Cracked

After he reached the top where I was perched, I scooted off the rail onto the platform to face him. I pulled my wings in with a touch of aura, then all that was left was the hum of a human soul. My hoodie was ripped to shreds on my back, so I unzipped it and folded it over my arm. I could feel the cool air of the night creep into the stairwell, it made me shiver.

I thought I was wrong on guessing his apartment door as he stood at apt 102, the other name with the first letter C. He knocked making me feel a small satisfaction I guessed right. The moment the door cracked open I could tell what Other lived there, it was a Pixie.

Peering around the Wolf I could see her blue icy eyes and pale skin littered with sun kissed freckles that were noticeable in the few inches it was open.

"Everything o-okay Cash?" The meek little voice had a child-like sound and the smell of flowers filled the air. Ah, meadow pixie. Eyeing me, she shrank back a bit and didn't try to reach her aura out so she was either scared or not interested in me.

"Yea, Robin, all's good." His response really wasn't of defeat but I could hear his pride feeling a little roughed up.

"There's a slice of cherry pie in there for Violet and Crist. I grabbed your coffee," he stopped and shot me a glance of disappointment, "but it unfortunately it didn't make it. I'm sorry about that, I can go back out and get you one if need be."

I suddenly heard the twinkling sound of a baby through the door.

"That's alright Cash, no worries, Violet is waiting for the pie you always bring. If everything is okay, we will talk to you later." She smiled, then looked at me for a moment before shutting the door. The sound of the lock clicking on the inside echoed around the stillness of the wolf and I now facing each other. 

"You might as well come in, for the moment. Until I can get this situation corrected." Walking past me to his door, he looked over his shoulder at me.

"My place, my rules, got that?" Stating it as fact, I wasn't about to argue and nodded excitedly at the idea, if only because I can rest for a minute and get warm. Our little episode zapped my energy and it was way past dinner time. I needed food, and lots of it.

As he opened the door, the smell of tree bark and fabric softener entered my nose and I sneezed. I was a little sensitive to smells.

His apartment was quite cozy and there was a large and short blue sofa facing each other with an old wooden coffee table in the middle on top of a large tan oval rug. Matching wooden tables sat at an end of each sofa, holding a simple brass lamp. I could see 2 doors to my right, and a bookshelf sitting in the middle of them. The sitting room opened up to a simple kitchen. I noticed bare counter tops mostly other than a water picture sitting next a fridge and could smell meat faintly, but what did I expect at a wolfs dwelling? There was also a small round kitchen table, it had only 2 chairs so I guessed he didn't have company very often.

I bent over to untie my boots, heard my stomach grumble, but needed to get down to discussing how we are going to handle things until the hit is dealt with. 

I stood up as he headed into what I could tell was a blue tiled bathroom. I went ahead and tiptoed to his fridge just to check out what goodies he was hiding. I opened it to see just raw meat, and lots of it. My stomach rolled. I liked a rare steak as much as the next guy, but I really didn't want to cook and now I just wanted something other than meat.

Moving on to the cupboards, he had nothing but a few ceramic plates and matching coffee mugs so I felt defeated. The problem could be solved with ordering take out, but we needed to be careful who came to the apartment now, at least until I can get him moved to a safer place. I could just walk next door before they closed I though quickly, so I turned around to go grab my phone from my hoodie laying over the sofa arm hoping it was still intact. 

He was standing there watching me as he leaned against the bathroom door frame. I could really see the thickness of his arms since he removed his oversized hoodie and now was just sporting a semi tight navy colored tee. It looked great with his tanned skin.

"Seen enough?" He grinned at me because I was checking him out. I suddenly felt embarrassed and headed straight to my hoodie not looking at him any longer.

"I need to step next door to get something to eat before I pass out, do you want anything?" I asked grabbing my phone to inspect it, still avoiding his eyes. My phone got a cracked screen from the events earlier but was usable. I'd worry about replacing it later.

"There's food in the fridge." He snickered so must have heard my dramatic retching when I opened the fridge.

"Not normal food." I rolled my eyes and inspected my ripped back hoodie. The arms were still intact so I'd stay a bit warmer going out with it on.

"If you go out that door, I will not guarantee you can get back in." He said it so matter of fact that I hesitated. I didn't want to spend the night sleeping out on the cold concrete.

"I can order takeout then." I laid my hoodie back over the arm of the couch letting out a deep breath. I would just call Chittlers, the place next door. They don't deliver, but I knew a waiter there, kind of. He was a friend of Reggie's so I was sure he would help me out.

I was starting to get the hunger pains, and could feel a little mood shift coming on. If I didn't eat food soon, I'd end up passing out. 

He shook his head, "Delivery is not wise, if this situation is so serious that they sent you here to annoy me. I will go next door and grab something that suits your palette. I need a beer anyway."

"How does that even make sense to you? I was sent here to protect you, not the other way around. I won't have you leaving this apartment until I can guarantee a better place, safer place. I will get you a beer when I get my chicken, wolf. You just sit tight." I grabbed my hoodie again and walked towards the door. He grabbed my arm tightly.

"Cash, the name you should be calling me is Cash. Not wolf. Not Hey You. Unless you want to get really personal, and call me Wolfy, then Cash or Mr. Cornell is how I should be addressed." His lips had a slight lift towards a smile and heat in those golden eyes.

"Okay, Cash, no problem, and unless you want to get really injured, you shouldn't touch me." I pulled a little aura and knocked his hand off my arm. He didn't react but only smiled.

"Deal." Responding in a flat tone, he turned towards the kitchen as I headed out the door. 

I didn't trust him, but at least I knew we had a day or so before things could get deadly. Earlier, Michael contacted me as soon as word hit the air, and seeing that little blue wisp like string around the wolf's wrist, just confirmed it. He couldn't see it, but anyone associated with Heaven or Oblivion could and it wasn't always a good thing for either party. 

I took the elevator back down into the foyer with the smell of fresh paint assaulting my nose. I wanted a beer too, but I had to stay alert. Bummer. Who knows when I would have a chance to sit and guzzle the foamy goodness again.