it in his eyes the first time I met him.”
Sage stood. “You said something about a door, Peter?”
“Yes,” Peter said without turning his gaze away from Theo. “My bedroom.”
“Will, come on,” Sage said, and the two witches left Peter and Theo alone.