A circle of black mist had ringed around my head by the time I was able to confirm a delivery. Trying to order food in the city was bad enough, but all the way out here on the outskirts of suburbia meant that I could be dying my greying roots by the time the food arrived, or worse, the food would arrive cold. We had to rely on the local restaurants and many were reluctant to serve the Mavros house in all its spooky mystique. You'd think there would be one brave person or someone not brave at all but threatened with a dare would risk it. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

'Try tipping more,' Lycius suggested, hovering over my shoulder while I glared at the phone. He was a looming shadow at my back and his talon was as big as my thumb as it pointed at the phone screen I was shooting daggers at.

'I did, they're closing up,' I lied. I had to. It was kinder than admitting that the very address shook the spines of the teen workers over the phone. I was trying to be cool about it, but I was certain he was listening to the conversation anyway.

'Yes, that's why you're wearing a crown of shadows on your head,' Lycius said with a tsk.

In the end, there was one restaurant left that held strong or perhaps didn't know the horrors of Mavros Manor. I was sure the full blame couldn't be laid on Giannis Vlachos though I couldn't doubt its accuracy once the thought struck my mind. That meat-head was inciting fear in the community because he hated Lycius, even if he wasn't saying anything directly, I knew he would be encouraging it. He'd need to say one small thing in front of a person like my aunt and the fire would spread. Luckily it didn't spread to the lady on the phone who didn't speak English very well. She sounded confident and it gave me a smidge of hope, or just enough that the dark mist dissipated and I was pleased to be dealing with translating rather than begging for service.

Lycius was sinking into the armchair, his back curved into a crescent moon shape that didn't look comfortable. I spun away and walked to the window as if that bit of distance could prevent him from listening in. He seemed to sink into a darker place judging by the brooding posture. When I finally confirmed the order both werewolves were gone, and I called out their names and strode around to find them in the kitchen. Lycius was at the fridge and Humphrey was standing up on his hind legs wagging his tail at the prospect of being fed.

'Food is coming,' I said.

Lycius blinked in what I assumed was surprise. 'Great.' He shut the fridge and let down a very eager wolf who collapsed back on all fours. Humphrey curled around my body and peeked around my arm to whimper at Lycius despairingly. Sorry, I meant, he whimpered despairingly at his father.

Daddy bared a wolfy grin. It was horrifying and it was cute.

'I've got something I want to show you,' he said. I looked down at Humphrey and then back at Lycius.

'You mean him or me?' I said.

He laughed.

Lycius led us up through the West Wing to his bedroom doors. He whirled around to me and covered my face with his hands, the pads felt rough on my skin.

'Uh.'

'Close your eyes,' he said. I did and nodded. I felt his hands drop away and a warm arm wrap around my shoulders with a creak of a door being opened. A freezing draft hit me first then Lycius pushed me blindly through the room with my body glued to his side as we seemed to weave around the space, getting closer to the cold.

I tripped on something firm, like a stack of books. 'Uh.'

'Keep them shut.' I yelped as I was lifted up and flung over his shoulder. 'Do you trust me?'

'Maybe ask that before you lift me off the floor.' My eyes threatened to flicker open.

'Rhea.'

'Sure, I trust you.' I dug my nails in and clung to a chunk of his fur. He smelt like any dog mixed with cedarwood and oranges and he had the softest coat of fur that tickled my nose. I tried not to sneeze. I felt him adjust me on his shoulder, his hands reaching places that made me silently sing with excitement but I still said sternly with a hint of sarcasm, 'Hey, I charge extra for that.'

'Hold on,' he said.

'When do I open—' I felt the cold night air wash over me and in a moment of panic I opened my eyes. 'Shit!'

I clung to Lycius' neck for dear life. I felt his body vibrate as he chuckled. 'I've got you.'

'I know,' I said shakily. I turned my head ever so slightly so as to not throw Lycius off as he scaled to the next storey and up onto the roof. A sea of wild green with statues below me, oh, I was getting woozy which was funny because all the blood was rushing down to my head. Humphrey's head peeked out from the window we had climbed out of then he also crept out and started to climb after us. Once Lycius was standing on a flat surface, he set me down on my butt and then flopped down next to me. In his big black jacket, he pulled out a box of doughnuts and a glass bottle of Pepsi. Humphrey sniffed the box over Lycius' shoulder before he was commanded to back off. Humphrey huffed before he climbed up a chimney to duck his head inside it curiously.

'Don't,' Lycius said. Humphrey wiggled his tail. 'Get out. Get out now.' Humphrey lifted his head and huffed again. His body language read "so you mean to starve me and ruin play time, do you even love me, father?". Lycius pointed at him. 'Behave.' Humphrey sat down on the chimney and it took another scolding for the wolf to finally sit down next to the chimney with a paw still resting on it. Lycius sighed while I giggled.

'Our real dinner is coming, we're having Thai now,' I said.

'Until then,' he said as he opened the box. 'Dessert first.'

The treats were slightly mushed thanks to Lycius suddenly becoming an adrenaline junky and I picked the one smothered with vanilla custard. Lycius picked the one with pink icing and blue sprinkles, parts of it also buried with custard. In a flash, Humphrey was at our feet and drooled as the doughnut reached Lycius' mouth. I gazed over to the horizon, at the sweet view of the night across the dark suburbs. Few lights were on as normal people were fast asleep. I could see the glow of some streetlights and way ahead, in the far-off distance was the city. Its skyscrapers looked so minuscule from up on the mansion.

I felt Lycius' breath tickle my ear. 'What colours do you see?'

This was the game we used to play all the time when we were younger. Not so much a game as Lycius being interested in the difference in sight. My night vision was not like the night vision of any other nocturnal creature. The night sky had many colours for me, it wasn't just blue, or black or purple, it was all of them at once and more. Sometimes it had patches that glowed green or red, sometimes pink dust weaved its way through around the planets and stars. Like Mother Nyx was shifting and squirming to get into a comfortable position. So, I described that. How one small part of the sky kinda looked like the doughnut he had just devoured.

'Did you ever do this with anyone else?' he said.

'Sometimes with Ari, she grew out of it though. If she can't see it or touch it, she's not interested.'

'What about your friends? Does anyone else know about your powers?' he said and when I said nothing, he put the doughnut back in the box as if he was getting ready to condemn me like Humphrey. 'You should just tell her.'

I scowled. 'You think you have me all figured out.'

'You told me, so why haven't you told her? Isn't Martha your best friend?'

'Try telling someone you're actually a witch and it's not just an aesthetic.' It wasn't like I hadn't tried, although I can admit that I could have tried harder instead of chickening out.

'You're not giving Martha enough credit,' he said.

'Well, now you know how irritated I feel with you.' I slapped his thick arm not that it did much good. The man did roll his eyes at me earning another scowl.

'It's different,' he said. 'Mine is a curse. You're born this way. I thought you were proud of that.'

'I am proud,' I said defensively. I pictured my mother suddenly boring her eyes into me, questioning my allegiance. Was I proud? Of course, I was proud. I loved my powers even when I knew so little about them. 'I-I just. Forget it.'

I was abruptly knocked onto my back as Lycius threw himself on top of me. Before I could process the warmth in my chest and the excitement that rushed through my veins, all of me went cold when he started sniffing all around my face and nuzzled his nose into my hair. My chest rose to touch his with every breath. He took a deep inhale of me. 'What are you doing?' I finally said. I tried to come off as stern, but I ended up sounding shaky.

'I smell-hm-curious... I smell, oh.' He pulled back and his eyes gleamed down at me. 'It's bullshit.'

I dragged my body out from under him and stood up to storm across the tiles to an angry gargoyle with a panther head and bat wings. I needed to calm down and stop blushing, so I patted my cheeks and let out a jittery sigh. Lycius was still sitting but leaned on his arm as he watched me closely., as if he was getting a kick out of flustering me. I would never again be could dead flustering, absolutely not. That was not my way but his eyes never left my face and all I wanted was to shake my hair out to hide it. Where had that boldness come from?

'I want to be able to show off a great deal of power,' I said focusing back on the conversation. 'If she were to ask for proof, and she would, the most I can do is change my body and morph shadows to hide behind. I'm more performing than anything.'

'You say that as if it isn't impressive.'

I frowned. 'Lycius, I'm the land equivalent of an octopus.'

'You do have mighty tentacles,' he said. I could tell he was trying not to laugh and be sensitive to my feelings. He unconsciously trailed his claws over his arm, and I realised it was where my shadows had strangled on the night I broke into his house. Remembering how helpless I'd felt then and then how panicked I was last night made me grind my teeth together. I didn't want to handle the heaviness that this topic would go.

So, naturally, I proudly declared in a baritone voice with arms raised up to Nyx, 'I am hentai.'

Lycius snorted and Humphrey blinked. 'You are,' he said as if he was about to cry. 'I've never heard a more accurate description.'

'I was hoping for a more shocked reply,' I said. I sat down back next to me and brought up my legs and rested my chin on my knees. 'I'm glad it doesn't bother you.'

He shook his head as if he seemed baffled. 'Why would it bother me?'

'Some men get uncomfortable around women who are just as perverted as them. They see it as unnatural.'

'Most men are idiots. They're too afraid to be probed by your extra limbs.' He gently poked his talon into my side and tickled me.

I snickered and smacked his claw away. 'What wusses.'

'My sentiments exactly.' He popped open the bottle and offered me the first sip.

I took the bottle and before I drank it, I said, 'So, you want to be probed, got it.'

'There are worse things,' he said. I spat some of it back out and he roared with laughter.

'Like what?'

'Like—uh—never mind.'

'What?'

'Nah, I don't know where I was going with that...' he said, but if he were in his human form, I knew he would have been blushing. I decided not to push it but I did have to cover some uneven grounds. Last night was horrible, and I regretted my actions that lead to it, especially after a peaceful evening. If I wanted to be useful to Lycius I'd need to start being more calculated in how I learned about his life. About the Darlings and the other werewolves.

'Alright, I might as well get into the heavy. What are your boundaries?' I said. 'I'm not talking about sex or probing. Just in general so we can avoid what happened last night.'

'Last night wasn't your fault,' he said darkly.

'It was partly my fault. I was being nosy.'

'I don't blame you for being curious, I would be, it's just that I am—' He sucked in a deep breath. 'I. Am. Restricted. I strug-gle go-ing to that pll-lace.'

'We won't if it's too painful,' I said.

'It's not that it's painful, it is but I can't-I can't-I can't.' He growled. 'I can't word it.' Before I could say something to fill the air he growled again. 'I trust you. You've always been honest with me especially when I was an arsehole in high school.' He came off very aggressive for what felt like should have been sentimental words.

'You weren't that bad,' I teased.

'I wasn't great,' he said, 'but that's not the point. I want to be open with you. I want you to know that.'

'You will when you're ready. Don't feel like you have to.'

'You don't understand I—' he gasped. 'This is my life now. My father shortened it when he killed himself.'

'You believe he did it on purpose?'

Lycius didn't respond. He glared at the city and didn't bother to reprimand Humphrey when he climbed up the chimney again. Lycius was angry and he had a right to be, he had every right to scream and give up on life much like his father did. The thought of him giving up made my throat feel heavy like something was growing in it. I wanted to ask more about it, to try and ease him through his past but I knew I was baiting the beast. The beast was a barrier between himself and his trauma or at least that was how it was provoked last night. It was only a theory and Lycius wasn't a test subject that I could prod at. I didn't want to overwhelm him again.

'I know this means nothing to you,' I said, 'but I think you're beautiful as you are.' Lycius closed his eyes. I thought: Oh Gods, I had fucked up again.

Then he said through an exhale, so I almost missed it, 'I sometimes think about our first kiss.'

'What?' I said but the words processed through my brain once I asked.

Lycius shook his head. 'Nothing. Nothing. It means nothing now.'

I fixed my position so my body was facing his. 'Why should it mean nothing?'

'Don't pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about. I know your argument is that we're both monsters and somehow that's supposed to magically cancel my "condition",' he spat hatefully, 'but this curse doesn't just affect my relationships. I can't do anything. In fact, the more I think about this, the more I'm convinced that you shouldn't be here.'

'I'll leave when you tell me to,' I said daringly. He faltered. 'That's what I thought.'

'Why aren't you afraid? My own mother can't stand to be within five metres of me. Why stay? There's nothing I can give you that you can't easily get from someone better.'

'Lycius,' I said appalled.

'I'm serious. You're better off with Giannis than with me.'

'Okay now you're being stupid,' I said.

'Why then? Why put up with this? Unless you're also as stupid as I am. Why are you here?'

'Because...' I said. I've already made the pact. I was committed to it and it bled through the pit. I suddenly found it so hard to look him in the eye, but I forced myself to as they shined readily, waiting for some cosmic answer. Then a surge of anger flared and I grabbed him by his pointed ear. 'Because I want to and because I expect the same treatment in return. If it were me, wouldn't you be doing the same? Wouldn't you be annoying the hell out of me until I felt better?'

'Of course—' he said, with a yelp as I tugged harder and interrupted his next line. Guaranteed he was going to whine about how his sickness was forever and there was no getting better, so I raged first.

'You better otherwise this ear is mine.' I tugged it one more time before releasing it. 'Tsk. I need a reason to help my friends, what kind of world are you living in?'

'No one ever stays,' he said, rubbing the point of his ear between his fingers. I could feel him drift away from me and he even slid away on the tiles to go back to staring at the glimmering city.

I wanted to say, I want you or that I think about our first kiss too. Instead, I sat up straight and with that little bit of courage left in my gut, I said, 'Tell me what your boundaries are.'

'We can't have a romantic relationship.'

'Ah huh. Sure, and no more mention of the Darlings.'

'Yes.'

'What about Lazarus? How does he relate to all this?'

Lycius pulled at his coat. 'He's just a vampire who won't mind his own business. Much like you actually.'

'This feels like more than a vampire versus werewolf battle.' I held up my hand when he glared at me. 'Fine, don't tell the truth.'

This set him off like a bomb. Lycius had always hated being branded a liar or someone deceitful and I had done it to antagonise him because I was getting annoyed. Just like he knew how to rile me up, I had learnt what ticked him off and he went into a whole exasperated spiel that I just didn't understand. Blah, blah, blah. Sometimes he would cough violently, or choke therefore he'd move on to a new topic enraged by his body working against him. I was a spitfire waiting to have my turn and claim his ear as my own again, but I watched his arms fly passionately and the fur ease back off his face. His face softened and rounded up to look more human, his eyes shrunk down but he was still in a hurtful rage and didn't notice he was turning back into a human. I had a choice to make and that choice flitted away when the fur started sprouting again and he grew back into his humongous coat as he quietened down. Was it because he wasn't ranting? Did he need to focus on something else to keep his body in check?

'Do you want to kiss me?' I said.

'What?' his mortal face was flabbergasted.

'I think you do, why else would you get so angry over nothing.'

He creased his brow. 'Rhea, I can't be in a relationship with you. What part of that do you not understand?'

'You need to stop being so emotional,' I further provoked. He still hadn't noticed that his lips had come back, and his black hair was falling into his eyes as he went from mad to livid. When his wolf threatened to grow again, I did the only thing I could to distract him and flung myself onto him. I hovered over his body as his hands grabbed my waist to catch me and he stared up at me stunned like a deer in the headlights. When he didn't make a move to push me off I kissed him. I felt the fur lining his cheek tickle mine and when I expected resistance, I was surprised to find myself deepening the kiss and his tongue meeting mine. Then he forced me up and looked horrified before confusion melted through the harshness of his face. He took in his human hand on my hip, the talons still sharp but no fur in sight. He touched his face and felt the fur lining his jaw. He looked like a distorted version of Wolverine with eyes more electric and vibrant, and with sharp teeth protruding from his upper lip. Humphrey sat back by the chimney with his face in the box of doughnuts, he had been so quiet that I had forgotten he was there.

As I sat up, still straddling Lycius' hips, I noticed the sleeve of my dress had been tugged down to expose my shoulder to the cold. Lycius' hand reached out to trace my collarbone sending a jittering wave of emotions but mostly, I felt pretty smug. His fingers gently trailed behind my neck, and he used his other arm to sit up as he caressed the back of my head.

'This is strictly platonic right?' I said hovering my lips over his. I felt him heave a heavy sigh before he kissed me. My tongue felt the length of his fangs and tasted the sugary sweetness from our dessert. All of me wanted to melt into this moment and prolong this kiss, however, a point was being made. One I didn't definitively understand because I had no idea how this was working. It was much too flattering to be a solid answer to this curse. My affection was a momentary fix and with that note, it dampened my mood. I pulled away and fixed my dress.

'The food is here,' I said and I stood up.

For a while, I thought Lycius wasn't going to say anything. He let his head flop back. 'I'm gonna need a minute.'

'I'll get it.' I walked over to the edge of the roof and summoned my shadow tendrils to stretch from my back.

'You'll need my help getting down,' he said.

'No, I won't.'

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