Chapter 59

Just like before, it was a temporary place that he stayed in.

Bare and only filled with necessities, Ari knew that this temporary place he stayed in was only just until he is taken away for good. Away to a permanent place where he could finally just live in peace.

And like the times he stayed in those temporary places, there was always a scent that filled the place and that scent clamed him. Made him feel safe like he was at home even when he never knew what home felt like. It felt like a place that finally let him be. A place where nothing caused him any of the usual fear, anxiety, or pain.

Pain.

Because back in that town, that was the only thing he felt whenever he was home. However right now, he finally realized what it really meant to be there, to be home. How other people saw it, how other people experienced it.

Just like the way he experienced waking up for the first time without his heart hammering in his chest from fear. It was like he was rediscovering how to live without a constant component in his life, and that component was his mother. Ari didn't even realize the hell he was in, really. Never thought much about the stress he felt every time he woke up or walked inside of his mother's house. Not even the stress from reconsidering the words he'd utter lest they annoyed his mother.

Always on edge, that was home to him, and the abuse was a consistent dull ache that made him believe that it was normal. That it was just there, and he just got used to it.

His mother made sure he regretted being born the way he is, as if he did it to by choice.

But now home is associated with the scent of blood and Constantine, a mixture that rarely had one without the other. A mixture that is supposedly petrifying, should be a cause of panic, but Ari found himself relaxing to it instead. Even seeking more of it as he sought the places where that scent lingered. It comforted him.

It made him feel happy.

And as he found himself looking down at the chaotic sleeping figure beside him, Ari found the faintest hints of a smile appearing on his face. A smile that didn't do justice to the sheer joy he felt, but was a cause of it.

Never in his life had he thought he'd get to feel this.

And never in his life had he thought that he'd enjoy the pace of his heart quickening because of someone else.

Because Ari only felt that when he was deathly afraid, but now it was something else as his hand moved by itself to tentatively touch a horridly brutal hand. Despite its brutality, its touches were always welcome as he breathed in at the warmth he felt from this simple touch. It never is a simple touch whenever it's Constantine. Perhaps it's because they were chosen to be mates, it could be just that.

Or perhaps it's because Ari felt like he was loved around him. Could be that, too.

Ari's thoughts didn't linger on that, and instead he found himself moving his hands upwards marveling at how relaxed his partner was as his chest heaved up and down rhythmically, deeply asleep. It made Ari wonder if that warmth he felt was from the skin contact or just his feelings affecting him like this.

There were still knives around him, some stashed in places without much thought, Ari could grab any one he liked. Practice the throat slitting technique Constantine taught him so carelessly even when he knew Ari had easy access to anything and everything that could aid him to do just that.

It was an amusing thought to think that Constantine is actually doing it on purpose. Egging Ari to just go ahead and try, and he had a feeling that if he did, he will not succeed.

Like everything with Constantine, it was a thrilling game of will you or won't you.

And Ari tested it by repeating past actions when he leaned down to give Constantine a peck on the side of his head followed with more that trailed upwards until he made the last one stay a while longer to be considered just a peck – he was busy reaching for the knife as he did so.

This time the knife was the smooth one, and he made sure to be soundless when he retrieved it. It made him wonder a few things as he lowered it, but not to Constantine's throat.

He'd never do it, and knew already that he would never consider it seriously.

But he still wondered as he made the knife sink just a tiny bit into Constantine's shoulder which was slightly exposed. Just the tiniest of bits of pressure, and yet the knife was still sharp enough to result in a bleeding cut making Ari stare at it blankly. He misjudged how sharp knives are, he was clueless.

He wiped the cut lightly with his finger, biting his lip feeling silly at his mistake as he held back a laugh. "Oops."

"Mmh, oops." Constantine lazily repeated not bothering to open his eyes, his sleep might have been disturbed, but he wasn't really bothered by it in the least. It was an adorable attempt at seeing if he's awake enough to actually know he's being murdered, but he was actually completely unaware. "That's not where you're supposed to cut."

"I know." Came the reply as he felt Ari's thumb gently stroke away the cut. "Sorry."

Constantine let out a sleepy voice, completely nonchalant. "Go to sleep."

A smile amused breath escaped Ari as he ran fingers through dark hairs entertaining himself by making them stick up, worsening whatever bedhead would result from the way Constantine slept. "It's late noon."

The soothing movement was only lulling him back to sleep and it was clear as his voice faded into it while he spoke, the fact that Ari still had a knife in his hand was not of much importance. "Then it is still too early."

And Ari's heart was still beating so fast as he stared down at him, the cut, by now, was completely healed. It was only after a while that he decided to move away and find something to do, but he made sure to return the knife to its rightful place.

Ari was completely oblivious to the fact that everyone who made Constantine bleed had died painfully. That this was something completely exclusive to him as he decided to go out for a bit, not realizing just how much that would have irked the seemingly feral killer if it was anybody else.

How would he know, anyway, anyone who did it had died.

Unfortunately, he was also completely oblivious to many things as well as he shivered slightly from the chilly wind that hit him when he walked out. This wasn't the first time he had been out like this, Ari was a bit familiar to the city after all, but ever since he stayed here he found himself to just enjoy walking around or going to places that interested him.

Humans were lovelier company than wolves like himself, and he found himself to be loving the thought of living among them.

It was also much safer for him since not only were humans completely unaffected and unaware of heats – not that Ari's affected anyone anymore – but they were also a lot weaker than the weak Ari himself. A human was just not match for a lycan, even if that lycan was Ari.

It was probably why Ari felt so safe.

There was nothing that could really hurt him.

But like the temporary places Constantine stays in, Ari's happiness was always temporary. Just when he finally thought he made it, just when he thought he was untouchable. Just when he finally felt like he was at home.

Life made sure to remind him how much it loved his misery.

When people are hurt, they hurt others. Especially when that hurt is born out of anger. It makes them do things that they normally wouldn't do. Ari wasn't a bad person; he was just thrown into unfortunate circumstances that tipped him over the edge. He just threw his pain back at those who hurt him and left.

The inconsideration and disregard to his situation and desires had left him bitter, he'll admit, but now that he was starting to forget all about it, he forgot the most important thing.

Actions do have consequences, especially those that were born out of uncharacteristic malice.

It left someone with a broken heart, and broken-hearted people tend to be many things, but this time it left someone determined for vengeance. Determined to return the pain tenfold if he could.

It wasn't pure bad luck; Ari was being searched for.

One second he was on the sidewalk, and the next he found himself sitting in the middle of the backseat of an unfamiliar car surrounded by familiar faces.

The destination was clear, back to the hell he had just escaped.

When his eyes met Alec's icy blue, he found himself shaking in frustration as he felt a panicked sob rising in his chest. Constantine was so near, so close.

Just a few steps away.

Just a few steps.

But those few steps became further apart until they were not so few anymore.

And Ari was taken away from the only home he knew.