Hearthway Hollow

Ezra

Male Werewolf x Female Reader

Waking up to the sound of the ocean and looking out your window to see nothing but a horizon of water may have unnerved some people, but not you. It has always been your dream to live on a boat or somewhere in the water. You used to play mermaid as a kid, sometimes even sneaking into the bathroom at night and filling up the tub so you could 'sleep like a mermaid.' Ages five through ten were hard on your parents, but it only cemented your love of the water.

You joined the Navy for several reasons, but you would never tell anybody that the main one was because you loved the water so much. Only a select few people will ever know how you spent five years of your childhood pretending to be a mermaid, and most of those people were your family.

Although, you have to admit that the Navy wasn't all you thought it was going to be. For the most part, your ship was used for training. So day in and day out you saw too young recruits going through their paces. Not only that, but one of your commanding officers really had it out for you.

Captain Ezra had been described many ways to you when you first were stationed on the USS Howler. You heard him being called uptight, strict, bullheaded, but most of all a stubborn asshole. You would agree to all of that, but mostly you would say he had a way of picking out someone and focusing in on them like a heat-seeking missile.

Unfortunately, you were the heat source his missile was seeking. You couldn't help he was more curt with you when he spoke and gave orders. You felt like one of the young recruits under him. He often sent you on longer duties than anyone else, often times it was busy work that any idiot could do. It all felt beneath you.

Captain Ezra was a big guy, kind of hairy with these thick, dark eyebrows that everyone called his caterpillars. It was easy to see why he was in charge of training the new recruits. He could easily put the fear of god into some of them.

He rarely spoke outside his usual work. Once he was off the clock, he sealed shut tighter than a swollen cork. Very few things were known about him, one was his hometown of Hearthway Hollow and how he wanted to go back there. Two, he liked fishing. That was it.

Then one day, the USS Howler became haunted.

"I swear! I saw it!" One of the recruits was whispering. "It was big! Like Mothman or something!"

"Why would Mothman be on a boat?" Another young one scoffed.

"I said 'like' Mothman," the first huffed. "It was big and hairy! I saw it come out of the water! But when it saw me, it fell back in."

"Haw! Yeah right!"

Your friend on the ship nudged you with her elbow. "Hear that?"

You sniff. "Yeah. All anyone can talk about is the cryptid roaming the ship," you grin. "Kids these days."

"You sure about that?" She asks. "Because I even heard Captain Ezra mention something about it."

You furrow your brow and stare at her like she's crazy. "Captain Ezra doesn't talk about anything except work."

"Technically, it is work. If some sort of Mothman has snuck onboard, it's his duty," she then stiffens and stands erect.

You look back, seeing Captain Ezra walk into the room. The recruits all clam up and go back to their workouts. You sigh, and your shoulders slouch.

"He's here for me, isn't he?" You grumble to your friend.

She nods and pushes you.

You walk to the door and look up at Captain Ezra and his caterpillars. "Is there something you need me for, sir?" You ask.