Wolfsbane - A Sapphic Urban Fantasy by Franklyn S. Newton

Author:Franklyn S. Newton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: werewolf, sapphic, witch, lesbian, urban fantasy, queer, fantasy, magic, festive, yuletide, lycanthropy, cosy, cosy fantasy
Publisher: Hazeldine Books
Published: 2023-12-22T00:00:00+00:00

MADS’ EPISODE PASSED in the early hours of the morning with the fading moon, Tabi staying with her the whole night; Partly should she need to strengthen the spell but most of all to ensure she wasn’t alone. She sat on her chair by the bed, her ankles and skirts drawn up so that she could continue to read her notes as Mads fought her transformation, even beginning to sketch the shape of her new companion as the wolf rested, eyes flickering. As the sun rose and Mads began to stir, Tabi whispered beneath her breath once again and released her from the complex knots. With a mere snap of her fingers, the rope vanished and the recovered flowers' essence returned to her pendant. By all means the spell shouldn't have worked. Perhaps the coming solstice had given her what she needed, perhaps it was something else.

“Thank you, Miss Tabi.” Mads’ voice was raw from exhaustion, her gaze low and her hair dishevelled. The transformation had halted midway but not before shredding Mads' shirt open, her modesty protected by binding around her chest that seemed to have stretched and shrunk with her.

“It’s nothing really, a muddle of a spell. I'm quite surprised that it worked, sir.” Tabi quickly turned to the stovetop and busied herself brewing her usual morning pot of tea, all the while trying not to glance back at Mads' broad bare shoulders.

"I have to admit, I've watched you for some time. More than a decent person should."

The hairs on Tabi’s neck prickled. She'd known, of course. The notes and frequent wolf visits over the past few months had been enough of a clue for her, and in a way she’d been expecting a pack leader sooner or later. Slowly, she poured the freshly boiled water over the leaves, the aroma drifting upward.

"Why not approach me before now? Why wait?”

“I wondered if you weren’t...” For the first time the wolf hesitated, the previous nights’ cockiness melted away. "You might have said no."

Their eyes met across the room. “But I might not have.”

Tabi set the tea to brew and reached into her wardrobe for something that would suit Mads, of which she had very little. Her tastes leaned far more into layers of skirts, loose sleeves and snug corsets, but still she dug until she found an old shirt. A relic of the past she’d never quite been able to part with, until now.

Tabi sat and passed Mads the shirt, which she took gratefully and discarded the shredded remains of the previous night. Tabi examined the stress tearing on the fabric, reminded of a half remembered spell that could pull the remains together. It was recorded somewhere in this room, she was sure of it. She found herself wanting to apologise for the state of her rooms, it was so rare for Tabi to host guests and someone of Mads’ stature was likely used to far better accommodations than a cluttered witches’ quarters.

“I believe I may be able to mend this for you, though it may require more magic than thread.

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