“Of course.”
“Elsa?”
I looked wide eyed at my found wolfman with his godlike power. I was ready to give him the finger if he, in his righteous revelation, thought he could bark orders at me.
“Let me take you home.”
Ok, I had zero problems with that.
He had a last glance behind him and we strode back into the octagonal room and through the portal, back to where this had begun.
In my kitchen.
We both stood, leaning against the cupboards. His hand shaking, he took a glass, filled it up with water and passed it to me, before filling another for himself.
“The bite? You bit the werewolf?”
Clearing his throat he answered, “Yes. Your magic, their magic… something has changed. I don’t feel myself.”
“Um, yeah! Your power, I saw that. We all saw that. Adara’s wolves submitted to you, because you have their blood inside you.”
Blinking rapidly, he leaned back, placing the glass on the side. Sucking in air, he said, “But I think your magic has protected me. I feel stronger. Indomitable. Though I’m not. I’mstill flesh and blood, however powerful all this enchanted blood has made me.”
I went to sit down. Lycaon blocked me, his arms out, voice soft. “Elsa, I don’t know how to make everything up to you. Back there, with my kind, the killing? The blood lust… It is who I am, and also, it isn’t. I’ve been cursed for so long. And I was mad, so much anger inside of me because of what Adara made me do to you. I tried to fight it, perhaps now I can. But attacking you? That wasn’t me. Would never be, not intentionally. I understand it isn’t good enough. I know I’m a monster, God knows…” Stepping back, his breath shook as his eyebrows pinched together.
“I will not press you. I wouldn’t dream of doing that. But just know, I’m trying my best. Even though it’s not good enough.”
My voice was faint. “I know. Right now, I can’t…”
As his gaze met mine, there was a pleading in his pale eyes. “It’s alright. I’m not asking anything of you. You should be afraid, be wary. And as for Ubraz… It’s for the best if we stay as friends for now, anyway. Not just for ourselves.”
Pain shot through my heart, like a dagger slicing it open. It felt like my heartbeat was in my throat. I wanted him. He felt a part of me. But also, he terrified me, his strength, his wild rage.
The big bad wolf…
And right now, I was all out of magic.
Lamely, all I could say was, “Yes, I agree. Let’s see what happens next.”
His shoulders dropped. He looked mournful, but there was something I saw in his eyes. I knew what it was because I was feeling the same.
Hope.
Hope that somehow, together we could get through this, and he could tame the beast inside him…
A hammering on my front door shook us out of our melancholy. What was this? Groundhog’s Day?
Fuming and growling, Lycaon made for the door. “I’ve got this. I’ve bloody got this!”
Austin’s voice hollered through my home.
Dragging my tired legs, I watched as Lycaon swung the door open, almost taking it off its hinges, and peered down at the mage, who mouthed loudly.
“Oh my God, lazy-bones, we’ve been here hammering on Elsa’s door for ages, whilst you two dirty stop-outs have been what, hammering upstairs? Getting dirty? What a pair of slackers! We took a break, walked around the block. Then came back, what the bloody-hell, eh?”
Unable to control his anger, Lycaon grabbed Austin’s collar, almost lifting him off his feet. Then Lycaon peered over Austin and glanced right and left over Austin’s head. “Where’s Buffy, eh? I tell you what, Spike, you make us a coffee and I won’t stake you. Deal?”
“Geez, wolf boy, you stink! What, what the hell happened?”
