Even the strongest need care in their weakest moments.
Alex walked like a zombie up and down the house, clutching a thick biology book in his hands, muttering unintelligible phrases in what seemed like an unknown language. Usually, when I speak to him, my words go in one ear and out the other. But now, he didn't even register my complaints about being hungry.
I shivered when the doorbell rang. Ominous sign, I thought as I walked to the door. It was the first time I had ever heard our doorbell ring.
I opened the door and my eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the fae doctor. The doctor, always so orderly and composed, looked rather disheveled. He was breathing hard, like someone who had run a marathon, even though his car was parked right outside the house.
"Is something wrong?" I asked, the obvious question hanging in the air.
The doctor looked up at me with a serious expression. "You were right," he said fiercely, "He's waking up!"
I froze, stammering for a moment before waving Alex to follow me as I headed toward the doctor's car. On the way, I realized that all fae must be crazy drivers. The scene as we reached the hospital parking lot would have fit right in with the car chases in the most hardcore action movies. The doc was just swerving around cars, not really caring about the oncoming lane. We reached the hospital in less than ten minutes.
Although we made the drive there in record time, I hesitated for a minute outside the ward.
Finally, the fae doctor opened the door for me and I saw Ábel. He was sitting on the bed watching the setting sun—then slowly turned towards me. It was as if the ground wanted to run out from under my feet.
He grinned. "Hey."
I stepped closer to the kid and examined him myself to ensure I wasn't imagining things.
"You... okay?"
"I had a strange dream," he began quietly. "I think I saw an angel."
"An angel?" I echoed.
"When I woke up, for a moment, I thought I saw someone," he nodded.
"Do you remember what he looked like?" I asked.
Ábel tried to recall the image, then shook his head. The only thing he could recall was the unnervingly green eyes.
"Maybe you were dreaming," Alex suggested, trying to reassure him. "These things happen."
I nodded, as did Ábel, though he seemed hesitant.
"I'll keep him here for observation tomorrow, but after that, he can go home," the doctor said, his tone gentle yet authoritative. "His condition is perfectly normal."
"I can't go home," ábel said suddenly, surprising all of us.
We exchanged puzzled glances, waiting for him to continue.
"I owe the doctor my life," he declared firmly. "Until I repay my debt, I must stay with him."
The doctor opened his mouth to protest, but Ábel's resolve was clear. I could see the unwritten rule was at play here. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life," Ábel's words held weight, and they resonated in the room, heavy with the ancient tradition.
Alex shot me a glance, his eyes questioning, but I simply nodded.
The doctor looked startled. "You don't have to repay anything. You're fine now, go home, take some rest—"
"Nope," Ábel cut him off with a firm shake of his head. "I'm staying."
"Absolutely not," the doctor argued, his brow furrowing.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily," Ábel smirked, crossing his arms.
"You know, doctor," I said, "Ábel here has always been a bit... persistent about his debts."
The doctor turned on me with an incredulous look. "This is my job. He doesn't owe me anything!"
Ábel gave a dramatic sigh, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth. "It's about honor. I'm going to stay until I make sure the debt is repaid. We do things properly in my family."
The fae doctor rubbed his temples in frustration. "You really think that's how this works? I didn't sign up to babysit a stubborn—"
"Then you shouldn't have saved my life," Ábel interrupted smugly.
Alex snorted in the background, unable to hold it in any longer. The doctor shot him a glare, but Ábel was completely unbothered.
I motioned for the doctor to step aside, so we left the room.
"I want you to teach him."
The doctor stared at me, wide-eyed. "Teach him? What are you talking about?"
"He wants to become a doctor," I explained. "Just like you."
The doctor's eyes narrowed as he scanned my face for any signs of sarcasm or trickery. "You're serious? You want me to teach that kid?"
I leaned in closer, "Yes. He's smart, and stubborn. He's got the heart for it. If he's willing to put in the work, you should teach him."
The doctor clearly wanted to refuse. After a long silence, I pulled out a gold bar from my jacket and slid it in his hand.
The doctor blinked at the gold bar like it was a spider that had crawled out of my coat. "What's this?"
"A little incentive," I said with a casual shrug.
His eyes widened. I pulled out another gold bar, watching his reaction. His expression went from stunned to suspicious, and then back to stunned.
"Two gold bars?" he sputtered, his voice cracking slightly.
"I'm just making sure you don't say no," I said with a smirk. "You teach him, and these are yours. Or I can keep them, and I'll find a better use for them." I paused, letting the weight of my words sink in. "The choice is yours."
The doctor stared at the two gold bars then shot me an incredulous look. "You think you can buy me with this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly offended by the suggestion.
I shrugged, leaning back in my chair with a smug grin. "Buy you? No. But your hospital could always use a little... extra funding, don't you think?"
The doctor narrowed his eyes, clearly trying to maintain his composure. "I'm not for sale, Shay."
I moved the gold bars just a bit closer to him, watching as his gaze followed them. "I didn't say you were. But we both know that hospitals don't run on good intentions alone. They need donations to keep things going, right?"
The fae doctor raised an eyebrow, shaking his head as he glanced at the gold bars. "I get donations from the royal family of the fae."
I sighed dramatically, pulling another gold bar from my jacket. "Oh, really?" I asked, smirking. "Are they so generous, like I am?"
The fae doctor stared at the gold, looking both annoyed and... slightly tempted. "You can't just throw gold around and expect everyone to fall in line, Shay."
"Yeah-yeah," I rolled my eyes. "Just take the gold and babysit the kid for a while."
The fae doctor gave me a long, skeptical look as I handed him the gold bars. "How exactly do you have gold bars anyway?" he asked, his eyebrow arched.
I immediately put a hand over my chest, feigning offense. "Excuse me?" I gasped, putting on my best wounded expression. "Are you implying that I look like someone who's broke?"
The fae doctor stared at me, both confused and suspicious. "I meant... where exactly did you get them from?"
"Oh, that? A little side business of mine. But we can talk about that another time. For now, let's focus on the very important discussion at hand, shall we?"
He exhaled loudly, shaking his head in disbelief. I grinned, clearly pleased with myself.
I leaned in closer, my tone darkening as I spoke, "I want Ábel to remain safe. Whatever it takes. So thank you." The words hung in the air, heavy with an unspoken threat that was impossible to ignore.
The fae doctor opened his mouth as if to ask something, but I didn't give him the chance. Before he could get a single word out, I turned on my heel and made my way back to Ábel's room, the soft click of the door behind me signaling that I was done with the conversation for now. The doctor didn't need to know everything—he just needed to understand that Ábel's safety was non-negotiable.
I stepped into the room, and found Ábel grinning like a fool. His eyes sparkled with that unmistakable gleam of someone who knew exactly what had just transpired. He didn't even try to hide it—he was beyond pleased.
"You're the best," Ábel said, his voice full of enthusiasm, as if he'd just witnessed a victory.
I raised an eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe, studying his excited face. "What, you think I wasn't going to win that one?"
"Of course not," Ábel shot back, his grin widening. "You always win."
I couldn't help but let a small smirk tug at my lips. "You sure know how to flatter me, kid."
Ábel chuckled like a silly kid. I couldn't help but watch him, amused despite myself.
"Listen, if you need anything—anything at all—just tell the fae doctor," I said, my tone casual but with an edge of seriousness. "I just gave him a small fortune, after all."
Ábel's eyes widened for a moment. "A fortune? You're serious?"
"Absolutely," I said, giving him a sly smile. "The man's practically drowning in gold now, so don't hesitate. Just... don't go asking for something ridiculous, like a new castle or something."
Ábel's voice softened, a mix of surprise and gratitude. "No one ever thought I was worth this much... gold. Not ever."
I paused, looking at him for a moment, then stepped closer. Reaching out, I ruffled his hair affectionately, the action easy and familiar. "You're worth more than gold, kid."
"But you'd better study hard," I added almost threateningly, "I'll expect a full return on my investment. Gold doesn't grow on trees."
Ábel's grin faltered for a moment as the weight of my words hit him, but I could see the fire of determination spark in his eyes. He nodded, though his voice wavered just slightly. "I will. I promise."
"Good," I said, my voice lowering, more serious now. "See you," then I waved and headed toward the door.
Alex snapped out of his reverie and followed me. We walked silently down the corridor.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Alex asked cautiously.
"Is it a good idea?" I retorted triumphantly. "It's absolutely brilliant! Just think, I've saved our last remaining set of dishes from certain death!"
Alex snorted in amusement.
"Yes," I said, now serious, "I don't think I could have taken good care of him. I'm not a very caring person."
"You're right," Alex agreed, "You'd make a lousy big brother."
I shot him a sardonic grimace.
"He'll fit in well with the doctor," I added, "He's kind and thoughtful, but very lonely—just like Ábel. And of course, he can visit anytime, so I guess we should get a spare set of china after all."
Alex chuckled a few times, the sound echoing softly down the hospital corridor.
"And there's another reason," I continued, my tone turning grave. "The dark mages. They're still out there, and they want my head. Having Ábel out of it is the only good decision."
Alex nodded solemnly, understanding the weight of that threat. "You're right, Shay."
I sighed, the weight of the situation settling in. "I'll have to keep an eye on him, though."
"We'll handle it," Alex assured me, his voice steady.
We'll handle it, huh? I hope you will think like this tonight as well.
(...)
After work, I went home. Today's job was shit, to put it nicely. Saturdays are usually shit. On top of that, another full moon came.
I just stirred my cocoa and sipped it occasionally, but somehow it didn't feel right. Although Alex covered it up pretty well, he was fucking nervous. I could tell immediately by his movements—and also, he put one spoon less sugar in my cocoa.
"You need to shift," I declared.
He froze and stood there for a moment like a big pile of shit.
"No."
He considered the matter closed, unlike me.
"How long do you intend to drag it out," I asked, "until your body no longer obeys you at all? It could happen anywhere and at any time, and you know best how dangerous that is."
Alex was silent for a moment, each word carefully thought out before he said it. He knew that if he was facing me, the slightest change in his tone could give him away.
"As long as possible," he said quietly.
He often deliberately forgot that I knew him like the back of my hand.
"Since then..." I began, "Since then you have not shifted. I know you are afraid. You're afraid you won't be able to change back..."
"And what if you're right?" he asked back, putting a plate in the drip tray.
His voice had never sounded so shrill and it didn't suit him at all. I watched Alex closely, his normally carefree demeanor replaced by a somber intensity that seemed to radiate from deep within him.
"May I see it?" was all I asked, before he stiffened again and turned to me with a look of disbelief.
When he saw that I was serious, his disbelief turned to dismay. He gaped like a beached fish. He wanted to say something. He must have wanted to curse all my ancestors. He surely wanted to scream in my face that no and I should rot in hell for asking such a thing—but instead, he just sighed deeply. He also knew that I was aware of it.
"Let's figure this out together," I said finally.
"Pervert," he grinned suddenly. "If you wanted to see me naked so badly, you should have just said so."
I laughed as he laughed too and went back to washing up.
"Sorry, not my type, mate. And don't stand out on the roadside, gorgeous, you won't make a living out of it," I stuck my tongue out at his back.
He chuckled a few times. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, if I want to make money, I'll put you out there."
We were silent for a while.
"Seriously, can't anyone keep secrets from you?" he said, a little teasingly, a little resigned.
"Secrets?" I asked back, "What are you talking about? That you bought the cat food that cost three hundred forints more than the cheapest we agreed upon? Or maybe that Rolo is staying out of school because he's looking for the cursed volumes? What secrets are you talking about?" I grinned triumphantly.
"I'll never know how you can pay attention to so much," he sighed, worriedly, "And spot all the crap."
He put the last plate in the drip tray and moved on to cleaning the glasses.
"I owe it to growing up among hunters," I said, adding very quietly, "and to caring about you, Alex."
When he had washed the last glass, he wiped his hands on a tea towel—he was deliberately stalling, but I didn't blame him.
"Shay..." he began, his voice shaking, "I'm scared."
I stood up and stepped to his side. I put my hand on his shoulder encouragingly.
"I'm here," I said, "I know it doesn't mean much... but here I am."
He looked up at me and nodded slowly.
"I think we should check the garage," I suggested, "We haven't had the chance so far anyway."
He nodded again.
It was a few minutes past three in the morning. The garage was empty, of course, with only a few cardboard boxes stacked against one wall.
Alex undressed, and with careful slowness, folded the clothes over the top of one of the boxes. His back was turned to me, a slight tension in his posture betraying the struggle within. We waited in silence, the air heavy with anticipation, until he winced ever so slightly. It was a subtle acknowledgment of the pain coursing through his body—he was still consciously in human skin.
Cautiously, almost begging us to leave the whole thing alone, he glanced back. I nodded stiffly, crushing the slightest hope of that. I smiled encouragingly, a silent promise that I was standing beside him in this moment—and of course that included a promise that I wouldn't let him turn back.
His eyes calmed a little, but his left hand continued to shake nervously. He was sweating like someone who had run three laps around the city. His heart pounded erratically, mirroring the agitated rhythm of my own.
Then the transformation began. Alex gritted his teeth, enduring the initial pain with a clenched jaw, biting his lips until they threatened to bleed. Eventually, the agony overwhelmed him, and a guttural scream tore through the air.
Since he hadn't transformed in a long time, it must have been more excruciating than ever. He collapsed to the ground, clawing at his skin and tearing at his hair. His forehead pressed against the unforgiving concrete, a feeble attempt to ground himself amid unimaginable torment.
It was an uncanny sight to see the muscles and bones visibly rearranging themselves beneath his skin, which the next moment was covered in thick fur. The cries subsided into anguished whimpers until finally, he fell silent, the only sound his labored panting.
"Alex?" I began, and he flinched.
Maybe he forgot for a moment that I was with him all the time. He slowly turned his head towards me. The huge, golden-brown eyes seemed clear, though the pain still flickered in them, barely perceptible.
Alex looked even bigger than last time—he didn't just reach my chest but he was as tall as me. For a moment, the monster within me stirred, catching the scent of something formidable about Alex. It acknowledged the danger he possessed, a primal instinct recognizing strength. The thought of wolf flesh briefly crossed my mind—a fleeting temptation spurred by the scent of power and the thrill of the hunt.
Yet, as quickly as the thought appeared, it faded. This wolf oddly smelled like home. The familiarity of his scent calmed the monster, softening its bloodlust into a sense of curiosity and kinship. The monster within me, often driven by instinct and hunger, now felt oddly amenable.
Alex stepped in front of the double doors and gave me an expectant look. I shook my head thoughtfully and opened the door. The wolf ran across the garden, jumped over the gate, glanced back into my eyes from the street once more, and ran off in the direction of the woods. I sighed deeply and walked back to the kitchen to finish off the rest of the cold cocoa.
At the table, Rolo was sitting, reading a book. Apparently, he got home at last. When I entered, he glanced up at me for barely a second, but immediately returned to his reading.
"Has he shifted?" he said in a voice that seemed disinterested.
I knew from that single question that he had been worried for some time. What can I say, Rolo wasn't stupid, he put things together.
"Yep," I sighed.
"About time," he replied, mostly to say something. "How's your serial killer research going?" he interjected with ill-concealed curiosity.
"How is your search for the cursed volumes going?" I asked, picking up my mug from the table.
Rolo's face twitched barely perceptibly, but a moment later he looked up at me with a nonchalant expression.
"Quite well," he said, and even my superior grin couldn't keep him away.
"Mine goes quite well too," I shrugged.
We were both big liars, and we both knew it. He looked deeply into my eyes for a moment, then he closed the book and stood up.
"I'm going to bed," he informed me, and I nodded and sat down.
I knew he wasn't going to sleep at all, but he must have guessed that. He went up to his room without looking back at me, but still, I knew that wasn't the end of it. There's only one worse than a vengeful Rolo. A curious one.
I sipped my cocoa in the quiet dimness of the kitchen for a while, then pulled the blood substitute pills from my pocket, sealed in a medicine box. I rolled the little box between my fingers for a while, then splashed a few pills into my hand. I swallowed the bitter pills, then leaned my head against the wall.
It had been a long time since I'd craved blood this badly—always a bad omen. The beast inside me goes wild when something bad is coming. Our subconscious always senses danger before our conscious self. I finished my cocoa. For a while, I absentmindedly played with my pendant in my hands.