020 Mohammad's Mountain

Kitty and Erebus both turned to look at the owner of that shout, only to find him even more surprised than they were:

It was Menoetius.

"How could you... My Lord?!" He shouted before out of the surprise of seeing Kitty there, only to find that Erebus was by her side one second later.

"Menoetius!" Metis's voice came from outside the door, "Menoetius, are you in there?"

"Yes, come! Quick!" Menoetius yelled back.

Kitty sighed and turned to the woman behind the counter, speechless. Metis came through the door the next second, and of course--

"Oh my God! You are here?!" Metis stared at Kitty as if her eyes were ganna pop out, "You-- My Lord!"

"How did you know this place?" Kitty asked Menoetius, and he immediately dodged her eyes and mumbled something about important stuff to do in the car and ran out of there.

"My Lord--" Metis started, and Erebus just simply put up a hand and cut off her sentence.

"We'll talk later." He said.

Metis lowered her head and stood behind Erebus.

"Kitty..." Erebus turned to Kitty, who sighed one last time, knowing she won't find what she was looking here tonight.

"Could you wait for me for a second in the car?" Erebus stopped Kitty on the pave way, she just stood where she was, avoiding his eyes.

"Here is fine too. I'll just take only a minute." Erebus tilted his head to meet her eyes, and left after he got somewhat a promise that she will wait for him.

It didn't take long before Erebus returned from talking to Metis on the side. Kitty knew he was asking about why she ran away, and she did appreciate that he didn't choose to ask her. She wouldn't have repeated what happened for him.

"I own you an apology. It was me who asked Themis to look into your past, and I'm sorry." Erebus returned to her with an apology.

"It's fine, whatever." Kitty held her arms in front of her chest, looking away.

"It's not fine, I shouldn't have done that. I..." Erebus started only to be cut off by Kitty.

"You don't own me anything." Kitty said in an irritated tone, "I'm not asking you to believe me! I don't like being forced to accept an apology right after I was thrown an accusation out of nowhere."

"You are right, but I DO believe you. I asked her to investigate on you only because I wanted to know more about you--" Erebus hurriedly explained.

"I'm sorry but it's not the best excuse. I understand you have your own doubt about me, and it's fine! I AM a stranger to you! But at least you can tell that to my face. Investigation result is not exactly trust, I'd think." Kitty cut him off furiously.

"I-- You are right. I should have asked directly, I apologize, and you don't have to forgive me. I just want to say I understand your anger, and it's very reasonable." Erebus wanted to explain but Kitty didn't seem like she would take any kind of reason, so he just went with her assumption and apologized.

Kitty felt guilty about yelling him. But he WAS the one investigating her!

"Why... why did you take me back if you think I was a threat? You could have just sent me off..." Kitty sighed, feeling exhausted. It was extremely hard to trust someone only to find that they took you as an enemy.

"You are right, I shouldn't have done that. But I didn't mean that as doubt, I was just used to this kind of ways to get information, I'm sorry for being so inconsiderate." Erebus just looked at her with appealing eyes.

Metis: "..."

She had never seen Erebus like this. He was always the cold type, even in the few cases where he WAS wrong, he would apologize and try to make amends instead of appealing with a piteous face. If he was a fearful wolf to other people, he was now a loyal dog in front of Kitty.

"I think your sweet offer is too much for me to accept. I'd rather live on my own." Kitty sighed and changed the topic. She didn't have the heart to blame Erebus anymore, but she couldn't trust him like before either, not when there were so much mysteries around her. Not when she knew they didn't welcome her.

"I get it." Erebus nodded, "But there are bad people targeting you now, and I cannot protect you if I'm not around, I--"

"How did you know?!" Kitty exclaimed, and that exposed her.

Erebus squinted his eyes at her, and asked calmly: "The person who harassed you in front of the art museum, you knew him?"

"I don't." Kitty frowned at the interrogation-like question.

"I know because Metis told me two men followed you today, and disappeared into that store, few moments before you went in there. I think they are with Perses." Erebus explained cautiously, trying to avoid enraging her again.

"So? You think I'm with them and was plotting some secret scheme here?" Kitty finally understood what the man in front of the art museum meant by saying "how did you dodged them". At least one mystery solved.

But she didn't see anyone in the store when she went in. Were they in there when she was? Who was the old lady and what was she doing with them? Was she lying all along? What's more important, where is she now?!

"No, I know you are not. I only want to protect you. And if it keeps you by my side, I don't mind if it was some scheme against me." Erebus said, only to realize he said too much after the words were out. He was so caught up in the emotion that he didn't think about whether it was too intimate for Kitty.

"..." Kitty sighed. She really didn't know how to say no to this man. And his words were the most disturbing thing she heard in the whole day. How could he be so warm and nice while he secretly investigated her?

"I understand you felt unwelcomed today, and what's worse was that you feel like your right to live there was taken." Seeing that Kitty was a bit calmer, Erebus started again, "I want to make a deal with you, would you like to hear me out?"

Kitty nodded without a word. She was afraid that she might allow her to dream about Erebus again if she opened her mouth.

"There is a chance that you might have something to do with Perse's scheme, and I need your help to find out his plan. So, I offer only this, as an exchange for your help." Erebus proposed, handing her a Black metal Card, the size of a credit card.

"What's this?" Kitty asked, taking the card to check it out.

"It's a room key for hotel of a friend of mine. He's to be trusted. I'd feel better if my informant's safety is somewhat guaranteed." Erebus explained.

"You are renting me a room." Kitty frowned and returned the card.

"He gave this to me for free, and as you can see, I don't really use it considering I have a bar, so it's a waste anyways." Erebus was not taking the card back.

"..." Kitty looked at the card. It looked fancy and high-end, saying a lot about the hotel itself. But it DID made her feel better to know that he didn't pay for it.

"Deal?" Erebus held out a hand.

"Fine. What do you want to know?" Kitty took the handshake and find yet another card in her palm.

"This is a very serious question, and the answer matters to me a lot." Erebus didn't rush into it.

"Okay, I promise to answer to my knowledge, for the sake of the room." Kitty help up the black metal card.

"Do you think if it's possible that you might have witch blood in your vains?" Erebus suddenly used his deep, rough alpha tone. Even though Kitty was not a werewolf, she could feel the domination in his voice.

"Yes, it IS possible, but I'm not aware of it." Kitty thought about it and gave the best answer she had.

"Thanks for the honest answer." Erebus nodded solemnly.

"Can I go now?" Kitty asked, suddenly realized a horrible fact: she didn't want him to say yes. She WANTED to stay with him, but she just didn't know how.

He turned to the car and opened the door for her: "May I?"

Kitty got in the car in silence. She had no idea how to face him right now. She cannot help but to trust him because she CAN see all his "deal" was actually for her benefit. And she knew she had no information that would worth a year of salary, even just a bartender's salary. But she couldn't go back to the bar. She could not bear to experience the feeling of living under someone else's roof again, and being treated like garbage they want to take out.

Erebus didn't get into the driver's seat right away. He called Metis over and stood there to talk for a while. Kitty was so exhausted that she didn't even want to think about what they were doing. Just more investigation and scheme and mystery, what else. Kitty thought and closed her eyes.

She should have been more alert, now that she was on her own. But sitting in the car that provided her safety for the past few days when she felt the most horrible, she cannot help but feel relaxed and dozed off...

"Yes, my Lord." Metis lowered her head at Erebus.

"Do you know Marcus?" Erebus asked.

"Marcus Melos, the real estate tycoon?" Metis wasn't sure if she heard him right. He was not on the list of their usual business.

"That's right. He's also the owner of 'The Fort'." Erebus nodded, and handed her a name card of his own, "Go tell him I'm buying his hotel."