So he was sleeping.
Not daring to follow the impulse to see him curled up on the sofa, Radek hurried straight to the kitchen, which, thankfully had tiles on the floor and offered far less risk of sudden sounds.
Radek opened the fridge and packed slices of ham and cheese on a plate feeling as if he were a character in The Quiet Place, and his life depended on silence or the monsters would com—
His stomach grumbled again, and he couldn’t wait to start eating, but then a box of homemade cheesecake caught his attention, and he remembered them getting some two days ago. He’d take that too, but he grabbed a glass and a metal jug of milk first. Yev got their dairy from a local farmer and it was as delicious as the fresh eggs from her hens. As Ember, Radek had loved licking up the yolks to the point that Yev would give him just the yolks and have the whites. For muscle mass, Radek assumed, because Yev had a huge body to feed.
He was almost done drinking when something creaked in the corridor. It was the nature of an old house to never stay silent. Radek looked back, but when he found emptiness in the doorway, he finished his milk, intent on rushing back to the room.
His heart stopped when he faced the hallway again.
Yev blocked the way upstairs, his form only a shadow, slightly hunched forward, arms spread as if his massive chest needed more room for expansion. Had he… always been this tall? Yev was no short man, but the way he was now, he couldn’t have entered the kitchen without bowing his head in the doorway.
“I was just getting some cheese,” Radek whispered, hoping it would be enough to keep the peace. “Sorry I woke you up. I’ll be going.” He inched along the counter, sucking in air through his nose. Yev didn’t smell any different than usual, even though his scent was richer, more intense and colored with the aroma of fur. Then again, maybe it was just because he’d shifted earlier in the day.
He froze when Yev’s Adam’s apple rolled up and down. He didn’t back away. He didn’t say anything.
Yev dashed forward, grabbing Radek’s shoulders. His nails dug into flesh through the thin T-shirt, and when Radek looked up, breathless from the shock, two eyes glinted back at him as if they were made of polished silver.
Yev was massive. Radek had barely interacted with him in his human form, but the difference in their height had not been this huge. And his teeth… they hadn’t seemed so big. The canines were especially threatening, much longer and sharper than usual where they stuck out from under his lips.
“What big teeth you’ve got, Grandma,” Radek tried to joke.
But Yev wasn’t having any of it. He squinted as he approached in only a pair of sweatpants that seemed tighter on him than usual. “I told you to stay in the room,” he growled, his voice low, as if something inside his throat had changed overnight.
Radek saw him clearly when he kicked open the fridge and saw Yev in its cool light. Yev was a hairy man, but now the dark pelt on his chest seemed thicker, darker, and even covered his shoulders.
“I… I’ll just leave this here,” Radek gave a nervous laugh and put down the plate, but before he could have made his exit, the firm hands spun him around and pressed him against the counter.
He wanted to make light of the situation, but words froze on his mouth when Yev pressed his face—which was covered with a short yet soft beard Yev didn’t have in the morning—to Radek’s neck and took a sniff. Once. Twice. And once more.
And then, he pulled his warm tongue over Radek’s ear and gave an ecstatic gasp.
Radek whimpered and got to his toes, clutching at the edge of the counter. The wet touch was both pleasant and terrifying. Did Radek want Yev to lick his neck? Yes. Was he afraid that this was just a prelude to his throat being ripped open with those huge canines? Also yes.
“I don’t think foxes are tasty,” he whispered. “Isn’t there venison in the fridge?” But his breath was becoming shallow. Why had he been so impatient? He should have stayed in the room, because having a fight with Yev was out of the question. Yev’s hands were the size of his head, and they pushed him more tightly against the countertop. A low growl left his throat, prompting a shiver to run through Radek as he sensed Yev’s hot breath on his nape.
Cold fear clutched at his throat when sharp teeth scratched his skin, but before they could have bitten off a chunk of flesh, Yev rocked his hips, sliding his hard dick against Radek’s crack.