Star-Crossed | Boy x Boy

𝑶𝒕𝒔𝒐𝒂

I watched in horror as more people filed into the pews, solemn looks on their faces. The sheriff was holding a meeting at Jamie's church, and Jamie, Adam, and I all sat up in the balcony, watching the event play out. The drunk, like Aster predicted, went to the sheriff and claimed there were rabid wolves in the forest and that one had bit him. Obviously, no one actually bit him, so that was quickly debunked, but other people had reported seeing wolves in the woods which meant that the sheriff had to give the drunk (whose name was Kenneth Gray) some credibility. 

I was practically falling asleep in my pew, when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I looked up. "Elaine?"

"Hey-" she whispered. "Aster told me what was going on, and Abby offered to watch the pups so that I could come see this." She slid into the seat next to me. I turned to Adam and Jamie, who were watching in stunned silence.

"Guys, this is one of my friends from the house, Elaine. She watches the kids I told you about," I added. 

Jamie blinked. "Hi! What's your name again?"

Elaine smiled brightly. "My name is Elaine. I'm Red's friend. Right?" She punched me lightly. 

I laughed. "Is Aster coming?" I asked earnestly.

Elaine shook her head. "He's still a little sore about the whole deal. He figured that the townspeople wouldn't really listen to him if he tried to defend the wolves, what with us being so secluded and everything. But he misses you-" She rolled her eyes. "I haven't heard the end of it since you left last night," she whispered with a wink. 

I blushed and itched subconsciously at the bruises still on my skin. Most of them had healed, but the worst ones at the base of my neck and around my nipples were still stinging. "Tell him I missed him, too, when this is over."

"How do you think your speech will do?" she asked.

I grimaced. "I have no idea. Hopefully well." I couldn't stand up there with a straight face and tell the entire town why I thought the wolves should be allowed to live in the forest peacefully, so I had spent all night writing a speech and I sent it in to the sheriff around one or two in the morning. He was supposed to read it today, and I was crossing my fingers that it would at least do something. It was all my fault the wolves were in trouble, and I'd already seen the rednecks looking hungrily into the woods and mothers pulling their children away from the woods when they started wandering. I used to love being in the woods by myself, but now that I'd experienced it as a werewolf- everything just seemed so much more alive. I wanted everyone else to be able to see the forest the way Aster and I did.

The sheriff tapped a gavel he had brought on the alter of the church. I heard Jamie hiss through her teeth, which probably meant it was offensive, but she held her tongue. "Silence, everyone, silence." His face was solemn as he shuffled the stack of papers sitting in front of him. "We are here today to figure out the grave issue regarding the wild animals in the woods, the wolves, who have supposedly attacked a visitor since they've arrived in the forest. Does anyone have anything they want to say before we start reading reports?"

A blonde woman raised her hand. "I just want to say that I think we should give the wolves the benefit of the doubt. After all, they are still wild animals, and it was their forest before it was ours. Are we really going to kick them out because one drunk man claims they bit him? Which we found out they didn't, anyhow."

Murmurs swept through the crowd, some agreeing some arguing. 

The sheriff nodded. "You make a good point, Mrs. Beerley, but this is a democracy and everyone reserves the right to voice their own concerns and opinions about this issue. Does anyone else wish to speak?"