Fallen (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 21

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I wondered if other nature fairies had to water plants manually or just didn't water them and instead opted to revive them once they started to wilt or dry out from a lack of watering. I found that my water magic was quite helpful in that I never had to leave the room to give any plants water, which was what I had been doing when the sound of footsteps ascending the stairs echoed into my room.

The house had been empty when I returned home a couple of hours ago. Somehow, I had not heard Kendrick's car enter the driveway or the garage open. That made me frown. I had all types of magic but what seemed like a simple ability, being able to hear further than a few meters away, eluded fairies. Werewolves were lucky to have their incredible hearing.

My eyes shifted over the plants as Kendrick stepped into the room, his entrance followed by a light, astonished breath. I didn't even have to turn around to know he was amused because of the sound.

"Sorry, I got carried away. I can take everything out if you –"

"No, it's fine. This looks good, I don't think my house has ever been this lively." I glanced over to show him a grin but he was studying the leaf-covered vines that were mapped out on the roof above us.

Sash was nestled in his arms, pressed against his shirt with her head hidden in his chest. Somehow, he still managed to look strong and slightly intimidating with his shirt creased, collar undone and the ball of fur softly purring in his gentle hold. My gaze shifted following his to the ceiling as I tried not to study him too much in case he noticed it.

I really had gotten carried away. I bought a single plant on my way home from dinner after work to brighten up the room, but then I helped it grow and kept doing so until it had covered most of the open spaces on the walls. It looked great, but I was worried Kendrick would be upset that I covered the guest room in greenery. The thought made me turn to him curiously. He never seemed to get upset. That was surprising; I figured werewolves would be more aggressive as they were always described that way online. Alphas especially seemed to have terrible tempers.

"How was dinner?" Kendrick asked as he took a seat at the foot of my bed. The dark trousers he wore tightened around his thighs as he sat causing me to once again shift my eyes to the plants to avoid studying the way the fabric stretched against his macular thighs, outlining quite a bit of the sculpted details. For a second I wished he was dressed casually or in his exercise get-up but immediately retracted that thought because he was not any less attractive in those, especially his workout clothing. The shirt – when he wore one – always clung to him after he returned because he preferred showering at his house instead of the centre where his pack did most of their indoor training. Most of the time he preferred to go shirtless anyway.

"Uh – It was great!" His question came as a welcomed distraction. "Nick said he knows another great place to eat so I'll be checking that out with him on Saturday."

"On Saturday?" Kendrick asked.

"Yeah," I replied as I used the plant to slide the screen door on the balcony shut instead of doing it physically even though I was less than two feet away from it.

"Saturday night?"

"Probably, we haven't discussed details but he has to work an extra shift in the morning." Nick was nice. He was the first person that spoke to me apart from the boss and trainer at work. People seemed hesitant to approach me the first couple of hours but once he spoke to me the rest of the team on the fifth floor in the customer service section of the building seemed to become more comfortable with my presence. I wasn't very scary-looking, so maybe it was the fact that I was a fairy that made them hesitant to approach me.

"Saturday night... with Nick." I looked over at Kendrick tilting my head at the way he said that as he nodded while staring at the candles that decorated the shelf beside the TV. Something about the way he responded made it seem like there was something more to his reply.

"What? Nick's weird?" I asked. Kendrick's brows rose as his eyes shifted over to me and back to the candles.

"Oh, no. No. If he's in my pack, you can trust him."

"But..."

"But?" he chuckled.

"Yes, 'but...' You sound like there's a 'but' that you're not telling me about. What is it?"

"No, no there isn't. It's just... a co-worker on a Saturday night, just the two of you. Kind of sounds like something other than just hanging out. You don't mind workplace relationships?"

"Well... He's handsome."

"I didn't think he'd be your type." I furrowed my brows confused about what that meant. "You seem like you're not really into the type of person that likes experimenting. I mean, he's not as bad as I am, but he's not as good as I am," the final sentence was accompanied by a wink that automatically caused me to roll my eyes before I scrunched my brows at Kendrick.

"You're been with him too?"

"Only once. Not my cup of tea." He shrugged. "Of course, there is a chance that he would be yours though. Everyone experiments when they're young, right? Maybe he grew out of that phase. Just don't get too attached. You seem like the kind that likes attachment, and he's a werewolf. If you end up beginning to fall for him, don't forget that his mate is his priority. In fact, remember that when you're considering any werewolf."

Kendrick seemed like he was genuinely just giving me helpful advice as he looked over at me with a half-hearted smile. The smile was remorseful, as though he was sorry about bringing up the mate thing if I had already started to like Nick that much. I had not, I was not the slightest interested in him beyond a colleague and possibly friendly relationship. Kendrick's phone buzzing made him glance at it before letting out a sigh as he stood. His face was serious and fatigued so I assumed it was work.

"You're heading out?"

"Emergency. Get some rest, you've had a busier day than usual and you're still not completely recovered." I bit my lip as he began to head towards the door and found myself speaking before I even had a moment to contemplate the words in my head.

"And... if I consider you?" The question made him pause in the doorway, he stood for a moment before looking over his shoulder.

"Then you'll have other things to be concerned about." His tone and the way his eyes skimmed over me as a small smirk formed on his lips immediately made it clear that the statement was meant in more ways than one. The first one made my face begin to flame, and I was grateful Kendrick left right after he finished speaking so he did not see my cheeks flush as heat rushed through them. His tone had been slightly sinister though, and it drew me away from being embarrassed by his clear flirting as I wondered what he could be alluding to. What about him was so concerning?

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