Werewolf Boyfriend: Konni #1 (complete)

I haven’t seen my brother, Rudi, in a few years, since he took himself and his dream of candy-making to America. When we were kids, Rudi used to tell me strange stories about the town her grew up in- Hearthway Hollow. It was a sanctuary for people like us, where we could live peacefully with no worries of attack, being hunted, or suddenly having to leave. It had always been our dream to go there one day and live our lives, but dreams change. 

Rudi went to culinary school, where he honed all the gifts our moms had taught him. Meanwhile, I was content to roam. I traveled a lot, settled in a lot of places, shared many beds, and enjoyed myself. I was young, and I didn’t have any real goals. Without Rudi around to whip me into shape, my moms just kind of spoiled me. Being the baby, I got away with a lot of things I shouldn’t have. I started earning money on the side, styling hair for the little old ladies who lived in our community. I had always done my moms’ hair; both of them had different tastes, but they always let me play with it. Before I knew it, I basically had a business. It wasn’t until Rudi got home from his studies he insisted that I go to cosmetology school. 

From there, things just took off for me. Once I graduated and started to work in salons, I began to get noticed. Word of mouth took me a long way, and so did sharing a few more beds, but eventually, I worked my way up to having my own salon in Austria. I was so busy, I barely ever had time to look at my phone. I lost touch with my family for the longest time, and I never even realized Rudi had moved to America until I got the wedding invitation in the mail. It was a massive surprise, coming from Rudi. He had never had so much as a girlfriend our whole lives. He told me he was aesexual when we were teens, so I didn’t think I’d ever have to worry about weddings with him. I was happy to see I was very wrong.

Anyway, I hopped on a plane right away. I missed him so much that I wasn’t about to miss my brother’s wedding for anything! I arrived in Hearthway Hollow early in the morning, in a rental car that was dropped off at the airport for me. I didn’t know much about North Carolina; only that pulled pork sandwiches were a thing. 

I heard about Hearthway Hollow so much as a kid that I always assumed it was this strange little fairy tale fantasy. Now that I’m here, it looks the part, with brick buildings in the downtown, cobblestone streets in the massive park, and strange little houses dotting the landscape. 

Eventually, I find myself at my brother’s candy shop. It is a cute little place, and already I can smell the confectionary sweetness seeping out onto the street. There are cute kids running around with massive lollipops, and sharing giant bags of gummy wolves. There is even the archetypal couple giggling and sharing a hot chocolate on a bench out front.

As I walk inside, business is booming, and it is easy to see why. Rudi had always been gifted; he’s been baking he was six and went to some of the best culinary schools in the world. As I walk up to the counter, I see that the girl behind it is busy wrapping a solid chocolate wolf. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail. I can see that the ends need trimming, at the very least, and if she cut it into a bob, she would look cuter than a kitten.

She notices me and smiles. “I’m sorry! I’ll help you in just a moment.”

“Oh, no worries,” I murmur as I gaze into the display case at the counter. Inside, I see something that instantly brings back to my childhood - a gingerbread house, but not just any gingerbread house. It’s the house I shared with Rudi when we were kids, with two moms and everything.

“Hi!” The girl beams as she turns her full attention to me. “Sorry about the wait, how can I help you?”

I look up from the gingerbread house in shock.

“Oh!” She gasps, cupping both hands over her mouth. That’s when I see the engagement ring on her finger. The bright silver band has diamonds on it, and one sugary pink diamond in the center. “You’re Konni!” she squeals excitedly.

“I am.” I lift my chin.

She runs around the counter and approaches me. “I can’t believe you’re here! Rudolf said he never heard from you!”

“You’re the bride,” I say with a smirk.

“Rudolf is going to be so excited you’re here!” She’s excited herself, and her pretty brown eyes are lit up like Christmas lights.

“I saw the invite,” I say with a shrug. “It kind of scared me into realizing that I haven’t seen Rudi in ages.”

“He’s in the back, teaching a class,” she replies. “Oh, I’m Cheslie, by the way.”

“Very cute,” I murmur as I look her over. She’s small and petite, barely five feet tall. Rudi must tower over her like a Greecian statue. 

Cheslie’s cheeks turn bright pink as she giggles. “I’m so happy to finally meet you,” she says. “Rudolf has been talking about you a lot, how he’s so proud of you and all.”

I feel struck through the heart. “He’s proud of me?”

“Well, yeah, of course,” Cheslie says. “Hold on a second. Let me get someone up front and we can go to the back and talk!”

I wait for her as she takes care of business. She then leads me to a back room where we can talk in private. “Rudolf has a scrapbook with all your articles,” Cheslie continues. “He likes to brag about his famous baby brother, and that’s how I knew you right away.”

“I’m kind of shocked,” I murmur. “Rudi always had to keep me in line, so I just figured I was a chore to him.”

“Not at all!” Cheslie laughs. “You mean so much to him! He always knew you were meant for more than bed hopping.”

I snort and start to laugh. “Is that what he called it?”

“He said you had a problem keeping your pants on when you were younger,” Cheslie says with a grimace.

I sigh and lean back in my seat. “He isn’t wrong.”

“He said he was worried you were getting spoiled,” Cheslie says with a soft smile. 

I chuckle. “Well, he knows me best.” I turn to Cheslie with a grin. “I had a way of getting everything I wanted as a kid.” I shrug. “Suppose I still have the knack.”

Cheslie arches her brow. “That can’t be good.”

“I’m a brat, what can I say?” I sweep out my arm as the door opens.

Rudi walks in, wearing an apron smeared with bright stains and an ugly hairnet. “Cheslie, I was hoping you could help me with a-” He stops dead in his tracks when he sees me. “Konni?”

I stand up from my chair. “Surprise!”

“Oh my god!” His face breaks into a great big smile. He races forward, and I meet him halfway to wrap him in a tight hug.

“You have no idea how happy I am to see you!” Rudi holds me at arms length and looks me over. “You’ve lost weight!”

“You’ve gained it.” I poke his belly. “Sampling your own goods, I see.”

Rudi chuckles and pinches my cheek hard. “And what about you, young man?” he scolds. “You eating well? Or dining on too many fancy foods behind my back?”

“I eat just fine,” I scoff before jabbing a finger at him. “And what about you? Getting married!”

Rudi chuckles. “Yeah. It’s official. I guess you got your invite.”

I put my hands on my hips. “Yeah, and no phone call.”

“I called!” Rudi turns to Cheslie for support. “Didn’t I call?”

Cheslie lays her hand on her chest. “I called too. But we kept getting that same damn message on your answering machine.”

“Oh, you were calling the public number,” I sigh. “You have to call the private phone if you ever have the hopes of getting ahold of me.”

Rudi stares at me like I’m some sort of lunatic. “Really?” He scoffs.

I shrug. “What? That’s how you have to do it in my line of work!” I shake my head at him. “I can’t have any Tom, Dick, or Harry calling me. I’ve got to keep up appearances and-” I glare at him as his expression doesn’t change. “Don’t look at me like that!”

Rudi rolls his eyes. “Anyways,” he huffs. “I’m so glad you’re here. How long are you going to be staying?”

“Depends,” I wave my hand through the air. “I at least want to see the wedding. Figured I would offer my services as stylist to the lovely bride.”

“Really?” Cheslie squeals. 

“After that - who knows? I was planning on taking a vacation in Mykonos, but if I like things in this little picturesque town, I may stay for a bit.”

“That would be great!” Rudi gasps. “I’d love to be able to catch up with you.” He gives me a playful shove. “You can be one of my groomsmen.”

“I can?” I gasp as my heart sputters. “You’d want me for that?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” he chuckles. Rudi then turns to Cheslie, “the guest room is still pretty empty, right?” 

“My dress is in there, so as long as he doesn’t mess with it, he can stay with us,” Cheslie agrees with a nod.

“Oh no, I couldn’t,” I gasp. “I’ll find somewhere else to stay, you don’t gotta put me up like that.”

“At least for the night,” Rudi says. “Tomorrow you can go down to the hardware store and find somewhere to rent.”

That sentence didn’t seem to add up for me.

“Oh,” Cheslie quickly jumps in. “There are two people here in Hearthway Hollow that own most of the place. Big Billy, who runs the hardware store, is the best person to find somewhere to rent.”

“Who owns the rest?” I ask her. 

“That would be Mrs. Locklear, but most of her places are far, far out in the woods. Billy owns most of the residential stuff.” Cheslie says with a big smile.

“This place is weird,” I murmur.

“You have no idea,” Rudi laughs. 

That evening, I end up staying with Cheslie and Rudi after all. Their home is the apartment just above the candy store, so everything has a candy-sweet scent to it. I sort of understand how Hansel and Gretel felt in the witch’s house - constantly hungry.

“So,” I say as Rudi serves dinner, “I’ve heard tales about this place for ages. Any of it true?” I ask.

“And just what has Rudolf told you?” Cheslie asks.

“Like the courtship ritual thing,” I shrug. “Did Rudi do that to you?”

“Not really,” Cheslie scrunches up her face. “Rudi and I were close when he first lived here in Hearthway Hollow with your moms. We traded letters a lot, and he told me all about how you got adopted.”

“Not the bucket story,” I whine.

Cheslie giggles and shrugs. “I won’t say. But Rudolf and I-” She trails off for a moment, and the way she looks at my brother makes me feel a strange mix of jealousy and awe. There is so much love in her gaze, so much reverence, that my mind goes haywire trying to figure it out. “We’ve always had a connection, so when he came back, we just slid into place.”

“But you knew he was a werewolf?” I ask.

“I’m one of the few non-werewolves in my family,” Cheslie sighs. “My cousins - Rowan and Canvas - they’re in the wedding too, and close friends with the Alpha of Hearthway Hollow.”

“The Eva lady?” I ask.

“No, Adam, her grandson,” Rudi replies as he lays down food on the table. “He’s an amazing guy, runs the butcher shop.” He then looks at me. “By the way, watch out for Rowan.”

I furrow my brow. “Excuse me?”

“My cousin,” Cheslie sighs. “He’s blind and he’s a handful. He’ll try to get your goat for any sort of laugh.” She rolls her eyes. “Back in the day, him, Canvas, and Adam used to get into all sorts of trouble. I remember one night before graduation, they stole every single balloon from the graduation setup, released them, and they flew directly into a power line. It caused a massive fire, and all the power in the entire town went out!”

“Wow, they sound smart,” I scoff.

“Separately, they are,” Rudi laughs. “Together? They share one brain cell.” 

The next morning while Cheslie and Rudi get the store ready, I go out to visit my moms, Anna and Mimi. They overfeed me, slap me upside the head a few times for not calling, and I end up falling asleep on their sofa.

I am woken up by the sound of a vacuum running. As I raise my head from the pillow, I see a girl running an attachment up and down the curtains. I yawn, stretching as I stand up off the couch. As the girl turns, she sees me and screams.

I scream in response and clutch my chest. “Oh, my god! What?” I gasp.

“Sorry!” She quickly turns off the vacuum. “I was trying not to wake you.” She tugs down her long sleeves, making sure they’re tucked under the wrists of the gloves she’s wearing.

“You’re vacuuming, kind of hard not to.” As I look into her frightened, gray eyes there is a tug in my chest. I lose my breath for a second as I look over her freckle-covered face and glossy lips. She has blunt bangs, with small locks framing the sides of her face, and the rest of her hair is tied up in a poofy ponytail at the top of her head. Her hair is a mousy sort of color, almost ashy in the light. She steps aside, moving the vacuum cleaner out of the way, but ends up tripping over the very attachment she is holding.

I stand with a start, grabbing her before she topples and hurts herself. In my arms, she feels like nothing, but in my mind, she weighs the same as a ton of bricks. My heart is sputtering out of control, and all I want to do is impress her. I want to show off, act out, just do something to make her pay attention to me.

She giggles softly. “Oh, wow, thank you.” She stands upright, her hand still on my arm. “Not many people catch me in time.” I notice she has a gap in her two front teeth, and it’s the cutest thing I have ever seen.

Her freckled cheeks redden as her hand lingers on my bicep. “Oh, sorry.” She quickly steps away. “Uhm, I’m Jess-Belle. I work for Anna and Mimi sometimes.”

“Jess-Belle,” I say softly, my eyes totally focused on her. “Cute name.”

“My parents thought it was cute.” She rolls her eyes and grumbles, “My friends call me JB.”

My mouth is dry and my palms are sweaty. I’ve been around dozens of beautiful men and women, but none of them have ever made me feel the way that Jess-Belle does.

“I’m, uhm-” My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. “I’m Konni,” I manage to spit out. “Anna and Mimi are my moms.”

Her eyes light up. “Oh! You’re Konstantin! Yes, of course.” She nods her head. “Anna and Mimi have been bragging about you so much. They gave me some of your hair stuff you make. I love them, uhm-” she waves her hand around her head. “The dry shampoo thing with the nozzle thingy.” Jess-Belle laughs. “Oh god, sorry, I’m awkward.”

“It’s cute,” I murmur, in absolute awe of her.

“Konni!” Mama Mimi comes out of the back. “Don’t bother Jess-Belle, she’s a hard-working young lady. She doesn’t need you messing her up.”

“It’s okay, Mimi,” Jess-Belle giggles. “It’s nice to finally meet him.” She smiles up at me. 

Mama Mimi grabs me. “He’s still in trouble with us.” She tugs on my hand. “When you get hungry, Anna and I have made a pasta salad.”

“Thank you, Mimi,” Jess-Belle says with a smile. “It was nice to meet you, Konni.” She turns the vacuum back on and continues to work as Mama Mimi drags me out onto the veranda. 

“There’s my sleeping beauty!” Mama Anna lifts her hands up and grabs my face as I come to her. Her kisses leave bright red lipstick all over my face. “Did you sleep well?”

“I haven’t napped like that in ages,” I sigh as I sit down. I keep glancing at the sliding glass doors, catching glimpses of Jess-Belle working inside.

“I suppose it’s a comfort only parents can provide.” Anna says as she pours me a glass of pink lemonade. “You were so cute all balled up on the couch. Reminded me of when you were little.”

I keep looking towards Jess-Belle, feeling that pull in my chest as if I have to be beside her at that very moment. 

“I’m so glad you came home for the wedding,” Mama Mimi says for what must be the hundredth time. She fills a plate in front of me with her famous pasta salad. “I know it means so much to your brother.”

Mama Anna waves her hand in front of my face. “What are you looking at?” She asks me. She glances inside. “Why are you staring at Jess-Belle like that?”

I shake my head. “I, uhm-”

“I know that look,” Mama Anna points at me. “Don’t tell me you’ve imprinted.”

I glance to her. “What?”

“Our little Jess-Belle?” Mama Mimi giggles, clapping her hands together. “Has she caught your eye, baby?”

“What?” I laugh. “What are you two talking about?”

“Imprinting means you’ve found someone you could spend your life with,” Mama Anna replies. “It marks the beginning of the Courtship Ritual here in Hearthway Hollow.”

“No,” I gasp. “No! I would never!”

“You be kind to Jess-Belle!” Mama Mimi fusses at me. “She’s a timid little thing. You don’t need to be going and scaring her.”

“Mama!” I snap at both of them. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You know me,” I fold my arms across my chest. “I am not a single-partner kind of person.”

“That may be so,” Mama Anna leans towards me. “But I remember as vividly as if it were yesterday how Imprinting feels.” She looks up at Mama Mimi with the same expression that Cheslie had for Rudi. “It’s horrible but magnificent at the same time.”

Mama Mimi giggles like a schoolgirl and leans in for a kiss. 

“I have no intention of doing any sort of courting while I am here!” I laugh. “Trust me, there is no way I-”

The sliding glass door opens, and Jess-Belle steps out. My heart sputters and dies in the excitement of seeing her. I feel like a dog who has been waiting on their master to come home all day, and I want to prance and jump at her feet. 

“I think I’m all done,” she says to Mama Anna. “Is there anything else you need me to do before I head home for the day?”

“Have lunch with us!” Mama Mini pulls out a chair. “You’re such a skinny little thing, come eat.”

“Thank you, Mimi,” Jess-Belle glances at me, and her cheeks turn dark red again. She fidgets with her sleeve, pulling it down and then cupping her hand over the other one. “But I really shouldn’t,” she murmurs. “I’ve got some papers I need to finish. That big exam is coming up, remember?”

Mama Anna smiles at me. “Our Jess-Belle here is quite the genius,” she says. “Already one degree in hand and working on another.”

“Oh, wow,” I lean towards her. “What is your degree in? What are you working on now?”

Jess-Belle looks away from me, still fidgeting with her sleeve. “Engineering,” she murmurs. “Working towards bioengineering.”

I gasp softly. “That’s amazing.”

Jess-Belle nods. “It’s been a passion of mine since I was little,” she mutters shyly. She then glances to Mama Anna. “Thanks again for the work. Uhm, I’ll see you in a few days.” She then glances back to me. “It was nice to meet you.”

I feel horrible she’s leaving, but so excited she spoke to me. “You too,” I say with a goofy smile. 

Mama Mimi sees her to the front door so she can pay her for the day. 

Mama Anna then sighs, shaking her head slowly. “Poor thing,” she murmurs.

I furrow my brow at her. “Poor thing?” I ask.

Mama Anna nods. “Notice how she was trying to hide her arm?” She asks me. “It’s a prosthetic. Something she designed herself, too - a kind of bionic thing. It’s much too complicated for me, but she can ramble on about it, she’s so brilliant.” She takes out her cigarette case and lights one up.

“Mama, you still smoke?” I grimace.

“Hush up, you.” She blows smoke out of the corner of her mouth, then points the cherry tip at me. “If you are Imprinting on Jess-Belle, know this - she absolutely hates dogs.”

My gut sinks, dropping down and going cold at this news. “But-” I gasp. “She lives in a town of werewolves!”

“She doesn’t know that,” Mama Anna huffs. “She got attacked by a dog as a baby, hence the fake arm. She moved here to Hearthway Hollow as part of her scholarship, because of Dr. Evalstropp. She doesn’t know about the werewolf secret here. All she knows is that there are wolves in the woods, and she carries around a taser with her everywhere she goes.”

“Oh,” I murmur and slouch back into the chair. 

“But hey, miracles happen every day, my baby.” She reaches out and pats my knee. “After all, you came home to us!”

“I feel sick.” I lean forward and hold my stomach.

“That’s love,” Mama Anna chuckles. She then looks at me hopefully. “How long will you be staying, my baby?”

I clutch my stomach, feeling nerves, anxiety, longing, and a bunch of other crap banging around like lead-weight butterflies. “Not sure. Told Rudi long enough for the wedding. I was planning a trip to Mykonos, but I-”

“Mykonos.” Mama Anna rolls her eyes. “You will stay here,” she says, tapping ash onto the ground. “You will stay with your Mama and me.”

“No,” I quickly blurt. “I mean, I don’t want to put you out,” I try to quickly cover. “I’ll find some place to stay.”

“Then you’d best go to the hardware store,” Mama Anna replies. “Big Billy will find you somewhere nice to stay.”

It still sounds so weird that I have to go to the hardware store to find someplace to rent. I go there later that afternoon and find myself in the presence of a man who is more like a mountain. I rent an apartment in a building in town, an old brownstone with four residences inside. I take one of the small rooms at the top floor, just big enough to house me while I stay for the wedding. As I’m fumbling with my keys, someone comes up the stairs.

“Oh, wow! It’s you again.”

I turn to see Jess-Belle hauling two huge grocery bags. My stomach drops and flutters, my heart quickens, and I have that excited puppy feeling all over again. “It’s you again,” I say with the biggest, stupidest smile on my face.

Jess-Belle fidgets. “I, uhm-” She starts to move closer when the bottom of one of her bags bursts open. “Oh, no!” she whines.

“Here.” I stoop down, helping her pick things up.

“This always happens to me! I even had them double-bag it for me.” Jess-Belle grumbles. “I have no luck at all!”

“Get your room open,” I tell her. “I’ll help you carry your things inside, no worries. No worries at all.”

She looks up at me, giving me a pitiful look. “You’re so sweet,” she sighs. “You already caught me once today.”

It feels like my heart is in my throat. “I don’t mind catching a pretty girl.”

Jess-Belle’s cheeks darken and a shy smile spreads across her face. “My door!” She jumps up to unlock it. 

I help her carry her spilled groceries in, and as I do, I realize I am enveloped in her scent. I take in a deep breath, letting her fill me for a second. I then realize how ridiculous I am being and start to panic, wondering if I seem creepy to her.

“Thank you again,” Jess-Belle sighs. “You should know now, if you’re going to be staying across from me - I’m kind of cursed.”

“Cursed?” I chuckle.

Jess-Belle frowns and glances aside. “Yeah, uhm-” She rubs the back of her neck. “I fall a lot, I drop things a lot, I break… almost everything. So, if you start to get annoyed with me, I get it.”

I shake my head. “I grew up being raised by my moms,” I tell her. “I work with spoiled, snotty people all day. Trust me. You aren’t going to annoy me.”

Jess-Belle’s shy smile becomes sweeter and brighter. “Well, you have been warned,” she chuckles. “So, I’m guessing you don’t have any plans for dinner?”

I shake my head. “I was just going to bother my brother or my moms again. I don’t exactly have any food yet.”

“I’ve got some work to do,” Jess-Belle bounces on her heels. “But I was going to make some black bean burgers for dinner. I’ve got extra.”

“Black bean burgers?” I ask.

“I try not to eat meat,” Jess-Belle quickly replies. “I’m kind of vegetarian?” She scrunches up her face. “If that makes sense.”

“Social meat eater, I get it,” I say with a grin.

Jess-Belle’s cheeks have the sweetest glow to them. “Then how about six?”

I nod. “Six. Sounds good to me.”

“Thanks again for the help,” Jess-Belle says at the door. “And I guess I’ll see you later.”

My heart bounces wildly around from my throat to my stomach. “You will,” I say with a grin. “Later.” I give a dopey little wave and quickly close my hand.

As her door closes, I realize that I need to be extremely careful with the next few steps I am going to take. I am enchanted and if I am not careful, I will fall in love with her.