Page 155 of A Dead Man's B-Side
Evander closed his eyes and pressed his thumb and pointer finger against the bridge of his nose. “Alexandr, I swear on all that is good and holy, the first and final chance I’ve given you was when you drugged me. You are only still in one piece because Thaddeus–”
I snapped my fingers in reminder. “Oh! About that, you’ll be playing mediator between Cassius and Thaddeus for a while. Just a heads up.”
I didn’t let him continue and turned just as Wolf had, walking away without a second glance. I ignored the way Evander called after me to explain myself.
I would rather spend the next half-hour searching for which of the hundreds of rooms in this manor belonged to Wolf.
I was glad of the way I’d parted with Cassius. The only thing I had come to the realization of on the plane over was the conversation I’d eavesdropped on between Cassius, Thaddeus, and Evan. Thaddeus hadn’t told Cassius of my identity and how he’d come to sponsor me. Even I wasn’t privy to the knowledge of how he’d found me.
The only thing I was sure of was that Thaddeus would be suffering at least one hell of a right hook The only thing I wasn’tlooking forward to was the conversation I’d be forced to have with Cass once I returned.
It wasn’t as hard to find Wolf’s room among the rows of doors. The signs on the wall were a dead giveaway. The biggest sign was yellow with the words ‘caution: enter at your own risk’ across it.
Poetic.
The most fitting, however, was the doorknob, shaped in the form of the head of a wolf.
I didn’t bother knocking, turning the knob to find it unlocked.
Wolf’s room at home was larger than the apartment I’d grown up in. Which wasn't a shock considering how small the apartment I’d grown up in was. But you get the picture.
The bed he was a lump under the blanket of was large. Big enough for at least five people to sleep on, with enough room to shift comfortably.
There were two windows against the far wall, shining sunlight in, and high curtains held at each side of both. A sofa faced the bed, and a large carpet was situated underneath both.
Lined on his dresser were plants of all kinds. Long, short, sharp, soft. Some with big leaves the size of my open palm, others with small petals often described in romantic poetry.
He had books in stacked piles on the floor, but aside from that, it was clean and in pristine shape.
“Wolf?” I called and walked closer to the bed. “You alive under there?”
The boy in question didn’t give me the silent treatment, as I’d expected. Instead, he pulled the blanket off his head with a quick swish and turned to face me. His eyes were red, but his cheeks were clear of any tears. He looked devastating. “Why does he think he can suddenly come back and act as if nothing happened?”
I listened to his clogged voice and toed my shoes off, going to lie down with a groan. Once I was settled, stretching out and ignoring the echoing cracks of my weary bones, I faced the ceiling and let my eyes close. “I don’t think that’s what you should be dwelling on. The more important question is how you feel about it. Are you willing to let him ‘suddenly come back’, as you put it?”
Wolf sniffled and shook his head. “This is so stupid. I’m not willing. I don’t care about him. I don’t care what he does. I just hope he takes my words seriously and leaves.”
I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “Well… if you don’t care, you wouldn’t be crying. You wouldn’t be so upset.”
“It’s a response from shock,” Wolf lied.
I wasn’t in any way defending Evander. In fact, I hoped he would leave and never come back just for making his brother so angry.
I’d come to know Wolf, and he wasn’t exactly a vindictive or evil person. He was far too honourable and kind. Sure, I sometimes found it bothersome, but Evander didn’t deserve to be related to someone like him.
And yet, Wolf had clearly been longing for his brother, even when we were at Castle Hill. That must have been why he’d first stayed behind with Thaddeus.
He knew they were old friends.
How ironic that their names belong to them. They should have been reversed based on meaning alone. “I’m not calling you a liar or anything.” Wolf let out a choked laugh. “You’re clearly upset, but I think a secret part of you wants to see your brother again. Wants to reconcile with him.”
Wolf turned and groaned into his pillow before saying, “Why do you have to be so… you?”
I chuckled. “Can’t be anyone else. Or… I could, but you wouldn’t like him.”
I let the words slip out before I could catch them, but Wolf, thankfully, didn’t seem to understand or ponder. “I think I’d find you as a friend even if you took on a hundred different bodies. Kind of like those ‘find you in every universe’ novels.”
I turned my head and opened my eyes to meet Wolf’s gaze, raising a brow. “Let’s save the sweet talk for Rain.”
