I looked down and read until I got to the bold print. “Dude. That’s kinda gross.”
“I’ll do it, if you want.”
I folded the paper and tossed it with the others. “I’m not interested. Plus, I have a roommate already, like I said.”
They all stared in silence, and I had a feeling they knew I was lying since I hadn’t completely made up my mind about the Roscoe situation.
“That sounds kind of suspicious,” the barista muttered in a contemplative tone. “You might have gotten yourself into a bad situation.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, and took a bite of one of the turnovers.
Before the werewolf could answer, another half-turn entered the cafe with a cocky stride, thankfully taking some of the attention off me. He wore a black tank top and torn, brown cargo shorts. Something thicker than body hair covered his arms and chest—like short, peppery fur—though there were places where his dark bare skin showed. The guy looked a little younger than me, his jawline sharp and hair styled in unruly dreads.
“Perfect timing,” the barista said, waving the guy over.
“What?” he grunted before glaring at me.
“Adam, this is…” The barista trailed off. “What’s your name again?”
“Cody,” I said, extending my hand toward the half-turn.
He didn’t take it. Instead, he eyed the turnovers before snatching one. “Don’t care.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but the barista cut me off. “Don’t be rude, you little shit. He’s about to go half-turn.” He smacked the guy on the back of the head. “And those are for him. You owe me two bucks.”
“Aw come on. He’s not gonna eat all these.” The half-turn glanced at the folded sheets of paper in front of me. “Want some advice? Be picky as hell when you decide to let one of these dirty fuckers live with you.”
“Show him your kuu,” the barista said, pointing to a dark, metal choker around Adam’s neck.
“Ah yeah, the trap,” he said, tugging at the choker. It shimmered a little more than it should have in the dim, natural light of the café. He glared at the barista again. “Once you get one of these, you’ve gotta pay for your pastries.”
“Why’s it a trap?” I asked.
“It’s not. He’s being dramatic,” the barista said. “You get one of these from your chosen werewolf, and once you wear it, everyone will know you’re not looking. But—”
“It’s a fucking trap,” Adam repeated.
“Stop scaring him. You’re just upset because you were thinking with your dick when you chose your werewolf.”
Adam picked up the folded papers off the table and waved them in my face. “Read. These. Carefully.” He turned and glared at the other werewolves. “Don’t put up with their shit, and don’t let one try to sweet-talk you. They’re good at that because they only want to use you.”
He just described Roscoe to a T, and I started to feel stupid again. Of course he’d left out all this weird kuu shit.
“Why don’t you just take it off and find another one?” I asked, pointing to the choker. “And why should I even accept one?”
“If I could take it off, I’d have done it already, dumbass.” Adam leaned in closer. “Welcome to werewolf hell.” He pulled up a chair and took his place next to me. “This thing is supposed to help with the homeless werewolf problem, but it’s just exploitation through magic.”
“Magic?” I rolled my eyes. “Would you stop with this crap?”
“Sounds stupid, but I’m telling the truth. You’re about to see a lot of fucked up shit, man.”
“Let me explain this a little better.” The barista slapped the back of Adam’s head again. “We’re kind of pigeonholed into doing shitty jobs the humans don’t want to do, and thesejobsdon’t offer any kind of livable wage. Most werewolves would rather just be homeless rather than work for slave wages. In this part of town, all businesses are werewolf-owned, and most houses are designated Section-L for half-turns. They’re tiny little shit-boxes that only have enough space for two, so in response, our community took matters into its own hands by gaming the system, so to speak.
“When you start to shift into a half-turn, you’re eligible for government assistance and housing. It’s also an unspoken rule that you will have to choose a werewolf to live with until you make the full shift, and you’ll be required to donate half the money you get from the government to the settlement project. The kuu is a way to ensure you comply with this. After it’s over, you’ll get to live at a werewolf commune, not governed by humans. It’s guaranteed housing and actual career opportunities for both you and your chosen werewolf.”
“Once it’s finished? So, I’ll just be homeless until a commune is ready?Andthey’re gonna take half my money? What is this commie bullshit?”
“Commie? You’re getting money from the government. What did you expect?” Adam snapped. “It’s really the only good deal there is—if you can find a werewolf to live with that isn’t a useless piece of shit.” He grabbed another turnover, but the barista slapped it out of his hand. “Stop being a nazi. He’s not going to eat six of these things.”
