⚠️Trigger warnings: Mentions of cutting/depression. 

**

"Stroke of bad luck," Noah murmured, the words barely escaping his lips. His gaze lingered on Callum, who was sporting smeared lip gloss on his lips and pupils that eclipsed the golden hue of his irises. The sight twisted Noah's stomach into knots. And then there was Vera, perched on the counter with a smug grin, her own lips glistening from their heated kiss.

"I can relate," Callum said gravely, his eyes flickering with a hint of something Noah couldn't quite place. For a fleeting moment, Noah dared to hope that it'd been a flicker of guilt—only to immediately squash the feeling.

Noah's thoughts had been relentlessly seized by thoughts of Callum, the guileful wolf, ever since awakening in the makeshift medical center at the school's full moon enclosure. From witnessing this brave—stupid—wolf combat the chaotic storm caused by his magic, to hearing him whimper while entangled in a nightmare, the gentleness of their kiss, and everything that transpired in between. The events seemed to have a mesmerizing hold on Noah, shoving evening Bellamy to the back of his mind. How long had it been? Time appeared distorted ever since Callum waltz into Noah's life.

Only two—bordering three—days had passed, yet Callum had somehow engraved himself so deeply into Noah's thoughts, he could almost believe they'd spent a lifetime together. Noah could almost superimpose Callum's face, and his mannerisms, onto the wolf boy he had encountered that summer in Louisiana.

"Why not go to the infirmary?" Vera asked pointedly.

Noah felt a pang of embarrassment, his throat hurt as he swallowed against the nasty black and blue handprint bruise wrapped around his neck. He'd convinced himself of the reality of Callum's fleeting affections. That Callum's interest was purely out of curiosity about coming across a warlock, even one as helpless and pathetic as himself. But as Vera leaned over, her arms coiled around Callum like ravenous vines, Noah's heart sank.

Zach, his attention divided between Callum's steady gaze and Noah's nervous fidgeting, explained, "Nurse Aylin has her hands full. I gave Noah the neutralizer, but I didn't want him to be alone."

Vera's soft snicker sounded like a piercing cackle to Callum's ears.

"Neutralizer?" Callum questioned, though he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know what that meant.

Vera slid off the counter, the length of her body pressed against Callum as she coiled herself tighter around him. "They work with vampires, Hun." Callum scanned Noah's face, he'd clearly been bitten by a vampire, as toxic as those bites were to werewolves, he knew other fae and humans didn't react the same. Least of all warlocks, whose immunity to poisons was among the highest of all fae-kind. He watched as Noah wrapped his arms around himself, his ears drooped low and brows crinkled inward. "Do you not know?" Vera asked amusedly. "Oh right, you're a beast-shifter, the venom is poisonous to your and Zach's kinds. But, for Noah here, it's not a deadly experience at all."

A sly smile carved her lips as her eyes fixed on Noah; Noah peered through his tousled bangs his expression urging her to divulge his every dirty little secret her heart desired. "Will someone just fucking tell me what the venom does." He growled through his teeth.

"Maybe Noah should tell you." Vera purred. "He knows all about the effects of vampire venom. Don't you?"

Callum scraped his nails against his palms, if someone didn't answer his question soon, he wouldn't be liable to the hole that would end up in the wall. His muscles tensed, unsure if Vera's touch or Noah's inability to look at him bothered him more.

"Vampire venom is a highly addictive substance." Noah clutched his stomach, his eyes lifeless as he forced them from the floor to look at Callum. Or through him, Callum felt an icy current rip through him as if Noah intentionally blurred him from sight. "It's a mixture of chemicals that weaken cognitive control and heightens..." Vera snickered silently as Noah hesitated. "Arousal." Heat flared behind Noah's eyes, his feet tottered back and forth as his mind envisioned the layout of the home, more importantly its exits.

Callum scrubbed his chin with his entire hand, his jaw twitched on its own accord as he examined Noah under a harsh gaze that made Noah shudder as he shrunk back against Zach. Noah was relatively steady on his feet, they turned awkwardly against the rest of his body, as if he would run at the first opportunity. Noah had been sporting heavy shadows and drowsy lids, even at his liveliest moments Noah had looked ready to pass out. Noah held himself tightly, his fingers kneading at the fabric of his sweater. This was hardly the image of a man under the influence of a fae blend of date-rape drugs and ecstasy.

"It catches a pretty penny in illegal fae-trade groups," Vera added, her chest pressed against Callum. "It's quite the aphrodisiac among fae, or so I've heard. I've never been bold enough to try it, but Noah—"

"Vera!" Zach roared as he leaned in towards Noah, partly shielding the smaller male.

The meager does from a vampire newbie, even considering their inability to control the amount of venom they release, was nothing compared to the potency of Bellamy's venomous bites. Bites that scared his body. Corbin had barely scraped the surface before Zach stormed into the room and pulled him off Noah. The venom barely had a chance to enter Noah's bloodstream, he didn't even need the neutralizer, but he couldn't reject the medicine without outing himself as a venom addict.

"Bathroom..." Noah croaked. "I have to pee..." He turned away quickly, bumping into the wall before he could make his hasty escape from the prying eyes.

"What the fuck is wrong with you," Zach demanded an answer from Vera as Noah scurried to the upstairs bathroom.

Vera shrugged, "I didn't mean to upset him. I was simply saying that he knows a lot about vampires because it's his focal study. He's usually so cautious in the lab. How'd he get bitten anyways?" She widened her eyes in a half roll, "Seems careless of him."

Zach rubbed his drowsy eyes, "I don't know. It all happened so fast." His hand raked up through his dark hair, "I'm going to go check on him. Just... I don't know move this shit," his nose crinkled as he eyed the duo, his hand waved over them, "to your room or something. I want to get Noah to eat something, and we don't need another preview."

"Has the neutralizer kicked in yet?" Vera chimed, the devil on her tongue. "This could be your chance to make a move. If the venom is in his system, he'll be more malleable."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Vera," Zach asserted. But the way his cheeks flushed hot, and his eyes kept wandering to the stairs with longing, sent every one of Callum's nerves into a blistering rage.

Vera sneered; her brows as high as her hairline as she cuddled her face against Callum's arm.

Noah hunched over the bathroom sink; his throat thick making every swallow a painful endeavor. He glowered at his worn reflection, why does it have to be her? There were hundreds of fae on this campus, Callum could have his choice of any of them. His hands balled into fists; his coffin-shaped nails dug into his palms. Of course it would be her. Vera was a picture of perfection, with her glossy hair that always fell in silky strands, the way she exuded confidence wherever she went, she was bright and cheerful, and an incredible enchantress. There was no reason Callum wouldn't gravitate towards her.

"I'm tired," he declared to no one, nausea bubbled deep in his core. He'd slept more these last few days than he'd been away, but every passing minute carved through him as if hours were passing by.

"You okay?" Zach stood in the doorframe, Noah smiled somberly at him, it'd always been amusing to Noah how Zach could look so soft, and innocent given his giant stature. "Can I help?" He asked gently, unwilling to move from the doorway until Noah indicated one way or another.

"It's not smart to linger in in-betweens," Noah insisted, his head nodding for Zach to enter the bathroom. Zach paddled into the bathroom; his fingers danced at his sides. "I'm okay, though," Noah confirmed as confidently as he could. It fooled no one. He was grateful Zach didn't call him out on it though. Zach was always kind.

Zach opened the oak wood medicine cabinet built above the toilet. Its shelves filled with shared essentials between Bellamy and Zach. Their toothbrushes neatly tucked away with a rolled-up tube of toothpaste beside them. Spare deodorant and cologne spray bottles, Noah knew only Bellamy used cologne. Beast fae hardly used extra scents, unless it was a scent that complimented their own pheromones. Among the items was a small, barely used, first aid kit that Noah had insisted Bellamy kept handy. Warlocks possessed an affinity for enhanced healing depending on the rank of their patron demon. Bellamy, a blood mage with a Sin Patron, had healing capabilities that rivaled even a werewolf. However, Noah still worried about the occasional spell mishap.

Zach held up a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol, seeking permission with a gentle inquiry, "can I?"

Noah nodded; his face was covered in scratch marks from where Corbin's nails grabbed him. His cheek was swollen and red with fang marks imprinted just under his eye and teeth marks circling underneath. His hair was even more unruly than its normal unmanageable messiness, his pale skin ghastly under the harsh bathroom lights, and his eyes bloodshot. By all accounts, he looked terrible, Noah smiled to himself. It was stupid to think a guy like Callum could ever be attracted to someone like me. Hell, Bellamy was also far out of his league, they'd only been given a chance to get close because Bellamy's grotto took him in.

Noah let Zach lead him the couple of steps to the toilet seat and sat down. Noah rested his hands in his lap, one handheld his wrist. It was Bellamy's kindness that had saved him time and time again, his thumb rubbed the vein mindlessly. He hadn't even noticed when Zach started dabbing the cotton ball over his injuries. It was also Bellamy that hired a witch with palletakinesis—a rare ability that gives the user the ability to manipulate paints, bending their art to their will to create domains, life, and tools. This woman used her ability to become a tattoo artist, with her enchanted ink she covered up the scars Noah marred himself with. To a layman's eyes the scars were invisible, but any fae with enhanced sight—say a werewolf—would be able to see glimmers of the truth under the ink.

Scars riddled Noah's body. Ugly reminders to just how worthless he truly was.

Zach placed a firm hand on top of Noah's trembling hand. "Noah, you can talk to me. If you're struggling again—"

"I'm fine," Noah jolted back into the moment. "Really... I am."

Zach pressed his chest against Noah's knees, his gentle expression a reminder that Noah didn't deserve such kindness. He continued to disinfect the wounds. "How did this happen?"

"I was distracted."

"That's not like you," Zach insisted. Noah winced as the rubbing alcohol entered the fang marks. "Did that hurt? I'm sorry." Noah shook his head, but his watery eyes betrayed him. "I've seen you at work. You've always been so precise with every step you take. If I hadn't been walking by that fucking baby bat could have drained you completely. Or the venom..." his face pinched into an ugly expression; his thoughts unspoken but filled Noah with unease.

"Corbin isn't strong enough to truly hurt me," Noah asserted, that he was confident about. "It was my fault. Corbin was exhibiting frenzied signs, but I kept pushing him. And I will attest to that during his comity trial."

Zach finished cleansing the wounds and went to work applying a homemade ointment to help lighten any scaring and soothe the redness. "You know Eldarion is harsh against the misuse of our abilities. They won't go easy on Corbin, even if you speak in his defense."

"They will," Noah declared, his fingers fidgeted in his lap. "I won't let Corbin suffer because of my carelessness. He didn't choose this life; he's struggling enough already. I'll protect him."

"You have a kind heart," Zach cupped Noah's cheek in his hand, his voice soft and eyes bright. "It's one of the things I adore about you." Noah fidgeted under Zach's affectionate gaze. It bore into him expectantly, whispering convictions that kindness was conditional. His eyes fell between them, blurred to the details as Zach's free hand slid up along his outer thigh. "You're so beautiful, Noah." Noah's skin prickled. Zach pushed up on his toes, his grip on Noah's thigh a gentle threat to accept this price for his kindness.

A guttural growl sounded from the doorway. Zach's expression shifted from gentleness to pure hatred as he faced the intruder. "That's enough," Callum emphasized, "Noah, get up, let's go. I'm walking you back to your dorm room." Zach released Noah, who looked at Callum with a mix of panic and relief.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Zach shot up to his feet, his stance towering and menacing.

Callum didn't bother to give Zach the satisfaction of a response. Instead, his focus remained solely on Noah. "Don't make me throw you over my shoulder," his words rang out like a thunderous threat, that sent a warm flood of invigorating energy low in his stomach.

Slowly, Noah rose to his feet. Zach raised his arm, attempting to block Noah. "Noah isn't going anywhere. He's safer here with me, than some mangy wolf."

A primal growl escaped Callum as he made his way into the bathroom, a predator's gaze pinned on Zach as his nostrils flared. "Do I need to remind you why coyotes are the laughingstock of canine shifters?" Noah's mind went feather light as he watched Callum enlarge himself into a forbidding foe. "Even those trickery kitsunes mock your kind, discarded and forgotten. A useless breed, no scarier than a fat house dog." With a swift movement, Callum reached past Zach, locking onto Noah's arm with a fierce grip. "Now, I'll say this one last time. We. Are. Leaving." With a forceful tug, Callum pulled Noah away from Zach, his strength undeniable as Noah stumbled forward, trapped in Callum's inexorable hold.

"Noah," Zach's voice cracked with restrained fury, "you don't have to do what he says. You're safe here."

Abruptly, Callum pivoted towards the exit, his grip on Noah's wrist slid downwards, intertwining their fingers. Noah's heart raced in agony as he obediently followed Callum's lead, each step pounding like a drumbeat in his chest.

"Wait," Zach lunged forward, seizing Noah's wrist in a vice-grip. "Don't go," his anger dissolved into raw desperation."

"Do you want to lose your fucking hand," Callum bared his teeth.

Zach continued; his eyes wet as his grip on Noah twitched, "You hardly know this guy. What reason does he have to want you to go with him? He just had his tongue down Vera's throat. He's just sees you as an easy fuck, because of the venom."

Noah winced at the brutality of Zach's words.

"That's a fucking enough!" Callum snarled, his breaths loud the vein in his neck engorged. He jerked his arm, pulling Noah free of Zach's bruising grip, using the leverage to shove himself against Zach while Noah fell back into the hallway wall. "If you don't shut that bitch mouth of yours, I will rip the vocal cords from your fucking throat," his tone dipped several octaves lower. Zach swallowed hard, his face ashen as his shoulders tensed and tightened under the murderous gaze of a superior predator.

"Callum." Noah whispered; his hand wrapped around the tense muscles of Callum's arm. "Can we go? Please."

"Yeah," Callum imprisoned Zach's gaze, daring him to speak or look at Noah. "We're done here."

Callum snatched Noah's hand and pulled him through the house. Noah watched as the muscles of Callum's back bunched, and the slight tremble of his shoulders as he breathed heavily. His feet scuffled underneath him, his free hand pressed the wall as Callum yanked him down the stairs. His eyes darted towards the kitchen, where he'd caught Callum and Vera in the middle of a heady moment not even twenty minutes ago. He didn't see her. Callum's focus never faltered, he didn't glance around the house, he didn't bother with any proper guest formalities. Noah's eyes fell on their conjoined hands as they darted through the dark living room, Callum's hand was sweltering. His fingers gripped tightly between Noah's, almost as if Noah would float off into the stratosphere if he let go.

They stopped in the narrow mudroom; Callum shoved his feet into his sneakers. Noah loosened his grip so he could pull on his own boots and jacket. Callum snatched Noah's falling hand in a possessive squeeze. Noah hesitated when Callum pinned him with a wild expression, his lips tight and nostrils flared. "I...I..." he stammered, heat rising to his cheeks, "I need to... need to... put on..." his eyes fell to his shoes, momentarily forgetting the word.

Callum visibly relaxed, his steeled expression shifting into one that almost resembled guilt. He released Noah's hand. Before Noah could bend down to slide his feet into his boots Callum crouched down. Noah wobbled as Callum grabbed his foot and lifted it up, his arms flailed out until his back leaned against the wall for support. Callum said nothing as he rested Noah's wool covered foot on his lap. "I can put them on myself!" Noah insisted, breathlessly. Callum slid the boot over Noah's foot, tying the laces painfully tight. "Callum! Will you listen to me," Noah clutched a handful of his hair and yanked his head to force him to look at him. A shiver ran down Noah's spine as Callum glared up at him with primal longing.

When Noah's protests died in his throat, Callum returned to his task. He slid on the second boot, laced it up and then stood. Their bodies brushed together, the hair on the back of Noah's neck prickled.

Silence engulfed them as Callum wrapped Noah in his jacket, zipping it all the way up to shield the lower half of his face from the chilled winter night. Only after securing Noah's hood did Callum open the front door and lead them out into the night.

The two walked in silence, their footsteps silenced by the fresh layer of snow. Neither of them noticed the snowflakes melting like tears on their burning skin. Noah couldn't help but marvel in the steely resolve etched into Callum's posture, his grip on Noah's hand remained deceptively gentle yet carried undercurrents of protectiveness.

"I... I can..." Noah stumbled over his own voice. "I can walk myself home... You can go back," against his will, his legs freezing as bitterness stung his eyes, "you can go back to Vera."

"Are you fucking stupid?" Callum spat, turning to face Noah. Noah stared at him incredulously. "I can't fucking leave your side without you getting hurt or taken advantage of!"

"What?" Noah felt as small as a mouse under the bewilderment glare of this wolf.

"That fucking coyote was about to... about to," Callum's teeth gnashed as his grip on Noah's hand tightened. "And you were going to let him! Do you have no sense of danger? Do you not realize when you're being taken advantage of?" An accusatory understanding settled over his agitated features. "Or do you not care? Is that your game? You like acting like the helpless prey. Get off on being devoured by any predator that will have you." Shock surged through Noah, igniting his rage. Energy flowed through him, zapping warning sparks through their connected hands. Callum growled at the sudden pain and released Noah's hand.

"How dare you," Noah gritted, his ears folded tight against his head. "You think I enjoy being treated the way I am?" he jabbed his finger against Callum's chest. "You think it's fun for me when predator types-- like you—think they can do whatever they want?" The warmth in his stomach turned molten.

"I do!" Callum shouted. "I think you damn well know what you're doing when you flash that innocent, 'lost in the clouds'," Callum's fingers danced in the air, "look you get! Fuck, you have some sort of twisted victim complex or abuse kink. And here I am," Callum raked his hand violently through his snow-dampening hair, a bitter sneer twisting his lips as he half-turned away from Noah. "I walked right into your goddamn trap. I let you get under my skin."

The warm tingle that had filled Noah's nervous system now felt like a million tiny needles poking at him. Tears burned his eyes as heat flared from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. He truly was stupid. "Fuck you," Noah's voice trembled as his chest hitched. He shoved past Callum, "I don't need some fucking asshole trying to analyze me." He curled within himself, numb to the howling winds that encased him. "I got under his skin?" Noah muttered to himself as he marched away from Callum. "What a fucking joke."

I'm a fucking joke.

Footsteps trailed behind him; Noah abruptly spun around. "Don't follow me! Don't pretend to be worried about me! This insignificant little prey isn't any of your concern."

A hoarse chuckle reverberated through the air, mocking Noah's defiance. Noah's jaw clenched tightly as Callum advanced slowly. Noah refused to yield, "Don't you have any other fae you can play with. I'm sick of these games."

"None of my concern?" Frosty amusement illuminated his face under neath the waning moon. Every step brought them closer, Noah stood, paralyzed, every nerve in his body shooting electrical currents of warning through him.

Run.

Stay.

Hide.

Embrace.

"I wish that was true, but. You wormed your way under my skin, I turn my back for a second and then I have to put some asshole in his place." There was as much truth as there was falsity within Callum's words. Noah was under his skin, etched deep within his being in a way Callum couldn't begin to describe. However, he knew it was unfair to accuse him of playing games of the heart. Even though Callum knew this, his stomach tightened, and his hands itched to possess Noah.

"Is that what this is about?" Noah's hands slid under his sleeves; his nails clawed against his flesh. "You need compensation for being the biggest bad?" Callum stopped a few short feet in front of Noah, his brows knitted as he waited for Noah to continue. "You're upset that you haven't reaped any of the rewards for a hunt well done?"

"Noah," Callum's voice was a low warning.

Noah's scowl flipped into a scornful smile, "come take your reward then." His nails peeled down his skin as his arms dropped to his sides, puffing out his chest as he opened himself to Callum. "Take what you want," Noah taunted, a tinge of enlightenment in his eyes. Callum's stomach dropped. "Then leave me alone," Noah demanded.

"You don't know what you're offering," Callum clipped, his pulse raced as he closed the remaining steps between them. His fingers twitched at his side as he forcibly kept them from reaching for Noah.

"Don't I? I thought you said, I know exactly what I'm doing."

The tender moment they shared just that morning felt like it had been lifetimes ago. Gone was the timid Noah that looked at him with a confused adoration. Replaced by a vixen, with a gaze riddled with hurt. Callum drew in a long breath. "What are you waiting for?" Noah gulped, his confidence wavering.

Callum slid an arm around Noah's waist, his gentle caress bringing them close. "You think I won't take exactly what you're offering?" Callum whispered. A tight smile stretched his lips, his fingers gently traced the scratches on Noah's face. Noah's eyes quivered, desperately wanting to look away but his determination wouldn't allow for such a defeat. "You don't think I can smell such a weak bluff from a mile away?"

Callum pressed his lips against Noah's ear, "putting on such a brave face." His hand slid over the swell of Noah's small, round butt, "when you're just a scared little bunny." Noah's breaths shallowed; Callum's touch on his body raised the heat within. "You're scared you'll like it," Callum groused as he pulled Noah's earlobe between his teeth. "Like what I do to you."

"Lot of big talk seems like you're stalling," Noah shuttered a breath. Their bodies pressed together; the vibrations of Noah's stampeding heart sent a wave of heat through Callum. He wasn't wrong, Noah was scared, he feared lots of things. His mind raced with all the things that scared him; Bellamy's wrath, losing control of himself and his magic. But, in that moment, the thing that scared Noah the most was that Callum was right.

He wanted to be at the center of Callum's attention.

His skin prickled at the anticipation of being helpless under Callum's passions.

His heart was beating so wildly, he could only take little sips of breath.

Callum's touch was feathery as his fingers traced the lines of Noah's face, before sliding back behind his neck. The gentleness stunned Noah to his core, his resolution to be one of Callum's playthings faltered.

Noah would have liked to think he wore a stoic expression. That he looked confident. Maybe even sexy. But based on amusement that glimmered in Callum's eyes and the quirk of his lopsided grin, Noah knew he looked more like a deer in the headlights.

A doe for this wolf to devour.

"You don't look so sure of yourself anymore, darlin'," Callum groused, his lips leaving a trail of kisses along Noah's jaw, down his neck. His hips rocked forward; his hardening cock rubbed against Noah's groin. Sending flares of need straight through Noah, his mouth went slack, his lashes darkening his vision. "Nothing to say?"

A sweet little cry escaped Noah, shooting straight through to Callum's core. He growled against Noah's neck, his tongue tracing the erratically pulsing vein. "I...I want..." Noah stammered.

"What do you want," Callum resisted the primal urge to mark Noah, to leave traces of himself for all to see. Their hips ground together; the friction unbearably wonderful as his hand worked its way under Noah's thick layers. Desperate to feel his smooth skin. "Tell me, sweetheart."

Noah bit down on his lip until trinkles of blood dripped over his taste buds. Stifling his moans as Callum rolled his hips in slow, sensual waves, dragging his cock over Noah's. The tight constraints of Noah's jeans became painful. "Let me hear your voice," Callum demanded, his tender kisses traced the splotchy bruise that covered Noah's neck.

Noah's thoughts raced in slow motion, too blurred to collect as sparks of energy awakened something deep inside of him. He'd never been asked before, never been asked what he wanted. Even when he voiced his needs, they were often met with punishment. Did Callum want to punish him? Punish him for provoking him, punish him for daring to think he could be something special.

What Noah wanted was as simple as it was complicated. He wanted Callum, and he wanted to remain at the center of Callum's attention. It had been the same thing he wanted from Bellamy; he had wanted it so desperately that he dared to ask Bellamy to change his ways for him. "I want you to kiss me," Noah finally requested, his voice low and needy as his hands bunched over Callum's chest. "I want you to kiss me," he repeated, "and don't fucking stop."

A twisted smile traced Noah's lips, Bellamy had been right. Noah knew now just how selfish he was.

Any claim to rationality snapped as Callum's cock jerked at Noah's demand.

Callum's mouth crashed hard against Noah's. A strong, hand, rough with calluses pressed against his lower back. Their bodies rocked against each other; Noah's hand slipped downwards. His palm pressed hard against Callum's bulge. Every moan swallowed by the other as their tongues entwined. Every hot breath steamed within the tight spaces between them.

As they parted, a broken whine escaped Noah. A flurry of emotions raced through him—elation, fear, a hint of sadness. Hastily Noah slid his hand into Callum's sweatpants, only then did he realize he still wore the damn coyote's clothes. His head fell forward, their foreheads pressed together as he groaned with pleasure. Noah's thumb pressed against the tip of Callum's hard cock, smearing the beads of precum down his length as he fisted him and stroked downwards. "Easy, Darlin'," Callum rasped with restraint. "Let's get inside. I don't want you freezing out here."

Lust and greed twined deep within Noah. For the first time he felt connected to the Dark Divine, Lilith, Mother of warlocks. Fireworks detonated within Noah. He pushed up on his toes, the scent of smokey pine trees, thick and aromatic, mixed harmoniously with the delicate sweetness of lotus blossoms. Noah kissed Callum with all the ferocity of a creature struck from Eden.

Sweetness, mixed with desperation. Fierce desire, that distorted all sense of gravity. Every stroke of Noah's hand sent Callum closer and closer into a spiral through oblivion. Every brush of his tongue and nervous nibble against his lips threatened to be Callum's undoing. The wolf prowled just below the surface, searching for any cracks in the bonds that keep him from overwhelming the human half.

Fireworks sizzled through Noah, blurring away all his protective layers. Distorting his grasp on self-preservation, giving away to the intoxicating tingling of knowing that in that moment, Callum was his.

"Is it my imagination," Callum groaned against Noah's lips, unwilling to pull away, "or am I feeling actual sparks?"

Noah's heavy lids widened.

Noah's hand fell out of Callum's pants, pangs of frustration, longing, and confusion shot through Callum. His tight grip loosened as he shoved Callum away. Callum's strong arms, unbreakable around him as Noah wiggled helplessly. "Let me go!" He shouted; the lusty need that once filtered his voice shattered like glass. "

The energy that had coursed through him like a dazzling display of fireworks soured. The heat, sweltering, like the humidity before torrential rain. The protective barriers he meticulously crafted to keep the dark entity of his magic at bay crumbled as tremors threatened to carve his soul in two. His chest lifted and fell erratically as heavy tears streamed down his cheeks.

"What just happened," Callum separated their bodies enough to give Noah space to breath but kept his hands firm on his hips.

Noah's eyes darted furiously; his hand grappled against his layers seeking the moonstone he never dared take off. "It's gone..." he choked. His long, dainty fingers trembled as they ripped through his hair. "It's gone! Oh no. No. No. No," he pulled away from Callum's grip and stumbled in whichever direction his legs would carry him. "I need to get away. Somewhere safe... somewhere... away... danger..." he muttered senselessly.

Callum raced to stay at Noah's side, "Noah, what's going on?"

"Dangerous" Noah's eyes were wide but unseeing as he stumbled without a destination in mind. Callum flinched as he grabbed Noah's arm, jolts of malignant energy burned his palm. "I can't control it." With fierce determination Callum snatched Noah in his arms, his jaw tightened and muscles spasmed as volatile energy pierced through him. Noah thrashed in his arms, "LET ME GO!"

Callum pulled Noah tightly against his body, his heart pounded dangerously as electricity filled his ribcage. His hand covered the back of Noah's head, pressing his face against his chest, the other wrapped tightly around his torso, keeping Noah's arms at his sides.

"I'm hurting you," Noah sobbed. His body motionless against the paralyzing static coursing through his veins. Like a parasite he could feel the maelstrom of magic flow through him and into Callum. He could feel it wreaking havoc within him, tearing through his very soul, and he could feel it's insatiable need to do the very same to Callum. "Please... I need to get somewhere. Somewhere I won't hurt anyone. I don't want to hurt you."

"Don't even think about suffering alone." Callum pressed his face onto the top of Noah's head, the tousled strands tickled his nose and tangled in his beard. Are you just going to sit there and watch your warlock spiral? Callum scolded the wolf within him. You know we're stronger when our souls are connected. Lend me your strength...

Callum winced as every atom in his body vibrated viciously. Threatening to obliterate him from this plane of existence. His heart squeezed painfully as it began to seize, his lungs burned for air that wouldn't come. Noah sobbed pitifully against his chest. "I'm so sorry. I'm going to kill you."

Hear that? We're dying. How do you think he's going to feel when we die because of his magic?

Electrical currents shot down Callum's spine, fraying his nerves faster than they could heal themselves. With a final gasp, Callum's legs gave out beneath him, plunging both him and Noah into the soft, unforgiving snow. But still, despite the numbing shocks and deathly exhaustion, Callum clung tight to Noah, unwilling to let go.

Memories flooded his mind in disarray. His mother's voice, a soothing hush, filled his ears.

"Have I told you the tale of Lycoan? The first werewolf." Callum remembered this night so vividly. They had lost power due to an ice storm, a bizarre occurrence in Louisiana. Callum wasn't any older than eight and couldn't sleep as the balls of ice slammed viciously against their home. Young Callum shook his head, eager to learn about the ancestor to all werewolves.

The snow beneath them steamed, melting rapidly, until the ground surrounding them was as dry as a drought during the summer. Black dots danced across Callum's vision, his teeth gnashed and ground together until his jaw ached. "Wolf!" He gritted, his voice a barely audible growl, "if you care about this warlock you'll set your pride aside." Tears soaked through his hoodie; Noah's voice broke as he sobbed his pleas to not kill Callum. "Stay with me, sweetheart," Callum breathlessly soothed Noah.

"It all started when a little boy was born to a fae woman and a human man. On the outside the boy looked human, he didn't possess any of his mother's fae-attributes. This was a good thing. He would live an easy life, happy and peaceful. Never having to fear the brutality of humankind. But, on the inside, this boy housed two souls." Young Callum found himself captivated by his mother's story. "One soul took the shape of a human—calm, docile, withdrawn. The other took the shape of a wolfen beast—dauntless, unyielding, angry. These two souls lived separately within Lycoan, only sharing in the darkness of fear."

"The man, he walked the warmth of day. Living a quiet existence, too scared to talk to the girl he fancied, too weak to defend himself against the drunkard seeking a fight. The wolf though, was a predator of the night. He tore his way through the farmlands of his home village. Devouring the cows and chickens, avoiding the humans. Until one night, a boy happened upon the wolf. The boy had slipped out of his home after his parents fell soundly asleep, he had no reason to be out so late. No reason, other than being worried that the unnaturally large wolf that had been feasting upon the livestock would make a meal of his favorite sheep."

Young Callum's eyes widened in horror.

Noah's body went limp, his eyes wide as his head tottered backwards. The atmosphere around them crackled with deadly lightning, the crisp flakes descending the sky turned to slush. Bulbs from the streetlamps buzzed with electricity until they burst, sparks flying all around. Noah stared up at the blanket of darkness that loomed above, ultraviolet rays flashed within them, casting the night sky in an eerie purple haze. Noah wondered, what would happen if he relinquished himself to this power. His soul was tattered and exhausted, his body frail and marred.

"You fucking bastard wolf!" Callum's voice was like a whisper on the wind, distant and distorted. Yet, the arms that held him so tightly an anchor that kept him from plummeting into the depths of his dark existence.

A slow trickle of the wolf's strength trickled through Callum's veins. Casting a protective barrier against the electrical currents that began to shut down Callum's organs. With a series of forced breaths, Callum fortified his seizing heart. The two halves of Callum's soul messily stitched together, enhancing the body's ability to heal tenfold. Every hair on Callum's body stood erect, his skin tingled, and a warmth washed through him. He steadied himself as he positioned Noah bridal style in his arms and rose to his feet.

"The wolf didn't mean to eat the boy. He didn't know the difference. He'd always avoided the humans, they reeked of hatred and disdain. But this boy had been different, his scent was filled with all the warmth he'd never experienced in his many years of life. Sunshine had poured from the boy. The wolf didn't know. He didn't know how maddening longing could be. He didn't know just how badly he desired sunlight. And this boy, he was the sun."

"Mommy," Callum had wept tears, but he hadn't been sure if it was for the boy or the wolf, "do our wolves crave the sun?"

His mother simply smiled as she continued the story. "Selene was a divine warrior, a tamer of fierce beasts and destroyer of the evil that leaked from the domains of hell. When Lycoan's wolf tasted the blood of a human, and craved the sensation of the sun again, he rampaged through the village, and dozens upon dozens after. When no human warrior proved to be strong enough to defeat this wild beast, the Pantheon sent Selene to track and eliminate the wolf."

Callum carried Noah within the eye of destruction that swirled around them. Wires zapped and snapped, sparks flying all around them. Snow turned to slush as magic heated the air around them. Lightning zapped all around, striking trees, leaving glowing molten scorching the trees' nervous systems. Noah watched the carnage with glazed eyes, he wished for the end. "Stay with me," Callum's voice barely reached him, "come on, sweetheart. You still have so much to gripe at me about. Please, Noah, just stay with me."

"What happened to the wolf?" Young Callum asked eagerly.

"You see, Lycoan was an enigma, something Selene had never faced. A man and a beast. She had met the man early in her hunt, he was beautiful, strange, and so full of sweet ideas that Selene never once imagined he'd been the very creature she'd been tasked to hunt. She'd encountered the wolf once at the start of her hunt. He'd been three times the size of an average wolf, his fangs long and sharp, his fur blacker than obsidian, reflecting the heavens above. She'd fought valiantly, but the beast's movements were sporadic. He'd left her with several scars, near death, when the sun rose, Lycoan the man found her."

Callum gasped.

The sweetness of his mother's smile gave the air that this had been a love story. "It took two winters of hunting to encounter this predator again. Two winters she spent among the mortals, her heart now safe in the hands of Lycoan. The fruits of their love growing in her belly."

"Like my sisters!" Callum beamed excitedly pointed at his mom's pregnant belly.

"Exactly," she rubbed her stomach, two sets of feet kicked from within. "As the full moon loomed, Lycoan sensed the beast inside of him. It prowled closer and closer to the surface, searching for the sunlight he so desperately wanted. He begged Selene, begged her with everything in him to cease the hunt, to hand the job over to another capable hunter. But our Goddess is a prideful soul, she refused, and that night blood stained the radiance of the full moon."

Callum huddled in his blanket, his own wolf prickled just under the surface of his skin, as if also intently listening to this tale of man and beast.

"We're almost there," Callum coughed, the boost of strength from the stitches that connected his two halves snapped one by one. Every step was laborious, as he led them through the thicket of trees. Noah had said he needed to be somewhere safe, somewhere away, and the only place Callum could think of was the dinky cabin built to the side of the full moon enclosure. "Don't leave me," he begged, Noah's breaths had slowed, the chaotic storm around them had begun to sputter in lapses of intensity. Callum tried not to think about what he would even do once they got to the cabin.

This was different from the last time he'd witnessed Noah spiral into uncontrollable energy. That had felt as if an outside source used Noah's body as a conduit. Absorbing all the magic and life from the surrounding area. It had been a controlled destruction. This was a messy surge of power. Not absorbing but destroying everything in its path. Burning away at Noah's own life force.

With the cabin in sight, Callum forced his legs to work faster than they could carry them.

"Selene faced off against the wolf. Fighting with all the fervor of the warriors before her and all the resilience of a mother. I imagine our Goddess was breathtaking as she battled her opponent. The battle wore on through the night, she could only assume the wolf was weakened during the day. With dawn rapidly approaching, Selene saw victory over the horizon, it was there. She would be revered; she would retire and move from the heavens to live a quiet and peaceful life with the love of her life and their children." His mother sighed wistfully. "When the colors of the sky shifted, the wolf lashed out, carving her precious belly. Agony and restraint filled the wolf, as Selene fell, her hands desperately clutching her bleeding belly. As she saw death approach, the wolf felt it. He felt the sun. It shrouded her, it poured from her womb and that was when his eyes opened."

"Through the wolf's eyes, the man saw every sin had committed. The wolf felt all the warmth the man had experienced. It was then that the souls stitched together, in a harmonious punishment."

The door slammed open, hanging ajar from its hinges as Callum thrashed through the open space of the cabin. Bulbs buzzed and shattered above them; Callum shielded Noah from the rain of glass. The old appliances in the kitchenette hummed with static.

The cabin's chill crept in, the dying flame in the woodstove barely offering warmth. Noah shivered; he cried a murmur of pain as he nuzzled against Callum. Callum chuckled softly, "Quit being cute at the worst times. My heart can't handle it." He grabbed a blanket from one of the cots, and settled on the floor away from any lights and glass that would shatter from the looming of Noah's magic. He kept Noah secure in his lap and wrapped the thin blanket around them. "You're more than my heart can handle," Callum confessed, his touch gentle as he brushed the hair that fell over Noah's face. "I was wrong to accuse you of messing around," he admitted, "I shouldn't have put my issues on you like that."

Leaning back against the wall, Callum continued. "I'm the one that runs away from anything that starts to feel too serious. But maybe, I could try... if it was you, I think I could." Even as Callum spoke his thoughts out loud, he wasn't convinced by himself. And if he couldn't convince himself then there was no way in hell, he would be able to convince Noah. "You'd be patient with me, more than I deserve. Actually. maybe not. You'd probably put me right in my place if I started acting out."

"That could be nice," Callum mused. "Aylin keeps talking about fate. But it's fucking horrifying to think that my every decision is just some grand design. Having a purpose, someone that counts on me, holding me accountable... shits scary. Werewolves love that shit though, they trust in Selene's guidance, trust in the instincts that guide us to our mate. I don't know. I feel like I'd just fuck up your life."

Noah winced; the currents of chaos simmered relinquishing its grip on destruction.

"My mom used to tell me this story about Selene and Lycoan, you might not know this, but he was the first true werewolf. You might've already known that... I've seen the way you read, as if every page is an entire life playing before your eyes. You're so beautiful when you read."

A woosh swept through the woodstove, the dying embers roared to life.

"My mom told the story as if it was this epic romance. The first soulmates in a long ancestry of werewolves. But all I could ever think was, that Lycoan killed his mate, how could that be romantic? What if I found my mate, then killed them?" Callum sighed a laugh. "The child survived. Barely, but he did. Selene's sister and a healer are the ones that came to collect Selene's physical form, they carried her soul to the Moon Gardens where she can never leave. With the body they bound the Lycoan, the child and the future generations of werewolves to the moon cycles. It's said that Selene's final gift to her love and child was awakening the beast in dozens of other humans. Giving them a pack to protect and hold his bloodthirst accountable."

"I guess she wanted me to understand that both the human and beast share a life, and in that unison, we are made stronger."

The magic that tormented Callum ceased. The wolf's energy was spent, separating the two halves of the soul as the wolf dissipated into the shadows of the human. Every part of Callum's sore body tingled; sporadic jolts made him shudder. Noah didn't wake up, but his breathing deepened.

"There we go," Callum drew Noah tighter against his body. "I just found my sunshine; I can't lose you now."