The Witch's Brew

Chapter Four: Kai

I laughed. “Why do I look different… Like in a good way or bad way…”

I could feel my face heat up, and I fidgeted with the hem of my band tee. The guy sitting at the bar looked up. My heart fluttered. f**k he’s cute. I shake my head. No, don’t think like that; that’s not okay… being attracted to the same s*x is not OK. I look away quickly, trying to recompose myself.

“A good way, Kai. You look nice. Love the outfit.”

I blushed again and looked her over; her aesthetic changed, too, all neon colors. It is a huge contrast to my dark aesthetic. I looked away again, my anxiety eating away at my confidence.

“You look great, too. It’s been a while, huh? Like what, five years since high school?”

She nodded and laughed. “Yeah, give or take a little. You’ve gained a lot of muscle…”

I rubbed the back of my head and chuckled. “So, you own a bar now? That’s uh cool.

“Yeah, I did open up a bar. Manman wasn’t pleased about that, though. Oh, this Silas is new to town. Silas, this is Kai. he was my best friend when we were growing up.”

Silas extends his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kai.”

I extended my hand to shake Silas’ hand. I could feel my palms start to sweat and tremble. I shook hands with Silas. In a quick shake before pulling my hand back. I could see Iris’s brows furrowed together in confusion. Silas’ gaze drifted back to Iris, who looked back before turning their attention back to mine. “Would you like something to drink?” Iris asked with a small smile.

“Whiskey light on the ice.” I smiled back.

She slid the glass down the bar top, and I grabbed it. I bring the crystal glass towards my lips, taking a long and much-needed sip of the whiskey. I rest my elbows on the smooth wood.

“Looks like there’s not a lot of humans in the bar. I feel kinda uh out of place.” I laughed nervously.

Well, I used to be human before my ex turned me into a werewolf against my will… I saw Silas raise a brow as he knew. I mean, of course, he would. I could smell the scent of a day walker all over him, and it made my inner wolf howl with lust. It irritated me. Why did I have to be attracted to the same s*x, too? Why couldn’t it just be the opposite s*x? I downed the rest of my drink.

“Yeah, well, I normally cater to the supernaturals, but humans have always been welcomed here. After all, I am mortal and practically human, since I can’t use magic…”

“How’s your mom? Is she still a b***h about that?”

Iris nodded and looked down. “Yeah, she is. Still think I’m lesser than them. It’s funny how she acts so nice and welcoming… always helping people, but her own flesh and blood is treated like scum because I’m so different than my family…”

I nodded and sighed. I let my gaze rest on her face. “I got that to a point. I was always the black sheep of my family. Different reasoning, of course, but I’m here for you if you ever need it.”

“Thanks, Kai, I appreciate it.”

“No problem. I might not get it, my family is pretty tight-knit, but I’ve seen firsthand how she treats you…”

Iris smiles and squeezes my hand. “Want another round?”

“Sure, I’d like that.”

Silas’ gaze was locked on both of us. I could feel the curious stare. Like he was trying to size up if our relationship was more than just childhood friends. f**k I wish Iris and I were more than friends. She looked pretty today, her hair was styled, and her makeup done up. She looked like a goddess. Between her and my impure thoughts on how attractive Silas was, my c**k hardened.

Iris slid another shot of whiskey. Of course, I downed it as I tried to drown those thoughts of s*x with both of them. Gods, why was I like this… my parents would be so disappointed in me that I was thinking about having s*x with both of them… let alone thinking about a threesome with both of them.

I looked down at my empty glass and sighed. I rolled my shoulders back as the bones popped. The sickening sound echoed in the small bar. My mind was still full of images of body parts, sweat, and the looks on both of their faces. My inner wolf howled and was chanting one word: mates.

Iris was chatting with another patron, and Silas kept stealing glances at me. I could feel the heat pooling in my lower stomach. I glanced over at him and our eyes locked.

“Is everything okay?” I squeaked out the question as my cheeks started to flush.

“Yeah, you just seemed tense. Does Iris know you are not human? I can smell the scent of a wolf all over you… "

I shake my head. “No, she doesn’t… my ex accidentally turned on me when we were dating.”

“Isn’t that against the werewolf code?”

I nodded, “Yeah, it is, and she ran off, not explaining anything, and I’m just kind of struggling. She grew up in a backwards pack. Or at least that’s what she said… the Waylon pack, but she ran off to New Orleans for college, and that’s where we met.”

“I’ve heard of them, and yeah, they’re backwards as f**k… many don’t get a chance to escape that pack. I’ve heard it’s more like a cult than anything else. They’re located in Maine. I’ve been through that town.”

“So, you’ve heard the stories?”

Silas nodded. “Yeah, unfortunately, the council for that pack wouldn’t do s**t about her turning you against you will. They’ll chalk it up as the gods had plans for you.”

My eyes widen, and my jaw drops. “Wait, really? That I'd f****d up, so like consent isn’t heavily enforced there?”

Silas sighs and shakes his head. “No, sadly… they like to let their inner wolf take over way too much. Which can cause problems later.”

“Damn, that’s f**k I don’t even know what to say to all of that.”

Silas calls over Iris. “I’d like another beer. Do you want anything, Kai?”

“Yeah, sure, just a beer as well.”

Iris nodded and handed them both a cold beer.

“Thanks, Iris, we appreciate it.” ‘I smiled, and Silas nodded as he took a long swig from the bottle.

She smiled and looked up when some other patrons started to get rowdy. She hurried off to tell them to settle it down. I chuckled and shook my head.

“Seems like the locals are the same as when I left.”

“So you grew up here and moved down to New Orleans for college? What did you study?”

“Yeah, and I studied biology.”

Silas looked back at Iris as she was cussing out the two men who had almost gotten into a fight with each other. His eyes narrowed, but he looked down at the bar top. His hands clenched and unclenched.

“Hey, you don’t have to worry about her. She’s tougher than she looks… had to with the way she grew up.”

“Yeah? She seems tough. So you two grew up together like friends since the crib? Or did you two meet like, in school?”

“In school, her mom is, uh, like an elitist. Anyone who isn’t part of the paranormal world is less than. She’s a major bitch.”

“Sounds like it.”

We both took a long swig of our beers. I sighed and shook my head. My inner wolf wouldn’t shut the f**k up about Silas and Iris. It was driving me nuts. I just kept drinking, trying to drown out all the f*****g noise.