“Adam?” I could barely speak, frozen in place by a primal fear that smothered me like a quilt made of lead. 

“You finally came,” he said, his voice now normal again, though much deeper. “I can do what you do now, but I can do it better.” He turned to Austin, gently raking his claws down the werewolf’s chest. “Tell me what I want to hear.” Instead of his eyes glowing silver, they turned solid white and Austin cried out as though in excruciating pain. 

He tried to speak, but all that came out was a whine. 

“Well…I guess he doesn’t need to speak anymore.”

“What did you do to him?” I asked, stepping closer. 

“I made him happy. This is what he wanted you to do to him, right?”

“Not like this. Have you completely lost your mind?” I pointed to the huge werewolf, now hanging his head while sprawled out on the cross. “He’s in pain.”

“He likes the pain,” he looked up at Austin, “don’t you?”

Austin nodded reluctantly. 

“I need to get both of you out of these woods,” I said as more rustles and whispers came at me from the shadows beyond the fire. I held out a trembling hand to Adam. “Follow me.”

“But it’s so peaceful out here.” His voice was no longer his own, instead it became the multitude of crone-like chanting I’d heard earlier. “We’ve called you. Do you not feel at peace out here?”

I took a step back from Adam, but he took two steps forward until I could feel the heat radiating from his body. 

“They want this,” the voices in Adam said. “One wants power and the other wants to be free from the prison of his past. We’re not evil, Arthur. We only want to give those gifted with our master’s essence a life of bliss and pleasure.”

“I don’t buy that for a moment.” I clutched the stone I took from Simon earlier and cautiously stepped toward the cross, hoping whatever this was could protect me.

“Don’t touch him,” Adam shouted as he lunged forward, pinning me to the ground. “Why do you keep them away? They only want to help us.”

“What are you talking about?”

His hand traced down my arm until sharp claws scraped against my numb fingers. “They can’t welcome us when you’re holding that.”

So that’s why they hadn’t come out of the shadows. It seemed as though Adam’s body acted as a barrier protecting them from whatever magic was in this stone. 

“Get off of me,” I shouted, struggling to free myself, but werewolf Adam was a lot stronger. 

“Come on,” he whispered in my ear, his tongue sliding along my neck as he tried to pry my fingers open. He was no longer gentle as his claws stabbed into the flesh of my hand. I cried out, but he didn’t seem fazed. “They want to meet you.”

It didn’t matter how much this hurt, I couldn’t let go. Even though he spoke in his own voice, he still seemed to be under some kind of control. There was another hand I could play, but the more distressed I became, the harder the elder magic was to use. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t clear my mind. 

“I could rip your hand off, Art,” Adam said with a smile. “I could do it…so easily.”

“Then don’t,” I pleaded, struggling again under the werewolf’s heft. “Do you hate me?”

There was a momentary flash of amber in his eyes, and his ears flattened against his head. That didn’t last as his eyes regained their bloody appearance. 

“I despise you,” he snapped, removing his hand from mine before raking his claws across my face, lightly slicing into my left cheek. “Everyone just loves Arthur, and everyone treats me like the kid who’s in the way.”

“That’s not true,” I said, wincing in pain. “I’ve tried to be your friend.”

“You didn’t even want me to live with you. I’m just a pest, aren’t I?” He leaned in until his snout touched my nose, his sharper teeth grazing my skin. “I’m not pesky, little Adam anymore. I bet I could make you my pet, too.”

Adam jerked as the witches tried to wrest control.

“Stop telling me what to do,” he shouted at nothing, his eyes turning pure white like they did earlier. “Be my pet, Arthur.”

An obvious weakness opened up, and I was desperate enough to exploit it. Whatever magic he gave off did the opposite of what he expected, heightening my senses and resolve. The world around me turned silver as the elder magic surfaced. Adam was a werewolf now, and even with whatever power they gave him, he had no defense against me.

A death-like chill rushed in from the wind around me, and screams echoed through the trees. As Adam’s eyes faded to an empty blue, the voice grew angry.

Ingratus! Wretched! 

“Untie Austin,” I said softly, pushing Adam off of me. 

We won’t let you leave. 

The crow-like voices screamed louder in my head. 

You’ll never find your way without us.

“Shut up!” I screamed, grabbing handfuls of my hair as Adam freed each of Austin’s limbs from the cross.

Let us help. Let us please you. Any wish we will grant you.

Though I held tightly to the stone, it did little to silence what had taken residence in my head. The brush rustled all around us where the light of the flames couldn’t reach, and all the sounds melded into a familiar voice I hadn’t heard in years. 

A real mother would never abandon her child to a cold and heartless world.

Though my own mother would have never used those words, the way she spoke was so convincing. It was like a knife through the heart. There was nothing I could do but bear the full brunt of their manipulation while struggling to stay sane. I had to get us out of here.

My sweet baby boy. Nothing you could ever do would make me love you less.

Tears streamed wet my face as Adam and Austin stared, their expressions eager for my next order. 

“Let’s find our way out of here,” I said, waving both of them after me. “Stay close.”

I watched you grow into a handsome young man. I’m so proud of you.

This was unbearable. The more she spoke, the more everything seemed like a dream. That voice wasn’t my mother’s. My mother would have never said those words, but I wanted it to be real.

We wandered further away from the fire before the embers disappeared. The trees heaved as though they were breathing, but I put one trembling leg in front of the other. As long as I held this stone, they couldn’t get me, and if the elder magic held, they couldn’t manipulate Adam. That was what I was most afraid of, and I kept glancing back to make sure he was still under my influence.

Don’t be afraid. I’d never let the world hurt you. You’re safe in my arms.

Every step was like walking through a marsh, the ground sapping my strength. Ahead, a gentle purple glow caught my eye. It flitted and sparkled, and a slender, womanly figure emerged from it.

Stay with me, Arthur. Don’t leave me all alone in the cold forest.

There was genuine terror in her voice the closer I got to the source of the light. She didn’t want me to see it, or was this a trick? I slowed my pace, and looked back at the blackness. The trees were morphed, reshaping as though they were made of liquid. 

“Arthur,” Willa’s voice called out from the light. 

Come home.

The trees took the shape of a cozy cottage I didn’t recognize and the silhouette of a woman with flowing hair welcomed me with open arms. 

Come home, Arthur.

A hand fell on my shoulder, and I screamed. 

“Shhh, it’s me,” Willa whispered, taking my hand. “We need to get to the beacon now before it disappears.”

She will lead you to destruction.

My feet didn’t move. It became harder for me to trust my own senses. Was this really her, or was it another hallucination? 

“What do you see?” Willa asked. 

“My mother,” I said, wiping away the tears. 

“Throw the stone at the vision.” 

“They’ll get me.”

“Not if we run,” she said, shaking me out of my stupor. “But I can’t pull you all out of here while you hold it. It affects me just as much as it does the coven.” She looked back at Adam and Austin. “Tell them to run to the light, and when you throw the stone, follow them and don’t look back, no matter what you hear.”

I nodded, pointing to the way ahead. “Both of you run to the light.”

Without a word, they sprinted ahead, and I reared back, about to throw the stone. 

Arthur…

The voice let out a heartbreaking cry. 

I’m so sorry for everything.

“Throw it!” Willa shouted. “Do it now!”

I squeezed my eyes shut and tossed the magic stone at the vision, and I heard my mother scream in pain before the forest collapsed inward. 

“Run!” Willa’s voice brought me back, and she pushed me forward. I nearly tripped over my feet as I scrambled toward the fading purple beacon in the distance. 

You’re hurting me. Please look at me.

I started to turn, but Willa pushed me again.

“Don’t look back,” she shouted as more of the forest collapsed inward, hounding our steps like a crumbing bridge. As the light grew brighter, she shoved me once more, and I flew into nothing. Time froze, and I floated through a formless, silent void.

Everything returned to normal as I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of me. 

“Aw shit,” Simon said, his massive hands pulling me from the ground. “Are you okay?”

After catching my breath, I nodded. “Where’s Willa?”

“I’m here,” she said from behind. “That was impressive control.” 

“What do you mean?”

“You resisted their calls. Not many can, especially tonight.”

“They almost got me,” I said, catching my breath. “They’re in my head.”

“Not anymore.” Willa tapped against something invisible at first, but it rippled with violet light similar to a rock falling into a pond. “You’re safe now.”

“Art?” Adam said. “What happened?”

He touched his face with his hands, seeming almost shocked that he had changed. Had he not been aware?

“We’re okay now,” I said, turning to Austin who didn’t return to normal. “I’m letting you go. We’re not doing this to you anymore.”

He didn’t respond.

“Come on, Austin. Snap out of it.”

A little bit of life returned to his face, and his ears fell to the sides of his head. His irises remained baby blue as tears soaked the fur on his face. 

“Austin?”

He remained silent, but he stared at Adam, terrified. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Adam asked. He tried to reach for Austin’s hand, but the werewolf whined and cowered away from his touch. 

“Do you remember what happened?” I asked, noticing the dog tags now around Adam’s neck. “Why do you have those?”

“That’s what she told me to do.” Adam looked down at his chest. “She said that when I turned, I could do what you did if I put them around my neck while I was on top of him. That was when everything got fuzzy.”

“What are they, exactly?” Willa asked. “They must hold a lot of significance.”

“They belonged to the family he lost in the military,” I said, watching as Adam’s expression turned to horror. 

He quickly unlatched the chain and fastened it around non-responsive Austin’s neck. 

“I didn’t know,” he said. “He never told me that. He just said they made him look tough.”

“This isn’t good,” Willa said. “You did something you shouldn’t have, Adam. This ability would never come naturally to you.”

“No,” Adam cried out. “I didn’t want this.”

Willa slid her finger under the chain Austin wore. “This represented something close to his broken heart, and you took that from him.” She looked back at the remorseful werewolf. “You may not have realized it at the time, but this may have broken him completely.”

“Can it be undone?” I asked. 

“I don’t know,” Willa responded. “This isn’t witchcraft, this is elder magic. Adam should have never been able to use it, but when the coven took control of his body, they tapped into the magic all werewolves possess.” She shook her head. “They would have never been able to do this if Adam hadn’t been willing.”

“So it’s my fault,” Adam said, wrapping his arms around Austin who stood straight, still staring off at nothing while tears fell from his eyes. “I’m sorry. Please come back.”

He didn’t respond. He didn’t even look down at the smaller werewolf. 

“We should get him home,” I said, swallowing down the bile that threatened to come up from my stomach. I was furious, but this was just as much my fault as it was Adam’s. I should have picked up on the hints he dropped, but I mostly ignored him, thinking it would all go away when he transformed. He held so much resentment toward me and Austin, and neither of us did anything to fix it. 

“I’ll need to discuss this with Darius. He may be able to fix what was broken.” She held her finger to her lips. “But let’s keep what I did here between us. I don’t want him knowing the risk I took to bring you back to safety.”

I nodded as a sobbing Adam led his catatonic kuu mate by the hand toward the town without looking back. 

“I don’t know what we’re gonna do now,” I said. “He was so close to being okay, but now—”

“We’ll have somethin’ good to eat, and we’ll sleep on it,” Simon said. 

“I don’t think anyone’s gonna be hungry after this.”

Simon slid his arm around me. “I’ll make somethin’ anyway.”

---

“Aw come on,” Adam shouted from his bedroom, startling Simon and I awake. “It’s everywhere.”

I jumped out of bed and Simon followed behind. When I burst through the door into their room, the strong smell of urine hit me. 

“What the hell happened?” I asked while Adam grabbed an armful of towels from their closet. Austin was sitting up, but like last night, he was unresponsive to the commotion going on. 

“He wet the bed.” Adam stood over the werewolf and snapped his fingers. “Get up, I need to get the sheets off the bed.”

Like a marionette being controlled by some unseen person, the blonde werewolf turned and lifted himself from the damp mattress. 

Simon hummed contemplatively as he scratched his head. “He’s still doin’ what he’s told, but ain’t doin’ nothing else. You probably gotta tell him when to go to the bathroom now.”

“Are you kidding me?” Adam asked, ripping the sheets off of the bed. “How am I going to know that? He’s not saying anything.”

Simon shrugged. “Dunno, but you better figure it out before he takes a big steamy shit on the floor.”

Adam’s eyes widened. “Austin, go to the toilet and do your business.”

The huge werewolf cocked his head.

“Uh, I think you need to be more specific,” I said, pulling Simon out the door. “Make sure he’s actually on the toilet, please. I’d rather not have any surprises like that.”

Adam sighed and grabbed Austin’s hand, leading him toward the bathroom, while Simon and I walked outside to the chairs around the fire pit. Derrek was already out there, stoking the fire while staring into it. 

“Good morning,” he said with this air of melancholy that seemed to loom over everyone. “You two are up early.”

“Austin pissed all over Adam’s bed,” Simon said. He normally would have laughed at such a silly statement, but there was nothing funny about any of this. The werewolf plopped down on one of the larger plastic chairs and leaned his head back, looking up at the sky. “He ain’t gonna be able to do anything anymore without Adam.”

“So what exactly happened last night?” Derrek asked as I sat across from them. 

“Adam lured Austin into the woods before he turned, and did some kind of elder magic on him. Now Austin’s broken,” I said, tossing a piece of wood into the fire. “Damn it. After all that progress, it’s all fucked now.”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Derrek said. “It’s elder magic, not some kind of curse. There’s always a way to undo it.”

“So you know how?” I asked. 

“I wish, but I’m not an elder. A good place to get answers would be Darius.”

“That’s what Willa said.” I rubbed the crust out of the corner of my left eye. Neither Simon nor I got a decent night’s sleep, and as the morning revealed the damage, I wished I could go back to sleep, wake up, and have everything the way it was before. “If he can’t fix him, we’ll have to find an elder that can.”

“I got an idea,” Simon said. “We still got them herbs. If Mosavi can’t get through to him, I bet the ferals can.”

“That’s actually not a bad idea, and something I’d rather try before involving the A-W-O…O,” Derrek said, trying to hold back a smirk. 

Being as tired as I was, it took a few moments for that to register. “Are you for real? Is that really what they call themselves?”

“They just call themselves The Organization, and I think the human that came up with the acronym for that branch died of mysterious circumstances.”

Simon and I glanced at one another. “Was that another joke?” I asked. 

“Nope.”

“Are they like some kinda werewolf mafia?” Simon asked. 

“Almost seems that way, doesn’t it?”

“Shit!” Adam shouted from inside the house. We all turned in unison. 

“I hope he didn’t mean that literally,” I muttered, prodding Simon. “Go see what’s wrong.”

“I ain’t goin’ in there.”

“I’ll check on them,” Derrek said, standing before stretching his arms. “Art, can you put on some coffee?”

“Sure thing.”

---

We all sat around the table, everyone eating in silence except for Austin who continued staring at Adam. 

“Please stop looking at me like that and eat your food,” Adam said, exhausted, but Austin didn’t respond. “Eat, damn it!”

“Tell him what to eat first,” I said, pointing to Austin’s plate. “You have to be specific.”

“Eat your eggs,” Adam said, prompting Austin to pick up his fork and begin eating. “I can’t keep doing this.”

“You have to,” Derrek muttered. “He’s solely dependent on you now. Actions have consequences, Adam.”

“I feel awful enough as it is. You don’t have to keep reminding me.” Adam took a bite of bacon, noticing Austin staring at him again. He had already finished off his eggs, but hadn’t touched anything else. “Eat your bacon next.”

The werewolf did as he was told. 

“Willa texted that Mosavi will be here before noon,” I said.

“I hope he can fix him.” Adam grabbed a biscuit from Austin’s plate and held it up. “Eat.”

“Has he had anything to drink?” I asked, noticing there wasn’t a glass of water in front of him. 

“Damn it,” Adam said, running to the kitchen before turning on the tap. 

“He’s kinda like a pet now,” Simon said, scratching a rigid Austin behind the ears. “Only he doesn’t do nothin’.”

“Funny,” Adam said, walking back into the dining room with a tall glass of water. He handed it to Austin. “Drink your water.” 

He grabbed the glass and began lapping at it. 

“I need to head back home tomorrow,” Derrek said, pushing his empty plate away. “There’s only three lifeguards, and I don’t want to overwork the others. I wish I could stay longer.”

“You gotta do what you gotta do,” Simon said. “It was nice havin’ you here, though. Like old times.”

“Somehow I doubt the sincerity of that statement,” Derrek said, taking a drink. “I never thought you would try to kill me with a bogus hangover remedy.”

“It wasn’t bogus!”

Derrek’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t respond. 

“Maybe I went a little overboard with the horseradish.” Simon looked down. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. At least the reason was noble.” Derrek smiled. “You really have changed.”

Simon let out a belch that rattled the windows. 

“Hot,” I muttered, clearing the table. “Are you going to do your mid-morning fart now, too?”

“Got nothin’ in the tank,” he said, pulling my hand. “You didn’t kiss the cook yet.” Simon pointed to his apron with those words on it. “Sure wish I knew what happened to the one with tits on it.”

“Oh, you lost it?” I asked, giving him a quick kiss on his thin lips. 

“It’s the darndest thing,” Simon said, scratching his head. “Can’t remember where the hell I put it.”

“That’s a shame,” I said, knowing exactly where it was. I threw that ugly thing away the week after he bought it. “Hopefully it turns up somewhere.”

“Went down to the store to buy another one, but would you believe they don’t sell ‘em no more?”

“Unbelievable,” I said, grabbing Simon’s empty plate, stacking it on top of the others. 

“I’ve been rackin’ my brain trying to figure out what I did with it. I remember you was standin’ in the kitchen talking to me, and I folded it and put it in the drawer.” He shot me an intense stare. “Kinda strange, ain’t it?”

“Well, you know how things sorta vanish around here,” I said, stumbling over my words as I walked into the kitchen with him now uncomfortably close behind. “Are you actually gonna help me do the dishes?”

He folded his arms, but didn’t say anything.

“You know, don’t you?”

“Yup,” he replied. “When I figured it out, I spent all day at the landfill tryin’ to find another one.” He leaned in closer to my ear. “Where do ya think that couch came from?”

And that was when I figured out something interesting about Simon. He could smile in your face while deviously plotting his revenge at the same time, and I had been clueless until now.

---

Mosavi knelt in front of Austin who was sitting rigid on the sofa. His eyes glowed silver as he tried to break through whatever enchanted wall was keeping Austin from full consciousness. 

“Look into my eyes,” Mosavi demanded. Instead of doing what he was told, he looked at Adam first. 

“Look at him, Austin,” Adam said, and the werewolf obeyed. 

His irises went from blue to dark amber, and for a moment, whatever Mosavi was doing appeared to work. Adam’s tail started to wag as he witnessed Austin’s expression change from empty to something I couldn’t quite place. 

The mayor shook his head, and Austin’s eyes faded back to blue. 

“This only works if the werewolf wants to be brought back,” he said, turning to Adam. “Foolish child. Do you realize the severity of this?”

“He does,” I said, pulling Mosavi’s ire away from the already remorseful werewolf. “What can we do?”

Mosavi got to his feet and sighed. “Hope it doesn’t last.”

“That’s it?” Adam asked. “That’s your answer?”

“That’s my answer.” He pulled a chain out of his blazer pocket and tossed it at Adam. “Put it on.”

“What is it?” he asked. 

“Do as I tell you.”

With a nervous swallow, Adam slipped the gold chain around his neck. 

“You will now know when his basic needs are not met, and you will tend to him until what you’ve done wears off.” Mosavi paused. “If it wears off.”

“This doesn’t help me at all!” Adam shouted, his frustration manifesting as a snarl. “I can’t keep telling him what to do.”

“Willa worked her fingers to the bone enchanting that,” Mosavi shouted, causing Adam to slink backward. “If you’re going to be an ungrateful little shit, I’ll take it back.”

Adam held the chain against his chest and shook his head. “Thank you.”

“If you can’t help him, then we’ll need to find other avenues,” Derrek said. “The ferals may know—”

“What would they know? They’re savages!”

“They know more than you think,” Simon chimed in. “It ain’t like they don’t got no sense. They use magic, and they got elders too.”

The mayor scoffed. “You can’t be serious.”

“What has he got to lose?” Derrek asked. 

“There are witches in those woods,” he responded. “Witches, I might add, who did this in the first place.”

“Yes, but they’re weaker now, and we have these rocks,” I said.

“Rocks?”

I pulled one out of my pocket. “This is what saved us last time. The ferals gave them to us.”

Mosavi shook his head and sighed. “You’re going to do what you want, so do it.”

“I know you don’t like it, but it’s either this or I get the organization involved,” Derrek said, prompting an immediate reaction from the mayor. 

Mosavi grabbed a tuft of Derrek’s mane and pulled. “Do not involve them.”

The larger werewolf slapped his hand away. “I’ll do what needs to be done, so let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Austin may have been an insufferable prick for years, but he doesn’t deserve this.”

“Let me discuss things with my wife. If the ferals cannot help, and you involve them…we will have no choice but to leave.”

“I won’t bring them here, Darius,” Derrek said. “As far as they’ll know, you’re a werewolf mayor with a normal wife, who’s running a successful town.”

Mosavi took a step back and blinked in surprise. “How do I know I can trust you?”

“You don’t,” Derrek responded, looking at me. “You can trust him, though.”

Mosavi turned to meet my gaze. 

“He is a lifeguard,” I said. “If you can’t trust one of those, who can you trust?”

“Very well,” Mosavi said before walking to the door. 

“You’re not going to shift back to your human form?” I asked.

“If Derrek is really to be trusted, I don’t need to keep my identity secret, now do I?” He turned back to me after pushing the door open. “At your earliest convenience, I’ll meet with you alone at city hall.”

“What time?”

“Earliest…convenience, Arthur,” he repeated slowly before shutting the door behind him. 

“Call the press. Mayor douchebag has left the building,” Simon said with a snicker, not realizing the living room window was wide open.

The door knob clicked, and the entrance creaked ajar. Simon winced, cowering behind Derrek as Mosavi pointed at him. “I’ll see you in my cell later, Simon.” The door slammed shut, and we all stood silently, waiting for the car to pull away.

“Pfft. What’s he gonna do, have me arrested?”

Mosavi’s car pulled out of the driveway, and a few moments later, two police cars pulled up. 

“Oh come on.” He watched with a stunned expression as two werewolves in uniform strutted up to the porch. I recognized one of them from the barbeque restaurant.

The cops opened the door without knocking, and the one I recognized stepped inside, twirling a pair of cuffs around his finger. 

“Now I know for a fact this ain’t legal!” Simon shouted as the officer jerked his arm behind his back, slapping the cuffs on him. “I know my rights!”

“Good. I won’t have to tell you about the one to remain silent.” The other officer held the door open as the cop behind Simon shoved him outside. He flashed me his teeth and tipped his hat. “You all have a pleasant day. You should come by the restaurant again, Art. Everyone misses you.”

“You bet,” I said, prompting Simon to look back at me, his mouth agape with a furrowed look of betrayal. “Will I get conjugal visits?”

“You know the mayor. He’ll be ready for you to pick up in a few hours.”

He shut the door, and they both dragged Simon away. His protests were soon quieted as the car door slammed shut and the patrol vehicle sped off. 

“Simon makes friends wherever he goes,” Derrek said. “Now I’m in the mood for barbeque.”

“Derrek, Simon just got arrested, and Austin’s still a drooling zombie,” I said. “I should go talk to the mayor again.”

“You can’t fight city hall,” Adam said, touching the necklace he wore. “Plus, Austin wants some barbeque.”

“You can tell that?” I asked. 

“Yup. This necklace is pretty handy after all.”

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