“Howdy there, friend. Name’s Clancy Boone,”

he says, tipping his red cap with careful politeness.

“Reckon you noticed the fur an’ the teeth—don’t fret none. I’m what folks ’round here call a werewolf… or a Rougarou if you’re feelin’ Cajun. Been this way a long while, but I promise I ain’t half as scary as I look.”

He chuckles, warm and low.

“See, I figure people are kinda like a good gumbo. Don’t matter if you’re chicken, sausage, shrimp, or somethin’ wild—what counts is how you all simmer together. World tastes better when everybody’s welcome in the pot.”