Werewolf Boyfriend: Emmett Part One (complete)

Going back to Hearthway Hollow is something you have tried to avoid. Growing up there, it had been the best place in the world. Your family wasn’t big, but you were very close to your cousin Shauna, and the two of you were inseparable.

In high school, things changed. A feral werewolf had come into Hearthway Hollow, and unfortunately you got in its way. The feral creature attacked you, taking part of your left hand and leaving you with scars all over your face and body. You became a recluse, fearing the very town you loved. Your family decided it was best to move away.

Now, your cousin Shauna is asking you to come home. She is getting married, and since your family is even smaller than before, she needs you at the event. The two of you haven’t seen each other in ages, but you’ve kept in constant contact since you moved away.

“I promise, Beau and I will do whatever you need to make you feel safe,” Shauna assures you before you leave. “We have a room all ready for you, and Remi will protect you.”

“Remi is a goat,” you scoff.

“Yeah, and he’s scary as hell to the wrong people.” You can hear the smile in Shauna’s voice, and that’s a comfort.

Meeting her and her fiance at the airport is a relief as well. Coming back into North Carolina is a trial on its own. Shauna hasn’t changed in all these years except by filling out a bit taking on a more womanly and supple shape. There is also a luminous glow about her that radiates a beauty you’ve not seen in her before. Then again, she is getting married.

Beau is like looking into a mirror - a giant hairy mirror, but still. He has scars all over as well. Shauna has explained Beau’s past, and how horribly he had been treated in his youth. His abuse had led him to Hearthway Hollow rather than away. Beau is a werewolf, and despite how much Shauna brags about how gentle and loving he is, you can only bid him hello.

“Don’t worry about a thing,” Beau says to you. “Shauna explained everything, and if I bother you at all-”

“Don’t worry about it, Beau,” you cut him off. “It’s… weird, but if Shauna loves you that’s enough for me.”

You rub at your hand, where the feral werewolf had bitten clean through. A diagonal slice of the hand is missing, from your middle finger to the outside of your palm. You used to tease yourself, saying you had a bird foot for a hand as a way to cope. Sometimes, even though it has been healed for years, your hand still hurts.

Shauna and Beau live on Hyacinth Farm, a sprawling property where they raise all sorts of animals and crops. Beau allows farmers and those who just want to garden to have plots of their own. Beau also has a business in town selling yarn and craft supplies, including his own home-spun alpaca hair and wool. Shauna had broken down all the details of the farm, but you never quite grasped it until seeing it with your own eyes.

“How did you get this place?” you ask as you drive through the gated entrance.

“I used to work for the Mrs. Hyacinth who owned it,” Beau answers. “After I came here, Billy got me set up with her. She was a widow trying to run the farm on her own, and we sort of took care of each other. She became my mom, and when she died, she left me everything, including the shop.”

“Oh wow,” you murmur. 

“Shauna has really helped though,” Beau adds. “She’s the one who convinced me to hire extra staff, and lease unused plots to people who want to garden.”

“Just utilizing what we have. Need to make extra money before-” Shauna stops herself for a moment, then chuckles. “You know how winter is! I mean, sure, the yarn shop is booming, but other than that...” She bites her lip and glances out the window.

The old farmhouse is painted pale green and white, and looks like something from a fairy tale. As you get out of the car, a huge black goat comes down from the front porch and stands at the foot of the stairs like some sort of demonic gargoyle.

“Remi?” you ask Shauna.

“Remi,” Shauna says with a nod. She walks up to the goat and pets the top of his head. “This is your new charge, Remi. Take care of her while she’s with us, okay?”

Remi’s unblinking stare brings to mind the ominous sound of Gregorian monks chanting. But he then bleats and walks up to you, placing himself beside you like a black knight.

“Is he evil?” you whisper at Beau.

Beau is pulling your luggage from the trunk. “Probably, but he’s loyal.” He slams the trunk shut, and together you go up the porch.

Remi stands by the door as you all go inside, and Shauna takes you to your room. The room is painted pastel yellow, and it feels cozy and inviting. As you sit down on the handmade quilt on the bed, Shauna opens the curtains.

“I’ve got the wedding planner coming over today. We’re going to go over flower arrangements and stuff like that.” She fusses with the curtains for a moment before looking back at you. “And tomorrow, if you’re up to it, I’ve got some bridesmaids’ dresses picked out.”

“You really want me in a bridesmaid dress?” you huff.

“The groom has more scars than you do,” Shauna says gently. She sits down beside you and places her hand on your back.

“Yeah, but he’s wearing a tuxedo,” you scoff. You look down at your three-fingered hand and tuck it into your sleeve. “I’m happy to be here and see you, but do you really want me in the wedding party?”

Shauna’s expression is soft and sweet. “You’re my maid of honor. I need you.”

You sigh, slouching a bit. “So, flowers,” you sigh.

Shauna chuckles. “Yeah. Beau and I both like sunflowers, so I’m hoping we can get some arrangements done with them and lavender mixed in. Purple and yellow are the colors we picked out.”

You shake your head. “I never understood the color thing,” you grumble. “Always seemed like such an arbitrary thing.”

“It makes it personal is how I see it.” Shauna stands up. “Come on, I’ll show you the barn where we’re going to have it.”

You go back outside, and Remi follows close behind you as you head towards the massive old barn behind the house. The inside is pretty much empty, used to store some of the bigger equipment and supplies, as well as a bunch of chairs you suspect will be used for the wedding. 

“We both wanted it to be outside, but we also wanted to avoid any problems if it rained or something. So Beau and the crew have been working hard to clear out and fix this place,” Shauna says as she walks down the middle of the interior. You notice her placing her hand on her belly for a moment before you look up towards the ceiling.

Remi stays by your side as you wander about, taking in wall covered in old tool heads. Your start counting the pitchfork heads when Remi suddenly turns. He screams and charges for the door. A man walks through, and is instantly leveled as Remi strikes him in the shins.

Shauna gasps and races towards him. “Remi, no! Bad goat! Bad goat!” 

You kneel and attempt to help the man up, but Remi keeps pushing you back away from him. You manage to escape the goat and take the man’s hand.

“You alright?” you ask.

“Yeah, I landed in something,” he chuckles. As he rises from the ground, you see he’s rather burly and thick. It makes you wonder how hard Remi hit him.

“Emmett, I am so sorry about him!” Shauna apologizes as he stands up.

Remi is circling your legs as Emmett rises to standing. He’s tall, but not quite as big as Beau. His hair had been neatly styled, but is now tousled and riddled with bits of hay. His skin is deep olive, and his eyes are a golden brown.

“No worries,” Emmett chuckles. “I must have startled him.” He then looks at you with a soft smile. “This must be the oft-mentioned cousin.”

“Oh, yes. She just got here today.” Shauna comes to stand beside you. “This is Emmett, my wedding planner.”

“You don’t look like a wedding planner,” you murmur as you look him over.

Emmett chuckles. “I get that a lot.” He has dimples for days when he smiles.

Shauna smiles brightly up at him. “Emmett’s wonderful though. I wouldn’t know what the hell I’m doing without him.”

“The internet could have done that too,” Emmett teases. He glances at you, his gaze soft and a little unnerving. “You look familiar.”

You flinch and keep your bad hand tucked away.

“She used to live here,” Shauna says. “Actually, she would have been in your grade in school!”

Emmett snaps his fingers. “You were the one who fell from the tree in the schoolyard, and that’s why they put the fence around it!”

You gape a bit. “Oh my god, so many people were mad at me for that!” You chuckle and shake your head. “I’m sorry, I really don’t remember you.”

“I was Piggy Emmy.” He places his palm over his chest. “I was really chubby as a kid, used to stutter too.”

Your jaw drops. He looks nothing like he used to. He used to be short and round as a kid, but now his body is a triangle from his broad shoulders to his lean waist.

“No way!” you scoff. “I do not believe you for a second!”

He chuckles, a big grin on his face. “I started working out shortly after graduation. I was sick of being called Piggy, and I wanted to keep up the image of my family’s business.”

You laugh. “I’m still shocked.”

The smile on Shauna’s face is more mischievous than you would care for, so you step back and clear your throat. “Congratulations, Emmett. You really do look amazing.”

His smile fades a bit as he waves his hand towards you. “How about you? How have you been since… you moved?”

You put your hand over your bad one. “I’m fine,” you answer with a shrug. “Just life, you know?” Your face burns for a moment. Emmett has gotten so lovely, while you’ve only managed to get worse.

“Let’s go inside, then,” Shauna says. “I’ll put on some tea and we can get to work!”

“Tea?” You cock your brow. “I thought you only drank coffee?”

“I found some I like,” Shauna says with a cough.

You go back into the house, where Shauna clears the table and Emmett lays down a few binders full of examples of floral arrangements and wedding displays. Shauna puts on a kettle, then goes to answer the door when there is a knock.

Emmett glances away from his organizer and looks up at you. You fidget for a moment, turning your attention out the window and then to him. For a moment, you are both silent, and there is a crackle in the air as your eyes meet.

“I still have a belly,” he says suddenly.

You squint at him.

“Oh, uh-” he laughs anxiously and sets his things down. “I mean, I still have a bit of a belly, my clothes just hide it. I mean, you said I looked great, but I really, uhm… I’m not all that great and all. Suh-so I figured you w-w-would want to know.”

“It doesn’t matter,” you say with a shake of your head. You smile softly. “Take a compliment.”

“Ah,” Emmett clears his throat. “Y-yeah. Thanks.” He smiles at you.

“And I’m fine, really. Just rocky,” you answer honestly. “It’s hard being home after all this time. After what-” you swallow, “happened.”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you never came back,” Emmett murmurs. “But I am glad to see you.”

You chuckle. “Sure.” You lean on the table. “So, the real question is, is that fence still around the tree?”

Emmett’s shy smile becomes a massive grin. “The fence is bigger now.”

You bow your head as you start to laugh. “Oh shit, why?”

“Kids would scale the fence and try to climb the tree,” Emmett chuckles. “The story of how you kept escaping teachers to climb it remains a legend at the school, even now.”

“Oh crap, they must hate me there,” you laugh.

Emmett squeezes his fingers together. “Only a little.”

After Shauna and Emmett discuss arrangements, she makes dinner and you return to your room. You sigh, sinking down into the mattress. Outside it has already gotten dark, and Beau and Shauna are working on getting all the animals to where they need to go. 

You hear a loud bang and clatter outside, and bolt upright. You start shivering, but you decide the best option is to go outside and see what it is. Things will only get worse if you sit there allowing your mind to wander.

You step outside the front door and see Remi come charging up the stairs. His hooves are covered in blood, leaving a cloven trail along the white boards. Your vision gets hazy, going to a shaky pinpoint. Then you look up to see a dead deer lying just below the stairs.

“No, no!” Shauna is racing up to you. “Go back inside, go back. We’ve got this. Don’t need to look at anything.”

You nearly collapse in her grasp. You start to breathe heavily as you cling to her, shaking as she takes you inside. 

“Deep breaths, come on,” Shauna coaxes you. “Look at me. Look at me.”

Your vision goes completely black.

You wake up later, feeling sick to your stomach. You stumble from your bedroom and into the bathroom, where you splash cold water on your face and take several deep breaths. As soon as you look into the mirror, you quickly look away and step back into your bedroom.

There is a knock at your door. “Are you awake?”

“Yeah,” you grumble.

Shauna walks in with a warm mug of tea. She sets the mug down, then pulls you into a hug as she sits beside you. “I’m so sorry.”

“Who the fuck did that?” You start sobbing into her shoulder, and grip her robe tightly as you hold onto her like a life preserver. 

“Someone who wasn’t thinking,” Shauna scoffs. “Beau contacted Adam to have a word with the one who did it.”

“Well, I want to know who!” you shout, pulling away from Shauna. “I want to know who was that stupid, and who would-” You chomp down on the inside of your cheek and shake your head. “I am so mad and so disgusted and just-” you claw your fingers through your hair. “Fucking werewolves.”

“Hey!” Shauna snaps. “Don’t say that! I know one hurt you but you know not all of them are-” Her hands move to her belly.

You sniffle and point. “How far along?”

“I’m sorry,” Shauna whispers. “I know you can’t heal all at once from this.” She timidly looks up at you. “Barely three months. That’s why we’re pushing the wedding so hard.”

“Makes sense,” you rub at your eyes. “I thought something was up.”

“Don’t tell anyone,” Shauna chuckles through her tears. She takes in a deep breath. “Adam said he’d been willing to come and talk to you. If you want to tell the werewolf no right now, he’ll deliver the message.”

You furrow your brow and shake your head. “No. I want to tell them directly to their face,” you sneer. “I want to tell them how much it hurt.”

Shauna’s expression turns apologetic. “I think they already do. I mean… Remi got them pretty good.”

“Good!” You wrap your arms around yourself. “I’m still fucking shaking.”

Shauna rubs your back. “When do you want to meet with them?” she asks. “I’ll call Adam right away.”

“Tomorrow,” you huff. “As soon as possible, before I go and change my mind about it.” You push your hair away from your face.

Shauna stands up and pushes the mug towards you. “Special blend, helps with a nervous or upset stomach.” She smiles at you. “I’ll come back after I make the call.”

That afternoon, Adam has arranged for the werewolf who left the dead courtship offering on the porch to come to the house. Adam is there, as well as Beau, and Shauna won’t leave your side.

“It’s okay to be mad at these things,” Adam says gently. “You can say no and turn the courtship away. But I ask you to give them a chance to talk to you.”

“I’m not going to throw things at them or start screaming,” you grumble. “As much as I want to.” You scowl down at the angelic-looking leader of Hearthway Hollow, take in a deep breath and look ahead.

Remi stands at attention, taking his gargoyle stance at the foot of the stairs. A car pulls up, and Emmett steps out and stands beside it. 

For a moment, you’re confused. Perhaps he has business with Shauna.

“Oh,” you gasp. Everything goes quiet, and the anger you felt dulls. You blink a few times, squinting your eyes as Emmett bows his head low. “It’s you,” you whisper.

Remi lets out an unholy scream and charges, lunging away from the stairs and headbutting Emmett in the gut.