werewolvesversus:

The instincts of a newly-made werewolf are intense, but perhaps not as strong as the desire to be helpful to someone in a bad situation. Parker Goodreau’s story for WEREWOLVES VERSUS: NATURE explores the different ways and forms that kindness can manifest.

We lunged forward, breaking through the trees. Our jaw stretched open, ready, yearning for an anchor. No more alone, adrift, empty. We would give them the bite.

The human’s head jerked up, tears and rain mingling on their face. Their scream struck me through like lightning, and somewhere within it, I heard Joah’s voice. If I’d been a year or two younger when I bit you, I probably wouldn’t have been able to stop.

My teeth snapped shut inches away from their skin. I held myself still, trembling, and met the human’s eyes. We both gulped shuddering breaths of the same air.

It wasn’t exactly that I had taken control. More that the wolf realized I was better equipped for this. We didn’t want to scare the human—worse—so it was willing to rein in its instincts. Some. We couldn’t help but lean in, snuffling through the human’s short, wet hair. They shuddered. Tears fell on my muzzle, warm, somehow so unlike the rain.

Finally, I got my wolf calmed down enough to take a step back. It felt like winning an argument with myself. We didn’t try to stop the human when they scrambled to their feet, stumbling and slipping. Their phone dropped screen-first into the mud, plunging us into darkness. I paced after the vague gray shape of them as they tore at the door handle, threw themself into the car, and slammed the door behind.

Gingerly, I picked the cell phone up between my teeth, curling my tongue at the thick, slimy texture of the mud. Looking down through the window, I met their gaze as they sat frozen, panic-stricken. I breathed deep, trying to pour every measure of calm, every bit of humanity still left to me into my eyes. I tipped my head, offering the phone.

Slow as the last stubborn ice in a thaw, the human came to life again, their gasps fogging the window. Without taking their eyes off me, they fumbled for key and ignition. The headlights blinked on, the car purred, and the window hissed, opening no more than a sliver. I set the phone against the gap, and they took it between two fingers.

You can read the rest in WEREWOLVES VERSUS: NATURE! It’s available for $1+ on Gumroad and Itch.io. Your purchase of this issue will benefit all of its contributors.

More of Parker’s work can be found here and here.