It was serene out here. Secluded, too, which was a plus. It would be pretty nice if it wasn’t populated. Out of all the remote islands in the middle of the ocean, why did I have to come to one withpeopleon it? The food, though, damn. Why did it have to be made by an asshole?
I continued walking as I tried to shake off the strange encounter, letting my thoughts return to the guy who had been behind me in the lobby, staring at me with panic before running off. Not that that was any better a direction for my mind to go, but something about it was endearing in a strange way. At least with him, I didn’t feel like I needed to watch my back. There was something almost boyish behind the shaggy hair and loose clothes. Not that he looked like a minor, he was all man for sure, but maybe a little lost. That was something I could relate to. Of course, I was probably reading too much into it; people werenotmy area of expertise.
Baying and roaring sounded in the distance, drawing my attention back to the path and the trees around me. My lips lifted in a partial smile as I listened to the animals calling to each other. It was funny, though. It almost sounded as if there were a mix of predators working as a pack, calling out directions or egging each other on. That wasn’t typical… to have species intermingling like that. How many species were on this island anyway? Was that typical? Were they native to the island, or had they been imported and adapted to the limited terrain?
The snap of twigs nearby had me perk up, listening intently. Another crunch sounded closer. I gripped the strap of my messenger bag and waited, not wanting to startle whatever it was. A low snarl rumbled, and with it, I heard a familiar voice. “Delicious.”
“Hello?” I called out, staring into the dark trees. Movement out of the corner of my eye had me whipping my head in that direction. I kept my voice calm and my tone light. “It’s okay, I’m not dangerous.”
Another rustling sounded, and I waited, standing tall. Running would be the worst thing to do if it were a predatory creature. Even if they came to understand what I could do, their instincts might push them to hunt first and talk later.
Heavy snuffing sounds seemed to echo around me, and a growl came from over my head, too big for any animal I’d ever encountered, even bears. My heart rate kicked up, but I stood my ground. None of my previous experiences could have prepared me for what stepped onto the path before me.
I drew in a sharp gasp but tried not to let panic take over. Calm. I needed to stay calm. Adding the scent of scared prey to the situation would be a bad idea. The creature before me was big,reallybig. Nearly two feet taller than my five-foot-seven. It was covered in black fur and had an elongated snout like a wolf. Its eyes glowed pink, and its teeth werebared, with drool dripping from them. It had its arms lifted, with long, sharp claws gleaming in the torchlight. My eyes scanned down its enormous body to see a T-shirt stretched tight across its chest.
No…hischest. There was no mistaking the bulge beneath the jeans that seemed near their breaking point. He was a…werewolf? No, that couldn’t be. Those didn’t exist. Except, there was no other word that came to mind as I looked at the hulking creature who stood on two legs and wore clothes. I could see his tail twitch behind him.
He tilted his head back and sniffed the air. Sniffing toward me. Then he let out a roar that seemed to bounce off the trees around us. It was so loud that I imagined everyone on the island would hear it. Loud enough to make most men quake and quiver. I could admit, I quivered a little, but I forced myself to stay steady, especially as I heard the word that came through the roar.
“Miiiinnne!”
Mine? Was he talking about me? I hope he didn’t mean, like, to eat. He was a predator, and a big one at that. Predators ate meat, and here I was being meat. I couldn’t blame him, though he might have had a bigger meal if he found someone who wasn’t as scrawny as I was.
“Hey there, big guy,” I kept my tone in that gentle, disarming one I used when greeting new animals. I’d never met a werewolf before, but I hoped there wasenough of the wolf part of him to respond to a canine approach, which usually involved praise. Every species of canine I’d met had responded to praise. His tail twitched, and his head cocked to the side. It would have been cute if he weren’t a giant supernatural creature that shouldn’t exist.
Holding out a hand, I took a step closer. “It’s okay. I’m a friend.”
The beast stiffened and stepped back slightly. “No!”
Huh. Interesting. Was he… scared ofme? I took another small step closer. “You don’t have to be frightened. It’s okay.”
A low growl rumbled out of him, giving me pause. “No. Don’t. Want. To. Hurt. You.” It seemed like it took him great effort to bite out the words.
I lowered my outstretched hand and took a chance to look up at his face. His glowing pink eyes seemed to tighten with what looked like warring emotions. “It’s all right. You’re not going to hurt me. You’re a good boy, aren’t you?”
His tail wagged behind him, and I saw his eyes soften. I couldn’t help but smirk with amusement at the reaction. I took another step closer, and this time he didn’t back away. He huffed loudly as he remained still, but his tail gave him away, swishing as I grew closer.
He inhaled again, meeting my gaze, and growled. “Smell fuckingdelicious.”
I chuckled in surprise before remembering the treats in my bag. That must be what he was smelling. I quirked my lips to the side as I tried to figure out what to do with this giant freaking beast. First… maybe I could make him feel less giant. “Can you sit?”
To my amused surprise, he crouched into a squat, bringing him closer to my height. “Good boy.”
His tail wagged again, and his eyes lit up, so I decided to continue on this same path. “That’s right, you’re a good boy, aren’t you?”
Reaching into my bag, I grabbed one of the bully sticks I kept. They were safer and healthier than rawhide for a lot of breeds, while still requiring more time to consume than dog biscuits, which was helpful in some situations. Holding the stick out, I offered it to him. “Do you want a treat?”
The crouching werewolf snarled at me as if he were offended by the suggestion, but his eyes went to the rolled bully stick, and a string of drool fell from between two of his very sharp teeth.
“Go ahead. You can take it.”
With his clawed hand, he snapped out and grabbed the stick from me, and held it to his mouth, chewing on it with a grimace. He wore a strange look on his face, one that almost looked embarrassed.
“See? You’re not going to hurt me. You just needed to gnash your teeth a little, I get it, but I’m a friend. My name’s Bowen.”
“Bow-eeen.” He roared out my name in a way that made the hair on my arms stand up. His chest rose and fell as he huffed loudly between bites on the bully stick. “Bowen is mine!”
“Yes. I can be your friend.”
