Meet Francesca the next day

When you left the forest and returned to the town, the night has already fallen. You wasted no time and drove straight back to the hotel. You were overwhelmed by tiredness as you climbed upstairs and returned to your hotel room.

Fran hasn't returned yet, but you were too exhausted to wait for her. You collapsed onto the bed and quickly fell asleep.

June 1st.

You woke up at around 10 a.m. and Fran was still nowhere to be seen. You noticed that she left a message on the table, stating that she would like to buy a fish at the local market and cook it herself. You couldn't help but laugh.

But this wasn't the time for you to enjoy an easy life, not after what you had learned and what you had done. There were so many things you needed Fran to know, so you grabbed your cellphone and called her right away.

"Hi, James, you're finally up?" Fran sounded happy to hear your voice.

"Yeah. Sorry to have worried you." You took a deep breath, "Fran, we need to talk. Where are you?"

"I'm still in the market. Well, how about we meet at the bar on the east end of Sirius Street later? It's called the Wolf Dreamer. The name's a bit weird but I heard their cocktails are really good."

"Sure."

Roughly an hour later you arrived at the bar, the Wolf Dreamer. It was a cozy little place with dim lights and smooth music, which made you feel relaxed the moment you entered. There was only a row of chairs by the counter and a few extras, so you almost immediately found Fran in the corner, who was already sipping a shot of Margarita.

"Hi! You're here." Fran greeted you with a smile as you sat down in front of her, "You should have a try. They taste different than the ones I mix, but they're still good."

"Sure." You paused for a few seconds to collect yourself, "Fran, so... I went to the clinic to meet Dr. Jones yesterday morning, and he had instructed me to visit his friend, Valerie, in a forest cabin. I know my condition now."

"Please tell me you're fine." Fran's smile faded as she put down the glass.

You shook your head helplessly. You told her everything you knew about the werewolf and lycanthropy, about you being infected and unable to be cured unless you found a voluntary pure werewolf to give you the pheromone necessary to complete the cure, about you being a carrier who was dangerous to the people around you, about the doctor's friend Valerie was actually a werewolf.

Fran just listened, with her hands slightly shaking and her face looking sad. When you were finally finished, she lowered her head and bit her lips as she couldn't find the right words to express her feelings right away. You just sat there and remained silent. The situation was dire, and you hadn't really thought of your next moves yet.

But first of all...

"Fran, I don't want to get you hurt. You should-"

"I'm not going anywhere." Fran just knew what you were going to say and looked at you with resolve, "I'm not leaving you alone. I'm always with you, remember?"

You really hoped that she would understand that keeping your distance was the only right thing to do, that any risk to her wasn't worth taking. But you should have known better; the Francesca you had known since your childhood times would never back down, not after everything you had gone through together. You let out a long, shaky breath.

"I know. I just… I can't stand the thought of something happening to you because of me."

Fran reached across the table, wrapped her hand around yours, and carefully checked your fingernails. You tried to pull back, fearing that you would hurt her, but the warmth from her palm calmed you down. You enjoyed her gentle caress more than ever.

"Nothing's going to happen that we don't face together. We've already figured out what the problem is, right? Now we just need to find that werewolf. That's our next step, isn't it?"

You nodded quietly.

"But... That Valerie... Can we trust her?" Fran looked more than serious, "She's a werewolf, right? You said she was not the one that attacked you, and he story sounded convincing, but what if she was just making it up? I mean, she isn't human after all."

"I think it's okay to trust her, for now." You didn't really think much about it after... well...

"How can you be so sure? Is there... Is there something you have kept from me?" Fran kept staring at you, as if she was about to see through your soul, "You've been absent-minded from the moment you entered the bar. Is there something else on your mind?"

You were thinking of the moment you shared with Valerie in the cabin, the betrayal that made you feel ashamed. Fran would be angry if you told her about your affair with Valerie, but that could also be a chance for you to face up to your own mistake and to make amends for it.