Page 38 of Bony Bony
Headingonto the trail that led deeper into the dark woods,Iinhaled.Thefragrant bouquet of the forest filled my nostrils with its earthy aroma.Richsoil filled with life, fragrant pine, and clean air without the smog.Itwas like the finest of meals, with each unique scent and flavor complementing each other for an even richer experience.Istripped off my clothes and stashed them in the space between a rock and a tree trunk.Isnorted—my situation was similar to being between a rock and a hard place.
Ishould have known she would reject me eventually.I’dbeen an outcast in my own pack, bullied.AsItrekked through the woods, those memories suffocated me.Iwas nothing of value to my former pack.Unworthy.Whichwas whyI’dleft.
Aftera deep inhale,Iprepared to shift.Energypulsed through my body as muscles and bones reshaped, and thenIstared into the forest through my wolf’s eyes.Myvision sharpened and my sense of smell grew sharper.Webounded over moss and fern on the forest floor, sniffing at scents left by recent animals passing through.
Whenhe paused, turned his snout up to the moon, and gave a mournful wail,Ibraced myself for an abrupt turn to run back toward our mate.Hefought it, butIsensed the anguish.Ishared the longing and the struggle for what we couldn’t have.
* * *
Inthe morning,Ireturned toSalem.Overthe next few days,Idistracted myself at the restaurant, whereIthrew myself into my work.Atleast hereIwas appreciated.
Inaddition to our traditional dishes,Iexperimented with new options with locally sourced meat and produce.Cookingwas the perfect combination of art and science, andIloved to test new recipes to see how patrons responded.Icreated a zesty new citrus sauce for one of our popular seafood dishes and promoted it as the daily special.Itwas well received, so much so thatI’dbring it back as another special in the near future.Praiseat the restaurant helped soften the sudden blow in my relationship withGianna.
ThenSaturdayarrived, the night ofGianna’sHalfwaytoHalloweenparty.
Lucascame downstairs dressed asBeetlejuiceand spread his arms wide. “It’sshowtime!”Heglanced at me sitting on the couch, playing on my phone. “Wait, why aren’t you getting dressed?”
“I’mnot going.”
“Whynot?”Hisbrows drew closer, cracking the makeup on his face painted white with dark circles around the eyes. “Giannawanted all of us to go.She’dinsisted, remember?”
“Thatwas before.”Ihuffed. “Withhow things are between us right now, it wouldn’t be a good idea.”
Lucasappeared to consider it and nodded, making the wild greenish wig bob. “Wecan skip it too,” he offered.
Ishook my head. “Thanks, but it would make things worse if you didn’t go.Ican’t ruin her party.”
“Ithink she’d want you to be there,”Lucasencouraged and nudged my arm.
“No.”Ishook my head. “Notnow.”
Diegoentered from his apartment, dressed in a top hat over a long black wig with dreadlocks.Hewore small, round, wireframed glasses, a long, black cape, and a false beard.
“Whatkind of bloody crypt did you crawl out from?”Iasked.
“Mycostume will make more sense when you seeNova.She’sstill getting ready.”
“Zoetoo,”Lucasadded.
LucasgotDiegoup to speed with my situation.Thenit was silent for several seconds as they exchanged a meaningful glance.
“What?”Iasked, knowing they must have had conversations about me. “Spill.”
“Listenup,Seb, you’ve been slinking around here like a shadow.”Diegopointed at his chest and then at me. “Lessshifter and more zombie.”
“It’snot like you and it’s not healthy,”Lucasadded. “It’slike we’re hanging out withPuddlesPityParty.”
“Dude,I’mnot a clown,”Icountered.
“Butthere’s a lot of pity at this party.”Lucaspointed in my direction and circled his finger.Henodded with a knowing expression.
“Whatdo you want from me?”Ithrew my hands up. “Mymate doesn’t want me,”Iexplained, hearing the defensiveness in my voice. “Doyou have any idea what it feels like to have your mate reject you?”
“Technically, it’s not a rejection,”Lucaspointed out with a raised index finger. “It’sa separation.Atemporary one.”
“You’vegotta wolf up, dude, and stop being this sad sack on the sofa,”Diegoadded, gesturing at me. “Youmight as well be a damn cushion.”
Iscowled at him.
