Page 23 of Wanted: A Roommate Who Isn't Evil

Mor adjusted to face the fellow fully. “Is that so.” It was a question, but it was also more than that. The dawning of a story incomplete.

The radio at the officer’s chest buzzed with several indecipherable words, and the officer lifted the device to murmur something back.

“Gotta go. I’ll let Baker know you came by when I see her tomorrow,” the officer said as he turned to leave.

“Actually,” Mor glanced back at Lily’s dim desk; at the strange books, “don’t tell her I was here. I’ll see her another time.”

The officer nodded and took off without saying goodbye.

Mor stayed in the police station for another heartbeat as the noise drowned out his thoughts. Then he rubbed his temples and headed back outside.

“What are you up to, Human?” he mumbled as he left. He hopped into the wind and appeared in the cathedral a second later, noticing a fresh drip of coffee staining the emerald carpet.

As he’d expected, Cress was still going on about his cookbook upstairs.

So, Mor was keeping a large secret from Dranian.

Lily was keeping a large secret fromeveryone.

Luc had come looking for Mor like heknewa large secret.

Sky deities have mercy. What was going on?

10

Dranian Evelry and the Present Unravelling

Luc had been gone for hours, to Dranian’s delight.

Dranian waited patiently on the couch, on his favourite cushion, watching the TV tell stories and tips on dating life for humans. Dog-Shayne rested at his side, blinking up at him with all the undivided attention of a happy servant. If only Dog-Shayne wasn’t an animal.

“You’re a loyal mongrel,” Dranian complimented as he patted the creature on the head.

The TV story switched to a gangly looking couple who held hands, grabbed each other a lot, kissed each other too much, and kept tight in each other’s spaces. Dranian found himself cringing. But what right did he have to complain about couples who puttheir affection on display when he’d just found far too much comfort in a dog?

He looked back at Dog-Shayne with a frown. At first, purchasing the dog had been a way to strike back at the nine tailed fox. But after sitting warmly against the creature for several hours, being gazed at with loving eyes, being licked on the cheek affectionately, and having all the attention he could ever dream of, Dranian realized he felt a small dollop of happiness for the first time in weeks.

It wasn’t like Shayne himself was back. It wasn’t like this mongrel could replace Shayne, even if Dranian did use his forever-friend’s name. Was he being unreasonable by starting to care for a lowly human realm beast?

Perhaps he ought to find himself a special female friend like the couple in the TV show. Perhaps then he would have comfort that didn’t seem so absurd to him.

Dranian found himself glancing back toward the apartment door, through which was the hall, past which was Beth’s apartment. Beth was passably pretty. She’d betrayed him by not allowing him to escape his contract, but she’d also been one of the only people Dranian had dared to speak to outside of those at Fae Café this past month since Shayne had left.

Days before Shayne took off, he’d done a “quiz” on the human internet on Dranian’s behalf to discover Dranian’s ideal mate. As it turned out, Dranian’s “type” of female had blacker hairthan Beths, brighter green eyes than Beth’s, and possibly a darker personality than the bubbly, cringy human’s. Even so, she wasn’tcompletelyawful most days.

Unfortunately, Dranian had no idea how to woo a female. He didn’t have many elaborate words, nor was he whole in bodily strength, but he was still more powerful than the rest of the males in the building. In a fight, he could likely snap their necks with his one good arm. He wondered if Beth had noticed all that about him.

He rose from the couch and moseyed toward the door, ideas running through his mind of what he might say. He felt, “Hello, Human. Date me,” and, “Shall we start invading each other’s personal space?” wouldn’t sound as smart as they did in his head.

Dog-Shayne slid off the couch and faithfully followed as Dranian opened the door and slid into the hall. He stared at Beth’s daunting door. 3F. He stared for quite some time. He stared until he could stare no more, and he squeezed his eyes shut from the sting of not blinking for so long.

“Are you going to ask her to wed you?” Luc’s voice filled the hall, and Dranian whirled.

“What? Absolutely never—not!” Dranian growled.

Luc had a swelling patch over his chin, pink and shiny. He didn’t explain where he got it, he just raised a scarlet eyebrow. “Well, if you’re ‘absolutely never—not’ going to ask her to be your bride, then why are your rhythms racing? Do you perhaps care for that clingy female?” The fox’s wide, wicked grin spread across his face out of nowhere. “Please tell me you do. I wouldvery much love to steal her from you. I’m sure I wouldn’t have to try very hard.”

Dranian snarled and turned to march back to his apartment, but the squeaking of an opening door filled his ears. He spun back, eyes wide, to see Beth standing in her doorway. And suddenly he forgot how to say,“Hello.”Why though? Why did he forget? He hadn’t cared a single seed what Beth thought of him until ten minutes ago.

---