“We know how to ward against those witches,” I said. “The ferals gave us those stones I used last night.”
“The witches aren’t the risk. If Austin stays too long, he’ll become feral and won’t return. There’s also a chance that whatever pack finds him out there will prevent him from going back. Not only that, werewolves feel at home in the woods, more so than they do in civilization. If Austin is reluctant to break through this spell, it might be impossible for him to come back once he’s out there and can forget his past.”
“They can do that?” I glanced at Roscoe who had fallen asleep sitting up, drool dripping from his hanging tongue. “Can they actually make you forget your past?”
“It’s very common, and it’s why ferals rarely return. The moment they come back to their old life, there’s always an emptiness that can never be filled. They would never fully adjust to life in the town, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. They keep the coven from becoming too unruly with their own unique knowledge. It’s why I’m not averse to you seeking them out, but it will be up to you all whether you want to take the risk. He’syourpackmate.”
“Would he be happier out there for good?” Adam asked.
We all turned toward him in unison, Darryl and me shooting him glares.
“Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to leave him with the ferals,” he continued.
“This isn’t a get out of jail free card, Adam,” Darryl said. “You won’t be able to just leave him out there.”
“Why’s that?” he asked.
“You’re a werewolf now, and you get all of the weird shit that comes along with it.” Darryl yawned again, barely able to keep his eyes open. “If you do decide to dump him there, Austin’s gonna have to be aware enough to agree to leave the pack, or he’ll just follow you back home.”
“Do you still really want to leave him?” I asked. “I know you planned on it before, but you guys seemed to be getting closer lately.”
“I don’t know what I want anymore.” Adam’s ears fell. “I just want to be happy. I don’t think I’ve ever felt happy.”
“Then this might be good for you and Austin in the long run, if this all works out,” Willa said. “You both may learn new ways to cope with your problems.”
“No way,” Adam said. “I’m not going out there. What if they don’t let me come back?”
“I’d take him, but he’s not listening to me anymore,” I said. “You’re the only one that can do it.”
“But—”
“Or have a mindless werewolf following you every minute of every day, for the rest of your life,” Darryl interrupted, his tone growing more impatient. “You decide.”
“You don’t need to decide right now,” Willa said. “Give it time and see if the problem resolves itself.”
Adam averted eye contact, his posture submissive. When he’d been a half-turn, it had been hard to pick up on his feelings, but now his emotions were much harder to hide.
Darryl’s scornful gaze softened, and he wrapped one arm around Adam, pulling him close.
“Maybe I’ve been too hard on you. Sorry,” he said softly, rocking the smaller werewolf from side to side. “We all fuck up, and we’ll keep fucking up for the rest of our lives. You seem like you don’t care, but I know you do.”
Adam didn’t respond, laying his head against Darryl’s chest with his eyes closed.
I stood and stretched before shaking Roscoe awake. “Let’s go home.”
The Next Day
Darryl’s ride pulled into the driveway, and the werewolf slipped a burly arm through one of the straps of his bag while holding his guitar case.
“I wish you could stay,” I said, wrapping my arms around him.
“And I wish you guys would move back to the beach. Being away from the ocean is stressing me out.”
“You have been a tightass lately. Kinda wish you would go back to being a beach bum that gets high all the time,” Roscoe said, smooshing me between him and Darryl. “Is Adam gonna say goodbye?”
“We had a long talk last night, and it’s going to be rough for a while.” Darryl pulled away and stepped out onto the porch, nodding to me. “You’re gonna need to give him some extra attention.”
“He’s really upset with me, isn’t he?”
