Note: I have a very short attention span these days, and not a lot of writing time, but I can't get this fic out of my head. So, I'll be trying a drabble-fic. Drabble-fics are intentionally short/very-short per posting, so if you decide to follow this, you should expect very short updates relatively frequently.
This is an idea I had for an original story, but since I'm not a novelist, I'm writing the Twilight character fanfic version of it. There are no vamps, only werewolves, and it is my own werewolf universe set with Twilight characters and settings.
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"Is there anything left?"
I looked around at the small, mostly empty apartment that had been my home for three of the past four years and blew out a tired breath. Looking at the big werewolf who filled up every inch of the doorway, I shook my head.
"Just needs a good cleaning, I think." Erica's stupid cat had shed all over the place, and no matter how many times I vacuumed, I could tell the carpet needed a good shampooing now that all of the furniture had been moved out. I moved toward the stash of cleaning supplies that were stacked up and ready on the kitchen bar.
McCarty came just inside the door and leaned one bulging bicep against the wall. Even though he'd been schlepping my stuff down three flights of stairs for the better part of an hour, he didn't seem any worse for the wear.
"Put the duster down, princess." I bristled at his name for me, but he just smiled and continued. "Edward hired a cleaning crew to do this and you know he'll chew my ass if he finds out you lifted one delicate finger on it yourself."
I narrowed my eyes at him. McCarty took a special kind of joy in implying that I was some kind of pampered royalty, and I guess in a way I was. I hated it though, which only made him more eager to tease me at every opportunity.
"Would your ass like to see how delicate my foot is?"
My comeback was met with a wide smirk and I was already groaning before McCarty could even fully open his mouth.
"Kinky, princess. I hope our Alpha is ready for your naughty side."
Immediately, my face fell, all of the amusement I'd been feeling at McCarty's annoying but affectionate teasing evaporating in the face of the reminder of what was to come. The bodyguard, who had also become my friend over the last four years, lost his smile too. He stood up straight and took several steps toward me, even though he didn't touch me. He rarely touched me, despite our shared nature to crave closeness with others of our kind.
"Hey, don't look like that. Aren't you looking forward to going home at all?" His voice was soft, gentle, imploring.
No. Yes. . . god, maybe. I just didn't know, but I couldn't say that. McCarty was depending on me to go home, because he couldn't until I did. And I knew the rest of the Pack was waiting as well. Truth was, if I wasn't going home to what was essentially the magical werewolf version of an arranged marriage, I'd be desperate to get back to Washington.
In the end, though, it didn't matter if I was looking forward to it or not. I was graduating from college tomorrow, and Edward would be here to make sure I was on my way home.
Ready, or not.