Chapter 40
The Stars
Ten Months Later
I’d been sitting on the couch in the living room staring at a huge black television screen, my reflection barely visible.
The person staring back at me was almost unrecognizable, the silver glow of his eyes like two tiny moons.
Everything had gotten bigger, from my muscles to my height, but I hadn’t shifted yet.
The thick hair I once had turned to fur, nearly covering my lower body, and a little tail hung lower behind me.
My face was different, too. There wasn’t any more hair than usual, but the surge of testosterone sharpened my features.
My brows were thick, and my jaw had broadened.
There was a different magic behind my eyes, beyond the physical, and beyond the vironoct.
It had been locked away for so long in a prison of my own making.
With one realization, the chains inside of me shattered. The terrible memories of my old human life lightened until they floated away, leaving only contentment. Living in the past only limited me, but letting it go set me free.
I looked around at the much larger living room, the expensive leather couches and cherry wood tables freshly polished to a shine with beautiful lamps and elaborate sculptures of different animals.
The walls were clean and painted an off-white color that captured and reflected the sunlight that beamed in through the huge bay windows.
In all my life, I’d never lived in such a beautiful place.
Everything had either been added to or completely remodeled.
Even the kitchen had brand new appliances, much to Roscoe’s joy.
That was his domain, and he kept it as clean as he could.
I think all we needed was something nice to be proud of, which made our home worth maintaining.
Adam started his own landscaping business, and he spent most of his time transforming our yard from an unruly jungle of weeds and trash to an enchanted forest with beautiful flowers, maple and poplar saplings surrounded by the greenest sod.
With Austin’s help, he had designed an artificial pond and a waterfall.
The others built a gazebo near our fire pit, which was the only thing that hadn’t changed, aside from the new lawn furniture.
Blake, Randall, Steve, and Austin had built a successful contracting company, and Darius was all too eager to have them build up the town, giving dour government buildings much-needed facelifts.
I’d never seen Austin or Adam so full of excitement and purpose.
The transformation had been gradual. The bond they shared only intensified the more fulfilled they were with their roles in life and love.
The front door opened, and Roscoe trotted in holding several bags of groceries. It was all fresh produce, vegetables, meat from the butcher, wines and spices. I wasn’t sure when he stopped buying junk food altogether—another gradual change.
“How were things at the restaurant?” I asked, sliding off the couch to greet him with a one-armed hug and a kiss on the nose.
“Aw man. Never seen so many tourists in my life. I’m pooped.”
I grabbed the groceries out of his arms and headed into the kitchen.
“How’re ya feelin’?” he asked, following me close as I sat the bags on the black granite counter.
“I don’t know. It’s hard to put it into words.”
Roscoe smiled and leaned in for another kiss, more tongue this time.
When had he gotten so fit and even more handsome?
He always had a charm about him, but he was so different now.
Since he owned his own restaurant, he had to stay clean.
He wasn’t overeating junk food anymore, so his gut had gradually disappeared and the natural werewolf muscles came through.
Roscoe had gone from looking old and worn out to decades younger in just a few months.
“It’s gettin’ close.” Roscoe reached into one of the bags to sort the produce. “Maybe you’ll turn on Halloween like Adam did.”
“Does it hurt?”
Roscoe shook his head. “No way. It’s almost sad that you’ll never feel anything like that again. Yer whole body feels like it’s breakin’ free from being tied down, and you just feel right after. You don’t feel like a monster or nothin’. You just feel normal.”
“Do I look different?” I asked, turning back to him.
“Yeah and no. Yer still the same Cody, but I can tell yer gonna be big.”
“Will you still want to be with me?” That thought had been bothering me for months. What if after I turned, he lost interest?
Roscoe’s eyes widened. “Aw, come on Cody.”
“I know. I’m just worried.”
He took me into his arms, and my face fell into his broad chest. Roscoe still had that Roscoe smell to him, but it was so pleasing to the nose now—like a hit of something familiar in all the change.
“Yer my everything, ya know. It don’t matter what you look like when this is over, yer stuck with me.” He paused and looked down at the ground. “I think I know why yer worried.”
“You do?”
“We don’t talk much about what we saw, but I just want you to know that I ain’t anything like all those guys that hurt you.” He let out a laugh through his teeth and looked back up. “That last one didn’t even look like yer type.”
“When you’re lonely and desperate, anyone’s your type.
You can also fool yourself into believing you have a connection with someone who really doesn’t care about you.
When I think back on those years with clarity, the obvious was staring me in the face, but I didn’t want to believe it.
” I shook my head. “He kept calling me by his ex’s name, and I just thought it was normal. ”
“Ouch. Well, if it makes you feel any better, I can’t even remember all my ex’s names.
” We both chuckled, half-serious. “I’m not gonna leave you.
You weren’t meant for that last guy. He was a piece of shit, and he’ll get what he deserves in time.
But you know, even though he wasn’t a good guy, if he hadn’t done what he did, you wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be here.”
“We saved each other.” Tears lingered in my eyes as I remembered that vision of him under the tree. “I’m so proud of you, Roscoe.”
“And I’ve always been proud of you. Ever since that day we met, you were someone I could never reach.
A solid ten while I was barely scrapin’ the surface.
When I got to know you better, I wanted to be someone you could be proud of one day, too.
Took me a while, but I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy. ”
“You were, once.”
Roscoe shook his head. “I let him go, Cody. I let that side of myself slip away because it wasn’t a good life. Livin’ out in the wild is hard, and yer always lookin’ over yer shoulders. We were gonna get caught. It was only a matter of time.”
“We’ll find them one day. We’ll get rid of the witches for good.”
“They ain’t evil, just empty. Maybe you can figure out how to Willa-fy ‘em all.”
“Maybe.” I ran my hand playfully along Roscoe’s stomach. “You actually have abs now. You match the drawing on my coffee mug.”
“Ya know, one day it just hit me outta the blue. I don’t need all that crap to make me feel good when I’m wakin’ up next to the best drug I never wanna quit.”
“Well, I’ve never been compared to a drug before, but I’m flattered. Speaking of the bed.” I gave Roscoe a head tilt while eyeing the hallway.
“Aw, come on. I know where this is goin’.”
“Can we at least get a new bed? I can live with the ugly shag carpet and eyesore loveseat but at least let me get us a new bed. We’re going to need a bigger one anyways for when I turn.”
“But the mattress has our smells on it.”
“Yeah. That’s the problem. We’re going to get a nice mattress and a mattress cover to keep it that way.”
Roscoe hummed in contemplation while pulling more groceries out of paper bags.
“I know. It’s a big ask considering I’ve been changing and decorating the house, but all I want in the bedroom is a new mattress. I won’t touch anything else.”
“Promise?” Roscoe asked, looking back at me. “It ain’t like I don’t like change, but I feel like we’ve been changin’ everything too fast.”
“I promise. Plus, you don’t weigh as much as you did, so we’ll get rid of all those lumps you don’t like.”
“I like my lumps!”
“You complain about your back every time you wake up.”
“Yeah, ’cause I sleep on it wrong.”
When I stared at him with my arms folded, he let out a sigh.
“Okay, it’s a little uncomfortable.” He folded the bag and set it off to the side. “Just pick out a nice one, okay?”
I looked down at the counter. “What are you gonna make tonight?”
“I was thinkin’ with all the changes lately, we could have something we ain’t had in a while.”
“Like what?”
Roscoe wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close. “Wanna help me make some baked ziti?”
A Week Later
It was going to happen soon, and my last phone call to Darryl had him scrambling to get up here in time.
Halloween was just around the corner, and every day my body felt a little heavier.
I kept to myself more since even the slightest noise would have me snapping at everyone. Why did I feel so empty?
Instead of a white van, a brand new black Mercedes SUV pulled into the driveway.
Mosavi was actually driving it in his werewolf form.
Most of the town knew about him now, but he still kept up the human facade during public events.
It was strange not seeing him in a suit, and he rarely wore them as a werewolf now, opting for denim jeans and no shirt at all.
The only thing adorning his upper body was a gold chain necklace with a pendant hanging off it.
It was an otherworldly jagged symbol enclosed in a circle, much like a pentagram.