Mosavi sat on the grass next to me in human form, staring out into the pasture. He stayed quiet for a while, and I thought it was another intimidation tactic until I studied his face. The mellow, non-scowl he wore seemed uncharacteristic of the monster he was a few nights ago. 

“What do you want? Your wife said you’d leave me alone.”

“She likes to think she controls me, but no one does.” His phone buzzed in his front pocket, and when he pulled it out to look at the name, his eyes widened in panic. “One moment,” he held the phone to the side of his head. “Yes, azizam?”

Though I couldn’t understand the word, from the way he spoke it, I assumed it was a term of endearment. Willa was obviously on the line, and I crossed my arms, giving the mayor a half-cocked smile. 

“Of course,” he said softly before hanging up the phone. 

“Your attitude sure changed quickly,” I said, wondering how much of a short leash Willa had him on.

“Have you forgotten who you’re talking to?” he growled, the sharper canines peeking out from under his human lips again. “And you know nothing.”

“And what are you going to do about it?” There was a visible chink in Mosavi’s armor, and even the way he held himself now made him much less intimidating.

“I’m beginning to think you enjoyed what I did to you, because I’m this close to doing it again.”

“I don’t think Willa would appreciate that.” Though I thought that would dissuade him from further threats, the new grin on his face made me shudder. 

“You definitely do not know my wife.” He adjusted the gold chain around his neck. 

“Is she really a witch?”

He nodded. “She and I go back about a hundred years, and I would trust no one the way I trust her.”

“A hundred years? How long do witches live?”

“Indefinitely,” Mosavi replied. “As long as they tap into our magic.”

“She said alpha werewolves were a source of immortality. I’m guessing your relationship with her is more symbiotic than anything.”

“Do not speak ill of her,” he shouted, the seams of his shirt popping as he held back his werewolf form.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I actually kinda like her, but she scares the hell out of me.”

Mosavi placed a hand on my shoulder. “Instinct. Never ignore it. When you feel that kind of impending dread, run far away. Willa may be a witch, but she renounced her coven long ago—after saving me from a terrible fate.”

“Did you meet her in Iran?”

He shook his head. “There are no witches in my old country.” The mayor turned to me. “How much do you know of our history?”

“Nothing. I’ve been looking everywhere, but there’s hardly anything about us.”

“Admirable curiosity.” The tone of his compliment was softer than usual. “Stories of our origin have been passed down by word of mouth for thousands of years. Would you like to hear it?”

“Of course,” I said excitedly. Despite harboring negative feelings toward him, he was an elder, and if I could learn more about what we are, it might calm some of the anxiety I’d been feeling lately.

“Long ago, a handsome demon seduced twenty of the most beautiful women in all the land, bringing them together between the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates.”

“Wasn’t that where the Garden of Edan was rumored to be?”

“Every myth has a bit of truth,” he replied. “Human civilization had risen and fallen many times throughout the eons, and the last cataclysm happened around six thousand years ago. Those that hadn’t died off settled in the last habitable areas on earth. One such place was Mesopotamia, the other was central America. It is why many know the latter as the Garden of Edan, but it wasn’t where humanity started. It was where humanity restarted.”

“How do you know this?”

“Remember the demon I mentioned earlier? In exchange for their eternal loyalty, he granted them forbidden knowledge and power—knowledge that was passed to me. They were the first coven of witches, and they drew from one of the earth’s few lay lines. This area would grow to become Babylon, and the witches ruled in the shadow of kings. Their reign wouldn’t last forever, and when Cyrus the Great conquered the empire, the witches were found out. Those that did not escape were stoned to death, and those that did, used the lay line one last time to cast a curse so powerful that it destroyed all magic sources. Their ties to the demon giving them power were severed, and they eventually died of old age, but they would return in greater numbers.

“It is said that one out of every fifty thousand males will have lycanthropy, and one out of every two hundred thousand females will become a witch. The curse was a last-ditch effort to ensure the witches would still be able to serve the devil that granted them such blessings for eons to come. The lay lines no longer exist in the earth, but,” he touched my chest with his finger, “all of that magic had to go somewhere. It doesn’t just disappear. Werewolves contain fragments of that magic, like batteries used to store electricity. Instead of lay lines, the witches use us, and they know how to draw it out in the worst ways.”

He turned toward the woods and pointed. 

“When a new werewolf moves to this town, I meet with them and establish the rules. The reason towns like this do not exist is because they draw a lot of unwanted attention not only from humans in power, but from the witches in the wild and the Whasha looking to bolster their numbers. We can keep them away, but once we venture into the woods, they have the upper hand. They will lure the most potent of us to their rituals, drain us of our will, and keep us as thralls. They use our blood and semen for their magic and longevity.”

“Then how do they and the Whasha coexist in the woods?” I asked. “I met a few of them out there, and they seem to be fine.”

“Do they look fine to you?” he snapped. “The woods have always belonged to the witches, and the very trees are cursed. They call us to them, and once the wilderness has us, we start to change into something they deem more desirable. Our bodies transform and we become more bestial, losing our ability to speak. The reason the Whasha do not fall to the witches is because their unique condition gives them more of an ability to tap into the magic within. They make their little trinkets to keep them safe, but they live as animals. Disgraceful.”

“They seem happy,” I said, catching more of Mosavi’s ire. “When I was out there, it felt good and natural.”

“Just because something feels good doesn’t mean that it is.”

“That’s rich coming from a guy that uses his jail as a sex dungeon,” I muttered, turning away. “If you and Willa can work together in harmony, why couldn’t we work out some kind of way to live together with the witches?”

Mosavi rubbed his forehead. “What you’re suggesting would doom us all. When I came to this country, I had never met a witch before, but I was lured into their clutches. All of my memories from that time are gone, and I lived only to be used as this never-ending font of magic and pleasure. The pleasure was all theirs, and all I can recall from then was a formless mental torment. Whether it was because she was greedy or she fell in love, Willa broke her ties to the coven and pulled me back into the conscious world. She told me what I really was and where I should go, but I also owed her my life. She would grow old and die being away from her kind, so we made a pact. I would learn the secrets of the elders, enhancing what I was, and in return, I would also give her what she needed in secret.”

He turned to me and grabbed my chin, forcing me to make eye contact. 

“There is no living together with witches. Most have been driven mad by their magic, and they would not hesitate to pull werewolves into their webs, making lifelong meals of us.”

Mosavi’s shirt started to tear again, and he scrambled to his feet before mashing out a quick text on his phone. As what happened last time, he could only maintain human form for so long, and I could tell he was struggling to hold it back. 

“Why do you have to keep hiding behind a human face?” I asked as I stood to meet his eyes. “Are you ashamed to be a werewolf?”

“Far from it,” he said. I followed him to the road as a black Mercedes drove by before pulling over. “I’ve explained this before, and I have my reasons.” The seams of his blazer popped as muscles grew thicker. “I hadn’t intended to use this time for a history lesson, but I did want to tell you that you handled your werewolves nicely. I think you’re ready for more lessons.” 

“I don’t like your methods,” I responded.

“Then find your own method,” he said in a deeper voice. “But you unlocked something the other night that you need to learn to control. If you want to be stubborn, I’ll let you learn the hard way. You’ll seek me out, regardless.”

He climbed into the back of his car and shut the door. The window tint was so dark that I could only see a silhouette of Mosavi growing larger, his head morphing into that of a beast as the vehicle sped away. 

---

I opened the front door and walked inside, hanging my coat on the rack. The television streamed a movie, but the volume was low, and Austin’s huge legs were dangling over the arm of the sofa. As I approached the sounds of snoring, I looked down at Adam lying on top of Austin, the werewolf’s arm wrapped around the half-turn. The scene had me scrambling for my phone so I could snap a picture of the rare event. The flash went off and a shutter sound woke Adam as he gently pulled away, careful not to wake Austin. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” I whispered, motioning to the hallway. “Wanna sit outside for a bit?”

Adam nodded and tiptoed behind me until we passed my bedroom. Simon was taking a nap, and floral cleaning solution and candles replaced the musty smell that usually overpowered this part of the house. He cleaned that old couch, and the room looked a lot nicer. What universe had I fallen into? Mosavi wasn’t behaving like a complete psychopath; Austin and Adam were actually getting along, and Simon actually cleaned something. If this was a dream, I hoped I wouldn’t wake up from it. 

We stepped out into the cool autumn air, and I closed the door behind me. Adam didn’t say anything, but given the slight smile on his face, he didn’t have to. 

“It’s a pretty day,” I said, following the other half-turn to the fire pit before sitting on one of the plastic lawn chairs across from him. “This town may be creepy at times, but this area sure is nice.”

“Cut the small talk,” Adam muttered. “Austin’s eyes were blue when we were in the bedroom. They turn blue when you tell him to do something. I want to know if any of this is real, or if you’re doing something fucked up.”

“Were his eyes blue when he was holding you?”

“Well, no. But they are whenever we’re having sex. I get this feeling everyone’s doing what they’re doing out of pity,” he glared at me, “or guilt.”

“I thought you guys talked?”

“Making small-talk about the weather and asking me how I’m feeling isn’t exactly talking,” he said with a sigh. “But it’s better than nothing, I guess.”

“Give him some time, and he’ll open up.”

“Like he opened up to you?” Adam leaned in, staring wide-eyed at me as if he were gauging my body language. “You seem like you know more about him than anyone. He’s obviously fallen in love with you.”

“Not exactly,” I said, turning away. “Austin’s got a lot of issues he’s trying to work through, and he refuses to talk to a shrink, so I’ve been trying to help him. He’s definitely not in love with me, but we do have a really weird thing going on.” 

“I knew it!” Adam shouted. 

“No you don’t,” I said calmly. “It’s nothing like that. Aside from practically being forced to have sex with him that night, there’s nothing romantic between us. But it did change things. Austin’s become dependent on whatever weird magic this is, and I’m probably going to have to take Mosavi up on his offer to teach me to control it.”

“So you are controlling him with magic?”

“Kind of, but he wants to be controlled. Once you guys talk about this, you’ll understand—maybe.” Adam’s glare got more intense as I waffled through this discussion. “You know what? Fuck it. Austin likes to be told what to do. I’m not going to get into the details, but this could be something you could use.”

“So you’re going to teach me how to do it?” His little tail wagged behind him.

“Do what? Tell him what to do? You can do that yourself.”

“You know what I’m talking about, don’t play stupid! I want to know how to make his eyes turn blue. You said he likes that, right?”

“You’re misunderstanding. This is a kink of his, I think. You can do this without magic, Adam. He wants someone to take control.”

“How the hell am I supposed to do that?” Adam rolled his eyes. “The half-turn urges want him to fuck me like a beast. Nothing’s going to ruin the moment faster than him being all submissive.”

“Then command him to be a beast. See what happens.”

He slumped forward and looked down at the ground. “I’ll admit, it’s been nice. He’s attentive and gentle, and when you tell him what to do, he’s rough and wild, but he’s not sadistic like he used to be. I want him to be like that because of me, not because of you.”

“I get it. That’s why I told him after you turn, I’m done. I’m not going to do this anymore because I don’t know what the long-term effects are. It’s also not fair to you.”

“The only way he’ll get in the mood to fuck me is if you do that magic shit to him.” He examined his arms and the thin layer of black fur covering them. “Am I that hideous now?”

“You do realize just about every werewolf in this town would fuck you without hesitation, including Simon, right?”

“But not my kuu mate,” he muttered. “He’s the only one I need right now. I’ve lost any desire to be with anyone else. I need him to want me. I feel like my body is screaming, and I need him.”

“I wish I could tell you that he’ll be receptive without my help, but I don’t know. Let’s just get you through the change first, and then you both can work on yourselves after.”

“And what happens if this doesn’t go away? Do you plan on shouting commands at him for the rest of his life? Do you know how fucked up that would be?”

“Maybe Mosavi or his wife will know what to do. I’ll go to them tomorrow and ask.”

“Thank you,” Adam said, his posture much more relaxed as he chuckled. “And I guess I should thank you for using your powers for good and not evil.”

“What happened on that couch was not me. He’s really trying, and he does care about you. When I told him you were in pain, he panicked and ran inside.”

Adam’s doubtful stare made me double down on what I knew to be true.

“Just bear with him and be there for him, and he’ll be there for you.” I stood up and pushed the chair back. “I’m going to properly reward Simon for cleaning. Let me know if you start feeling those urges, and I’ll do my thing, okay?”

“I’m not going to get over how weird this is, but the sex with Austin has been even better than with Derrek.” 

“Is Derrek really that good? I mean, I was only with him one time, but Simon was there and it got really weird.”

“Let’s just say I’ve slept with more werewolves than I can count, and no one came close to Derrek—except blue-eyed Austin.” He sighed and gritted his teeth. “And that one time I was with Simon. God damn it, Simon was really good, but I’m not counting that.”

That gave me an odd sense of pride. “I might have to pay that beach wolf another visit some time,” I said jokingly, but Adam’s eyes lit up. “What?”

“Simon didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“Derrek’s coming up here for a few days on Halloween.”

“Why the hell am I just hearing about this now? Halloween is in three weeks.”

“I don’t know. Go yell at Simon about it,” he responded, waving me off with the back of his hand. 

I turned back toward the back door, but when I opened it, I gave Adam one last glance. He seemed lost in thought as he gazed into the woods. 

“Adam?”

He didn’t respond. 

“Hello?”

“What?” he asked, finally looking back. 

“Just thought I’d say I’m really sorry about the other day. I didn’t mean what I said.”

“I know. Apology accepted.”

With a nod, I walked inside the house. 

---

Simon’s cuffs rattled as he cried out, but I kept riding him, even after he’d come for the third time. The metal frame of the bed bent as he tried to move his arms, but the restraints didn’t break. These were the ones in that black case Simon still kept hidden, but he put these in a place I could easily find them. He really enjoyed being restrained, though he never openly admitted it.

“Fuuuck!” he screamed as I slammed down all the way, rocking my hips slowly with his cock still inside. This always felt so good, and Simon’s slight gut was a little softer than the rest of his muscles, which made this feel even better. Thinking back on when I was human, I’d have never dated a guy with Simon’s body type, but with werewolves, it was actually hot.

“Ready for round four?”

“Babe, I don’t got nothin’ left!”

“We’ll see,” I said, leaning in to kiss him when the bedroom door slammed open. 

“Adam’s gone,” Austin said, his tone frantic. 

“What?”

“I thought he was in the backyard, but I can’t find him. I can’t even find his scent.”

I hopped off of Simon and grabbed the keys to let him out. 

“He’s probably downtown.” Simon rubbed his wrists. “He likes that bar.”

“I checked. No one’s seen him.”

“Maybe he went out in the woods.” Simon said, scooting out of bed before grabbing his hoodie from the closet. I threw on the clothes I’d discarded earlier. “I’ll go out there and check.” 

“He was looking at the woods earlier.” I leaned in to whisper in Simon’s ear. “You don’t think the witches—”

“They don’t really mess with half-turns,” he replied, grabbing a few of the enchanted stones from the dresser. “I’m sure he’s fine. Probably havin’ some fun with the ferals.”

“He’s out there all alone,” Austin said, showing more emotion than he usually did. For a second there I thought he would cry. 

Noting the other werewolf’s distress, Simon patted him on the back. “He’s a half-turn. He’s in his element.”

As Austin and Simon hurried to the back door, the front door opened and Adam strutted inside. All three of us let out a sigh of relief at the same time. 

“What’s going on here?” he asked. 

“We were gonna go look for you,” Austin said. “Where the hell have you been?”

“I just took a walk. Calm down.” He threw his coat on the stand, and there was a bit of a skip in his step as he made his way to the couch. “Were you really that worried?”

“Well, you left without saying anything,” I said. “And Austin was looking for you in town.”

“Everyone in this house leaves without saying anything,” he rebutted before flipping on the television. “Come sit with me Austin.”

“Don’t really wanna watch TV,” he said before walking into the kitchen. 

“Sit with me now! That’s an order,” he shouted, and Austin’s ears fell to the sides of his head. Though his eyes remained amber, the effect was immediate in the way he wagged his tail. 

“Yes sir,” he said before taking his place next to Adam. The half turn stood before straddling Austin’s lap.

“We’ll uh, give you guys some privacy,” Simon said, pulling me back into the bedroom before shutting the door. “That scared the piss outta me. Is everyone gonna start shouting orders at the guy now?”

“I didn’t expect Adam to do that,” I said, turning the knob on Simon’s old TV. “Wanna watch a movie?”

“Hell yeah! Whatcha in the mood for?”

“I don’t know. You pick. I’ll probably end up falling asleep anyway,” I said plopping down on the old couch. “This smells so much better.”

“Yeah, until we start havin’ some fun on it.”

“I’m not having sex on this thing.” I gave it a second thought. With how heavy Simon was, there was a really good chance he’d end up breaking it, and we’d have to throw it out. “Actually, let’s do it. Right now.”

Simon’s eyes narrowed as he slipped a VHS tape out of its cover. 

“What? You told me to loosen up, remember?”

“Since when do you listen to me? Yer up to something.” In a panic, he looked around the room. “You found the briefcase, didn’t you?”

“Maybe,” I said, hoping he’d get worked up enough to lead me to its location.

Sure enough, Simon darted out the bedroom, and I crept into the hallway only to run into him around the corner. 

“Nice try. I may be stupid, but I ain’t that stupid.”

“It was worth a shot,” I said, pulling him back into the bedroom. 

---

Later that night

Austin cracked open our bedroom door and peeked inside. I noticed him out of the corner of my eye as I sat on the couch next to a snoring Simon. 

“Art, I need you,” he whispered, looking back toward his bedroom for a moment. “Adam’s waiting.”

I carefully stood from the couch and followed the large werewolf into the bathroom. 

“I thought Adam—”

“It doesn’t work like it does with you,” he said, slipping his fatigues off. “Just give me the order. He thinks what he did worked, and I’m getting ready in the bathroom.”

I sighed, my stomach in knots. Every time I did this, it worried me more. “Alright. I want you to—”

The door opened, and an annoyed Adam stood on the other side. 

“Yeah, I thought so,” he muttered, his tone defeated. “Hurry up, I need it now.” Adam looked away before closing the door.

“This is it, Austin. All three of us need to sit down together and talk about this tomorrow. I mean it this time,” I said, pulling Austin’s chest mane until he was eye level. “Go fuck your kuu mate,” I growled, the bathroom light turning silver as Austin’s eyes lightened to blue. 

“Yes sir.”

As he ran out of the bathroom, I turned and looked toward the mirror. Was this really helping them? That look on Adam’s face broke my heart, and I felt even more like a piece of shit. Austin was still dependent on me, and there was nothing Adam could do. 

Had I broken Austin?

This was my canary in the coal mine. Today, he would need me for a quick fix in order to get in the mood, but like with any addiction, one day he might need more. Mosavi was right, and I didn’t want to find this out the hard way. 

My eyes wouldn’t fade back to their original color like they usually did; instead, the half-turn staring back at me had this malevolent visage. The room faded until all I could see was my reflection. 

You want to be him, don’t you?

Willa’s words echoed in my mind as my image began to morph like it did when she handed me her enchanted mirror. I aged until I was this handsome muscular half-turn, and then my body grew taller as I turned into a formidable werewolf. 

My eyes dimmed to their normal color, and the reflection went back to normal. I was in a haze as I hobbled back into the room before waking Simon. 

“Let’s go to bed,” I whispered, pulling at him. 

“This couch is so comfortable,” he said, standing and stretching before turning off the television. “Aren’t you glad I found it?”

“We should really have sex on it.” I crawled into bed, waiting for Simon to get in next to me, but he stood still and his ears rotated toward the hallway. “What’s the matter?”

“They never sound right when they’re doin’ it,” Simon said before slipping next to me. “You did that thing again to him, didn’t you?”

“Adam needs Austin, and Austin needs me. I don’t see a way out of this until Adam turns.”

“I just hope you know what yer doing.” He wrapped me in his arms and pulled me close. 

“I don’t.” I let out a sigh and looked back at him. “But I know who does.”

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