Shapeshifter Boyfriend: Corin #1 (special preview)

Juliette huffed. “You have no idea.” She then frowned. “What are you doing to my hand? It feels weird!” She then saw it as she pulled her hand away. There, on her finger, was the diamond ring I had bought a week ago.

“Well?” I chuckled. “What do you think?”

Tears welled up in her pretty eyes and she hugged her hand to her chest. “I knew you were up to something!”

I kissed her temple and cheek. “Juliette Watanabe, will you marry me?”

Juliette nodded, turning to me and kissing me as hard as she could. 

I offered to take her to Japan and have the wedding there, but she seemed dead set against it.  When I tried to question her on it, she said she preferred small weddings. So, we got married at the courthouse. 

We decided on a honeymoon somewhere we both had never been before. Claude was able to get us good deals where we stayed, and we got a honeymoon suite that looked out over the ocean. Although, Juliette and I barely ever looked outside. We mainly stayed in bed, or the shower, or the floor of the walk-in closet. I was really able to stretch my shapeshifting legs during our honeymoon.

Everything was going well, Juliette and I were happy. Then, we bought a house. It was our perfect little dream home, something we had both been discussing since we started getting serious. It had the cute front porch, a big backyard, it had a cozy kitchen and large bathroom. But once we moved in, it felt as though there was a shift. All at once, bad things started to happen.

First, I lost my job as the center I worked for was shut down. Not long after that, Juliette’s brother separated from his wife, so we invited him to stay with us. He started drinking as well and, more than once, we got into a fight. 

Later, I found a new job but it was for a rehab center and everything was much harder than I expected. Before, I was helping people who actually wanted help. There at the center, I was trying to help people who had no desire to be helped at all. I would come home some days drained of everything inside me, only to have to face my brother in law in his despair, or my wife having a bad day.

Once Juliette’s brother moved out, things got better for a moment, but the ground was still shaky. I decided to quit my job at the rehab center as I felt it made everything worse for me rather than better.

“It pays so well though,” Juliette gasps when I tell her. “Are you sure?”

“It’s not worth it,” I shake my head. “I feel like I’m fading away from myself, from you! I feel like this job is sucking us away.”

Juliette takes hold of my hands. “I know, but--.” she stops herself then sighs. “If you feel that this is best, then do it.”

I kiss her. “Thank you,” I sigh. “I was thinking about talking to Claude, actually.”

Juliette furrows her brow. “What for?”

I start undressing so I can take a shower. “To see if there was any work I could do at the hotel.” I then huff. “Or...maybe a loan to start my own business.”

Juliette comes up behind me and massages my shoulders. “You sure about that?” She asks. “You think you can handle that right now?”