The incessant haptic rumbling of my phone on the corner dresser slowly galled me from sleep. I was finally startled awake and out of my sheets by an unexpected crash onto the floor--the phone having inevitably slid off the uneven piece of furniture. I had put off jimmying some folded paper or wedge of some sort beneath its one stunted corner, but at least my phone case compensated for my laziness. I knew the case would crack one day and that I’d be sorry, but it worked for now.

Damn, I gotta find the box downstairs with the table shims. Hopefully, Beth hasn’t used them all yet.

Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I tried to make sense of what time it was. The sunlight hung low and a quick glance at my clock, 3:15 pm, confirmed my guess that it was sometime in the afternoon. God, how long did I sleep for? Nate seemed to be missing… Wait! Nate?! All my senses came crashing into me at once as I realized what I just did!

What the shit! I just slept with Nate...Well, technically we just made out but… Well, more like he made out with my dick! Holy fuck, what is wrong with me?

Sitting up in bed, the fresh scent of new clean clothes hugged my body, the evidence of my sinful deeds erased. I peeked into my pants, a new set of blue boxers replaced the gray ones before.

Oh my god…. This is embarrassing!

The thought of Nate stripping me naked--my bare body exposed; to then dress me into a new set of clothes seemed like a nightmare. And where the thoughts of this afternoon’s salaciousness still kept me slightly hard, somehow the thought of him perusing my wardrobe and deciding what to dress me in (as if I were a little fucking Ken doll) made me feel nauseous and violated. An electric panic jolted down my spine and I reached a hand in the back of my pants and down the crack of my ass. No soreness lingered and I heaved a sigh of relief. I know that it was wrong of me to think that Nate would do something like that, but...Well, it's Nate we are talking about here. I wouldn't put it past him to try stealth fucking me in my sleep.

The ambivalence I felt over the whole matter left me both queasy and horned, and with a sinking resolve in the pit of my stomach. I knew he would keep coming back, claiming as much of my body as he could, taking ownership over every carnal milestone I had yet to give up.

I screamed aloud--to no one. Why did things have to be so fucking complicated? Is this what Avril Lavinge was talking about? Did she have a Nate and a Theo, just like me? And what of Theo?

Holy fuck! Does this mean I just cheated on him?

I picked up my phone off the floor, thankful for only a few scratch marks on the black otterbox, no new cracks on the screen. Mindlessly scrolling through my notifications, I picked out the few important ones: a text from Kash saying he was on his way home from school, a cute puppy emoji stating I should ‘have a woof-derful day’ from James, and a Snapchat from Nate--the red square looming an unknown image.

Oh no… Don't tell me he took nudes!

My anxiety pushed me to swallow the red pill, hoping it wasn't the launch of my new porn career (next stop, black couch interviews). The mysterious swipe reviewed a picture of me peacefully sleeping in Nate’s arms, a huge gloober of drool slinking from the corner of my mouth, with the caption at the bottom: ‘snuggle time.’

…This motherfucker.

Sighing, I tossed my phone on my bed with too much force, sending it bouncing on the mattress springs, right before landing on the floor again. Frustration pulled at my skin as I picked it up again. What did I expect? Nate was going to milk this situation as long as he could, until he either became bored of me or Theo punched his forehead into a wall.

Why?... Why did I even let him in?

‘Yeah, why did you let him in?’

What the fuck was that!?

I spun around, searching for the voice. There wasn't anyone in the room. I fearfully remained quiet, listening for any small or subtle change in the air. But there was nothing.

Am I hearing voices again?

The loose strings started to connect through dots of delusion again, and my heart began cranking like a methed out bass drummer as my sanity came into stark question.

It's just nothing, it's just my imagination.

‘What is?’ the voice queried back. I started to hyperventilate, struggling to slow my breath.

“Who’s there?” I yelled, grabbing a wire hanger from the closet door, scared this was going to be my end.

‘Why are you yelling?’

“AHHHHH!” Swatting the hanger and screaming like a banshee, I hit nothing but the air. I searched with my eyes, hoping this was just a silly joke; that maybe it was Kash hiding under my bed, or Nate playing some kind of sick prank on me with a Bluetooth speaker hidden in my room somewhere. But the voice sounded more like myself than any of them, and I couldn’t help but feel this wasn’t a joke. “Show yourself!”

No answer. Chuckling, I dropped the hanger, the clattering was the only noise that broke the silence of my delirium.

I'm just going crazy. There isn't anyone here--

A mysterious shadow appeared in front of the window--a wispy black swirl of smoke with curious flickers of silver dust. I had no way of knowing if this was real (maybe there was a fire downstairs, some kind of haphazard electrical short that was about to take down the whole house with me in it), or if this was somehow just in my head. The cloud slowly crept from the window ledge, dissipating to finally reveal... A full ass goddamn timberwolf seated calmly on the hardwood floor in front of me, its toffee-colored mane flowing with shimmering golden tufts. I stumbled backward, both awed and terrified by the unexplainable creature.

What in the majestic fuck is going on here?

‘What are you talking about?’

What the fuck? Did it just talk to me? But I didn't even say anything!

I grabbed at my scalp and tried to feel around for any bumps or sore spots that may have indicated a fall--a concussion--something to explain what I was seeing before me.

‘Finally! So your ears are working again? Can’t say I’m putting my vote in for Ryder, but it is nice not having to fight with those meds to get you to hear me.’ My jaw fixed itself agape in a clash of shock, wonder, terror, and disbelief. The wolf casually continued on, ‘By the way, whatever that leave-in stuff you’re putting on those curls is doing wonders for me over here. Look at this fuckin’ shine!’

The wolf peaked its face from a concealing strip of shadow to reveal a beautiful set of crystalline lilac eyes. It jostled its glowing mane and a few more specks of silver dust shook loose and whirred around the still air of my room, mingling with the sun rays peeking through my window curtains.

‘Ummm… Sure, I guess?’ It was all I could manage to say. My mouth had gone almost completely dry as I couldn't believe I was having a conversation with this beast. I halfway blurted out a laugh, manically choking it back as nervous sweat began beading up on my forehead.

I guess the meds really have left my body. I… I guess I really am crazy--

‘Oh come on, Remy,’ The ominous fluff ball cut me off. It spoke without moving its mouth, yet the voice didn’t entirely seem like an echo from within me this time. It shifted to a standing position, ‘Damn, what did those shrinks have you on anyways? Wellbutrin and horse tranquilizers? Shit, I can’t even remember the last time we really talked.’

‘Y--you…You know my name?’

‘Of course, I know your name. What kind of wolf would I be if I didn't know my own human’s name.’ It was hard to tell whether the thing wanted to be earnest, or if it was just throwing me sass.

This needed to stop. The worst-case scenario was happening, just like what the files said, the swirling hallucination was here to consume me. Focus Remy! I just needed to focus on something else, something to ground myself to reality, and yet my thoughts carried me to Theo and Nate…

Ughh probably not a great topic either.

‘Really Remy? We finally reunite and the first thing you do is think of those two stupid alphas? I guess you can’t fight the fire in your… Well, your pants--the fire in your pants. I mean, geez! What do you even see in those two?’

‘W--what the hell even are you!?’ Flashes of that voice telling me to run from Ryder and the boys, and me being too stupid to listen. Flashes of things I hadn’t thought about in years, from my days in the group homes, an unknown woman crying on the floor. All of it somehow triggered by the sight of this unexplainable creature.

I caught a brief glimpse of myself in the mirror on my dresser and my eyes seemed to glint the same pale shade of lavender as those of the wolven mirage trying to talk to me. The creature had taken a tenuous degree of pause, finally giving me some room to think. From some jumbled mess of embarrassment and dread, I sheepishly asked, ‘You know about Nate?... About Theo?’

‘Of course, I do. Those two idiots were the first thing I smelled when we moved here. Didn't you hear my warnings? I told you to stay away, but you didn't. Some things never change.’

‘The voice... was you?’

‘Well duh, who else would it be.’

‘But… But no. I'm just a schizo! This is all just in my head. You're not real, so I’m just gonna call the fucking doctor and get my refills pushed forward.’

‘You're not sick, Remy! And you're not crazy! You may not know that, but I do.’

‘Huh? Then what am I?’

‘Do you want the cliff notes version or the full unabridged production brought to you by Audible?’

‘Ummm both?’

A long drawn out huff came from the creature as I waited for an answer.

‘I’ll be brief then Remy. You're not schizophrenic, like those stupid humans claim you are...You are a werewolf,’ the beast pertly explained.

I erupted in laughter, not quite knowing how to digest what I’d just been told (and not entirely unconvinced I wasn’t trapped in some kind of post-fellacial nightmare). ‘Totes l-o-l bro. Nooo, the boy’s not crazy! He’s just a fucking werewolf. What, next thing you’re gonna tell me the whole town’s full of werewolves!’

‘Actually yes, from the looks of it, we are living in two werewolf pack territories. Not sure where the boundaries are but we definitely will be a target if we leave this house.’

‘Wait, what!?’ This was ridiculous. I just couldn't believe this shit.

‘It's true, Kash is one too! So is James, and those two stupid alphas, Theo and Nate. Ryder, that dumb Zale guy, and even Dylan from math class is one--I think... Or maybe he just smells like an absolute dog. Sometimes it's hard to tell with the humans that are… Well, slobby.’ The wolf continued to list off the names of nearly everyone in town, from shop owners to grocery clerks, even some of our neighbors!

‘Wait a minute, so you're telling me Kash, James, Theo, Nate, basically everyone I interacted with in this town are all werewolves?’

‘That's what I've been trying to tell you but you keep interrupting me.’

‘I don't believe you.’

‘Clearly.’ I could feel a sense of annoyance from this being. This was weird, being able to feel these strong emotions. It led me to believe that maybe what it was saying could possibly be true, but then that would mean my whole life wasn't what I thought it was. ‘Fine if you are right, then how do you prove it?’

The wolf was quiet before answering, ‘Why don't we ask Kash? He’s a bad liar so we can confirm with him!’

Strange, it did have a point. Kash was a notoriously bad liar. Who couldn't forget the infamous crème brûlée crumble fiasco. Beth was so upset that the pastry dish had disappeared from the cooling sheet. He obviously ate it, crumbs still stuck to his face as he heavily relied on me to help him out of that situation.

“Hey Remy, I'm home,” Kash shouted from downstairs.

‘Deal, we’ll ask him then.’ If this sentient hallucination was right, then I probably had no choice but to hear it out.

I waited for Kash to make his way up the squeaky steps, the anxiety building with each creak of the wooden staircase. This was it. The truth would be revealed, I was either crazy or a werewolf, blue pill or red pill. Both of these options seemed ridiculous at this point but my whole life was a joke.

The door slowly creaked open, I wondered what the answer would be?

Time to find out…

A/N Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed the new chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this scene. It finally happened! Remy finally got to meet his wolf? What do you guys think about the reunion? 🐺😲

I wonder how Kash is going to handle all of this? Probably will freak out. 😅🤣 Make sure to tune in next week! 

As always make sure to leave a comment! ✨Don’t forget to like and subscribe! ✔❤ 

The winner for this week's raffle will be announced on Sunday! 🎄🎁Cheers! ✨🐺🥀