A Werewolf Valentine's Read online

  “I know. Drinking it like that, if I were human, it would've killed me. Mom said she knew my wolf powers would heal me, but that she had to try. She'd said that in talking to other hunters and doing research, that that was the most common ingredient in spells to turn werewolves back into humans.” He sighed again and ran his fingers through his hair. “And that's not the only thing she's tried. The other day, I woke up to her burning my foot with some kind of weird silver shoe. She slipped it on while I was sleeping.”

  I just stared at Josiah, completely and utterly shocked. What was I supposed to say to that? What was I supposed to do? I couldn't just let Elsie torture—and possibly kill—her son. Holy crap. Was it time to bring Mom into the fold? I figured she and dad were probably … ugh … you know up in her room and I really didn't want to bother them, but for this? I totally would.

  “So … let me just get this straight,” I said, still whispering, my voice nearly carried away by the breeze, “your mother tried to … burn and poison the wolf out of you?”

  Josiah kept his dark gaze focused on the rest of the backyard, on the green grass, the trampoline, the little patio with my mom's fancy barbecue/smoker. Mom could grill some seriously mean steaks.

  “I know she loves me, and I know she wouldn't intentionally hurt me, but even if she thinks this is what's best for me and Corine, it's a little scary, Sylv.”

  The balloons bounced and jostled as I nuzzled even closer to Josiah, closing my eyes and breathing in the woodsy spice of his scent, my new werewolf senses picking up all kinds of weird sounds in the woods behind the house—rodents scrambling over wet leaves, the sound of an owl's wings taking flight, the rustle of branches from a passing deer. My wolf wanted to stand up, shift, and hunt. I was still getting used to the sensation of having this otherness awake inside of me; it was me, but it wasn't at the same time, like having two personalities living in the same body.

  “We should tell my mom,” I said finally, my body wrapped around Josiah's arm as he stared off into the distance for a few more moments and then turned back to me with a smile, pushing his discomfort back. Because that's what he did, this boy, he tried to make sure everyone around him was happy all the time, regardless of how he was feeling. And I loved him for that.

  “Agreed. But maybe … you could tell her tomorrow or something? Tonight, I was kind of hoping it would just be you and me.” I flushed from head to toe as Josiah curled his fingers through mine. “Hey, did you ever look inside that box?”

  “Crap!” I said, sitting up straight, making the balloons flutter like big, shiny birds. “I forgot to check. Between stringing Chase's Moana underwear up on a flagpole and starting that gender identity paper for humanities, I didn't get to look.” I paused and glanced over at him with narrowed eyes, not liking the cheeky little expression scrawled across that handsome face. “Is it something embarrassing?” I asked and Josiah's smile turned into a grin. “Oh my god, it so is!” I squealed, shoving at him as he laughed. “It's not a condom, is it?” I asked and then of course, you know, I blushed again. Something about it being February and Valentine's Day and Spring made the air feel like it was infused with love molecules. It was like the whole world was obsessed with love and romance and … well, sex.

  “Why would I put a condom in the box?” Josiah asked, feigning innocence as he slipped his fingers into the front pocket of his hoodie and pulled out a small handful of little square packages. “When I have all we need right here.”

  “Oh my god,” I groaned again, sitting back on the rock and putting my hands over my face, “you're the worst.”

  “Only on opposite day,” he said as I slid my hands down just enough to look at him over the tips of my fingers. Of course, I was smiling behind my palms, but it wasn't like I was about to let him know that. There was a pause, a breath; he looked away, looked back. “Just so you know,” he said, all serious like, “I didn't come over here to booty call you or anything.”

  “Did you seriously just say booty call?” I asked, dropping my hands into my lap. I'd forgotten I was wearing holiday themed pj pants. It was sort of a thing in my house, you know? My parents got us all new jammies for each holiday, even ones like Earth Day or President's Day. Did I mention I had a set of pajamas with George Washington's face on them? So unsexy.

  “I just want you to know that I didn't come here to have sex with you.” Josiah handed the condoms over to me and I took them, reaching over and stuffing them back in his pocket. “Well, I mean, I'm not opposed to it or anything, of course.” His grin got a little wider. “In fact, I'm pretty much in favor of sex anytime, anywhere, just … that wasn't my main motivation to see you. You know that, right?”

  “You're weird,” I told him, but what I really meant was thank you. Sex was messy and weird, and I knew a lot of teenage girls and guys that fumbled their way through it, let it become something other than what it was—a race, a challenge, an inevitability to be suffered through. With Josiah and me though, it wasn't like that at all. I wasn't confused or nervous, and I didn't feel pressured or commoditized. I appreciated the way he handled this thing between us, all joking aside. “But I like you anyway.”

  “Like?” he asked, giving me a pretend moue of disappointment. “We're back to like now?” He bumped his shoulder into mine and then picked at the fabric on the knee of my white flannel pants, pointing at the scrawled gold letters of I Love You to the Moon and Back interspersed with little heart-shaped full moons. The whole werewolf-irony of my pants was not lost on me. “Because, you know, I,” Josiah put a hand on his chest and then jumped off the rock, spinning around to face me, “love you, Sylvia Noel Noe, to the moon,” he pointed a finger up at the sky, “and back.”

  Josiah took a few more steps back and then lifted his hoodie up and over his head, tossing it back at me. I caught it and watched with no small amount of awe as he stripped off his shirt and flashed me the most ridiculously beautiful chest I'd ever seen in my life.

  “You coming?” he asked slyly, throwing his shirt at me and easing towards the darkness of the woods. It wasn't a very wide area for us to run in, but … my wolf growled with pleasure at the idea of being free, of running in the cool wet darkness with my mate. Without waiting for a reply, Josiah kicked his skater shoes off, peeled away his white socks, and then turned, shoving his pants down his hips and flashing me a whole lot of bare butt.

  If I said it looked pretty in the moonlight, would you totally think I was crazy?

  “Josiah!” I scolded, but I was standing up anyway, tearing my tank top off, shedding my fluffy cloud slippers. By the time I was stripping off my bra and panties—never gets any less embarrassing, does it?—Josiah was already in full wolf form, his dark fur rippling with white, like a night sky full of stars.

  I got naked as he waited at the edge of our yard, his muzzle lifted, scenting the fragrant nighttime air.

  Here goes nothing.

  My eyes slid shut, my breath slowed, and I felt the change ripple across my skin like a breeze over a golden field. My body shuddered and adjusted itself, melting and molding itself into a different shape. I'd been practicing with Mom for the past few weeks, and it was much smoother now, much less painful. As long as I went slow and easy, didn't rush it, then it was as simple and easy as changing an outfit.

  Before I knew it, I was on all fours in the grass, the muscles under my fur shifting and sliding with graceful ease as I padded over to Josiah and paused, my tail wagging as he leaned in toward me and licked my face. Neither of us spoke—well, telepathically spoke anyway. The last thing I needed was to accidentally send out a message that my parents would hear upstairs. So we communicated with our bodies, with the flick of an ear or a tail, a gesture of the head.

  Into the suburban woods we went, dancing through the trees with bounding leaps, splashing through puddles and skirting the edges of backyards. All the houses next to mine backed up to a green belt, no fences allowed, so we had free range to sprint through the darkness until we came to another st
reet and circled back.

  Pacing next to Josiah, I could feel the tension in his muscles, the desperate need to let go and be free, to run far and fast. Tonight was just a Band-Aid; Josiah needed a real run, out in the national forest. We were going to have to figure out how to get his mom to accept what he and his sister had become. Just because she didn't understand werewolves didn't mean she had to hate them. Maybe she'd never really been around any before? And now that both her kids were werewolves, she was going to have to learn to deal with it.

  Think we're far enough away to talk? I asked, feeling a little nervous. If Mom and Dad caught me sneaking around in the forest with Josiah, I'd get another talk about responsibility and safe sex and boundaries. Yuck.

  I think so, Josiah said, rubbing his sleek black body up against mine, pink tongue lolling and eyes sparkling. I mean, I hope so because what I really came out here to do—besides run—was to ask you something.

  Is that so? I retorted, trying to be coy. It was a bit difficult in wolf form, but I wagged my tail anyway and paused at a puddle to drink, the fresh rainwater cool and soothing as it slid down my throat. What about? I asked as I lifted my head and met Josiah's chocolate dark eyes, like two little Valentine's truffles stuck in the rippling ebony fur on his face. There was this one white spot near his left eye that looked a bit like a heart; it was adorable.

  Well … Josiah padded over to me and bowed the front half of his body, rump up in the air, feathery dark tail wagging furiously. He was literally giving me puppy dog eyes and let me just tell you, it was about twice as irresistible in wolf form as it was in human form. I melted. I wanted to officially and formally ask you: will you be my date to the Valentine's Day Dance?

  If I'd been in human form, I probably would've squealed and thrown myself into his arms. As things stood, I let out a funny little yip and tapped my own front paws on the musty leaf litter of the forest floor. We must've looked ridiculous in that moment, like two puppies at play.

  Is that a yes? Josiah asked hopefully, his voice—even playing inside my head—the slightest bit nervous. As if I'd say no to him.

  It's an absolutely, I said as I stretched my back, enjoyed the easy, weightless feeling that came with being in wolf form. Sometimes, in human form, I felt clumsy or awkward and maybe that was partly because I was still a teenager, but when I was a wolf … I felt like I could fly. Is your mom going to let you go to the dance?

  Josiah stood up straight and shook out his coat, little droplets of water flying through the air like diamonds, catching and reflecting back the moonlight. He sat back and looked up, like he was trying to study the stars through the breaks in the trees.

  I haven't mentioned it yet, he admitted, dropping his gaze down to mine, studying my gray fur, the striations of brown and black that dirtied my coat. His long dark ears flicked and swiveled, turning towards a rustling of leaves. In the distance, I could just barely make out the sound of sirens. But to be honest with you, Sylv, my sister and I have already decided: whether Mom lets us go or not, we're going to the dance—even if she tries to poison us with wolfsbane again.

  He was trying to make a joke, but neither of us really thought it was very funny.

  I stood up and moved over to him, licking the side of his face in what I hoped was a comforting sort of manner. I was still getting used to wolf expressions and mannerisms. To be honest, I may or may not have been binge watching nature documentaries …

  Should we head back? I asked after a moment, looking up and trying to spot the moon in the sky. Of course, I was no expert. The chances of me being able to tell the time based on the position of the moon were about as likely as Grandma Virginia giving up real fur coats for faux.

  Josiah made a whining noise that I supposed counted as something like a sigh and stood up, nuzzling his face into the thick ruff of fur around my neck.

  Do we have to? he asked, and I felt my muzzle open in a tongue lolling grin. If I could stay out here all night, I would.

  Me, too, I told him, but then we wouldn't have any time to make out.

  I'd never seen him run so fast in all my life.

  Mom made heart shaped pancakes for breakfast and even dyed the batter pink with a few drops of red food coloring while Dad hunkered down in his office for his weekly phone call with Grandma Virginia.

  “This stuff's poisonous, you know,” Trevor said in his best know-it-all voice as he gestured at the little red bottle of dye. “We learned about it in health class. It causes all sorts of problems.” He sat back in his chair with a smug look on his stupid little face.

  “Then don't eat it,” Mom said simply, serving me a giant steaming plate of adorable pink breakfast foods. She'd even cracked the fried eggs into a mold so those were shaped like hearts, too. “How about some of your father's all natural organic five grain breakfast cereal instead?”

  Trevor eyed my plate cautiously, his blue eyes narrowing on the smug expression plastered across my face. His sibling rivalry radar was probably pinging, but he had no idea what I'd hit him with. By the time he did, it'd be too late and his crush, a Miss Brittany Simmons, would know that he had a thing for her. Ah, the innocent joys of being in sixth grade.

  “Hey Mom,” I said as I slathered my plate in syrup and looked up at her back. She was already dressed for work in a black jumpsuit and pink leather boots, another understated Valentine's Day nod. “Could I talk to you before you leave? It's about Josiah.”

  “It's about Josiah,” Chase mimicked with a dramatic sigh, fanning himself with his hands. I didn't bother to retaliate, just smirked and made myself enjoy the secret knowledge that his Moana undies were blowing in the breeze in the front yard. As soon as the school bus pulled up, his annihilation would be complete. As usual, Edwin sat silent in his chair and observed our interactions through the thick lenses of his glasses, his amber eyes taking it all in.

  “Of course, honey,” Mom said as she glanced over her shoulder at me, concern etched into every inch of her face. “Is everything okay?” I thought about that for a second, about the wolfsbane and the silver boot.

  “Not really.”

  Mom pursed her lips and finished serving my brothers while I ate, and then joined me in the living room while the boys argued at the kitchen table about which Pokémon was their favorite. Dad joined us a few seconds later.

  “Everything alright?” he asked, pushing his glasses up his nose as I took a deep breath and tried to figure out how to explain this without giving away the fact that Josiah had been here last night. I mean, we hadn't done anything other than kiss, but I still didn't want to share our secret rendezvous with my parents.

  “Josiah … confided something in me,” I told them both. “Last night. He borrowed Lincoln's phone,” I added for clarification. Mom nodded and crossed her arms over her chest while Dad tucked his fingers into the front pockets on his jeans and tried to look casual and cool. Dad was always trying to be cool, but to be honest, he was a bit of a nerd. I loved him for that. “His Mom … she made a tea out of wolfsbane and made him drink it.”

  There was a long moment of silence and I started to wonder if I needed to repeat myself.

  “Are you … Sylvia, oh my god.” Mom's eyes watered and she put her hands over her mouth.

  “And while he was sleeping, she put a silver boot on his foot …”

  “Goodness,” Dad breathed, exchanging a long lingering look with Mom before they both turned their attentions back to me. “Why didn't you wake us up last night?” he asked as I blinked at them and then wondered if I'd made a mistake by telling them. Were they going to overreact and freak out or something? Call child protective services? The school?

  “I'm going over there,” Mom said, straightening up to her full height, amber eyes flashing dangerously. “This has gone far enough. Now she's torturing her own children?”

  “She's trying to turn him back into a human,” I said and my mother gasped, like that was the worst thing she'd ever heard in her life. “Is that even possible?”
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  “Of course it's not possible,” Mom scoffed and then paused to take a deep breath and collect herself, glancing over at me with a sympathetic expression. “Honey, there is nothing wrong with being a werewolf. It's not something that needs to be cured or hunted or fought against it; it's a way of life.”

  “I know that,” I said, rolling my eyes and running my palms down the front of my black tank with the little white hearts on it. I'd paired it with red skinny jeans and black suede booties, a zipped up hoodie hanging loosely off my shoulders. “But that's what Elsie's goal is. She thinks she can cure Corine and Josiah.”

  Mom and Dad exchanged another look, using that silent long-term couple telepathy that I was eagerly awaiting developing with Josiah.

  “You have work today,” Dad said with a long sigh, his face blanching white as he contemplated what he was about to say, “let me go over there and talk to her. This is child abuse as far as I'm concerned.”

  “It's not exactly like we can report it to anyone,” Mom replied caustically, making a good point. She let out another long, dramatic sigh and asked me for the time. I checked my phone.

  “Almost eight,” I told her and she sighed yet again.

  “I have to get going. Check in with Josiah at school and then call me during lunch, okay?” Mom planted a sweet smelling kiss on my forehead and left, leaving Dad and me to stare at each other with grim facial expressions.

  I had no idea what he planned on saying or doing when he went over there, but I left the situation in my parents' hands and headed outside to meet Deb.

  Josiah wasn't at school which definitely concerned me. Two days until the Valentine's Dance and he wasn't here. Not good. The school had the right to ban students from the event based on attendance. I could only hope that Mrs. Wakeham had at least called him in to the office.

  At lunch, I called my mom and filled her in on the situation, sitting next to Deb in the quad outside the science building, my palm resting over the pocket on the front of my messenger bag. Inside was a little note with a poem on it that Josiah had written. It had been hiding in the gift box from yesterday, resting carefully underneath the stuffed wolf with the heart necklace.