Chapter 24 #2
“That doesn’t really make the case you think it does.
You never help out more around the house, and you keep asking me to teach you how to brainwash Austin.
I apologized for what I said last time, but you also need to think about these things.
You’re so quick to act on emotion that you could end up really hurting someone, especially when you turn into a full werewolf. ”
Adam rolled his eyes as he stood.
“I’m not saying this to piss you off. Don’t you see the issue here?” I asked, standing up to place a hand on his shoulder.
“The issue is that my kuu mate can’t even touch me without you telling him to.
That’s a big problem.” He pulled away from me.
“Ever since I went with Roscoe to return that truck, Austin changed. He went from taking his anger out on me to treating me with indifference, and I don’t know what’s worse. ”
“Is he still treating you that way?”
“Only because you told him not to.”
“The only thing I tell him to do is what you do in the bedroom. How he treats you outside of that is him trying to fix what he broke.”
His expression softened again. “You’re not lying to me about this, are you?”
“Why the hell would I risk making things worse by lying?”
“Because none of my friends ever do anything nice for me without stabbing me in the back.” He took a deep breath and looked out the open living room window as dawn broke through the orange maples.
“Every time I’ve ever had friends, they never actually cared.
They just used me because I told them I had money.
When I started to go half-turn, and I left home, I realized how it all really worked.
All those people I thought I was tight with didn’t give a shit. ”
“And you think I’m like that?”
“Why not? I met you in a café and you didn’t seem to like me.
I have one of the hottest werewolves for a kuu mate, and he treats you like a prince.
Even Darryl wouldn’t shut up about you when I went back to visit him.
That night at the bar? Everyone kept coming up to you, and you didn’t even want their attention.
I had to keep working the place, and I still didn’t have any fun.
” He looked back at me. “So yeah, forgive me if I’m a little suspicious of your motives. ”
“How many times do I have to tell you this. That night at the bar, all I wanted was to spend time with you,” I said as he looked away again.
“I wanted us to talk and get closer, but I guess now I know why you kept avoiding me. You’re trying too hard for all the wrong reasons, and that’s what’s driving people away.
Darryl and I had common ground with Roscoe, so we became friends.
And the only reason I didn’t like you when I first met you is because you were a jerk. ”
“I’m just tired of being used and thrown away,” Adam said. “I try so hard to get attention because Austin sure as hell isn’t doing that much these days—aside from lately.” His glare softened. “I guess I should be thanking you, but I keep wanting to rip your head off.”
I held out my arms, and Adam smiled before leaning in for a hug.
“Well, I know exactly how much money you have, so that’s obviously not the reason I’m friends with you,” I said with a laugh.
Adam pulled away and smiled.
“And Austin’s really trying. We just have to get through this rough patch. To be honest, I can’t wait to see what you’re gonna look like as a werewolf.”
“Think I’ll be hot?”
“I’m sure you don’t have to worry about that,” I said as Adam turned and walked into the kitchen. “What are you doing?”
“Cleaning up my mess.” He turned back around and cringed. “I just saw an ant.”
“Damn it! I told you!”
The walk downtown gave me time to dread what was coming. Being around Mosavi always made me uncomfortable.
Willa’s barbeque restaurant stood empty; most of the werewolves in town were likely still asleep or working.
I had never really taken the time to learn what they all did here.
Obviously, they weren’t all police officers and firefighters, though every law enforcement officer and rescue worker was a werewolf, which kind of made sense.
They didn’t seem the type to work office jobs, but there were a lot of farms on the opposite side of town, away from the forested areas.
If there was one thing everyone wanted a werewolf for, it was manual labor.
Perhaps when I turned, that would be the only thing anyone would ever hire me for.
What a dreadful thought. Then again, if I took the path Mosavi had laid out for me, I could live a life of prestige.
How had he gotten it all? Was it even his, or did his symbiosis with a witch have something to do with it?
As I passed the building, a strange gust of wind hit me from the front. When I took a few more steps, a dainty hand fell onto my shoulder, causing me to jump and let out the most embarrassing yelp.
“Jesus Christ,” I whispered, holding my chest before turning toward a smiling woman. “Where the hell did you come from?”
“You’re so adorable,” Willa said, taking me by the hand. She wore a maroon gown rather than black this time. “Did you come by to see me?”
“Your husband, actually.”
“Ooooo.”
“Not for that reason.”
“No one ever visits my husband for much of anything else,” she said. “He’s very good at what he does.”
“Shouldn’t he be running the town instead of a sex dungeon?”
“Powerful people multitask, Cody,” she said, dragging me closer to the restaurant. “Come. Stay with me for a while.”
“I really need to talk to Mosavi.”
“About Austin?”
I nodded.
Willa led me into the restaurant, which was a lot brighter than last time. Red curtains had replaced the black fabric that had previously covered the windows, and were drawn to let light stream inside. “Unfortunately, Darius is going to be tied up for most of the day.”
My shoulders slumped forward. “If he’s going to be in meetings all the time, why bother offering to give me advice?”
“Oh, you misunderstand. He had to be punished for seeking you out yesterday after I told him not to.”
I tossed her a narrowed glance.
“Don’t look at me like that. He loves it when I demoralize him.”
“Did I wander into some kind of vortex of depravity when I moved here?”
“Once you get to know him better, you’ll see beyond that alpha male veneer, and you may even find some common ground with him.”
“I doubt that,” I said as we slid into the same booth as last time. “What do you know about Austin?”
“What you are doing to him is something he needs,” Willa said in a gentle, less teasing tone.
Sometimes she could sound almost… motherly if she wanted.
“Some werewolves rely on it to work through past trauma. I don’t know what your friend has been through, but when I saw him in person after you moved here, I felt something dreadful around him. It has since dulled.”
“I can’t do this for the rest of his life. This isn’t going to fix him permanently.”
“You won’t need to. Think of this as a form of therapy that only works on werewolves. When you give him commands and use that magic within you, it rips away the scar and allows him to heal the way he should have from the start.”
“So, this is normal?”
“Is it normal for a half-turn to possess such an ability? No. But this is a normal technique all leaders can do for their pack. You may not understand how you’re doing it, but sometimes you don’t need to.
” She took a sip of hot tea with a slice of ginger floating on top.
“This is going to sound really corny, but as long as you’re doing this out of a place of compassion and not control, he will get better, and one day he won’t need it anymore. ”
“So, I’m not screwing him up?”
“Hardly,” she replied, shaking her head. “I think I may have been wrong in our meeting last time.”
“What do you mean?”
She frowned. “You’re nothing like my Darius.”
“Sorry to disappoint.” I waited for her to respond, but she sat silently before giving into a soft smile. “What?”
“You came seeking his guidance, but he just may turn to you one day.”
“And pigs will start to grow wings.”
Her eyes seemed to shimmer as she gazed into mine.
“Your husband’s motives are clear, but yours aren’t. Why are you so interested in me?”
“Why do you think?”
“You’re a witch.”
She flashed her brows before taking another sip of her tea.
“I don’t know if I should trust you.”
“You shouldn’t,” she said without hesitation. “You shouldn’t trust any witch. I didn’t save Darius all those years ago out of love. I wanted a constant source of power at my fingertips, and with him, I would never go hungry again.”
“At least you’re honest. If I shouldn’t trust you, why am I here?”
“Do you often place your trust in people you barely know?” she asked.
“Well, no.”
“I say this because I know the hearts of witches in the woods. Since you arrived, they know what you possess. They feel it—they smell it. You being here even awakens something in me that has lain dormant for over a century.”
The uneasy feeling returned, and the softness of her face went rigid.
“Why are you protecting the town from them? Are you doing this out of kindness or because you want more power?” I asked, half knowing the answer.
She let out a sigh, waving to one of the male kitchen staff who peeked through the door. He gave her a nod and scurried to the back.
“Neither. I fell in love,” she admitted.
“I thought you said—”
“Things change,” she interrupted. “When witches join a coven, we give up all emotions that would anger our prince. Compassion, empathy, kindness—even love was forbidden, and we were forced to lock it all away with the vilest magic that was nearly impossible to reverse. Darius knew my intentions. He wasn’t a fool.
At first, I thought the beast simply craved what his instincts desired, and being a witch, I wanted his essence.
” She reached into her cleavage for the intricate, folded mirror, then handed it to me.