Chapter 12: The Werewolf

Anise goes on her first date with the werewolf.

My next date that was listed on the schedule was with Beowulf. I wondered what the date was going to consist of since I didn't really know his personality well except what was on the surface. With Cassi and Danton, I could at least guess what was going to happen. Cassi did outright admit his date plans. The reading date with Danton was agreed on beforehand as well. However, I haven't spoken to Beo since the levitation accident.

Without much knowledge as to what we would be doing, I dressed in something nice yet comfortable. A lilac sweater dress with black leggings should be nice enough for any kind of date, right?

I eventually heard a knock on the door and I took a deep breath. An equally nice yet kind of casually dressed Beo beamed at me once I opened the door, his tail wagging with joy. He wore jeans and a white button down, a green baseball style jacket over his shoulder. His usually shaggy hair was fixed to be nice and neat as well.

He gave an exaggerated bow and held out his hand for me to take. "Hello, Anise! Are you ready for our first date?"

I gave a small smile back and hesitantly took his hand. "As ready as I'll ever be. Am I dressed appropriately for our date?"

He looked back up at me with those dark green eyes of his and paid me a compliment. "Yeah, and you look lovely too. I planned to just have a simple stroll with you to the park in town. It's a bit of a ways, but I don't mind carrying you if I have to. So, what do you think?"

"I think that sounds nice. It is a bit chilly outside though. Let me grab my jacket and then-"

Before I could finish my sentence, Beo took off the jacket that hung on his shoulder and put it around my own shoulders. I noticed a faint pink creep along his cheeks as he did this, the smile he had just making the blush more noticable. "Here. You can have my jacket for the day. I'm usually pretty warm, so I won't need it."

I felt my own cheeks grow a little warm and I pulled the jacket closer around me. A short laugh escaped from my lips as I replied. "Don't you think this gesture is a little early into the date?"

"Is it? I've never been on a date before, but I've seen romance movies. The guy is always supposed to give his girl his jacket if she gets cold. Does it matter when exactly that happens?"

I blushed even harder as he said "his girl," implying that I was already his. It was true that I was supposed to be his girl for however long the date would last, but it made me feel weird thinking about it. It was the fuzzy kind of weird feeling. "I-I suppose it doesn't. Sh-Shall we get going then?"

Beo began to wag his tail once again and he took my hand back in his. "Yeah! Let's go!"

His hand was big and warm, filling me with more of that fuzzy feeling. I followed him out of my room and out of the house, nearing the dirt road that led to the town. While we walked hand in hand, I began to think about some questions to ask Beo to get to know him better. "So, Beo. how well did you know my grandparents?"

"Oh, Rosemary and Joel? I watched her practice magic and I watched movies with Joel. I would also escort Rosemary into the town whenever she needed something. I would say that I knew them pretty well, but not as well as I would've liked. They taught me some pretty good life lessons while I helped them with some basic chores around the house too. Always be kind, show respect, and take some time to appreciate the beauty around me. I tend to think and move pretty fast unless I'm seriously focused on something, so that last piece of advice is hard for me to follow sometimes." He explained to me.

Once again, I was surprised at how much of an impact my grandparents seemed to have on everyone. It was nice to know that my grandmother had a companion to walk her into town other than my grandfather. Beo seemed to be a good boy. "I see. Thank you for telling me this."

"What about you, Anise? Did they tell you anything valuable?" Beo inquired, his head tilting along with his wolf ears. It was actually really cute how they tilted. It made me want to pet his head.

"Well, I learned a lot about magic and my family tree from my grandmother. Meanwhile, my grandfather taught me more natural magic such as garden-keeping and cooking. I also remember watching some documentaries with him when I was younger. As for advice, I was taught the same things you did. Treat others the way you want to be treated, learn to stop and smell the roses every once in a while, and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it." I answered thoughtfully. Beo looked at me with amazement, his eyes sparkling like I just told him an impressive secret.

"Wow, it sounds like you were close with your grandparents."

I then gave a sad smile. "Not as much as I would've liked to be. I wish I got to know them better, especially near the end of their years."

"Speaking about the end of their years, I am curious about something. They both passed away at the same time. Was it just a coincidence that it happened? Or was there some sort of magic involved? I may not be that smart, but I did notice the timing of their passings. And I don't think it's common for couples to pass away at the same time together." He suddenly asked.

I wasn't too surprised by his question. Beo seemed like the type to ask any question he was curious about without hesitation. It was in his nature to be curious. That much I have gathered from our encounters. I also gathered that losing my grandparents was somewhat like losing his masters for him. Of course he would notice the timing. "When a powerful witch falls in love and marries someone, then their souls become connected. To a certain extent, they can feel what the other is feeling at all times. When one of them passes away, then the other will as well within the same time. It's a natural spell and bond that occurs that we call 'Eternal Soulmates' which every powerful witch can experience. My mothers are under this spell."

"That actually sounds kind of nice. Both of the souls don't have to experience heartache in the end and they pass on together. Will you be under that spell as well once you find your soulmate?" Beo continued to ask.

I nodded. "Someday, yes. I come from a family of powerful witches and I would say that I hold quite a bit of power to be influenced by the natural spell as well. That is, if I ever find my soulmate."

"You could always marry me if you don't find one." He beamed, obviously not thinking much about it at first. I grew a little wide-eyed and blushed at his offer.

"Y-Yeah. Thank you, Beo. . ."

"No problem! I like you a lot, Anise. I want to be someone you can count on. If you'll have me, of course." He revealed quite casually. I took his offer to be friendly above romantic though. Beo seemed a little naive, naive enough to not know that his words may be taken in a romantic way. It did make my heart flutter a bit, but I was pretty sure that that wasn't his goal.

I gave a shy smile as well as a nod. "Right. Thank you again, Beo. I really do appreciate the offer. I'll be sure to come to you whenever I need your help."

We continued to walk, getting to know each other. Beo was actually quite funny and easy to talk to. His curious nature was contagious, allowing me to feel free to ask any question I felt like. Eventually we entered the town and walked along the sidewalk leading to the park. There were a few people on the street, enjoying their day strolling around just like we were. Before being noticed by anyone, Beo reached behind him and pulled a hat off of one of his belt loops, something I didn't notice until now. He then put it on his head to cover his wolf ears.

Soon enough, we approached a small park surrounded by maple trees that displayed the most vivid fall colors I've ever seen. Reds, yellows, and oranges graced their large leaves, some falling silently to the ground. My breath was absolutely taken away. I always loved the fall foliage. Beo was just as taken by the scene from the way he stared up at the branches.

"Beautiful, isn't it? Makes me wanna rake up all the leaves that fall and jump in the pile though." He laughed, squeezing my hand in the process. I gave a little giggle of my own as we continued to walk under the branches.

"Hey, Beo? I have another question. How did you get cursed to stay in this town?" I finally asked. He held his chin with his free hand as he tried to remember.

"I remember encountering a woman when I was pretty young. I would say that I was ten at the time. I wandered into this town. I didn't have any parents or guardians at the time. I had to hide in alleys and steal food from the garbage. That's just how it was. One day, I ended up at a diner and saw this woman order a large amount of food. I was hungry and I figured that one sandwich out of everything she ordered wouldn't hurt. As long as I was faster than her, I wouldn't be caught. That's what I thought anyways."

"I was caught immediately. I would have never guessed that the old lady could be so fast. She called me a thieving poor puppy and said I needed to be punished. I then felt like there was a chain around my waste. Not fastened to anything in particular, but it weighed me down to this town. The feeling is still present. I never tried to leave the town. I just know that I can't. The woman also explained to me how I could never leave. That was when she turned me into a werewolf too."

"After wandering around some more, I came across your grandmother who took me in. I've lived in that house with her and Joel for ten years now. They saved me from being stuck on the streets. I owed them my life."

I listened carefully to his story, wondering once again if this was the same woman that cursed Danton and Cassius. It was also surprising how long he's been with my grandparents. How did my grandparents manage to keep him a secret from me all this time? He was only a year older than me after all.

"I remember visiting the house a few times after I turned nine. Where were you hiding within the house? And did you know about me back then?" I continued to question.

He gave me another toothy grin along with a nod. "Of course! I was instructed to hide in the attic at the time with Danton, but I could hear you play and interact with your grandparents. It sounded like so much fun, but I wasn't allowed to meet you yet. To this day, I don't know why. But I knew you somewhat."

I took this information in, unsure of what to do with it. Why did my grandparents hide all the monsters from me? That was something I would probably never get the answer to.

A hand suddenly landed on my head to begin to pet me. I looked up at Beowulf to see a comforting smile and soft eyes. "Hey, as long as we know each other now, right? While I would've been nice to see you back then, I'm just happy that I can see you now. Do you feel the same way?"

That familiar heat came over my cheeks as he continued to pet my head. A few onlookers smiled and whispered, no doubt gossiping about us being a cute couple or something like that. That was what I thought at least. "Y-Yes. I-I'm happy that I know you, Beo."

Our date continued on, walking through the park, admiring the leaves, and talking. I learned that Beo's favorite color was green, his favorite food was steak, he liked to go on morning runs, but also deeper things like how he's been an orphan since he was four and he ran away from home when he was eight. Despite the darker past, Beo was bright and cheerful as ever, his tail wagging so hard to the point where he adjusted himself to sit on it.

Before we knew it, the sunset came. Sitting on a park bench, holding hands with him, it made me feel fuzzy again. The way the orange sunset contrasted against the orange leaves in the trees made for a brilliant end to the date. As I looked forward, I commented on the scene before us. "It's really like something out of a painting. Beautiful."

"Yeah. Beautiful. . ." Beo repeated. However, I felt his eyes trained on my instead of the sunset. I turned my head and met his gaze, the heat on my cheeks growing for what I hoped was the final time for the day.

"Anise, I think I finally get what Rosemary meant when she told me to stop and appreciate the beauty around me. I don't think she was talking about nature specifically. I think she was talking about you." He admitted, pink falling over his own face.

Instinctively, I turned my eyes away from him to try to hide my blushing face behind my hair. Now, I wasn't sure if he meant things in a friendly way or in a romantic way. A hand came under my chin and guided me to look back up at him. Slowly, he began to lean forward.

My heart felt like it would beat out of my chest. Was this really going to be my first kiss? I shut my eyes tight as he continued to lean forward. A soft pair of lips touched my forehead gently before pulling away. Now I felt a bit foolish, but also relieved that he didn't take my first kiss. Not that I didn't want to kiss him, but because it wouldn't feel right with all the other dates I have to go on. I couldn't even say that I loved him yet.

"I could sense your hesitance, Anise. It's okay. I'll only kiss you on the lips when you ask me to. I meant what I said earlier too. I really do like you. I wouldn't mind it if we became soulmates one day. I would actually really like it if we had a strong bond like 'Eternal Soulmates.'" He promised.

My heart skipped a beat when he confessed this. Just the way the sunlight fell across his features paired with the way he looked at me made him seem less like a cute puppy and more like a handsome man. I gave him a soft smile, squeezed his hand, and got up from the bench. "Thank you, Beo. For being patient and taking me on this wonderful date. Shall we go home now?"

"Yeah, let's go back before it gets too dark."

We walked back home, the stars and moon just emerging by the time we reached the front door. Before heading inside, Beo took off his hat and leaned down a bit. "You know, I could use a little pet if that's okay with you?"

I couldn't help but giggle at how cute he was at that moment. My hand extended out and gave him a pet between his ears, his hair still soft and fluffy despite being styled with hair product. I wouldn't have been surprised if he sensed that I wanted to pet his hair earlier. Once I had my fill, I took off his jacket to hand back to him. He gingerly took it from me. His own hand then reached out to pet my own head.

"This was a wonderful date, Anise! Good job! I think I'm going to take one last stroll around the house before heading inside. See you later!" He finally said goodbye before putting on his jacket, leaving me to take his stroll. Of course a werewolf like him wanted to go for another walk.

I headed inside and sighed, happy to have gone on another successful date. From the kitchen I could smell a stew being made for dinner. After composing myself, I headed towards the dining room to enjoy a warm meal.