The Secrets Between Us | ✓

|10|

She stared at him with unblinking eyes, her face as blank as a new canvas, carrying no trace of emotions whatsoever as she silently munched her favorite cookie.

Icarus held his breath and waited for her reaction. He expected her to run away from him, and show signs of disbelief and fear, but she simply dusted the crumbs from her fingers and leaned toward him. With a soft smile, she pinched his cheeks and said, "That was a cute joke."

His mouth opened, and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand down to his lap. "I am serious. I am a werewolf."

She tried to ignore the warmth that spread through her veins when he rubbed circles on her palm. "Wolves are wild animals. They stay away from human civilization, so you are definitely lying."

He smiled at her. "I'm not just a wolf. I'm a werewolf, which means I can shapeshift into a wolf. "

She huffed at his ridiculousness. "You mean you can disfigure from human to wolf and vice-versa anytime?"

He nodded. "Yeah, you want to see?"

"S-sure," she said unsurely, and he let go of her hand to jump out of the bed. Her eyes widened when he tugged at the edge of his T-shirt and yanked it over his head, proudly displaying the contours of the hard muscles that adorned his olive skin. He then proceeded to unbuckle his belt and take off his pants. She squeaked and clenched her eyes shut, feeling color rise to her cheeks at this man's audacity.

He chuckled. "Nothing you won't see in the future. Now open your eyes and watch."

Anaya shook her head but hearing the sounds similar to bones cracking and dislocating, she forced herself to open her eyes and look at him. A gut-wrenching scream tore out of her lips, and she felt a sense of panic bubble in her stomach when his body changed its shape and fur covered him entirely. Instead of a man, now stood a humongous wolf on all fours, as black as the midnight sky. She recoiled at the vibrant amber eyes when the animal looked up at her. They reminded her of Icarus, and that unsettled her.

He took a cautious step toward her, which made her jump out of the bed and rush to the other side of the room. "No! Don't come near me!" Her voice quivered, laced with pure terror.

The wolf growled in response and stalked in her direction. She let out another scream and sprinted into the bathroom, the wolf hot on her trail but before he could enter inside, she locked the door.

Her heart pounded erratically in her chest when she heard his paws repeatedly hit and scratch the door. She could feel sweat dripping down her brow as she remained silent, struggling to regain her breath.

When minutes passed and she made no attempt to let the wolf inside, he let out a pained whimper and changed back into his human form. The sound sliced through her, and she felt horrible, but she couldn't bring herself to open the door and face the wild beast. She would probably be his next meal, she thought.