Page 27 of Escaping Monsters

The werewolf hopped over the back of the couch and walked straight into my legs, bumping me and rubbing his muzzle up the side of my calf. It was a forward gesture in wolf form, basically the equivalent of giving someone a big bear hug. Chad’s head pushed into the back of my legs and he started herding me off to the fridge.

“You’re telling me that you’re hungry?” I pulled open the fridge door and gaped at the spotless interior. “My God, are you guys allergic to mess? I can’t believe Declan offered me a job cleaning up after you. I’ve never been this clean or organized in my life.”

The refrigerator literally shone, and the food was as organized as the rest of the loft. The sight made me feel like I was making the space messier with my mere presence.

Chad grunted and tapped his nose against the middle drawer.

“You’re hungry for protein…” I pulled a bag full of bright crimson meat out and sniffed it. “Alright, venison. Do you want it raw?”

Chad shook his head and pressed his nose into my leg.

“Cooked?”

He shook his head again and pressed his nose to my side. When I just stared at him, not understanding, he pawed my side and pointed his nose at the bag of meat, then the stove, and then up at my face.

“You want me to cook these for myself?”

He nodded.

“No way,” I laughed. “I’m only going to cook myself food in your kitchen if I’m making it for you too.”

He chuffed and pointed his nose at the stove.

“Okay, cooked.” I set the meat on the counter and headed for the sink. The bandage on my hand was still secure, but when I peeked under, I found the skin of my wound closed. I peeled the bandage away before scrubbing my hands, which, unfortunately, ached. Skin abrasions were fast to heal, but it would probably take another half-dozen shifts to heal the muscle underneath the wound. I crouched to open a cupboard, and Chad leaned in and bit down on a handle of a large pan.

I reached past him and grabbed a smaller, flat pan. “I’m curious about this one,” I said as I set it on the burner and grabbed the olive oil from the counter. “I usually cook these on the griddle.”

The wolf huffed like he strongly disapproved. Rolling my eyes, I turned the burner on high, and Chad immediately jumped up and used his teeth to turn the burner down.

I pointed into his face and turned the burner back up. “I’m going to sear the steaks.”

Chad huffed, and as I reached for the spice rack, Chad was again jumping for the burner control, and I glared into his wolf eyes. “Seriously, you’re going to light yourself on fire. Look, I get that this is your kitchen, but either I’m cooking this venison, or you are, and you don’t have hands right now, so it’s not going to be you.” I turned the burner back on high. “I don’t care if you were my teenage crush, I’m not going to be micromanaged in the kitchen.”

I set two steaks on the grill and nudged Chad’s head away from the controls with my hip.

“Can I have a steak too?” a low voice asked from beside me. Jasper was suddenly there, leaning against the counter not three feet away.