“Why does this keep happening?”
“I dunno, but that was a dangerous look you gave.” He examined me as we walked along main street. “Get mad at me all you want, that’s fine. I love annoying the shit outta you, but the moment you feel yerself lose it in front of humans, you need to back away.”
“Oh please. Do I look like I’m going to fight someone? The guy was obviously trying to rip us off, and I was about to go all Karen on his ass.”
“No. I know that look well. You were ready to rip the guy to pieces, and I don’t mean with yer words.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I’m serious. Yer fur got thicker, and yer teeth and claws were growing. When a half-turn does that, it gets bad.”
“I—that doesn’t make any sense. We’re not dangerous like werewolves.”
“Where the hell’d you hear that?”
“Look at me! What am I going to do to someone? I’m just a glorified fleshlight.”
“Jeez, Cody. The whole Austin and Adam thing ain’t normal—usually. Is that what you think you are to me?”
I folded my arms but didn’t respond.
“I think of you as my buddy. My best buddy,” Roscoe continued, draping his arm over my shoulder. “We just also happen to fuck a lot. That’s normal for us. It keeps you from gettin’ all snarly.”
“Am I dangerous? Is that why there are so many restrictions on half-turns?”
“Well, kinda, but not usually.”
“Can you just tell me, please?”
Roscoe scratched his mane, cocking a grin. “Ever see a toddler throw a temper tantrum?”
“Excuse me? You’re comparingmeto a toddler?”
“I’m serious. The kid doesn’t know why he’s angry, and he doesn’t know how to handle it other than crying, throwing things, and pitching a fit. Maybe break his toys. That’s kinda like how half-turns are. They get all these new senses, emotions, abilities, and they get them really fast, but nothing’s in sync yet. If I make you mad, I just work the ol’ werewolf charm.If a human pisses you off and you don’t know how to handle yerself, you could do some real damage. Yer probably the most repressed piece of work I’ve ever met, and yeah, that makes you really dangerous.”
“Repressed?”
“You got all weird and embarrassed when I pissed on that tree. That’s like…ourthing. We pee on stuff.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward one of those odd-looking gnarled trees that lined the walkway. “Here. Pee on it.”
“I’m not peeing on a tree in front of the whole damn town,” I hissed through my teeth.
“See? Uptight. Ashamed. Repressed. So worried about what everyone thinks.”
“This is different. You know what they call guys that whip their dicks out in public?”
“You think that tree’s gonna get all offended?” He laughed and patted the trunk. “Hell, look at it. It likes being peed on.”
“Don’t be a smart-ass. There are a lot of other trees in more private places. You don’t have to make a show of it, and I know you do that shit on purpose.”
“It’s great bein’ a werewolf, but it’s also pretty sweet being a half-turn. We can get away with shit humans can’t. If you wanna pee on this tree, no one’s gonna care.”
I began walking along the sidewalk again, with Roscoe following close. “Common decency,” I said. “No one wants to see that shit.”
“You’d be surprised.”
“Not everyone wants to be fucked by you, Roscoe.”
“Whoa. That came outta left field.”
