When I walked in, Silas looked over from the barber chair, where he offered me a smile, before excusing himself from the client in his chair. Silas was…pretty, there was no other way to describe his intriguing look. He had this shiny, warm, tawny skin that peeked through the sheer wrap he wore over a cropped black tee. On top of his head, he had what looked like large, green braids wound into eight tight knots. It wasn’t hair that rested on his head in such a stylish way, but snakes.
The gorgon finished the ensemble with the dark purple glasses he always wore. Well, one of the glasses he wore. Today’s were black-rimmed with rhinestones at the corners. The lenses were so dark, you couldn’t see his eyes, which was the point, I supposed.
Silas came up to me and lightly grabbed my arm, offering me an apologetic smile. He lowered his voice. “Thanks for coming, sugar. It’s the drain under the wash sink. You know our guest in the VIP suite?”
I leaned in closer and matched his hushed tone. “The sasquatch?”
Silas pursed his maroon-painted lips. “Yeah. I offered to take him to the outdoor station, but he wanted the full indoor treatment. And you know, that’s not something he gets to experience, so how could I turn him down? I knew it was going to be a mess, grooming all that hair, but it was one of those worry-about-it-later situations. And, well, it's now later.”
Straightening, I offered him a smile. “No big deal. Was he happy, at least?”
Silas grinned, and I wished—not for the first time—that I could see it reach his eyes.What color even were they?“The happiest. He even had me put little bows in his hair. It was adorable. Do you know I had to get on a stepstool to reach the top of his head? I mean, I expected him to be big, but I didn’t really comprehend it until he was in front of me. It took hours to get through the tangled mess of hair. It was all worth it, though, to see the bounce in his big steps when he left.”
Damn, I wish I had seen it. I knew the sasquatch was staying here, but I hadn’t run into him yet. He seemed to prefer his privacy. Silas gave a nod toward his client and squeezed my arm. “I gotta get back.”
“Go, do your thing, make people pretty.” I shooed him off.
He looked back at me and said, “They are already pretty, Wolfie, I’m just helping themshine.”
Crossing the room to the washbasin and the drain cover behind it, I knelt on the ground and glanced back at the mirror where Silas and his client shared a laugh as he cut her hair. There was no laugh or shared smile for me as I removed the cover.
The visible clog made me grimace. My job definitely wasn’t as glamorous as Silas’s. Plumbing wasn't my favorite—it probably wasn’tanyone’sfavorite—but I was no stranger to hair in the drains. I’d had my fair share after shifting. Oh well, I might not get the accolades or see the appreciation of our guests, but I knew that my role contributed to the happiness of a guest. At least, I tried to remind myself of that through the toughest jobs.
There was a lot to like about doing maintenance, too. Fixing something that had been broken or unusable and seeing a visible difference was pretty damn gratifying. If only I had as much control over myself and my beast as I did with the clog or the stair railing. The crumpled piece of paper that had set off my earlier incident sat in my pocket like a weight.
It was a completely innocuous item, nothing but a flat image, and yet, it had been enough to force my wolf out, making me break the railing on the outer staircase with my transformation. The impact of hitting the ground when I fell through it was enough to knock the wind and the wolf out of me. I was tough, though, and my body had been through far worse than a fall from the second floor of a building. Atleast I was capable of fixing what I’d broken without drawing any unnecessary attention.
The thing was… Ineededto let my beast out. I needed to shift. When I didn’t, my entire body ached like my bones were on the verge of breaking apart without the relief of it actually happening, but I was out of sync with it. Always had been.
One of the benefits of the inn and the surrounding property was room to run. Thisshouldbe the safest place in the world for me to let that side take over. Without being in tune with the wolf side, when it took over, I was completely lost to it. Lost and feral and unable to find myself.
I loved my friends. I loved the support they gave me, no matter the state I was in. The depth of my loneliness before meeting everyone was immeasurable. Since starting Creature Comforts and having them in my daily life, a lot in me has healed. Not everything, though. Not whatever was broken between my wolf and me.
I should count myself lucky, and I did, but still… I longed for more. To be loved. To have a partner. But how could I hope to find someone when I spent so much time lost inside my own body and mind? Was there anyone strong enough to be able to pull me back?
Bowen
Aperson could only run on adrenaline and fear for so long. By the time my feet touched land on asecondisland, I was exhausted. The sun was setting behind an overcast sky, but there was a pathway lit by torches leading to God knew where.
I didn’t even know there was a smaller island near Catalina. It certainly wasn't where I was planning to go, not that I had a plan. Once I had reached Avalon, it hadn’t taken long before the local wildlife offered me the same warning I’d received earlier, urging me to find a private charter to Malterra Island. Clouds seemed to sit on the island like a cloak. There had been a moment on the small boat that I wondered if its captain was taking me out to the middle of the ocean to toss my body overboard, never to be seen again. If it had been a ploy to steal from me, he wouldn’t have gotten more than a variety of animal treats. I certainly hadn’t packed for thisunplanned trip.
The boat had pushed through the fog to a hidden port. The ominous vibe and the way the captain was quick to leave once I got on the dock made me wonder if I had just arrived atIsla Nublar.Were there velociraptors waiting in the thick trees? Predators didn’t typically worry me, but with something resurrected from the past, it might take longer to break through their language than more familiar animals. If I’d learned anything fromJurassic Park, it was to respect their unmatched hunting skills. I doubted prehistoric beasts would give me time to introduce myself.
A chill swept over me as I took a cautious step onto the lit path. My short-sleeved button-up and khaki pants weren’t ideal for an island excursion, though it wasn’t as bad as the bone-deep cold out on the ocean. Folding my arms over my chest, I wished there was some sort of creature that could offer me assurance, or at least accompany me. I was feeling incredibly alone, and exhaustion was seeping in after being on the run all day.
With no idea of what was at the other end of this path, my imagination started filling in details. I heard a rustling in the distance, making me pause to see if I could determine what kind of animal might be out there. Ihopedit was an animal. Or at least,nota person. Or a velociraptor. Meeting a man alone in the dark woods on an isolated island was about as scary a scenario as I could imagine. I doubted a treat from the bottom of my messenger bag would get me outof that. Man or bear? The answer was easy. I would choose bear every time.
Another rustle sounded, making my heart rate spike. “Hello?” I called out, instantly chastising myself. Wasn’t that how all horror movies started?
A low chortle rumbled through the trees, bringing momentary relief. It didn’tsoundlike a velociraptor, as if Jurassic Park were an absolute authority on dinosaur sounds. It also didn’t sound human, which was probably the bigger relief. I know… I know… I shook my head at myself.
Then I saw it. Saw…something. It was big. Really big. Long arms swung as it walked quickly. I froze in place. It had a primate-like appearance. If a primate stood eight feet tall and had an almost human gait. In the light of the torches, I thought I caught a glimpse of something pink on the top of its head. Two pink things.Bows?What?!
I blinked hard, and it was gone.Weird fucking day.
Maybe all the stress was getting to me, or maybe the mist that seemed to settle over the island was fucking with my head. Either way, I needed a bed. I took off my glasses, rubbing my tired eyes, and continued along the path.
The mist parted, and a building appeared before me. It looked like a cozy bed-and-breakfast with a large porch and welcoming, warm light, which was the absolute last thing I expected to see. A sign hung over the front door that readCreature Comforts Inn.Itseemed inviting enough, but so did the Visitor Center on Isla Nublar. At least it meant they probably had beds. Hopefully. If there weren’t any vacancies after everything it took to get here, I might cry.
