Page 28 of Chaos Claimed

The wolf pulled away, then shifted back into a very naked man. Nope, not going to fall back into lust. Instead, Percy glanced down at his lap, frowning at all the fur on his clothes and wishing he had a lint brush.

Santiago dressed, but his gaze kept straying to Percy.

“Yes, I liked your wolf,” Percy admitted. “It needs a good brushing though. I look like I’m the one transforming.”

He swept at his legs, but it felt useless. The hair made it look like he was wearing fur pants.

Santiago gave him a quick kiss. “You can brush me anytime, cariño.”

A warm flutter spread through Percy, feeling overwhelmed at times at Santiago’s sentiments. Heat crept over his face as he shoved at the man’s arm, unsure how to respond.

Which was rare for him.

The doorbell rang again, echoing through the quiet house. Santiago grabbed his phone, tapped the screen a few times, then sighed.

Turning the device, Percy saw Elijah standing on the porch, arms crossed, foot tapping. Behind him was Matias, who gazed at Elijah like the guy was his moon and stars.

Percy had caught Santiago staring a time or ten at him in the same way, like when he’d come out of the house, ready to go to Flare. Ever since the arrest, it had been on the tip of Percy’s tongue to tell Santiago that he loved him, but he always held back.

Like now. Those three little words sat in his chest like an ache, surging upward, only to become wedged in his throat. Fighting the urge to say them, Percy hurried from the room, Santiago hot on his heels. He almost stumbled down the stairs trying to get away from wolf boy and his internal tug-of-war.

“Don’t you dare answer that door,” Santiago growled out behind him.

Spinning around, Percy gaped at his demand. “But we know who’s on the other side!”

Chill. The. Fuck. Out. Percy felt like he was spiraling, only for a different reason that could be summed up with three little words. Nope. He was not going to say them. He was still trying to work through his trauma, and declaring his love when he knew he wasn’t ready made him feel like he was truly going insane.

If he didn’t pull his shit together, Santiago would call him on his obvious panic, and Percy was not ready to have that discussion.

He looked toward the door so Santiago couldn’t see the panic in his eyes, waiting for him to let Elijah and Matias in.

“Are you okay, cariño?”

“Fine.” He crossed his arms, digging his fingers in, desperate for his best friend’s distraction. “Gonna make them wait all night?”

As Santiago passed him, he gazed at Percy, his brows furrowed.

“Door?” he said before Santiago could ask again.

With a shake of his head, Santiago answered it. Elijah immediately marched inside, blowing past Santiago. “I needed to check on you.”

Still feeling like the words would tumble out at any second, Percy grabbed Elijah’s hand and… He glanced around, wondering where the kitchen was located. They’d been neighbors for over two months, yet this was the first time Percy had been in Santiago’s home.

To hell with it. They would wander around until they found the room. The doorway on the right proved to be the kitchen. Just showed how much Percy had paid attention when he’d come downstairs. He hadn’t even noticed it.

“What’s going on?” Elijah pulled his hand free, then went straight for the fridge, rummaging around for food while Percy felt like he was falling apart piece by small piece.

“Sure, make yourself at home.” He leaned casually against the counter, his eyes darting around the room. Why had he envisioned Santiago’s kitchen much bigger? Maybe because the man himself was huge. The room was more narrow than wide, with a cozy two-seater table nestled at the far end, framed by four slender windows that allowed fragments of moonlight to spill in. He could see himself sitting there with Santiago in the morning, sharing breakfast and scrolling through their phones like an old married couple.

The cupboards were elegant, crafted from dark-stained wood, the central panels made of frosted glass. The fridge Elijah was currently pillaging was a sleek, black stainless side-by-side that sat next to a… Percy frowned. What kind of stove was that? It appeared to be one of those flat electric models, yet it lacked the familiar circles where pots and pans should rest, leaving him puzzled.

“Seeing as how I haven’t eaten tonight, I’m starving.” Elijah came away with a plastic container of grapes. He nudged the refrigerator door shut with his hip, then followed Percy’s curious gaze. “Oh cool. That’s one of those induction stoves.”

Percy had no idea what that meant. “I’ve got bigger issues.”

Elijah leaned next to him, popping a grape into his mouth. “Lay it on me.”

The two had been friends since forever, and always talked openly. But ever since Percy had been locked in that shed, he’d found it hard to talk about even the simplest things with Elijah. With anyone, including his mom.

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