Monthly Bonus Content #2 (Patreon)

I thought it might be fun to do an alternate universe kind of thing where, instead of Unit Bravo, it was Unit Alpha who was assigned to the MC!

I got a little bit carried away with this though, so it's quite long!! :D

Hope you enjoy it!

It's a scene Chapter 13 of Book One, where the team is invited back to the MC's apartment to keep guard from Murphy.

---

At the Apartment Block

I walk up the stairs, followed by the enthusiastic team of Unit Alpha. It's nice to be coming home.

The apartment block is comfortably quiet, compared to the stark quiet of the facility. Birds chirp outside, their songs whistling in through the windows which line the stairwell, and the evening sun glitters through the recently washed glass.

The gentle thumps of people moving in their apartments is an odd comfort too. The lazy sound of music pervades into the hallway from one of my neighbour's rooms.

I draw to a stop outside my door, my key already in hand. Pushing it into the lock and turning it, I can't help a strange sensation washing over me. This apartment is part of my world.

Inviting these four werewolves in will be like the supernatural finally invading the last space of normality that I have left.

I shake the feeling away, realising that now I know the truth, it's unlikely I'll ever be able to keep the supernatural fully out of my life.

"Here we are," I say as I unlock the door, letting it swing open to reveal my small apartment inside.

-

If Apartment is Minimal

Maaka steps through the doorway, almost seeming to fill the room with his large frame and exuberant presence. “Oh, it’s just so—"

“Stark,” Tamiko blurts out.

“I mean…yeah. Kinda,” Maaka agrees glancing over his shoulder to me with a shrug. “Not been here long?”

I fold my arms and huff a breath. “Years, actually.”

Maaka and Tamiko glance at each other before back to me. “Oh.”

Tane follows through a moment later, followed by Lesedi, who casts a quick glance around and smiles.

“It’s a wonderfully open space, Detective,” she insists, helping ease the annoyance which pitches my shoulders up around my ears.

-

If Apartment is Cosy

Tamiko shoves her way beneath Maaka’s solid arm as he holds open the door for us all. “Wow, it’s so…cosy. Like a padded cell, but with way more florals.”

“That wasn’t exactly the look I was going for,” I mutter.

“I like it,” Tane declares, bringing me out of my momentary slump. “You could fall down anywhere and sleep.” He sucks in his lower lip and nods with satisfaction. “Very nice.”

Maaka, Tane, and Tamiko stand blocking the doorway, continuing with their appraisal.

“If you’ve finished your assessment, then maybe it would be a nice thing to let the detective into their own apartment, hm?” Lesedi suggests.

The werewolves fumble to shift out of the way, muttering apologies as I squeeze past between them.

-

If Apartment is Basic

Tamiko, Maaka and Tane cram and push to get through the doorway first. I start to worry if the wooden frame will take their vigorous shoving when they all finally burst through and stumble to a stop just inside the doorway.

“…It’s not what I was expecting,” Tane admits.

Tamiko casts her gaze quickly about the space of my living room. “It’s so boring.”

“No. It’s just plain,” Maaka corrects, as though that will lessen the blow.

“That makes it sound worse.” Tane looks back over his shoulder at me. “You just need some more stuff.”

My shoulders sag as I release a breath. “I thought you were here to guard me, not redecorate my apartment.”

“We could if you’d like,” he offers with a crooked smile.

“The detective’s space is their own. How would you enjoy it if they came into your room and started appraising it, hm?” Lesedi asks.

Each of the werewolves mumble out understanding before stepping further into the room.

-

If Apartment is Bright

Tamiko is the first to enter, ducking beneath Maaka’s arm as he holds the door open for us all.

“Whoa, is there a colour you didn’t manage to get into this room?” she asks, her mouth agape as she stares about the colourful interior.

I shrug with a smile. “It was my aim to get them all.”

“Then you very much succeeded,” she states.

Lesedi moves with me as we enter as well. She flutters an elegant hand into the air, as though mentally circling points she approves of. “It’s a wonderful space, Detective. Incredibly energising.”

My smile brightens into a true grin. “Thank you.”

“Don’t know how you get to sleep with it all so in your face though,” Tane quips, nudging me as he passes with a crooked smile.

I ease out a laugh. “After what I’ve gone through recently, I expect I’ll sleep without any issue at all.”

-

Is Apartment is Vintage

Maaka holds the door open with one large hand as we enter, Tamiko nimble enough to dodge our crush through the door ahead of us.

“Huh,” she lets out, pointing to one of the ornaments placed carefully on an antique dresser. “I’m pretty sure my grandmother had one of those.”

Tane rolls his head around to take in the entirety of the living room with one sweeping gaze. “I’m pretty sure your grandmother has this whole apartment.”

“It’s vintage,” I defend.

“It’s old,” he scoffs.

“It’s timeless,” Maaka adds, flanking his brother.

“It’s the detective’s,” Lesedi interrupts, her voice soft as always but with a very definite note to end the conversation.

The other werewolves fall quiet.

Lesedi rests a hand between my shoulder blades to lead me further inside, away from the others’ appraising gazes.

-

If Apartment is Dark

Maaka holds open the door, but heads in before us as his obvious interest tempts him inside.

He bobs his head slowly in a nod. “Interesting.”

“How can you tell? It’s so dark in here,” Tamiko comments, frowning as she comes to a stop beside him and glances about the space.

“It suits my tastes,” I retort, turning just inside the doorway to throw down my keys on the glossy black side table.

“It does?” she asks, glancing back to me with a sweeping gaze. “Then you obviously still have a lot of stuff you haven’t told us about.”

I roll my eyes.

“It’s chic,” Tane assesses, angling towards me with a crooked smile and a quirk of his brows. “I like it.”

“If you’ve all finished sharing your opinions on the detective’s personal space, maybe you should let them actually enter,” Lesedi suggests with an air that makes it very obvious it’s not a suggestion.

The werewolves instantly break the wall they’d made by standing side by side.

-

If Apartment is High-Tech

Maaka releases a long whistle, ducking beneath the doorway and staring about the space. “Very fancy.”

Tamiko nods in agreement, blowing out a breath, and drawing to a stop at his side. “Hope you have a hell of an insurance policy.”

“Why? You planning to steal something?” I ask with a chuckle.

She shoves her hands into the pockets of her loose jeans and shrugs. “It’s tempting, considering what you’ve got on offer here.”

“Nothing is on offer, Miko,” Lesedi corrects with a shake of her head. “It all belongs to the detective. As does this whole apartment, so let’s keep our assessments to ourselves.”

I arch a brow at her. “You have an assessment you want to make too?”

She smiles. “Only that I think it suits you very well.”

-

If Apartment is Messy

Maaka shoves open the door as soon as my key clicks it open and strides a step inside before pausing. He glances down with a grimace as his shoe sinks onto the top of a soggy pizza box.

“There’s nothing in that right?” he asks with a gritted teeth grimace.

I blow out my cheeks and shrug. “Let’s hope not.”

“I’m going to guess you’re too busy to clean,” Tane comments with a frown, pausing at the doorway as though stepping inside might infect him.

“Or too lazy,” Tamiko quips, slapping me on the shoulder. “I can get behind that.” She heads inside without the slightest concern.

Lesedi follows Tamiko, keeping a steady expression lined with a small smile. She seems to glide through the mess without disturbing any of it.

“Tane, you will have to enter at some point,” she insists with her brows cocked at him.

His nostrils draw back. “Maybe I should guard the hallway.” He reaches out to close the door with a final shake of his head.

“It’s not that bad.” I’m not sure if I’m trying to convince myself or them.

“It’s your home, and we’re just thankful to have you welcome us into it,” Lesedi replies, resting a hand between my shoulder blades.

“Yeah. Thanks,” Tamiko splutters, already having thrown herself across a laundry-covered armchair, an old slice of pizza partway to her mouth.

...I really hope it’s not too old.