A quick talk with The Lady later, a phone call to Samuel to let him know the plan and a few other people to check things, and The Lady had a servant drive me into the city. For a while along the ride considering calling Misha before deciding I’d have preferred to wait for that. I needed to talk to someone for a long while, and it was still pretty early morning for Misha on the west coast. All the same, the contact remained open on my phone until we reached the college campus where I hesitantly climbed from the back seat and onto the busy sidewalk. Still wearing the same clothes I’d stolen from the Lady’s closet, I felt defenseless as my gaze darted around me and made my way towards my goal.

  I was defenseless.

  With one eye gone I had half my normal vision, I couldn’t see anyone on my right side and kept turning my entire head to look in that direction. Anyone could have snuck up on me, come up on that side and attacked me, and I didn’t even know how well I’d fight back.

  I was making small mistakes; tripping on curbs, bumping into things on that side, even bumping into a couple of people I needed to apologize to. It was hard to tell where exactly I was, for all I knew if a fight broke out it’d be an absolute disaster. Stumbling over myself, unable to properly dodge a simple punch, would I even be able to land my claws on the right place?

  My two weeks off were going to need to be two weeks training, two weeks figuring out how to fight and survive. Pouring drinks, not bumping into things, whatever else, all that could wait for now. It wouldn’t matter if I could do that if I wouldn’t survive the first time someone was trying to eat my heart.

  Maybe that wasn’t something I needed to worry about right now though.

  Walking into the cafe Barbie had told me to go to, one I recognized from the videos Percy had shared, I ordered a cup of coffee and immediately noticed the look the barista was giving me. Picking out the first thing that came to my tired mind, I brushed off the bandages by telling him, “eye was itchy,” while trying to sound funny.

  He didn’t laugh, my jokes rarely landed.

  Taking my coffee I walked to a corner of the store, found a seat where I could have my back to one wall and right side to another. There were ghosts around me, the thin wisps of them in the day, not strong enough to communicate, and they weren’t my problem. For all I cared Samuel could deal with trying to find out how to talk to ghosts without me, as much as I kicked myself for not coming here the same night I’d talked to Percy.

  I was settling into my spot when I got a call. Answering it without really even checking the name, “what is it?”

  “Hey, Mary, heard you were awake,” Allie started, sounding overly happy about the fact, “I just wanted to call and keep you updated, we’re still-”

  “The Lady put me on vacation,” I interrupted, still not that happy with it but not wanting to yell at her of all people about it, “call Samuel, tell him whatever you have. I’ve not exactly had a great few days, and I’m honestly going to try and not kill anyone the next few days. Is there anything else?”

  There was a long pause, and in a timid voice Allie asked, “where can I find you if I need you?”

  “I’m not sure, I probably need to go back to the Covenant for at least a few days,” I admitted, adding on, “good place to see how I do in my wolf form with one eye. I have a feeling I’m going to be a lot less graceful than I was before.”

  “If you want I-” Allie stopped herself, sighing as she asked, “do you want me to find you some resources? I know The Lady isn’t going to spring to get you a trainer or anything, but maybe I could find you some guides on how they would help you.”

  “Send them, I have a date,” I muttered, hanging up as I saw Barbie come into the cafe.

  Wearing her yellow dress again, hair in a high ponytail and a backpack worn on one shoulder. She didn’t see me at first, I didn’t want her to, and she got herself her own coffee before turning and looking shocked at the sight of me.

  Rushing to me with short deliberate steps, she stumbled every word to ask, “Mary, are you okay, you-”

  “I’ll be fine,” I said, forcing a smile as I gestured to her to sit across from me. The woman watched me for a moment and, obviously unsure what to do, finally leaned down and kissed me quickly before sitting down. That knot of stress built in my chest loosening just a little bit as her lips met mine, and continuing to die down as we sat together. “I…I had a little accident. I’ll be fine, but…well, I lost the eye.”

  “Oh that’s horrible,” Barbie whispered, covering her mouth as she asked, “is that why you didn’t answer your phone yesterday? I thought you might have just been with family, you mentioned that, but…oh no, did it have something to do with that? Mary, if they hurt you I’ll kill-”

  “Everything’s taken care of, I’m sorry I didn’t call you back, but I was in the, um…the hospital,” I said, shifting slowly, “I’m sorry, I know you said you had a class, I just-”

  “It was just the one, and I don’t mind spending time with you,” Barbie comforted, slowly reaching her hand out to hold my own. I squeezed it, ran my thumb along the soft flesh there, and she told me, “my dad doesn’t think my classes end for another hour, and I told him I have a study group after. You have me for as long as you need.”

  “Thank you, I…” I stopped myself, realizing I had no idea what I wanted until I asked her, “what’s fun to do?”

  “What’s fun to do?” the woman repeated, sounding a little amused by the idea of me not knowing, “I like reading, going places, whatever. Wanting to go somewhere together?”

  “Kind of, I don’t know,” I admitted, laughing softly at the thought, rubbing the bandage over my eye, “my boss gave me a couple weeks off, I...I just don’t know what to do, I’m fucking useless.”

  The woman nodded, forehead furrowed in thought for a long time before asking, “what’s your budget?”

  “My budget?”

  “Theater department’s putting on a showing of Sweeney Todd tonight, eighteen dollars a person. If you pay for the tickets, I’ll call up my dad and tell him it’s extra credit and I’m staying until after, and you have me for the day,” Barbie replied, rather happy for herself there.

  All things considered it was a good deal, and I nodded as I rose to my feet and told her, “you know, I could do with a walk until then. Do you mind?”

  “Not at all,” Barbie told me, standing up with her coffee in one hand as she took my left hand in hers.

  I walked out of the cafe with her, sipping my drink as we held hands and walked onto the sidewalk, her in the corner of my vision the whole way. Walking together, down the busy sidewalk with me still blind on one side, we only got a hundred or so feet before I asked her, “could you actually switch sides? If it ain’t no problem.”

  “Hey up to you,” she told me, almost sounding playful about it as she slid behind me. Her hand running against my ass, and I found it rather funny how she let it linger there for a moment before taking my right hand in hers. Resting her head on my shoulder as she admitted, “I thought you might have liked me on that side so you could see me.”

  “Well, I do like you leaning on me so I know you’re there,” I admitted hesitantly, not sure how to properly explain it without wolf terms, “but…it’s nice knowing someone can see on that side? Stop anyone sneaking up, or me knocking into people. I’m still getting used to things.”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Well, I’ll make you a deal,” she told me, her lips gently against my cheek, the scent of paint and apples filling me in its entirety, “you protect me on that side, and I’ll protect you on this one.”

  I felt a little warmth in my chest at that idea, standing straight as I brushed out my skirt, I pulled her tight against me. Sipping my coffee, Barbie on my arm, holding onto me, I walked with her until we came to the courtyard I’d been with Sigyn just a few days before. The two of us walking through the paths into a less busy section where we sat at a metal bench.

  In silence for a long while I watched Barbie, almost needing to sit sideways to do so, and watched until I asked, “what are we?”

  “Well, we’re both humans, if I had to take a guess,” Barbie said, being much funnier than she actually realized even as she laughed and asked, “what do you mean? Been taking a philosophy class, because I haven’t.”

  “No, just…we’re dating, I think-”

  “We had sex after you let me rant about art for several hours,” Barbie interrupted me, then adding on, “and my sketchbook now has multiple sketches of you naked in it. I think we’re dating.”

  “Right,” I muttered, realizing I was making myself look like a fucking idiot, “I…I’ve never had a girlfriend I guess, and I…I’ve never been this close with someone before, not for a long time or like… not in this way. You make me feel comfortable, you make me feel happy, you make me feel weird, and we’ve known each other less than a week.”

  Barbie blushed, her face tinged with red as she looked down and shifted in her spot as she laughed and awkwardly muttered out, “I hope it’s not a bad weird, I don’t want you to feel like there’s anything you need to worry about with me.”

  “No, it’s…it’s good weird,” I said, the words that came next said without thought, “I lived in the woods for a long time, I…I was in a cult, and I’ve felt like I needed to fight to survive for a long time. You…you make me feel safe, and I can’t explain it beyond that, I feel like I want to turn into a wolf and curl around you and guard you, because you make me feel relaxed.”

  “Now that’s a cute thought,” Barbie said, scooting closer to me as she admitted, “you do have a rather guard doggish nature to you I like. Just need to get you a collar and leash and the look’s complete, right?”

  I nodded, the words a strange comfort, yeah, I was blushing as I cupped her cheek, ran my thumb along her, told her, “I’m not human.”

  My mind only catching up with what I’d said several seconds after I’d done so, and strangely no regret following the realization. A horrible fucking mistake, no question about that, but no regret for it.

  There was one fucking rule supernaturals were supposed to follow, don’t fucking tell humans about us. You were supposed to keep it secret, not risk us being hunted down, not risk everyone for nothing. Even at her best of moods The Lady would have never given me permission to tell someone I’d only known this long.

  She giggled.

  Barbie giggled and said, “let me guess,” leaning close to whisper dramatically in my ear, “vampire.”

  She thought I was joking, it would have been the perfect time to back up and play it off as a joke. Instead I shook my head, clearing my throat as I forced myself to answer, “I’m a werewolf. I’m human and wolf, and can switch between the forms whenever I want. My…My boss is a vampire known as The Lady of Richmond, I investigate supernatural problems and right now something is making people disappear around here. Sigyn’s aunt Tara and her boyfriend are werewolves too, it’s how I know her.”

  By the time I finished Barbie looked more confused than anything else. A thin frown on her lips, a tilted head of confusion, she held still for a long moment before asking, “are you…writing a book? Or something?”

  A book would have been a good excuse and instead I took a long look around to make sure no one saw me. Looking back to Barbie, I met her eyes, blinking once as I willed my eyes to change, seeing the world as a wolf. My right eye burned, feeling wrong as it tried to transform, and I ignored the feeling as I watched the girl see my left eye at least.

  She froze, mouth parting slightly, eyes widened in awe, somehow not pulling away from my grip. We stayed like that for a moment while I held the transformation long enough she could not pass it off as a trick of the light, before letting it slip back to human appearance.

  “I’m not supposed to tell you this, and you can’t tell people who don’t know,” I admitted, frowning as it slowly set in what I’d just done. My voice shaking, I almost begged her, “I…I understand if you-”

  I was cut off by a hand on my cheek, and a moment later Barbie’s lips on my own. My arms wrapped around her, and I held her close until she pulled away and told me, “honestly not a deal breaker.”

  I nodded, ready to accept it before I realized I couldn’t exactly let that stand. Looking down at her, trying to keep my voice sounding normal, I asked, “really? You…you literally have no questions or concerns?”

  “Eh, I believe in aliens and psychics, this really isn’t too far out of the realm of possibility for me,” Barbie shrugged, looking me over for a long moment, “well, okay, I have questions, but like…they can wait, I assume it’ll take a lot of time to explain. Were you bit I guess is, like, a big one? Is this like a witch curse thing? There’s not a belt of fur I’m unaware of is there? Mostly just want to make sure it’s not an STD before the full moon.”

  “No,” I said slowly, not sure how to react at how fucking calm she was about this, “I…it’s genetic, my mom was a werewolf, I had a chance of being one.”

  “Is your son a werewolf? Like, does he turn into a little wolf cub and get puppy zoomies?”

  “I don’t know, you don’t really learn that until like, nine to seventeen usually,” I said, quickly blurting out, “you are really fucking calm about this, and like — okay, aliens are probably bullshit, I want you to know it’s mostly fey, but even assuming they were real — it feels weird you’re not reacting.”

  “Did you want me to scream and run?” Barbie asked, seeming almost horrified by the idea she would have.

  Yeah, something was wrong here, she was reacting way too fucking calmly. Did she already know werewolves were a thing? Maybe she’d fucking dealt with something similar herself, or had trouble with something similar. At the very least maybe-

  What the fuck was I kidding, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

  “Right,” I said, still not sure any of this was real, “well, that’s that. I…Wow I fucking love you.”

  “I love you too,” my girlfriend replied.

  The words hung in the air, the first time I thought they’d been said between us as I let it sit in the air. A slow beat, a single point in time where we could let the words float about and be with us for a short time. Steady, slow, a small bit of joy for me.

  I had to ruin it a little by taking a risk as I asked, “do you want to move in with me?”

  “Do I want to what?” Barbie asked, laughing suddenly as though that were the absurd part of all this.

  Somehow I was more tempted to backtrack with this, and all the same I explained, “I…I live in this place, The Covenant, it’s a big manor outside Richmond. I have a room in the basement. I…I also got offered a room in Dante's Inferno’s top floor, it’s a nice like, room up there really quiet. I was just thinking that, you know, it might…I’m talking out my ass, I’m going to admit, but I know you’re not exactly liking it at home, you have problems with your dad. I thought that, you know, maybe you’d like getting out fast, and I feel safe around you.”

  Barbie nodded a few times, leaning back on the bench as she shook her head with a smile and asked, “have you ever heard the term U-haul Lesbian?”

  “I’m going to admit, no,” I said, laughing a bit as I somehow only just now realized the term ‘lesbian’ applied to a relationship of mine, even if I didn’t really like the term for myself. Something about that almost felt a little absurd on its own, though I guess I’d never thought of the implications of me being trans in that regard.

  “Look it up, I think you’re trying to apply it to us,” she muttered, letting out a few quick giggles, “I…it’s weirdly tempting though, I kinda have to admit.”

  “Think on it,” I muttered awkwardly, feeling bright red as I shifted in my seat, “I’m sorry, I must look ridiculous, I just-”

  “You’re opening up, and…well, it’s sort of scary but tempting,” Barbie admitted, leaning against me on the park bench.

  My arm crept around her and I pulled her close to me, her head against my shoulder and chest as I held her in the Saturday air. A strange tenderness to it, I felt rather large with her against me, and without thinking kissed the top of her head.

  Barbie let out a noise I thought was approval, and sighing asked, “wanna walk to the art museum? It’s like thirty minutes there, but we have like half a day to kill.”

  “You know what, we never did get to walk through a lot of the sections,” I muttered, rising to my feet as I asked, “got anything new to teach me?”

  “A little, I’m sure,” she admitted, sipping her coffee, “can I ask a quick question?”

  “Yeah, go ahead,” I shrugged, figuring a few questions were fucking expected.

  Barbie nodded, seeming to hesitate a moment before asking, “would it be weird if I asked to pet you? Like, not right now, I’ve just always wanted a big dog, and for some reason the idea of watching movies and petting a wolf sounds really cute.”

  I nodded, blinked a moment, and told her, “you know, not the weirdest thing I’ve been asked. I’ll think about it.”

  “Nice,” she whispered, resting her head on my right shoulder as we walked, “I gotta borrow some of Sigyn’s werewolf novels, I suddenly get the appeal of them for some reason…can you like, do the stereotypical huge hulking beast form or just wolf? And for how long?”

  I shook my head, a single thought on my mind I didn’t want to say until I admitted, “you sound so much like my cat.”

  “You can talk to animals?”

  “Yeah, and you have the same energy as him, it’s weird,” I muttered, glad Barbie laughed at it as I wondered what I’d gotten myself into.

  I’d told someone I was a werewolf, broke one of the only fucking rules that would have gotten a normal werewolf killed and I was on fucking parole. Wolf gods, it would have gotten Barbie killed if anyone found out I did it without permission, I needed to fix this. I needed to somehow convince The Lady I genuinely needed permission, maybe get some advice from Vergil.

  Who knew what the fuck I was going to do.