Chaos, Charm, and Questions Unanswered.
“What?” Caleb and I exclaimed together.
“Who's Tyler?“ I asked Caleb right after.
He simply grunted with a shrug before relaxing his body. “Him apparently,” he said with a sigh.
He could just tell me! I resisted snapping. My fingers continued to itch as my irritation grew. What’s with these people evading questions?
Khalid had frozen mid-motion, his glare darting to Abigail. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered, pushing the white-haired man—Tyler off him with a shove.
Tyler straightened, brushing imaginary dust off his rumpled clothes with a chuckle. “What? Thought I’d liven things up a bit.”
Abigail rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. “Throw a party then, not a full-on brawl in the middle of the house.”
I stared as I struggled to piece together what I’d just witnessed and heard. A shapeshifter? Does that mean he is not a werewolf? That explained nothing, rather, it raised a thousand more questions.
Tyler’s pearly grin widened as his dark gaze flicked up to me, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “And who’s this lovely little thing? Didn’t know we had guests.”
Little thing? I didn't like him calling me that. He carried himself as Higan would. Sort of.
Khalid stepped in front of Tyler, his frustration with him evident. “Stay out of it, Ethan's orders” he warned.
I was getting the undeniable impression that he also didn't like Tyler.
“Relax,” Tyler said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “It was just a question.”
Abigail sighed audibly before reaching to pinch the bridge of her nose.
“Does this happen often?” I asked, my voice quivering. I turned hoping to get an answer from Caleb but he was gone.
Khalid sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Welcome to the family, Harlyn. Things only get weirder from here.”
His posture eased as he climbed back up the stairs. "Sorry about that. Tyler’s well, he’s Tyler. He's just always been a questionable character.“
I raised an eyebrow, glancing toward the hallway where Tyler had disappeared. “He does seem like a handful.”
Khalid scoffed out a dry laugh. “That’s putting it lightly. If you see him coming, my advice? Walk the other way.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” My voice was lighter, but my eyes wandered. I caught Abigail making her way toward the stairs again. She strutted with such grace, you could believe she owned the space.
My eyes followed her movements as I unconsciously held on to the shoulder she’d hit earlier. I slightly grimaced as it faintly ached. It wasn’t like I wanted an apology, but the way she’d brushed past me felt deliberate and unnecessary.
For a moment, I considered saying something, but then I caught myself. What good would it do? Abigail didn’t strike me as someone who entertained small grievances. I let out a sigh and brushed it off.
“Harlyn!“ A hand waved right in front of me. “Lost you there for a minute. A penny for your thoughts?” Khalid pulled my attention back to him.
“Well, if my thoughts were worth a penny, I’d be rich by now,” I teased, offering a small shrug.
Khalid said nothing but a slight crease appeared on his forehead.
“Just trying to keep up with all of this, okay?.” I said finally, hoping he wouldn’t probe further.
“Okay. Let’s go,” He urged, stepping toward the hallway on the second floor. I followed him. “I must tell you, you’re not alone. It took me a while to get used to them too.”
My brows shot up. “You? Really?” I tilted my head. “You seem so at ease with everything.”
“That’s just practice,” he admitted, turning to face me as he walked. “When I first got pulled into all of this, I was a mess. Tripping over my own feet, asking way too many questions, ticking off the wrong people. Abigail especially.”
That caught my attention. “Abigail doesn’t seem like someone who tolerates mistakes.”
Khalid’s grin widened. He stopped right in front of a door I hadn't really paid much attention to. “Oh, she doesn’t. You should’ve seen her back then. Gave me so many death glares, I couldn't keep count.”
I laughed at the mental image of a younger Khalid fumbling through this world somehow endearing. “Sounds like you’ve come a long way.”
“I like to think so.” His tone was light, but there was something genuine in his expression that made me believe him. “Anyway, this is your room.”
I stepped closer to the bedroom door and he swung it open to reveal a spacious room bathed in soft, brown light. The walls were a muted cream, with large windows draped in elegant, gauzy curtains. A king-sized bed with an intricately carved headboard stood at the center with clean white linens and a mountain of plush pillows.
I blinked, my feet hesitating at the threshold. “This- this is for me?“ It was surprising, I wasn’t expecting such a large space.
“Well, yes. Unless you’d rather sleep on the stairs. I hear the carpet’s pretty soft.” he quipped.
I rolled my eyes, taking cautious steps as I entered the room. The floor beneath my shoes was a polished dark wood, smooth and gleaming. “It’s just… a lot,” I admitted, running a hand over the velvet armchair near the bed.
It felt like I was trespassing. But I kept that to myself. Higan and the likes of his pack would never consider offering this level of hospitality even if I paid for it.
“You’ll get used to it.” He stated. His voice was light, yet there was a perceivable undertone of reassurance. I appreciated it despite it not doing much for my worries. “Ethan likes his people being comfortable. Consider it a perk.”
I turned to face him, folding my arms. “A perk, huh?“
My eyes wandered the room again. It was beautiful, there was no doubt about that, but it didn’t feel like mine in any way. It felt like a set piece, something perfect, untouched, and hollow. It felt like I'd be ruining it.
Khalid shifted to lean against the doorframe, crossing his arms against his chest. He watched me take in the room in a moment of silence. “So, what’s the first thing you’re going to do in New York?”