AN: Here you go, the second part! There will definitely be a third part and perhaps a fourth… there's still quite a bit of stuff that I feel needs to happen.
In the mean time I hope you'll like this! Enjoy the read.
The air is tainted by clouds of smoke, which have been emanating for a while now from Cornelia's weird herbal mix.
Peter is lying on the ground, looking up at the trailer's ceiling. It's harder and harder to make out as the air thickens.
"So…" Peter starts.
"Shut up!"
Peter looks to his right, where Cornelia is seated. Her eyes are closed and she seems to be concentrating.
"Are we waiting for something or…?"
"What did I just say?"
"Fine."
Peter keeps his mouth shut for the next 10 minutes. He wonders what's going to happen, if something ever happens that is. Which seems unlikely at this point because, well, shouldn't it have happen by now? Maybe Cornelia's voodoo crap didn't work on him. Maybe because, as a werewolf, Peter was immune. Or maybe because he didn't think a few herbs and lying on the floor would solve his problems…
Peter wondered what time it was. He didn't dare to look at his watch though… the last time he had tried, Cornelia had smacked his head.
If the point was to get Peter to relax, this was a complete waste of time. He should have just gone to see Roman… to smoke a spliff or something.
"Interesting!" Cornelia mumbles.
Peter blinks. He looks around but there is nothing interesting to be seen. Starting to be incredibly bored and feeling his back getting stiff, he glances at Cornelia who stills hasn't moved.
But something weird does happen. The snake earrings that hang from Cornelia's ear begin to undulate. Slowly at first, so slowly Peter isn't sure it's really happening. But it is. And now the snakes are sliding down Cornelia's neck. Strangely enough, she remains undisturbed. Peter considers moving but he feels calm for some reason. The snakes crawl toward him, and then up his chest. Peter opens his mouth and tries to protest, but it's too late. The snakes are entering his mouth.
Then everything goes black.
-HG-
Peter feels like he's floating. The ground beneath him is soft and it bounces, just like he'd always imagined clouds would.
But he isn't on a cloud. He's been walking on a long road for some time now. He isn't sure how much time it has been, nor how much time he has left. He just knows he has to keep walking. He doesn't mind though. He's happy.
"You know, it can't get to you if you're sure."
Peter turns to his left and notices a white wolf walking besides him.
"Cristina?"
"It's nice here." She tells him.
They walk side by side. The road is still soft beneath Peter's paws.
"It's nice. I'm not scared anymore." Cristina tells him, serene.
"So why are you still in wolf form?" Peter asks.
Cristina bends down towards him, her long white hair cascading down her face.
"It can't get you if you're sure." She smiles and starts stroking Peter's fur with her now very human fingers. "Don't be afraid Peter."
"I'm not afraid!"
Cristina cocks her head, intrigued.
"But then why are you here?"
"I—I don't know. I don't know where I am." He admits.
"It's ok that you don't." Cristina says, pointing towards a half-moon in the clear blue sky. "But do you want to be here, Peter?" she adds.
"I don't know what I want." Peter tells her, sadly.
Cristina frowns. She snatches her hand away from Peter's wolf form and takes a step back, then two. She stares at him, horrified. Then, she starts yelling.
Afraid, Peter starts running towards her, hoping the screams will stop but they don't. He cannot reach her as every time he seems close enough to jump towards her, Cristina's form distances itself again. Peter runs and runs on the long road, which doesn't end. Cristina is gone but he sees the trailer. His trailer. It looks just like before, before the killings, before all the deaths. Peter climbs in.
When he enters, he's human again, and Letha is waiting for him on the couch.
She smiles. That heartbreakingly, beautiful smile.
"You're here!" She says happy yet sad, standing up and reaching for Peter.
He knows it's her. It's Letha, the real Letha. The girl he loved, not just some dream or memory. He takes her in his arms and holds her. He's so happy he can't breath.
"I miss you so much." Peter says.
Letha cups his face in her hands.
"But I've just seen you!" She says, confused.
Peter grimaces and holds her more tightly.
"I'm having a baby." Letha whispers into his ear.
He's not sure what to tell her.
"Yes… She's beautiful. Like her mother." He ends up saying;
"You won't leave us will you? You promise?"
She's so frail. He's afraid he'll crush her. Peter thinks Letha is going to break into his arms.
"I promise!" he tells her.
She kisses him and Peter starts suffocating. He tries gasping for air.
"It wasn't his fault you know…" Letha tells him.
"What?" Peter manages to gasp, getting away from Letha and trying to breath deeper.
"I'm not angry. Will you tell him?"
Peter starts to choke. He falls at Letha's feet and the last thing he sees is her face before his vision blurs.
When he comes to, Peter is in a corner of a bedroom that he recognizes instantly as Roman's. He is a wolf again and is lying on his side. He wants to move but he finds that he can't. Right then Miranda walks in, looking pleased. She is exactly as Peter remembers her. Even her clothes haven't changed. But she doesn't seem to notice him. Quickly after her, another Peter, a human Peter, comes in. Miranda turns around, laughs, and wraps her arms around him. They kiss. The other Peter interrupts the kiss when he notices Roman, who is waiting by the bedroom door. Miranda looks back, takes his hand and pulls him towards them. Then, she sits at the edge of the bed and looks at the two young men expectantly.
"Well?" she laughs.
Roman looks at Peter, hesitates but than slowly closes the distance between them. He only stops a few inches away from his face and stares at him expectantly. He's slightly nervous. It looks like Roman is about to kiss him, but the other Peter is very still and unresponsive. So Roman starts unbuttoning his shirt instead, slightly grazing the other man's skin every time a new one comes off. When he's done, he searches the Peter's face for permission and seeing no reaction, proceeds to sliding off the now opened shirt from his shoulder. It falls on the ground. Miranda licks her lips. And this other Peter just stares at Roman, unmoving.
Miranda raises her hand and, just as she is about to grab one of them by the wrist…
"Stop!" The real Peter intervenes.
He can move again. Morphing back into human form, he rises from his corner and walks toward the trio. They all look at him.
"What are you doing?" Peter asks his double, feeling very annoyed.
"I… I don't know!" The other Peter tells him, confused.
"You aren't doing this right!" The real Peter says, frustrated. "Look!"
He turns to Roman, grabs him by the waist and pulls him towards him.
Roman raises an eyebrow, amused.
"What are you going to do?" he challenges.
"Shut up!" Peter says, and then he's kissing him.
Kissing Roman is a hundred times better then he'd expected. Peter feels extremely relieved, like he had been holding his breath for a very long time and is finally breathing again. He places a firm hand on Roman's neck and kisses him harder, biting his lower lip. Roman smirks into his mouth and so, with a groan, Peter tears his shirt open, right before pushing him decisively onto the bed. He kneels next to Roman, grabs him by the hips and lowers his mouth onto his bare stomach. Peter looks up and considers making him beg but Roman's lustful glaze is too powerful. Purposely slow, Peter licks across the white soft skin, taking his time before carefully starting to suck on a particularly sensitive spot. Roman moans his name, and tries to pull him close. This pleases Peter who laughs in satisfaction. But then he remembers.
Reluctantly he gets back up.
He shouldn't be here after all.
"See?" he tells his double, the other Peter who were there that day and should have been the one doing these things to Roman.
But his double is gone. There's no one standing by the bed.
Peter turns back towards Roman. Miranda is on top of him now, kissing him languorously. It's like they're very far away. It feels like Peter's going to fall. Like he cannot reach them anymore. Peter's bones start to break and he turns. With a feral roar, he jumps for Miranda's throat and bites into it, delighted by the glorious taste of blood he can taste as it rips apart.
-HG-
Everything's black around him. All he can feel is his rigid back, and his feet, which are cold.
"I think he's waking up!" he hears a voice say in the distance.
Peter opens his eyes and the first thing he sees is Cornelia, who is looking curiously at him, only inches away from his face.
"Ah there you are!" she says. "I thought you'd gotten lost."
She steps back, giving him space.
"What happened?" Peter asks trying to sit up.
But his head starts to spin.
"Slowly!" Cornelia instructs, firmly pushing him back down. "Wait here."
She gets up and walks toward the back of the trailer where Peter cannot see her anymore but can ear her boiling water.
Peter looks around. Everything looks exactly the same. As time goes by, he feels his mind starting to clear.
"Here you are!"
Cornelia is back and is handing him a hot beverage that smells funny.
"What's this?" Peter asks suspiciously, which makes her laugh.
"Just tea with sugar!" She promises.
Peter seats up again reaching for the tea. That's where he realizes he is no longer wearing any clothes, and is covered by a thin blanket; it doesn't cover up his feet, hence the cold.
"What happened?" he asks
"I tried reuniting you with your wolf. So I put you in a place where you two could communicate."
Right. A place where he and his wolf could communicate. That… made absolutely no sense!
"Do you remember what happened?" Cornelia asks.
Peter tries to recall what he has seen, or dreamed or whatever, but everything feels blurry.
"I'm not sure… no!" he confesses.
"It's ok. It'll come back to you!"
Peter tries to concentrate but when he closes his eyes and focuses, he hears Christina scream. He stops trying to remember.
"So do you want the good news or the bad news?" Cornelia asks him as Peter drinks his tea. Turns out it smells like piss but is actually quite nice.
"Let's go with good?" Peter winces, bracing himself.
"Well, you're not a vargulf!" Cornelia announces.
Peter spits out his tea in surprise.
"I'm not?!"
"No sir! You're wolf has been tamed. He's calm. For now at least…"
Peter almost laughs in pure relief. This really isn't what he'd been expecting. He can't fucking believe his luck! With all the shit that had been going down in the last year, the fact that, for once, things seem to be going his way is almost too good to be true.
"Thank you!" He tells Cornelia, suddenly extremely grateful to her and her damn herbs, whatever they were.
"Don't thank me, I'm not the one who did it. I just took a look inside to see what was going on." Cornelia explains.
Peter brows furrow.
"But then who—" Then it hits him. "Roman!" he remembers.
"Roman?"
"I turned on the wrong moon too many times. And once I thought the wolf had taken over for good. But he saved me." Peter thinks out loud.
"Hum!" Cornelia says thoughtfully. "Frankly I'm surprised that boy had it in him. You wouldn't suspect you know, from all the whining!"
Peter nods in agreement.
"Turns he's not just nice to look at—" Cornelia goes on.
"Right—Hey!" Peter realizes that Cornelia has never seen Roman and yet she is talking about him like she's met him. "How do you even know what Roman's like?"
"I've seen him in your dream!" Cornelia declares solemnly.
Roman was there in his dream? Peter tries to remember. The only thing that comes forward is the sensation of Roman's mouth on his. That and a lasting impression of feeling extremely turned on. He's not sure what to make of that but he definitely doesn't want to talk about it with an old lady he barely knows.
"I'm joking!" Cornelia laughs, noticing Peter's expression. "I've seen him here! He came by to see you while you were sleeping. I think he was worried about you. Explains all the complaints!"
"Roman was here?!" Peter asks, surprised. "Wait, how long was I out?"
"Oh not that long! Only for five days!"
Peter's mouth drops.
"FIVE DAYS?!"
"Hey it's not that bad! I've seen worst! These things take time you know."
Peter remains quiet for a little bit, taking in all that's happen. And to think he barely remembers his unconscious journey…
"If I'm not a vargulf, how come I started turning in my sleep?" he asks.
"Your wolf has been tamed, but not by you. It's not trying to take over… but you two aren't united anymore." Cornelia explains. "You must reunite. Become one once more."
Well shit. How the hell is he supposed to do that? He'd never had that kind of problem with his wolf before.
"What should I do then?" he asks Cornelia in awe.
She shrugs.
"I have no fucking clue!"
Peter drops his tea and almost starts ripping his hair out. But he doesn't. Bald really wasn't his look.
"You don't know?!" he groans.
Peter was fucked. Well and truly fucked.
"Of course not! He's your wolf not mine. He's you. A sort of subconscious. You must listen to it and give in. Find balance!"
Peter looks at Cornelia, eyes wide. Cornelia looks back at Peter with a mysterious expression. Than Peter says:
"I don't get it!"
"Shut up and get dressed! There's nothing more I can do for you right now. If you start turning on the wrong moon again, against your will that is, come back and see me."
Peter started reaching for his pants that had been tossed by his side, ignoring the fact that Cornelia was not giving him any privacy, when the trailer's door opened.
"You're awake!" he hears a voice exclaim.
In seconds, Destiny is by his side hugging him fiercely.
"Hey cous!" Peter greets sheepishly.
"I'm so relieved to see you're awake Peter! You slept for five days!"
"Five days isn't so bad!" Cornelia objects, rolling her eyes.
"It is when the person who put him to sleep can't tell you when or if he's ever gonna wake up!" Destiny snaps, still hugging Peter tight.
Cornelia groans.
"Now you sound like the upir!" She says.
Destiny lets go of Peter.
"Oh right Roman! I should text him! He's gonna be glad to hear you've woken up!" she adds for her cousin.
Peter thinks he must have missed the part where Roman and Destiny have become best buddies. He gives her an interrogating look.
"We were both worried!" Destiny explains like she can read his mind. " We bounded!"
"I'm glad you can tolerate Roman's presence now, Destiny!" Peter tells her sarcastically. "But can you get off my jeans ? It's getting cold in here."
His cousin smirks.
"Don't be like that! I'm sure you're still his favourite gypsie!"
Peter ignores her and starts getting dressed.
"Remember" Cornelia tells them as they are getting out of the trailer. "Let me know if he turns on a wrong moon again."
"We will!" Destiny agrees.
Peter wants to say something too but he is cut short when he notices Roman standing a few feet away. He is extremely glad to see him and instantly starts walking towards him. But Roman doesn't notices, as he seems in deep conversation with none other then Cristian, standing close to him. Peter's pace accelerates.
Cristian takes something out of his pocket and his about to hand it over when he sees Peter. He says a few words to Roman who flips his head around and smiles. It's not a bright smile but it's a sincere one, the kind Roman doesn't easily grants. Peter waves at him, but then realizes it looks dumb and drops his hand.
"Oh look at that!" Cristian says when Peter is next to them. "You're not dead!"
"Not today no!" Peter says looking past him. "What are you doing here?" he asks Roman.
His friend shrugs.
"I was in the neighbourhood!"
"Ok!" Peter says.
They both smile.
"I have to go!" Cristian interrupts. "See you soon!" He adds, clearly talking to Roman.
He walks off.
Peter doesn't have time to wonder what that means though because Roman starts talking.
"So is everything ok? You know with the… wolf?" he asks.
Peter scratches his head, unsure what to tell him.
"I think so. Probably… "
Roman nods.
"Good!"
He looks at his feet. That's when Peter remembers the last time they really talked was during a pretty bad fight. But there is not resentment left in him. So he asks:
"How is everyone? How is Nadia?"
He doesn't feel like going through the awkwardness of exchanging apologies. It's not really their thing.
"She said her first word!" Roman exclaims, perking up immediately.
Peter's heart drops, disgusted that he wasn't there when it happened.
"What?! And I missed it? What did she say?" he inquires eagerly.
Roman's expression goes from joy to vexation.
"Shelley!" he says darkly.
Peter tries not to laugh, but then he meets Roman's eye and the two burst into laughter.
"I'd give my hand to be able to see your face when it happened!" Peter says when they start calming down, all the while drying a little tear from the corner of his eye.
"Well she didn't exactly say 'Shelley'. She said 'Sawee'. But we all know what she meant!" Roman explains with a pout.
"Your time will come!" Peter laughs, putting a comforting hand on his arm.
"Yeah… " Roman sighs dramatically. "I bet the next thing she says is 'Peter'!"
"She does love me more!" Peter nods.
Roman's clearly about to protest but is interrupted by Deidre who is walking up to them and calling Peter's name.
"I'll go get the car." Roman says, all trace of amusement gone from his face. But he does ask: "Do you want a ride?"
Peter nods and so he walks away, without giving Deidre a look. But this doesn't seem to affect her.
"Hi Peter!" She greets, giving him a hug.
It's a nice hug. There's much more space to breath than with Destiny.
"Hey there!" Peter says, hugging her back with one arm.
"How are you feeling? I overheard your cousin talking with my mom! I was so happy when she said you were finally awake!"
"I'm ok." Says Peter. "Still breathing at least."
"Yeah that's always a plus I hear!" Deidre chuckles. "Oh look here is Destiny!"
"Hey!" His cousin says, approaching. "I'm gonna head home, Andreas is back tonight. Are you coming with?"
"No it's cool. I'm waiting for Roman." Peter tells her.
Destiny sighs.
"Should have known!" She says before walking away.
"So this Roman…" Deidre begins, like she wants to ask something.
"Yeah?"
"Well… he's an upir. Isn't it he?"
"Oh!" Peter says. "Yes! But he's nice! Well… nice might be pushing it a little. But he isn't evil. He's not too bad!" he finishes lamely.
"Oh sure!" Deidre nods politely. "I mean he came by to see you and stuff. I'm sure he's a good friend!"
Peter can tell she isn't entirely convinced but he doesn't insist.
"Anyway, I hope we see you around here again sometime? And not because you're in trouble this time!" Deidre winks at him.
"Sure!"
He is distracted by a honking noise, which indicates it's time for him to go.
"That's my ride!" He announces.
Deidre takes a peek at Roman's jaguar and smiles appreciatively.
"Nice!"
"See you soon!" Peter says walking away towards the car.
He climbs in and settles in the passage seat.
"Can we stop by a diner on the way home? I'm starving!" Peter says while attaching his seatbelt.
Peter takes his phone out of his pocket to check if he has any messages. He does. All from Linda who demands that he calls her asap. Peter decides that he will do so as soon as he gets home which he informs her of by text. As he puts down his phone, he realizes the car hasn't moved. He turns to this left:
"Are we waiting for someone?"
Roman ignores him. He's looking blankly at the horizon. Peter tries to spot what could be so interesting in that particular direction but there's nothing but the camp. And trees.
"Roman?"
Getting no reaction from him, Peter snaps his fingers in front of his face and, finally, Roman looks at him.
"What?"
"Are you planning on moving in or can we get out of here?" Peter asks.
Roman blinks like he's not sure what Peter just said. But then he nods and starts the car.
"Alright let's go!" he says.
They pull out of the camp but Roman almost smashes his car into a tree during the manoeuvre. This makes Peter jump up in his seat in surprise.
"Shit!" he curses. "Is everything ok?"
Roman looks into the rear-view mirror.
"I think it's fine! Nothing's been hit!"
Peter rolls his eyes.
"I mean you! Are you ok?" he clarifies.
He gets a peaceful smile in response.
"Yeah! Why?"
"Have you… fed recently?" he asks, concerned.
Roman nods solemnly.
Peter sighs and gives up trying to make sense of his friend's mood because he's hungry and because it's Roman and he's just weird.
"Never mind. Let's just go!" Peter says.
But during the whole ride home he feels on edge. And the full moon isn't even happening anytime soon.
End of part 2.