Ronan the Werewolf: Part One (special preview)

I was tucking Marshall into bed when I heard Beau come home. The door downstairs squeaked then closed gently, as he knew it was bedtime. Marshall had a big day, having gone to the doctor’s for his checkup. The doctor was amazed by his growth, almost three and already a tank, he was often mistaken for being older than he was.

Once Marshall was asleep, I went downstairs to find Beau at the kitchen table with a somber look on his face. As I stepped through the door his expression brightened and he put on a smile.

“He asleep?” He whispers.

I nod. “Out like a light. How was the meeting?”

He frowns again at the inquiry. Billy had called that afternoon right as Beau had come in from work, the elders of the pack wanted to meet as Mrs. Locklear had noticed something peculiar. The look on Beau’s face read more worried than anything.

“What’s going on?” I take a seat at the table with him, giving his arm a gentle squeeze  “Is it bad?”

Beau huffs and scratches at the back of his neck. “Mrs. Locklear has had some of her chickens go missing. She never thought much about it, it happens when you live in the woods, but then she started noticing other things, tracks and the like. Jasper mentioned things happening with his mate’s chickens as well. Said he woke up one evening to find the cage clawed and nearly opened up.”

I press my lips into a tight line. Things like this in Hearthway Hollow could be anything, but from the way Beau looks I have a feeling it’s something else. “Is it an animal?” 

Beau shakes his head. “They think it could be a lone werewolf in the woods. We’re going to take turns searching at night. I’ve gotta talk to Daisuke about better protection measures for the animals tomorrow. Do you think you could-”

I smile at him and place my hand over his. “I’ll open the shop tomorrow. I can take Marshall too if it helps.”

He shakes his head. “I can handle him. As long as Remi is around I’ve got my babysitter.” He grins then takes my hand and kisses it. “I just want to go around the farm and check on things tomorrow. If there is a werewolf out there eating chickens, this would be its buffet.”

I lean in and kiss him. “Want me to heat up some leftovers for you?”

“Nah, there was food at the meeting. I think I’ll get a shower.” He stands up from the table and takes off his coat. “I’ll meet you in bed.”

“It’s a date,” I chuckle.

I check on Marshall again when I go upstairs. He’s sleeping soundly, head of curly hair smashed into his bed, and little chubby legs kicking as he dreams. I go on to the bedroom and crawl under the covers, listening to the water run as Beau takes his shower. 

When he comes out, he slips under the covers and pulls me close. His strong arms hold me tight as he rests his head against my back. I know that this werewolf in the woods is frightening for him. After all, he’d been one of those wild werewolves before. When he was young he’d been the leader of a pack who turned on him and left him for dead in the woods. He wasn’t the only one in Hearthway Hollow who had this past, but for Beau, it was his past that scared him the most.

In the morning, Beau gets up and brings Marshall into bed with us. Marshall is a cuddler, all roley poley and warm, clinging to me or his father as he wakes up, becoming wriggly and squirmy like a puppy. He soon gets up and it scampering around the bed, climbing over Beau and I as that boundless energy comes to the surface. 

“Mama, Mama, Mama,” he says with a breathless chant. “Up, up.”

I smile at those big, chubby cheeks. “Tell your Papa.”

Marshall flops over, going to Beau and tapping the top of his head. “Papa, up.”

Beau grabs Marshall and holds him up in the air, making him squeal and cackle. He then drops him back onto the bed and covers him in kisses. “We’re up, Marshmallow, we’re up! And guess what? You and I are going to spend the day together, just the two of us.”

“Mama?” Marshall giggles.

“Nah, just us boys! And Uncle Dai too.”

Marshall grins, scrunching up into a ball. “Okay.”

Beau looks over at me with a smile. “Now, since Mama has to work at the store today, you and I are going to make breakfast.” He scoops Marshall off the bed as he gets up. “What would you like?”