Page 12 of Wolf's Whisper

Riding back home, I decide to swing by Janelle's place unannounced. Considering the delicacy of her situation with her ex, it’s risky, but something inside me needs to see her—to make sure she’s all right.

As I walk up to the door, it’s abnormally quiet. “Weird, maybe it’s nap time.” I knock gently, but there is still no answer. Knocking a couple of more time and still nothing, my hands begin to sweat so I take our key and open the door.

The house is eerily silent as I step inside, shutting the door quietly behind me and move deeper into the house, my senses are heightened. As a bounty hunter, I've been in tense situations before, but this was different. This was personal. My boots echoing on the hardwood floor. "Janelle?" I called out softly, not wanting to startle anyone who might be inside. There was no response, only the soft hum of the refrigerator from the kitchen.

The living room is tidy; toys are in their bins and throw blankets are folded neatly on the couch. It looks normal, but something feels off. I head to the kitchen next, noticing a warm coffee mug indicating Janelle hasn’t been gone long. Or worse, that something unexpected had happened. I grip my gun as I take it out of the holster on my side.

"Janelle?" I try again as I pass through the kitchen and approach the hallway leading to the bedrooms. Still no answer. My heart starts racing as I reach Janelle’s bedroom door andhear a low moan. I fear Janelle is in trouble because someone else is in the house.

As I open the door, I see Janelle on the bed, naked, and I hear one word that sends chills down my spine, “Onyx.” My name is on her lips as she climaxes. I freeze, caught completely off guard. My mind scrambles to make sense of the scene before me. For a few seconds, everything seems surreal—the kind of shock that makes the world tilt on its axis. I put my gun away since there’s no need for it now.

Janelle notices me standing there, and her expression instantly shifts from surprise to mortification. She quickly grabs the sheet, pulling it up to cover herself. "Onyx! Oh God, I didn't hear you come in."

I blink, trying my best to regain composure, even as my heart thuds painfully in my chest. "I thought something was wrong," I manage to say, words stumbling out awkwardly.

She sits up straighter, wrapping the sheet more securely around her. "No, I'm sorry if I worried you. I was just taking some time for myself." Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, or was it guilt?

I nod slowly, still trying to process everything. "Right. Sorry for intruding."

"No, no," her voice shaky. "It's not your fault. I should have locked the door and maybe not assumed privacy in the middle of the day when the kids are napping."

There’s an awkward silence then—a chasm that seems too vast to cross easily.

"I'll just..." I gesture vaguely toward the door, unsure how to make a graceful exit from something as delicate as this. "I'll see myself out."

As I turn to leave, Janelle's voice stops me. "Onyx, wait. Please."

I pause, hand on the doorknob, not looking back as I attempt to steady my breathing.

"Yes?" The word is a half-whisper, betraying the turmoil inside me.

"I didn't mean for you to find me like this," she says, her voice thick with emotions. "I... I think about you. A lot more than I probably should."

This confession makes my heart skips a beat. Slowly, I turn around to face Janelle, finding her eyes wide and sincere. "Janelle..."

She bites her lip, searching for words. "Please don’t leave us because of what I did here. I never want you to feel uncomfortable here or around me."

Does she not know that I’m a lesbian? Is that why she is hesitant? "Janelle," I start, my voice steadier than I feel. "You need to know something about me. Something important." I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of what I’m about to disclose. "I'm gay, Janelle. I've known since I was a teenager."

Her eyes widen slightly, not shock, but perhaps with a dawning understanding. "Oh," she exhales softly, her fingers nervously twisting the sheet around her. "I didn't know that, and not that would ever change anything if I did know beforehand."

"Yeah," I reply, my shoulders relaxing as the truth hangs between us. It feels freeing, yet it adds a new layer of complexity to our already complicated relationship.

"I'm sorry if this makes things weird now," she continues, her voice laced with worry. "I don't want to lose your friendship or help, Wolf. You've been a big part of why we're even surviving all this mess with my ex."

“Please, when it’s just us, or the kids and us, call me Onyx. But outside, in any other situation, it's Wolf, okay?" I add, trying to keep the boundaries clear but friendly.

Janelle nods, the tension easing from her shoulders a bit. "Of course, Wolf… Onyx. I can do that.” She offers a small, tentative smile. "And thank you for being honest with me."

Chapter Nine

Janelle

Iclose the door after Wolf leaves, and I have so many mixed thoughts in my head.

Closing my eyes as I stand at the closed door, thoughts and emotions swirl in my head like a relentless storm. It's strange, this feeling. I married young and thought I knew what love was,but with Onyx, it's different. There's a depth, an intensity that I haven't felt before. Something about her awakened something inside of me.

Did I simply admire her strength and the security she provided? Or was it something deeper, something more personal that I hadn't allowed myself to explore until now?

---