Arrow Inferno
Chapter 53: Stanley ‘STAN’ Norris vs. Ian ‘WILL’ Williams ~ Ava!

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"I'll be in the living room," Stan said. There was no way he was leaving Will that night.

"Planning on staying the night?"

"After what I just saw, I can't leave." Stan shrugged.

Will nodded. He wasn't surprised at all. "You might as well get comfortable then." Will patted the space beside him.

"Thanks. Do you mind if I use your shower? Need to take a shower after traveling and cooking."

"Go ahead." He pointed at a part of the closet. "You'll find sweatpants, t-shirts and some new boxers in there. And there's a spare toothbrush in the left cabinet in the bathroom." "Thanks."

After his shower, Stan came back into the room dressed in white sweats and a white t-shirt.

"The devil wears white," Will murmured as Stan climbed into bed.

"Hmmm..." Stan moved closer to Will, pressed his face against his neck, and then took in a deep breath.

"Sniffer alert!" Will couldn't hide his amusement when Stan moved away. Stan loved to do that to him.

"Missed doing that. Think you can sleep tonight?"

"I don't think I can. But don't let me stop you. Sleep."

"Come here."

Stan wrapped an arm around Will's waist and tugged him loosely against him, spooning up against Will's back. When Will tried to move further back against him, Stan stopped his movement. "That's close enough, soldier." He said gruffly, drawing a soft chuckle from Will. He didn't need to ask why. "Having a hard time as it is."

"Who's the horndog now?" Will smirked as he relaxed into Stan's warm body. "Fuck off." Stan kissed his mate's shoulder and then relaxed into his pillow. "I'm glad you came over." Will sighed as he linked his fingers with Stan's. "Me too." Stan pressed a kiss to the back of Will's head.

But just as Will had expected, he couldn't sleep. He laid there, concentrating on the rhythm of Stan's breathing. He didn't want to get out of bed and disturb Stan who was a light sleeper. The man needed his sleep after his travel. Will wasn't bothered that he wasn't able to sleep this time because at least he'd been able to get some sleep in the afternoon. But when his eyelids began to feel heavy, he checked the time, and then readily succumbed to sleep.

Will groaned eight minutes later when his eyes flew open. He swore when he saw the time. eleven fucking minutes! "What are you trying to tell me, mum?" He muttered as he carefully untangled his body from Stan's and hurried out of bed. Stan lifted his head off the pillow and blinked at Will. "Where are you going?" His voice was slurred with sleep.

"Need to use the bathroom."

By the time Will got back, Stan was asleep. He left the room and went to the kitchen to drink some water. He knew he wasn't going to be able to sleep again till morning. He went to the living room and turned on the television, leaving the sound on mute. Then he sat down and stared at the screen. He needed to know something...but what?

Stan slowly came awake around five a. m. The first thing he noticed was that Will wasn't in bed. Then he noticed the time. He rolled out of bed and went to brush his teeth. Then he went looking for his mate. He found him seated in the living room, staring at the television screen.

"Did you sleep at all?" Stan asked.

"Yeah. For eleven minutes...or less."

"Jesus Christ!" Stan groaned as he went to sit on the window sill. He folded his arms and watched Will. "This can't go on. You need to see a doctor."

"This has got nothing to do with a doctor."

"How do you know?" Stan raised a brow. "Want to sleep on me?"

"I can't be sleeping on you all the time." He got to his feet and stretched. "That shouldn't be the norm." He yawned.

"Go lie in bed. That should do you some good." When Will nodded and started for the room, Stan followed, his mind racing.

At the door, he stopped and watched Will get into bed. He looked drained but surprisingly, not as weak as Stan would have expected of a human who had gone for days without proper food or much sleeping...which was good. But there was a high possibility that he would breakdown if he continued this way. And the stubborn soldier was refusing to see a doctor. At this rate, when would it ever be okay to tell him what I have to tell him?

Then a thought occurred to Stan. Maybe what Will needed to help him handle whatever he was going through was something shocking. Maybe that was rather the time to shock him with his revelation.

'Finally.' Stan heard his wolf inside him. 'Now, you're using your brain.'

'You know he's not going to believe me.'

'So show him' the wolf said smoothly. 'Just tell him everything and then show him by shifting.'

'I'd rather show him first and then talk after.'

'That works even better.' The wolf responded with excited anticipation.

Stan turned away from the door without closing it. With a determined look, he went to the seating area of the living room, turned off the television and then switched on the light. Then be began to strip. In no time at all, the huge brown wolf stood in the living room, an imposing presence. It looked around, taking everything in.

'Now let's do this.' The wolf said enthusiastically as it began to move towards the bedroom in which his mate was. But before he got to the door, the wolf stopped. It didn't just feel another presence but actually saw it.

Standing right at the entrance of the bedroom was a woman. The wolf stared in shock. The woman stared back...more shocked.

'Oh shit! That's Will's mother.' Stan gasped inside his wolf. 'Isn't she supposed to be dead?'

'That's her ghost, moron.'

'Shit!' Stan breathed. 'So he's right. No wonder he can't sleep. What the actual fuck!' Stan was shocked at what he was seeing. 'Need to take over,' he muttered.

'No, wait.' The wolf protested. 'Let me talk to her.'

'With what mouth, Einstein?'

Stan shifted back. But back in human form, he couldn't see Will's mother. He wasn't surprised though. Wolves had the gift of seeing spirits when they were around them. With his human eye, there was no way he would have seen a ghost. Well, he knew someone who would not only see the ghost but would also be able to speak to her. Stan wore his sweats and t-shirt, grabbed his phone which was still on the coffee table, and then dialed.

"Are you alright, hon?" One of the most powerful warlocks who was also an elder in Stan's pack answered his call with a voice filled with concern.

"I need you, Deloris."