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misspearly1 · 2 years ago

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Pairing: Werewolf!Joel Miller x You (F!Reader)

Summary: Looking back on how your life has turned out this far, you often wonder if you got more than you bargained for when finally finding your safe haven within the walls of Jackson. They have it all; food, shelter and electricity, but what else did you come to discover that lives within this thriving community? And how did that discovery change your life?

WC: 16.3k

Warnings: 18+ Content, Minors DNI. Enemies to lovers. A little bit of angst. Mentions of Anxiety. A little bit of violence (Reader and Joel get mad at someone). Lots of sexual tension and teasing. Smut. Foreplay. Unprotected PIV. (Stay safe ya'll). If I have missed anything in the warnings, do please call it out for me my loves.

AN: Okay my loves, this is a big chapter lmao. There’s a lot of fiction here and some backstories to characters. Some things have came from the web, TV shows/Movies I have watched, and there are some things that I just made up myself. I hope you enjoy darlings. I don't think the next chapter will be as big. (This chapter was hard to post, tumblr kept bugging out on me 😭)

The moon up above lights your way ahead as the trees whisper a direction for you to follow.

There’s a light breeze amongst the snowy surroundings you find yourself in, but your intuition is blowing a gale. Weirdly, you do not feel lost. You feel like you’re on the right path, listening to the whispering winds and letting your gut instincts guide the way.

You shouldn’t even be out here to begin with, but Joel drove you out here. His stupid accusations drove you out of Jackson and now your boots crunch their way through the sea of snow, searching for something.

You don’t even know what you’re looking for, but anything is better than taking the spotlight of Jackson’s traitor. You couldn’t stand being there for a second longer and acted in the heat of the moment to leave. It’s for the best anyways.

Bringing a hand up to your chest with a wince, the tightness was fading now but the fact it was still there proves just how hurt you are from what the townsfolk said about you.

Their voices linger like a dark cloud hanging above your head. ‘You’re one of them’, ‘your people killed our people’, ‘Jackson doesn’t welcome you’ and lastly, but most painfully, ‘you caused this’ - that one came from Jake, it hurt the moment he said it and it still hurts now like an open wound.

It hurts because you actually believe that it’s true. It can’t be a coincidence that the very same group of bandits that chased you through the forest showed up at Jacksons gates one month later and breached the walls. They followed you and tore the chance of safe haven from your grasp. You were just starting to settle, people of Jackson were warming up to you, but now they all see you as a traitor.

Halting your walk to ease the burn in your calves, you also needed a moment to breathe through those arising feelings of a panic attack. It wasn’t as powerful as the one you had two hours ago in the streets of Jackson, but you could feel it coming and you wanted to stop it beforehand.

The stress and anxiety around the situation still remains and you need to rid your mind of all bad energy. You need to stay focused on your path, which right now is showing a trail in the snow. Your gut was telling you to follow the trail, so you did.

Even though the snow is heavier here, it’s effective with reflecting the light in all directions, therefore lighting the way through perfectly at this time of night. There was an obstruction up ahead, just barely visible as it peeks between the tree and the closer you got, the more details you could make out.

It was a building, the backside of a building. The snow was covering the windows so you weren’t able to look inside, but after placing a hand to the wall and walking around till you found the entrance, your mouth fell open with surprise.

Library. You found the library.

A mountain of snow covering the entrance hid the sign, but you saw it as clear as day. This is the library - Eugene's outpost. That would mean you’re on the creek trails and there’s a ski lodge around here somewhere, you remember reading about it on the notice board yesterday.

Turning slowly on the spot, you looked around to access the surroundings and saw that the path continues through the trees with what looks like a main road at the end. You squint your eyes to focus on the objects in the distance. It looked like cars. Snow covered cars dotted here and there in the middle of a snowfield.

There might be a town nearby to tell you where you are, but first things first is checking out Eugene's hideout. Intuition brought you here for a reason and curiosity to know why made you turn around and approach the entrance.

There’s no way Eugene is regularly using this outpost, you have to climb over the little bank of snow to reach the doors and they were cracked open enough for you to slip through, but certainly not enough for a man of Eugene’s size.

You could just leave this place and move on, you’ve left Jackson and your investigations are obviously over with, but something drew you here and that’s got to mean something. Walking through a white blanket of snow with any direction to walk towards and you just miraculously stumble upon the library? That isn't a coincidence. That’s a sign.

A sign sent from who? You wonder while walking through the library and still letting your intuition guide you. Walking past a chained door that was covered on the other side, you stop at a copier room at the back of the building and look through the window to see another door leading somewhere else.

You had a choice here: leave and forget about ever finding this place or smash the window and give in to what your gut is screaming at you to do. A break lay on the floor by your feet and that was just another sign you followed.

Picking it up and throwing it, the glass shattered and you climbed through to the other side. Then you walk towards that door that leads to the unknown, but stop to look at a little pendant hanging from a board on the wall. ‘Eugene Linden. 000314’ is what the engraved markings read, it’s a firefly pendant, shedding a little more light on who Eugene is or was.

Reaching for the handle, you push through to the other room and immediately take note of how it’s just another section to the library. A kids area with toys and books. Ok…Don’t give up just yet. Your brows furrow with determination as you take a step inside. Walking past the pile of dusty toys and books, you round the corner and see a bed beside another small room. The door was covered and chained from the other side.

“This is what Eugene’s hiding?” You sigh, scratching your head. It’s just an outpost, nothing special. A bed against the wall, a couple cabinets, a small table with a portable cooker on the top and clothes in the corner, and they were definitely Eugene’s clothes. You could tell.

In the last two hours you have led yourself to believe that you’re on the right path walking through the woods and have found the library for a reason, but there’s nothing here. It only looks like a place for Eugene to rest. It looks like that. Perching your hands to your hips in thought, you wondered if this was just a front for something else and walked into that little room with the chained door.

There was a small weapons station and a generator. There’s cables running through this room and into the next, with multiple lamps sitting around and a mini fridge. Suppose that’s what the genny is for?

Reaching for the chain, you figured there couldn’t be any harm in using this outpost for an hour or two before moving on. A little rest, some food and drink then you’ll move on through the trail in hopes of finding a town, maybe even the ski-lodge in case there is anything there worth checking.

You’re quite disappointed that there wasn’t anything here, you thought Eugene was hiding something for sure but it doesn’t matter anyways because you’re not hunting the identity of the werewolf anymore. You left Jackson and all of that behind.

After getting the generator up and running, you walked back into the room where the bed was and tilted your head with a confused expression to your face. The floor lit up. Light was shining through the gaps in the wood.

Standing above it and kneeling down slightly to look inside, three prominent colours peeked through the gaps. White, blue and yellow. That’s a basement and there’s something down there, it looks like plants of some kind. Focusing on all of the cables that ran along the floor, you could see some of them splitting off to different sources but a double cable zip tied together ran along the floor towards the entrance you came in from.

You followed the wires, expecting it to lead you back into the copier room but you were wrong. It leads towards a bookcase in a dark corner. It’s very easy to miss, you completely overlooked it when you first entered but now the light glares through from the other side, lighting it up clearly for you to see now. It’s a trap door - a secret entrance.

After noticing the markings on the floor - another thing you missed - you walked towards the bookcase and held onto the side to slide it open, however it was harder than you thought it would be and you struggled. Grunting and huffing as you tried with all your might to get it open, it still wasn’t budging, so you place your back to the wall and bring a foot up instead.

You closed your eyes and gritted your teeth through the strain you were putting on your ankle, yet it still wouldn’t move. Dropping your foot with defeat, you sighed with exhaustion and started looking at the books instead.

One of them could be hiding a switch. You thought while rummaging through the shelves, however the quiet sound of a floorboard creaking behind you immediately put you on high alert and you turned quickly to throw a book at whatever it was.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry!” You cringe, pulling your hands over your mouth. The book smacked Tommy in the face, even though he didn’t flinch or stumble back at all from the contact, you still felt bad for doing that to him. “Um… Why are you here?” You ask, wondering how he even found you to begin with.

“I could ask you the same thing.” Sighing a chuckle, he smiles a genuine smile, although his eyes scream sorrow, then Tommy clears his throat with a soft shake of his head. “I came looking for you, to bring you back, Y/N.” What? Why would he do that? I can’t go back there. “I can’t force you to come home sweetheart, but I want you to know that there’s always a place for you in Jackson - always, no matter what.”

“Your people hate me, Tommy.” You retort, dropping your gaze to hide how much pain those words brought you. “Two, maybe three people in Jackson actually took the time to get to know me and see that I am not a threat to them, but the whole town hates me. Why would I go back to that?”

“Because they don’t hate you.” He takes a careful step closer, not wanting to make you feel any more uncomfortable than you already were. “What they said about you came from fear. They didn’t mean it and you have more than three people who care about you, sweetheart. I’m here aren’t I? I care about you.”

“Jake…” You shake your head, gulping back the lump in your throat. “Your wife, your brother, that group who circled me and blamed me for what those bandits did. They all hate me. Everyone heard the things they said and you think I’m going to be welcomed back with open arms? I won’t be. People will talk, they’ll stare and judge Tommy. All I want is a place to call home.”

“Jackson is your home.” Tommy takes another step closer. Standing right before you now, he carefully places a finger under your chin and lifts your head to look at him. “Me an’ Joel have a lot of explaining to do. What he caused with those rumours isn’t forgivable and I understand if you don’t ever want to come back to Jackson because of it, but could you find somewhere in your heart to give me a chance to explain?”

You furrow your brows with both intrigue and confusion, but before you could ask any of the sudden questions you now have, Tommy moves closer and reaches for something behind you. “I want to show you something.” He says, slipping his fingers behind the bookshelf and unlocking the door before pulling back to look at you. “I’ll explain everything, answer any questions you have and you can decide if you want to come back to Jackson or not, deal?”

Nodding to him, you understand what Tommy is about to do and it’s something you’ve been wanting to know for the last month. The werewolf. He’s going to show you what’s in this basement and share everything he knows.

“What about Joel?” You ask out of a sudden thought crossing your mind. “Does he know you’re showing me this? His rumours are the reason I’m out here anyways, it could have been avoided if he just told me about the werewolf.”

“I know.” He nods, expressing a remorseful smile. “I don’t like people knowing about it, my brother is just trying to protect us.”

Mouth slowly falling open, a thousand thoughts rush through your head as Tommy opens the bookshelf for you then steps back to pull a rag over his mouth and nose. “I can’t go inside. Wolfsbane is what’s down there, Y/N -” He avoids looking into your eyes, shaking his head. “-It will kill me if I go down there, I can’t go with you.”

“Oh my God.” You gasp. Not knowing what thing to focus on first, the fact that you can smell the aromas coming upstairs, spicy and sweet, described just like wolfsbane, or the fact that Tommy is the werewolf. Your mind entered an overwhelming state of confusion and disbelief. You didn’t think he was the werewolf, your suspicions landed on Eugene and you directed all of your attention on him.

The sound of Tommy's choking coughs snap you out of it and you ask with worry. “Is this stuff harming you? Should we move?”

“I should move but you can go look if you wa-” The man couldn’t even finish his sentence as you close the bookshelf and wrap an arm around his bicep. Walking into the copier room and closing the door, Tommy sat down on a chair underneath an open window and removed the rag to breath in the fresh air.

“Tommy, start talking.” You take a seat also, holding your hands to each side of your face, still in utter shock and disbelief. “I don’t want to hurt you and I don’t plan on hurting you either. I only ever wanted the truth…” Breathing a sigh, you lower your hands and shake your head. “A-are you really saying you’re the werewolf? You’re not lying to me… All this time, it was you?”

He nods, watching your brows furrow and lips move like you’re about to ask a million questions, but you couldn’t manage to spill a single one as you processed what he’s saying. A thought crosses his mind and he acts on it, in hopes of showing you the truth.

Holding your eye contact, Tommy’s eyes begin to glow and he watches your expression soften. Two soul penetrating hazel brown eyes, glowing like gold. You’ll never forget the eyes of the werewolf. The werewolf that saved your life.

“It was you…” You whisper, lips trembling. “You saved me from the bandits and brought me to the wall for Joel to find me.”

“Um, not quite.” Tommy shakes his head, eyes returning to normal after he blinks. “Joel was there too, but you either don’t remember or you didn’t see him.” Your expression conveys your lack of remembrance and Tommy doesn’t waste a second to explain. “My brother got there before me, sweetheart. He’s a lot faster than me, and a lot stronger too.”

“Wait-wait-wait..” Holding up a hand, you were growing more disoriented by the second, learning an overwhelming amount of information. “What exactly are you saying Tommy? Joel was there too, he’s a lot stronger and faster than you? What do you mean?”

“He means I was there.” Joel answers, his voice vibrating through your body as he moves to stand in the doorway leading into the copier room. “I heard you whimpering as you ran. I could even hear your heartbeat, Y/N. It was pumping out of your chest.” Joel looks at his brother briefly before looking back at you. He even smirks a little at the way your eyes were popping out the sockets. “I got there before my brother did because I’m stronger and faster.”

“Holy shit…Your eyes.” You gasp for a second time in the space of five minutes. Joel’s eyes were glowing red. Like two rings of fire burning into your soul, they were beautiful yet terrifying at the same time, and he found it amusing when confirming your thoughts out loud. “Me and Tommy are werewolves Y/N. Both of us were there that night. My brother brought you back to Jackson while…. While I took care of those assholes who chased you.”

“W-why...Jesus why lie?” You raise your voice, feeling like an idiot. “And what about Eugene?! Is he a werewolf too?”

Both Joel and Tommy chuckle at that remark, but the younger Miller stops immediately after seeing the look on your face. “No, it’s just us as far as we know, but Eugene knows about us.”

“But you let me spend this last month thinking I am crazy!” You snap, pushing your chair back as you stand. “I get it. It’s a secret you don’t want people knowing about, but you!” You point an accusatory finger at Joel. “You have stopped at nothing to gaslight me into thinking that what I saw wasn’t real.”

Turning to Tommy as he tried to intervene and calm you down, you pointed at him too. “And you’re no better! You could have told me. I just wanted to know that it was actually a werewolf that saved my life and it wasn’t all a fucking dream that I made up to deal with the trauma - excuse me for dealing with a near death experience like a normal human being while you two think it’s funny!”

Blowing past Joel, you exit the room and make your way towards the exit. Tommy moves off his seat to follow you, but Joel holds his hand out and shakes his head, stopping him. “No, this is on me brother, I should fix this.”

“Joel.” Tommy calls after his brother, then sits back down with a pessimistic sigh. “She hates your fucking guts right now.”

Tommy uses his abilities to listen to his brother breaking out into a light jog, chasing after you out of the library. He could hear two sets of boots crunching in the snow, then the sound of your sniffles as fought back the tears when arguing with Joel.

Your emotions were powerful, Tommy took note of that the moment he met you that night in the forest. He feels everything you feel. The man didn’t have to focus on the conversation between you and his brother to know what’s going on out there, just focusing on the powerful emotions you were emitting told him enough.

You are hurt and angry, hesitant. You feel lost, unsure if you should trust Joel because the next emotion Tommy feels is… lust? It’s very brief, like a flickering light in a blanket of fog, but it was there for a second and gone in the next. Tommy felt it and as soon as he did, he blocked everything out as you talked to Joel.

“Just leave me alone, I don’t want to listen to your useless apologies.” Ending the argument, you turn to walk away but Joel grabs your hand and pulls you back to him. He was holding you so close that your breasts pushed up against his chest as he shook his head. “Well that’s too bad because you’re gonna listen to my apology anyway - I am sorry for what I did to you.”

“Like I said, it’s useless.” You shrug, trying with everything you’ve got to hide how you really feel to a werewolf that can fucking sense it. He can feel what you feel, you know he does but instead of smirking like the usual big-headed asshole that he is, Joel only nods in agreement. “I know. I just wanted you to know that it was never my intention to get the town to turn on you like they did. I may have fucked up my chances with you and I can live with that, but don’t leave your home because of me, Y/N.”

“Your chances?” Scoffing, you shake your head slowly at him. “What chances, Joel? There wasn’t any to begin with. You made it very clear how much you didn’t like me when we first met in the clinic and therefore I do not like you either.”

“Darlin’ don’t lie to yourself, I am a werewolf.” He smiles briefly, then looks down to your lips, holds his gaze there for a moment then looks back into your eyes. “You know how powerful your emotions are? It’s more than the average person let me tell yer.” Joel chuckles dryly, rolling his lips together. “There’s been a moment once or twice now where I could have kissed you, fully knowing you would have liked it but… I’d much prefer you to kiss me instead, in your own time when you’re ready.”

“Um-hum.” You agree to disagree with what he is saying. There has been a moment where you wanted to kiss Joel, but right now? Now isn’t the time - you’re still too upset with him over the things he has done.

Pulling away from his grasp, he lets you go and you continue your walk along the trail. You want to forgive him, but you’re not quite ready to just yet. Time is needed for you to get over it and process everything that has happened in the last twenty-four hours.

“Go get Tommy, we’re leaving.” You yell over your shoulder, hugging your jacket to stay warm. “I don’t know how to get back to Jackson on my own.”

You may be upset right now with the Millers, more with Joel than anyone else, but going back to your home in Jackson sounds like a great idea. Werewolves are real, two of them saved you from death and you did find a safe haven after spending a long time searching for it. None of it was a dream - all of it was real and you can finally let it rest now that you know the truth. That’s all you wanted, the truth.

Walking to the end of the trail, you waited for Joel and Tommy to catch up as the direction to go in next was lost on you. Left, right, or straight ahead were the options and you looked at all three, wondering if that intuition you had early could take a guess for you. Going straight ahead felt right for some reason, you don’t know why of course, but something felt right with that direction.

You turn to check on the men upon hearing their boots wading through the snow, but tilt your head in wonder as to why on earth Tommy was walking by himself with clothes in his hand. Where is Joel? You wonder.

I’m right behind you, but don’t freak out when you see me…please.

Shrieking, you stiffen like a rod with the presence behind you, it was casting a shadow in the snow in front of you, but what is most surprising is the sound of Joel’s voice that didn’t enter your ears. It came through your mind.

Tommy approaches as you still stand on the spot, apparently frozen in place, and he chuckles warmly. “Don’t be so afraid, girl. I know we look scary as wolves, but Joel looks like a cute cuddly dog, I promise.”

Joel growls with that comment from his brother and you feel it blow across your back. It makes you gasp, but your eyes remain glued to Tommy’s face, more particularly at the way he tilts his head back to look at his brother behind you. How fucking big is he? You wonder again, completely forgetting that they both can hear your thoughts. Tommy laughs again and his eyes lower, then he then looks at you. “Turn around and you’ll see for yourself.”

“You and your brother are not normal people, and that’s not even including the fact you’re werewolves.” You jibe out of nervousness, turning around reluctantly, the first thing that came into view was black fur. It was so dark, like the infinite darkness of the night sky up above. Joel’s fur shone bright like a star against the white snow all around him, it was soft and fluffy. Then you looked at his face - the face of a wolf.

He was laying down on the floor, hiding his true size but his head was large and his ears too, they were pointing upwards as he looked up at you. Strands of greying fur around the eyes and mouth, with a big shiny snout, it was bizarre to look at an animal that is so expressive and beautiful, yet equally terrifying at the same time.

And it’s even more bizarre that this animal is Joel. He looks magnificent, magical. And his eyes were most extraordinary. Bright neon red with an expanded black pupil in the middle, they were mesmerizing to look at, like they were sucking you into a comfortable trance.

If it wasn’t the warm cloud of air exhaling from his nose, you wouldn’t think he was real. Still looking up at you as you stare with fascination, Joel doesn’t blink or move a muscle, he just remains as still as a statue until your heart settles back to a normal beat. I ain’t that terrifying, am I? He asks, unintentionally startling you as you jolt with surprise.

“Stop that.” You retort, looking between Joel and Tommy. “Don’t read my mind and stop talking to me telepathically, it’s freaky.”

“As you wish.” Tommy holds a hand over his heart, pledging his promise and when you look back down to Joel, he winks, the action bringing a small smile on your lips, however you digress with the last issue at hand. “Okay so this is what you look like as a werewolf laying down, but… How tall are you? Tommy was damn near looking at a giant behind me just a moment ago.”

Now Joel finally moves, starting by bringing his two paws out just in front of your feet, which were abnormally large, and very slowly stands up. Your neck cranes backwards and your eyes widen with shock. Eight foot tall easily, maybe even nine.

It was incredible how tall he is as a wolf. You felt puny and small compared to him and it really made you realize how weak you are. It’s a good thing you never wanted to hurt the werewolves and start a war because it’s a war that you’d surely lose.

“Thank you.” You blurt out, looking into Joel’s red eyes then over to Tommy’s normal, human eyes. “Thank you for saving my life and thank you for telling me the truth about you both. I’ll keep your secret, but Joel-” You look back at him, holding his eye contact with a serious tone of voice. “-The next person that comes along who knows about a werewolf in Jackson, don’t make the same mistake twice. Make up a believable lie or tell them the truth, but don’t ever do that shit again. You hear me?”

Bowing his head slowly with closed eyes, he whispers ‘loud and clear darlin’, before lifting his head again and turning around to lead the way home which was surprisingly straight ahead. You were right earlier about which direction to take. I have a good sense of direction. You thought, and forgot for a third time that the men can hear you, though they didn’t really show any interest.

You feel more at ease now accepting the brothers and their supernatural abilities, but it makes you wonder if they have ever listened to you before. You have a lot of conversations in your head and have said some things about Joel before too.

He probably did listen to my thoughts, and most likely is now. You narrow your eyes, watching Joel like a hawk for any tell-tale signs that give himself away; however he gave none and still showed no interest in what you were thinking, but that didn’t convince you at all and you wanted to test it again, just for your own amusement.

Tommy is the better werewolf and I bet he is stronger too. You think with a smirk on your lips, yet there still was no reaction from Joel. Wow, his fur is grey in a lot of places. I guess his age shows through the wolf side of him too. Poor old dog. Still no interest or reaction, but you stifle a giggle from all the enjoyment you’re getting out of this. If Joel is listening, you know that he is biting his tongue to stop himself from replying to you.

A cold breeze puts a stop to your games as you shiver and hug your jacket again. It’s well after midnight by now and you have another two hours to go before reaching the gates of Jackson. Laying in a warm bed buried beneath two blankets sounds perfect right now and you wished you could get there quicker.

“Y/N.” Tommy calls your name and you look over to see him shaking off his jacket. “Here, take this.” You tried to protest, worrying that he is going to be cold but he reminded you that he is a werewolf that is constantly running a high temperature. “We can handle the cold, don’t worry.”

Nodding, you close your eyes briefly to relish in the heat of his jacket. It felt like it had just come out of the dryer and it stayed like that for a while too. For a moment you started to work up a sweat, but as his warmth faded from the fabric and the cold started to work its way back, you were satisfied with the temperature that wearing two jackets brought, keeping you nice and cosy.

As the first hour passes, you yawn excessively with exhaustion setting in your bones and that apparently was enough for Joel to take action. He stopped walking and leaned down to bite the back of your jacket gently before lifting you off the ground to put you on his back.

Kicking and complaining the whole time he did this, his next words silenced your grumbling. You need to rest, Y/N and besides, this poor old dog can manage carrying you home.

Oh, so you were listening… You smile bashfully, shaking your head. The offer to carry you home was nice, although it felt a little funny to be on the back of a wolf, as if you were riding a horse, but it’s a lot bigger, warmer and fluffier. Looking down to Tommy, you wanted to see how high up you are, but were surprised to see that he wasn’t there.

A branch snapping behind you catches your attention and you turn to see him coming out of the trees - as a wolf, carrying two sets of clothes with his teeth. The sight of him walking alongside Joel really emphasized the size difference. Tommy is a big wolf too, but Joel is much bigger.

“So, is it the older you are the bigger the wolf you are?” You giggle, watching the way Joel and Tommy glance at each other and roll their eyes. They didn’t answer which only fuels you to make another remark, though this time you moved closer to Joel’s ears to ask. “Or does it go by how much of an asshole you are?”

Ha ha, very funny, Joel fake chuckles then warns, hold on tight darlin’.

Gripping his fur just in time, he starts running alongside Tommy and you gasp with a rush of adrenaline flowing through your veins. The speed was phenomenal. The trees were blurry as they passed you, like you were going fifty miles per hour in a car down the highway. It was exciting and a little frightening too.

On a hot summer’s day you probably would enjoy this as the breeze blows through your hair with the sun beating down on your skin, but right now it’s just making you colder. Joel didn’t need to read your thoughts or wait for you to ask, he could feel all the emotions you were feeling and slowed back down to a comfortable pace again.

If anyone were to be out in this neck of the woods at this time of night - which isn’t uncommon nowadays - then they would be in for quite the surprise seeing two werewolves with a small human riding on the back of one of them.

The image surely looks weird, and it feels weird too but it’s starting to grow on you. Joel is soft and comfy, prompting you to run an explorative hand through the fur on the back of his neck. You just wanted to see what it feels like and it was a nice sensation on your fingers. And Joel liked it too.

You could tell he liked it from the way he tilted his head slightly, as if leaning into your touch, and from the low humming growl emitting through his body beneath you. Then, the man took it upon himself to tell you how much he likes it. Keep doing that, darlin’, he says, making you blush as you scratch his neck for a couple seconds then pull your hand back.

On your right, Tommy was looking at you with an expression you can only describe as smirking. Eyes narrowed with the corner of his lip pulled back into a smile, he huffs dryly and looks ahead again. It was just a scratch, you have hardly forgiven Joel yet, and are making the most of teasing him wherever you can.

Time flew by much quicker with the help of Joel carrying you home and before you knew it, he and Tommy stopped just before the treeline outside of Jackson. We’re here, hang on and let me help you get down. Says Joel as he slowly lays down to the floor so you can jump off without breaking your ankles. Once your feet hit the snowy ground below, both of them went off into the trees then shrunk down to their regular human forms and got dressed.

Seeing Joel and Tommy’s faces brought a familiar and comforting sensation. Their wolf sides were interesting to see, but their human forms are what you’re used to. Together, you three emerge from the treeline and walk across the field towards the gates of Jackson and when the doors open, you are met with a commotion of worry and joy.

It was a crowd of people, at least twenty, all bombarding you with questions regarding your safety and if you were okay. A welcome back party that you didn’t expect, but greatly appreciated. Amongst the crowd of course was Melinda and she pushed way to the front to grab you by the arms then pull you in for a tight hug.

“Don’t you ever do that again.” She whispers into your hair, squeezing the air out of your lungs. “I’ve been so worried about you.”

“I’m so sorry, Mel.” Apologizing as she pulls back, she brushes the hair away from your eyes to look at you. The woman smiles then scrunches her nose as she shakes her head. “I forgive you. So long as you’re home safe and you’re staying here.”

“I am.” You nod, moving in to hug her again. Over her shoulder stood Tracy and Jack, both expressing an empathetic smile. “Glad to have you back.” Jack says, with Tracy adding to that. “How on earth did you not freeze to death out there? You must be so cold.”

Explaining everything that happened to Mel, Jack and Tracy, you left out all of the details about Joel and Tommy being werewolves of course, and they in turn explained what happened in Jackson after you left.

Maria gathered everyone into the church and shared that two people had died from the raid. Martha and David, an elderly couple who didn’t make it to their basement in time when the alarm was sounded, they unfortunately died at the hands of the bandits and a funeral is being held for them tomorrow.

You expected bad news, but this is far worse than you imagined. It brought you a great deal of pain knowing that two innocent people lost their lives. And you couldn’t stop the guilt either. The bandits followed you here and you lowered your head in shame, however Mel placed her thumb and forefinger to your chin, lifting your head back up. “This - is not your fault, my darling girl. The bandits followed one of the patrollers home. You aren’t the reason for Martha and David’s death. The scum who raided our community are - not you, okay?”

“Oh… That’s awful Mel.” You sigh, shaking your head. “Is the patroller okay? Has anyone spoken to them and told them that it’s not their fault either. I still feel so bad.”

Mel cringes, as if she was reluctant to say what she really wants to say before a voice you recognise steps forth from the crowd. “It was me, the bandits followed me home.”

Jake - it was Jake who stepped forward. “I blamed you for this because I couldn’t handle the guilt, but I confessed as soon as I heard you left Jackson.” He apologizes, but unfortunately for him, you were too overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions to care - one of them being anger.

Moving away from Mel’s arms, you couldn’t stop yourself from acting on your heat of the moment impulses as all you wanted to do was slap Jake across the face. That fucking asshole joined in on the crowd to blame you when he knew he was the one who led the bandits here!

Jake fanned the flames to the raging fire of blame people put on you just to save himself. You were furious and out of control, but seconds before you reached his position, a fist came out of nowhere on your right and punched Jake on his jaw.

Joel was the one who delivered that punch and Jake fell right down on his ass, holding a hand to the already bruising skin, however Joel didn’t stop there. He knelt down to be at Jake's level before delivering some harsh words on your behalf. “Everybody makes mistakes son. I can forgive you for the bandits following you here, but putting the blame on her is spineless behaviour -” Joel leans in to whisper a threat. “-don’t ever go near Y/N again.”

Some of the things Joel said was a tad too far compared to what you would have said, but Jake nods three times quickly then looks at you, still holding his jaw as he apologizes again. He then pulls himself off the ground and hastily walks through the crowd with two friends at his side, checking if he was okay.

You felt sorry for him after the humiliating treatment he had just received from Joel in front of a crowd of people, but you can’t deny that a small part of you found it so fucking sexy seeing Joel defend you like that.

“Goddammit. Why did you do that?” The voice of reason sighs with frustration. Shaking his head with disapproval, Tommy walks over to his brother and mutters a few quiet words into his ear, no doubt reprimanding him for punching another resident in Jackson.

Joel nods to his brother then turns to walk away, and a little pang of sadness strikes you then as you wanted to speak to him, to thank him or maybe ask what he was thinking by doing that.

I can still feel your emotions, you know. Joel says, bringing a small smile to your face. I’ll come see you later, we’ll talk then.

Nodding, although he can’t even see you doing it, you turn to Tommy and ask what will happen now. “Will he get in trouble for that?”

“I wish.” Tommy laughs, then shakes his head. “I told him to go fix his mistake. Maria has probably told that kid it isn’t his fault and now Joel has just made it his fault in front of everyone.”

“Yeah, I see your dilemma.” Sighing, you scratch the back of your head looking for a way to help but nothing comes to mind and instead, you apologize for possibly making things worse than what they already were, however Tommy shushes you. “N-hm. None of that now, girl. You don’t have anything to apologize for. I told you when we first met, Joel just expects the worst in people these days.”

“What you really mean to say is that he’s an asshole.” You retort with a laugh, to which Tommy nods in agreement and laughs too. “And that wasn’t the first time we met, remember?” Nudging his side, it was like a little inside joke you have now that you know about him being the werewolf that saved you.

After saying your goodbyes to everyone, you started walking down the street to make your way home. Thankfully in the winter months, the sun doesn’t rise as early and you can have a lay in tomorrow without the disturbance of light blaring through your window. Mel ordered you to take the day off, which is funny because you’ve only worked there for three days now, but you accepted her order without any complaints nonetheless.

A day off sounds good, you have a lot of questions for Joel or Tommy about werewolves that you’d like to know about; too many to answer in a little chat with the older Miller before tucking in for the night, who was currently sitting on your porch steps waiting for you.

“Hey.” You say before taking a seat beside him.

“Hi darlin’.” Joel replies, playfully nudging his knee into yours, then the man sighs and turns to face you. “Go on, spit it all out. I know you’re dying to ask.”

“I don’t know which one to ask first.” Shrugging, you turn to the side also and lean against the post on your railing. “Just… I don’t know, start from the beginning and tell me whatever. I’ll ask questions as they pop into my head.”

“Does this mean I’m forgiven now?” Joel wrinkles his lips with raised brows, to which you quickly reply. “No. I still hate you.”

“Alright, fair enough.” Joel chuckles and leans back to get comfy. You could have the best poker face in the world and be an expert liar, but no emotion or scent gets past the werewolf inside of him.

Things haven’t changed, he still doesn’t mind waiting for you to feel ready to kiss him. Your pace is best as he is already on a slippery slope with you at the moment. Scratching the back of his head as he thinks where he should start, he figures he should start from the beginning - his first shift. “Me and Tommy have the werewolf gene in our family, and he activated his gene first when he killed a man…”

As he trails off with the events in his life, you sit quietly and learn through his way of telling a story that Joel and Tommy come from a long line of werewolves and the gene is activated when killing another human. His grandpa activated the gene in world war two and spent the rest of his life in a cabin up in the mountains, away from society and Joel’s father made his way through life and died at the age of seventy - without activating the gene, however with the world ending and the dead rose to life, the Miller brothers had been dealt a hand they never thought they would. The death of Joel’s daughter.

Not only did you learn that Joel had a daughter before Ellie, you also learned that she died at the hands of a Fedra Officer who followed his orders to kill. Tommy shot that man to save Joel from death and therefore activated the werewolf gene. A question did pop into your mind, but you held off asking it out of respect. The way Joel’s voice shook as he shared that time of his life with you, withheld you from the urge to know her name. You didn’t want to focus on the subject around his daughter as he moved on from it to explain how he activated the gene.

“Two days after, I killed a man out of rage.” He lowers his head in shame. “The guy was trying to steal our stuff and I could have fought him off without hurting him, but…” Joel shrugs, avoiding your eye contact. “But I wanted to hurt him and I did… I just didn’t stop.”

“I can understand why you did it, but I can never understand how it feels to lose what you’ve lost.” You say softly, reaching out for his hand to reassure him, which he took and returned a gentle squeeze, reassuring you that he is okay before pulling his hand back and moving on with the story again. The loss of his daughter is still sore to talk about, you can tell, and you won’t push him for answers. Joel can tell you in his own time.

“So anyways.” Joel sighs, trying to remember where he left off. “Me and Tommy shifted for the first time that month with the rise of the full moon and it was… it was just awful. We were scared and confused, in a lot of pain and we had zero control over our bodies for the entire night. Full moons are always bad, even now we can’t control our shifts on those days of the month.”

“Wow, really?” You ask and Joel nods in reply. “I’m sorry that you both have to go through with that each month. Is it still painful?” Joel nods again, but this time sharing when the next full moon is. “You won’t see me and Tommy on Thursday. We’ll be away from Jackson when the full moon rises on that night.”

“Oh.” You sigh, understanding a little more just how bad it is for him. “Will you both be okay though?”

“Look at you, worrying about me.” Joel chuckles, leaning in a little while briefly looking down to your lips. “Yeah. We’ll be okay darlin’, just got to get through the night then we’ll be back Friday morning.”

“That’s good - good to know.” You whisper, using a phrase Joel used on you once with a smirk on your lips as you move back. He was leaning in, sneakily trying to close the gap to kiss you. Thinking this was as good a time as any to cut the conversation and head to bed, you stood from the porch and said goodnight. “I still have questions, but I’m ready for my bed Joel.”

“So…” He stands also, speaking with a teasing tone. “I’ll come back tomorrow? You know, to answer all those questions for you.”

“Maybe, I don’t know yet.” Returning the playful tone, your answer is yes, you want to know more about him but teasing him for now is fun. “I’ll let you know tomorrow. If you knock and I don’t answer, then maybe another time.”

Shaking his head at you as he laughs, he bites his lip and whispers seductively. “Babydoll you do understand that I not only feel your emotions but…” He leans in to whisper, “But I can smell your pheromones too. I’ll be seeing you tomorrow when I knock on your door.”

The man pulls away from you and walks down the steps of your porch, leaving you breathless and shocked. You’re aroused right now, and Joel can apparently smell that. I wonder what else a werewolf can do? You think to yourself as you head inside your house, to which Joel replies. I’ll show you all the things I can do tomorrow. He chuckles sinisterly, making you shake your head at him. You liked it, but you won’t admit that yet, not until you’ve had your fill of being angry with him, however his next words made you gasp with shock.

I can see your dreams if I want to darlin’.

Blushing as you walk up the stairs into your bedroom, you climb in bed and close your eyes with a smile on your lips, wondering about all the abilities that Joel has. His ability to see your dreams is most interesting as the memory of the wet dream you had about him last night pops into your mind. You wonder if he saw that. Acting like you aren’t attracted to him obviously doesn’t work as he knows. The werewolf within knows how much you’re attracted to Joel.

Is it so wrong to make him wait though? You’re not ready just to forgive and forget so easily. A large part of you wants to kiss him, to feel his lips on yours and his hands on your body, but another large part of you is still angry. It’s like you forget about all the things he has done when you’re in his presence and only the good parts remain. There’s a warm aura around Joel and you wrap yourself up in it whenever you're with him. You often forget that he is an asshole and have to remind yourself. You should hate him - but you don’t.

You understand Joel. You understand the reasons for his actions a lot more now, even if he did make you upset and leave Jackson thinking that you’re not wanted here. But you are wanted here. This is your home. Everything feels so right. Laying in your bed right now after the conversation you’ve shared with Joel on your front porch, you feel right where you belong. It’s almost too right….

Like you’re here for a reason.

The Next Day

Making the most of your day off today, you didn’t plan on spending all your time in bed and are almost at your destination five miles out of Jackson with Tommy. Joel is tagging along too, he and his brother are going to show you all there is to know about their werewolf capabilities. And in order to do that, they need to be out of Jackson away from the people. The secret must be protected.

You have had some time to think about it, and it really makes you wonder why the Miller’s don’t just tell the community their secret. You believe everyone would have an open mind about it and come to accept their differences. They might be terrified at first - just like you were - but having two supernatural wolves protecting Jackson is a huge advantage in this world.

Joel and Tommy are like two unsung heroes. No one knows what they really do to protect the people living here in the community, not even you know. You’ve only known about the werewolves for a month and don’t know the extent of what dangers the two brothers put themselves in front of to protect Jackson. However, today you might get to know a little more about what they do.

The destination is the ski lodge way up in the mountains. The first stop where you all will take a break and feed the horses before moving on. Your questions couldn’t wait any longer and the first one was why. “Why are you taking me so far out?” You ask Tommy, then make a joke. “Did Joel convince you to leave me there to die?”

Giggling to yourself as the men chuckle, Tommy shakes his head and answers your question. “There’s a spot we use up there, it’s remote and out of the way. We aren’t taking you there to leave you, but we could leave Joel there instead if you want.”

“Yeah, I think I’d like that.” You nod, giving Joel a sideways glance and the man looked at you unamused with your plans today. Joel thought he’d be coming over to your house, sharing all that he knows in the privacy of your living room, however your bright idea to invite Tommy on a trip beyond the walls drove a pin in his hopes to get a kiss from you.

You know yourself that you will cave and kiss Joel if you and him stayed in your home, talking about everything. Getting out of the house and out of Jackson with Tommy helps keep your mind off thinking about how Joel’s lips feel on yours. You and Joel know you will end up kissing each other, and all he is waiting for now is a moment alone with you, but you’re not going to give it to him. Just to be the asshole for a change.

“Up ahead gang, we’re almost there.” Tommy points a finger. Looking to where he was pointing, you saw the ski lodge at the top of the hill on the edge of the mountain. It doesn’t look high, but when you turn around and look behind you, a pit in your stomach weighs heavy with fear.

“Scared of heights?” Joel asks rhetorically. Sensing your fear, he already knows what you’re feeling right now and looks behind him with a shake of his head. “Don’t think too much about the height. It’s got a nice view up there and you’ll like it darlin’, I promise.”

“Thank you.” You smile briefly then urge your horse to trot faster. Joel’s intense lingering gaze was doing something to you and you needed to move on quickly before falling into a trance. Approaching the entrance of the ski lodge, you pass the lift on your right and look up with amazement in your eyes. You’ve never been to a ski lodge before or seen what the lifts look like. There were two empty glass carts sitting at the top with a strong cable leading down the mountain.

The ski lodge itself had a lot of glass windows, therefore allowing a lot of natural light to spill inside and providing a beautiful three-sixty view of the surroundings. After bringing the horses inside the entrance, you walk through the doors and take a look around. Above your head just as you entered was a sign reading ‘Bison Trail Ski Lift’, to your left was a long counter top with signs up on the wall stating what food and beverage items they sold, and on the right was a souvenir stall, selling shirts.

This place is out of commission of course, there’s no one around anymore to take your order and to buy the shirts from, but there was a sentiment of nostalgia around everything you looked at. You simply enjoyed envisioning what it would have looked like back in the day with people walking through here with mugs of hot cocoa in their hands, or lining up for the lift outside wearing their winter gear. An experience you never had twenty years ago, but enjoyed thinking about now.

This place was beautiful and a perfect place to stop for a break. It may be out of commission, but it’s still in good use for you, Joel and Tommy. Continuing through the building, you walk down the steps into the seating area. It was a large space with multiple places for you to choose where to sit. A table with magazines on the top and a patterned rug underneath beside three sets of sofas sat in front of the window and it looked nice, however you wanted to move to the back of the room and get a better view.

Walking past another bar where people used to buy drinks, there were lots of wooden tables with parasols in the middle across the floor, all kept neat and tidy, giving you the sense that this place has either been taken care of by Joel and Tommy, or it’s just never had any visitors in the last two decades. The place was dusty, but not dirty.

After finding a nice set of tables and chairs by the window at the far back of the room, you leaned on the window ledge to look out and beyond. As far as the eye could see, you saw nothing but miles upon miles of nature in all of its glory. Trees overgrown after years of replenishment, though they’re covered in snow, you can see specks of green and brown peaking through.

The terrain is substantial, wide open valleys with a vast amount of space and in the distance there was Jackson sitting in the middle of it all. You could see the tall wooden walls surrounding the town. Even from way out here, it still looks like a little bustling city.

“Told you it had a nice view.” You smile at the sound of Joel’s deep voice behind you. He pulls out a chair and takes a seat while you continue to gaze across the land before your eyes, humming in agreement with him. He was right to make that promise, you do like the view up here, even if the height is a little worrying.

Holding back your reaction as two glowing eyes appear in the glass window, it was Joel’s reflection from behind you and it made you feel a certain way seeing it. He was leaning back into his chair to put himself in your view before making his eyes glow then slowly look down at your body.

When your eyes met in the reflection, you couldn’t stop the blush from burning your cheeks. The way he was looking at you was like a man starved and you were a meal, ready to be devoured. Joel crooks a brow, dragging his tongue across his bottom lip ever so slowly, still looking at you with glowing red eyes.

“Tommy.” You smirk while calling his brother's name. “Are you coming to join us or what? I want to know why your eyes are different from Joel’s.”

Turning around and looking at Joel, who now showed his human coloured eyes while shaking his head at you, Tommy makes his way over to join you both at the table with a large flask and three small cups. He unscrews the cap and pours out some coffee into each of them before leaning back into his chair. “I’m not too sure what exactly made his eyes change but it’s only when we’re together that they’re red.”

“It’s because I’m the boss, little brother, that’s why.” Joel chuckles. Taking a cup from the table top and leaning back into his chair also. After sharing a brief laugh with them both about that comment then taking a sip of your coffee, you lower the cup to ask. “What do you mean when you’re together? Haven’t you always been together?”

Both men shake their heads and it’s Joel that answers, sharing a little about the gap in the last twenty years where he was apart from his brother. “In the beginning, my eyes glowed the same like Tommy’s, but it was around the fourth or fifth shift that they turned red instead. They stayed like that for years, but when we got into a disagreement-”

“It was more than a disagreement.” Tommy interjects, cutting his brother off to laugh about it before quieting down again to let him continue.

“When we had that argument that became too much and Tommy left me all on my own-” Joel laughs, returning a playful insult to his brother. “-My eyes went back to their original colour and they stayed like that for years until I was reunited with Tommy and the red came back.”

“Wow. That’s weird.” Frowning, you know as much as Joel or Tommy at this point, but the only thing you could think of was the book Ginny gave you and what it said inside. “Could it be because you’re a pack when together? And Joel’s the leader?”

Watching their faces twist like you just said the moon is made of cheese, you roll your eyes and sigh. “I have a book back home. I don’t know how much of it is actually true, but some of the things in there have been true so far. It mentions things about wolves in packs having a leader.”

“Well I don’t deny that Joel is more of a leader.” Tommy agrees, looking at you as he pays a compliment to his brother. “He’s always been that way. Always taking charge and guiding me, although a lot of the time we disagree.”

“You’re brothers, that’s what brothers do.” You say before taking another sip of your coffee. Thinking about the book and what you read, you remembered reading something about Alphas, Omegas and Betas, therefore prompting you to ask Joel. “Do you think you’re the Alpha werewolf? That could be why your eyes are red.”

“I don’t know, darlin’.” Shrugging, Joel lowers his coffee and leans forward to place his elbows to the table. “I don’t particularly care about how or why my eyes are red. I just do what I gotta do to keep me and my family safe. Besides, you think they’re hot, so that’s good enough for me.”

“Oh my God.” You scoff, turning away to look out of the window as Joel and Tommy laugh at your rosy red cheeks. The game of tit for tat between you and him continues, but at least now you’re not at each other’s throat ready to kill each other. It’s fun and sweet, even if you are the centre of attention right now feeling called out. “That isn’t fair you know.” Whining about it jokingly, you turn to look at them both. “It’s not fair that you can read my mind, and I do remember asking you to stop that.”

“Sorry.” Joel and Tommy say in unison. The younger Miller looks to his brother, holding a hand over his mouth to hide his smirk while Joel hides behind his cup of coffee. You narrow your eyes, watching them carefully as it looks like they were talking to each other without moving their lips. When Joel chokes on his coffee to break out with laughter, you shake your head at them both and ask. “What are you saying? I can tell you’re talking to each other, I ain’t dumb.”

“Oooh, look at you. Suddenly you’re the expert on wolves.” Joel taunts between laughter, while Tommy buries his face into the palms of his hands. Waiting for them both to get it all out of their systems, you liked seeing this side of the Miller brothers. They both looked so comfortable and happy, laughing at your expense together like a pair of kids.

What you liked most is that two days ago the steam would have been blowing out of your ears with annoyance being laughed at by Tommy and Joel, but now it’s so very different. It didn’t feel wrong in the slightest and it even made you giggle just listening to them both. After they settle down again, you move on with the conversation, but Tommy asks you a question instead. “Tell us a little about you, what was Y/N’s life before the world ended?”

“Oh, um… I worked at my mom's store.” You smile with the memories flashing behind your eyes. “It was nothing special I suppose, but I loved every second working with her.” Joel and Tommy remain quiet with smiles on their faces as you continue. “She would find all these broken antiques and trinkets to fix up before selling, and it’s funny, you know because when I was really young, I thought her skills were like magic - I used to think there was no way my mom could fix that.” You laugh fondly, feeling a pang of sadness. “But she did. She fixed everything she found, made it look pretty again and sold it. My mom brought all those broken things back to life again… and she was magical to me.”

Clearing your throat as a lump begins to form, you move on and share where and what you were doing the day of the outbreak. “I was with my mom - thankfully, and we were just about to open the store for the day when a crazed woman threw herself into the window.” You shake your head, looking at Joel and Tommy. “She wouldn’t stop throwing her head against the glass. Blood was everywhere, her eyes were… gone. And uh, anyways the glass began to break and I had a really strong feeling to get out of the way before she made it inside. So I took my mom’s hand and I ran with her… We didn’t stop running and that’s all we ever did, right up until she died eleven years later.”

“I’m so sorry.” Tommy reaches across the table, offering his hand. Wiping the stray tear away from your eyes before taking his hand, you reassured him that you were okay. “Thank you, but I’m okay - really. My mom died in her sleep, and if you ask me that’s the best way to go.”

“Sure is, darlin’.” Joel whispers, nudging his leg into yours from underneath the table. A small gesture that you appreciated from both men. It hurts to talk about these things, but it also feels good to say it out loud and get it off your chest. Taking a deep breath inward to collect yourself, you release Tommy’s hand and smile at him, showing them both that you’re okay.

“So yeah. That was me before the outbreak.” Digressing with the story of your life, you share what happened after your mothers death. “I was on my own for a couple years before coming across a community in Idaho. I stayed there until someone got a little lazy with their job one day and a stalker got inside.” Joel and Tommy sigh, both understanding the severity of that mistake. “I’m sure you can picture what happened after that, but I ended up on the road again, looking for a place called Jackson that has big sturdy walls, providing food and shelter for survivors. And I found it six months later - just not the way I thought I would.”

“You got more than you bargained for.” Tommy makes a light joke, easing your blues. “You came looking for Jackson and found two asshole werewolves instead.”

Unanimously agreeing with that statement, all three of you share a light amount of laughter over Tommy’s comment. It’s true, you did get more than you bargained for, but you wouldn’t change how things have played out. It’s perfect. Everything is perfect. “I found my safe haven here.” You say, nodding to them both. “I know Jackson is where I’m supposed to be.”

After finishing off your beverage of hot coffee and chatting some about your lives, you all prepare to get back on the horses and continue your ride to the next stop. The next stop is a cabin further up in the mountain, completely hidden away from society. Tommy shared earlier that he and Joel use that cabin during the night of a full moon. A place of rest after running wild for hours.

Wondering why they wanted to bring you there, you quickly understood why when emerging from the trees and seeing it for yourself. The cabin was lavish, looking as if it was taken right out of a magazine and out here. Two padded swings sat on either side of the front porch and it looked beautiful on the outside. With lots of windows to provide natural light inside, the A-frame roof was covered in moss, giving it that naturistic touch, which paired beautifully with the dark mahogany wood.

Following Joel and Tommy around the back of the cabin, there was a small stable to put all three of the horses inside. After they are safely put away, you walk around to the front and take a seat on one of the swings. “Okay fellers.” You clap your hands together, showing them that you’re ready. “Tell me why you brought me here. What do you have to show me?”

“You wanted to see what we could do, so let me show you first.” Joel chuckles, walking across the small field towards the trees. When he stops at one of the smaller ones, he looks at his brother and you with a smirk before pulling his hand back and punching through the bark. Mouth falling open, aghast with his supernatural strength, the wood began to splinter apart and the tree groaned on its way down to the ground, landing with a heavy thump.

“Wow!” You grin, looking over at Tommy beside you, who wiggled his brows with pride in return, but when looking back to Joel, he asks if you were ready to see him shift and take a moment before nodding. The distance between you and him wasn’t that far away, but you lean forward to focus as his chest begins to expand, tearing the fabric of his shirt. Joel’s face slowly disappears and the furry face of a wolf takes over as he continues to grow legs with huge paws. It happened in the blink of an eye, yet you saw every millisecond of it with astonishment.

Our voices hold great power, Y/N. Says Joel as he lowers his head like he was ready to pounce. Hold on a second, you’ll feel what I mean.

A moment later, a vibration slowly ripples through your body, startling you. It didn’t hurt or feel uncomfortable, it was just startling. “What was that?” You ask, to which Tommy replies. “It was a growl emitting through your body, a quiet one. Joel could hurt you if he roars loud enough.”

I would never hurt you, Y/N. Joel whispers in your mind, lifting his head as he begins to walk towards you. Sitting at the base of the steps in front of you, he had to lay down for you to see his face as he was taller than the roofing on the porch. Tommy takes a seat beside you, explaining each of his and Joel’s werewolf abilities in detail. “We’re more enhanced than the average human, but when we shift, the powers we have are amplified even more. We’re already strong and fast, but we become more when we’re a wolf.”

“Yeah, I read about some of this stuff in that book back home.” You nod to them both, relaying what you already know. “Enhanced strength, speed, smell, healing and health. You and Joel, from what I understand, should never get sick. Is that right?”

“That’s right.” Tommy nods, then leans back with a laugh. “But there is more to learn than what that book has written. “Our bite and scratches are infectious. We can kill a human with a nasty fever if we scratch them.”

“Oh…” Your face contorts, cringing at the thought of what that would look like. “Only as a wolf or can you infect someone in human form?”

“Just wolf.” Tommy replies, shaking his head.

Sitting on the front porch together and sharing a long conversation, Tommy and Joel recite all of their abilities and everything they know about being a werewolf. You were growing more speechless with everything they shared, learning so much more than you could ever possibly fathom. Pain transference; the ability to absorb and alleviate pain from other people or creatures and can even heal, meaning Joel or Tommy could heal your injury or absorb your pain if you were hurt.

Dream accessibility; Joel and Tommy can visibly see what someone is dreaming about, or they can give someone a dream too. The younger Miller shared his experiences of helping some of the children in Jackson when they were having nightmare troubles, while the older Miller remained silent. Which you picked up on right away, considering Joel didn’t tell you last night that he can give you dreams, not just see them. We’ll talk about that later. Is all you said about that to him.

Memory transference; the ability to transfer (give or take) memories by inserting claws into the nape of an individual's neck. They could literally erase someone's mind if they wanted to. Empathy is amplified too, that’s why they can physically feel what other people feel, but that’s not all. Tommy shared that over the years, he and Joel have come to notice specific differences every month, some are substantial, while others are subtle and barely noticeable.

“Well, what are the differences, what do you mean?” You ask, tilting your head with intrigue.

“Fire is one of our weaknesses, but one occasion a fire broke out in my kitchen and I could hold my hand inside it.” Tommy explains, before looking at his brother. “After I put the fire out, I brought Joel over and held a lighter under his hand. It didn’t affect him either, but it should have.”

“Was the month May?” A small smile spreads across your face with wonder. You have some knowledge about the moon and wonder if the things you learned as a child growing up correlates at all. After Tommy spent a moment trying to recollect if the month was in fact May, he nods with furrowed brows, curious to know what you know.

“In the month of May, the moons that rise each night is known as the Fire Moon.” Still smiling as you share that information, the dots connect just like you thought they would and you took pleasure in explaining to them both how you knew this. “My mom came across this antique brass moon dial when I was younger. It was a clock, but instead of the numbers, it had all twelve different full moons of the year. May is the Fire Moon. I remember it clearly because I cried when she sold it.”

“Do you remember them all? What about June?” Questions fleeing out of his mouth eagerly, Tommy could hardly contain his interest to know them all. “When May is over, the weakness of fire comes back, but then we can detect when someone is truly bad on the inside.”

“Mirror Moon.” You laugh, shaking your head with disbelief. “The eyes are the mirror of the soul. You and Joel can see someone's soul in June or be immune to fire in May. This is just incredible!”

Going through the twelve moons of the year and listening to everything Joel and Tommy can remember happening to them over the years, you learn more and more with each passing second. January in the Ice Moon, and it’s apparently one of the two months in the year where they both feel cold like a regular human does, every other month they go right back to normal, running a high temperature again.

February is the Storm Moon, and Joel remembers on many occasions over the years being able to detect a storm coming in that month, not just physical ones, but mental ones too. Tommy agrees with him, reciting a time in Jackson when he suddenly got a strong urge to put Jackson on lockdown and sound the storm alarm. People thought he was crazy, but seconds after everyone got inside, the clouds above turned dark and a hurricane blew over.

March is the Wind Moon, and they both noticed how much faster they can run, as humans and as wolves. April is the Wild Moon, and they develop a connection with the animals in the wild. July is the Ghost Moon, and they each have noticed how the colour of their fur blends into the surroundings, almost making them invisible. August is the Lightning Moon, which provides Joel and Tommy immunity from electricity, another weakness that is lifted for one month. September is the Singing Moon, and it amplifies all of their powers. October is the Blood Moon, which unfortunately makes them aggressive, more so when they are in wolf form - and it also explains why Joel was acting like such a dick, you arrived here last month in October. November is the Frost Moon, the other month of the year where they actually feel the cold like a regular human.

And finally, the last month of the year, December, is the Oak Moon. Suppose they saved the best for last as the experiences they’ve had over the years in that month are the most bizarre. Not only does their fur change to white, but on Christmas day, they can’t shift at all, and when the full moon rises at the end of that month, Joel and Tommy actually have the ability to control themselves, meaning they don’t have to travel far away from Jackson to get through the night as a wolf.

Still chatting away to Tommy and Joel like there was no tomorrow, the time had gone completely over your heads and only upon noticing the afternoon sun lowering did you all realise. It was time to go back home, however you wanted to see inside the cabin. You’ve spent all your time out here, excitedly absorbing lots of information about werewolves and moons.

“Can I see inside before we go?” You ask, looking through the window behind you. The inside looked just as beautiful as outside. The furniture was pristine, the ornaments handmade and decorative touches homey. As Joel and Tommy look at each other, nodding here or shaking their head there, you realise that they're having a telepathic conversation and wait until they're finished.

“Would you like to stay the night?” Tommy turns to you with an offer that you can’t refuse. “I’ll radio Maria and let her know that we’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

Nodding, you take him up on that offer and are about to jump out of your seat to hurry inside, however Joel shifts back into his human form, flashing his nudity to you. “Oh, Jesus Joel.” You panic, quickly tilting your face to the side as he walks up the steps. “You could give a warning before you do that, you know.”

“I did.” He chuckles menacingly as he walks into the cabin. “But I only warned my brother, not you.” Because I knew you’d like what you saw darlin’, he whispers that part telepathically, eliciting you to shake your head with denial as the corners of your mouth pull into a smile. He was right, you did like what you saw. And all you can say is that he is big in all the right places.

Heading inside with Tommy, you shook off your thoughts about Joel’s manhood for now and thought about how nice this cabin is instead. The lounge was cosy, although the room was a little cold, Tommy got to work right away and moved over to the fire to get it started while you looked around.

You liked the layout, it was all open planned. An L shaped kitchen with a dark grey marble island in the middle and three bedrooms, each with their own bathroom and shower, this place looked more like a vacation home than a place for Tommy and Joel to ride out the night on a full moon.

“How come you guys don’t tear up this place?” You ask while walking into the kitchen, making yourself at home by opening up the cupboards - which were empty of course.

“Because we chain ourselves up in the basement.” Tommy answers before muttering a string of foul language under his breath after burning his fingers on the fire. “It’s too dangerous for us to be free roam on a full moon.”

Understanding that, you then wonder how bad it gets for them. Joel shared a little about it last night, but you can’t help your curiosity to know how bad they are on the night of a full moon. Maybe one day when they’re comfortable enough, they will tell you about it, but for now, you won’t pry the information out of them just because you’re curious.

As you round the corner of the kitchen leading to the hallway, you look at the slightly open door at the end of the hall and make a surprised sound when seeing a very naked Joel in the reflection of a mirror. He was getting dressed and you know you shouldn’t be watching him, but you couldn’t tear your eyes away. The man looks good from behind. His back is wide and tanned, chiselled with muscles, and his ass was really nice. Perfectly round and plump, however his legs prompted you to lick your lip. Thick thighs and strong calves. Joel Miller had a good looking pair of legs.

Quickly moving away before you are caught, the chances are that Joel already knows you were looking - he was probably hoping for it - but you didn’t want to let him have that satisfaction of catching you in the act of drooling over his body. The sound of static stole your attention and you turned to see Tommy messing around with the TV. “You have electricity up here?”

“Yeah. It’s pretty neat right?” Tommy points to a big black device at his feet and you have no idea what it is. “Portable power source. It comes with a solar panel too, which is really handy.” He explains, talking enthusiastically like he was a child and that was the best toy ever. “It won’t produce a lot of power, but enough to keep you and Joel entertained while I hunt our dinner for the night.”

Oh shit. What? Alone with Joel, in the cabin by a fire… that can’t be good.

“Oh Tommy, are you sure?” You ask nonchalantly, acting like dinner wasn’t a big deal when you’re actually starving. “I don’t want you to go through the trouble.”

“Nah, of course I’m sure.” He stands, waving it off. “Besides, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

Nodding to him, you take a seat on the sofa and kick off your shoes to get comfy as he calls out to Joel, letting him know that he’s going out to get dinner. “Alright. Do you need my help?” Joel asks, and you sit there silently praying to a God above that Tommy says yes. You can’t trust yourself around Joel, he’s too damn handsome and all you can think about is climbing on his lap, which is exactly what he wants, while you want to torment him.

“No, I’ll be alright.” Dammit. Tommy turns to leave, saying that he will be back soon as he exits the cabin and jogs across the field. Now, you’re all alone with Joel. Pulling the throw from the back of the sofa over your legs, as if that could even hide how you feel right now, you sink into your position and watch an episode of Friends on the TV. You could see a boxset on one of the shelves and it made you smile to think that Joel or Tommy likes the show.

Light footsteps creak their way towards you as Joel joins you in the lounge, taking a seat on the sofa you’re on. “You like Friends?” He asks, raising his brows. “Tommy likes this show.”

“Yeah, it’s good.” You reply, already feeling the burn in your cheeks as your eyes lower to look at what Joel was wearing. Pyjamas - he’s wearing pyjamas, but not just any old kind, the loose fitting plaid pants with a sexy sweater kind of pyjamas. He looked so good in them, good looking and comfy, inviting you to cosy on up next to him. Thankfully, his gaze was fixed on the TV so he didn’t pay attention to the way your eyes kept flicking over to him, or at least you hoped he wasn’t paying attention.

Eyes darting to him when he moves, your heartbeat rose with the way he opened his legs and leaned back into his position. Joel’s just getting comfy, like you did, but you couldn’t help stare at his natural bulge poking out from beneath his pants. Jesus his legs. Those goddamn legs that you want to sit on and feel tense beneath you as you kiss him on the lips. Your arousal was palpable, electrifying the energy between you and him right now, you could feel it, however he acted oblivious. You know that he knows. Joel knows you're turned on right now, but he isn’t acting on it.

You wonder if it’s out of respect or nervousness. He knows you want to be mad at him for the things he did, and the thought of him holding back from kissing you out of respect only makes you hornier. Just like the latter. Thinking that anxiety to make the first move holds him back makes you more horny too. Both possibilities were arousing, but one thing you know for certain is that your panties are damp right now and that bulge in his pants is growing. He’s turned on too.

Joel shifts his position, trying to relieve the throbbing ache between his legs while keeping his eyes glued to the TV, but you had completely abandoned watching the TV and instead chose to watch him suffer. This was cruel for the man and you loved every second of it. Your heart was still beating fast as you let your thoughts loose, thinking about how much you’d love to climb on his lap right now, straddling his thigh to get yourself off while he plants kisses on your breasts.

Even closing your eyes to picture how it would look, you smirked when hearing cough awkwardly. As much as this was torture for Joel, knowing that you want him but he can’t have you, it was torture for you as well. You do want him. So fucking badly. Not caring any more, you were blinded by lust and sighed with your thoughts. I forgive you, Joel.

The man instantly turns to look at you, his wanton eyes glowing like fire, you watch as his chest rises and falls with each deep breath. Joel looked like he was fighting a war inside of him, holding himself back from launching across the space between you both and tearing the clothes right off your body, however he didn’t do any of that. Instead, Joel exhales shakily while patting his thigh. “C’mere babydoll.”

Moving across the sofa slowly, you watch as his hands ball into fists, still holding himself back from doing what he really wants to do. You throw a leg over him, sinking down onto his lap and feeling his bulge press into your clothed core. Firm and growing bigger by the second, the sensation it brought was a good feeling, but not nearly enough. You wanted more.

“I’ve thought about this for too damn long, girl.” Joel sighs, gaze lowering to take in your beauty. Seeing and feeling you sitting on him like this is driving him up the wall. It gives him all but a taste of what you feel like in his proximity where your heat is directly over his crotch, however it isn’t enough for him either. “Take your pants off.”

The order in his tone sends a shiver up your body, igniting a fire of lust to blaze across your skin. Popping the button on your jeans open, then pulling down the zip, you move back to stand between his legs and take your sweet time shimmying your pants off. A daring smile appears on your lips as you watch Joel adjust himself with each inch of skin you reveal. His eyes, still glowing red, expand with hunger at the sight of your panties. A simple figure hugging white high leg panties with a sizable damp spot at the crotch.

“Hmm.” Joel closes his eyes with a deeply contented hum, inhaling your sweet aromas as if his nose was buried in your cunt. The sound of you stepping out of your pants and kicking them across the floor opens his eyes again, but when he sees you reaching for the waistband of your underwear, he shakes his head slowly. A silent demand for you to keep them on, however you smirk and hook your thumbs under the fabric, teasing him.

Pulling it down enough to reveal your mound, you could visibly see how much he wants you as his jaw clenches and just as his mouth falls open with anticipation of what your pussy looks like, you quickly turn around and giggle. Your giggles were abruptly replaced with a gasp as two strong hands land on your hips, yanking you back into his lap. Joel now had you in his arms, his cheek pressed against yours as he looked down at your body, letting his fingers roam free and the first place he went for is the waistline of your panties.

The man pulls them up with a finger, smiling at the sight of your cunt from this angle. Your desire glistens, leaving a beautiful mess everywhere. Letting go of underwear, they snap back against your skin, eliciting another gasp to spill from your lips and just as you tilt your face to protest, Joel places his lips on yours, replacing your complaints with a moan. He slips a tongue inside your mouth, swirling it around to provide distraction as he rests his palm on your lower stomach, fingers slipping under the fabric of your underwear.

Your breathing becomes heavier with need, a need to feel his fingers where you most want them, but Joel had plans of his own to tease you. Payback for teasing him, you suppose. Grabbing your legs and lifting them over his, so that you were spread perfectly for him, he then brought your hand down to your underwear and broke off the kiss to deliver his next order. “Play with yourself, darlin’.”

“Huh?” You act shy and oblivious, but Joel can see right through your performance and smacks your inner thigh before palming the sting. “You heard me.” He softly whispers against the shell of your ear, slipping fingers inside the crotch of your panties but making a clear point to avoid the area you really want him to touch. “Play with your pussy Y/N. I’ll give you what you want soon enough.”

Clenching around nothing, you could feel your slick drooling out of your hole, desperate to feel his fingers or his cock stretching you open. You nod, closing your eyes with a sigh as he peppers kisses on your neck then you do as he commands by slipping your hand inside your underwear, fingers instantly landing on your little swollen nub. A surge ripples through your body with a heat blossoming in your chest from the contact. Tension begins to build in your abdomen as you rotate the pad of your finger around your clit, but you stop when Joel moves his position from beneath.

“Keep going.” He grunts, hastily working his pants open to free himself. “I didn’t say stop darlin’. Keep going.”

Moaning, you continue rubbing your clit and eagerly await as he pulls his pants and boxers past his ass. His cock springs free, slapping the hand inside your panties. “There, that’s better ain’t it.” Joel coos, smirking at your way your eyes are transfixed on his length. “Now you can see what I’m going to fuck you with.”

Using your free hand, you reach down between your legs and Joel sighs against your neck, thinking you're going to take him in hand, but you don't. Instead, you pull your panties to the side and look at him with pleading eyes. “Please - I want you now baby, I can’t wait.”

“Fuck.” He breathes, eyes returning to their normal colour as he nods. “Ok darlin’.”

Your pleas broke Joel’s commanding façade, bringing out the human of him. Kissing you on the lips as he notches the head of his cock at your entrance, your face contorts from the breach then you both moan in unison as he pushes inside, burying himself to the hilt. “Goddamn! You’re fucking tight baby.” Joel groans, tossing his head back to relish in the feel of your velvety walls squeezing him. You were still flicking your fingers across your clit and your orgasm nears.

“I’m c-close.” Whimpering, you continue to pulse around him, full to the brim with his cock. Joel is big. Girthy with an above average length, he was buried so deep you could feel his balls. “Please move.” You beg, breathing out a moan. “I’m gonna cum, Joel please move.”

Placing his hands under your legs for leverage, the man lifts you up off his cock, leaving the tip inside before sinking you back down again. You bend your knees with a mewl, holding onto the arm of the chair as Joel continues to lift you up and down like you weighed nothing to him. You do weigh nothing to him. He held onto the back of your thighs with a bruising grip, listening to your moans grow louder each time he sank you down onto his dick.

“Fuck! F-fuuck! Joel, I’m comi-” You stutter, unable to spill the words from your mouth as the tension in your stomach breaks and your climax takes over. Casting a blanket of white static over your vision, your cunt squeezes around him with a vice-like grip, feeling every vein and ridge. Joel grinds into you carefully, easing you through your high. “That’s it, let it all out darlin’. I got you.”

Lowering your legs and placing your feet to the floor between his legs, your breathing begins to even out as you tilt your face towards Joel and capture his lips in a kiss. A hunger for more quickly rises, a need to make him cum is what you’re craving. To hear him fall apart. Still kissing Joel, you hold onto the sofa and brace your feet on the floor before lifting your hips up then sit back down. “Nngh!” He grunts with a shuddering inhale as you repeat your actions, finding the right pace.

“My pussy feels good, don’t it?” You whisper, smirking against his lips. “So warm and tight.”

Slamming your hips down onto his lap, thrusting his cock in and out of your cunt, Joel could barely form a sentence to reply. His mouth falls open, hands grasping at your body to keep himself together as you continue to fuck him. A burn forms in your thighs accompanied with a cramp in your stomach, the position was giving you a workout and your skin stuck to his, yet you didn’t stop, not until he gave you what you wanted.

“Cum for me, Joel.” You mewl what you want. Resting your head back to his shoulder, he brings a hand up to your throat and holds it there gently while kissing your neck. Body jerking with the pad of his finger landing on your clit, he rubs nameless shapes while grunting into your ear. “You first babydoll.”

Your movements faltered from the pleasure he was inflicting. You’re still so sensitive from your last climax, it was painfully good, and you can feel yourself unravelling again. Sinking down and burying him deep inside of you, your walls pulse around him as you moan his name. Joel takes over for you, rocking your hips back and forth to grind himself through your high. You were squeezing him too hard, damn near pulling the orgasm out of him.

“Shit! Baby, I’m coming.” Joel warns, lifting you off his cock a second before hot ropes of his cum shot out, coating your folds. Still coming, he glides the tip through your slit, painting a mess all over your pussy. His warmth felt amazing, only you wished you could feel it paint your insides.

Savouring the post coital bliss for a few moments, reality begins to kick in and you voice your worries to Joel of being caught. “We need to move. Your brother might show up any moment now.”

Joel wraps his arms around your stomach, chuckling into your neck as he shakes his head. “He ain’t coming back darlin’”

Before you could even ask, Joel stands with you, pulling your shirt and bra off along with his shirt, dropping all them to the floor. Placing his thumb and forefinger to your chin, he tilts your face to meet his lips in a kiss, walking you towards his bedroom. Once your legs meet the edge of the bed, he lowers a hand to line himself up at your entrance and thrusts inside, knocking the breath out of your lungs and stealing your ability to speak. It’s just me and you staying here. He says telepathically, lowering you to lay down on your stomach before pounding into you from behind.

I have you all to myself for the night, darlin’.

Two Days Later

Running through the forest with a beating heart ready to jump out of your chest, you run like your life depends on it. You should be in Jackson right now, should be far away from Joel Miller on the night of a full moon just like he warned you, but you couldn’t help your curiosity to know what he goes through.

You only wanted to help, only help him through this night of pain and make it easier for him, but instead, you let the beast inside of him catch your scent and he broke free from the chains. The werewolf on a full moon isn’t the werewolf you’ve seen in Joel before. It’s different… he’s different. You should have stayed home and listened to Joel’s warnings because now, a monster hunts you with an insatiable hunger, impossible to be satisfied until it gets what it wants.

You - the monster in Joel wants you.

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Werewolf Joel Miller: @kirsteng42 @marydjarin @extraneous-trip @dins-cyare @supernaturalgirl20 @supernaturalgirl @joelsflannel @luvmeijii @hb8301 @squidwell @hb8301 @superawesomegeek @trickstersp8 @scorpio-marionette @formulafun

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