Chapter 5: 5 – An unwelcome guest, expressing concerns

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It had been a long day at work – even longer than usual, actually, involving a fair bit of overtime. Because apparently, some cretin had decided to go and fuck around with some line of coding best left alone, setting off a chain reaction that had taken hours of dedicated work to resolve.

Days like this made Aidan seriously question his decision to get into IT – and into coding in particular. Because what had started out as a fervent attempt at saving an old computer and the very important files on its hard drive had quickly sent him down into a rabbit hole of other things. And although those had unfortunately been beyond saving, Aidan had decided to get at least a rudimentary knowledge of computers and programming in order to hopefully prevent a future disaster.

He had become... invested, in a manner of speaking. Interested, even passionate.

Then, he had unfortunately decided to make it his job, which had effectively killed most of that initial passion for the subject.

And yet, he kept working. Because although he had enough money to get by for a while, having a job to go to was a pretty effective way of getting him to leave the house. Because although Aidan liked his current living arrangements well enough, he was very much aware of his own habits. If he had no reason to go out, then he would not, and he would sit there with his books or surf the web, losing himself into some passion until he snapped out of it, shaky and thirsty.

And then, presumably, he would drag himself over to the fridge, finding it largely empty. Then, he would check the freezer, looking for a frozen treat only to find that he had forgotten to restock. Then, weighing his options, he would pick up his phone and then put it back down, repeating it a number of times before finally giving in, sending off a text message asking for home delivery.

Aidan could certainly imagine this scenario well enough; it had already happened once after all, and if it ever happened again, then he would never be hearing the end of it. Speaking of which⸺

Having just turned into his home street of Owings Choice Court, Aidan immediately sensed it; the prickling sensation of being watched. And this feeling by no means decreased as Aidan reached the first out of the townhouses. No, if anything, then it only increased as he reached the first of the trees lining the street, passing right under it and into the deep shadow caused by the moonlit night and the single streetlight at the beginning of the street.

Aidan pointedly did not acknowledge it though, even as he heard the soft rustle of leaves and feathers. Had the road not been paved but gravel, then Aidan would probably have picked up a small rock to throw at it however.

Instead, he just kept on walking, passing under a number of trees before he passed through the next circle of light cast by the next streetlamp. It was then that he crossed the empty street, sparing a brief moment to look around to make sure that there was no one else out there. Then and only then did he turn around to stare at his impromptu stalker, hidden up in the foliage of the nearest tree. He did not address it though, simply stared at it for a good while before turning on his heel and walking up the front steps and pulling up his keys.

Even without the porchlight on, it was easy enough to get the key in the lock, and he did not look behind him as he twisted it, twisting the doorknob, opening it and then shutting the door behind him. He did not lock it though; knew that there was little point to it.

Because not even a full minute after that, there was a sharp knocking at the door, and Aidan, having only just removed his coat, took a deep breath, steeling himself.

Then, before the uninvited guest had time to knock a third time, Aidan finally twisted the doorknob and pulled the door open, knowing well what – or rather whom – would be found upon his doorstep.

“I greatly missed you at the latest soiree,” the other said, tone and expression both perfectly pleasant. There was more to it though; a definite undertone of something dark and intense.

“I’m certain you did not lack company,” Aidan answered right back, pretending not to notice.

“Perhaps,” the other said, tapping once on the stoop with that cane of his. “But your absence was sorely felt.”

To this, Aidan said nothing. He had nothing to say after all. Actually, no, he did have plenty to say, but⸺ “Why are you here, Moran?”

At the sound of their present-day moniker, the other’s smile widened, showing off just a glint of teeth in the light of Aidan’s dimly lit hallway, and that very same light caught the eyes as well, and was reflected back in a faint red.

“Why would I not be here?” the other said, tilting his head slightly to one side. “If you do not come to me, then I must come to you, no?”

Aidan would rather the other would not come at all actually. Still, odds were that the other was here for a reason – not necessarily a very good reason, but a reason nonetheless. “What do you want?”

Rather than to be offended by such curtness, Moran’s eyes lit up, and those aristocratic features of his immediately morphed into something quite smug. It was such an infuriating look that Aidan had to exercise great self-control not to slam the door right into his damned face.

“May I come in?” Moran asked.

It was a mere request though, lacking in any detectable compulsion. And yet, despite it – or perhaps more so because of it – Aidan found himself opening the door wider.

“Only for now,” he said. “Come the morrow, you are no longer welcome in this place.”

And there was power in those words, detectable to both of them. And because of what they were, they were both bound by such – bound by certain boundaries – although one perhaps more so than the other.

Then, well aware of what sort of trouble he was inviting into his home, Aidan took a step back – and scarcely had he done so before he found himself enveloped, pulled into a hug and held firmly against the other’s front, a hand clamped firmly around the back of his neck to discourage any unnecessary movements.

“Truly,” Moran sighed, breathing in his scent. “An absence sorely felt.”

 

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Of course, Aidan knew better than to assume that Moran was merely here to inspect Aidan’s most recent living arrangements – because although he certainly did so, it was hardly the other’s true motive for seeking him out.

“I suppose it is decent enough by modern standards,” Moran said, having inspected the two master bedroom suites and the walk-in closets, the kitchen, the basement, the fireplace and even the deck. “It is decent enough, although I cannot for the life of me stand the thought of living in such close quarters to others.”

This was astonishingly rich coming from him, who effectively lived in a commune – a commune where he was considered king, granted, but a commune nonetheless.

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“It is better than I had feared though,” Moran said, nodding to himself. “Still⸺”

He trailed off, eyeing Aidan with an admonishing and mildly pitying look.

“Come now, my dear little flame,” he then sighed. “What comes after such obstinacy, truly? Our kind cannot live in complete seclusion, and by now, you have certainly understood so, no?”

Hah. “What makes you think that?”

“Why else would you seek to immerse yourself so deeply into the ranks of lesser beings, if not to seek solace in them, as fellow children of the night?” Moran said, still watching him. “Why else would you seek to bond with them, to run amongst them under the light of the full moon? Certainly, you have not forgotten, little flame – that you are neither a true wolf nor a mutt.”

Hah.

“And what is this now, consorting with humans once again?” Moran shook his head in mild yet obvious vexation. “How many times must you burn yourself before you learn to stay away from such things?”

“I am not the only one with such liaisons,” Aidan said.

“Perhaps,” the other readily agreed. “But, my dear flame, theirs are different from yours. They do not enter into them seeking love. It is not always for sustenance, yes, but it is not because of love either. Certainly, some of them wish to be loved – to be served, even worshipped. However, fundamentally speaking, such liaisons are not equal – they are more akin to those of a master and servant, which is appropriate, given that humans are below us.”

Ah, honestly⸺ “Then what am I, as a former human turned by you? A snack you accidentally got attached to?”

There was a noticeable twitch in the other’s expression at that; a visible sign of offence at such an insinuation. Still⸺

“That said,” Aidan went on. “Were we not all human once, even you?”

At this, the eyes watching him ignited with a mixture of anger and possessiveness. Then, the look in them visibly cooled, and those thin lips twisted up into a sneer.

“Little flame,” the other then said, quite sweetly. “No matter who or what we were before, we have since risen above all that. Playing with your food would have been one thing. However, I will not condone such⸺”

“Who says I am not playing?” Aidan drawled, folding his arms across his chest. “I am not like the others, who rely upon their allure for everything. Can it really be considered hunting if there is no real challenge to it?”

At this, there was a beat of silence, red eyes widening then narrowing slightly. “And the whelp?”

There was obvious suspicion there – and for good reason at that. Still⸺

“He surrendered himself to me willingly and gave me an inn with the local pack,” Aidan snorted. “A small army of beasts at my disposal – incredibly useful for manual labour if for nothing else. And that influence still remains, even if Lyall is no longer in the picture. What of it?”

“Hoh,” Moran said in turn, more thoughtful now than suspicious. “And those ventures into this... online dating thing?”

Aidan sighed. “Have I not already made perfectly clear?” he then said, staring right back at him. “I desire a more challenging hunt, and thus, I hunt without making use of allure. Is that clear enough for you or do you require a more thorough explanation, sire?”

At this, the other met his gaze full-on, and Aidan made sure to keep it steady. Because although the other was undeniably far older and far more powerful than him, Aidan instinctively knew that there would be little to fear – not for him, at any rate. Others would not be quite so lucky however, as numerous previous instances had already proven.

“It is a quite admirable ambition,” Moran finally allowed, mollified at last. “I must nevertheless caution you, just this once, and since you are not a fool, I doubt I need to elaborate on why.”

“That much is true,” Aidan said, lowering his own gaze at last. “I am perfectly aware of what I am dealing with.”

“Then take care not to forget it,” Moran said, already moving, already moving towards him. “I will see you around.”

And with those words, and with a final lingering caress against Aidan’s throat, he promptly vanished, solid one moment and vanishing into mist the next, leaving Aidan standing there alone in his living room, surrounded by his books. And although the door did not open and close, Aidan distinctly felt the moment when the other, the Raven, left the premises for destinations distant but known – the mansion in that one affluent area, where other parasites of high society gathered.

And with this realisation, Aidan released a shaky exhale, then took a few brisk steps before flopping down into the armchair off in one corner of the room. He was not quite sweating, but it was relatively close.

Then and only then, he pulled out his phone, willing his hands to stop shaking. There was a new message there – a request to meet up the following night – and although the agreed upon two weeks had yet to pass, Aidan did respond.

Sure.

What’s the address?

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