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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A circle of black mist had ringed around my head by the time I was able to confirm a delivery. Trying to order food in the city was bad enough, but all the way out here on the outskirts of suburbia meant that I could be dying my greying roots by the time the food arrived, or worse, the food would arrive cold. We had to rely on the local restaurants and many were reluctant to serve the Mavros house in all its spooky mystique. You'd think there would be one brave person or someone not brave at all but threatened with a dare would risk it. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
'Try tipping more,' Lycius suggested, hovering over my shoulder while I glared at the phone. He was a looming shadow at my back and his talon was as big as my thumb as it pointed at the phone screen I was shooting daggers at.
'I did, they're closing up,' I lied. I had to. It was kinder than admitting that the very address shook the spines of the teen workers over the phone. I was trying to be cool about it, but I was certain he was listening to the conversation anyway.
'Yes, that's why you're wearing a crown of shadows on your head,' Lycius said with a tsk.
In the end, there was one restaurant left that held strong or perhaps didn't know the horrors of Mavros Manor. I was sure the full blame couldn't be laid on Giannis Vlachos though I couldn't doubt its accuracy once the thought struck my mind. That meat-head was inciting fear in the community because he hated Lycius, even if he wasn't saying anything directly, I knew he would be encouraging it. He'd need to say one small thing in front of a person like my aunt and the fire would spread. Luckily it didn't spread to the lady on the phone who didn't speak English very well. She sounded confident and it gave me a smidge of hope, or just enough that the dark mist dissipated and I was pleased to be dealing with translating rather than begging for service.
Lycius was sinking into the armchair, his back curved into a crescent moon shape that didn't look comfortable. I spun away and walked to the window as if that bit of distance could prevent him from listening in. He seemed to sink into a darker place judging by the brooding posture. When I finally confirmed the order both werewolves were gone, and I called out their names and strode around to find them in the kitchen. Lycius was at the fridge and Humphrey was standing up on his hind legs wagging his tail at the prospect of being fed.
'Food is coming,' I said.
Lycius blinked in what I assumed was surprise. 'Great.' He shut the fridge and let down a very eager wolf who collapsed back on all fours. Humphrey curled around my body and peeked around my arm to whimper at Lycius despairingly. Sorry, I meant, he whimpered despairingly at his father.
Daddy bared a wolfy grin. It was horrifying and it was cute.
'I've got something I want to show you,' he said. I looked down at Humphrey and then back at Lycius.
'You mean him or me?' I said.
He laughed.
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