My Stepbrother is a Werewolf?!

3.

***

Ever since Asher and his mom moved in, there has been one part of the house that I have never made the mistake of entering. From the moment he moved his stuff, I completely stopped myself from venturing in that direction, knowing the implications of finding myself there:

His bedroom.

It wasn’t so easy keeping myself away, since I had to walk past his room before I got to mine. I always kept my head down when I walked past, afraid of what I would see. But today, I had to figure out what was going on, and his room was a good place to start.

What would he think of me if he caught me snooping around his bedroom though?

It didn’t matter. After what I had just heard, I knew I had to get to the bottom of this. So here I was, tiptoeing down the hallway and praying to God that I wouldn’t suddenly hear the roar of his motorcycle, or Amelia’s footsteps. I would have a lot of explaining to do if that happened.

The door creaked ever so softly as I pushed it open, and I had to pause and let my eyes adjust to the darkness. Even though the walls were white, Asher had covered most of the exposed parts with posters of a soccer team called Manchester United. That wasn’t what I was looking for though.

Asher’s room was a perfect blend of chaos and organisation, and I would expect nothing less. The shelves were lined with books of different genres, from epic adventures like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings to thrillers like The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

Who knew that he was an avid reader like me?

A worn-out leather armchair sat in the corner, the same chair that I used to sit in with my dad when he would read stories to me at night. Somehow, the image of Asher sitting on it made me tingle slightly, and I turned away from it quickly.

The air carried a hint of sandalwood, with the subtle musk of his cologne that lingered in the room. It was a scent I had come to know all too well, and I tried not to focus on it too much.

Why did he have to be so dreamy? I would have preferred if he was a hobo. That way, I wouldn't feel anything for him. But he was sculpted like a statue, and he actually had a personality which would cause any woman to swoon, not relying solely on his looks.

My eyes were drawn to a sleek wooden desk, scattered with sheets of paper and a collection of roughly drawn sketches. I never knew he liked to draw. I paused to admire some of them, with most of his sketches being of creatures like bears, wolves and a particularly disturbing picture of a woman with long, sharp fangs.

But there was nothing I could use; nothing that would provide some information about his past.

As my gaze traveled across the room, it settled on the shelf once again. A silver locket caught my eye, stuffed between two books. I resisted the urge to touch it, knowing that my time in this room was limited.

With a deep breath, I turned my attention to the desk drawer instead. Surely if someone wanted to hide something, they would hide it in a more discreet place. But sometimes, the most obvious answer was usually the right one. Besides, he wouldn’t expect anyone to come into his room, right?Carefully, I pulled it open, my heart stopping at the sight before me.

There were so many condoms. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was as if he was stocking them up for the winter, and I couldn't even begin to count them. What could one person possibly do with all these?

My hands began to tremble as I stared down at the drawer, my mouth open in disbelief. There was a slight ringing in my ear, and a numbness in my toes which I couldn't understand.

This was perfectly normal. Asher was just another normal teenager. Of course he would have a normal, healthy s*x life. The fact that he was even using protection should have been a good thing. Surely it would be ridiculous to imagine that he hadn’t had s*x with other girls.

So why did I feel so empty inside?

Closing the drawer, I pulled open the second one, expecting to find something else incriminating. Instead, there were just a bunch of random stuff thrown inside, a broken pen, the buckle of a belt, some papers, multiple phone chargers and a flashlight. Sifting through the junk, I found a faded photograph of Asher and his mother, beaming at the camera. They were on a beach, and it must have been a long time ago because Asher looked like he was barely more than ten years old. He looked so happy, and I found myself smiling as well as I ran my finger over his smile.

As I continued my search, my hand suddenly brushed against a crumpled note hidden beneath a stack of journals. Unfolding it, I recognized Asher’s messy writing immediately:

As nightfall beckons, I find solace in the wild symphony of my awakened senses, a dance of shadows and instinct that transcends the confines of human existence.

So he liked poetry, he enjoyed drawing, he had a drawer full of condoms and he read a lot. That was all just normal teenage boy stuff. There certainly wasn’t anything that would raise my suspicions. It looked like Asher was clean, and maybe I’d been mistaken in thinking that there was something wrong with him and his mother.

The guilt washed over me completely, and I knew I should just go back to my room. Maybe I could ask Amelia about it later. If I confronted her the right way, she wouldn’t be upset. And I knew she wouldn’t lie to me.

As I carefully closed the drawer, my heart suddenly froze in my chest as the sound of footsteps approached the door. Panic coursed through my veins, and I whirled around to find Asher standing there, an amused smile playing on his lips. The embarrassment washed over me, turning my cheeks a shade of crimson.

"Well, well, well," he said, his voice dripping with amusement. "Is this what you get up to when I’m not around?"

I stammered, struggling to find the right words to explain myself. "I... uh... I was just... I didn't mean to intrude, I swear!"

Slowly, his eyes shifted to the open drawer of condoms, which I had foolishly forgotten to close. He looked up at me with a questioning expression, and I felt so mortified that I wanted the earth to open up and swallow me whole.

His laughter suddenly filled the room, and I furrowed my brows in confusion. "Relax, E. No need to be so flustered. It's not every day I find someone snooping around in my room."

Sighing, I tried to pretend that everything was alright. "I... I was just looking for something."

He leaned casually against the doorframe, his eyes shining with mischief. "Curiosity killed the cat, E. But lucky for you, you’re not a cat. I hope you found what you were looking for."

I mustered up a weak smile, attempting to salvage some dignity. "I guess I did."

His grin widened, and he stepped closer. "Indeed, we do. But let's make a deal, E. You keep whatever it is you found to yourself, and I'll pretend this never happened. Deal?"

Relief washed over me, and I nodded. "Deal," I said, shaking his hand and sealing our unspoken agreement.

He took my hand, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through me. "Just remember, next time you want to know something, you can always ask. No need for secret investigations that will end in your embarrassment."

I tried to smile at him, but all that came out was a grimace. As I tried to push past him and leave, he suddenly held my arm and pulled me back. His dark eyes searched mine, and for a moment I couldn't breathe. I was standing so close to him that I could see the tiny freckles across the bridge of his nose, and smell his cologne which made my knees tremble. His lips drew my gaze once again, and I subconsciously found myself licking mine.

"One more thing," he said, before tapping my nose with his finger and making me jump. He headed for his drawer, and I stood there frozen as he pulled something out and came back to stand in front of me. He then placed it in my hand, and smiled wickedly as he said, "Next time you want it, just say it."

Even before I looked down, I knew what he had just given me. And I blushed so hard that every other part of my body was drained of blood completely.

Asher had just given me a condom.

***