"There's been a mistake with our lodging and I need to speak with the fey immediately."

I marched through the woods, and was already quite a distance away from the treehouse. I didn't need to worry about Etienne sneaking out here, so I made sure the vampire couldn't hear me while airing my frustrations on the phone to Ivana.

"What do you mean?" Ivana asked. "What's wrong with the treehouse?"

"Well, nothing's wrong with it. The house is lovely and the fey are generous for allowing us to stay there," I said. "But there's been a mixup. The fey realise Etienne and I aren't actually lovers, do they?"

Ivana was quiet for a moment. "I don't quite follow?"

She was going to make me spell it out. I rolled my eyes up to the sky. "One bed, Ivana. There's only one bed. And the place looks like you're supposed to spend your honeymoon there."

"Oh." Ivana went silent again. "That does sound like a mistake. Let me check with the lord of the spring court what's going on."

Ivana ended the call while she presumably went to the lord of spring to ask what was going on. I waited with my arms crossed, staring at the trees. I swore the branches were laughing at me, which was all too possible in the fey woods—nature tended to be more alive here.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," I snapped at a particularly large oak, feeling like a fool the moment I did.

At least I didn't need to wait long for Ivana to call me back.

"And?" I answered the phone. "Was it a mistake?"

"Well..." Ivana cleared her throat. "As it turns out, no, it isn't."

"What?! You explained to them that this isn't an actual romantic holiday the vampire and I are taking?"

"I told them, yes. But they didn't agree."

"What?" I repeated. "That's not something they can agree on or not. It's just not!"

"Normally I'd say you're right. But that's not how it works in the fey woods."

I let out an exasperated sigh. The fey had a tendency to be... quirky. I usually found it charming, but it definitely wasn't now.

"Then, pray tell, how does it work in the fey woods?" I asked. "You're not telling me we're supposed to duel for the bed and the loser has to sleep on the floor the rest of our stay? There wasn't exactly a couch either in the treehouse."

"No," Ivana started slowly, "I'm merely saying it's not a mistake. According to the fey, the woods judge you the moment you step inside."

I gave my phone an incredulous stare, even if Ivana couldn't see it. "You've got to be kidding me. And it 'judged' that we needed this treehouse?"

"And they have decided to appoint this lodging to you and Etienne, yes," Ivana confirmed. "Boris, are you sure you're not being affected by this vampire?"

"He's not been as terrible as I first assumed he would be. But 'affected' is a big word," I defended myself. "I know where my loyalties lie, and I know the vampire is a threat. No matter what the fey or the trees think."

I glared at the trees for good measure.

"Well, alright," Ivana said, and I hated the hint of doubt in her voice. "I'll ask them to change your lodgings, but don't count on it happening tonight."

I sighed. "No matter. I can just shapeshift and sleep outside, I suppose. Or make sure the rug in this treehouse also starts smelling like wet dog. The vampire loves that."

"Sure... Just be careful, Boris," Ivana warned me.

After that final warning, we said our goodbyes and Ivana ended the call. The conversation had left a bad taste in my mouth. It seemed like I was a suspect now too, just because of what a bunch of trees decided for me without my consent. 

They were obviously wrong. But... on the way back to the treehouse, I couldn't help but consider what Ivana had told me. 

Of course I acknowledged Etienne was attractive. That was like saying water was wet—simply a fact of life. He wouldn't be a young vampire otherwise. Well, a relatively young vampire. Etienne had never told me his actual age, but the way he spoke in the car, he sounded like he could be my grandfather.

Acknowledging that the vampire had his charms—if he tried really, really hard and kept his mouth shut—wasn't the same as wanting to share a romantic getaway with him, however. 

I slowed my pace, dreading the moment I arrived back at the treehouse. I'd told Etienne I'd sort things out when I left, and I hadn't. What was I even going to tell him? 'Yeah, apparently it's not a mistake, since a bunch of trees looked at us when we entered the fey woods and decided this was the place for us?'

I wasn't inclined to lie or be secretive, but no way in hell I was having that conversation with Etienne. I'd just make something up and sleep outside, it seemed. By the time I reached the treehouse, Etienne was already upstairs and had claimed the bed. He was laying there sprawled out, but sat up when I stepped inside.

"And?" he immediately asked. "Did you sort it out?"

My jaw clenched. "Not exactly," I said. "Apparently, this is the only available place. We'll have to make do. At least for tonight."

"Ah," Etienne replied.

"I will be in the woods," I said, already turning around to walk back out.

"Wait a moment, wolf," Etienne called after me, stopping me in my tracks. "Stay inside. I do not trust this house not to swallow me whole or crush me if you're not inside as well. It does not like me."

Etienne crossed his arms and pouted. And now that he mentioned it, I sensed what he meant. These woods were alive, and they were uneasy. The house and the woods hadn't quite made their mind up about Etienne yet, as he was a vampire. Mistrusted by the fey. Mistrusted by everyone really, even their own kind.

"I doubt the fey will kill you," I said, though I did step back inside. "I'll sleep downstairs on the rug then. It doesn't smell like wet dog yet. A mistake I need to rectify."

Etienne rolled his eyes. "Will you get up here already?"

"What?"

"I am not risking my safety," Etienne stubbornly insisted. "I don't trust this tree not to purposely collapse on top of me if I'm upstairs alone."

"And I don't trust you enough to sleep that near to you," I reminded him.

Etienne rolled his eyes. "For your information: polite vampires ask consent first before they bite. We can control ourselves as long as we're fed. The same way that you don't steal another person's food in public unless you're starving and have no other choice. We're not monsters with no manners."

I narrowed my eyes at Etienne, but... to my surprise, I realised I wasn't really scared he would bite me. He'd resisted even after having a taste. Also, didn't I want to make him slip up? I couldn't do that if I kept my distance. 

If anything, getting him to bite me would be easier if we were in close proximity for a long time, and maybe I shouldn't give up on that plan entirely yet. Whatever I could do to make him fail and bite me or leave on his own accord was fine, after all. No matter how small the chance.

With my mission in mind, I nodded and climbed up the stairs.

Etienne made room for me on the bed, making me raise a brow.

"Come on, wolf," Etienne said with a smirk. "I already promised I wouldn't bite, no?"

"What's with this sudden change of heart?" I asked, glancing warily at the free spot on the bed. "A few days ago, you wouldn't even sit on a chair in my house without putting a handkerchief on it first."

Etienne wrinkled his nose. "I'm not suggesting this because I like it. Didn't you listen to me before? This house will strangle me the moment I close my eyes if you're not here, and I'm not sleeping outside. I need you near as a meat shield."

"What makes you think I want to play guard dog for you?" I asked as I walked closer anyway. "Though, at least you don't smell like death as I expected you would."

"Please." Etienne scoffed. "I already told you I am alive. Go on, take a sniff just like the furball and smell for yourself."

Etienne held out one slender arm. I wanted to refuse, but I had to admit I was curious. I hadn't been close enough to Etienne to catch his scent, and I didn't see it happening again in the near future. When would I get another chance to catch a vampire's smell?

Of course I could also just grab a shirt he wore and sniff that, if a vampire even left a scent strong enough, but curiosity won in the end. I didn't touch Etienne's arm, but I did lean down and breathed in deeply.

I was surprised when a very natural scent filled my nose. Like a human, but somewhat sweeter. Below it, I also smelled the blood of the wolf he ate a few days ago coursing through his veins. 

It was strange. Very strange and subtle, but also inviting. Like tasting a new food you can't quite decide what to think of yet, so you must taste more. Before I knew it, I'd grabbed his hand, trying to take in more and understand this new kind of scent I was smelling. It was instinct at this point. 

"And?" Etienne asked.

The vampire's voice snapped me out of whatever was going on that had me in a trance. "You don't smell like death from up close either," was all I could push out of my throat.

"But that's all you think of when you see me, anyway," Etienne said as he pulled his hand back. "Death. Parasites feeding on the truly living."

I shrugged. "You haven't been giving the rest of us many reasons to think otherwise."

"Have you ever given me a real chance to show you different? You won't even let me near the town before passing some sort of arbitrary test nobody else has to pass."

Etienne looked genuinely offended while he spoke, but I wouldn't have it. "You know exactly why that is," I said.

"I haven't bitten you despite being near you for days now. And despite you trying to provoke me into it," Etienne pointed out. "... While you, on the other hand, can't seem to hold yourself back either. I've always wanted to know: do vampires smell good to you, wolf? I noticed how your pupils blasted open wide and your pulse sped up just now."

Etienne grinned at me, red eyes glinting dangerously in the dim light.

Yes. Shit. The answer was yes. His scent was incredibly subtle, but now that I had smelled it, I already noted I wanted to bury my nose in his neck and breathe in more. 

It would've been much better if he smelled like death, so I could be repulsed by it.

Briefly, I considered sleeping on the rug after all. But Etienne would undoubtedly protest if I did, and I didn't want to get dragged into another round of arguments. So, I laid down and turned on my back, deciding to keep my clothes on. 

"Get some sleep," I cut off the conversation.

Etienne snorted. "I shall take that as a yes. Good to know."

I didn't respond. Reluctantly, I closed my eyes. 

The faster it was morning, the faster Ivana would sort things out and get us away from this treehouse.