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Out With It

Roxanne

"Tell me what's going on, please. What truth? " Mina implored, her beseeching eyes full of tears.

I was torn. I wanted to tell my best friend everything, speak frankly for once, and maybe, in the process, remove some of the burdens I thought were weighing on our friendship, but Goddess, was I afraid.

What if the fact I was a werewolf proved too much for Mina to bear? What if she got scared and no longer wanted anything to do with me? Could I really take such risks?

I knew it was selfish, but I refused to lose my best friend. For a moment, when everything else seemed bleak, she was the only thing in my life that could make me happy, and focusing all my energy on protecting and loving Mina gave my wolf and me purpose. We both felt a sense of duty towards her, and though I didn't know why, I had my doubts. And so tonight, as I watched the truth finally unfold and our undeniable bond suddenly come into its own, my heart filled with joy.

Mina was my brother's mate and, as such, the Luna of Blackwoods. I knew now that part of my destiny was to meet her and bring her back to Jester so that she could do for the whole pack what she had so easily done for me over the years, be our anchor and our source of comfort. Still, life tended to be unfair, for gaining solace in Blackwoods meant I had to wreck hers.

"I don't want to scare you," I choked out as I sat down near the foot of the bed and put some distance between us.

"You won't, I swear," she promised softly, entirely unaware of what was to come. "Just talk to me. Why didn't you ever tell me about this place or your family?"

"I can't. I can't tell you," I mumbled back.

"Why? What's going on? What is so bad about the family that you had to run aw-"

"What?" I stopped her short. "I didn't run away from them. My decision to leave Jester had nothing to do with my family."

"Alright, I'm sorry," Mina said, bringing her hands to her heart. "So maybe you don't have issues with your family like I thought, and you know what? I can see you love them, but Jesus, Roxy. You've barely talked about these people in six years. What the hell else was I supposed to think?"

"I don't know. I just didn't want you to feel... weird about them. Or about me, for that matter."

"Well, it's a bit too late, don't you think? I mean, shit," she paused to sigh. "Your entire family is so intense, and how everyone in town acted around you was so weird. And don't even get me started on this house, Roxy; it's built for like fifty people!"

"Well-"

"And Benjamin," she rambled on, rubbing her forehead. "I mean, what's up with him? He's so…, and he smells even more..., I- umm, no, you said something about he and I earlier-"

"Mina-" I tried to say, suddenly curious as to whether or not she could sense the mate bond.

"No, wait. Let me finish," my friend added, ripping the covers off her body. "I know you think you're going to scare me with whatever you can’t say, but the truth is, I love you, Roxy, and nothing could ever change that. I just want to know the truth, that’s all, about your family, your home… everything.”

"Okay, fine," I sighed. "You're our Luna."

"Your what?"

"Mina, I'm a werewolf. That's my secret. Everyone in my family is a werewolf. Our whole town is mostly made up of werewolves. We're the Blackwoods pack, and my brother is our Alpha, our leader. He took over for my dad, and you're his mate—not my dad's, Benji's. So you're our Luna. You're just as important as he is, babe, and I know that sounds weird, but it's the truth," I rattled, barely slowing down as Mina's eyebrows went from two arches to a single line. "Look, I'm not lying, Mina. And I'm not joking either. I have a wolf, and her name is Jaya. She lives in here," I pointed to my head. "She's real, and because of her, I-"

"What are you talking about? Are you insane?" Mina cut me off, pulling back. "Werewolves aren't real, and you- you're not- you look exactly like me!"

"That's because I am like you, only there's Jaya. She's the one who's a little different, and when I shape-shift, she takes over. She's a wolf-"

"When you shape-shift?" Mina repeated, fear slowly replacing her confused expression. "Roxy, stop. That's not funny."

"I'm not trying to be funny; you have to believe me. The world isn't what you think it is. There are things out there that you didn't know existed but are very real. Vampires, witches—Mina, I'm one of those things. I'm a real werewolf. Goddess, okay! Here, let me prove it to you," I said, lifting my hands.

Mina gasped in sheer horror as she watched my smooth, pale hands grow brownish-red fur and my manicured fingers morph into long, sharp claws.

She jumped back and almost immediately let out an earsplitting scream. "Don't! Don't come near me!" she warned me as I tried to approach. "What the hell was that? What the fuck are you?" She screamed, crawling further away. "You're a fucking monster! You're a monster!"

"No, Mina! Wait!" I yelled back, but just as fast as everything else happened tonight, she reached the edge of the bed and lost her balance.

Mina fell over, and on her way down, knocked her head with full force against the V-shaped corner of Benjamin's side table.

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