Wolf Teeth || Book I : Summer {M/M} ❄

Chapter #17

Oryen raised his eyebrows. "You're stalking Kalysto Nomoir?"

"No!" Beau hissed, then lowered his voice even further. "The shirt didn't belong to her. I...can you tell if anyone's inside?"

"Last I checked, lycanthropy didn't come with x-ray vision."

"Put your ear to the door and listen for breathing, I meant."

Oryen felt very creepy doing so, but he obeyed. Pressing his ear to the wood, he strained to listen. Instead of the steady breath of someone sleeping, or rummaging from inside, all he could hear was Beau's heartbeat next to him. It drummed an irregular, fast tempo.

"All I can hear is you," Oryen whispered.

"Me?"

"Your heart. Go further away." He shooed Beau with a hand, and took some vindictive joy in watching him pace a few steps back. Oryen put his ear back to the door, but even with the added quiet, there was nothing from the other side. "Don't hear anything."

"Good."

Beau tried the door handle. Locked, so he knelt and pulled a hairpin from his pocket. Oryen shot a nervous glance down the hallway.

"Seems rude to invade a lady's bedroom."

Beau said, "I'm not interested in being polite."

"You don't really need me here for this, do you?"

"In case anyone catches us, yes," Beau said with his usual comforting airs, or lack thereof.

After intense clicking and fiddling, the sound of a bolt sliding out of its housing announced Beau's success. He stood and let himself in, closing the door behind them.

The chamber inside looked nothing like the barracks. A sturdy oak bed frame was piled with blankets and furs. An open hearth, carved from the wall itself, made the room smell smoky even if it hadn't been lit in months. Books formed piles like waterfalls on and around a desk. Wardrobes and chests overflowed, dripping clothes.

Beau said, "Try to sniff out anything that smells like it belonged to her."

"Her? So bloody-t-shirt-person is a woman?"

Beau turned away, but Oryen caught the look of self-reproof. Beau didn't want him knowing much at all about the woman he was looking for, but based on his reaction, Oryen could only assume it was someone important to him.

The scent was difficult to pinpoint in the room. It seemed everywhere, like the woman had spent some time here. Kalysto's belongings were strewn all over the place, muddying the trail further. One thing stuck out to Oryen amongst all the clutter.

"I smell blood."

Beau froze. "Where?"

Oryen felt queasy. He pointed to a spot close to the bed. "Strongest there. But everywhere. It's—" He turned aside and collected himself. "It must have been a lot."

Beau's voice, normally a deep, rasping velvet was suddenly tight and airless. "Whose blood? Is it hers?"

He meant the owner of the t-shirt. Oryen kicked himself. "No, no. Not hers. Someone else's. Don't recognize it."

Beau's shoulders unwound a fraction, but Oryen could hear his heart hammering. "Focus on the person we're looking for," he said. Then, after a considering pause, "What's your blood type?"

The question caught him off guard enough to forget his lingering nausea. "Huh?"

"Your blood type."