After telling Remus to explain things to him and whispering something he didn't quite catch, Afenia left the room. Now, Julien was left without a protector from the loose cannon in front of him.
Let's see if her promise holds.
He couldn't really do much if it didn't, but he tried not to dwell on it.
Slowly extricating himself from being Andrew's head rest, earning a disgruntled groan from the sleeping man, he moved his shoulder around and cracked his neck. Given how long he'd been stationary, he wasn't feeling too bad.
Remus threw a glance at him.
"Sit your ass back down before he makes a fuss."
Then he added with a sly smile.
"I don't bite."
Julien almost let his disdain show on his face, but he managed with only pushing his hair back.
If Andrew bites, you definitely do.
"I'll make a fuss if you pull the same shit you did earlier. Is it company policy to eliminate your problems first, ask questions later?"
Remus just continued to smile as though he'd done nothing wrong.
"Tis' but a misunderstanding on my part. Everyone makes mistakes, dollface."
He paused, then his smile slowly curled into a sardonic smirk.
"I guess I can tell ya about it if you ask nicely."
Julien sat back down, crossing his arms.
"How does shoving my boot so far up your ass you taste rubber sound to you instead?"
Remus seemed to actually consider the idea.
"Not my cup of tea, but you've convinced me. I'll tell ya my sob story, and you'll forgive me, howzat?."
Julien was more interested in clarifying that forum warning instead, but he played along.
Not like I've anything better to do.
Besides, even if his story was bull, there could be something to it that could tell him how they got here.
"I'll make sure to cry buckets if you answer all my questions."
Remus grinned.
"I'll make it worth your while~"
—
"I was investigatin' this thing when…"
…
Remus strolled through the forest as he followed the dowsing rod into an empty clearing. He stopped when the object began spinning in place.
What's wrong with this thing?
Smacking it a few times, he looked around with a puzzled face.
There was no rift here.
"Is this thing broken?"
He wasn't sure how that would be possible, it wasn't just some piece of metal Afenia handed him tellin' him to 'have at it.' She wouldn't make a mistake like that.
Sighing, Remus chucked the useless object onto the ground.
Sick and fuckin' tired of this hunka junk anyway. Why're there so many rifts openin' recently?
Julien held up his hand to stop Remus's story.
"You're losing me, what's a rift?"
Remus smirked.
"Don't worry about it."
He readjusted himself.
"I was checkin' thoroughly 'cause I didn't want A'ye to complain I half-assed it, that's when I saw a flash. Next thing ya know…"
…
Remus woke up naked and wounded in the middle of the woods, an unfamiliar scent clinging to his nose—like a wheat field under rays of sunlight. Licking his lips and tasting a faint copper on his tongue, Remus frowned.
Did I bite somebody?
The werewolf shifted and followed his nose on four legs, stopping once he was back in the clearing he was at only a second ago. He looked at the aftermath of what he could only describe as a bloodbath—
He paused.
"It wasn't that bad actually."
"I beg to differ."
…
There was no corpse—which was good—but also really fuckin' bad.
If there was no corpse—his victim had lived, at least long enough to leave.
And if they lived after that…
"Shit."
That was a whole other set of issues he didn't even want to consider.
Not long after that, Afenia called him back.
「Did you find it? Where are you?」
Remus glanced at the carnage one more time before walking in the direction of the city's Continental Accelerated Expressway—CAE as the locals called it.
"Didn't find jack. I can tell ya the general location yer bogus sticks picked up if ya want, but I ain't find the rift itself. I'm on my way back right now."
「Report to me when you return. Bogo has something for you.」
"Gotcha gotcha."
He hung up and took a deep breath.
…
"After returnin', gave Afenia the layhow of the rift, let her know I ain't remember a thing and…"
He glanced at Andrew, his nose twitching.
"Didn't think this was somethin' that needed mentionin'"
Julien scoffed.
"So you bit my bodyguard, allegedly don't even remember it happening, then lied to Madam Afenia that everything was hunky-dory."
Remus's eyes became crescents as the cheeky look on his face became just the slightest bit tighter at the corner of his lips.
"Exactly."
Leaning against Andrew's sleeping body and earning both a disgruntled grunt from him and a frown from Julien, his smile slowly left his eyes despite remaining plastered to his lips.
"Was half hopin' the guy'd kicked it on the way to a hospital, not 'cause I hate the big lug or nuthin'—The shift just ain't a pretty thing for anyone involved, and don't let not a one convince ya otherwise poppet."
Andrew furrowed a brow and Julien glanced at him before giving Remus a pointed look.
"Sounds to me you were just avoiding responsibility."
Remus's nose twitched.
"Was just weighin' my options, princess. Big difference."
Julien gave him an unimpressed look, readjusting himself into a more comfortable position.
Everytime I fall out with someone… Why does shit like this keep happening?
First his mother, then… 'Him,' and now Andrew. Though calling it a falling out wasn't quite right.
He felt his head throb like he was forgetting something, but he shook it off.
I'm cursed.
Remus nudged him to get his attention, the smugness returning to his eyes as he waggled his brows.
"He's your bodyguard huh? Forbidden lo—"
"I'm not gay so you can put a sock in it and keep going."
He muttered something along the lines of 'coulda fooled me' before continuing his tale.
"So omitting what happened in between, next I saw ya'll was at Weslough's—the gardens, botanical, whatever."
Remus explained how during an errand for Afenia, he spotted the two of them and immediately recognized Andrew's scent.
"Knowin' he was alive, I decided to follow ya. The first moon ain't too harsh, but whether he died durin' it or naw, wouldn't need to worry 'bout findin' him no more at least."
Remus smirked.
"Who knew the new pup would be in charge of a caged princess. How was I supposed to get to him when ya'll only left the apartment once a day to walk a dog before goin' back in?"
Julien sighed.
"So let me get this straight."
"Shoot."
"You bit him and didn't report it at first because you thought he'd just kick the bucket for you. Asshole move by the way."
"I admit my faults."
"Then after confirming he was alive and where he lived, why didn't you say anything to either us or Madam Afenia."
Based on everything he heard—he glanced at the sleeping man, pursing his lips.
Andrew'd been on the verge of death since that day two months ago—and he still was, just under 'proper' supervision now.
Remus opened his mouth, closed it, and smiled.
"My lips're sealed."
Julien frowned.
Lunatic.
Remus continued his 'heartwrenching tale' by explaining how during the first full moon, he camped outside their apartment, waited the two days it took for Julien to leave, and promptly noticed the man he was tracking—Andrew—was not with him.
"Was gonna ask ya where he went but yer a jumpy one poppet."
And after Julien's 'declaration' towards him, he apparently was so pissed off he just said fuck it and gave the red-head his location directly.
Julien looked at him like he was stupid.
"You give terrible directions by the way. 'Oasis?' What was I supposed to do with that?"
"You got here didn't ya?"
"Only because Andrew used to work here."
Remus unglued himself from the man's side and looked Andrew up and down before giving Julien a suggestive smirk.
"I can see him doin' that."
"As a bouncer. Wrap it up, the sun is going to sleep already out of boredom."
"Ouch, not much left pumpkin so hold tight."
After that incident, Remus lingered until Andrew's return. Then with the confirmation the man was still trackable, he supposedly had no choice but to go back to focusing on 'pack things.' Apparently, he was shirking his duties to follow them around.
"Wait, don't tell me you actually have status in this pack of yours."
Remus grinned.
"What can I say, I'm a man of importance."
Your pack is doomed.
"So luring us out here and hiding yourself like a rat til mommy dearest came to fix your mess is important work? Really oozing 'man of status' here for sure."
Remus clicked his tongue.
"Wasn't avoidin' ya. Even talked to ya."
"After we were here for hours. I know you saw us in line so what's your excuse now?"
Remus scratched the back of his head.
"Well after seein' ya… I admit it. I panicked."
…
Remus spotted two familiar silhouettes standing in line and quickly ducked out of the way.
Shit, already?
He wasn't prepared yet. What was he supposed to say to Afenia?
Remus looked around and patted one of his fellow workers.
"Hold the fort for me love."
He hurried off towards the back and quickly flipped through the shift schedule for the day: There were no senior wolves on the floor tonight, and most importantly—no Afenia.
He took a deep breath.
It's still under my control.
He could filter this meeting before it reached her ears and send the two of them on their merry way when he was done. It's not as though there weren't shifted that lived after bein' bonded to a human.
It was too late for him to butt in is all.
Julien cut in.
"Bullshit."
"Let me continue."
Remus meandered around the back, changing out of his changshan and into a dark-blue qipao before attaching extensions to his hair and doing his makeup.
If they didn't know what he looked like, he could continue watching them from afar.
After admiring himself in the mirror, he went out onto the floor and made an announcement to the wolves of the establishment.
"Do not confront the shifted on your own."
With that, he bought himself enough time to handle the rest on his own—he still had to work that night, so he had no choice but to wait.
Julien just sighed.
—
Around the time Remus was enduring the last hour of his shift, a mousy brown-haired man approached him and whispered in a hoarse voice.
"Remus, my friend is upstairs and he smells like—"
Remus covered his mouth.
Guess the fox didn't get the memo.
"Your friend? Great. You can keep him company for me then."
Rory removed Remus's hand and hissed out.
"No I can't, he doesn't know what I am."
"Good a time as any to reintroduce yourself then."
"Remus."
Remus looked around before pulling the man to the side.
"Look, I'll get to it in a second, just need ya to watch 'em for me capeesh?"
Rory seemed to come to a realization and he shook his head in disbelief.
"Don't tell me he's your—"
Remus covered his mouth again and Rory bit him.
"Ah, shit!"
Rory glared at him.
"I can't believe you."
"It was an accident."
"Then why didn't you say anything?"
Remus just clicked his tongue and Rory covered his face.
"Forget it, I'm telling you I can't be here right now so just let me hide out here until he leaves."
Remus paused in his retelling and looked off to the side.
"I was just gettin' ready, swear it, but the little Vixen just wouldn't lay off it."
Remus grabbed the other by the collar, popping one of the buttons on his changshan and giving him a hushed warning. But Rory wasn't buying it.
"Go up there now or I'm telling Afenia—if someone hasn't already."
Remus threw him off and furrowed his brows.
"Fine, fuck. Stay out of it then damnit."
He stormed off, finally deciding to get things over with—
Julien threw his hands up in disbelief.
"Dude, you popped in for a second and left almost immediately. How is that handling things? He went crazy almost as soon as you left."
"I saw A'ye enter the venue. Had to save my own tail 'fore she ripped it off me so I dipped. No hard feelin's to ya love, figured you'd be fine."
"He bit me."
Remus shrugged.
"You're still in one piece."
Julien sighed, rubbing the area between his brows.
"Genuinely, what is wrong with you?"
"Answered that already dollface."
Julien lifted up his knee and rested his head on it.
What a jackass.
"Now we're here and you have no choice but to take responsibility for him."
He stared at Remus's hands.
"What part of that responsibility suddenly made you want to…"
Julien breathed out the question he'd wanted to ask from the beginning.
"…Get rid of me."
Remus tilted his head, stating matter-of-factly.
"Didn't wanna kill ya poppet, needed to. Or I guess not."
What does that mean.
Julien waited for him to elaborate.
Remus looked away, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.
"I told ya no hard feelin's ain't I? Accordin' to protocol, I gotta form a bond with the one I turn until they're done or die. He imprinted on ya too long back to break yours the long way, an' far as I can tell you can only have one bond like it—however incomplete yours may be."
He looked at Andrew.
"Eliminate the original and replace it, that was my only goal Julien, nuthin' else to it. My thought process was sound given what I know."
His nose twitched.
"Guess there's more to it."
He smiled, playfully tacking on.
"Ian a teacher though so if ya want more ask Afenia."
Julien looked at his smiling face and pursed his lips.
What type of logic is that?
Murder was the first thing he thought of? Really? If Afenia hadn't been in the room or Remus decided to be 'responsible' earlier…
His hands tightened into fists.
"…I've heard your story."
Julien lifted his head and met Remus's gaze.
"But you'll have to earn my forgiveness."
Remus gave him a saccharine smile.
"You look hard to please princess."