Peaceful mornings were a luxury. Generally, the night would consist of watching the shadows for moving figures or glints of silver. Fighting off drooping eyelids as nerves bit the back of your neck.

But here, in the safe town. On Brew's porch, watching the sky turn gold from the horizon, none of that was allowed. The warm, calm air wrapped around my lungs as I sipped the steaming tea. The harsh, bitter, milky taste of wolfsbane clamped on the tip of my tongue while liquid sloshed around in my mouth.

I forced down tea quickly, flinging the rest of it to the back of my throat. That was the trick. Never let it settle on your tongue longer than five seconds. Otherwise, you will throw up.

My stomach groaned as it felt the tea crashed into its acid. I sighed, glancing over to the greenhouse. The bullets holes from two months ago were gone. Patched over with cement and paint. A fresh new metal door was in the archway, waiting ever so patiently for dents to come.

Brew said he'd be working in there last night. And has not come back yet. Which either means he's still working or he fell asleep in there. Which means he'll be carrying the smell of wolfsbane throughout the house. Adam and Gwen can barely handle the smell now. They'd try to burn the house down if the smell got soaked into the furniture or their rooms.

The sound of the door cracking open swept into my ears. I glanced over my shoulder to see Will, his scared face squinting at me. Sleep crusting corners of his green eyes. Using the mismatched yellow door to shield him against the sunlight.

I gave him a smile. " Morning, Will."

Will waved back, shaking his left hand down at his side. "Morning. Where is everybody?"

I jabbed a finger over at the greenhouse. "Brew is in greenhouse."

"Still?"

I nodded making a face. "Yup."

Better get the order spray ready for him

"Kay. What about Gwen and Adam?"

I glanced over the forest, ignoring ghost of hunters following the path in the wooded plane.

"They're doing laps over there."

Will stepped further into the porch, getting a better view of the trees. "Really?"

"Yeah. Surprised me too."

Will nodded back, taking an open chair on the porch. Tugging the sleeves of a worn-down sweatshirt around his wrist, covering faded purple lines. The faded scars of dark circles around his eyes were becoming less visible. I glanced back at the forest, faint sounds of voices yelling at each other crawled into my ear. Well one of them was yelling. The other voice sounded like they were breathing out rocks.

Will face perked up, looking over at me. I gave a smirk as he nodded back. Adam made it through the first week of Gwen's training. Which is about twenty laps around the forest before anyone wakes up. Poor guy is gonna die when they start sparing practice.

The faint voices got flooded out with the greenhouse door slamming open. The stench of wolfbane bit my nose, burning the end of my nerves. Will's eyes went wide as he coughed out the polluted smell.

Breathe through your mouth. Breathe. Goddamnit, Brew.

The wild bearded bush of oily red hair shuffled over to us. He had sunglasses on what covered I can imagine two black holes with a blue center. He had on a stained gray hoodie and busted jeans that have become his skin at this point. And it reeked of wolfbane.

I will burn those clothes before letting you in this house.

"Morning, guys," Brew waved.

The chopped and mismatch of long hair no longer shielded his face. The black mess of hair had finally been trimmed short and nicely on his skull. It took everyone to pin him down but I finally managed to cut the disheveled weed that was on his scalp. I had to use my claws a few times to cut his hair cause the stupid scissors wouldn't cut through. Most of his hair had coated themselves in layers of dirt and oil that shouldn't be possible. After that hellish hour, it was short enough where we could see all of his face. Showing off old scars and brown roots at the bottom of his hair.

The only question now is when the hell does his dye his hair?

"All-nighter?" I nodded, huffing through the pungent cloud.

Will kept pushing his chair as far as possible away from him, leaning his head back for help.

Brew yawned. "Yeah. Finished an order. Hey, can I ask you a favor after breakfast?"

"Sure, after you shower."

Brew flung a thumb's up and tried to take a step on the porch. With a twitch, I swung my leg at his shin. It made contact and hobbled him down back to the dirt ground. My big toe winced in pain as it was jammed into the muddy fabric that was once jeans.

"In the backyard," I ordered, breathing through the bruise.

"You know it's my house right?" He fired back, shaking the kicked leg.

"Yeah, but we live here. So unless you want that carpet on your face to be gone use the outdoor shower."

Brew gave back a smirk, waving as he walked away around the house.

Will sat back normally, rubbing his nose."We're gonna get rid of those clothes right?"

"We're gonna have to burn them and bury the ashes," I muttered, shuddering away the stench

A few minutes passed and the faded voices were getting louder. Two figures coming out of the forest were running over to the porch. One in the lead, sprinting with force and playfulness. The other was a good twenty feet behind, limping as he stumbled. Oh boy. Gwen, what did you do to Adam?

Gwen jogged up to us, her face lightly sprinkled in sweat. Her workout clothes barely stained with anything as she caught her breath quickly.

"Morning guys!" Gwen greeted.

"Morning," Will nodded.

"How's the training going?" I asked.

Gwen shrugged, stretching her legs. "Eh, pretty good. Got about a four or five laps around the forest."

"What about Adam?"

Gwen smile leaked a little. She looked back over her shoulder, Adam was hunched over about a couple feet away. Wheezing and coughing out air. Gwen glanced up at me with a skittish smile. The unfortunate guilt glazing over her eyes. Will hid a chuckle behind a yawn as Adam tried to cut off his hacking.

"How you doing, buddy?" I called out.

Adam hacked out a few breaths of air before putting up an okay sign. Gwen looked back at me with a sheepish smile. I let out a laugh.

Soak it all in. The ground is gonna drop soon.

I swallowed a rough scratch that had formed in the back of my throat. I got up from my chair and walked over to the front door.

"We're gonna have breakfast here soon so go get washed up," I said. "Good job running, Adam!"

"Thanks!" Adam wheezed, standing up alittle.

Inside, the living room was about the same when we all came in. Except for the blanket of dust that covered everything has been brushed away. The sticky notes that plastered the tv were placed on the coffee table in a neat pile. The red, beaten couch looked it has had some use. Impressions of Will's body could still be seen on faded material. He sleeps there whenever he has a rough night. So he doesn't have to wake us up with his cries when he snaps out of his dreams.

All of the sticky notes I've left for Brew have stayed on the walls. With a couple new ones made from the Gwen and Adam. Generally to remind him to take a bath or a shower whenever he came out of the greenhouse.

The wall of photos displayed proudly to be seen. The newest one with all of us shining against the light. It was the newest one of us, with Adam. All of us with exhausted, weak smiles. Blood, scratches, and bruises covering all of our faces. Taken in hours after what happened that day.

I'm gonna have to get a new group picture of all of us soon. Maybe I can sneak on in while we're all eating or something.

The smell of rotten milk incinerated my nostrils. My head reeled back as the order punched my face with its globby fingers.

My eyes snapped around, scanning the room frantically for what was causing that smell. And by the stairs, in a stiff, greasy pile, were Brew's clothes. Where it was radiating five days of sweat and wolfbane. Next to it were the hermit's wet footprints. Slapped on the steps.

"You're supposed to leave your clothes outside, Brew!" I shouted up at him.

"Still my house," Brew called back. "The pups are gonna have to get used to the smell of wolfbane sooner or later."

I'm gonna bury him with the ashes of his dirty stiff clothes lodged into his throat. Maybe then I can take a group picture of all of us celebrating that.