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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Lycius ran for the treeline and into the woods hoping their shadows would keep him from prying eyes. He rushed through branches that whipped and ripped his skin until his parents' house was swallowed by the horizon. He fled as far as his little legs could carry him before he inevitably lost his breath, and his lungs burned for much-needed rest. He collapsed beside a riverbank and willed his tears to go away, but listening to the water run didn't soothe him. He wiped at them furiously as his father's roar was ringing in his head, the water running, the birds singing it was just all too loud and yet deafening. His head felt like it was throbbing against his skull and he wanted so much to reach up and tear it open for some release. It didn't make sense, but that didn't matter. He was too and very afraid of going home.
The birds stopped singing. It was abrupt and he didn't think much of it as the sun lazily set to his left and made the ripples of the running water glitter like rampant souls desperate to meet their maker.
He noticed the mud coating his fingers and how they had spread across his cheeks from wiping the tears away. He clawed at his dirty clothes to get the mud off only spreading the mud further to his white collared shirt. He sniffled and further dug himself into the wet earth shaking violently because this only made him cry more. His mother was only going to get angrier at him for the way he was treating his clothes. That was it, he couldn't go back. He was going to stay out in the woods and hope their worry would make his return a wonderful relief rather than a disgrace to the family.
'Are you okay?' a soft voice called out from across the water. It was a girl with long black hair down to her knees. It was a frizzy mess around her olive-brown face and under this wild mane was a frilly white dress dirtied and torn at the hem. She had bright silver eyes like two moons, and her bare feet were swallowed by the water. How had he not sensed her?
The amber light of the setting sun caressed the side of her face, creating shadows on the other. One-half full and round while the left side of her looked hollow and ominous. He questioned whether she was real or a ghost, and then she stepped across the water to meet him. Ringlets flew with the breeze and her feet splashed the water about. This made her very real. A threat.
'Why are you crying?' she said. The light covered all aspects of her face and he was startled by how pretty she was.
'I'm not crying,' he said defensively.
'It's okay,' she said, crossing the water and digging her hand around in her dress pocket. She pulled out two lollipops and offered one to him. 'I came out here to cry too.'
'Boys don't cry!' he shouted. Her eyes widened in shock before she took her lollipop back.
'Stupid head.' She spun around and marched away.
'Wait,' he snapped furiously but she didn't. 'Wait, I want a lollipop.'
'You should have thought of that before you were rude,' she said over her shoulder. He ran across the water and when he caught up to her he yanked her hair back. She yelped and pushed him away. 'Go away! Cry baby!'
