The Dehumanization of Ethan Brown

Ethan was gone by the time that Leslie got up. He probably was coming back because only his uniform, some civilian clothes and an overnight bag were gone. Ethaobabobably needed time to think. To the best of Leslie\'s knowledge, Ethan wasn’t lying he said he never killed a human being. His world changed more than Leslie’s had. The younger man was probably suffering worse than Leslie was. Leslie made herself a pot of coffee. After drinking two cups, she left for work. Ethan wasn’t in the bullpen. “Conner, have you seen Brown?”

“Brown talked to Wallace first thing this morning then left.” Conner shrugged his shoulders.

Leslie went to see Wallace. “Conner said Brown saw you first thing this morning.”

“He asked to transfer to Narcotics. He’s doing paperwork until the transfer goes through and he gets assigned to a senior partner.” Wallace thumbed the paperwork on his desk.

“You approved the transfer?” Leslie asked.

“You and Brown shouldn’t work together. I wouldn’t let a husband and wife work together.”

Leslie had never slept with Ethan; they were like brother and sister, not that it probably mattered to Ethan. After seeing him get off on his male cousin\'s thigh, Ethan might fuck his half-sister. “I’m going down there.”

“You go downstairs and start a lover’s quarrel in front of the squad room, I’ll have your badge.” Wallace looked up from his paperwork.

“What do you expect me to do?” Leslie tried to keep her temper. Ethan had been assigned to work with her and now she didn\'t have a partner.

“Finish up your paperwork. If you need Brown to sign anything, I’ll have Conner walk it down.” Wallace returned to looking through the paperwork on his desk.

\"That’s it?”

“You can talk to me after work tomorrow. I want to hear nothing about it until then.” Wallace ignored Leslie.

Leslie walked to her desk and started her paperwork, slamming her fist on the desk periodically. Another officer walked over. “Douglass, some of us are trying to work.”

“Brown walked out on me.”

“It’s about time. I’m amazed that he put up with your shit as long as he did.”

When Leslie got home, Ethan’s bedroom was empty except on top of the dresser was a notarized deed to the condo. All that was left was an empty desk and a stripped futon. Leslie dialed her captain and her friend, Matthew Wallace. “He left me.”

\"Isn\'t it his house?\" Wallace asked.

\"He left me the deed,\" Leslie cried into the phone.

“Cry yourself to sleep a few nights and move on. That\'s what I did after Jo Ann left. I have stuff to do. We can talk after work tomorrow.”

“Matt, I loved him more than I thought it was possible to love anyone.” Leslie told herself that she loved him like a son, but when she saw him making out with someone else, she knew that wasn\'t true. She was jealous of Juan and Juan could smell it.

“Tell him. Maybe it isn’t too late.” Wallace hanged up.

Leslie got in her truck, drove to Juan Lopez’s kennels, parked the truck near Ethan’s car, and knocked on the door. A boy of thirteen wearing only a loose fitting tee shirt in the forty-degree weather met her at the door. “I would like to speak to your father.”

Juan came to the door wearing the robe that he wore their first meeting. “Come in. Ethan doesn’t want to speak to you.”

The house felt no warmer than outside. Ethan always complained about being cold; the house would make him hide under blankets and miserable.

Camilla and Ethan come out of the tiny kitchen. “Hello, Leslie,” said the pregnant woman.

“Ethan, I want you to come home,\" Leslie said.

Ethan didn\'t make eye contact. “You said you missed me while you were petting my coat. You don’t know how much that hurt.”

“Honey, I love you. I’m willing to accept the skeletons in your closet. I’m not perfect myself. Forgive me for panicking.” All Leslie knew was that she desired him.

“You’ve looked at me with disgust since you’ve known.”

Leslie put her hand on Ethan’s face. “You’re all I think about. I’ll learn to accept it.”

“I don’t want you to tolerate me.”

“What do you want?”

“I need time to think. Perhaps, we can date.” Ethan paced still not making eye contact.

“After living together for two years, you want to have lunch. What do you want from me?” Leslie wanted the man in her bed and she didn\'t feel like taking no for an answer. Seeing him having sex with someone else made her want him more than ever.

“Please, leave. Now that you know my secret, you should keep my medical power of attorney. You can prevent me from having long hospital stays.” Ethan smiled up and giving his most innocent look.

“I’m a convenience to you.” Leslie was hot for his little body, but she wasn\'t going to be used by him. Well, he did give her a house. That was better than what she got from her husband after ten years of marriage and she didn\'t even have to sleep with him.

“Leslie, you were my life for almost two years. I should have told you years ago, but I was taught to tell no one. Ever!”

“How can you live here?” Leslie looked around the small filthy house that smelled of dogs and dirty diapers.

“I’ll manage.” Ethan set up a chessboard. “Antonio, do you want to play me?”

“Ethan, I beat you three times,” said the boy.

“I’m getting better. After dinner, we can play Scrabble,” Ethan said.

“Leslie, he sucks at chess,” the boy said.

“Ethan is good at Scrabble. He knows long words,” said Leslie.

An eleven-year-old girl brought out the Spanish version of Scrabble.

“No fair,” Ethan said. “I haven’t spoken Spanish as first language in seven years.”

Camilla said, “Around here, the Spanish version gets more use than the English version. Leslie, I’d invite you to dinner, but I didn’t cook the meat.”

Ethan shrugged his shoulders. “I eat bait.\"

Leslie asked, “Venison?”

“Even if we cooked it, it wouldn’t be fit for human consumption. You know when hunters do bait and shot. The pack collects the carrion afterwards and we feast.”

“Free food,” Tony said. “Papa’s truck can carry three deer. Mom cuts them up and puts them in the freezer.”

“You do what you can,” Camilla said. “We have to feed us and the dogs.”

“It smells fresh,” Leslie said.

“It was frozen,” Camilla said. “You can’t have the neighbor’s complain. We already had the kids taken twice. It’s a waste; they are always home that night.”

“I’ve been foster care a number of times myself; they really think they can kidnap a werewolf,” Ethan said.

“Do you mind if I use your grill?” Leslie asked.

“I really don’t suggest eating it,” Camilla said. “Just don’t blame me if you get sick.”

Ethan put his arm around Leslie as Leslie cooked her food on the grill. “Do you want to date?”

“I think we need to get to know each other again. Maybe dating isn’t a bad idea,” Leslie said. “Join me for lunch tomorrow.” They may have lived together two years but how well did they really know each other. Leslie sat on a worn lawn chair near the grill. “Do you want yours cooked?”

“Sure. I only eat worms and bugs raw,” Ethan teased.

“And a man’s leg.”

“Please, you don’t have to remind of that.”

“I love you.”

“No, you don’t.” Ethan put his hand on Leslie’s shoulder. “You wouldn’t have said that if you did.”

“Can I kiss you?” Leslie asked.

“Go.”

Ria, wearing a thin dress, came over to the grill. “Hi, Leslie. We keep the grill around for human company.”

“Hola, Ria.” Leslie understood the implied meaning.

“I’m not going to bite your head off.” Ria licked her lips. “I’m more the jugular type.”

“Don’t threatened a cop,” said Ethan.

“I was teasing. Can’t you tell a joke?” Ria said.

“I’m going. I’ll see you at lunch,” Leslie said.

“You might as well stay and eat your steak,” Ria said. “The hundred and eighty pound cop is frightened by ninety-eight pound me. I’m only dangerous if you’re a muskrat or a beaver.”

“Ethan is at least as strong as two men his size. Don’t assume I’m ignorant.” Leslie didn’t like playing games with the she-wolf.

Ethan put the food on a plate and gave Leslie a fork and knife. “She won’t hurt you.”

“He’s mine. Don’t you forget it,” Ria said.

“Nobody owns Ethan,” Leslie said. “Darling, if you don’t treat him right, he’ll be gone in a moment’s notice.”

“Leslie, he came here.” Ria flicked her hair back. “That says something.”

“He needs a little time. He’ll be home in a week,” Leslie said.

“Don’t talk for me,” Ethan said.

Leslie put down her food and kissed Ethan’s cheek. “See you, tomorrow.”

“Good night.” Ethan waved as Leslie walked to her truck and started to eat the food that he served Leslie.

---

“She left her food.” Ria rubbed against Ethan.

“I’m not surprised.”

“Are wearwearing half your closet?”

“I get cold easily; Leslie teased me about it.”

“The sooner you take some of those clothes off; the sooner you will acclimate to the lack of heat. We only use the fireplace in the dead of winter. The rest of the year body heat is enough.”

Ethan ate the food. “Ria, go inside and eat. I need to be alone.”

“You’re mine.”

“I still love her.”

“What did you see in the fucking human?” Ria asked.

“She’s generous, caring and beautiful.”

“She’s rude, pale and scarred.” Ria caressed Ethan’s arm then chest.

“I never agreed to love you. You can share my body heat and have my children.”

“You’ll love me in time.”

Ethan returned to eating the steak Leslie left behind. “Ria, I want us to start dating and to act betrothed.”

“You’re confused. You said all you wanted was my body heat and for me to have your pups. You can’t have it both ways. Date?”

“To go places: the mall, library, museums, movies.” Ethan took the empty plate inside. He lay besides the sleeping thirteen year old. Scrabble would have to wait another day.

“I know we have been hunting together since I’ve been on the rag,” said Ria, pausing between words. “I have wrote you, but it isn’t the same as seeing you in human form. We’re virtually fucking strangers.”

“Going these places would give us an opportunity to be together without the pressure of having to talk the whole time. If you are embarrassed because I’m older than you, I can shave close. I’m told that I can pass for seventeen.” Ethan was trying to put Ria at ease, but the other detectives called him a kid even a few that were younger than him. He was just asked to go undercover at a high school.

“The mall, library, movies sound great,” Ria said. “The children would enjoy getting out of the house.”

“It’s a date. Tomorrow after work, I will take you, Marla, and Tony to the mall. We can get some new winter clothes.” Ethan took off his clothes and changed into a wolf. Growing fur was one way to stay warm. Ria and her younger sister also changed shape and joined him on the area rug. Ethan closed his eyes and went to sleep.

---

The following morning, Ria handed Ethan a plate of eggpam pam and fried potatoes. “I need to go to school.”

“Thanks for breakfast,” Ethan said, as he sat at the table. There were four seats at the kitchen table so people took turns eating or half the family at in another room. “I miss Leslie.”

“You’re seeing her at lunch,” Camilla said.

“Does she give good head?” Tony asked.

“Out of the mouth of babes,” Camilla asked.

“I don’t know. We never did more than cuddle,” Ethan said.

“I know you miss her,” Camilla said. “Tony is promised to a girl. She’s joining our household within the year. His attitude will change when he’s an adult.”

“Leslie smells so good,” Tony said, “I’d like to lick her all over.”

“She can’t accept me,” Ethan said.

“I’m going to stay with Louise and Hannah in that big house,” Ria said.

“Until the state kicks them out because two teenage girls can’t afford the property tax,” Tony said.

“My father must have left them something,” Ethan said.

“Like they would pay the fucking tax,” Tony said. “We’re taught at a young age not to trust the government.”

Ethan smiled.

“It’s good to have someone fighting on our side,” Juan said.

“I won’t be a cop forever.” Ethan took his gym bag and left.