Eli’s breath caught. He tried to stand, but Matthew, calmly, caught his thigh and pushed him back down. He squeezed hard enough to hurt. “Your family almost died today, and god knows what would have happened to you if the werewolf drove away with you in the trunk of his car.” Matthew’s voice was icy. “That is the last time you behave like a spoiled brat in front of me while I’m trying to keep you and your family safe. Understand?”

Eli’s heart was in his throat. He wished more than anything he could see right now. The command in Matthew’s voice reminded him more of Jackson than it did Quint. Stiff, he nodded.

“Good.” Matthew’s grip softened, and he lightly massaged the pinched skin. The approval in his voice made the clenching in Eli’s gut relax. It was ingrained in his head to expect violence when he heard that particular tone of voice.

“Is there anything else I need to know about this werewolf?” Matthew asked him.

“I…”

“Think hard, Eli.” Matthew coaxed.

Eli’s pulse was loud against his ears. If only he could see… “I’m not sure if it’s relevant, but I know he’s not part of a pack. He’s a rogue.”

“Rogue’s tend to be violent.” Matthew said.

“And, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t care about keeping what he is hidden from anyone, human or not.”

“Anything else?”

Eli shook his head.

Matthew pat his leg. “Good. Wasn’t that simple?”

Was Eli supposed to answer? Matthew ruffled his hair before he left. There was a sour taste in Eli’s mouth. He brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. His sore arm protested, and Eli moved and shuffled until he found a half-lounging position that didn’t hurt him somewhere or other. He itched to take off the bandages to look around at his surroundings; it was too disorientating not being able to see.

At one point he tried to leave the room in search of a phone, but a man positioned just outside sent him right back inside. Hours ticked by at a gruelling pace. The bright patch in the corner of Eli’s vision was gone shortly, and he took that to mean the sun had gone down. He moved and shifted all night, unable to sit still, unable to relax.

Amber came in to check on him once, and she gave him an update on Jenny and Marcus: both unconscious. Eli wanted to see for himself that they were both breathing. He kept going to Noah’s side, just to be sure he was okay.

The nurse came in at one stage to turn off the overhead lights, asking if it bothered Eli, to which he gestured vaguely to his blind state. It didn’t make much difference.

The patch in the corner was bright again when Matthew came back. Eli had been lying awkwardly in the chair, but straightened up, turning his head toward him. “Any news?”

“I can tell you he hasn’t come near the hospital.”

“I mean my dad and Jenny.” Eli said. It had been hours since Amber had updated him.

“They’re stable.”

Eli frowned, and Matthew rustled his hair. “They’re out of the woods. Mind if I take a look?”

Eli nodded. He was hopeful when Matthew unravelled the bandage. He had to blink a few times for his vision to straighten out. Matthew’s studied his eyes, but his look answered Eli’s question before he could voice it.

“Still?” Eli asked quietly.

“Does this happen to you often?” Matthew questioned. He took Eli’s chin and tilted his head both ways, looking at him from different angles.

“No.” Eli answered honestly. “But people generally don’t stuff me into their trunk either.”

“You’re like a pup still.”

Eli glared, and Matthew offered him a wry smile. “Are you going to growl at me?” he taunted.

“No,” Eli replied, his voice filled with steel. “But I might bite.”

Matthew let go of his chin. “I’m terrified.” He said.

Dislike burned in Eli.

“Before I put this back on, how about you take a shower, and get changed into clothes that are less bloody?” Matthew stood, tossing the bandages into the bin at the end of Noah’s bed. “One of the nurse’s complained about you.”

“I’m not leaving Noah.”

“You won’t even have to go out into the hall.” Matthew gestured to a door Eli hadn’t been able to see before with his vision obscured. “Go on, I have someone coming up from the parking lot with a change of clothes. You’ll feel better once you’re clean.”

Eli took the towel Matthew handed him and went into the bathroom. It was small and utilitarian, with no space wasted beyond the bare essentials. He balanced the towel on the sink and turned on the hot water. Stripping out of his clothes was a chore, and he examined his bruising chest in the mirror. It looked worse than it felt.

When he finally got under the hot stream of water, it felt amazing. It stung his chest like crazy, but it was worth it. The tension in his muscles went down the drain, he breathed in the hot steam. Thoughts floated around, and one came to the front of his mind. The puppies must be starving by now. And, they’d possibly peed everywhere. Dad would be angry. Jenny would still coo at how cute they were. Eli smiled.

He made up his mind as he turned off the hot water. He couldn’t do anything for his family right now, but he could make sure that Brown and his siblings were taken care. Eli wrapped the towel around his waist when someone knocked at the door.

“You decent?” Matthew asked.

“No, I’m—”

The door opened.

Eli scowled. “I said no.” He practically growled, furious.

Matthew rolled his eyes and stepped in. “You’re seen naked by how many people every full moon?” He pulled the door shut behind him, and rested a stack of clothes on the toilet.

“Get out.”

“What did we say about your tone before?”

“You’re right, excuse me.” Eli said, sarcastic. “Thanks so much for the clothes, you’re the best, now would you please fuck off?”

The look Matthew gave him was dangerous, but Eli was too pissed to care. Matthew took a step closer to him in the already cramped bathroom. His eyes glinted at Eli. Matthew wasn’t tall, but he was chunky. His arms were big and muscular—even his neck was thick, and not with fat. Eli didn’t back down. He’d stood up to Jackson—whimpering and crying, but so what—and no way was Matthew as scary as he was.

“Why, exactly, are you going out of your way to get on my bad side?” Matthew asked him.

“I told you not to come in. And you’re not exactly a ray of sunshine either.”

Matthew’s smile was wry. “I’m long past the days of humouring brats, thank god.”

“Waiting five seconds before coming in—”

“Do we have to do this again?” Matthew raised an eyebrow.

“You could have waited—”

“Eli.” Matthew interrupted. “Shush.”

Eli wanted to stab him, or rip out his throat, or push him in front of a train. Either would satisfy him. He was too angry to speak, and it only got worse when Matthew smiled.

“See? Easy. Now, I came in here to wrap your eyes, because your brother just woke up.”

Eli blinked. “He’s awake? And he’s okay?”

“He’s eager to see you.” Matthew tapped the mirror, drawing Eli’s gaze to his still-silver eyes. “And the sooner I wrap those eyes, the sooner you can come out.”

Eli pushed down his animosity. “Okay, fine. Wrap them.”

Matthew toyed with the roll of bandages, rolling them over and over in his hand with his eyes fixed on Eli. He waited, expectant. Eli shifted his weight, uncomfortable. He was only in the towel, and was quickly getting cold.

“Please, can you wrap them?” Eli got out.

Matthew met his eyes. He waited.

Eli did his utmost to smooth away his glare, and to soften his voice. “Please, I want to see him.”

Matthew deliberately leaned against the sink, and crossed his arms. A restless energy filled Eli, knowing the door was the only thing between him and Noah. Well, the door and Matthew. If the situation was different, Eli would have stubbornly stood there until he froze before giving in. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for cursing and I’m sorry for giving you attitude. I’m stressed and I don’t respond well to being pushed around.”

“Isn’t it natural for you?”

Eli’s expression must have been blank.

“Being a sub and all.” Matthew elaborated.

“Ah, well. There’s a right way of doing it and a wrong way.” Cameron had the right way of being in charge nailed down; attentively making sure Eli wasn’t being pushed too far, too fast; and somehow never trying to take charge of something Eli needed to be in control of. “And like you said before about my unique situation, it’s not like I live in a pack. I’m not likely to respond any better than Noah would to someone barging in while he was in the shower.”

“And you’re the youngest, so you’ve been spoiled.”

“A little.” Eli agreed, just to be friendly. Noah wasn’t the youngest, but that didn’t mean people interrupted his showering time.

Matthew appraised him. “Okay, I accept your apology. Face the mirror for me.”

Eli did, and Matthew put a snug layer of bandages around his eyes. Again, Eli was left with vague outlines. When he was done, Matthew placed both his hands on Eli’s shoulders. “I’ve told Noah that the man who attacked is stalking you, but I haven’t mentioned what he is. He knows the condition Jenny and Marcus are in as well.”

Eli nodded. “And, that’s the same?”

“Since you got in the shower, yes.” Matthew confirmed. Eli was tense, Matthew’s hand was partly covering Cameron’s mark, and when his thumb brushed against the nape of his neck, he knew that Matthew was looking at them.

“I’m going to get changed.” Eli said in a neutral tone. He wanted to snap. He wanted to slap Matthew’s hands off him. He wanted to stomp on his foot and punch him in the face. He wanted it so badly his breaths came out uneven.

“Do you need help?”

Eli’s cheeks reddened. “No.” He said, firm.

Matthew’s hands tightened, his thumb pressing hard against the healing bite mark.

“No, thank you.” Eli corrected.

Immediately, Matthew’s grip loosened. “Alright, if you need someone just knock on the door.”

When the door shut Eli in there alone, he leaned against the sink for support. His breaths were uneven. He felt raw all over. He rested his forehead against the mirror, taking in a shaky breath. “Fuck.” He whispered.