Where Foxes Hunt with Wolves - K.A. Merikan Page 0,120
the side of Radek’s forehead, like he used to when they’d first started having sex. A smile lit up his features as he pushed the key into the lock, only to wane when he noticed something beyond Radek’s back.
The dog, Jinx, must have sensed the unfamiliar presence, because it emerged from the kennel bristling.
Radek stiffened, his brain flashing back to the pain of Burian’s teeth sinking into his flesh, but when the human figure emerged from the darkness, he frowned instead, dropping his guard.
“What are you doing here?” he asked Yev.
“What are you doing here?” Yev shot back, approaching in the same clothes he’d driven Radek home. Had he… been following him since then?
Emil cleared his throat and gestured for Jinx to stand aside. And she did. “Hi?”
“Don’t ‘hi’ me!” Yev snarled. “What the fuck are you doing with Radek?”
Radek stared at him. “Wolf in the manger, huh?” He said, too bitter to keep the snark out of his voice.
Emil raised his hands. “Come on now. He doesn’t want to live with his mom, so he’ll be staying with us. I don’t know what you’re imagining this is, but I can promise you it’s definitely not that.”
Compared to Emil’s neutral tone, Yev’s had a growly edge, as if he were about to sprout fur and carry Radek deep into the forest by the collar. “Sure, and it so happens his partner’s not home? Some coincidence!”
Radek’s imaginary fur bristled. “You have no right to be here! You gave up that right when we broke up. Emil doesn’t need to promise you shit!” At least he didn’t feel small standing on the porch while Yev was at the bottom of the three steps.
Yev exhaled a cloud of steam, his gray eyes reflecting the light above the door with unnatural brightness that made Radek’s skin tingle in anticipation of violence. Behind him, Emil was starting to breathe more shallowly, ready to protect Radek from Yev’s jealous fit.
Just fucking great.
“Radek, I’ll take you to your mom’s,” Yev said, prompting Emil to step forward.
“He’s an adult, and he won’t go anywhere with you if he doesn’t want to! Shall I remind you you’re on my property?”
“I needed someone to talk to. That so hard to understand?” Radek’s anger might have been aggravated by the clash with his Mom, but Yev still deserved it.
“You could have talked to me. I have a stationary phone in the lodge!” Yev said, spreading his arms wide but had the sense not to come any closer.
Radek fought the urge to hiss at him in helpless rage. “I did talk to you! I told you I loved you, and you said you’d ‘take me home’,” he spat the last words as if they burned his tongue. “That was your answer. It’s all I needed to know!” His love life was a disaster, but he wasn’t ashamed of showing real emotion in front of Emil.
Yev blinked, and his shoulders dropped as if he’d been kicked somewhere tender, and couldn’t maintain the combative stance no matter how much he wanted to. “Only because you didn’t want to stay,” he said.
Emil cleared his throat and put his arm over Radek’s shoulders. “You should leave. I can take care of him, so no need to stalk around like a creep.”
“No way in hell!” Yev barked, shaking his head at Emil as he balled his hands into fists. “I will take care of him! Radek, come on,” he said, stepping toward the porch while Emil squeezed Radek’s shoulder, about to pull him back.
Radek was shocked to see the two men prepare for a confrontation. He couldn’t believe this shit. He shrugged off Emil’s hand, all too aware of just how much more vulnerable he was without half an arm. Maybe he really should have gotten a hook. Ripping people to pieces would have been a breeze
“The fuck? I’m not a kid. I don’t need to be coddled, I just needed a friend,” he said to Emil through his teeth, and rushed down the steps, pushing his shoulder hard against Yev’s on the way. “And I don’t need you at all!” A lie he needed to tell himself as well. He was hurting and craved to cause Yev even a scratch of his agony.
When Yev grabbed his wrist to stop him, Radek lost his shit. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but when he opened his mouth, it vocalized a furious mix of yelps and screeches that only a fox could have made.