“I hope he don’t stay in there all day. We got grape Kool-Aid booze out here.”
The door to the garage slammed open and Austin peeked out, his ears perking all the way up. “Booze?”
“Only a little bit!” I shouted, blocking the way to the jugs as all three ganged up on me.
Roscoe snatched one of them and began pouring the liquid into plastic cups.
“I mean it!”
“Oh, lighten up, Cody,” Adam said. “It’s my birthday. Mosavi’s not going to know anything as long as no one’s stupid enough to walk around drunk downtown.” He shot a narrow stare at the both werewolves.
As they guzzled what was essentially vodka and sugar, a knock sounded at the door. I hadn’t expected anyone else since I kind of wanted to keep Adam’s party on the downlow. When I opened the door, my stomach dropped.
“I was instructed to bring a gift,” Mosavi growled out. He was in human form wearing his usual suit, but above his shirt was a thick, spiked collar strapped uncomfortably tight. He brushed me aside before stepping into the house. The three in the kitchen scrambled to spit out the alcohol and hide the evidence.
He cocked one of his bushy brows before setting a small gift on the table, eyeing everyone with that piercing, accusatory gaze he often wore. It was so quiet that we could hear Roscoe’s stomach growling.
“Uh… hey yer majesty,” Roscoe said seriously with an awkward head bow. “Want some chicken?”
“I do not,” he replied, keeping unusually calm.
“I was drinking, sir! I admit it,” Austin said, eagerly stepping forward, his tail wagging. “I should be punished for it. Severely.”
“What the fuck? Shut the hell up,” Adam whispered, just barely audible.
Mosavi bared his teeth before taking another calming breath, adjusting the thick collar around his neck.
“I have only come to—” He was obviously struggling to hold his form as his words began to sound shaky and angry. “Give a gift and say…” Mosavi paused, exhaling through his teeth again. “Happy birthday.” He growled that last part as if someone was nudging him.
“Ooh! What did ya get me? I bet it’s expensive,” Adam said, dashing over to the table.
Mosavi caught his hand and gave it a hard squeeze. “How about a thank you,” he said slowly through his sharp teeth again, still obviously trying to keep himself from shifting. “You little—” He groaned and tugged at the collar. “Adam.”
“Uh, thank you,” the half-turn said nervously as Mosavi let him go.
The mayor started back to the front door.
“You’re not going to stay?” I asked, regretting that question when Adam elbowed me in the ribs.
“No. I need to get back.” And with that, he stepped outside, but not before saying, “I would strongly advise pouring out the evidence before the police get here.”
Once he disappeared, I snatched both jugs away from Austin and scrambled to dump them down the sink.
Trust in yourself…
Willa’s words repeated as I lay in bed, trying to take a late-afternoon nap to catch up on sleep I hadn’t been getting much of lately. Austin was in his garage, and Adam spent the remainder of his birthday outside tending to the yard. Our conversation earlier had made a deeper impact than usual, and he was actually doing something other than watching TV or playing on his phone. Maybe Austin’s gift had softened him a little more. I didn’t even know he liked plants.
Roscoe was in the kitchen, already starting on dinner. He was making his baked ziti, and that was something we were all looking forward to. The sauce was homemade and took seven hours to cook for some reason. One thing Roscoe loved more than food was cooking for other people. He would always anticipate our faces when we took our bites. The way his tail would wag with every satisfied moan always put me in a better mood. His passion for cooking even surpassed his terrible hygiene. When he was in the kitchen, he actually cleaned himself up.
The mirror Willa handed to me felt warm in my palm as I held it against my chest. She said not to trust her, but her words contradicted her actions. Perhaps that was the point. Showing rather than telling. Still, I’d take whatever vision I saw in this mirror with a grain of salt, especially knowing the type of control she had over Mosavi. I’d actually felt kind of sorry for him earlier as he struggled under that collar like a beaten dog. Of course, after the police paid us a visit, the sympathy went away.
I cracked open the mirror and peered into its clean reflection. Aside from a brief flash of light, nothing more happened. I stared into it longer before finally snapping it shut and laying it on the nightstand. Perhaps I’d try again after I woke up.
When I opened my eyes, a large brown werewolf lay next to me on a strange bed. He stared at me with silver eyes, using a giant clawed finger to gently brush away the strands of black hair in my face. My body didn’t obey nor did my mouth.
“Beast,” I said in Willa’s voice, as if compelled. It sounded so cold and devoid of emotion. “Are you that insatiable?”
“Yes,” Mosavi said in a low whisper. “I could take you again and again. Fill you with my seed until you beg me to stop, but you would still be empty.”
