Heart's Price (MxM)

Chapter 62

Legends of bipedal wolf-men, ravenous and rabid, ruled by the moon, driven to madness by a lust for blood and the spread of the bite—this is the Lycanthrope.

Lycans are born when a bite goes bad, when the mind of the Bitten breaks. Obsessed with a single desire they are driven to seek and destroy the one who made them, and then to spread carnage and chaos until they themselves are destroyed.

They're rare, and feared for a reason.

I'd thought biting Thom had been the end of him—that he'd slink away and hide himself somewhere, never daring to show his face again.

I should have known he, of all people, would turn like that.

Now all my mistakes seem to be joining to form some kind of perfect storm, catching up everyone I care about along the way.

"Can you climb a tree?" I whisper urgently, lifting my hand from Julian's mouth.

"In theory, or practice?" he asks

"Practice. As in, right now."

"I can fight, too," he argues, brushing silky brown hair behind a pair of decidedly pointy ears. I've never seen his 'Fae-phase,' as Dane calls it, but it's no wonder he usually stays home at the full moon. "I'm not some kind of 'airy-fairy' weakling, you know."

I squint at him, unsure if he's joking, since he's literally a Faerie with an affinity for air.

"I know you can, but now's not the time. A Lycan is no joke. Now can you climb, or not?"

He scowls at me, but nods.

"Good—get somewhere high and stay still and silent. Better yet, go Unseen, and whatever happens, don't come down. Understand?"

"Noah—"

The shivering howl sounds again, nearer now, and my heart leaps with new fear. Penelope's face is still fresh in my mind, as is her senseless sacrifice.

"Julian!" I push him towards the trees. "I'm not worth it, alright? Now go!"

His stubborn expression finally yields, and he grabs me in a quick, fierce hug.

"Yes, you are," he breathes softly near my ear. "You are worth it. But I understand. Be careful, brother."

Then he releases me, turns, and scales a nearby oak with inhuman nimbleness, disappearing amid the blackness of the upper branches against the moonlit sky.

For a handful of seconds, I remain frozen while my brain races to solve this new predicament.

I'm fairly certain that between the three of us, Dane, Freya and I could take on a Lycan and win. If I lead Thom back towards the others now, though, there's no telling who else might get hurt or killed. On my own, I'm no match.

On the other hand, he'd have to catch me first.

I may not have Julian's Fae abilities, but being quiet and passing unnoticed is practically my superpower. That, and being able to effect a partial Shift.

I do so now, trading my human eyes and ears for my wolf's, and letting my senses expand.

My vision isn't much help—my wolf's eyes are more sensitive to light, but everything beyond a stone's throw is still a blur. My hearing, though, is as sharp as my raw nerves.

I moved to the edge of the deep shadows beneath the pines, squinting across the open ground between the screen of trees and the other side of the neighboring empty lot, where the wasteland of last season's weeds is awash in silver light.