Chapter 40 #2
He walked up to the door and opened it without knocking, as he usually did.
Darius and Willa would come over every other day, bringing expensive booze and cigars.
I’d thought he would want nothing to do with us again after last Christmas, but he was changing as well.
While he was still aloof and at times, downright mean, he’d become more social after that visit with his brother, especially with me.
Mosavi closed the door behind him and turned, holding a black felt box in his right hand.
“Willa wanted me to give you this for when it is time.” His tone was the usual deep, but his inflection seemed almost sentimental.
I took the box and opened it. Inside was a similar gold chain affixed with a different jagged symbol pendant, also encircled.
“Wow, it’s beautiful.” I picked it up and fastened it around my neck. “Thank you. What is this symbol?”
“It’s a mark of the elder. We are both eager to see what you become.”
I placed the empty box on the end table and looked away. “I still feel kind of useless.”
“Useless?”
“It’s funny. When we first formed this dysfunctional family, I thought I was the only one that had a goal in mind, but it all disappeared. Everyone else found their success, but I’m just sitting inside this house.”
Darius dropped a hand onto my shoulder, his claws digging in a bit.
“When I met you, I sensed ambition. It was what drew me to you—more than the vironoct. You have not lost those parts of yourself. Your priorities are simply shifting with the times and circumstances. What was important to you as a human is changing, and that is why you feel the way you do. But those feelings will change as well.”
“I don’t know what I want to do with my life, Darius.”
“That is not something you have allowed yourself to reach for as of yet.” He walked over to a liquor cabinet and standing humidor he’d gifted us after the remodeling was complete.
No one usually dared drink what was in there without Mosavi present, and I’d actually grown fond of the cigars. We were the only ones that smoked them.
He pulled out two Cuban cigars, then shifted his attention to the alcohol before letting out a snarl. “All right, who the hell polished off the scotch?”
I walked over to the cabinet, examining the empty bottle next to the other fancy liquors. “Well, your culprits are probably the usual suspects.”
The scowl on his face shifted with quiet laughter. “I am proud.”
“Huh?”
He turned to me, placing a cigar into my hand. “Do you really think these unruly, undisciplined, wild animals would have ever found their true potential without you guiding them?”
“I didn’t have anything to do with that.”
“You’re not an idiot. You were living in luxury at my mansion, but you weren’t content with that.
You could have stayed but didn’t. You came back to this dump and whipped it into shape.
You were the one that worked out the deal for Roscoe’s restaurant.
You were the one that forced Austin and the others to get the state licensing required to start a contracting business.
You were the one that encouraged Adam to actually make money off what he loves doing.
And I know for a fact that none of them have the brains to keep it all running smoothly. ”
He had a point, though I’d never thought of it being anything more than a natural next step. All I’d done was push them while keeping the finances and clients in order. They did the rest.
“You made this house a home,” Mosavi added. “You brought warmth into our home as well. Willa talks so much about you, it gets on my nerves at times.”
“She’s still trying to seduce me.”
“Once a witch, always a witch.” He grinned for a moment, but it faded. “We are close to Samhain again, and I have been giving your ambitious suggestion a lot of thought. We need to do something about the coven, because Willa and I cannot leave to start over until the threat to Norwich is gone.”
“You still want to leave?”
“No. But I need to. There are other towns we will build into werewolf sanctuaries, and we have attracted a lot of unwanted attention from those who are trying to segregate us into communes.”
I turned back to the window. “You can’t just leave the pack, you know.”
A white van pulled into the driveway.
“I am not in your pack. I am your mentor.” He glanced out the window. “Speaking of potential.”
“He’s happy with what he has, and who knows? They might make him the mayor of White Dunes.”
The large werewolf climbed out of the van before grabbing his luggage and guitar case. He and the driver talked for a little while, both nodding and waving goodbye.
“I see he brought the guitar,” Mosavi said, taking a deep breath through his nose while grabbing another cigar for our guest.
I opened the door, and Darryl slipped inside, dropping his things before pulling me into a crushing hug.
“Jeez, look at you.” He let go and examined me further. “You’re gonna be one big fucker.”
“It will be quite a sight to behold,” Mosavi said, catching Darryl’s attention. “The birth of a new elder.”
“Darius.”
“Darryl,” the mayor replied, and they gave each other an approving nod. They weren’t chummy by any means, but they also didn’t hate each other anymore. “Smoke?”
“Can’t say no to that.” He took the roll of tobacco and looked around. “I thought I had the wrong address for a second. This place is huge!”
“It still doesn’t feel big enough with six werewolves living here,” I said, nodding to the back french doors that were now at the far end of the dining room instead of the end of the hallway. “You should see the backyard.”
Halloween Night
“Yer not gonna wear yer costume?” Roscoe asked, adjusting himself in his tight leather thong while fanning out a gray fur cape.
He wore shiny faux plate greaves and gauntlets with an overly elaborate greatsword slung over his shoulder as he examined himself in the mirror.
Earlier, Austin had been all too eager to help him wax away some of his face so he could draw on realistic-looking battle scars.
I don’t think I’d ever heard Roscoe scream so loud.
“I think he wore a little more than that in the game,” I said.
“He did?” Roscoe scratched his head. “This is exactly what he looked like when Adam was playin’.”
“Adam likes to use slutty mods. You do look hot though.”
“Come on, Tarnished.” He held up a leather suit of armor with his other hand. “Don’t you want yer… ample reward?”
“Sorry. I’m not feeling up to it. All I wanna do lately is sleep.”
Roscoe leaned his fake sword against the wall before sitting next to me on our new bed. As much as he expressed his disapproval, he’d fall asleep almost instantly once he laid down.
“You don’t gotta wear nothin’ if ya don’t want to. It’s yer night, ya know.”
“We don’t know that yet. I’ve been feeling like shit for weeks now, and nothing’s really changed.” I looked over at him again. “I hope you don’t leave.”
“Now, stop that.” He removed his gauntlet and slipped his arm around me. “We’ve been through this already.” He sighed and stood, removing his costume until he was wearing nothing. “I’ve been thinkin’ that it ain’t normal for you to feel like this for so long.”
“Then why am I still like this? Is there something wrong with me?”
“Yup.” He pointed to my shirt. “Take off yer clothes.”
“I don’t wanna have sex right now.”
“We ain’t. Take ‘em off.”
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at him before standing and removing my clothing. “Okay?”
“Let’s go outside.”
“It’s cold.”
“Dude, yer covered in fur right now. No excuses. Let’s go.”
“My dick is still visible.”
“Yeah so? Everyone here’s seen it.” He picked up his cell phone and began typing out a text, then then went into the closet and pulled out a relic of his past—the old orange hoodie he’d worn when we first met. “I cleaned it.”
“I thought you said—”
“I said a lot of things. I’m startin’ over. It’ll be our smells, and our pack’s. Once you turn, you’ll love that smell, because it’s everyone. It’s home, ya know?”
That made me smile. There was something I’d wanted to say to him for so long, but I was always too afraid. I was still afraid—after all, I’d said it once before only to have it end in pain.
Roscoe grabbed me by the arm and led me into the living room before making our way out into the back yard. Darryl was already outside standing near a newly made fire while staring up at the waxing moon. He wasn’t wearing any clothing either, but that wasn’t unusual.
“Man, what a night,” he said before turning back to me. “Not gonna dress up—in anything?”
“I think we’re gonna have us Halloween at home, and I got a surprise fer Cody.”
“Okay, I’m worried,” I said while following Roscoe over to the fire. Once he sat, I took the spot next to him with Darryl on the other side.
Roscoe grinned, a few of his sharper canines glistening in the light of the flames.
As the minutes passed, one-by-one, the others arrived, each removing their costumes and clothes before taking their places on the grass around the fire. Blake, Randall, and Steve playfully shoved each other a little too close to the flames, knocking over the logs causing an ember to land on Austin.
The large werewolf screamed while rolling on the ground, smothering the burning fur. With a snarl, he charged at the other three while shouting all kinds of curse words. Adam, Darryl, and Roscoe burst into laughter as the four scuffled in the dark away from the group.
“I’m actually shocked they managed to remodel the house without destroying it,” Darryl said before straightening the logs, adding a couple more to the fire. He looked up at Adam. “How’s Austin doing?”