Page 53 of Mytho Investigations: Side Stories

“I woke up like this. I’m still… processing.” And figuring out how this body worked. “I don’t remember this form. Is there anything I need to know?”

She laughed. “This is how we are meant to be.”

Is it? It didn’t feel natural to him, and he was sure there were plenty of people younger than him who’d agree.

“Xan has called a meeting for all werewolves tonight. You should have a text.”

Jake reached for his pocket. “My phone’s downstairs. I’ll go and check.”

He stepped back. He didn’t want to go to a werewolf meeting. Adam was supposed to be coming over. His stomach churned. He wasn’t ready to see Adam.

“Hey… nice seeing you.” She grinned.

Jake nodded and forced a smile, which made his cheeks feel weird. “Yeah. Same.”

He padded back downstairs, knowing he needed to solve his shoe problem before his next shift. That meant he needed to do it today or tomorrow. He checked his phone and saw messages from Xan and Adam.

He couldn’t blow off the werewolf meeting. If Xan was calling all werewolves, that meant something had happened to Reyman.

The meeting was an excuse he could give to avoid seeing Adam until he could figure out what to say. His heart was heavy as he typed up the message, but he couldn’t deal with Adam’s reaction when he was dealing with his own shock and adjustments.

There’s an emergency werewolf meeting at six. I need to attend, and I’m not sure how long it will take. I’m sorry.

Adam wouldn’t be annoyed with him, only disappointed that they weren’t able to get their schedules to line up.

How long until Adam heard either on the news or from someone speaking to someone that werewolves had regained their ability to shift and were now more human-looking? A lump formed in his throat. Someone would talk about it on Adam’s forum. He might already know.

His pointed teeth pressed against his lip as he watched the three little dots form on the screen.

Okay. I’m glad you weren’t at the party as there was some trouble. I hear the magic has settled.

What kind of trouble?

As best as I can tell, it seems as though the unicorn made some people disappear. And there’s a new tree in the Presidio that looks as though it’s been there for the last fifty years.

Were you there?

No, but cops and firefighters talk.

Jake swallowed and stared at his screen. He needed to say something.

The magic settling changes things for mythos… for werewolves.

Before he could explain those things, Adam replied.

Why don’t you text me when your meeting is done, and I’ll come around with some dinner?

Jake closed his eyes, not sure what to say. He should be happy. This is how he was supposed to be. But this wasn’t what Adam liked. And it wasn’t the body Jake was used to.

And he didn’t know what to do or how to respond.

If he broke it off, he wasn’t giving Adam a chance. But he wasn’t sure he could deal with rejection, either. Adam’s lust has been a welcome change from the usual fear and disgust his half-shifted form caused. He didn’t want to lose Adam.

He needed to suck it up and rip off the bandage. Then they’d both knew where they stood.

Okay

But in his heart, Jake suspected it was over. He wasn’t the kind of kinky fuck Adam wanted. He should have kept it to one night instead of falling for the firefighter.