Werewolf Boyfriend: Dean (special preview)

Aside from getting up, you have been enjoying the early mornings. The town you live in is right near the ocean, so each morning during your jog to the gym, you get to see the sunrise over the sparkling waters. You had always been a sleeping in type of person, but when you decided to start trying to loose weight, it became clear that early morning was the only time you could work out. After work you were always too exhausted, or were far too busy.

It had been a struggle in the beginning, especially when you started the early morning gym visits. Your body ached throughout the day, and mornings were harder than ever. You just had to push yourself through it all. You kept telling yourself it would be worth it in the end. You had grown to enjoy weight lifting, and it had become a regular part of your morning routine. You had a few friends now that you worked out with, which helped to keep you all on task some days.

“Look over there,” your friend Rosie hisses. Giving you a nudge that nearly makes you trip on the treadmill.

“Hey! Careful!” You huff. “What are you talking about?”

Rosie nods her head over to the corner where a guy is standing, adjusting the braces on his knees before he takes to the dumbbells. “That guy. The one I’ve been telling you about.”

For a while now Rosie had been talking about this guy she was seeing around the gym. She called him the shadow because of how he always dressed in black and was so unnervingly silent. Not only that, she said half his face was covered in some weird red bruising or marking. The way she went on you expected the Phantom of the Opera to traipse in. But this guy looks very normal. No hidden murder basement tendencies radiated off of him. From how Rosie went on, you had expected someone much more mysterious than this. Aside from his all black attire and prodigious man-bun, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

“That is not the shadow,” you scold her. “That’s some guy.”

“No, no,” she spoke low again. “That’s him. The shadow! Wait for him to turn, you’ll see.” She kept her hand on you so you didn’t turn away.

You roll your eyes but smile. “Have you ever considered trying out to be the nosy neighbor on TV?” You start to go back to your workout but then the shadow turns.

Rosie gives you a smack on the arm and you see it. The right side of his face looked bruised red and purple. It seeps down his face and onto the side of his neck and shoulder. Even the hair on the right side of his head is discolored white and gray.

“The shadow!”

“Don’t be rude,” you hiss warningly at her. “It’s a port wine birthmark.”

Rosie took on a modified expression. “Like his mother drank wine during pregnancy? Oh my god that’s so sad!”

“It has nothing to do with wine! Just looks like a wine stain,” you fuss at her. “It happens like any other birthmark.”

“Sorry,” Rosie glanced back to the shadow. “But see? He’s so cool in a way.”

You give her a look. “Are you twelve?”

“I mean, he’s this loner and everything. All black. Always cleans up, holds open doors.” She blushes slightly.

You smirk at her. “You’re married Rosie. Do I need to go and have a word with Mikey?”

Rosie pouts and returns to focusing on the treadmill. “He can fantasize about the florist on Gum Street, I can do it too.”

You laugh at her, taking one last glance at the shadow behind you.

One morning, as you were taking a breather from your regiment, you were sifting through your bag, looking for a mint when someone came to stand over you.

“Do you work there?” He asks, pointing to your bag.