What are we without flesh and blood? Are we nothing but a beating heart in a ribcage, a marching soul inevitably leading to our demise? Or are we here as a test of loyalty to our God, a God we do not know but must trust? And without this trust, we will be punished indefinitely for questioning his divinity. And what is a sheep without his shepherd? Without God, are we nothing but sheep led astray? How will we be guided to the light without a shepherd on earth? Should we trust our shepherd to tell us the truth? Or will we be covered in the blood of the lamb? A shepherd with blood on his hands could infect his flock with poison. And with this poison, he has control. And to Luke, this poison is all he knows. His seventeen years of life have been devoted to nothing else but God. He wakes up, goes to school or church, and sleeps; rinse and repeat. There is no place or time for anything else in his life, such as television, going out with friends, or discovering new hobbies. His father, Pastor Ivy, ensures this. His life purpose will be to serve the Lord and nothing else. A purpose that Luke believes is the right way. What else would there be to life? He hadn't questioned this until he met Gabriel, a man who was the complete opposite of him. A man who was strong in his sense of self. A man who didn't bow to anyone or anything and stood firm in his beliefs in The Church of Satan. A man who Luke feared. But also a man who felt like home to him.

When devastating circumstances caused Scarlett Hudson to leave her home town she never imagined that another tragedy would force her to return three years later and the past she had tried so desperately to bury would start clawing its way out. If all that wasn't enough, her former bestfriend Hunter Adams, the person whose betrayal had cut her the deepest three years ago, seems hell bent on doing everything in his power to win her trust again. As secrets from the past begin to unravel Scarlett is forced to question everything she once believed in.

Dawson has had it rough. Not as bad as some, worse than others. He lives in constant secret, heart ache and pain. After his parents died he under went a transformation, rendering him unrecognizable. After three years of pain, cutting, and one suicide attempt, he returns to his hometown. As Dawson hides his identity, it will become harder and harder to seal away the truth when faces from the past start revealing themselves, including his gorgeous ex best friend Alec. Only Dawson isn't the only one with secrets and when a lie reaches Dawson's ears, it will take all he has in him to protect the one thing he has left. Himself. Dealing with depression is hard, and Dawson will have to learn it's not something that can be handled alone. He'll have to open up his heart once more, even if it risks him getting hurt, if he wants to achieve happiness. ---------------------------- This is a trigger warning, to anyone that has problems with self-harm I recommend you don't read this as there are some graphic scenes. Also, this is a boyxboy story, so if you don't like hot steamy action between two boys, this is not the story for you. If you don't like it you shouldn't even be reading this anyway and I will not tolerate hate. You do not choose your sexuality and no one else has the right to make someone feel bad about who they are. Also, if any of you are having problems, or the story has triggered you, please inbox me. I love to hear from my readers.