Damaged Mate

17

My first trip to Ayersville’s forests had been terrifying, to say the least—under the darkness of night, all on my own, without a clue as to where I was going or what I would find. But with Clyde, and underneath sunlight, the forest actually made for a pleasant walk. The thick canopy blocked the outside world, occasionally breaking to show the bluish sky above as the muffled sound of vehicles became overshadowed by birdsong. Everywhere I looked sprouted thick, green growth, whether it was the leaves on vibrant bushes or moss growing between the cracks in tree bark.

“I can’t believe I’ve only been here twice,” I marveled softly.

“Your dad was doing a good job, then,” Clyde replied.

We continued down the dirt path, and I quietly observed nature’s complete takeover. Everything both looked the same and completely different to me, a massive picture of towering trees and greenery. Clyde seemed to know exactly where to go, nose pointed outward while he followed what looked to me like a random trail. He pushed lower-hanging branches to the side, revealing a break in the seemingly endless brush. A large river stretched across the bank, piles of rocks making up the shores as the water gently washed across.

“Wow.” I gasped. “This is so pretty.”

I caught Clyde’s grin as he passed me by, muttering something about me being easily impressed. “Careful of the incline,” he cautioned as he began his descent. “It gets randomly steep in certain places.”

With a nod, I ducked beneath the lower branches and crouched low, carefully shuffling my feet down the dirt hill. Some pebbles loosened beneath my heel, causing a brief loss in balance as I strained to catch myself.

“Watch it!” Clyde’s hand flew out with astonishing speed, righting my upper body with ease. “God, you’re such a klutz.”

I couldn’t help but stare as he carefully helped me down to flatter ground. Or, as flat as the ground could get when made from piles of rocks. “W-well, I’m not blessed with a wolf’s graceful disposition.”

Clyde chuckled, hands settling loosely against his hips. He seemed to be scrutinizing me, as if meeting me for the very first time. “Yeah, it’s a bit of an advantage on our side. That’s why I wanted to meet out here today.”

I nodded, feeling nerves skitter across my skin. “Then… you’re really going to transform? Here and now?”

Clyde gave me an amused grin. “You scared?”

There was no hesitance as I nodded.

“Relax, Safety Patrol.” He put a reassuring hand on my shoulder as he spoke, his arm hair visibly growing longer with each passing second. “It’s actually easier to control it during the day. Full moon makes us a bit stir-crazy.”

I couldn’t help but gasp as his arm became completely covered in jet-black fur, his fingers elongating while his nails hardened and curled.

“You’re stupid lucky I have as much willpower as I did back there.”

I was starting to believe Clyde’s willpower was something otherworldly. “You really have to hide so much from others.”

He seemed taken aback by my sincerity. To be fair, I was, too; I hadn’t really meant to say it out loud. He removed his shifted arm, the other following suit as tufts of curling black hair came off his cheeks. But beneath it all, I could’ve sworn a flash of red crossed his face.

Another beat or two passed before he stepped back, letting me take in the sight fully. I tilted my head, brow furrowing slightly. He didn’t quite look the same as before, which was throwing me for a loop. His legs still bent forward, his clothes remained somewhat attached and in one piece, and his ears didn’t so much point outward, like a wolf’s. They were more like elf ears, albeit hairier ones, and his face was still very much human.

“It’s the full moon,” he explained, his voice gruffer and deeper than before. “I can only shift so much without it. But this way, we can still talk.”

“Talk about what?” I asked.

He got down into a squat so we could speak face to face. God, but his eyes were so intense in this form; flecks of gold glittered behind amber irises, creating a strange, but not unwelcome, dichotomy between his wolfish and human form.

“About werewolf weaknesses,” he explained. “Just in case I can’t rush to your rescue again.”

My brow rose slightly.

“You can get huffy all you want,” Clyde scoffed, “but the fact of the matter is you’re still only human. Get used to being a damsel in distress.”

“I thought you wanted to teach me how to defend myself?” I asked.

Clyde straightened his back, really showcasing how utterly he towered over me in this form. I couldn’t help but gulp audibly. “That's like teaching a mosquito to defend against an arm slap, Aria. I’m just teaching you how to be too annoying to deal with.”

I should’ve felt insulted. I did, a little. But Vanessa’s attempt at my life really put some things in perspective; this wasn’t time to push an equal agenda. “Are you doing this in case Vanessa…?”

Clyde’s expression hardened a bit. “The full moon stirs up all kinds of feelings for us. Don’t take it personally,” he added with a wink. “Vanessa tries to kill everyone the first time.”

Yeah, but those people were superhuman.

“Okay, now shut up and focus. You were dumb enough to give me a time limit on this, so take notes.” Clyde got down on his hands and knees, back slightly arched as his spine crackled and shifted.

I couldn’t help but grimace, but I kept my comments to myself. Coming up with snappy one-liners was a bit hard in this situation, anyway.

“More often than not, lycanthropes move on all fours, like this.”

I found myself walking around his body, taking in his half-fur, half-clothed visage. “You were upright when you were defending me.”

“That was a risky power move,” Clyde explained. “I’m just glad it worked. Wild animals and exposed underbellies go together like pickles and chocolate.”

Again, I grimaced.

“So, if you have to, throw all your weight into their side. Like this.” Clyde wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled toward his rib cage. My face was on fire at the touch. “Either that, or strike against the face. Eyes, snout, ears—not that I want your hand near those areas, but—”

“H-how is it you always find a way to be physically intimate with me?” I interrupted. “At least ask a girl to dinner, first.”

A blush crept across Clyde’s wolfish face as he partially shoved me away, scowling.

“Sorry, sorry,” I apologize. “I just—this is weird for me, okay? I’m taking combat advice from a wolfman. That sentence alone sounds surreal as hell, doesn’t it?”

Clyde sighed, standing back upright as he rubbed his fur-covered head. “I… yeah, surreal’s a good word for it. You’re the first human I’ve ever spilled my guts to. Probably the only one I’ll be allowed to tell.”

“What about my dad?” I asked.

Clyde shrugged weakly, his expression darkening slightly. “I didn’t have a say in that. And I don’t get to be this way in front of him.” His clawed hand gestured to his body, and he grinned as he added, “Feels like Dad’s giving me an ethereal smack across the head for all this. He’d be so mad if he found out—everyone would—but it feels nice to show someone. To have someone…” Clyde trailed off, clearly embarrassed to say any more.

I laughed awkwardly, relieved that it wasn’t just me feeling weird about this. To hide such a big secret… I couldn’t imagine how terrible they felt. “Aww. I’m happy to be the only member of your fan club, Clyde.”

It was his turn to raise a brow. Still, a fanged smile crossed his face, so I knew I’d alleviated at least some of the tension. It really felt like we were in this together.

“Hey, Clyde.” I gestured to the opposite end of the riverbank, a mischievous smile crossing my face. “Why not show me how powerful werewolves—lycanthrope—really are? I mean, knowing their weaknesses is one thing, but I should know what I’m dealing with, right?”

“Are you trying to get me to start showboating?” Clyde asked. “Because if you are, it’s absolutely working.”

Good. This would be a perfect way to take the edge off. “I bet you can’t make the jump from bank to bank. No way in hell.”

Clyde grinned my way, fangs exposed to the afternoon sun. “You’re gonna eat those words, Safety Patrol.”