Fake Dating the Grumpy Werewolf Next Door (Monsters Of Mosswood #1)

Chapter 1

ONE

Honey

“Hey, honey, can I get your number?” Not for the first time, I regret that my parents named me Honey.

When the douchebag I’ve been avoiding inadvertently calls me by name, I look around on instinct, and now he thinks I’m into him.

I didn’t see him follow me out to the back of the bar where the ladies’ room is, but here he is.

Apparently my startled silence is all the encouragement he needs. He sidles closer. “You’re a fit little thing, aren’t you? I bet you’d bounce on my cock like a dream.”

I give him a fake smile I don’t feel. “Look, I’m really sorry. I know it seems to you like I’m interested, but I can’t help it. I’m not though.” I remind myself it’s not his fault.

He just laughs. “Sweetheart, you’ve been giving me signals all night.”

I can’t suppress the urge to roll my eyes. This always happens. My half-succubus biology gives off the wrong impression to straight men regardless of what I do. I can walk to the convenience store in my pajamas and slippers, and they treat me like I’m strutting around a pole in my panties.

They don’t realize getting close to me is like playing with fire and they’re the ones who’ll end up getting burned.

“Sorry.” I hurry past him, twisting to make sure no part of me comes into contact with him. Brielle and her boyfriend, Roman, are waiting for me at the bar. I should have asked Brielle to go to the ladies’ room with me except she gets worried about leaving Roman by himself.

Which should probably be a massive red flag—but try telling Brielle that.

“Ugh.” I slide back onto my stool and take a sip of my drink. “I hate when guys think following me to the bathroom is a good opportunity to try out an awful pickup line.”

Brielle rolls her eyes. “Stop showing off, Honey.”

Roman gives me a sympathetic smile, then he turns back to Bri. “I don’t think she was showing off, Bri, some guys are idiots. Sorry, Honey, that’s horrible.”

Brielle looks away, but I catch the sulky look on her face because he sided with me and not her.

Honestly, coming out with the two of them as a third wheel was a bad idea.

Bri is different when it’s just the two of us, more fun.

But I was lonely, and she didn’t want to spend the night without Roman, so here we are.

I take another sip of my drink and try to make the best of it. “Hey, what are you doing next weekend?” I ask her. “We should go see that new Jane Austen adaptation.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

There’s an awkward silence after that. Roman says something to her in a half-whisper, and finally she’s smiling again.

Maybe she’s just ready for some alone time with her boyfriend. “Hey, it’s late. Why don’t we call it a night?” Better wrap this up and head home anyway before another guy thinks it’s his lucky night.

Moving to the big city was always my dream. But since I moved out of my parents' cabin in the woods, I’ve had to face up to how much unwanted attention a single half-succubus gets on a night out. Or a day at work. Or just existing really.

It comes in waves, and every time I think I’ve kept on top of things, kept up with my… treatment regimen and been good, it happens again. Doesn’t seem to matter what I do.

It’s exhausting.

The taxi pulls up outside my apartment building, and the street light flickers. The entry is poorly lit at the best of times—that’s what I get for renting the cheapest place bigger than a teacup this side of the river. I peer out my window dubiously.

“I’ll walk you to your door,” says Roman kindly.

He looks around at Bri, and I expect her to say something, but she’s got her head down looking at her phone. The light reflects onto her face, making her look a bit ghoulish.

“Hey, see you on Thursday for pasta night, Bri?”

“Hmmm.” She doesn’t look up.

What’s her deal tonight? If I didn’t know better, I’d think I did something wrong, but I’ve spent all night thinking about it and can come up with exactly zero things I could have done to piss her off.

I open the door, and Roman asks the driver to wait. He walks beside me down the narrow entryway and waits for me to fit my key in the lock for the external door.

I turn. “Thanks. Hope Bri cheers up.”

He takes a step closer, and something twists low in my belly. “She’s mad because I can’t stop looking at you, Honey.”

Shit.

I step back, but the door is still closed behind me, and I bump right into it. I start fumbling again with the keys, but it’s no good. There’s a metallic tinkle as they drop to the ground.

Roman acts like this is his opening. “I can’t stop. It’s like you have this power over me.”

“Roman, I’m not sure how much Bri has told you, but there’s a good reason for that.”

I knew I should have had another orgasm before we went out.

“Forget Bri.” He steps forward, and his hands go to my waist to haul me close.

I plant my hands against his chest, but it’s too late. The physical contact is all it takes.

He leans in, and his lips press against mine just as the magic hits. All at once my body seizes. Power flows out of him and into me—hunger, desperate and raw. The energy fills me up from my core, bursting between my legs as my thighs tremble, and I gasp.

Roman grunts, and I manage to push him away before my curse can suck more life from his soul than I already have. Then I spot a movement in the darkness behind his shoulder.

“Honey, what the fuck?” Bri’s face is contorted into an angry scowl.

I’m still shaking, and my voice is unsteady. “It’s not what it looks like, Bri.”

But isn’t it? Another guy succumbed to my hunger because I couldn’t control my nature. Another one hurt, fed on. Only this time it was someone close to me.

Tears blur my eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Bri snatches Roman’s hand and drags him backward. He stumbles around to face the road, then twists to look back at me with a lopsided grin.

That’s the horrible part. Even after I’ve sucked the life from them, they still act like it was the best thing ever.

“I should have known this would happen,” snarls Bri. “You’re such a slut.”

My lip trembles and I bite it hard to stop myself from actually crying.

I guess I’m the first person to ever be a virgin and a slut.

I didn’t mean to steal her boyfriend, but I did.

And intentions make no difference after the damage is done.

Not for the first time, I wish I’d been my parents natural human daughter instead of this monster who causes problems wherever she goes.

“Come on, Roman, we’re going.”

“Can I call you later?”

Bri casts me a disparaging look over her shoulder. “I think it would be best if you never called me again.”

Somehow I drag myself upstairs to my flat and lock the door behind me with shaking hands. I pull out my phone, compose five apology texts, and delete each one. I already know none of them will be enough. How could I have done such a horrible thing to my best friend?

I should have stayed in the woods in the cabin alone—told my parents to move back to Mosswood and leave me there. I should have never come to the city. A city full of humans who don’t get it at all.

But if I hadn’t insisted on moving out, my parents would have stayed in that isolated property for the rest of their lives just to keep me safe, and I hated that for them.

My parents are good people—the best! They adopted me when I was a tiny girl, took me in, and called me theirs. They even moved to that tiny cabin when I hit puberty and all the trouble started, and they never complained. Not even once.

Now that I’m an adult, I owe it to them to fend for myself. And that starts by letting them live their lives to the fullest now like they never did before. Which is why I made them sell the cabin to help fund their plans to retire somewhere bright and sunny.

I guess that means holing up in my apartment until I get my powers under control again. Alone in a huge city full of sights and opportunities and people, none of which makes any difference when I can’t enjoy any of it.

I’m being too negative. After I’ve had some time to compose myself, I can try again. I just need a little time out.

Just a month to reset and get my powers under control. I’m about to put my phone on charge for the night when I look at the screen and find a chain of texts from Mom.

She writes them out more like letters because she’s old, so I start scrolling.

Honey,

Your dad and I are heading south this weekend. There’s a listing we want to look at in person, and we thought we’d take the opportunity to work on our tans! Mosswood is so rainy this time of year. I need a getaway. If you want to join us, we could get you some last-minute airfares.

Just let me know.

Mom xx

I smile. I love the way she signs off every one with kisses like I don’t have her ID saved in my phone.

Hanging out with my parents would normally sound like the perfect weekend away, but right now I just want to be by myself.

I don’t want to worry them by admitting it’s happened again, and I know once I see them I’ll crumble and won’t be able to hold it in.

What if I stayed at their house in Mosswood? I just need a break. An escape from the city and all the people here. Somewhere quiet where I can stay in and keep everyone safe from me.

I may not be able to go to the woods, but Mosswood, the small town where I grew up, is better than here. And if I keep to myself, maybe I can avoid causing any problems there. It won’t be like when I was a teenager in school. I know way more about controlling my powers now. Well, a little more.

If I put my mind to it, I can do it.

I open a new message before I fall asleep and forget.

Honey: Thanks but would it be OK if I stay at yours instead? I could do some work on the place to help you get it ready for sale

I’m surprised when Mom answers right away.

Mom: of course, love. You don’t have to ask. And you don’t have to do anything, just come and relax.

Mom xx

Honey: I want to help. Please? Let me take care of it

There’s a pause. Then…

Mom: Let’s talk about it in the morning.

Get some sleep

Mom xx

I curl up in bed. I can always rely on Mom and Dad to be there for me. I just hope they’ll let me return the favor this time. It would feel good not to be a burden for once.

Maybe that’s what I need. I resolve to call my boss in the morning and see if I can get a few days off. I usually work from home Monday to Wednesday anyway, so hopefully he’s alright with me working from Mosswood. It will be nice to see the old place again.

Resolved, I pack my bags and book my bus ticket.