Claude smiled and weakly moved his arms. However, they were stuck inside the towel swaddling him. Len leaned down again, leaving kisses on his face. He closed his eyes and savored the warmth of the towel and the person on top of him.
The air in Len's room was especially cool against Claude's skin. Len had just wiped him down, free from blood, dirt, and grime. His body relaxed more the longer their tongues danced…
Until Claude fell asleep.
"Claude?" Len whispered his name. However, he figured the other person had passed out from the stress of transforming and then the guilt of killing humans. He placed one last kiss on Claude's face before bringing the other person to the bed. It was more important for Claude to be comfortable enough to sleep for the whole night.
After Len tucked Claude to bed, a knock came to the door. It opened with a crack, and James peered inside the room. Len soon stood before the crack to meet his gaze. The newcomer smiled. "It's done, Boss. How long are you going to cater to that guy?"
Len glanced over his shoulder to find Claude on his bed. "As long as it takes. Deal with Gracie's friends. I won't appreciate hearing them harass Claude or his friend."
James leaned on the door frame. "Boss, you do realize we're not supposed to tolerate rogues killing in our territory. If you're not bringing him into the pack, the elders will ask the older Epsilons to deal with him. You're planning to shelter him, but… is it worth it if he's not willing to join us? Rogues like them are bound to be killed upon discovery."
Len flicked his neutral gaze at the other person. "The other younger Epsilons do not like me. How about you, James? Do you trust my decisions?"
"Are you expecting me to lay my life in your hands?" James chuckled, returning the soulful gaze. "Len, you just got promoted. The other members are even against your designation as the new Alpha. Look. I'm just watching out for you because we grew up together. If you're prepared to mess with the pack because of one rogue, I will do what you asked me to do."
"He won't stay as one." Len glanced back at the sleeping person. "But bringing him in will take time. For now, let's deal with the trouble that comes after him."
A small, wry smile curled James's lips. "Whatever you say, Boss."
…
"Remember," Claude's grandfather reminded him while they were packing his luggage. "There will be people whose only intention is to hurt you. Minimize your engagement with humans, Claude. Most importantly, never engage with wolves."
A strange dream came to Claude. As he woke up, he could only remember his grandfather's last reminder to him. It was even something that he had broken last night.
The memories from last night plagued Claude's mind. His eyes flickered slowly, seemingly letting the blurred image make his thoughts clearer. Last night, he had killed six people because he opted to save his friend. Even if his grandfather always warned him against keeping humans close, he chose to have a friend in Eugene. That very bond dragged him to his demise.
Claude closed his eyes and used a hand to cover his face. He said under a groan, "I am responsible for what happened last night. It was never Eugene's fault."
"Sadly, it's as if blaming a homeowner for shooting an armed intruder…"
"…is it really?" Claude dragged his words and opened his eyes again. He saw Len's face looming close to him. The other person even gave him a big smile, eyes curving.
Len pulled away and sat on the space beside Claude. "You can stay as long as you want today, Claude. It's Sunday. Also, your friend has gone back to his dorm to cover for you two. How are you feeling? Does your body hurt? I could have gotten rough last night."
Claude chuckled as he rose using his exhausted body. He ruffled his bed hair and yawned. When he turned to Len, his lips were curved in a wry smile. "I can remember passing out on you, Len. Don't make things weird. Eugene's up already? Didn't the nurse find anything wrong with his body? His skin was purple from all those kicks…"
"I may have gotten him a high-grade medicine." Len smiled and held his hand within Claude's personal space. "You don't like me touching you. Can I simply assume head pats are all right?"
"I don't remember you caring about my permission before." Claude sighed and shook his head with a smile. "Just be mindful where you touch me. If it's a place you won't like women touching, then don't touch me there."
"I see. I should exclude personal preference, right? Otherwise, I will go crazy." Len raked his hand through Claude's hair, savoring its innate softness despite last night's sweat.
Claude only glanced at Len's hand. That guy wanted to learn the hard way all the time. However, he could remember who gave him that pricey violin, who helped Eugene when he couldn't, and who rescued him from his guilt. It was not worth picking a fight over something so small. If Len wanted to comb his hair, he would just pray Len wouldn't force through the tangles.
It was just that Claude felt Len's breath on his face again. The other person developed a habit of kissing him out of nowhere. Claude blocked Len's mouth with his hand.
"I think I already gave you a lot of kisses last night." Claude chuckled, and Len smiled against his palm. "I'm pretty tired. Can I go home?"
"I'll just see you tomorrow at class, then." Len collected Claude's hand on his face and kissed Claude's knuckles. He didn't even hold back on a second kiss when it made Claude's cheeks flare. He added, "Don't forget to continue singing for us tonight."
Claude forced a smile out. He wanted to take his hand back, but his fingers curled to strengthen his grip. His pointer even pressed against Len's lips and slipped inside his mouth. Len obliged with a lick, and Claude pushed another finger inside. He played with Len's tongue, and his own started moving inside his mouth. It was as if it remembered wrapping around Len last night.
Knocks came to the door again. Claude quickly pulled his hand out, and Len glared in the direction of the door. However, Irving entered with a change of clothes in his arms.
The newcomer didn't smile as he greeted Len 'good morning' in passing. He placed the clothes on top of the drawer. "Eugene collected clothes for Lavallee. He also wanted me to pass a message. He said… he wanted his friend returned in the morning."
"Don't worry. I'll just put clothes on." Claude panicked and answered with embarrassing words. However, when he reached out, his two fingers were still wet. He quickly wiped it on the bedsheet.
"Calm down, Lavallee." Irving's eyes flickered. "No one's going to eat you."