A raven-haired worshiper of the Titans--Hekate and Nyx--is determined to save her lover from an ancient curse, she must prove to him that life is worth living and that being a werewolf has its perks.
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When I found Lycius he was pacing up and down by my bedroom door, his brow was furrowed, and he was curled into himself as he mumbled under his breath.
'Are you okay?' I said, stopping him in his tracks and placed a hand on his shoulder that he straightened under. He held that arm and rubbed circles on my skin.
'I should be asking you that,' he said. 'Has he always spoken to you like that?'
I took back my hand and scratched the back of my head. 'No, but I'm kind of relieved.' His quietness made sense as it was ridiculous, but it was worrying. 'This is an improvement actually. The poor man is finally being honest.' I chuckled darkly but Lycius was glued in place in another world entirely. I sensed a sadness emitting from him and opened my bedroom door. 'Do you want to come in for a bit?' it was like he couldn't hear me. 'Lycius.'
'Hm?' he snapped his head up at me.
'Come,' I said and gestured my head to my room. He hesitated. 'I'm not going to jump you.' I leaned against the door and waited for him to drift past me where he went and sat on my bed about to drift away in his mind again. I closed the door but remained pressed to it with my hand on the handle. 'You're freaking me out.'
'I,' he pushed himself to stand and wet his lips. 'I pity him.'
'I don't.'
'You shouldn't he was terrible to you. I just remember what he was like in high school, and I can't tell if he's gotten worse or if he's always been like that.'
'He's an adult now. Means he's capable of learning how to be better... Instead, he chooses to stay an arsehole.'
'Yeah,' he said distantly.
'What is it?'
He curled his lips in. 'His dad was about as bad as mine.'
I collapsed next to him on the bed and rested my head in the crook of his neck where I knew all the affection and warmth was kept and he slid his arm around me to pull me closer but kept his attention glued to the floor. My body was heavy with exhaustion. My eyes caressed the outline of his mouth. I could have just done it. He wouldn't have stopped me. If I started tracing kisses up his neck to his ear, he would have succumbed to it, and I would have gotten the distraction I needed.
'I let you take all the brunt of his anger. I'm sorry,' he said and sat upright when I heard a sniffle. Even in the dark, his eyes looked shiny, and fear was uncoiled in my gut.
'You have nothing to apologise for. You did stand up for me and things would have only gotten worse if he stayed.' I rested my hand on his beating heart. It was still struggling to collect itself. 'Look at me, I'm okay.'
Lycius hunched over. 'I left her alone with him.' It hit me that this wasn't about Giannis anymore and he started trembling as he shook his head. My anger brewed and I felt I had to put it aside for Lycius as his breaths got short. He clutched at his chest and closed his eyes to take deep breaths in and I did all I could do and rubbed circles along his back till he could calm down. Once he did his eyes wove around my face with all that was unsaid. 'If I wasn't cursed, do you think we would have had a chance?'
