You Are the Moon That Breaks the Night |Virgato|

Chapter 39: Denouement (Part 1)

Denouement

noun, no plural

1. The resolution of a story following its dramatic climax.

2. The unraveling of a story's last details so the plot comes to a fulfilling end.

Chris stood by his locker, trying to retrieve the bulky tome that was his AP biology book. He felt Zabdiel's presence even before he tapped him on the shoulder. His heartbeat and scent stood out amongst the sea of students around them. Chris was accustomed to it.

"Morning, Jacob," Zabdiel chimed as he leaned himself against the closed locker next to Christopher's. Chris stilled where he had managed to maneuver the text book in his arms and squinted at Zabdiel.

"What did you just call me?"

Zabdiel grinned, "Oh, don't be so grumpy, Chris."

Chris inhaled sharply.

"Don't be a..."

"Don't you dare say it," Chris bared his teeth at him.

"... sourwolf."

Zabdiel preened and pushed himself off the locker to catch up to Chris who had turned around with a huff and began to walk down the hall.

"Hey, wait up! Don't be such a sullen puppy."

"I don't like you. I don't like anything you do," Chris mumbled as they squeezed themselves past a group of Freshman blocking the door leading into the science wing. Chris was pretending to be annoyed, but truly he felt nothing but relieved. The fact that Zabdiel was already making fun of him for being a werewolf meant that he had accepted Christopher's new, supernatural self.

"Wrong," Zabdiel smiled as soon as they had entered the Science wing, their steps echoing loudly on the tiled flooring. "You like everything I do because you love me."

"Regretfully, yes."

"Great. How was your weekend, how did it go after... what happened?" Zabdiel let his voice drop to a whisper as they entered the classroom.

Chris felt his heart sink as he took his usual seat. He hurried to unpack the rest of his things before he turned towards Zabdiel, who was busy pulling his own book from his miniscule backpack. Chris felt like it had been ages since they had last seen each other and not just a weekend. So much had happened, so many things that he had to tell him. Zabdiel didn't know about Hector yet. He took the seat next to Chris and looked at him expectantly. Chris swallowed as in the front of the classroom; their teacher began to recap their last session.

"Something happened after I dropped you off at home," Chris began and he had no idea how he was supposed to go from there, so he squeezed it out, told Zabdiel everything that had happened in hushed tones and with a pounding heart. Once Chris had finished, Zabdiel lifted his gaze from where he had been staring at his book, eyes unmoving while he had listened.

He asked, "So Hector is a werewolf now, too?"

Chris nodded, "He's staying at the pack house for now. Born werewolves gain control over their physical enhancements around his age, but because he's bitten, we'll have to wait. At the moment, his school thinks he's sick. I talked to Paty and she said it's probably best to take him out of school for a year, let him get accustomed to his life and once he's ready, he can go back."

"Sounds like a plan," Zabdiel smiled at him, dimly but with earnestness in his eyes, and Chris felt undeniably consoled as Zabdiel took his hand and squeezed it under the table.