The writing desk that faced a window was the only thing that felt like Donovan. It was a lighter amber color, and sturdy, without all the curving flourishes of the rest of the furniture. One side had gouges from the claws of a certain pissed-off Were. I ran my fingertips over the grooves, wondering what could’ve made Donovan so mad.
On the desk stood the only picture in the room. It was an antique black-and-white photo of a beautiful woman. Curls flowed down her back as she laughed at the camera, her grin frozen in time. I knew that smile.
“Your mother?” I asked, holding out the frame for him to see.
“How’d you know?”
“The smile and her eyes. You look a lot like her.”
“Ah. Yes. I favor her over my father.”
I put the silver frame down carefully, placing it back where it belonged, and turned back to the room.
A flat-screen TV hung above the fireplace in the sitting area. It was the only thing that hinted we were living in the modern era. That made me a little nervous. Some Weres thought technology was a luxury, but for me it was a requirement.
Donovan was leaning against the doorjamb between his room and the hall when I finally turned to him. “It’s nice.” My voice went up at the end and I winced.
He chuckled. “You can change it as you like. I’m not too keen on decorating. I let someone do it a long time ago and left it. But I want this to feel like home for you.”
I looked over the room, now trying to see myself there. I didn’t. “You won’t mind?”
“Not at all.”
I let out a sigh of relief. Living here was going to be an adjustment, but I’d make it work. My bags sat on a bench at the foot of his bed. I strode to them to grab my phone and computer. “What’s the Wi-Fi password?” I said as I sat on the bed and powered up my laptop.
His hands were on his hips as he looked down at me. “Ehm…”
Oh no. I didn’t like the sound of that. “No big. I can get a wireless router. You have an Ethernet jack, right?” I was sure I could find one in the little town that we’d passed on the way to the stronghold.
“Ehm…” He scratched his head. “Well, to be honest…”
My hands tightened around my laptop and I heard a tiny crack. I placed it on the bed beside me before I seriously damaged it. I counted to five and took a breath before speaking. “You do have Internet. Right?” I mean everyone had Internet. It was essential to life. I knew I couldn’t survive without it.
“There’s a computer in the pack library. It has some service.”
No. That wasn’t going to work. “You have a flat-screen TV, so you must have cable.” Depending on the service, we could get Internet installed, no problem.