Sage didn’t get that.From what he knew, the great outdoors was a big part of full moon shifting for werewolves.Even the lazy ones loved running that one night a month.
“I mean, I already told you that’s fine.You can shift wherever you’d like.But are you sure you don’t want to run and hunt squirrels?”
Will blanched rather than smiling at the joke, and Sage knew he had stepped in it.He just wasn’t sure what exactly he’d stepped in.
“I don’t want to run.”
Will looked tense, like there was more behind that statement, and maybe he wanted to say more, but he was hurting to get the words out.He pressed his lips tight together, and his shoulders were so tense that it got the cushions on the couch agitated.
“Well, if you wanna spend the full moon inside with me, that’s fine.You live here too.Or do you want to be alone?I can go to Peter’s and—”
Will jerked his head up, his face flushed.“No!I mean, I don’t want you to go.This is your place.”
Sage nodded, really only half sure he’d said all the right things.“If you change your mind, I’m happy to hang with Peter.”
“Do people ever just hang with Peter?”
Sage gave that some thought.“I honestly don’t know how to answer that.”
Will nodded.“I’ll shift here then?”
“Sure.”Sage did his best to make his voice light and keep the excitement out of it.He was looking forward to seeing what Will looked like in his wolf form.
“Thank you.”
After a moment, Will went back to quiet glances and scribbling in his notebook.He stayed seated at the dining table rather than returning to the couch.
The oddest thing was that Sage didn’t mind at all that Will was looking for some kind of closeness.It irritated Sage more when, five minutes later, he accidentally brushed against Will on his way to get more coffee and made Will flinch.
He’s been having nightmares too.Nightmares in this house.As the older witch with more life experience, I should’ve noticed, right?Should’ve done something.Can’t say I mind him staring and wanting to be near me though.
Sage didn’t have to do anything other than finish his invoicing all day, and he wasn’t really getting anywhere with that.After his third coffee, he headed out into the wilderness of the Vert garden.Thinking about the strawberries had made him want to get some for a snack; something for Will as a reward for working on his spells.
The house was comparatively tiny, with the garden taking up most of the property.Sage walked past the primroses he’d planted and enchanted himself, evaded the branches of the witch hazel and the willow tree spelled to grow no taller than a shrub, and just barely avoided stepping into the wandering pond, which changed location after every rainfall, fish and all.
A squawk from behind Sage made him stop and turn.Will had followed along, completely silent, and one of Granny’s roses had caught him with its thorns.Will was licking the back of his hand, his expression somewhere between sheepish and guilty.
“Will, the garden knows the taste of your blood now.”
Sage walked back to Will, avoiding the pond again.
“Does that mean I get to be, like, a sacrifice or something?”
“Nah.Let’s just say the flora is temperamental.Can I have a look?”He pointed at Will’s hand.
After a moment of hesitation, Will held out his arm, and Sage slowly took hold of his wrist.The roses had dug their thorns in deep.
“Truly mended be this skin, leave no scar, without, within.”
Will gaped as the scratch closed and healed.To Sage’s surprise, he didn’t even pull his hand right back, rather, he let Sage hold him.So Sage did.
“I didn’t know you could do that.”Will’s eyes were wide and shining with wonder, like two beautiful golden gems.
“It’s easier to do it on others than on yourself, just so you know.And unless you specialize in healing magic and learn more about how the body works, you won’t be able to do super major stuff.”
“Super major?”
“Yeah.Magical jargon.You’ll get used to it.”
