šŗDominic's POV
Ahg! Fuck, it's already 9.
I blink at the clock on the motel nightstand. My head's pounding, my abs are sore, and my thighs feel like they've done squats for hours. Which they kinda have. Goddamn. I groan and roll off the creaky mattress, grabbing my jeans from the floor. They're inside out and stained. Of course they are.
I definitely screwed up with her. Again like 2 and a half round
She's gone - left me mid-round, mid-rut, and mid-... whatever. Took her purse, threw her phone at my face, and called me "a feral bastard with control issues."
Which, like. Fair. I am a feral bastard with control issues.
Especially when the full moon's 1 day past and I haven't exactly been... behaving.
"At least all the condoms are used, so no waste," I mutter to myself like that makes this less trashy.
God. Why am I like this.
The werewolf in me? He's smug. Satisfied. Fangs bared and tail wagging. But he's also whining now, already restless again. It's never enough. Never satisfied. Always clawing.
I needed to jerk it off again in the bathroom like some sex-starved freak. Because yeah - nothing like being dumped naked and cursed out to really keep the mood going.
I yank the hoodie over my head and curse as my shoulder pops. My phone buzzes.
19 missed calls. 44 messages. All from one sender.
Guess who?
VAMPY. Oh wait! I don't have my phone I left it home! FUCK! I am hallucinating about that creature too?
I can practically hear the teary glitter through the my mind.
"PUPPERS WHERE ARE YOU š
I THOUGHT U WERE DEAD
I MADE BURNT TOFU HEARTS FOR U
Did aliens get u?? š½š
Or did u fall in a ditch?!
PLS DON'T BE DEAD I WILL DIE WITH U š"
Jesus Christ.
That little bloodsucker's probably been clinging to my hoodie all night, sniffling like a damn anime wife waiting for her war-hero husband to come back from the front lines.
I swear to god, the second I unlock the door, he's gonna leap into my arms all sneezey and snotty, screaming-
"PUPPERS!! YOU'RE ALIVE!! I THOUGHT ALIENS GOT YOU!!! CAN I PET YOU!!!!!!"
Like I'm some goddamn golden retriever who went out for milk and never came back.
Anyways the cinamon rolls are cold, I need to microwave it for him, and ok I am mid way though and!! For some reason a group of cats are bullying a group of dog!
What the actual hell is happening in this town.
I sigh. Rub my eyes. Stretch my back.
And finally, after half an hour of weird feral energy and minor street animal wars, I make it home.
I shove my key into the door.
I brace for it-
"PUPPPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYYY-!!"
-impact.
Wait!
The fuck?!
This is scary.
Nothing jumped on me.
No glitter-bomb. No shrieking. No dramatic run-tackle. No burning cinnamon in the air. No "PUPPY PUFF!!" echoing from the kitchen with tears and sparkles.
It's... quiet.
Too quiet.
Unnaturally quiet.
For a vampire who lives here?
That's like a horror movie setup.
Like, where's the sparkle? Where's the sparkle!?
Did... Did he get killed?!
What if he tried to cook something again and accidentally ate garlic?!
Not like vampire-dramatic garlic.
Like, actual murder-garlic.
Oh my god what if he looked at a garlic bulb and said, "Aww, it's shaped like a flower bulb! So cute!!" and just bit into it raw like an apple?!
Is that how he dies??
From seasoning?!
I was supposed to die first!! I had the death flags!!
"VAMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I yell, stepping into the living room like I'm breaking into a crime scene. "IF YOU DIED FROM GARLIC, I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL-"
Something rustles.
A thump.
I whirl around.
Kitchen.
Oh no.
If there's a vampire corpse in there wearing my hoodie and clutching a burnt spoon I will lose it-
š¦Lean's POV
OK GUYS!!!
I went to the electronics shop-
'ALPHA ELECTRONICS'-and??
AND!!!
I GOT THE FUCKING JOB!!!
I AM ACTUALLY HIRED!!!
I GOT MY FIRST JOB!!!
Okay... okay... Breathe, Lean... break the damn legs in joy or whatever the phrase is!!
So! I was scared. Like heart-thumping, sparkle-sweating, 'what if they hate vampires' scared.
But then... I saw a cute wolf face on the shop's logo.
And I was like:
"Yeah. I know how to deal with wolves."
So I walked in like a damn hero.
The shop owner? Olivia.
Suspicious scent? Check.
Weird glowy eyes? Check.
Might be storing raw meat in the backroom? Probably.
But... but... she's a sweet lady with muscles!!
I SWEAR the very first thing I did after entering was-
STEP ON THE FOOT OF A CORGI. š
His name is Bunbun.
The owner's corgi.
Smol. Round. Judging me with unholy betrayal in his soul.
I panicked, obviously.
I dropped to my knees and apologized. Bowed three times. Offered my soul . Wait I don't have one.
Bunbun stared at me like a disappointed sensei.
Then...
THREE LICKS OF FORGIVENESS.
I almost cried.
I wanted to speak to him. Tell him "I'm sorry, fluffy prince, I did not mean to trespass upon your sacred paw."
BUT!!!
NO!!!
I told myself:
"LEAN, YOU NEED TO GET THIS JOB AND NOT MESS IT UP. DO NOT TALK TO THE DOG. IF HE KNOWS YOU SPEAK DOGGY, HE WILL NEVER SHUT UP. YOU WILL LOSE FOCUS. YOU WILL DIE HERE."
So I did my job.
I repaired 10 phones, 3 laptops, and 1 pissed-off tablet that was throwing literal virus tantrums like an angry toddler.
I got glowing reviews from customers.
And old granny gave me a kiss and a lollipop for repairing her Nokia, that was the best part!
And Olivia was smiling?? That was scarier than her not smiling??
AND!!!
I GOT MY FIRST PAYCHECK!!!
Like ACTUAL MONEY I EARNED???
I AM IN THE SKY!!!
FLOATING!!!
TRANSCENDING!!!
$90!!!
$30 from tips. The rest paid by her. I might cry.
So! Obviously! I decided to buy something for Puppers on my way back.
I skipped. I sparkled. I was Cinderella in jeans.
But then-
Wait...
Why is it... dark?
I blink. Check my phone.
9:40 PM.
...
...
9:40 PM!!!!!!!
PUPPERS IS GONNA COOK ME ALIVE!!!
I AM GOING TO BE A GARLIC MARINADE!!!
HE'S GOING TO ROAST ME WITH ROSEMARY!!!!
I SHRIEKED.
"BYE OLIVIA!! MEET YOU TOMORROW!!"
I didn't even wait for her response.
She blinked at me like, "...What in the haunted fairy godmother just happened?"
But I didn't care.
I RAN.
I AM THE CINDERELLA.
AND IT'S PAST MIDNIGHT.
AND MY WEREWOLF IS GONNA EAT ME INSTEAD OF A BALL DRESS.
šŗDominic's POV:
WHERE THE HELL IS HE.
I've checked everywhere.
The bed?
No Lean. Just glitter on the pillow and a suspiciously chewed pen. Not mine.
The kitchen?
Empty. Except for the apple he tried to deep fry yesterday.
The shower?
Nope. Just his shampoo that smells like sugar and heartbreak.
THE FREEZER?!
I ripped it open-
AND NO VAMPIRE POPSICLE EITHER!!!
"What the fuck, Lean!!!" I growl, slamming the door shut.
Ok. Think. THINK. He likes cold places. And dark corners. And sometimes hides in the laundry basket pretending to be a bat.
I yank the lid off.
NOPE. JUST SOCKS AND THE TRAUMA OF HAVING FEELINGS.
"VAAAAAAAAAAAAMPS!!!"
I yell like a man who just lost his emotional support disaster.
No answer. No glitter cloud. No sassy voice calling me 'Puppers.'
...Is he dead??
Did he trip on his own shoelace and impale himself on a toothpick??
Did the neighbor's chihuahua eat him???????
OH FUCK WHAT IF-
WHAT IF HE TRIED TO EAT MY FOOD!!! IT HAVE LIKE THOUSANDS OF SUFF HE IS ALLERGIC TOO???
"VAMPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I scream again, this time with the force of a dying soul.
No reply.
Great. I'm gonna find him lying in a dramatic, sparkly heap, with garlic crumbs around his mouth bubbling and a note that says 'tell my plants I loved them.'
My knees give out.
I sit on the floor.
I am now a tragic werewolf protagonist in a rom-com horror.
"I swear if you've turned to mist and floated out the window, I'm gonna cry. Like. Real tears. Ugly ones. BUT I AM NOT GAY!!"
I sniff the air.
...Lavender, battery acid, and... hope?
Wait.
Did he go outside???
I jump up. Grab a hoodie. Fling the door open.
I NEED MY VAMPIRE!!
I will find that dramatic night-creature if it's the last thing I do.
And if he's holding a smoothie and acting like nothing happened, I am putting a leash on him.
A sparkly one.
š¦Lean's POV:
Okay. Focus, Lean. You're on a mission. A noble, sacred, boyfriend-y mission.
What do werewolves like?? Bones? Squirrels? Existential dread??
NO-TOYS!! FOOD!! YES. GOOD. KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Hmm... a leash?
Pfft. They don't make those in 'XXXL Grumpy Ferocious Murder Puppy' size. And besides, if I buy one, he's going to chew it out of spite. Again.
Ah-what's this?
"Chewy Bones For Your Furry Friend! Packed With Calcium and Lasts at Least 3 Hours!!"
OH HO HO. Sounds like a challenge.
Snatches three.
I glance at the price tag.
Fifteen dollars?!
Is this bone made of gold or capitalism?
Okay, fine, whatever-I have a hundred bucks. That leaves me fifty-five.
I turn-AND THEN I SEE IT.
MANGO-FLAVOURED DOG COOKIES.
The bag has glitter on it. It practically screams, "Lean, buy me for your Wolfie!"
"Limited Edition: For That One Special Beast š"
WHY IS THIS ENTIRE STORE FLIRTING WITH ME???
Grabs it dramatically.
Okay, twenty dollars gone. Thirty-five left.
I look around. There's a sparkly pink water bowl with the words "Daddy's Good Boy" written on it.
I hold it for five seconds.
...
No. Too soon. He might combust.
Okay, okay-I'll just give the last dollars to him. He can buy himself chicken nuggets or... protein shakes. Or like, rage management yoga.
Now-TIME TO GO HOME!!
Wait.
Let's fly. āØ
Yes. Good idea.
I step out of the shop dramatically like I'm about to sing a power ballad.
I stretch out my arms.
Deep breath.
"Okay Bat Mode: ACTIVATE!"
š«āØ Cue dramatic orchestral swell āØš«
A magical shimmer begins at my fingertips, rippling down my body like a wave of moonlight.
My hoodie lifts in a breeze that doesn't exist.
The air sparkles with tiny red bats.
My hair glows like midnight satin.
The shopping bags, my glitter-stained clothes, my socks with little strawberries on them-
WHOOSH!
They all get absorbed into my body in a glittery pop.
Spinning once in the air-
-I transform.
A MASSIVE, GOLDEN-CROWNED FLYING FOX BAT BURSTS FORTH.
Wings span nearly eight feet.
Golden brown fur like royal fire.
Little fangs. Sparkly eyes. A slight glimmer on the claws.
I AM MIGHT. I AM GLAMOUR. I AM A NOCTURNAL PRINCE OF THE NIGHT.
I flap once-
A gust of wind nearly blows a toddler's balloon into orbit.
A woman gasps, "It's a FUCKING MONSTER!!"
Someone takes a selfie with me midair.
I cackle mid-flight.
"Puppers, here I come~"
And then I'm gone.
Slicing through the clouds like a beautiful, slightly fruity missile of vengeance and affection.
Ahhh!! It's been so long since I flew!
The air is cold and sweet against my fur, my fangs sparkle under the moon, and my golden fluff glows like divine honey.
"Oh, Mr. Owl! How's everything going?"
I meet a barn owl mid-air and have a lovely chat.
It's his third anniversary! He's looking for some juicy mice-or a snake-for his wife!
I congratulate him and flap away with pride.
A few flaps later-I run into some teen Little Brown Bats having their first flight!!
They squeak, "You're majestic!! We wanna grow up to be like you one day!!"
ššš
MY BABIES!!!
I am so proud of these kids!! I may cry glitter!!
Okay okay-house is in sight. Almost there-
Wait.
What is that thing in the backyard...? That big, messy blob of sadness??
It's moving... it's howling??
It's-
"PUPPERS!!!!!!!"
HE'S OUT IN THE BACKYARD
HOWLING
AT
THE
MOON.
šŗDominic's POV:
I lost him!
I FUCKING LOST HIM!!!
HOW COULD HE RUN AWAY LIKE THIS?! AFTER ALL THIS?!
Yes, I know I'm not the best with my attitude! But-
No.
Why the hell am I crying like a fool?!
I always wanted him away, didn't I?
No.
No, I... I'm fucking into him.
He's the only guy I've ever opened up to. (Ok I opend up to another guy too who thinks he is my mooma after that, nv) , Even a little.
I... I love him.
It's weird! It's messed up!
But my mind and body crave his touch.
My ears bleed for his endless, ridiculous nonsense.
I'm driven to him like a moth to a fucking lamp!
And he's gone.
And I'm already missing him.
My life is about to be a goddamn nightmare.
I'm tired.
I'm exhausted.
I went through the whole neighborhood sniffing for his scent-
but I lost the track.
I even asked random people:
"Did you see an over-talkative, baby-faced, six-foot-tall pale guy who might've been jumping in the middle of the road??"
Half of them cursed him out. The rest looked at me like I needed an exorcism.
I'm tapped out.
So now I'm just out in the backyard, staring blankly at the woods-
the same damn woods where I first found him.
"AHOOOOOO!!!"
Yep. That's me. Howling at the moon like a lunatic.
My tail's out. My ears are twitching.
I'm having a breakdown in 10K.
Wait.
Waitwaitwait-
I smell something.
Cinnamon rolls.
Honey.
GLITTER.
And GAY.
IT'S HIM.
LEAN'S BACK.
I CAN SMELL HIM.
OH MY GOD HE'S ACTUALLY COMING BACK-!!!
Now I'm gonna fry him in garlic butter,
dip him in mayo,
and munch him down!!!
HOW DARE HE RUN AWAY!!!!
š¦Lean's POV:
Okay. So.
I... I'm not great with landings.
Which is why I just crashed into his head.
Yup. Like, full-body, actual CRASHED.
Then rolled off him like a dropped meatball.
And now he's just standing there-
his eyes glowing with actual golden fire.
Oh.
Oh no.
He's mad.
I'm in big trouble.
I panic-transform back into human form,
a tiny red bat-sparkle tornado spiraling around me as I land with my bags popping into my hands like a guilty anime character.
I bite my lip, scratch my head and neck nervously.
He's quiet. Too quiet.
Yup. I'm dead. This is the end.
Goodbye cruel world. I regret nothing except not petting more cats and wolves.
"H-hey! Puppers!" I try, with a nervous laugh.
"Hehe... I'm cute, right? In my bat form-?"
He just stares.
Feral. Unblinking.
Wolf ears squinted back.
Tail absolutely not thumping.
If he twitches one more time, I'm going to pee my pants. Again. And he's the one who has to wash it!
"Look, I know you're mad! But I swear, on the holy reunion of One Direction- I was just-"
He pounces.
I scream internally.
I'm dead.
Wait.
Waitwaitwait.
This is warm???
Oh. Oh??
He's not killing me??
IS THIS A HUG?!
HE'S HUGGING ME.
LIKE-FULL ON-CRUSHING ME INTO HIS WOLF CHEST.
And he's crying?? I am a monster!!
His face is buried in my golden curls, aggressively sniffling me like a bloodhound on drugs.
His arms are locked around me like iron.
His tail has wrapped around my waist like a sentient scarf.
I... I...
VAMPIRE.EXE HAS STOPPED WORKING.
I'm frozen.
I don't even know what to do.
šŗDominic's POV
He's here.
He's actually here.
That tiny little idiot just crashed into my head like a possessed glitter cannon, rolled down me like a fuzzy bowling ball, and then sparkle-tornadoed into human with shopping bags like he just robbed Hot Topic and the grocery store in one sweep.
And now he's... talking. Nervously. Rambling.
About One Direction?? And his bat form being cute?
I can't hear a word.
My heart's pounding in my ears. My chest's about to explode.
Because-because he's safe. He's here. He's in front of me.
I thought I lost him.
I searched every damn inch of this house, this town, the goddamn freezer-and yes, he hides in there sometimes like a frozen fruit bat-but he wasn't there.
And I thought maybe-
Maybe I scared him away.
Maybe I was too much. Too wolf. Too monstrous.
And he just left.
But then he comes back. Flying.
With bags.
And a dumb little smile.
And the scent of the forest all over him, like he ran around barefoot collecting berries like a tiny cryptid. Why I smell another dog on him? Is he cheating? Wait is he even- fuck!
And all the fear-all the panic-every version of yelling I rehearsed in my head-
They just shatter.
I don't even realize I've moved until he's in my arms.
I crush him into my chest.
I bury my face in his curls. They smell like home and chaos and cherries and him.
And I breathe.
Because I haven't been able to breathe since he disappeared.
He stiffens like a statue in my arms. Not even reacting.
God, I'm crying. I'm actually crying.
My face is wet. My throat's raw.
My tail wraps around him on instinct like I'm terrified someone's gonna rip him away again.
I'm not letting go. Not yet.
I messed up.
I hurt him. I pushed him away. I pretended not to care when he was the only one I cared about.
And still-
He came back.
I'm holding him now-this tiny, chaotic vampire who smells like sparkles and stolen kindness-and I don't know how to say it.
But I think I love him.
I think I've loved him for a while now.
But I...
I'm not ready to tell him that.
Because I'm scared.
Yes. Dominic Quinn is scared.
So instead, I whisper against his ear-
"I'm gonna eat you down, vampire."
His body jerks. Stiffens even more.
Before he can say something-something stupid or flirty or both-
I nibble his ear.
Yes.
I did that.
I nibbed the damn vampire's ear.
And he tastes divine. Better than any flesh I've ever bitten.
The wolf inside me howls. Tells me to claim him. To mark him. To take him here, now, like instinct demands.
He's cold against my heat, clinging to my body like he belongs here.
He does.
I groan-deep, feral-
"Fuck... mhump..."
Everything in me wants to make him mine.
But then-
I snap out of it.
No. I can't do this. Not now. Not here.
Not when I'm this confused.
Not when he might not even want this. Not when he's still healing from me.
So I drop my arms. Step away.
I leave him frozen, wide-eyed, and bat-brained in the backyard.
And I just...
Run into the house like a confused, horny hurricane.
I don't even know what I'm doing anymore.
Why him?
Why does it have to be him?
Why the hell does my monster heart keep choosing the clingy little vampire with glitter in his veins and chaos in his laugh?
š¦Lean's POV:
Okay.
So.
I think I just got sniffed into another dimension.
And then-
NIBBLED.
Yup. You heard me.
The feral floof monster nibbled my ear.
Like I was a juicy snack. Like I was edible.
LIKE I WAS A FUCKING VAMPIRE FLAVOURED TWINKIE.
I freeze.
Brain short-circuits.
A bat inside me combusts.
Because WHAT THE ACTUAL GLITTERY HELL WAS THAT?!
I can feel his breath on my neck, hot and heavy, his chest rumbling like a warning growl and a sob all at once. His tail is still looped around me like a lifeline and his hands are not letting go.
And then.
THEN.
This beast, this emotionally repressed forest hobo, growls into my ear-
"I'm gonna eat you down, vampire."
I blink.
I mentally ascend into a sparkle tornado.
And definitely scared !
Because I know it's a threat. I know it's his way of being weird and possessive and unhinged and feral or maybe something I dont understand, something more wolfish-
But my twinky gay little heart did not survive that.
I make a noise. I don't know what kind. Possibly a microwave malfunction mixed with a hiccup and a sneeze.
And then-
He NIBBLES me again.
My knees leave the chat.
My soul logs out.
My dignity self-immolates.
I'm just. Standing there. Melting. On fire. Frozen. Combusting. Simultaneously.
And just when I think we're about to have a werewolf-vampire moment that would make Wattpad cry-
He drops me.
Literally. Just. Lets me go.
Storms into the house like I'm a garbage flyer someone handed him at the door.
I'm left standing there. In the backyard. Holding my bags.
Covered in forest.
My ear still tingling.
My soul deeply offended.
...
"WHAT THE ACTUAL SHIT JUST HAPPENED?!"
"...Was that... sexy? Or am I in danger?"
---
šŗDominic's POV:
Okay.
So I nibbled him.
WHAT THE FUCK, DOMINIC?!
You were supposed to hug him.
Maybe cry a little. Apologize. Whisper something heartfelt.
NOT. BITE. HIM. LIKE. A. GODDAMN. PUPPY.
But then he made that noise. That soft shocked little hnnghk! sound.
And I don't know what happened.
Instinct? Possession? Hormones?? SATAN??
Something just said:
"Bite the batboy. Do it. Make him your"
And I did.
He was cold and soft and tasted like moonlight and cherry-flavored ego and shampoo I can't afford.
I swear something in my wolf brain screamed MINE like a mating call.
So I whispered that weird threat thing-"I'm gonna eat you down, vampire"-because clearly I've lost all social skills and basic logic and now I'm a cryptid with trauma and rabid feelings.
AND THEN I NIBBLED HIM.
What was I thinking? I wasn't thinking.
I was feeling.
Too much. All at once.
So I panicked. I let him go. I ran.
Yes. I fucking ran.
Left him in the backyard like a confused Victorian ghost holding groceries.
I'm inside the house now. Pacing. Heart hammering.
I can still smell him on me.
It's driving me insane.
I want to run back out and kiss his stupid sparkly mouth and wrap my tail around him again and tell him everything.
But I can't.
Because I'm scared.
Because I don't even know why it's him.
Why it's always him.
What If he runs away if he finds out!
What will Mom say she will hate me even more, maybe Dad will too not side me this time.
I punch the fridge.
Twice.
It deserved it.
And outside?
I can still hear him yelling-
"WHAT THE ACTUAL SHIT JUST HAPPENED?!"
Yeah.
Good question, Lean.
Good question.
I went to my room punched the mirror and my fists definitely bleeding, and I am curled up in a corner hugging a damn pillow from his room because it scents like him and sobbing like a puppy who has been scold for having a bad attitude!
And then I can hear him! He is coming! "Puppers you ok I-"
"Get the hell out of here or I will kill you!" I didn't meant it, but I don't want him to see this me! Not pathetic like this.