Page 18 of The Lone Wolf Café
“No, it’s plenty,” I insisted. I was fully prepared to sneak off in my wolf form and sleep in the woods if need be – simply having a roof over my head while staying in this town was a luxury.
Rowena led me to the front door. Up close, I saw further signs of decay. The windows were musty and cracked, and the bottom slats of the house were worn away. I gulped at the thought of a possible termite infestation.
“The lock is broken.” Rowena reached up and touched the deadbolt. It was rusted over, and so brittle it looked like it could fall off any second. “We have a locksmith in town who can fix it if you stop by.”
Despite the deadbolt’s decrepit state, Rowena was still able to turn the door handle, and the front door opened with an unnaturally loud, metallic squeal.
As soon as I stepped through the doorway, my sensitive wolf nose was hit with both the homey scent of old wood and thevery unpleasant scent of mold and rot. It was dark, with only the dim evening light from the doorway illuminating the dilapidated space. It was a single-room, open-floor cabin, with a living space in front and the remnants of a kitchenette tucked in the back. A small door was tilted off its hinges, and I assumed it led to the restroom. The cabin was small, no more than a few hundred square feet, but the ceilings were unusually high for such a compact space. I looked up, and tucked in the shadowy back half of the cabin was a set of stairs that led to a second-story loft; one just large enough for a bed and dresser.
I stepped forward, and the uneven floorboards lurched under my feet. The cabin was mostly bare, but there were bits and pieces of furniture, signaling that someone lived here once. The kitchenette was stripped of all appliances, with only the rotting bottom cabinets left intact. The only object in the living area was an old kerosene table lamp, placed in the middle of the floor.
Once I grew accustomed to the dust-caked air, I made my way upstairs to the loft. There, I found a rusted bed frame with no mattress and an old vanity with a cracked mirror.
I heard footsteps behind me, and I turned around to see Rowena walking up the stairs. I noticed her nose twitching from the dust, and she chewed her bottom lip as she surveyed the space.
“It’s worse than I remembered,” she sighed. “It needs a good cleaning, and we can get furniture from the carpenter in the town square. But it’s a start.”
While I intended to deep-clean this place, my stomach recoiled at the thought of picking out furniture. I realized Rowena didn’t understand I only planned to stay here a few weeks.Does she really think I’m going to settle in this town long term? I guess she doesn’t realize I’m a lone werewolf at the mercy of witches who hate her kind.
“Well, I’ll leave you to it.” Rowena shifted awkwardly in place. “Have a good night.”
Goodnight?
A chill ran through my body, and it wasn’t just from the cold. Rowena’s farewell made me realize I was about to be very alone in a dark, decrepit cabin, all night, with no one but myself for company.
I hated to admit it, but I was scared of being alone. It made me feel cowardly and childish, like being afraid monsters would pop out from under my bed while I slept. But I’d never spent a night alone while I was on Hollenboro. Our cottage was tiny, which meant my twin sisters and I had shared a room our whole lives. Their bunks were always just a few feet away.
At least when I’d slept alone the night before, I’d been in the warm comfort of my wolf form, with the sound of the ocean to lull me to sleep. But there was nothing comforting about this place. And the possibility of being up for hours, not falling asleep until well after midnight like I usually did, made my blood burn with irrational but very real fear.
As I stood there, struggling to hide my internal panic, Rowena turned around and walked down the steps. Her hand slid gracefully down the handrail. Her pace was slow and calculated, and I had the inclination she had more to say but didn’t know how.
She was turned away from me, and I noticed the way her lacey black dress completely exposed her upper back. Heat prickled my cheeks as I studied the curve of her neck and the slope of her bare shoulders. I bit my lip with embarrassment as my mind contemplated what lay beneath that fitted corset.
Werewolves were known for being outgoing and boisterous. But we were also lovers of physical pleasure. I’d had my fair share of trysts with the younger males of Hollenboro, but this was the first time I’d been attracted to a woman.
And I liked it. Especially how it alleviated my anxiety about being left alone.
“Um, Rowena?”
She stopped, just as she reached the bottom stair and stepped onto the creaky hardwood floor.
“Yes?”
“Would you… like to stay for a bit?” I asked. “Just chat… maybe have tea? I’d love some company tonight.”
Rowena’s frame was dark in the dim light of the cabin, but with my night vision, I could still see every muscle in her back and shoulders tense. My cheeks had been flushed before, but now they were on fire. In my quest to not be left alone in this dark, eerie cabin, I’d come off as weird and creepy.
What were you thinking, you idiot!? You can’t hang out with a witch! What if she discovers your secret?
Damn werewolf anxiety. And hormones.
Rowena turned her neck so I could see the profile of her face. To my relief, she didn’t look disgusted or mad.
“You don’t like tea,” she replied, the usual hint of a smile on her face.
“I mean… I’ve never tried much other than Earl Grey. Maybe there’s something else I would like… green tea? Herbal?”
I swallowed, forcing down the lump in my throat.You’re rambling, dummy.
