Over the next two days, Kaerius spent most of his time in salt baths and bed. He would have liked to go back to the ocean for a few hours, but he was too ill to make it there. Rowan managed to stay awake for forty-eight hours, and when the mark hit, he wanted to collapse into bed. The last thing Rowan wanted was to go on a quest to make a drink that would separate a bond between his soul and a Thalassic Mortal's soul. But it had to be done.

"Are you well enough to go downstairs for breakfast?" Rowan asked, leaning against the wall.

Kaerius nodded, standing up after putting on his shoes. He inspected Rowan's face. He looked as ill as Kaerius had felt the day before. Staying awake for so long wasn't suitable for the body. "Kaerius eat human food?" he asked.

"Yes. You should be fine now to eat food." Rowan opened the door, and as they walked to the lift, he said, "Instead of saying Kaerius, say I."

"I eat human food?" Kaerius said.

"Say, should I eat human food?"

"Should I eat human food?"

Rowan smiled. "Good."

Kaerius's chest warmed because of Rowan's appraisal, but he managed to hold back a smile.

They were the only ones in the lift, so Kaerius could stare at himself in the mirror. Rowan watched as his eyes trace over himself with curiosity.

"Is it weird to see yourself in human form?" Rowan asked.

"Kaerius doesn't- I doesn't-"

"I don't," Rowan corrected him.

"I don't know Thalassic Mortal form," Kaerius said. "Not well."

"Is that because you only ever see yourself in the reflection of water?"

Kaerius nodded.

Rowan wondered if that was the reason why Thalassic mortals were such confident and proud creatures. They didn't judge or alter their appearances because they didn't know nor care about what they looked like. Rowan guessed they thought they all looked similar, based on other Thalassic Mortal's faces, and bodies, and tails.

The lift beeping sunk those thoughts to the back of Rowan's mind. He was tired and ready to eat his feelings. The breakfast room was empty, but the food was hot, and there was plenty of everything. Kaerius sat at a table while Rowan poured him a large bowl of cereal and made himself an English breakfast.

"I okay to eat?" Kaerius asked, pointing at his bowl of weird flakes and white fluids.

Rowan smiled at Kaerius's English. "Yeah, you should be fine. I gave you soya milk because I doubt your stomach would want cow's milk."

"Cow's milk?"

"It's another animal's milk."

Kaerius looked horrified, and for the first time, Rowan could see his world from an outsider's point of view. "I've just ruined milk for myself."

Kaerius arched a brow and stared at his bowl. "Weird."

Rowan ignored him and ate his breakfast.

After food, Rowan felt even more tired, but Kaerius was starting to get his strength back, and he was delighted that his stomach didn't want to throw the food back up.

The boys checked out of the hotel before it was even seven in the morning. Werewolves were early risers, and it would be easier to interact with them if many humans weren't around.

"It's about a ten-minute walk to the base of their pack. Let me know if you get tired."

"I fine," Kaerius said. He was getting used to having human legs. They felt like they were getting stronger with each step. He was still a little clumsy, but he might have been able to jog, given the chance.

The werewolf's base was in a closed HMV store. Their base moved from closed shop to closed shop. Mandy always kept a close eye on them and logged it in their file.

Rowan decided to use the back entrance. He had only ever seen a Thalassic Mortal from the supernatural world, but he knew werewolves were peaceful, which was one of the things that separated them from the humans.

"Stay close," Rowan said to Kaerius. Despite werewolves being the least problematic, Rowan still had to be cautious and alert. "The werewolves might not like us being in their territory."

Kaerius stood right behind Rowan as he opened the back door that lead into a large storeroom. The door creaked and echoed loud. The room was full of werewolves who looked like they were having a meeting. They all turned to stare at the boys, and Kaerius gasped. The werewolves all had bright yellow eyes. Their eyes looked like small torches, all pointing at the human and Thalassic Mortal.

"Um, hello," Rowan said timidly.

"He can see us," one of the werewolves said, and they all rushed to their feet.

"I'm not a hunter!" Rowan said, holding up his hands.

"Well, what are you doing here?" a woman asked, eyeing Kaerius curiously.

"We need your help. My name is Rowan Solar, and-"

"A solar!" a guy yelled, and the werewolves backed off. "You are a hunter!"

"No, my family are hunters. I'm not a hunter!" Rowan said, wanting to take a step into the room, but Kaerius held him back by his bag. "I need your help!"

The werewolves were silent for a moment, but the woman stood up straight, staring intensely at Kaerius. "You've brought a Thalassic Mortal with legs."

The other werewolves stared at Kaerius's legs with their glowing yellow eyes. "A creature of the sea with legs. Just when I thought I'd seen it all," a man laughed. "Come in, Solar. Tell us what the hell is going on."

Rowan stepped in and the werewolves tensed. "Here," Rowan said and tossed them his bag. "Check it. I have no weapons or ill intentions."

The werewolves emptied the bag to see only overnight stuff and money. The woman, who Rowan assumed was the leader of the pack, stepped forwards. She was a tall woman with short hair that rested at the bottom of her ears. She had a thin nose and even thinner lips. A long pale scar stood out against her dark skin, running along the left side of her face.

"Who's your friend, Rowan Solar?" she asked. Her yellow eyes tuning a deep brown as they flicked to the sea creature.

"I Kaerius, Thalassic Mortal. Strong sea creature," Kaerius said with confidence, expecting the werewolves to back away like they did with Rowan, but some laughed, and none of them looked impressed.

Rowan took a breath when Kaerius scowled. "Kaerius is my soulmate," he said, and the amusement on the werewolves faces melted away. "That's why we're here. We're trying to get rid of the bond-"

Kaerius, feeling a little humiliated, pushed Rowan out of the way and stormed up to the leader of the pack. "Give Kaerius wolf claw. Now!" he demanded in his deep voice. As soon as he lifted a hand to the Alpha, the pack pounced.

If it were anyone else, Rowan would have stood back and allowed them to get wrestled to the ground, but for some reason, Rowan's protectiveness flared, and he couldn't bear someone else's hands on Kaerius. Rowan marched forwards, and his fighting skills came back to him in an instant.

As if he had done it a thousand times, Rowan threw himself into the swarm of werewolves like bowling ball. The crowd broke up, and Rowan grabbed the Alpha. Quickly, he bent her arm around her back and pushed his other arm into her throat, putting pressure on her airways. He backed away towards the door as Kaerius scrambled to his feet.

"We come here peacefully," he said, staring frantically at the panicked glowing eyes and the growing claws. "Kaerius doesn't know basic manners. This is the longest time he has been on land. We mean no harm and I will not hurt your Alpha and Kaerius will not hurt your Alpha. We're here for help, that is all."

"Then let go of me," the Alpha said.

Rowan let go, and she was dragged back to safety by her pack members.

Kaerius stared at Rowan, half in awe of his bravery, and half embarrassed that a human saved him from getting squashed into the concrete like a little bug.

The Alpha crossed her arms and looked Rowan up and down. "If you were just anyone, you wouldn't be walking out of that door anytime soon, but because you're a Solar and we're on good terms with your family, we'll make a deal."

Rowan saw that coming. "Name your price."

"We don't want money, human. We want your poison," she said, pointing to Kaerius. "In return, you can have an omega claw. Sound fair?"

Rowan looked at Kaerius, and he was ready to nod. "Why do you need Thalassic Mortal poison?"

"You don't need to know-"

"If you don't tell me, I'll go to the pack in the next town. I know they're your rivals and I bet they'd be happy to help-"

"We want it for protection."

Rowan frowned when Kaerius returned to his side. "Protection from what?"

"There's a storm coming, Solar. The supernatural will come together. Humans have been unnaturally quiet. We know they are planning something."

"Maybe you've done nothing wrong, so they're staying away?"

Even Kaerius scoffed at Rowan's naivety while the Alpha laughed so much, she had to put hands on her knees until she caught her breath. "We have to simply exist, and we've done something wrong."

Rowan related in a way. He was gay in a world that was still trying to accept him.

"I give poison," Kaerius said. "Wolf give claw. Deal." He looked at Rowan who agreed. "We have moon. Now."

The Alpha frowned. "We know how to remove a supernatural bond, so luckily for you, I get that you need something charged by the moon, but human, teach that fish some English."

Rowan held Kaerius's forearm when he frowned and took a stride forward again. "Stop it, Kaerius. We're not here to fight."

"Kaerius no make friends either."

"It doesn't mean you have to act like that," Rowan hissed.

Kaerius felt like he was getting yelled at by Laiken because that was precisely what Laiken would say.

Rowan felt like he was lecturing a child, and his cheeks reddened when he looked up, and the pack of werewolves seemed amused.

"I like this human," the Alpha said, tilting her head. "I never thought I'd say that about a Solar."

"I'm not a hunter, and I would never be a hunter. It's bad luck that I was born into that family, but my parents don't define me," Rowan said, holding his head high.

The Alpha eyed him with an inquisitive stare. "Why are you getting rid of the bond? Is it because of who your parents are? Because you just said that they don't define you."

Rowan would like to say that it was just because he had fought for a normal life, so he deserved one, but he was worried about how being bonded to Kaerius would affect his home life.

"Kaerius want normal life too," the sea creature said. "Mutual choice."

"Every soulmate is paired for a reason. There's nothing more beautiful, and you want to get rid of it because you don't think you can have a normal life together? Humans are especially lucky to be blessed with a bond. What a waste."

Rowan and Kaerius glanced at each other. They were lucky to have found the perfect soul that would love them through the best and the toughest times of their lives, but they were still so caught up in how their lives were before the bond. Rowan and Kaerius couldn't see a future together, at least, not yet.