Page 1 of Partnering with the Artist

Prologue

?

What an unfortunate series of events.

Maelin

Did I expect to spend my day trapped within the heavy, sweaty, uncomfortable, and bulky confines of a fursuit?

Yes, actually.

But did I anticipate falling—in said fursuit—onto the lap of the most attractive man I have ever seen…?

Um.

No.

You see…it all started several moons ago…possibly on the night of a full one, when my fiancé of three years, at that time, had more likely than not been doing drugs.

“Maelin,” he’d said, looking sheepish despite the wolf ears he was wearing, “I don’t think we can be together anymore.”

Naturally, I’d said, “You’re…breaking up with me…in cosplay?”

(I’m averysane and stable sort of person, you see.)

(Harry…is not.)

Proving as much, he scowled at me as though I’d yeeted a puppy into the sun. “I’m not incosplay.” The ire and disgust in his tone as he informed me of that persists to haunt my dreams to this day. “I’m awolfkin. This is my calling, Mae. I’ve always been more than human. I’ve always known that. And I’ve found someone else. Someone else whounderstandsme. I can no longer pretend to be solely human with you. Not when I’m so much more, not when I yearn for the wild abandon of a pack. I need to be in the sun and howl at the moon, Mae…and you’re likea dark cloud, blocking out my light.”

Yeah. Brutal break up, that. Also…mega confusing.

Flash forward a few months, and I amstilltrying to piece together what exactlyhappened.

I’ve scoured the internet and come to a conclusion that there are groups of people who wholeheartedly believe they are humanand. They are called Otherkin or Therians or alterhumans. Theandportion can include just about anything, even plants and robots. It is astounding sometimes to see how vast the world is, and how many people with drastically different understandings and beliefs inhabit it.

Now.

Am I one to judge people? On the whole? For whatever they believe of themselves or the world they find themselves in?

No. Absolutely not. You go, grasskin. I apologize if mowing my lawn hurts something deep inside you… Sincerely, I don’t entirely know how all this works. I just know that Sunset, West Virginia has some very, very strict rules about upkeep, and I need to maintain the house where my sister and I live, lest I identify as a homelesskin (haha).

Now…all this said…am I one to judge the decisions of my high school sweetheart, who I dedicated a freshman crush to, three dating years to, and now the past three years ofengagementto?

Ab. So. Lute. Ly.

I mean,really, Harry?Really?

A wolfkin. All of a sudden you’re awolfkinand you need apackand—furthermore—I’m not a part of it??After six years together,you’re throwing me away?

After six years, you can’t just tell me you’re awolfkinand that I don’tunderstandyou while you’re wearing cheap faux fur ears you bought off Amazon. I could havemadeyou an entire fursuit, boy.An en. ti. re. fursuit.

Which brings me back to the fursuit.

That I made.

And am wearing.

On top ofZakery Bachelor’s lap.

---