Arrow Inferno
Chapter 66: Stanley ‘STAN’ Norris vs. Ian ‘WILL’ Williams ~ Understanding each other!

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"Stop that," Will whispered, the heat in Stan's eyes and touch jolting him with a healthy dose of lust and fueling the sweet hunger he'd been trying to suppress all evening. "Stop what?" Stan whispered back.

"You know," Will groaned. "You're distracting me."

"Your smile does crazy things to me," Stan murmured huskily. "But you don't hear me complaining." "Stan..."

"Move in with me, Will." Stan breathed, entwining his fingers with Will's. "I'm sorry, I assumed but...I can't wait until I can roll over at two a. m. to find your lips instead of a text." The two locked gazes. "All I want is for your face to be the first that I see in the morning and the last that I see at night. Please."

Will felt his chest expand and his heart jump at Stan's words. But... "I'm comfortable where I live now." He croaked.

"I don't mind moving in with you." Stan couldn't believe he was actually saying that. "I just thought since my place was bigger..."

"Tell me about your pack." Will moved onto the bed and relaxed against the headboard. He needed to put some distance between them for his sanity.

Stan watched him until he settled. Then he drew closer to the bed and began to take off Will's shoes. Clearly, Will's reason for moving away from him was totally lost on him.

"My pack is called the Stanwood Pack." Stan began.

"I know you're not the head of the pack..."

"Alpha." Stan corrected.

"Sorry. Alpha of the pack. So why is it named after you?"

"What?" Stan burst into laughter. "It is not. The first alpha of that pack was Sylvester Stanton. That's Jeremy and Troy's dad. That's where the Stan from Stanwood was taken from."

"Oh, I get it. Go on." Will watched as Stan took off his own shoes and stretched his legs on the bed. Before he could stop himself, he was inviting him to join him on the bed. "Are you comfortable? Why don't you come and sit on the bed?" "This is a serious talk." Stan couldn't resist a chuckle. "I want to stay focused."

"Good idea. So... Stanwood Pack."

"It's a big pack. Home of the alpha of all alphas."

"Like the president of werewolves?" Will looked amused.

"Exactly. That's Jeremy."

"Oh wow. So he's the alpha of your pack?"

"Nope. Philip is. And I'm his beta."

"So you're the vice president of that pack."

Stan laughed. "Know what, I've never looked at it that way. But yeah, something like that. We have elders who are made up of werewolves, warlocks, witches..."

"Warlocks?" Will's eyes widened. "They're real too?"

Stan laughed. "I don't expect you to doubt anything now. Yes, there are warlocks."

"These witches, are they born witches or those who learn the craft?"

"Born witches like you," Stan said without thinking.

"How do you know I'm a witch?" Will frowned.

"Oh, shit!" Stan drew his legs off the bed and back onto the rug. He suddenly needed to feel grounded. "Sorry, you're not a witch." He mumbled. "It's rather your mum. Shit! Hey, forget I said anything." He ended with a groan, silently calling himself every stupid name he could think of.

"Let's get something straight here, Stan." The expression on Will's face was one that brooked no nonsense. "I don't appreciate being lied to. Or people withholding the truth from me. This conversation is supposed to be real and honest. Don't you dare treat me as though I'm in first grade."

"I'm sorry." Stan sighed.

"Tell me how and when you found out." Will's voice was barely above a whisper.

Stan nodded. "Remember that time I slept over at your mother's?"

"Uh-huh?"

"You couldn't sleep. When I woke up at dawn, you went to lie down. I was worried. I thought...I thought coming clean to you might help you. Sounds silly now." He gave a humourless laugh. "I was getting tired of keeping the secret, to be honest. And as you don't believe anything, I thought I'd show you." He paused.

"Go on."

"I shifted in the living room. But as the wolf was coming to you in the room, we saw your mother standing at the door." "What?" Will's eyes went wide.

"Yep. So I shifted back. It was obvious she wasn't just a dream. She was really there and needed to talk to you." "What did you do?"

"I called a warlock to come and help her. And she did. You were able to sleep."

"I was able to speak to her in my dreams. And she told me about the witch thing. Said I could trust you." "Really?" Stan looked surprised.

"No, no, I rather said I trusted you. She said I could confide in you if something manifested."

"Your powers."

"Yes. I told her you wouldn't believe me because you take nothing seriously. But she said you'd surprised me." Will sniggered. "Now I understand why she said that. She knew you were a supernatural being so would understand."

"I had a chat with her," Stan said softly. "She's a lovely person. Well, she did threaten to cut off my tail if I don't do right by you. Oh, and she gave me her blessing... oh baby don't." Stan moved onto the bed when Will began to tear up. "Hey, come here." He straddled Will's thighs and hugged him.

"I'm sorry." Will's voice was muffled as his face was pressed against Stan. "I don't even know why I'm... I thought I cried enough on that day."

"It can never be enough. And which of the days are we talking about?"

It took Will a moment to understand Stan's question. "Fuck you." He couldn't stifle his own laughter when he felt Stan's body shaking against his with mirth. "That day in the cave, I felt as though I was about to explode. Fuck!" He leaned back against the headboard as Stan moved off his thigh to sit on the bed.

"I know," Stan said softly. "Seeing you like that was hell."

"The wolf sounded as though it wanted to die when it howled," Will said quietly. "I hated doing that to him. I miss him." He added in a small voice.

"He misses you too."

"When can I see him?"

"How about we go for a run? Tomorrow. At Stanwood Pack."

Will looked at Stan for a moment. Then he nodded. "It's a date."

"Great. So what did your mother tell you?"

"Nothing much. In a nutshell, she's a witch. Sharon should have been a witch too but somehow I got the witchcraft or whatever it's called. It's dormant. Might never manifest. But if it does, I mustn't allow it to control me. I shouldn't tell people about it because they'll send me to the loony bin. I'm to tell you if it manifests. You will understand and help me. That's about it."

"So you have witch tendencies," Stan murmured. "Gaia suspected you have something."

"Gaia?"

"Yep. That first time she came to the school, she told me she sensed an aura around you. She said you might have a gift."

"Gift. That was how my mother called it too."

"Well, it is." Stan pulled his phone out of his pocket when he felt it vibrating. "You can use your abilities for a whole lot of good. So it's a gift." He couldn't help the chuckle that came out when he read the message he'd received. "Mathias says everything in the closet, the bathroom, and that fridge is at our disposal."

"He likes you," Will said.

Stan laughed. "Well, I like him too. He's a nice man." He got off the bed. "Do you mind if I take a quick shower?"

"Are we staying till morning then?" Will raised a brow.

"I don't see why not."

"You're used to calling the shots, huh?" Will's chuckle drew a groan from Stan. "Go ahead. I have to call Jackson and tell him I'm spending the night here anyway. He'll wonder where I am and why my car is still parked where it is."