Blue listened to Sig recall the tale of their first meeting, holding back a small grin as the slight wolf's voice intermingled with the sound of him going through Eivind's cupboards and the swell of the gas stove being turned on. Although it had been rather terrifying to watch Eivind pound his fists into the yielding wolf, there was a sort of dark humor to the circumstances, especially seeing as how now Sig was one of the few wolves Eivind now trusted to be alone with his young mate. Blue sat at one of the chairs near the dining table, his lover close, towel carefully placed over his naked lower body, though he knew no one would mind if he were to abandon the covering completely. Sig was cooking them dinner naked, after all. Although Blue was becoming more comfortable exposing his body, especially as Eivind wasn't fond of letting his mate wander around long with clothing covering up his tantalizing form, a bit of human modesty still lingered inside of him. Blue's eyes looked to his mate as Sig told his story, and although Eivind wasn't stopping the small wolf, he didn't seem particularly amused by the retelling, either. Blue moved to wrap his arms around his lover, nuzzling against the wolf's hairy skin and pressing his lips gently against him. Eivind didn't have much of a sense of humor, at least not with anyone who wasn't Blue, but the young man thought maybe he understood why Eivind wasn't smiling. At the time, Sig had posed a threat to Blue, at least as far as Eivind was concerned. The wolf had simply been protecting his mate, and Eivind was not one to make a joke of his dedication to ensuring Blue's safety. Blue understood that Eivind's trust in Sig was conditional, and he figured Sig was smart enough to get that sense as well, even if he toed some lines now and again.<br/><br/>After dinner, Blue and Devin spent a good amount of time drafting up a schedule and business strategy. She would need time to photograph the work Blue had already completed, plus set up the website and begin thinking of how to properly advertise Blue's services. Eivind let the two talk, seemingly happy to see them getting along so well, while Sig hung around, easing himself into the conversation in order to attract Devin's attention until Eivind pulled him away again, telling him to let the two be. Blue requested if it was possible to get him a real phone line added onto the business account, and Devin said she'd make it happen for him. She even promised to upgrade Eivind's old brick of a cellular device, which didn't look like it had been replaced in years. Eivind grumbled a bit at this, but Blue only waved his protests away.<br/><br/>"You're going to have to enter the decade and learn how to text, Vin," Blue teased, smiling at his sweetheart. "You'll like it better than talking on the phone, anyway. I promise."<br/><br/>Sig had stayed over that night, sleeping on the couch while Blue and Eivind lied wrapped up in one another in their bed. When the sunlight began to stream through the window in the domed ceiling of their bedroom, Blue awoke, his eyelashes fluttering gently as he immediately moved to press his lips against his mate, rubbing his face against the scruff that had grown on Eivind's cheek. It didn't take much coaxing from Blue to get the sleepy Eivind aroused, and the alpha wolf mounted him, fucking him enthusiastically. Blue encouraged the older male with his submissive sighs and whines, and for a moment Blue forgot about their downstairs guest.<br/><br/>The two descended the stairs late in the morning, Blue dressed in nothing but a pair of red briefs. He blushed when he saw Sig sitting on the couch, eyebrow raised, but quickly scampered off to the kitchen to find something they could scrounge up for breakfast. Blue pouted when Eivind said he would be leaving to go hunt, but he couldn't deny that their kitchen was becoming frightfully empty. Eivind left Blue his wallet and truck keys so he could go into town and restock, letting him know he would be back in a day, two at the most. They said their goodbyes, Blue giving his mate a deep, lingering kiss and telling him to be safe.<br/><br/>One day passed. Then two. Blue and Sig made the long drive into town to go shopping, purchasing a huge stock of supplies for their kitchen. A large variety of fruits and vegetables the pack didn't grow themselves, pasta, rice, beer for Eivind, a bottle of tequila for Blue, milk, cheese, pancake mix, multiple bottles of different sauces and marinades, beans, and a stockpile of cookies, chocolate and ice cream to satiate Blue's humongous sweet tooth. The skipped on the meat, knowing Eivind would most likely haul back a significant kill to keep their freezer full for weeks, as well as eggs as the pack housed its own coop and a few other items the pack could provide. Blue and Sig hauled everything home, taking multiple trips to take bags from Eivind's truck. Driving Eivind's beast of a vehicle had been odd for Blue at first, but he adjusted quickly, thankfully having the long stretches of straight back road to get comfortable behind the wheel.<br/><br/>The third day came. Devin had stopped by to check on Blue's work; he had already started a new canvas and was making progress, recreating the cave paintings he had done of Eivind's wolf form so long ago, only this time the colors were richer, the details were infinitely finer. Devin seemed pleased, and Sig was pleased just to see Devin again.<br/><br/>The fourth day came, and still no sign of Eivind. Blue paced up and down the living room, wringing his hands together as Sig sat on the couch, doing his best to soothe the nervous young man to no avail.<br/><br/>"He's been gone twice as long as he said he would," Blue muttered for the tenth time. "Eivind would've come back by now, even if he hadn't caught anything, I'm sure of it. Something must be wrong. He's never been away from me for this long. He wouldn't be without telling me. He doesn't like to be separated from me." The young man was rambling, his fears running rampant in his mind. What if he was hurt? What if something had attacked him while he was hunting? What if--no, Blue refused to go there. He couldn't. He wouldn't. Eivind wouldn't leave him alone like that.<br/><br/>The front door opened and Alaric strode in, his body language casual, calm. He and his sister had checked in on Blue a few times since Eivind's departure, and he was used to wolves coming into his new home without forewarning. Without offering the wolf a hello, Blue moved to him, his brow furrowed. "I think something's wrong with Eivind. He hasn't been home in four days, Alaric. He said he would be gone two at the most. He's hurt. He has to be."