A Kink in the Tail

Chapter 3 - The Mysterious Flatmate.

Imagine any dialogue written in bold is in Greek.

Constantine sat in the dark. The curtains and window of his bedroom were wide open. From where he sat he could see the lights along the bank of the river and with his sharp hearing the distant rumble of the sea.  He was on the phone, giving his weekly update to Mr. Fischer Senior when he heard the noises coming from the lounge room, doors slamming, raised voices, and someone was singing. Adam was back, with his friends in tow. He checked the time, 3 am. They were being particularly loud and he was curious how Adam managed to cope with rowdy humans without wanting to tear their tongues out.

"He's arrived home." Constantine wiped the sweat off his forehead and re-positioned himself higher against the headboard. It was the only time he spoke his native tongue. It didn't feel natural anymore. 

He twisted his head and lifted his chin to sniff the scents coming from the other room, a mix of perfume, sweat and alcohol. He sniffed the air again, only three of them, and a smirk crossed his lips. His favoured one wasn't there.

"I'll be in touch. Goodnight Sir." Constantine hung up.  He disliked the father even more than the son.  He pushed back his dreadlocks and ran his hands over the rough stubble on his face.  It was so damn hot.

There was a sharp knock on the door and before he could rise from his bed or reply, the lights were turned on and Adam walked in. He looked annoyed and something else. Constantine couldn't read his face. It was something new, it wasn't an expression he was familiar with.

"Order pizzas, lots of them." Adam barked his instructions and then turned to leave before abruptly doing a u-turn at the door.

"Stay out of sight." Adam eyed Constantine as he sat on the bed in nothing but his boxers. By the scowl on Adam's face, Constantine guessed that he hadn't had a good night but for some reason still wanted his human entourage fussing around him. Over the years he watched him break away more and more from Lycan traditions, and embrace subtle human behaviours. He wondered how long his father would let him get away with it.

Constantine got on his phone and ordered the pizzas and several bottles of coke. He knew how these nights went. The humans would drink themselves into oblivion with one scotch and coke after another until they all passed out on the lounge room floor. Alcohol didn't affect Adam so he'd let them drop, one by one, and then go off to sleep in his comfortable bed. It was Constantine who'd be left to clean up the mess in the morning. Their smell would linger in the apartment for days.

He put on a pair of loose shorts and washed his face, examining it for a moment and then putting off shaving for some other time.  He retied his hair and contemplated the hot months ahead, he was tempted to cut it all off.   Twenty minutes later the intercom went off in his room. He checked the screen and told the security guard at the reception desk he was on his way down. Wallet in hand he stood at the bedroom door for a moment. Adam specifically ordered, him to stay out of sight. Constantine smirked, opened the door, and lazily walked through the lounge to get to the front door.

He didn't bother to look at the humans or Adam, but he did notice that all conversation stopped as he made his way out of the apartment. He imagined Adam's furious face and his smirk turned into a grin. He'd be fuming, it must be taking all his willpower not to growl and bare his fangs. The grin turned into a choked laugh.

The elevator door pinged at the same time as his phone. Constantine headed towards the reception desk where the deliveryman was waiting for him and chatting with the security guard. His phone went off again and again. 

The pizzas and drinks paid for Constantine sat down on one of the foyer's large couches and finally pulled the phone from his pocket.

"What part of stay out of sight didn't you understand?"