Chapter 18
Aftermath
Atrembling, window-shaped beam of light sat low on the wall. I’d finally gotten to sleep at around four in the morning, but the maple scent of breakfast lured me all the way awake as dishes clanked down the hall.
I threw off the covers and hurried toward the kitchen, only to be stopped by Adam, who sat at the dining room table, his eyes wide as if he’d just seen a dead body.
“And then, the key to a perfect flapjack is to flip it in the pan,” Roscoe instructed as metal gently clapped against metal.
“Are you teaching Austin to up his pancake game?” I asked, strutting into the kitchen, only to lock up when I saw the mayor glaring at the other werewolf with his arms crossed.
Roscoe removed the pan from the stove and turned around with a huge grin. “G’mornin’ sweetheart. Was just teachin’ yer majesty here how to make a good southern breakfast.”
Mosavi groaned in disgust as he made his way out of the kitchen, brushing past me. It looked like he hadn’t changed his clothes since last night, but his jacket was missing and his nice white dress shirt had been ripped in multiple places. After a moment, the back door opened before clicking shut.
“Someone explain what the hell is going on,” I said, turning back to Roscoe who was pouring more batter onto the pan. “I thought you guys were in jail. Where’s Austin?”
“Sleepin’. We had a rough night.”
“Yeah, so did I, and I’m way too exhausted to start yelling at you right now, by the way. I’ll save that for later.”
“Aw, don’t be mad. I’m makin’ us all a good old-fashioned breakfast.” He pointed to the fluffy biscuits cooling in a rectangular pan. “I had to use all the Crisco for those, so we’ll have to postpone the ass play.”
“Funny.” I picked up one of the biscuits. It weighed a lot more than it should have. “Dude. You used an entire can of shortening? There are only eight of these things.”
“Yup. Gramma used to say they’d give you ‘the itis’ if you ate more than one.” He tossed a quick glance at the entrance before lowering his voice. “Make sure ‘ol grumpy ass gets two.”
“What is he doing here, anyway?” I whispered.
Roscoe shrugged. “All I know is I ain’t behind bars, and he’s not doin’ angry kinky shit to me anymore.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh boy, when you left, that’s when the weird shit happened. You know, if I was into bondage, it might have been fun.” He let out a high-pitched whimper. “I ain’t gonna be havin’ sex for a day or two. Hope you don’t mind.”
“What the hell did he do to you guys?”
“It’s kinda embarrassing.” He grabbed my hand and moved it over something metallic hidden in his crotch fluff. “Austin’s got one, too. And he said we ain’t allowed out of our cages until we behave. Not like I can argue with an elder.”
I couldn’t help but give Mosavi props. This was a rather effective way to get a werewolf under control rather than keeping him in jail.
“Did you just smile?” Roscoe asked. “This ain’t fuckin’ funny.”
“Of course not. This is just awful,” I replied, feigning concern.
“This affects you too, ya know.”
“Well, it’s a good thing there are plenty of other werewolves in town that don’t have their junk locked away.”
Roscoe didn’t respond. He just stood there, mouth wide open and glaring at me.
The coffee caught my eye, and I grabbed a mug before changing the subject. “Something tells me I’m gonna need the whole pot.” I glanced at the microwave clock. “Damn, it’s almost noon? I thought it was ten.”
Roscoe resumed his cooking, pouring scrambled eggs into the frying pan. “He don’t like talking to me. It freaks me out when he just stands there starin’, so I got nervous and started explaining how to cook breakfast.”
“Well, I’m never doing the OnlyStans thing again, so you could always start a cooking channel.”
“Aww, for real? We got a lot of followers. You really wanna let ‘em all down?”
“Absolutely,” I muttered while walking out of the kitchen. Adam was now scrolling on his phone, but instead of ignoring me, he smiled and looked up.
“We can still put that plan into motion.”
“You just want to have sex with him.”
“Well, yes. But I’ll be saving you at the same time. I can multitask,” he said, swiping through his phone again before going silent.
I let out an annoyed hiss and made the dreaded walk down the hallway toward the back door. As I stepped outside, a cool breeze washed over me, carrying hints of tobacco smoke. Mosavi sat still on one of our chairs, staring into the woods.
“You may as well not draw it out,” I said, sitting across from him. “I’ll pack my things.”
His ears pressed firmly against his head, but he didn’t respond. He wouldn’t even look in my direction.
“Nothing? Not going to yell at me like you did last night?”
It took him a moment, but he finally turned back around.
“I may have let my anger get a bit out of control.”
The chilly breeze picked up again, the piles of dead leaves tousled by short-lived whirlwinds as they danced through the yard. Mosavi took another puff of his cigar before exhaling loudly, his eyes half closed.
“What made you change your mind about those two?”
“That is a personal matter. Plus, it seems I don’t need to keep them in jail as punishment.”
“Yeah, I’m going to eventually need what you locked away, so maybe we can work out community service or something.”
He reached into his pocket and dangled a pair of keys in front of me.
“I’ll have these delivered to you in a few days. I think you’ll find your werewolves a little less unruly now. You will need to use the vironoct for the tall one, by the way. I’m putting that in your hands.”
“I still don’t understand what happened last night. What did you do to me?”
“That was you, not me. All I did was guide you along until something stopped me.” He paused and eyed my pants. “What’s in your pocket?”
“Your lighter.”
“Your other pocket.”
I was confused at first, but when I reached in, my fingers were met with the smooth opal-like stone.
“Damn. When did this get in there?” I pulled it out and handed it to Mosavi. “I was going to bring this up because you’re the only person who probably knows what this is, but…”
Mosavi examined the shiny stone, his nose wrinkling in disgust before he handed it back.
“Well, the damage has been done,” he said with a growl. “As soon as I am allowed back home, I will rub this revelation in her face.”
“Ahhh,” I said slyly as the elder werewolf’s ears folded back. “You’re in the doghouse.”
“I would choose my words a little more carefully.”
“Sorry,” I corrected, clearing my throat. “So, what is this thing?”
“I am not sure, but it is Whashan, which means you should get rid of it immediately.”
The way he said that caught my suspicions. “I don’t think I will.”
“Excuse me?”
“It limits your control, doesn’t it?”
Mosavi said nothing.
“That’s why you got so pissed off last night. You couldn’t have your way, and this is the reason. Isn’t it?”
“If you want to become a filthy beast, then do so away from my town.”
“No. I like it here. I’ll stay.” I closely examined him to gauge his reaction—rage followed immediately by a reluctant resolve. “I’m not getting rid of this if it keeps me safe from you.”
“Safe from me?” He drew in another puff of smoke. “I am the one trying to keep you safe while teaching you how to lead effectively. That item prevents me from helping you.”
He didn’t seem like he was lying, but there was still an air of dishonesty in his eyes. A low buzz vibrated from his pants pocket, and he reached in to pull out his phone.
“Yes,” he said lowly, clearing his throat.
Someone spoke on the line, but the words were too muffled to understand.
“We can discuss this later—if you will allow me back.” He muttered that last part.
More muffled chatter came through the speaker as Mosavi turned his head away from me, whispering something into the phone before hanging up.
“It seems I’ll be taking my leave. Thank God. ”
“Was that the wife?”
“It is none of your business,” he snapped, baring his sharp teeth. “I would highly advise against keeping that trinket in the house if you want my help.”
“Why would I want your help?”
He dangled the keys in front of me, before dropping them onto the ground. “I’ll let you come to that conclusion yourself.” Mosavi stood, letting out a chuckle before striding toward the road where a black Mercedes SUV pulled up.
Once he and the vehicle were gone, I picked up the keys and put them in my pocket.
At least he wasn’t going to make me wait a few days.
I thought about giving the other key to Adam, but with how much animosity was brewing between those two, I decided it wasn’t a good idea to give him that much power.
Adam and I sat on the couch while Roscoe finished cooking, both of us staring at our phones instead of each other. Once the bedroom door opened, it shattered the awkward mood.
Austin crept through the hallway, letting out little whimpers with each step until the bathroom door clicked shut.
“That didn’t look good,” I said, scooting to the edge of the couch and setting my phone on the end table.
“That didn’t sound good either,” Adam added with a smile. “I wonder if Mosavi beat the shit out of him.”
“I hope not. The poor guy was just starting to open up—” I caught myself as Adam’s attention snapped back to me.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing. He was just starting to talk is all.”
He stood, keeping his narrow glare on me while coming closer. “I can tell when you lie, by the way.”
“I am not lying!”
The bathroom door opened, and Austin limped out of the hallway.
“You look like shit,” Adam said in a teasing tone before eyeing the dry fur on the werewolf’s hands. “We’re about to eat breakfast. You should wash up.”
Austin didn’t respond. Instead, he ignored Adam completely as he made his way to the kitchen.
“Don’t be gross,” I said, pulling his attention to me. Our eyes locked for a moment, and the room brightened to silver as Austin’s eyes went wide.