Controlled Burn (BxB) (Werewolf)

Chapter 21: The Golden Hour

Weeks had passed since the standoff with the Texarkana pack, and an uneasy quiet had settled over the Claiborne household. Despite the ever-present threat, life had carried on in its own way. The pack had adhered strictly to Bella's orders—no one left Claiborne Parish. Work continued for all of them and Callum continued to build up their garden.

The full moon came and went, a night of pure, primal freedom for the werewolves that served as a fleeting respite from their concerns. Callum, too, found solace in those nights. He'd sit outside, eyes closed, feeling the surge of magic within him harmonize with the lunar cycle. It was one of the few times he felt a deep, calming sense of connection to his druidic heritage.

Boredom, however, proved to be a formidable enemy. Video games lost their appeal, books were read and reread, and the pack even resorted to a deep cleaning of the whole house, which was long overdue. The floors were spotless and there wasn't a speck of dust to be found. They went to all their favorite spots in the territory - restaurants, the lakefront, the library, and the museum. Unfortunately, the relatively small, rural parish only had so much to experience for leisure and entertainment.

But even though they kept themselves busy and had plenty of wilderness to stretch their wolf legs in, the pack started to become worn down by the monotony. Day in, day out, every day and every week was the same.

With all the time they spent together, the bond between Callum and Beau grew strongly. Bella, Jason, and Mateo referred to them as lovebirds and loved to teasingly say "your boyfriend" when talking to one about the other. However, Callum and Beau never put a label on their relationship. In fact, they didn't even call it a relationship. They liked each other. They were attracted to each other. They were practically attached at the hip until Beau needed his alone time to recharge his social batteries.

"Hey, Callum, wanna go for a ride?" Beau asked one day, breaking the spell of another uneventful afternoon.

Callum looked up from his book, his eyes meeting Beau's. "Sure, I'd love to."

As they climbed into Beau's truck, there was a palpable sense of excitement in the air. It wasn't much, this small break in routine, but it felt like a breath of fresh air. Beau turned the key, and the engine roared to life. The gravel crunched beneath the tires as they pulled out of the Claiborne property.

"You know what? Let's get this thing cleaned up. Been a while since she had a wash," Beau said, steering toward the local car wash.

"I used to work at a car wash back in Seattle," Callum mentioned. "We did it all by hand. Some people were very particular about their vehicles."

"Oh, I get it. Automatic ones leave water marks sometimes or sometimes all the suds don't get washed off," he said with a shrug. They pulled in, and as the sprays and suds started to cover the truck, Beau leaned back and smiled. "But there's something about the automatic ones... it's so satisfying."

Callum laughed. "It's like a big mechanical rainstorm, right?"

"Never thought of it that way, but yeah," Beau agreed, as the water jets transitioned into the rinse cycle. "You go into a dark tunnel and come out the other side squeaky clean. It's like a fresh start, every time."

When they pulled out into the sunlight, Callum couldn't help but notice how the golden rays caught Beau's features just so—the curve of his cheekbone, the hue of his eyes, the strands of his hair. It was golden hour, that brief window before sunset when everything seemed softer, warmer, and Beau looked... ethereal.

"You're really beautiful, you know that?" Callum found himself saying, almost as if the words had a life of their own.

Beau blushed, a feat in itself, and for a moment he was at a loss for words. "Oh, uh—thank you... wanna grab some food?" Beau finally said, clearly eager to steer the conversation away from potentially mushy territory. "What are you in the mood for?"