Howl at the Moon Cian's Story Ch. 04

(This is a trigger warning. This story contains domestic violence. If you suffer from it please seek help in your retrospective communities.)

Cian and Wren had both finished their breakfasts. So Wren washed the plates. Cian stood behind and watched. He longed for so much more. Cian wanted to embrace her, as she washed, he wanted to rinse the tiny sudsy bubbles from her hands and lower arms. Then savor their warmth and clean smell. Cian wanted to pepper kisses along Wren's soft body. There was much he wanted to do with Wren. His wolf had never been so hard to control. Still, her abusive husband Layton was in the way. He loathed Layton, but for some inexplicable reason, Wren stood by him. There was a part of him that admired that loyalty but at the same time he resented it. Loyalty was only acceptable up to a point, Wren had passed that point with Layton.

"How was your weekend?" questioned Cian. He knew how Wren's weekend had been, of course but humans always wanted to talk. Also "The Wolves' Den" wasn't open yet. There was so much Cian wanted to ask Wren. He needed to find out more about her besides the fact that she was married to Layton. Cian wanted to tell and show her everything about him. Still he had to wait it out. There was a chess game to be played. Cian hesitated in revealing the supernatural side of himself. Cian wasn't stupid. He couldn't just spring the fact that he was a werewolf on her. She'd be horrified. Wren would go running straight back into her abusive husband's arms. She'd never return to him. Humans never believed the supernatural right away.

"Cian, you'll never believe this, but I had a surprise visitor this weekend, with the storm and all. A huge silver dog just broke into my house. I wanted to keep him and all, but this morning he was just gone. I hope I gave him enough energy from all my tuna to make it home to people who love him. Do you think that will happen with the storm and all? I just want him to be alright!" questioned Wren. There was worry in her voice as she asked about the dog.

Cian smiled a little. Wren cared for everyone and everything but herself. "I'm sure he got home alright Wren. Dogs are very warm blooded and tougher than they look. They're descended from wolves you know. Wolves roamed these prairies for centuries through ice ages and blizzards. So your wolf...err dog will be fine." He hoped this would be comforting to Wren.

"Cian, please tell me there aren't really wolves around here are there? Maybe a long time ago but not any more right? I spend alot of nights alone while Layton is on the road...I wouldn't know what to do if a wolf came into my house. Thank goodness, Layton has his gun. I think I could put down a wolf if it attacked me..at least I hope. I like wolves...they seem to be so free." stated Wren hesitantly. "I wouldn't want to but...well...you know better it than me. So are there still wolves around here?" questioned Wren again. There was an edge of fear in her voice. Cian wondered how she could be terrified of wolves but not afraid of her own husband.

Cian didn't want to lie to her. He was more alarmed, though not surprised, at the fact that Layton had a gun. Cian had no doubt that sooner or later, Layton would kill Wren. He was determined not to let that happen, even if Wren hadn't been his true mate, Cian wouldn't let that happen to anyone. Wren was a kind person, who worked hard. She didn't deserve that fate, no one did.

Cian had never been one for ethics or philosophy. Cian's temper often got away from him. He shot first and asked questions later. That was probably an attitude he regretted when it came to Finn. Still at the time he'd told himself he was doing it in the pack's best interests. He was the Alpha after all. Werewolves had survived by following their ancient laws. Now he had to be strong for Wren and take executive action. She needed someone to protect her.

It would be only a matter of time till Layton would kill Wren. Cian couldn't allow that to happen like it had to his mother. He was no longer some terrified little pup. He was older and stronger now. Cian couldn't witness another murder. He was a powerful Alpha who could handle dangerous situations. He would make the first move and protect Wren from Layton. She was his love. His true mate.

As much as Cian and his wolf wanted to shred Layton into little pieces, Cian knew he couldn't do that. There would be legal inquiries and Wren would suffer, perhaps be blamed and go to jail. Wren couldn't see her husband's eviscerated and bloody corpse. When...no if Cian ever worked up the courage to tell Wren that he was a werewolf, she'd know he'd kill Layton. Wren liked Layton for some inexplicable reason. Once she found out that Cian had killed her love she'd resent him...and perhaps leave him. Cian wouldn't be able to bear that. It would break him. So even though it didn't sate his wolf's blood lust. Layton had to die in an "accident".

Wren and Cian worked at The Wolves' Den together. He enjoyed their time together. Cian hadn't had this much friendship in a long time. If ever. Wolves in his pack were always intimated by their Alpha. He could never chat around them. He had to be the Alpha all the time and never let his guard down. But Cian could be himself around Wren. He didn't have to be an Alpha, always in control, not picking favorites, always remote. Cian could just be himself. That was something new. He noticed that day by day the bar gradually became nicer. It had been a lonely year for Cian. As a proud Alpha he didn't clean. The Wolves' Den had always been a bit of a dive bar, but for the past year it looked like it could barely pass a health inspection.

One day Wren decided to do what she called a "Deep Nordic Cleaning". He watched as she put her head up in a tight ponytail and then covered it with a handkerchief. Wren kicked Cian out of the bar. He went over to his cabin wondering what the hell Wren was doing, but he trusted Wren and knew it was probably for the best.

"Men would live like animals, wolves or pigs, if you let them. If I'm going to work in this place it's going to look nice. Presentable like a bar people would want to come to." she said to herself. Wren cleaned the ancient ovens. Grease had settled in so she dug copious amounts of yellow gunk out of the oven. Wren swept and then re-swept. All the spiders and dust balls were driven from their corners. Finally, she washed everything down with bleach and boiling hot water.

A sweating Wren covered in dirt went and knocked on Cian's cabin's door. "All done, come and see." she stated. Cian had been watching football. He switched the TV off and went to see his bar.

"Wow, great job Wren...it looks nice in here." he said. Cian meant it too. The Wolves Den no longer looked like the dark and dingy bar that it had been. It had always attracted dubious looking truckers and bikers. But, now it looked like a place families might venture into.

"That ought to make our Yelp score, go up a bit." stated Wren as she wiped grime off her face. "Some curtains and new swag ought to cover everything. Update the menu, you know. We'll get it together. You'll probably have to put more cash into it though. Spend money to make money."

Cian had no idea what Yelp was. He hoped it was a good thing. Thanks to Wren, his bar looked amazing now. It was a new place entirely. Wren had made "The Wolves Den" respectable and homey. Cian also noticed how she referred to the bar as "ours" and used "we'll". Wren was starting to think of him and her being together. That made him happy.

"Well, good day's work." said Wren. "Time for me to go cook dinner for Layton." Cian wanted to force Wren to stay. She'd made his bar homey. He wanted them to be together. In the end, he had to let her go though.

Wren and Cian worked together in the ever improving bar. Over the next few weeks, he grew angrier and more livid at Layton as Wren kept coming into work with bruises. Every time she'd always "slipped on ice, walked into a door" or something like that. One of the timeless explanations that his own mother had given.He had been a pup then, unable to do anything but now he was an Alpha. He could take charge.

Cian repeatedly asked Wren to stay in the bar but she was firm in her decision to go back to Layton. Layton needed taking care of. He couldn't survive by himself. They were married after all and had to keep keeping on.

One moring Wren, arrived with a broken arm. It was the worst injury to date. Cian wanted to call the police and report Layton's behavior but Wren wouldn't let him. She kept maintaining it was an accident. She'd broken it in a fender-bender when the airbag deployed. Cian wanted to point out that the car wasn't damaged but he had no desire to pick a fight with Wren so he let it be.

Cian was worried because Layton was escalating and he had a gun. Cian was horrified as Wren apologized to him for the broken arm. She was begging him not to fire her over her "accident". She kept saying that she'd be better in a few months. Cian knew it was time to take executive action. Layton would pay for hurting Wren. Layton would pay for harming his true mate.

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