“Why don’t you come with me to the bedroom,” he said, reaching for the larger werewolf’s hand.
Austin wildly scanned the room, his breathing turning to panting. Roscoe was able to grab his hand before gently leading the other werewolf toward the hallway.
“Everything’s gonna be fine,” Roscoe assured, putting one careful step in front of the other. One wrong move could have sent Austin right over the edge. The larger werewolf trembled,drool roping from his maw onto Roscoe’s arm. “They really fucked you up there, didn’t they?”
The other werewolf didn’t say anything, but he did allow Roscoe to lead him into the bedroom. The door clicked closed, leaving Adam and me in stifling silence.
“I hate it when he gets like that,” Adam said, continuing to eat as if nothing happened. “You guys get to see what I’ve been dealing with for over a year.”
“Dude! That was not some casual acting out. That was full-blown PTSD! He needs help.”
“Good luck convincing him to get any,” Adam said coldly before setting his fork down. “No one can force him to do anything, but he’s too afraid of change. So he just stays in his own little hell.”
“Why aren’t you more concerned?”
“Because I’m not. I’m past that. I learned a while ago that I can’t do a damn thing anyways. I tried everything, but now I’m just tired. Once I turn, I’m outta here and he can be you guys’ problem. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life babysitting someone who doesn’t want to help himself.”
“I guess,” I said, trying not to show how annoyed I was, but I kind of understood. It was emotional fatigue, and it could happen to even the most giving person—which Adam was not. He was still a kid, and this was too much for him to handle.
“You were right. There’s more to Roscoe than I give him credit for,” Adam said before pulling away from the table. “Maybe a really, really small part of me finds that kind of a turn-on.”
I smiled. “Mmhmm.”
“It’s a really small part of me, Cody. Almost microscopic,” he added.
“Whatever you say.”
Chapter 12
The Mayor
“Maybe we should have sex,” Adam said, breaking the silence. He stared blankly at the ceiling while lying next to me, the faint glow of the hall night light slicing into the room. “Fuck me, Cody. Call me your pretty little princess.”
“Tempting,” I said, looking over at him. Though he was trying to lighten the mood, his expression remained concerned.
“What do you think they’re doing in there? It’s been two hours.”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” I sat up and fluffed the pillow behind me before lying down again. “Has Austin always been like that? I mean, you said he was fucked in the head when you first met, but likethat?”
“Not this bad. There’s a sweet side to him, but I haven’t seen that person in a while. He’s always moody, and no one likes to be around him. I don’t even think he likes to be around himself.”
“This is really upsetting.”
“I’m not good with this stuff. I didn’t even know what was wrong with him for the longest time. It’s not like I can just break up with him and leave, either. I’m literally stuck in a position I can’t get out of without some awful, lifelong consequence.”
“Suppose the kuu didn’t exist. Could you really leave him like this?”
Adam didn’t respond.
“I’m not saying you should stay in an abusive relationship, but if there’s a chance we can help him, it might be worth sticking around. Especially since you’re not dealing with this alone anymore.” I rolled out of bed and stumbled over Adam’s pants.
“Where are you going?”
“This is about to drive me crazy. I’m going to see what they’re doing.”
“I’m coming with.” Adam threw off the covers and followed close.
We crept toward the other bedroom, the loose floorboards in the hallway giving us away. I pressed my ear to the door but didn’t hear anything. When I opened it a crack, I could see Roscoe sitting up against the headboard, sound asleep. Austin’s head was in his lap while the rest of his body was in the fetal position, his huge, clawed feet dangling over the mattress.
