wasacoyote

"…We hunt together. You know me."

The words were stuttered, soft and gentle- fearful almost. Because she could smell that he did not remember her. Smell his hurt and confusion. The doctors had said he’d unable to remember for some time. It seemed he remembered enough- that there were evil creatures in the world, and she was one of them. It had taken almost a month before he wasn’t terrified of her, enraged by her presence.

She had cried, every time he’d reacted with hateful words and pain. He remembered Ty- but he did not remember her, or Oz. Oz, who had died in the fight. Oz, who would never come back.

"I- I’m so sorry, Aedan. I promise I’d never hurt you- we’ve…we’ve been hunting since you were twenty five… I promise, you’ll remember soon- but for now, you’re going to have to just trust me. I wouldn’t never do wrong of you. I promise."

Yet nothing she said had him looking at her with any less hate.

It was as if she were to mourn both the death of Oz, and what certainly felt like the death of her mate, though here he sat, right before her.

He still didn't look at her. After all, how could he? He didn't know her. Despite no longer flinching at every word or movement from her, he still did not trust her. To him, the woman - no the creature - before him was a stranger. A monster. Something not to be trusted or treated with kindness. Still, it had been over a month since the apparent accident where he'd suffered a blow to the head, and yet the coyote still hadn't harmed him... but that meant nothing to the hunter. He'd lived alone for the better part of half a decade after the death of his lover slash hunting partner. It made absolutely no sense to Aedan why he would suddenly choose to live with someone - and a monster, at that.

"Even if I did know ye before," he started quietly, jaw already tensed in pent up disdain, "why would I willingly choose t'hunt with a monster?" He kept his eyes fixed on the book in front of him, before finally looking at her. There was no kindness in his eyes, no happiness, no forgiveness. Just pure disdain. "Why would I let somethin' like you live w'me?" That had been what confused him the most when he got out of hospital. The fact that his apartment quite obviously hinted to the fact that he'd shared his place with someone else. Two someones apparently, if the coyote was telling the truth. He'd not believed it at first; he'd even clarified with the hospital as to who brought him in and they'd confirmed it was the black-haired, green-eyed, pale woman he'd left with.

Confused and frustrated, Aedan had allowed the stranger to stay but, even now - and despite living together - he tried to avoid the coyote woman as much as possible. He took long baths to avoid spending time with her. He focused on reading and research to avoid conversation. And at night he locked his bedroom door, leaving her in the lounge or kitchen, and propped a chair up against the handle for good measure. Not that it would do much against a creature like her. The only thing he had noticed, however, was that he didn't like being alone. He didn't like sleeping alone. Which made him wonder if these were feelings left over from Tyler... or if he'd actually become used to sharing a bed with somebody else for the past few years. He just didn't know. At times he got so agitated with himself that he'd scream into a pillow until his eyes were watering and his throat was hoarse.