"Thanks for coming." Josh glanced over at Aiden as they trekked to the secluded part of the woods so that Josh could transform. "After last time I don't feel like I should do this alone."
"It isn't a problem, just you know; try not to bit my head off or anything." Aiden laughed but Josh looked terrified. "Josh, relax, please." He gave Josh a quick squeeze on the shoulders. "It's going to be perfectly fine. I will be up in a tree making sure you stay out of trouble."
Josh tried to try to give him a smile but he was sure it came out as a grimace.
They came upon a small clearing. "Here is good." Josh dropped his bag and Aiden looked around for a good tree to climb.
"So, does it hurt? The uh, transformation?" He asked as he tested the sturdiness of a branch.
"No, not at all, in fact it's like as wonderful as getting a massage then collapsing into a Jacuzzi. Of course it hurts!"
"Alright, alright, sorry I asked. Just trying to you know, make small talk." Aiden had found the perfect spot and stretched himself out over the tree.
"How much time?" Josh felt weird about not feeling weird. Here he was, standing in the woods taking his clothes off in front of Aiden, about to transform into a werewolf and normally he would be freaking out, but for some reason he was calm and okay with it. And that was the weirdest thing yet.
"Three minutes." Aiden checked his watch and then looked down at Josh who was facing the other way, his body literally glowing in the moonlight. "Oh hey Josh's ass. Aren't you a cute little thing?"
"Aiden-" Josh turned his head to look at his friend. "Did you just call my ass cute?"
"Maybe." Aiden laughed, he didn't know why he had done it, probably to lighten the mood. "I mean it is a very cute buttock."
"Let me die." Josh muttered under his breath but let out a chuckle. Then he screamed. The sound scared Aiden because it wasn't a scream he had ever heard before. It was full of so much pain and anger. "Aiden you stay-"Josh couldn't finish the sentence because he was screaming again.
"I'll stay in the tree. I promise." He may have promised but he wanted nothing more than to get out of the tree and just sooth away the pain. He couldn't look as Josh hunched over, his screams growing louder and more terrible. Then they stopped. "Josh?" Aiden glanced into the clearing.
Standing in the middle wasn't Josh, but a werewolf, smelling the air. It finally must have caught his scent because it turned to look at him, in the tree. Aiden was not used to the feeling that was coursing through his veins. It was fear, but he wasn't quite sure what he was scared of.
Josh woke up on the cold ground. He frantically stood up and started searching around him.
"Relax." Aiden's voice came from behind and he felt his hand on his shoulder. "You didn't kill anyone last night, well I think you did catch a squirrel, but who will miss it." Josh spun around and pulled Aiden into a hug.
"Oh thank god." Josh was so happy to hear the news that no one had died by his hand that he had completely forgotten the fact that he was naked. "Shit." He pulled away, covering himself up. Aiden laughed and threw him some clothes.
"Get dressed and we will go get some breakfast."
Aiden watched Josh eat breakfast, he could never look at him the same after last night. He could still hear his screams echoing in his head. It wasn't a feeling that he liked. After every single person he had killed, all the screams he had heard in his life, he was 100% sure that Josh's would be the one to stay with him forever. It was something so full of emotion, and emotion that he didn't understand. "You know Josh, I've been thinking."
Josh had just stuffed a fork full of eggs into him mouth. "Ab't w'at?"
"Well, I had been thinking about what you said the other day, about me going off live blood." Aiden spun the ketchup bottle in front of him around in his hands. "It is possible to live off of the blood bank, I wouldn't have to kill anymore."
"Are you serious about this?" Josh was trying not to sound as excited as he was. He didn't know why but he felt extremely proud, not only of himself for helping Aiden see another option but also of Aiden for choosing to take this step.
"I think so. But I would need your help, because I wouldn't be strong enough for it on my own." Aiden studied Josh's face, he could see the failed attempts to hide his excitement. He felt a surge of gratitude for Josh at that moment. No one had ever wanted to help him control it, just make it worse. 'Feed Aiden its good for you, no don't worry about the people, you are a shark, a killer. Own it.' He could hear Bishop's voice echoing in his head. He hated it so much some times, he hated Bishop most of the time. Josh was different, like him in that he was trying to deal with a condition that made him something that he was not, but Josh had somehow made Aiden think that they could be better. They could beat this and be human. Or at least something close to human, instead of monsters that hide in the dark.
"Yeah, of course, I would love to help. Aiden, you can do this. We can do this." Josh finally let himself smile, grin from ear to ear. Aiden couldn't help himself, a smile spread across his face as well. There they sat, a vampire and werewolf, completely at peace with the world and each other, smiling at the possibilities of a better tomorrow.
