Ronan the Werrewolf: Part Two (special preview)

I finished painting Marshall’s room, which would now belong to the young werewolf who came into Hearthway Hollow. Beau and I agreed to take him in and we had taken classes in order to foster him for the time being. So we decided to redo Marshall’s room for him to stay in, while we put Marshall’s bed in our room.

The young werewolf had been in Dr. Wahl’s care for a few weeks now. He had been very malnourished and dehydrated when he first arrived, and he barely spoke at all. After some time had passed and he started to get better physically, he opened up. The first time he spoke I was in the hospital room with him. I had bought him some clothes, some comfortable pajamas, and he looked at me with the most striking green eyes I had ever seen. His hair was black, cut short because of how matted and dirty it was.

“Wuh-will tha-that big one come buh-back?” He asked in the smallest, quietest voice I’d ever heard.

I didn’t want to react too strongly and risk scaring him. He was skittish of loud noises, especially raised voices. “Which big one?”

“Th-th-the one you came with.” He spoke with a stutter, which Dr. Wahl assured us was normal, and with time and his regular therapy he would be able to grow out of it. 

I sat down beside the bed,watching his fingers trace along the lines of the quilt he kept with him at all times. “Does he scare you?”

He doesn’t answer.

I’m not sure exactly what to say, I only know from the classes we’ve been taking I have to reassure him. “It’s okay to be scared, but he’s a good person. He will not harm you, and if he does, he will have to deal with me. Alright?”

He looks timidly to the door. “Buh-but he’s suh-so big.”

“I can handle that.” I give him a smile and he returns it shyly.

We decide to name him Ronan after my father. We’ve asked him if he has a name, but he either never had one or doesn’t recall it. He takes to the name, he seems to like being called something. 

He does fine around women, but it’s men he seems to have an issue with. He reacted terrified around them, sometimes even got angry if one lingered outside his door too long. Dr. Wahl figured that the authority figure of his pack, or even father, had been the cause of this. He seemed fine around other children, although he was standoffish, he seemed to enjoy having kids his age or younger around.

Beau and I knew this would be a long road ahead of us if we continued to care for Ronan, or even adopted him. We would have to have patience with him, especially Beau who had been working hard at earning Ronan’s trust. 

Once we were able to take him home, he sat in the back seat with Marshall. Marshall was in his carseat, playing with his favorite toy dinosaurs. Ronan sat quietly, head down and eyes darting towards the window every time a car passed. I don’t think he’s ever ridden in a car before.

“Here.” Marshall handed over one of his toys to Ronan.

Ronan ignored it.

“Peease?” Marshall burbled, waving the toy at Ronan.

I turn around in my seat. “Marshall, be nice. If he doesn’t want to play, don’t keep thrusting the toy at him.”

Ronan looked up at Marshall who broke into a huge, chubby cheeked grin. He offered the dinosaur again and Ronan took it. He looked it over, curiously studying it then looking back up at me. 

I nodded to him. “It’s ok, it’s a toy. You can play with it.”

He looks at the toy again, seeing he can move the little arms of the t-rex up and down. He then pushes a button on the chest which makes it roar and his eyes go huge. He pushes the button again and he starts to chuckle. He wiggles the arms some more before looking up at me with a smile. 

“Marshall has lots of toys he can share with you, but Beau and I bought you some of your own for your room.”