Page 83 of Werewolves and Witches AU

Delving under the instantly hot stream of water, I stand still while my heaving chest calms and my tense muscles ease.

The pressure here is great, and the jets pound onto my skin. I roll my neck, captivated by the paths the rivulets carve as they pass down my body. A body I almost let Rowan trail his tongue—nope. No. Not happening.

Turning, I direct the stream onto the very top of my skull, hoping that as well as the dirt and debris from my headfirst tumble through a hedge, it might wash out those lingering wishes for what Rowan and I could be.

For every minute that passes, I feel a little better, and stand a little taller.

Wiping the water from my eyes, I pop my head out from the spray and search for a bottle of shampoo. Maybe “hunt” would be a more accurate word, though, because the single shelf is filled with different products, all with very specific jobs: hair wash, body wash, beard wash, face scrub, hair conditioner, and a separate beard conditioner. Wow.

Why does the hair on the head and the hair on the face need a different soap?

Shrugging, I take a healthy squirt of shampoo and lather it in. After all, I did risk severe injury with a hedge earlier for the sake of our mission while Ranger just stood there. So really, loaning me the obviously expensive shower products is the least he can do.

Curious, I use the face scrub next. I’ve used face scrubs before, of course. The aloe vera products I sell have one in their range and they sent me a sample when I joined, but I hadn’t been so amazed that I’d felt the need to replace it when it was finished.

I wince, my fingers stalling when I rub the tiny fragments of whatever over the forgotten scratch on my cheek. Lowering my fingers, I check for blood, but also… I hope those aren’t micro plastics. My company uses ground apricot pits, one of many environmentally friendly substitutes. Unconvinced, I give the tiny beads my best side-eye and make a mental note to check the ingredients.

Next, I pick up Rowan’s body wash and apply liberally.

This is a mistake. This is the product that smells most like him—earthy with a subtle spice. Homely. Boyfriendly. That werewolf is not my boyfriend.

Scowling, I step back under the hot stream of water and vigorously rinse everything. Wash, wash, wash.

Using his expensive-looking products was all fun, until it wasn’t.

When I’m convinced all his fragrance is gone from my body, I forgo any more experimentation, and step forward to reach the fluffy towel from the rail. Looking down to mind my footing, I catch sight of my torso in the narrowed field of focus of the shaving mirror and come to a dead stop. It’s my body—I know that—except…

I tilt my chin, fingers cautiously touching the skin of my left hip. Then I glance back in the mirror, then down at my body again.

My birthmark, once a slightly dark shade of pink, is now two-tone dark reddish-brown and purple—but the obvious colour change isn’t what has my heart pounding, nor is it the reason my breaths are lodged in my throat.

I’ve never seen the reflection of it in the mirror before, or if I have, the mark’s colour was too pale to really notice, but… I look back to the mirror to be sure. Yes. Very sure.

The birthmark I’ve had all my life is shaped to resemble the head and neck of a russet wolf howling in front of a large violet moon.

That’s no ordinary birthmark. That’s a heritage mark. And not just any heritage mark, either, but the Luna del Lupo enchantment!

Tentatively, I run my finger over it, but there’s no crackle or itch. It feels just like the rest of my skin.

With a shaky exhale, I step out of the shower and grab the towel.

Janus was right—I do have it on me. Which means that I must also be a descendant of the original witch who cast it. But that also means that like her, I can choose to share this enchantment with a loved one.

Immediately, Ethel comes to mind.

The enchantment defends against the kind of temporal magic Janus favours, but if I shared it with her, would it also protect her from other effects of time? Like the inevitable passage of it?

In a distracted daze, I dry myself, but I forget to shut off the shower. Stepping over my pile of clothes, I leave the bathroom and close myself quietly inside the room I woke up in this morning.

Dressing on autopilot, I don’t see which underwear or T-shirt I pull out from my bag. Hair still damp, I squeeze it once more with the towel, then drop it to sit on the edge of the still plastic-covered bed.

Now that I’ve discovered what kind of enchantment the Luna del Lupo is, and I know for certain that I’m fully protected against any of Janus’s magical tricks, a creeping smile spreads across my face.

Thanks to Ranger, I also know that without his magic, Janus is susceptible to the jaws of an alpha wolf… which might make him susceptible to other forms of attack too.

My smile widens further still. Puny god.

Galvanised by this sudden reduction in the threat my nemesis poses, I hurry to check my bag. The candles are still in there, but the crystals are downstairs, so I’ll need to be super quiet when I fetch those.