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No! It can’t be. Not here.
There’s a lot of people in this world, and many criminally-minded individuals. Maybe the person seen in my room was a random drifter checking out an easy opportunity. Motels aren’t known for their high end security.
That could be plausible. More than plausible. I’ve seen true crime documentaries. Way stranger things have happened than that.
And yet…
I get up and pace. There’s no way I can get any rest tonight dwelling on possibilities.
The house calls to me. Warm light gives it an inviting quality. My mom always used to keep the light on in the kitchen, in case anyone needed a midnight snack.
At the thought, my stomach growls.
I have a kitchen inside the cottage, but the pantry and fridge are bare. The few snacks I keep with me at all times are in my car which is in the motel. I’d intended on eating dinner here rather than a fast food meal, but then that hullabaloo at the motel happened, and Torben’s full snow beast shift was hella distracting…
My gaze drifts over to the greenhouse at the end of the pathway. The lights are on there, but they’re probably always on. I wonder if he’s working. He might have to pull an all-nighter, given how much time I’ve taken from him already.
That’s why I’m here. Manage the house so he doesn’t have to. Including, managing myself.
Everything you want is on the other side of fear.
I step into the booties and swaddle the wrap around my shoulders and trek toward the house.
There’s a momentary panic wondering if the house may be locked and realizing I don’t have keys. But, just like this morning, it’s unlocked. Clearly the Otherkin don’t feel the need to lock their doors.
I head to the kitchen and love that I instinctively know where everything is.
I make myself that salad that I promised myself earlier along with a sandwich made from a couple of baguettes that I see in the bread caddy.
Less than twenty minutes later, I have a late night snack. I take it over into the living room where there is a fireplace. A cozy fire clicks to life in the hearth with a flick of a switch.
I pile a few throw blankets and pillows onto the floor and survey my handiwork. It’s not quite like camping, but it definitely feels more cozy like this.
There’s no television, but I have my tablet with me, which I prop on the low ottoman that also serves as a cushioned table. I am not connected to the Avalon Vale private network yet, but I have a few shows saved on my device.
I play one of my comfort shows. It’s a comedy set in a police precinct while I eat my snack that’s morphed int a meal. I wash it down with my hot cocoa.
I consider whether I want more salty snacks or indulge in a sweet treat when I hear footsteps approaching the door. A moment later, Tor comes into view. He pauses, looking at my through the glass as if waiting for an invitation inside his own house.
I smile and wave at him from my perch in the great room to let him know he is not intruding.
He enters. “You know you can sit on the furniture?”
His cousin, Jack, wasn’t kidding. Torben had a habit of not using a standard greeting. “I know, but I wanted to have a picnic and so I have a blanket on the floor and some sandwiches. Would you care to join me?”
He freezes. The way he responds makes it seem as if I asked him to do something scandalous.
“You don’t have to, of course,” I add quickly. I’m going to need to brush up on Otso culture so I don’t keep making social gaffs.
He gives his head a little shake. “I would love to.”
I ignore my racing pulse and my growing infatuation. Having a crush on a client or boss is not the vibe I need right now. There’s no need to be silly just because I have company.
Just because he speaks to you, doesn’t mean he’s automatically into you.
I’m only feeling this way because I’ve been feeling emotion-starved recently, and he’s the only one around. I’ve been lonely for so long that any attention I get—especially from tall, dark, strong, kind, borderline feral snow beasts—feels exhilarating.
“If you are coming to join me, would you mind bringing over a few marshmallows? I forgot to add them to my hot cocoa.” To emphasize my words, I lift up my cup in salute.
