Eli caught a glimpse of his reflection in a small mirror hanging behind Matthew. His eyes were still glowing silver, so there was no way he could possibly play off the supernatural elements even if he wanted to. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Before he made any decisions, he wanted to scope Matthew out more, confer with Cameron for information, see if he knew anything about these people, and go from there. But that wasn’t an option, and he was going to have to work with what Matthew shared with him.

First things first… “How did you find us?”

“To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t looking for you.” Matthew replied. “We were bringing Marcus’s car back with the new safety devices installed, and a trunkful of home-security devices to install in the house. It was luck that we came across you, and it wasn’t too late.”

“And you just… opened fire, on a random guy, at the scene of a car crash?”

Matthew cocked up an eyebrow. “That was one mean looking random guy. The second we stepped out of the car, he transformed. Maybe he could smell the guns before we took them out, or maybe his other senses told him we were bad news. I’ve seen a few pictures of his particular variety of werewolf, but that’s the first time I’ve seen one in person.”

“He got away?” Eli knew that if he’d shifted, it was already too late to actually kill him, but he could still be hurt…

“He took off running,” Matthew confirmed. “Was he the same werewolf who attacked you before?”

Eli hesitated. To talk or not to talk? He’d been running all of Matthew’s behaviour through his mind, looking for anything that looked like a major red flag waving in his face, but he couldn’t find anything. He hoped this wasn’t because of the painkillers. “Yeah.” Eli admitted. “That’s the same one.”

“He put you in the trunk.”

“I was there.”

Matthew gave him a look. “It’s been almost two months since he last attacked—at least, according to Marcus. But is that true? He doesn’t seem to be aware of your…” his gaze lingered on Eli’s eyes, “—disposition, shall we say? Nor does he know about who really lives in that boarding house. So, he doesn’t know everything. Can you fill me in on what you know? Just about the one that attacked you.”

“I can tell you he’s got heavy fists.”

“He tried to kidnap you today. Do you know why?”

The soul—but Eli wasn’t going down that rabbit hole. It was too convoluted and confusing to explain. The rogue wanted the soul, and the soul was stuck with him, so… “He wants me.”

Matthew raised an eyebrow but gestured for him to keep going.

“He wants me, but he doesn’t care what condition he gets me in.” Eli gestured to his bandaged chest, where he’d been cut and kicked. “I mean, he drove us off the road—I could have broken my neck when we crashed.”

“Any particular reason as to why he wants you spring to mind?” Matthew probed.

“I thought I was done with him. After I shot him in the house, and he left, I thought that was it.” Eli thought of the coldness of the rogue’s gaze. The way he’d looked at Eli when he mentioned the siren’s blood… “He uh, he mentioned something along the lines of not leaving me alone even if he died, so I think it’s safe to assume that isn’t the last of him.”

“He tells you he’s going to get you even if he dies, and you don’t know why he’s so compelled to get his hands on you?”

“I already told you no.”

“Right, okay.” Matthew nodded, digesting that.

Eli gave him a few seconds before following up with his own question, “What do you know about him?”

“Him specifically? Not much. But when his particular breed emerged it caught a lot of attention—I swear, this day two years ago my company was almost a distant memory, packs are good at self-governing—, and now we have more recruits than we can train.” Matthew shared. “I know they’re violent toward other werewolves, but compared to your run of the mill werewolf, these guys are apparently shit-scared of guns.”

Eli recalled the Luna’s memory—the rogue’s reaction confirmed that it was beyond a doubt a memory—and assumed in that pastoral looking world, there were no guns. He recalled bows, and swords, and spears, but couldn’t pinpoint any specific memory of how he knew, he just did.

He looked hard at Matthew. “And how do you know that regular werewolves aren’t scared of guns?”

Matthew’s eyes flashed. His grin was crooked, and he raised his hands in a disarming manner. “Don’t tell me you’ve never come across a violent werewolf before? They’re the kind of citizen that regular police can’t deal with when they break the law.”

“Police can deal with them.” Eli replied. They were armed after all.

“My company can do it with a lot less bloodshed.” Matthew replied.

Definitely not giving them any names, or confirming anyone as a werewolf. Eli got the feeling Matthew was already well aware of exactly who was a shifter, and who wasn’t. Even if he’d mislabelled Eli, but that was understandable.

“Why are you so wary of me?” Matthew questioned. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and peered up at Eli. “I’ve helped you, and I’ve just saved you—and I did that knowing full well what you are, so you know it wasn’t because I mistook you for a human—but you look like you could grab one of those syringes and stab me the first move I make you don’t like.”

Eli knew he was being evasive, but he hadn’t thought he looked quite so wary. He was sitting cross-legged after all. His confusion must have shown, because Matthew tapped his temple, indicating his eyes. “That happens when your stressed, right?”

Ah… Eli looked in the mirror. His eyes. Was this because he’d held the soul? Because he’d been actively drawing on… something, from within it?

“I don’t know why they’re still like that.” Eli said lamely. “I’m still scared, I guess.”

Matthew’s eyes softened, and Eli saw a glimpse of what looked like genuine sympathy in his expression when he regarded him. Slowly, he stood from the metal chair and sat on the edge of the bed. The confrontation in his body language was gone.

“You, and your family, are going to be safe. I’m making sure of that.”

“It’s not that easy.” Eli felt vulnerable under Matthew’s gaze now. He cast his eyes aside, studying the table Amber had carted away from them. Everything on it was silver, even the previously reddened gauze.

“There’s a safe house I’m arranging for you where you’ll be safe.”

“He can track me.” Eli replied, off-hand, his attention elsewhere. His blood wasn’t red anymore, it was silver. It had turned actual silver.

“How?”

“Scent.” Eli said. Because of the Luna’s soul. “Intuition, instinct, whatever you want to call it, he’ll find me.”

The door opened, and Amber came in with their drinks. She looked surprised to see them so close.

“That took a while.” Matthew commented, eyes seeking an answer from her.

“I was checking in on the family—everyone’s doing fine.” She directed that toward Eli and cast him a smile.

Eli couldn’t quite answer it. Amber’s eyes swept to the side, and he watched her expression change, and followed her with his eyes as she walked to the table.

“Well, if we know he’s coming, I can arrange something even better.” Matthew shared. His reassuring smile was lost on Eli. Amber had picked up the gauze with a small tweezers; she was confused.

“Does werewolf blood usually turn… silver?” Amber questioned.

That drew Matthew’s attention to the little situation on the table. He looked to Eli for an answer. Eli had none.

“I want to see them.” He evaded.

“Why is your blood silver?” Matthew asked, the sympathetic airs vanishing in favour of eagerness.

“I don’t know.”

“Is it related to why the werewolf is after you?”

Technically, but—“I don’t know.”

Eli must have hesitated, because Matthew’s eyes glittered. Warning bells started going off, and a strong pulse twisted his chest. His defences went up, sudden and strong.

Matthew put his hand on his knee, his eyes were examining the silver in Eli’s iris closer, perhaps having realised there was something going on here. “You’re not an ordinary—”

“Don’t touch me.” It came out low, but it came out steady. There was a growl in his voice.

Matthew’s brows shot up. A look of apprehension filled Amber’s face, but Eli stared at Matthew, seeing the same reaction was lost on him. He looked curious and amused. He took his hand off, but that simpering smile made it clear he was simply indulging Eli.

Heat filled his chest. Sensations from the Luna’s wolf mixed with his own instincts—both despised the implication that Eli was under Matthew’s thumb and control. That Matthew didn’t have to let go of Eli, except if he decided to be indulgent.

Eli stood, moving toward the door.

“Your eyes, Eli.” Matthew reminded him, tone mocking.

“I don’t give a fuck.” Eli snapped.

“Fine, fine, we’ll forget the silver blood.”

“Matthew!” Even Amber chastised his tone.

Eli ripped the door open.

“Eli!” This time, Matthew was alarmed. A bolt of satisfaction went through him. He was out, striding down the hall when running feet caught up to him. Matthew’s hands shot up, covering his eyes. Eli was in no mood for this. He wanted to be next to someone—Noah, his dad, Jenny—any of them would be enough to calm him down, what he didn’t want was someone turning his vision black.

“Please, calm down. I’m sorry, and we can sort through this all in a calmer manner.”

Eli suppressed his urge to fight out of Matthew’s grip. “I want to see them.”

“Your dad and Jenny are both still being treated,”

“Noah.”

Eli felt Matthew’s reluctance radiating from him.

“I want to see Noah, or I’m going to be nothing but trouble.”

Matthew, body tensed, let out an annoyed sigh. “Fine—but you’re wrapping your eyes first.”

“Fine.”

Amber bandaged him, and Eli could make out vague shapes through the gauze. Amber stayed behind in the room and Matthew led Eli. They went up two flights of stairs and toward the back of the hospital. There were hardly any workers around here, and Eli’s heart kept thudding until they went into a hospital room.

“See?” Matthew said. “He’s fine.”

Eli went right up to the bed—a nurse was checking a heart monitor—and peered down at Noah. He could only make out the contrast of his hair to his skin and hear his breaths. His hand found Noah’s and curved around his fingertips. He could feel his pulse, and his warmth. A breath of relief left him.

Matthew pat his back, making all the tension return.

Pointedly, Eli sat on the chair next to the bed, and set his feet firm on the ground. He wasn’t moving.

The nurse left, leaving them alone.

Eli felt conflicted sitting there. Overwhelmed, and unsure. He wanted to call Cameron, because even though he’d definitely freak out, he’d bring the cavalry. Quint was strong, and Shane had a shotgun. But Matthew apparently didn’t want him calling the pack, so he doubted any phone would be willingly handed over.

Matthew stood at the end of the bed. “Have you calmed down?”

Eli inclined his body away from Matthew and faced Noah. “You said there are people keeping an eye out for him?”

“The hospital is well guarded.” He confirmed.

Eli listened to Noah’s slumbering breaths and guilt racked through him. They’d all gotten hurt because the rogue was after him. He rubbed the back of his neck. He wanted the soul off, right now.

“What’s the punishment for showing humans what you are?” Matthew asked, conversationally.

Eli ignored him.

“Expulsion from the pack is standard, I imagine. But if you’re mated, that’s the same as punishing your other half as well, isn’t it?” Matthew came around the bed, slowly approaching Eli. “I suppose you could always run away to your mom, and hide out with her pack? My contacts out west tell me Mr Jackson’s pack is ruthless.”

Eli grimaced despite himself.

Matthew’s chuckle was light. “He was too rough for a small sub like you, right? That’s why you came up here. Did you know that Quint was a temperate alpha, or was that a happy coincidence? I know him quite well, and while he’s an agreeable man, he doesn’t tolerate breaking the rules.” Matthew touched Eli’s head, patting down his hair. “Nobody, from the ruthless to the peaceful, would tolerate a stunt like showing off your werewolf eyes like you just did.”

Eli grabbed his wrist, his skin crawling, “Lucky for me, you’re not a wolf. And certainly not an alpha.”

He felt Matthew’s mocking grin. He dropped his hand from Eli’s head. He knelt, his face hovering inches in front of Eli’s face. All Eli could see was his outline. “You’re a werewolf in a human family. This is a situation I haven’t come across before, so I’m going to play it by ear and so far, seems to me the biggest threat to the Wallace family is their youngest.”