《Please, Go Home [A Queer Werewolf-Vampire Romantic Fantasy]》 Please, Go Home 1 The room was a mess. Cabinets were yanked open, rummaged through, the insides were all over the floor. Notebooks were opened on random pages. The window was ajar, letting a slight breeze enter. He looked at it all, wondering what to make of it. It was the second room they found like this. He turned to the older lady beside him; the owner of the house. ¡°Was anything taken?¡± The lady shook her head. ¡°Not as far as I can tell.¡± He hummed as he rubbed his chin in thought. ¡°They¡¯ve broken in twice, but haven¡¯t stolen anything¡­¡± ¡°What do you think they¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Must be searching for something.¡± The door creaked behind them. They saw a young woman walk in. She had light, warm skin and black hair tied in a low bun. She smiled at the young man standing next to the older lady. ¡°Hyde, hi!¡± ¡°Hey, Raven,¡± Hyde mumbled as he turned his attention back to the room. ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am. So sorry this happened to you.¡± The lady forced a smile and nodded. Hyde walked further into the room. He examined one of the opened notebooks. It was a personal journal, he couldn¡¯t imagine why a thief would be interested in it. It didn¡¯t look much more important than it was, just a plain old notebook. He crouched down to be at eye level with it. He sniffed it, only the smell of paper and ink. ¡°Smell something interesting?¡± Hyde flinched, he huffed at Raven. ¡°No.¡± He stood up. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Raven shrugged. ¡°I thought you might need a second pair of eyes to spot clues.¡± ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t. Let me do this in peace, please.¡± Hyde stepped away from her to investigate something else. ¡°But¡ª¡± Raven protested with a frown. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a professional, you could use all the help you can get.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still a lot more experienced than you.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Raven stepped away towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll get out of your hair.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Raven seemed annoyed before leaving. Hyde walked to the opened window. He searched it. It wasn¡¯t damaged, it must not have been locked. ¡°You don¡¯t lock your windows?¡± The lady huffed. ¡°Who does in a small village like this?¡± Hyde shrugged and hummed. He leaned closer to the frame and sniffed it, hoping he could catch a whiff of the invader¡¯s hand-sweat or something. But no, only wood. Hyde sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t seem to find anything. But maybe start locking your windows.¡± ¡°I suppose I must do, now.¡± Hyde smiled apologetically and left the house. Hyde stood outside. He glanced at the house next-door as an idea came to him. He approached the front door and knocked on it, there was no answer. He turned the doorknob and peaked inside. ¡°Selene?¡± he called out. She didn¡¯t answer, he decided to let himself in. He went to her study. There, she sat at a table with a crystal ball, her hands on the ball with her eyes closed. He glanced at the squeaking wheel the rat on her desk was running in, in its cage. Wasn¡¯t that annoying her? It sure was annoying him. Hyde knocked on the door frame. Selene flinched, she opened her eyes. ¡°Hyde!¡± she called out, pissed. ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m busy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, you were just sitting there.¡± ¡°I was trying to see if any lingering souls could help me with my research.¡± ¡°Right¡­ souls.¡± ¡°Helping me might be what they need to move on.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Selene sighed. ¡°What do you need?¡± Hyde scratched the back of his neck. ¡°The house next-door was broken into last night, I wanted to know if you heard anything.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s the second time now, right?¡± Hyde nodded. Selene shook her head. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t hear anything. But if you want to talk more about other things, you can come back when I¡¯m not busy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always busy.¡± Selene put her hand on her chest in offence. ¡°Ah! I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°Right, well¡±¡ªHyde stepped away from the door frame to leave¡ª¡°you¡¯re always busy when I walk in.¡± He left. ¡°You have bad timing!¡± he heard her calling after him. He opened the front door. ¡°Sure I do,¡± he called back. He stepped outside and closed the door. He took a deep breath and looked at the sky. He was tired, he wanted to go home and do nothing for the rest of the day. He went on his way to his house. People had been bothering him about this break-in all day. Honestly, he didn¡¯t even want to bother, nothing was stolen anyway. But, due to what he is, people always want him to be the one to investigate. He¡¯d be the most likely to find anything, they¡¯d say. He guessed his life here would be a lot more relaxed if there was another young werewolf in the village. But sadly, he was the only one. ¡°Hey!¡± Hyde snapped out of his thoughts with a yelp. Raven stood next to him, carrying her hunting bow. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I was about to go hunting, I was wondering if you wanted to come with?¡± Hyde sighed. ¡°Sorry, but I was heading home to rest for a bit.¡± As he wanted to continue walking, she said, ¡°Oh, maybe I could keep you comp¡ª¡± ¡°No¡ªno. I just want some time alone, okay?¡± Raven frowned. ¡°Oh, okay. Another time, then?¡± Hyde faked a smile and continued walking. He finally arrived at his house. He opened the door, walked in, closed it behind him and went into his living room. He grabbed the pen and notebook from the coffee table and let himself crash on the couch. He laid the notebook on his leg and opened it. He leaned his left elbow on the arm rest, his head in his left hand, and held the pen in his right. His handwriting wasn¡¯t going to be the prettiest writing like this, but he didn¡¯t care if it was readable or not. As he thought of how to begin, he bit the back end of his pen. The pen would most likely explode in his face someday (as several people had warned him), but it hadn¡¯t yet, so he kept tempting fate. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Why am I so exhausted? I was away for only a couple of hours at most. They kept bothering me about all this stuff with the break-ins, as if I¡¯m some sort of expert. ¡®Hyde, you gotta help! There was another break-in!¡¯ ¡®You can find clues the best, you have to!¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t you wanna do your part in the community?¡¯ Ugh. All this only because I happen to have a strong nose. I¡¯m shit at finding clues, it¡¯s just that I could pick up on scents others couldn¡¯t! And it¡¯s not exactly paying off, is it? I haven¡¯t been able to find anything in ages! At least it keeps me occupied, I suppose. It¡¯s not like the other two at our tiny police station are doing anything. Ever. I¡¯m not even sure if they are actual cops, honestly. Not that I am. I guess when you¡¯re a cop, why would you want to work in a tiny village with mostly elderly people? Sounds like an incredibly boring existence. Raven won¡¯t leave me alone, as always. I don¡¯t get why she keeps hanging around me, I barely engage in conversation with her. She talks at me, getting almost no response. Why is she so persistent? He doodled repetitive patterns around his writing in an attempt to ease his nerves and slow his racing mind.
Selene sat at her desk at night, reading an old book and taking notes. A cauldron for her potion making stood next to the desk. She flipped through the pages of the book, despite having done so a hundred times over the last few years. Perhaps there was something she missed. A rat laid dead in its cage, she¡¯d stabbed a needle in its head to kill it a few moments ago. She stood up, grabbed an ingredient from the desk and sprinkled some of it into the cauldron. She moved her hands along with a spell and muttered gibberish under her breath. Her hands glowed a sickly green, the fluid in the cauldron did too. A small puff of smoke above the fluid indicated the completion of the potion. She took a dropper off her desk and put it in, then squeezed the top to fill it. She sat on her desk chair again. A few drops of the potion escaped above the dead rat, landing on its head. The small wound stitched itself back together, it¡¯s legs twitched. It got to its feet with no urgency, like it had only woken up from a nap. Selene frowned at it, it¡¯s eyes still looked dead. She tapped against the cage, it didn¡¯t react. Once again, only the body awoke. Damn. She wrote the results down in her notebook. She jumped when she heard a noise somewhere in her house. She looked behind her, her heart beating in her chest. She stood up to investigate. She left her study and walked through the hallway. Nothing was there, so to the living room she went. She looked around, also nothing. Maybe she had imagined it. Was it a soul, perhaps? She made her way back to her study and froze. The door was closed, she swore she had left it open. She carefully pushed the door handle down and pulled it ajar. She peeked inside. She gasped. There was someone standing at her desk. They were rummaging through her research, it pissed her off. That was her years of hard work they were messing with! She kicked the door open and yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t touch that!¡± The invader shrieked and yanked himself around to her. He got a pocket knife out. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± ¡°Ha! I¡¯m a witch!¡± Selene held her hands up, they began glowing a light blue. ¡°Try me.¡± The invader hesitated, then bargained, ¡°I just need to take one thing, then I¡¯ll be gone.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯ll let you take my research? My life¡¯s work?! I¡¯d rather die!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a bit dramatic, no?¡± Selene stepped towards him. ¡°Get out of my house!¡± ¡°Not without the notebook.¡± ¡°What do you need my research for?!¡± The invader shrugged, still pointing the knife at her. ¡°Not sure.¡± Selene tilted her head and squinted her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s for someone else,¡± he clarified. ¡°Then they can come ask me for it themselves.¡± She pointed her hand at her desk chair, it gained a light blue glow. She yanked her arm to the side, the chair flew towards the invader. He duck to the ground. He pulled himself up on the desk, grabbed the notebook, and ran out of the room, pushing her out of the way. Selene regained her balance and hurried into the hallway after him. He was on his way to the front door. Her hand glowed again, so did the invader¡¯s foot. He fell over, but caught himself on his hands before he fell on his face. He looked back and frantically pulled at his foot. He kicked his shoe off, scrambled back on his feet and sprinted out of the house. Selene stood there, frozen as the realisation kicked in. Did he get away? With her research? Her hand stopped glowing. The thump on the floor caught her attention as the shoe fell. Her eyes widened. She had his shoe. A piece of clothing with one of the strongest scents. She grabbed it off the floor and ran out of her house before he could get too far. Hyde laid across his couch. One arm on his stomach, the other hanging off the side with a pen on the floor next to it, notebook laid on his face. He was asleep. ¡°Hyde!¡± Hyde screamed and shot up, his notebook fell on his lap. ¡°What the hell?!¡± he shouted at Selene, who stood in front of him. Selene shoved the shoe in his face. ¡°Smell this!¡± Hyde twitched away from it with a disgusted look. He pushed it away. ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡± ¡°You have to! The invader broke into my house and stole my research! This is his shoe, you have to track him down!¡± ¡°Why do you have his shoe?¡± ¡°No time for that, we can¡¯t let him get far away!¡± She pushed it into his face again, he leaned away. ¡°Yeah, okay. I got enough of a whiff of it.¡± He stood up. Selene pushed it into his hands. ¡°Take it in case you lose the scent. I¡¯ll leave it to you, I¡¯d slow you down.¡± Hyde groaned and grabbed it. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll bring your research back if I get it.¡± Selene nodded. Hyde left the house and looked around. He sniffed, all he could smell was the shoe. He scrunched his nose up. He put it on the ground at his door and went to look for the invader without it; it was too distracting. He left for a quick stop at the police station first.
The invader ran through the forest; notebook in hand, hoodie tied around his waist, backpack on his back, and with one shoe. He nearly tripped over the uneven terrain a couple of times. He slowed down and looked behind him. Surely the village was far enough away now. Out of breath, he stopped and leaned against a tree. He pulled his bag off his shoulders, opened a zipper and shoved the notebook in. He closed the zipper and let the bag hang over one shoulder. He rested the back of his head against the tree. He closed his eyes and let himself catch his breath. He opened them, he heard footsteps. He jumped and yelped when someone appeared beside him. He stared at him. The other stared back, also out of breath. The invader looked him up-and-down and let out a soft ¡°Oh?¡± From his light but tanned skin; messy, rich brown hair; chin and jaw full of stubble; golden eyes; the scar on his lip¡ªdown to the plain, grey shirt and dark green flannel he wore and the muscles hidden underneath. The invader raised a curious eyebrow as one corner of his lips crept up. ¡°Hello, stranger.¡± The other looked at the invader¡¯s feet. Then at his face, pissed off. ¡°You¡¯re the thief.¡± ¡°Oh¡±¡ªthe invader snapped out of it¡ª¡°that.¡± He turned to run away, but yelled as he had his arm grabbed and was thrown on his back on the ground. He hurried back to his feet and grabbed his pocket knife. He pointed it at him. ¡°Don¡¯t make me stab you.¡± He was too pretty to be stabbed. The other leaned closer to him, backing him up against another tree and while making intense eye contact. His golden eyes glowed, his pupils became thin like needles. ¡°Don¡¯t make me shift.¡± The invader stared back with his own raspberry red eyes. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s how you found me.¡± The other squinted. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± ¡°The notebook.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t belong to you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so special about it, anyway?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know that, why did you steal it?¡± The invader groaned. He dug the back end of the knife into the other¡¯s gut, he cried out in pain and folded over. The invader ran away. Hyde stared him down as his irises grew so big they nearly covered all the white in his eyes. His ears grew longer and hairy, like a wolf¡¯s ears. His teeth turned into fangs; his nails into claws; all his facial and body hair grew longer and thicker, like fur. He growled and bolted after him. The invader still ran. He screamed as Hyde tackled him to the ground. Hyde sat on his back. The invader tried to crawl out from under him, Hyde pushed his claw on his neck, he stiffened up. Hyde pulled the bag off him and threw it aside. He leaned down to his head and sniffed. The invader reached into his pocket, grabbed his knife and flicked it open. He swung his arm at Hyde. Hyde cried out and let his neck go. The invader turned on his back. He grabbed Hyde¡¯s shoulder and pushed him off. He sat up and moved onto his knees, pointing the knife at him again. He saw he had cut him on his upper arm. Hyde covered the wound with his claw, he growled. ¡°Well,¡± the invader started, ¡°shouldn¡¯t have grabbed my neck like that. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me¡±¡ªhe grabbed his bag and began to stand up¡ª¡°I¡¯ve got a package to deliver.¡± Hyde jumped on him again, knocking him over. He yelped, the knife flew out of his hand. Hyde had him pinned down. The invader looked at the knife and tried to grab it as he hissed, ¡°Bloody hell!¡± He looked at Hyde, he pushed his head away. Hyde growled again, annoyed. He only pushed harder. ¡°Get off!¡± Hyde bit his hand, the invader screamed. Hyde released it. The invader curled up on his side as he grabbed at his bleeding hand and whined. Hyde pushed his head to the ground. He shifted back to normal. All the extra hair shedded, his ears returned to their regular shape, his fangs and claws retracted. Lastly, his eyes were back as they should be, still glowing with annoyance. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t have pushed my face like that,¡± Hyde mocked him. The invader gave him a scowl. Hyde reached into his pocket as he grabbed the wrist of the other¡¯s injured hand. He grabbed a pair of handcuffs. The other¡¯s eyes widened as he fully realised what was happening. He cuffed his wrist, then grabbed his other hand and cuffed them behind his back. Hyde panted after the struggle. ¡°Game over, fucker.¡± The invader glared up at him. Hyde got off his back and stood up. He pulled the other to his feet. He picked the bag up with one hand and firmly held the invader¡¯s arm in the other. They made their way to the village. ¡°Do you have any idea how exhausting the last few days have been for me because of you?¡± Hyde complained. ¡°Oh, so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to inconvenience you, good sir.¡± Hyde shot him a glare. The invader slightly tugged at his arm. ¡°Could you stop pinching my arm so hard before it falls off?¡± Hyde groaned and only pinched harder, making the other whine until he loosened his grip again. ¡°You petty little shit.¡± Please, Go Home Interlude 1 A young vampire sat in the back corner of the class, alone, with an empty seat beside him. No one ever filled that seat; all his classmates thought he was a bit weird. He always kept to himself, always hiding his face in books, always spending his break in the library. It was the first class of the day; the teacher hadn¡¯t started it yet. Lots of chatter filled the classroom. The vampire tried to ignore it as he read yet another book from the school library. ¡°Oh, there you are!¡± the teacher said to someone. ¡°Had trouble finding your way around?¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± the new person said quite softly, but still audible. The entire class had gone silent at his entrance. Even from that one word, the vampire could tell he wasn¡¯t from here. He looked up from the page. A guy stood there with a backpack, the teacher beside him. He was nearly a head taller than her, so the height difference between him and the vampire must be even worse. The vampire returned his attention to the book, not listening to the teacher¡¯s introduction of the new student. ¡°Take a seat in that empty chair over there,¡± the teacher told the new guy. The vampire was slightly startled when the guy sat next to him. Oh, of course that was the only empty seat in the whole class. Ugh. The new guy gave him a nervous smile. The vampire only spared him a glance; he wasn¡¯t interested in making small talk with someone he¡¯ll most likely never talk to again. He¡¯ll find someone else to sit with the next class. The teacher started the class. The vampire begrudgingly put his book away and grabbed his geography textbook instead, along with his notebook and pen. The guy next to him laid his own notebook on the desk. The vampire noticed him looking at him again from the corner of his eye. He glanced back at him, more obviously this time to ask what he wanted. ¡°Can I read along with you?¡± he whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t have my textbooks yet.¡± The vampire pushed the book to the middle of their desk. Another smile. ¡°Thanks.¡± The teacher went on about the climate of the continent. The north was cold, the south warm, both lush in their own way. East and west something in between, but the west milder because it had a coast like the south. The east was landlocked like the north¡ªaside from some lakes and rivers¡ªmaking both winters and summers more extreme. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The teacher instructed them to begin their work, many had quiet conversations again. The vampire and the stranger next to him were silent for the first few minutes, until the guy asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The vampire supposed some introductions would be basic decency. It wouldn¡¯t hurt for at least one of his classmates to know his name, if he¡¯d remember it. ¡°Thomas. You?¡± The guy was a bit confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the teacher introduce me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t listen.¡± The guy quietly chuckled. ¡°Barry. I moved here from the west a few days ago.¡± The vampire only gave him an acknowledging hum. The guy continued trying to start a conversation throughout the hour, but the vampire only brushed him off or shrugged or hummed. They had a fifteen minute break before the next class began. The vampire packed his things and headed to his usual spot. Officially, students weren¡¯t allowed to have their break in the library. The vampire was an exception. They knew he was careful with the books and preferred to be in a quiet place, away from his chatty classmates. Shortly after he left the classroom, he heard, ¡°Hey!¡± He flinched and turned around to see the new guy had followed him. ¡°Can I join you?¡± The vampire was a bit stunned at first. He then shrugged. ¡°You can do what you want, I don¡¯t own the library.¡± ¡°You have your break in the library?¡± He nodded and moved to leave. Of course he thought it was weird, everyone did. But, to his surprise, he found the new guy following him again, even walking beside him. God, the top of the vampire¡¯s head barely reached his chin. ¡°The library must be the perfect place to hang out for a bookworm,¡± the guy tried to be playful. The vampire only gave him the tiniest smile back. The vampire sat at a table while he read his book and drank a snack; a can of artificial blood. The new guy sat beside him, eating some cookies. They¡¯d been quiet again. The vampire didn¡¯t get why he followed him. Was this how he wanted to spend his break time? Sitting in silence next to someone who didn¡¯t want to talk? The vampire decided to ask, ¡°Why did you follow me?¡± The guy shrugged while he chewed away his bite, then swallowed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I like your quiet, relaxed energy. And I¡¯m alone, as are you, so why not?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been brushing you off this whole time. Why not try to befriend someone else?¡± The guy placed his elbows on the table and rubbed his neck. ¡°Because I¡¯m an outsider here. I¡¯m not northern, I sound different, I¡¯m taller, I¡¯m new. I¡¯d much rather befriend someone who seems to be an outsider too, than try to join an existing friend group who might have ulterior motives for ¡®befriending¡¯ me.¡± The vampire hummed. ¡°Sounds like that happened to you before.¡± The guy nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve gone through a complete class change before, when I was held back a year. I tried to join a friend group back then, didn¡¯t go well. And that¡¯s another reason why I¡¯m different; I¡¯m older than everyone.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m the youngest and the smallest.¡± ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°Thirteen.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fifteen.¡± The guy snickered. ¡°We seem like quite the dynamic duo; youngest-shortest, oldest-tallest.¡± He was tense suddenly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be friends with me, if you¡¯d rather keep to yourself. You must be alone for a reason. I don¡¯t wanna annoy you.¡± The vampire thought about it. He wasn¡¯t open to the idea of letting him stick around at first, not wanting to let him close. But the thought of having someone to sit with and talk to was quite nice. He realised he didn¡¯t want him to go away. The vampire shyly smiled a little. ¡°I¡¯d like to have a friend.¡± His new friend gave him a big smile back. Please, Go Home 2 Hyde dragged the invader into the police station. He took him to the interrogation room. There was a table with a hook and one chair on either side. He pulled him towards it. He freed one of his hands, pulled the other hand to the front, hooked the cuffs to the table and cuffed his other hand again. Hyde stepped away from him as he said, ¡°You sit tight while I go clean this,¡± gesturing at the wound on his arm. He walked out. The invader let out a long sigh as he sat down on the chair. He leaned over the table and laid his face on his hands. He was so tired. Tired of running, tired of traveling, tired of everything in his life right now. He didn¡¯t know what he could do about it. He guessed going to prison would make it all stop, which was going to happen now. But would that be any better? Hyde walked back in with a bandage on his arm. The invader looked up, his black hair a mess. ¡°Don¡¯t you look cheery,¡± Hyde said as he sat down on the other chair. He took a good look at the one in front of him. His skin had a grey tone to it; his eyes were raspberry red and dim with exhaustion; his hair raven black and hanging in front of his eyes; an earring in his left ear; stubble on his chin and above his lip. ¡°Alright,¡± Hyde spoke up, ¡°why don¡¯t you start with telling me your name?¡± The other faked a mocking smile. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it would be more polite to introduce yourself first?¡± Hyde sighed deeply. So, this was how this will go, huh? ¡°Fine. Hyde Walker. You?¡± The other pushed himself up from the table and leaned back into his chair. He remained silent. ¡°Is it really so difficult to say your name?¡± Hyde snarled. ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re being interrogated.¡± ¡°So? What will you do if I don¡¯t answer?¡± The other gave him a mocking grin. Hyde groaned. He couldn¡¯t do anything, really, except exhaust him. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had enough energy for that himself. ¡°Then we¡¯ll be here for quite a while.¡± He casually shrugged. ¡°I have nothing better to do. Even if I did, I could just leave you here. These chairs aren¡¯t very comfortable, are they?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll torture me with discomfort? Well, aren¡¯t you hardcore?¡± Hyde leaned back and placed his hands on the back of his head. ¡°We¡¯ll see how you cry after twelve hours.¡± The other squinted at him, trying to read him. ¡°I suppose we will.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Hyde slapped the table and stood up. ¡°See you in the morning.¡± He went to the exit, he caught one final glance of the other¡¯s face. He seemed surprised he was actually going through with this. He left. He locked the door behind him. The room he found himself in had a desk, an idea came to him. He doubted it would take twelve hours for him to break, it felt cruel to leave him there longer than necessary. He¡¯ll get his notebook from his house and sit here until he was ready to talk. Hyde wasn¡¯t that tired anymore anyway, he¡¯d had his nap. The invader sat in the dark room, alone and stuck. Would he really leave him here for twelve hours? Surely not, he must be bluffing. He let his head fall on the table with a bonk. He didn¡¯t have the energy for this. He wanted to go home, he wanted to see his family. Damn it, he was hungry. He could close his eyes and try to sleep the night away. He¡¯d get a hernia in his back in this position, though. He lifted his head and glared at the cuffs keeping his hands locked to the table. Would his hands be thin enough to wiggle out? And then what? The door was locked, he had nothing to pick the lock with. Still, free hands would be more comfortable. He pulled on one hand, his skin strained against the metal. He groaned and released the tension. He leaned into his chair; he didn¡¯t even have a wall to lean his head against, it was too far away. He let out a loud sigh. This¡¯ll be a long night. Hyde sat at the desk, doodling twigs in his notebook. He heard the sound of metal clanging and straining coming from the room, sometimes accompanied with a frustrated groan. He grinned; it won¡¯t take long. The invader sat on the table with crossed legs, the hook of the table between them. He repeatedly tugged at the cuffs, just out of boredom at this point. He let himself fall back and go limp, using the cuffs to not fall. The table was bolted down, thankfully. Should he give in and accept his prison fate? It would probably be better than being cuffed to a table. No, he won¡¯t give up that easily. He gave the cuffs another hard tug. Hyde had gotten himself a snack, doodling again. He¡¯d filled about ten pages. He glanced to the locked door. Any minute now. The invader sat on his knees on the floor, his chin on the table. His butt didn¡¯t like that chair anymore. He whined a little. How long had it been? There was no indication of time in here. Would that guy really have left? If he did, he¡¯d respect his commitment, but that would mean the invader was in quite the predicament. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. He was tired of this, he was only stalling the inevitable. ¡°Hey,¡± he called out. He had no idea if this room let sound through. What was his name again? Hyde? Using his first name felt inappropriate, but he couldn¡¯t recall his surname. ¡°Are you still there?¡± This was humiliating. He quickly got back on the chair; Hyde walking in to him sitting on the floor would be even more pathetic. ¡°Are you still there?¡± Hyde snapped around to the door, munching on a nut. Finally, after two hours. It was longer than Hyde had expected him to keep this up. He opened the door and stepped inside. The invader sat on the chair and stared at his hands. ¡°Ready to talk?¡± The invader sighed deeply. ¡°I suppose.¡± Hyde sat on the chair opposite of him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you actually leave?¡± ¡°I figured you wouldn¡¯t keep it up all night, it felt cruel to leave you here for that long anyway.¡± The other frowned. ¡°That¡¯s surprisingly considerate for your prisoner.¡± A shiver went up Hyde¡¯s spine; he didn¡¯t like that word. ¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡± The other evaded eye contact. ¡°Rune.¡± ¡°And your surname?¡± Rune scrunched his face up in annoyance. ¡°I don¡¯t see what you¡¯d need it for.¡± Hyde folded his arms and shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s one of the most basic things to know about a person.¡± Rune gave him a cold look. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡± ¡°You called me in here to talk, right? How could I possibly use your name against you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me I¡¯m¡ª¡± he cut himself off. Rune looked away again, tense. ¡°No, go ahead, finish that sentence.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t belittle me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡ª¡± Rune placed his elbows on the table, glaring at Hyde. ¡°If you want me to tell you anything, then stop acting like I¡¯m less than you!¡± ¡°Eh¡±¡ªhe caught Hyde off guard with an accusation like that¡ª¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to insinuate that.¡± Hyde¡¯s posture softened, he scratched his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to make you feel lesser-than.¡± Rune stared at him, his face also softening. He pushed himself up and leaned back into his chair again. He looked down with a frown. ¡°Could you finish that sentence, please?¡± Rune considered it for a moment, but then sighed and gave in. ¡°It¡¯s not me I¡¯m worried about.¡± ¡°With your surname?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Who are you worried for, then?¡± ¡°My family,¡± Rune mumbled. ¡°All I want is to protect them.¡± Hyde frowned. ¡°I see. Then how does stealing things protect them?¡± Rune fidgeted with his fingers. ¡°I work for some shady people. They¡¯re like a gang or something. If I don¡¯t do what they tell me to¡ªthey¡¯ve threatened to hurt or kill everyone I care about.¡± Hyde stared at him, feeling bad for him. He was glad he didn¡¯t leave him here all night. ¡°I¡¯d love to get away from them somehow,¡± Rune continued. ¡°Without going to prison or risking my family.¡± Hyde was quiet, thinking. He leaned over the table and leaned on his elbows. ¡°Could I help somehow?¡± Rune raised his eyebrow. ¡°Would you want to?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°Protecting loved ones seems as good a reason as any to do something illegal. And it¡¯s not like you¡¯ve killed people.¡± He squinted. ¡°Right?¡± ¡°No!¡± Rune shot up. ¡°No, no. No.¡± Hyde chuckled a little. ¡°So, could I do anything?¡± ¡°Are you not going to put me in jail?¡± Hyde leaned into his chair and folded his arms again. ¡°To be honest, there isn¡¯t much I could do to you anyway, since I¡¯m not actually a cop.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± ¡°No one in this village is. I guess I¡¯m the only one willing to put any effort into it. Plus, people pressure me about it a lot,¡± Hyde mumbled at the end. ¡°Wha-eh, huh?¡± Rune tried to wrap his head around it. ¡°But those gang people don¡¯t know that, so how could I help?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Rune tried to come up with something. ¡°They did tell me I would get fired if I ever got arrested and held in custody for at least forty-eight hours.¡± ¡°That¡¯s oddly specific.¡± ¡°They said it was because I¡¯d be too much of a liability at that point. They wouldn¡¯t know what kind of info I could¡¯ve given up in that much time.¡± ¡°So if they fired you, you¡¯d be free from them?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you let yourself be caught before?¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°Because most people that could catch me are actual cops that would throw me in jail. I¡¯d rather keep doing what I¡¯m doing than spend years of my life in prison.¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ fair.¡± He hummed and grabbed his chin in thought. ¡°I could keep you in our holding cell until the forty-eight hours are over. And then let you go.¡± Rune let out a breathy chuckle, but still frowned, not able to fully process what was happening yet. ¡°Spend two days in a cell to get my life back? Sign me up.¡± Hyde smiled. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it.¡± He stood up and walked around the table to Rune¡¯s side. He sat on the table, got the key for the handcuffs out of his pocket, then freed Rune¡¯s hands. Rune pulled his hands towards him and rubbed one of his wrists with an unsure frown. Hyde squinted at Rune¡¯s hand as he realised something. He grabbed it and intensely examined it, making Rune yelp. ¡°I bit you, didn¡¯t I?¡± Rune huffed. ¡°You sure did.¡± ¡°Then where¡¯s the wound?¡± ¡°Eh, I¡¯m a vampire?¡± ¡°Yeah, I can tell. Why?¡± ¡°Vampires heal flesh wounds in minutes. You didn¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°Oh, no, I didn¡¯t. I haven¡¯t met a vampire before.¡± Hyde let his hand go. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Anyway.¡± Hyde pushed himself off the table. ¡°Let¡¯s get you to your cell.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Rune stood up and followed Hyde out of the room. They walked through a hallway into a different room. It looked like an office, with a desk and everything. Except the back half of it was blocked off by cell bars. The cell itself was empty and barren, aside from a small bench and a barred, glassless window. ¡°Not what I expected a cell to look like,¡± Rune spoke up. Hyde shrugged. ¡°We don¡¯t have much space here, I guess they built one in an unused office.¡± He approached the cell and pulled the door open. He gestured for Rune to go in with an uncomfortable look, realising this couldn¡¯t feel great for him. Rune took a deep breath and walked inside. He turned back around to Hyde. Hyde gave him a sheepish smile, then closed the door and locked it. ¡°Okay,¡± Hyde breathed out. He looked behind him at a clock, it was 1am already. ¡°You¡¯ve already been here for about two hours or so, so forty-six hours start now.¡± He looked back at Rune, Rune nodded. ¡°It¡¯s late, I¡¯m going home for the night. I¡¯ll be back in the morning.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Rune said as he sat down on the bench. Hyde frowned. He looked around the room. The chair at the desk had a cushion on it. He walked to it, grabbed the cushion and went back to Rune. He handed it to him through the bars. ¡°Here. It¡¯s not much, but it could make the night at least a little more comfortable.¡± Rune hesitantly took it with a sad and unsure look on his face. ¡°Thanks.¡± Hyde smiled. As he turned to walk away, Rune called out, ¡°Hyde.¡± Hyde turned around with a hum. ¡°I¡ª¡± Rune looked down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I cut you.¡± Hyde glanced at the bandage on his arm, then breathed out a chuckle. ¡°Sorry I bit you.¡± Rune looked back up and smiled a little. Hyde smiled back and turned around to go home. He left, leaving Rune to figure out how he was going to sleep tonight and process everything that happened. At least a bench was more comfortable than the table. He looked out of the window at the stars. He sighed and hugged the cushion in his arms. His eyes teared up. ¡°Didn¡¯t think I¡¯d end up in a jail cell someday, did you?¡± he whispered at the stars. He chuckled sadly to himself. He laid down on his back on the bench and stared up at the ceiling, a few tears escaped his eyes. Please, Go Home 3A Hyde entered the room in the morning. He saw Rune¡¯s back in the cell. Rune laid on his side on the bench, his head on the cushion and his legs curled up. He faced the wall. ¡°Hey,¡± Hyde called out hushed, unsure if he was asleep or not. Rune didn¡¯t respond, Hyde guessed he was still sleeping. He stepped towards the desk. He grabbed the chair, rolled it backwards and sat. He got his notebook out of his pocket and grabbed a pen from the desk. He opened it to the next empty page. He leaned his head in his left hand as he wrote. I walked into the room to check on him. He¡¯s still asleep, it seems. I should let him be, who knows how difficult it was to fall asleep here. I feel bad for making him sleep in there, but this is what¡¯s needed for him to be freed from those people, or so he said. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m keeping him here against his will. The least I can do is keep him company, right? If he¡¯s gonna be stuck here for the next 38 hours, then I could ask him about whatever I want. Like how he got involved with a gang in the first place. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll be willing to answer, but I can try. Hyde mindlessly doodled while he waited for Rune to wake up. He made a cute, little doodle of Rune¡¯s face. Hyde smiled. He stopped when he heard Rune moving around. He looked towards the cell. Rune laid on his back and rubbed his face. He let his arms fall to the side and took a deep breath. He turned his head to Hyde, then hummed. ¡°You¡¯re here early.¡± ¡°It¡¯s 9am.¡± ¡°Yeah, early.¡± Rune sat up with a groan. He rubbed his forehead. Hyde rolled the chair towards the bars and asked, ¡°Did you get any sleep?¡± ¡°As much as you¡¯d expect on a crappy bench.¡± Hyde frowned and nodded. ¡°I was thinking of bringing you some food, but I don¡¯t have any blood lying around, so¡ª¡± ¡°Right,¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°I have some in my bag.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. I¡¯ll get it for you, then.¡± Hyde stood up and left the room. He walked to the small evidence room where he left the bag. He grabbed the whole thing and made his way back to the cell. He put the bag down on the desk, zipped it open, saw the notebook and grabbed it. ¡°Oh, I was supposed to give this back.¡± Rune snickered. He stood up as Hyde continued rummaging through his bag. He grabbed the bench and pulled it forward towards the bars. He put it down and sat on it again. He put the cushion on his lap and leaned his elbows on it as he leaned back against the wall, his shoulder pointing at Hyde. Hyde pulled a red can out of the bag. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it,¡± Rune said as he put his hand through the bars. ¡°Is it real?¡± ¡°No, the artificial stuff.¡± Hyde hummed. He handed him the can. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that existed.¡± Rune pulled his hand back and opened the can. Hyde sat down on the chair again. He turned to also have his shoulder facing Rune. Rune took a sip as he thought of something. He moved the can down from his face. ¡°Do you have my shoe?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Hyde shot up. ¡°Not with me, but yes. I can go get it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. No rush.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± They were quiet as Rune continued to drink. Hyde thought of how to bring his questions up. ¡°So,¡± he spoke up, ¡°where are you from?¡± Rune swallowed his sip. ¡°Far up north, from a town named Enath.¡± ¡°Oh, you must not be used to the warm weather here, then.¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s manageable. What about you? Probably not this village.¡± Hyde scratched his cheek and chuckled a little. ¡°No, I¡¯m from a town a few hours away, Corburn.¡± ¡°Hm. Nice beach there?¡± Rune teased with a grin. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yes, actually.¡± Rune perked up in surprise. ¡°Oh, nice.¡± ¡°I was curious,¡± Hyde began again. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°How did you get involved with that gang in the first place?¡± Rune sighed and looked away. ¡°I needed a way to provide for my family. I couldn¡¯t find a job, until they came up to me and offered me one. They¡¯d send my family a big cheque every month as long as I did whatever they told me to. I didn¡¯t know yet what they¡¯d want me to do, but I was desperate and agreed. When they told me they wanted me to travel around the continent stealing whatever they wanted me to, I tried to back out. But then they threatened me and my family.¡± Hyde frowned. ¡°Oh. But now that you¡¯re quitting, how are you going to provide for them?¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out, anything is better than this. Maybe they saved some of the money.¡± Rune leaned his head against the bars and stared at the floor. ¡°How long haven¡¯t you seen them?¡± ¡°Five years,¡± Rune mumbled. Hyde hummed sadly. Rune straightened his posture again and took a deep breath. He searched around the room, thinking of what to change the subject to. ¡°I¡¯ve got to say, this is the smallest police station I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Hyde snickered. ¡°Well, yeah. What did you expect from a village of only about a hundred people, mostly elderly?¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°Why do you seem to be the only person actually doing anything?¡± ¡°There are only three people ever doing anything here, and the other two sit around all day. I would be too, if I wasn¡¯t constantly being bothered to help with this type of stuff.¡± ¡°Why you?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m a young werewolf, they think I¡¯m the best at finding things. Which is kinda true, I guess, but you can¡¯t find everything with smell.¡± Rune smiled, he squinted at the scar on Hyde¡¯s lip. He fully turned towards him, put his arms through the bars and leaned his elbows on the horizontal ones. ¡°I¡¯m wondering,¡± he began. Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What are you doing in this village?¡± Hyde was caught off guard, then shrugged. ¡°I live here.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°On your own?¡± Hyde tensed up. ¡°It¡¯s peaceful here.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like it, how you just described constantly being bothered to do things you don¡¯t want to.¡± Hyde sighed. ¡°What are you getting at?¡± ¡°In my experience, people who live in villages like these are either retired elderly people looking for a quiet retirement, or they¡¯re running from something.¡± Hyde stared at him in disbelief. ¡°So either you¡¯re a lot older than you look, or¡­¡± Hyde huddled up in his chair. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Rune frowned. ¡°I mean, you know a lot about me now, but I know almost nothing about you. If you want to tell me other things about yourself, then I¡¯m okay with that.¡± Hyde eyed him, then sighed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you a little bit.¡± Rune perked up and smiled. Hyde turned his chair to face him and leaned his elbow on his knees. ¡°I came to this village six years ago,¡± he began quietly, ¡°after I lost a big fight with another werewolf. And I guess I¡¯m avoiding him.¡± ¡°Was it so bad you had to abandon your whole life?¡± Hyde frowned. ¡°I suppose so.¡± Rune hummed and leaned his chin on a horizontal bar, squishing his cheeks between the vertical ones. ¡°Have you ever thought of going back?¡± ¡°Not in a long time.¡± Hyde jumped and turned around when he heard the door open. Raven walked in. She smiled. ¡°Hyde! Here you are.¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t find you anywhere and Selene said she hadn¡¯t seen you since last night, so I came looking for you.¡± ¡°Okay, well, congratulations. You found me.¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Talking.¡± ¡°To who?¡± ¡°Who do you think?¡± Rune awkwardly smiled against his squished cheeks and waved at her. Raven squinted at him. She walked to the desk and leaned on it. ¡°And that is¡­¡± ¡°The thief.¡± ¡°Are you interrogating him or something?¡± Hyde scratched his jaw. ¡°No, just chatting.¡± ¡°What, why?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°I feel like it.¡± She frowned and moved closer to Hyde, still leaning on the desk. ¡°If you wanna chat, you could come to me¡±¡ªshe smiled a little¡ª¡°or Selene. You don¡¯t have to do it with a criminal.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this with you.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Guy¡­ stuff.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Raven huffed. ¡°If you still don¡¯t trust us enough to talk to us, then fine, talk to some random thief instead. Suit yourself.¡± She stood up to walk away, but Hyde called, ¡°Wait.¡± Raven looked back. ¡°Yeah?¡± Hyde pointed at the notebook next to the bag on the desk. ¡°That¡¯s Selene¡¯s notebook, can you give it back to her?¡± Raven glared at him. ¡°Fine.¡± She grabbed it, then walked out. Hyde sighed in relief. ¡°I sure do love this guy stuff that we¡¯re talking about,¡± Rune mocked him. Hyde gave him a glare. Rune giggled mischievously. Hyde groaned. ¡°She never leaves me alone.¡± Rune hummed. ¡°Guess she can¡¯t take a hint.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rune stared at him for a moment, then shrugged. ¡°But, since you¡¯ve caught me, you have been talking to me the whole time, like you don¡¯t have anyone else to talk to.¡± Hyde frowned down as he fidgeted with his hands. Rune squinted his eyes. ¡°You really don¡¯t, do you?¡± Hyde sighed. ¡°I guess you¡¯re as sad and lonely as me, then,¡± Rune smirked. Hyde breathed out a chuckle. ¡°I guess so. I haven¡¯t spoken to a guy my age in years.¡± ¡°Since you got here?¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°There are almost only elderly people here. The ones that are my age are all women,¡± he finished in an annoyed tone. Rune raised an amused eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t like women?¡± Hyde tensed. ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t mean like¡ª¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m messing with you.¡± He moved his chin off the bars. ¡°But still, no need to panic if I¡¯m right. I¡¯m not straight either.¡± He grinned at him. Hyde stared at him, dumbfounded. Rune tilted his head. ¡°Cat caught your tongue?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Hyde rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Sorry, I haven¡¯t talked about things like that before. Except once, kind of.¡± ¡°Oh, so you have questioned?¡± Rune asked, still amused. Hyde sighed deeply. ¡°I guess you could call it that.¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t have an issue in the gay dating pool if you were interested.¡± Hyde squinted his eyes. ¡°Thank¡­ you?¡± Rune chuckled. Please, Go Home 3B ¡°How old are you, actually? Aging is kinda weird with vampires, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hyde wondered. Rune shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s different, but not that weird. I¡¯m twenty-four. You?¡± ¡°Twenty-five. How does it work, then?¡± ¡°My body is technically still twenty. We live twice as long, but as kids we age like any other kid. Then at age twenty, our physical age freezes until we¡¯re forty, then we age half a year for every normal year.¡± ¡°So half as fast?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Hyde hummed. ¡°Must be pretty sweet to have twice the time in your life.¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°Depends who you ask.¡± ¡°What if I ask you?¡± ¡°Ehh,¡± Rune breathed out. ¡°I guess it¡¯s nice that these five years I¡¯ve been away mean less than if I aged like the average person. I mean, they¡¯re still five years, but five years don¡¯t mean as much if you have more time to live, you know?¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°Yeah, sounds nice.¡± ¡°But then again, thinking about how I¡¯ll probably still be around for another one hundred and sixty or seventy years or so if I die of old age is¡­ something. It¡¯s kind of insane to think that my great-great-great-grandfather could still be walking around alive and well somewhere.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, I guess your families would also be twice as big if everyone lives twice as long, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible, but I don¡¯t know anyone past my grandparents.¡± Hyde hummed, then shrugged and absentmindedly added, ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone past my parents.¡± Rune frowned. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°What does being a werewolf feel like?¡± Rune wondered this time. ¡°Oh god,¡± Hyde began, a little startled. ¡°We¡¯re getting existential today.¡± Rune raised a brow. ¡°Is it existential?¡± ¡°You¡¯re basically asking me what it feels like to be alive, so yeah.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°Can you explain? I¡¯ve always been curious.¡± Hyde rested his elbows on his knees. ¡°Uh, do you have a more specific question?¡± Rune sat cross-legged on the bench, facing him. ¡°Is it true that you have two different consciousnesses inside of you? One human, one wolf?¡± Hyde tilted his head. ¡°In a way, I suppose? But I don¡¯t feel like they¡¯re completely separate from each other. They¡¯re both still me, but different parts of me. They¡¯re two parts of the same whole. It¡¯s not that they¡¯re fighting for control or anything. Sometimes I can lose control, but even then, I don¡¯t feel like that isn¡¯t me.¡± ¡°But the fact that you can lose control in the first place suggests it is a separate thing that takes over.¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡± Hyde sighed, thinking of a way to explain it. ¡°When you¡¯re blackout drunk, right? You don¡¯t remember what you did, you weren¡¯t fully in control of yourself. But it¡¯s still you, isn¡¯t it? When you do some stupid shit when you¡¯re drunk, you wouldn¡¯t later go ¡®No, I swear that wasn¡¯t me, that was someone else.¡¯ People might separate their drunk and sober selves, but they¡¯re still the same person.¡± Rune squinted. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°People often refer to it as their wolf. Some are more in sync with it than others. I¡¯m not super in sync with mine, but I can usually control it.¡± Hyde leaned closer. ¡°But I¡¯ve seen some people that are so in sync with their wolves, it¡¯s insane. They can shift only a small part of their body if they want, like only their hand or even just one nail if they wanna cut something real quick. It¡¯s crazy.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you do that with your eyes?¡± ¡°Ehh,¡± Hyde hesitated. ¡°In a way, I guess so. But that isn¡¯t voluntary, it¡¯s an adrenaline response.¡± ¡°Ah. Does it feel like you have a wolf inside of you?¡± Rune asked again. Hyde shrugged. ¡°Well, yeah. That¡¯s pretty much what being a werewolf is. But it¡¯s not like I can go inside my thoughts and talk to it or anything. It doesn¡¯t make me feel not-alone.¡± Rune hummed. ¡°Would be cute, though. If I could see a wolf running around in my dreams.¡± Rune laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± Rune began again. ¡°Maybe you should keep me here a little longer than exactly forty-eight hours.¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯d be suspicious if it¡¯s exactly forty-eight hours, they might suspect something.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Okay. Then, instead of letting you go tonight, in the morning?¡± Rune nodded. ¡°Sounds good.¡± Rune duck into the corner and yelped when he felt a sharp pain on the back of his neck. ¡°Fuck,¡± he swore as he rubbed his neck. ¡°What?¡± Rune glared at the barred window. ¡°The bloody sun shone through the window directly onto my neck.¡± ¡°Oh, is it that low already?¡± Rune looked at Hyde like a hurt puppy. Hyde snickered. ¡°I could get you some ice or something?¡± Rune shook his head as he continued to rub his neck. ¡°No, I¡¯ll be fine. But dang, you¡¯ve been here all day again, huh?¡± ¡°I guess I have. But I think that¡¯s my cue to go home for the evening.¡± Rune frowned a little. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± ¡°Then you can sit somewhere that¡¯s sunlight free.¡± Hyde stood up and turned towards the door. He turned back and said, ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± with a smile. Rune smiled back.
The forty-eight hours were over. It had actually been fifty-six hours now. Hyde walked into the cell room again. Rune was already awake, sitting with his chin on the bars again. He sat up as Hyde walked in and called out, ¡°Finally!¡± Hyde chuckled. ¡°Ready for your freedom?¡± ¡°Hell yes.¡± Rune stood up. Hyde grabbed the key from the desk, but thought of something before he opened the door. Rune raised his eyebrow. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± ¡°How do they know you¡¯ve been here for as long as you have?¡± Rune sighed. ¡°They have people everywhere, or at least always around me. I¡¯m supposed to check in every other day, but since I haven¡¯t, they¡¯d check where I am and see me here being ¡®interrogated¡¯ by you. So trust me, they know.¡± Hyde stepped towards the lock. ¡°Okay, if you¡¯re so sure.¡± He pushed the key into the lock and turned it, then pulled the door open. Rune walked out right away. He stretched with a groan, then plopped down on the desk chair with a content smile. ¡°Finally, something comfortable,¡± he said under his breath. Hyde chuckled and sat on the desk. ¡°So, are you gonna go home now?¡± Rune tensed up and frowned. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I suppose that would be the next logical step.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the issue? Isn¡¯t that what you did all this for?¡± ¡°Well, yeah, but I guess now that I could, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°After five years? Why wouldn¡¯t you be?¡± Rune turned the chair towards him. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess I¡¯m, uh, afraid. Of what might¡¯ve changed, or that they¡¯ll be mad at me for staying silent all this time.¡± Hyde let out a knowing hum. ¡°Well,¡± he began, ¡°if you won¡¯t leave yet, maybe you could stay with me until you feel ready.¡± Rune gave him a surprised look. ¡°Really?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°I have a spare room.¡± Rune smiled. ¡°That¡¯d be great! Thank you.¡± Hyde tensed his shoulders but smiled back. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I enjoyed talking to you the past two days, I wouldn¡¯t mind you sticking around a little longer.¡± Rune chuckled. He stood and began to untie his hoodie from his hips. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go then. I¡¯ve seen enough of this room.¡± Hyde nodded and stood up too. Rune pulled his hoodie on with the hood up. Hyde began walking to the door, then looked back at him and asked, ¡°Is a hoodie enough to shield you from the sun?¡± ¡°Yeah, as long as it isn¡¯t direct sunlight.¡± ¡°Huh, okay. Isn¡¯t it super warm in this weather, though?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have another option.¡± ¡°An umbrella?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have one.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s your house like?¡± Rune asked as they walked outside. Hyde shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just a one floor cabin surrounded by empty fields.¡± ¡°How did you get it?¡± ¡°It was empty at the time.¡± ¡°Ever had a housemate before?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve lived alone ever since I got here.¡± Rune frowned. ¡°Does it get lonely?¡± ¡°Yeah, it does,¡± Hyde nodded. Rune hummed. ¡°Yeah, traveling also isn¡¯t exactly the most¡ª¡± He screamed, grabbed his arm and stumbled to the side, bumping into Hyde. Hyde jumped and looked at Rune¡¯s arm. An arrow stuck out of it. He looked further. Raven stood some distance away with her hunting bow, ready to shoot again. Rune hissed in pain at the arrow. Hyde grabbed Rune¡¯s shoulders and pushed him behind him. ¡°Raven, don¡¯t you dare shoot again!¡± Hyde yelled. Raven lowered her bow a little and stared at him as if he was crazy. ¡°Why not?! He¡¯s a criminal!¡± ¡°I dealt with it, okay?! Leave him alone!¡± Raven lowered her bow to her side and shouted, ¡°Why are you taking his side?! You barely even know him!¡± ¡°Side? Since when are there sides?¡± ¡°Since he broke into a bunch of houses and stole from our friend!¡± Hyde groaned, he glanced at Rune. Rune looked back like a lost and hurt child, not following what was happening. Hyde turned back to Raven. ¡°You don¡¯t know the full story, alright? I¡¯m telling you, leave it alone!¡± Hyde grabbed Rune¡¯s good arm. He dragged him away before Raven could answer. Hyde took Rune to his house. He dragged him through the hallway to the living room. He pushed Rune onto the couch. Rune grabbed onto his arm again with a painful groan. ¡°Eh, where did I leave the¡ª¡± Hyde mumbled as he frantically looked around. ¡°Just pull it out,¡± Rune told him. Hyde turned back to him. ¡°What? No, I need something to stop the bleeding first.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Pull it out!¡± Rune grew agitated from the pain. ¡°But¡ª¡± Rune grabbed his shirt and pulled Hyde down to his face. ¡°Pull it out!¡± Hyde stared at him, stunned. ¡°O-okay.¡± Rune let his shirt go. Hyde grabbed the arrow and finally pulled it out, Rune groaned. He laid the arrow down on the coffee table in front of the couch. Hyde looked at the wound, it was bleeding. ¡°I¡¯ll get a bandage.¡± He moved to do so. ¡°No,¡± Rune said as he grabbed the back of Hyde¡¯s shirt this time. He pulled him down on the couch, making Hyde yelp. ¡°Sit and calm the fuck down.¡± Hyde gave him a confused frown. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Remember what I told you about the bite wound on my hand?¡± Hyde looked down at Rune¡¯s hand. ¡°Oh, right. It¡¯ll heal.¡± ¡°Yeah, so stop panicking.¡± Hyde nodded and took a deep breath. ¡°Sorry.¡± Rune shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t apologise, you only wanted to help.¡± His eyes went to the bandage on Hyde¡¯s arm, he frowned. ¡°I guess it was karma.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Hyde looked down at his arm, too. ¡°Oh, that.¡± He looked back up with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s healing fine.¡± His smile faded. ¡°But can I check on yours?¡± Rune sighed and shook his head. ¡°If it makes you feel better.¡± He pulled his hoodie off and turned towards Hyde so he could see the wound. Hyde stared at it, he moved his hand up to carefully touch it. ¡°Huh, it¡¯s already a scab.¡± ¡°Told you.¡± They both sat on the couch for a bit, catching their breaths. Hyde stared at the arrow on the coffee table. A question came to him. ¡°If a wooden arrow went through your heart, would it kill you?¡± Rune raised a concerned eyebrow. ¡°Probably not?¡± ¡°Why not? It¡¯s basically a tiny wooden stake, right?¡± ¡°Eh¡­ I don¡¯t know. But I¡¯ve never heard of it happening, so I don¡¯t think so. It might be small enough to heal in time.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Rune squinted. ¡°Why? Are you having dark thoughts?¡± Hyde flinched. ¡°No, I was just wondering.¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°The room at the end of the hall is the guest room, by the way.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, thanks.¡± Rune rubbed the nape of his neck. ¡°I am a bit confused, though.¡± Hyde quirked a brow. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Why do you trust me enough to invite me into your home? You only know me as a thief.¡± ¡°At the beginning, sure. But we¡¯ve talked for days. I know you care deeply about your family and that you were forced into this.¡± Hyde looked away with a shrug. ¡°And I like having you around. It¡¯s quiet here.¡± Rune smiled. ¡°I¡¯d be delighted to keep you company, after everything you¡¯ve done for me in three days.¡± Please, Go Home Interlude 2 The young vampire searched through the shelves in the school library for a new book to read. He had trouble finding anything in this mess. He groaned. ¡°Is there even a system to this?¡± he complained to his friend, who was sitting at the table behind him, eating lunch. ¡°Every time I look through these shelves, it seems to have a different organisation system, if one at all!¡± He pulled a book out and turned to his friend, he waved the book at him. ¡°This is a children¡¯s book.¡± He grabbed another one. ¡°What is it doing next to a horror book?¡± He put both books back with a grunt. ¡°Why don¡¯t you organise them yourself if it bothers you so much?¡± ¡°The other students will mess it up again, anyway.¡± He picked a book to read, the first book in a series of adventure novels. ¡°Then you have your answer. The librarian probably thinks the same.¡± The vampire returned to the table and sat on it, placing his feet on the chair. He examined the book he picked closer; the cover art was chipping away at the edges, particularly the corners. It had stains and scratches; he wouldn¡¯t be surprised to find ripped pages inside. ¡°People just can¡¯t help damaging books, can they?¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. His friend, who sat on the chair beside him, was smiling at him. The vampire hummed a question. His friend shrugged. ¡°I like seeing you care about something.¡± ¡°That sounds pathetic.¡± The other laughed a little. He took another bite of his lunch. The vampire opened the book. The following silence allowed him to read a few pages. His friend finished his lunch. He laid his folded arms on the table and hid the bottom of his face in them. The vampire noticed him moping. He sighed with a smile. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡ªmy family again. I haven¡¯t seen my mom in over a week. All my dad ever says to me is Dinner! or Have a nice day!¡± ¡°At least your dad says anything to you. I can¡¯t even remember the last time I heard my dad¡¯s voice. And I wish I didn¡¯t see my mother for that long.¡± His friend moved his chair closer and laid his head on the vampire¡¯s thighs. ¡°I want to leave. But I don¡¯t know to where.¡± The vampire stroked his hair, then rubbed his thumb over his head. ¡°I¡¯d love to escape, too.¡± His friend closed his eyes with a small smile, enjoying the head pats. ¡°I¡¯ll think of something.¡± Please, Go Home 4 Hyde was awoken by the sun shining in his face through the window in his bedroom. He groaned in annoyance and turned around. He looked at the small clock beside his bed, it was past 8am already. He sighed. He pushed himself up on his arms. He stepped out of bed, then grabbed some sweatpants off the floor and pulled them on. He decided to keep his sleep shirt on for now. He walked out of his bedroom. He passed the guest room, the door was left open. He peaked inside and saw Rune in a deep sleep on the bed. Rune laid on his stomach, his head laid on his arm with his cheek pushed up, causing him to drool a little. Hyde snickered and kept walking. He opened the door to the living room and kitchen area. He wasn¡¯t hungry yet. He went to the couch. He sat down and grabbed his notebook from the coffee table as well as his pen. He rested the notebook opened on the armrest and began to write. I saw Rune sleeping like a baby in the guest room. He left the door open for some reason. Artistic interpretation to the side. Must be nice to sleep in an actual bed after three nights on a bench. I don¡¯t actually know how long it¡¯s been since he slept comfortably. Where did he sleep before? It¡¯s not like there are any hotels nearby. And now he doesn¡¯t have to be on edge all the time. Must be such a relief. I¡¯m pretty excited to have a housemate now. It can get lonely sometimes. Selene and Raven won¡¯t be happy about it, Raven was already upset with me for talking to him. And she shot him yesterday, of course. I don¡¯t know if Selene even knows Rune is still here and free now. Eh, Raven probably told her. But maybe I should introduce them all to each other today. I wouldn¡¯t want them to run into Rune and freak out. I do have to make sure Raven won¡¯t shoot him again, though. I know I was more freaked out by it than he was, but it¡¯s gotta hurt, right? Even if it heals quickly. An hour later, Hyde was eating cereal, leaning against the counter. Rune walked in with a stretch and a groan, wearing the same jeans and shirt as yesterday. And the day before. And before that. Hyde frowned. Rune walked up to him with a smile. ¡°Morning, roomie.¡± Hyde smiled back. ¡°Hey. Sleep well?¡± ¡°Like a log.¡± Rune went to the fridge and got a can of blood out; he¡¯d put them there last night. He opened it, then spotted what was in Hyde¡¯s bowl. ¡°Are you eating cereal with water?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m out of milk.¡± ¡°Then buy more milk.¡± Rune threw his hand up in frustrated confusion. ¡°Who the fuck eats cereal with water?¡± ¡°Me, I guess.¡± Hyde took another spoonful in his mouth. ¡°You might as well eat it dry at that point.¡± ¡°Not a bad idea.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t a suggestion.¡± Rune sipped his drink with a glare. ¡°Too late.¡± Hyde finished his bowl and put it down on the counter behind him. ¡°I was wondering; where did you sleep before?¡± Rune raised his eyebrow. ¡°You mean before you arrested me?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Here in the south, I always slept outside. It¡¯s warm enough and there aren¡¯t any hotels nearby. But in other places, if there was a hotel, the gang would get me a room.¡± ¡°Oh. So you¡¯d sleep in the forest on the ground or something?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Hyde squinted at him. ¡°You¡¯re not playing me to get a roof over your head, are you?¡± ¡°What? No,¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask to stay, you offered.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay, fine.¡± Hyde hummed and looked down at Rune¡¯s clothes again. ¡°Do you need some clean clothes?¡± Rune glanced down at himself, then sighed. ¡°Yeah, probably.¡± ¡°I could lend you some of mine.¡± ¡°Really? Great!¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°If they fit, at least.¡± Rune examined both their figures. ¡°If anything, it¡¯d be too big.¡± Hyde pushed himself off the counter and stepped towards him. ¡°You think so? You¡¯re taller.¡± Rune huffed. ¡°Like an inch. You¡¯re more muscular.¡± Hyde rolled his eyes. He grabbed Rune¡¯s wrist and began to drag him away as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± Hyde dragged Rune into his bedroom, then let him go. He walked to his closet and pulled the door open. He searched it. ¡°What are all the things you need? Pants, shirt, socks, underwear I guess.¡± He turned around to Rune. ¡°A hoodie?¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°Mine does have a hole in it now.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Hyde turned back to his closet. He grabbed a plain, dark blue t-shirt, black jeans, a grey hoodie and everything else. He handed the stack of clothes to Rune. ¡°Here you go, now I gotta get dressed too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still in your pyjamas?¡± Hyde blushed a little and pushed him to leave. ¡°Yes, go!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice.¡± Rune smirked at him. Hyde gave him a glare back. Rune snickered and walked away. A few minutes later, they both walked out of their rooms again. They took a good look at each other¡¯s outfits. Hyde had put some jeans on himself, as well as a plain grey shirt and an opened, olive green blouse with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. Rune seemed to fit in his clothes perfectly fine. Rune looked back up at Hyde¡¯s face and gave him a double thumbs up with a cheeky smile. Hyde breathed out a chuckle and shook his head. ¡°So, now what?¡± Rune wondered. ¡°Are we going to do anything today?¡± ¡°I was thinking of formally introducing you to Selene and Raven.¡± Rune¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What? Why?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°Since you¡¯re staying here for a while. Wouldn¡¯t want them to run into you and freak out and shoot you again.¡± Rune sighed deeply and tilted his head back. ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± he whined. Hyde tugged at his sleeve. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get it over with.¡± They walked outside towards Selene¡¯s house. Rune dragged behind Hyde. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Come on, slowpoke.¡± Rune glared and picked up his pace. Hyde caught a glimpse of his earring. When Rune was beside him, he asked, ¡°Can I ask about your earring?¡± ¡°Can I ask about your scar?¡± ¡°Eh¡ªI didn¡¯t realise an earring could be so personal.¡± ¡°Then why ask if you can ask about it?¡± Hyde clicked his tongue. ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± They arrived at the house. Hyde knocked. No answer. He opened the door and walked in. ¡°Selene? Can we talk?¡± Selene stepped out of her study. ¡°What is it¡ªwhy is he here?¡± Hyde turned around slightly, Rune stood behind him, tense and uncomfortable. ¡°He¡¯ll be staying with me for a while.¡± Selene looked at him like he had lost his mind. ¡°Why? Why don¡¯t you take him to prison?¡± ¡°Come on, you know I don¡¯t actually have the power to do that.¡± ¡°You could get the police from the nearest town or something.¡± Hyde tensed up. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good. But¡±¡ªhe reached behind him and grabbed Rune¡¯s arm¡ª¡°I wanted to formally introduce you¡±¡ªhe pulled him forward¡ª¡°to Rune.¡± Rune stared at her. ¡°Eh, hi.¡± Selene scoffed. ¡°You expect me to be friendly with the guy that stole my research?¡± ¡°Not really, I only wanted you to know he wasn¡¯t leaving yet.¡± Selene shook her head. She stepped towards Rune. ¡°Well, the least you could do is tell me why.¡± Rune frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°I worked for people, they always told me what to nick. What are you researching, anyway?¡± ¡°As if I¡¯d tell you.¡± Rune looked down and nodded. She stepped closer again, making Rune lean back with tense shoulders. ¡°Just because Hyde is dumb enough to trust you, doesn¡¯t mean anyone else in the village is.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°Right.¡± Hyde pulled Rune away. ¡°Lovely introduction, thanks for the insult. We¡¯ll be moving on now.¡± He pulled Rune out the door with him. Outside, Rune wondered, ¡°You two don¡¯t seem very friendly with each other.¡± Hyde sighed. ¡°She helped me when I first got here, but now she¡¯s always busy with her research and gets angry whenever I bother her. Though, she likes to pretend that isn¡¯t the case.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± They stood in front of Raven¡¯s house. Rune seemed tense. Hyde smiled a little. ¡°Relax, I won¡¯t let her shoot you again.¡± Rune glanced at him with a frown. Hyde stepped to the door. He knocked. He heard some footsteps inside, then the doorknob turned. Raven opened the door and smiled at Hyde. ¡°Hyde, hey! What¡ª¡± Her smile faded as her gaze went behind him and landed on Rune. ¡°Why is he free?¡± ¡°We made a deal. He¡¯s staying with me for a bit.¡± Raven¡¯s gaze snapped back to Hyde with furrowed brows. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°He can¡¯t go home yet.¡± ¡°So? Why does he have to stay with you?!¡± ¡°Well¡ª¡± ¡°And¡±¡ªRaven looked down and grabbed her hair¡ª¡°why would you let him? You never let anyone in your house! Why him?!¡± Hyde put his hands up, ¡°Okay, how about you calm down¡ª¡± ¡°Is it because he¡¯s a guy? Huh?!¡± Hyde was taken aback. ¡°What?!¡± Behind him, Rune turned away with his fist against his mouth, fist hidden in his sleeve, trying to hold a startled laugh in. ¡°Where the hell did that come from?¡± Hyde demanded. ¡°You¡¯ve never let yourself connect with anyone here. And now one guy comes along and you spend days talking to him and now letting him stay in your house, where the hell does that come from?!¡± Hyde shook his head and shrugged. ¡°Good chemistry?¡± He stepped away from the door. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be psychoanalysed here.¡± He grabbed Rune¡¯s wrist. ¡°Goodbye.¡± He dragged him away. Raven watched as she groaned. ¡°Fine,¡± she hissed and closed her door. ¡°Well, that was something,¡± Rune spoke up on their way home. ¡°That was them all, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Do you really want to be around these people, if they¡¯re the only ones you can talk to?¡± Hyde sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have much of a choice, they¡¯re the only ones here around my age. All the elderly people would either barely even hear me or not understand what I¡¯m talking about. Or not care.¡± Rune frowned. ¡°Hm.¡± They walked into Hyde¡¯s house. Hyde went to the kitchen. Rune stayed at the doorway to the living and kitchen area. He looked down with a frown. Hyde grabbed a glass from a cabinet, then filled it with water. He took a sip. He glanced at the calendar that hung on the wall. His eyes widened. Rune approached the kitchen as he tied his hoodie around his waist. ¡°Hyde.¡± Hyde turned to him and hummed. ¡°I want to tell you something.¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow, the corner of his lips crooked up. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°To answer a question that I didn¡¯t trust you enough to answer yet before; my name, full name, is Rune Brightbold.¡± ¡°Oh, that has a nice ring to it. But you know, you didn¡¯t have to¡ª¡± ¡°I said before it wasn¡¯t fair for you to know more about me than I knew about you. I should keep myself to that too, right? I know your full name, so it¡¯s only fair that you know mine, too.¡± Hyde smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± He glanced at the calendar. ¡°Then, I have something to tell you, too.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Uh, have you been around a werewolf during a full moon before?¡± Rune squinted his eyes. ¡°No? Why¡ª¡± His eyes widened. ¡°Wait, is it¡ª¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll be a full moon tonight.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ fuck.¡±
Hours later, in the evening, Hyde sat on the couch with his notebook again. Rune paced around the room. Rune didn¡¯t take it very well. The full moon thing. He¡¯s been anxious for hours. I¡¯ve tried calming him down, telling him it¡¯ll be fine, but it didn¡¯t help. Maybe for a few minutes, but then he was pacing around mumbling to himself again. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much I can do at this point. There¡¯s only about ten minutes left. Hyde sighed and closed his notebook. He laid it on the coffee table. ¡°Rune.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Hyde pat the space on the couch next to him. ¡°Come sit for a moment, there¡¯s only ten minutes left.¡± Rune only tensed more. Hyde stood up and walked to him. He grabbed his wrist. ¡°Come on.¡± He dragged him to the couch and pushed him to sit. He sat next to him, facing him. ¡°Let me try to explain what¡¯ll happen, okay?¡± Rune took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°So, the moon will be up and I¡¯ll shift. I¡¯ll go into my room before then, so you don¡¯t have to see it. And when I¡¯m shifted¡ªyou¡¯ve seen it before¡ªI¡¯ll be animal-like and hairy and everything. But because it¡¯s a full moon, I won¡¯t be fully conscious. More going off instinct. So I¡¯ll act animalistic too, which might be aggressive¡ªor the opposite, depending on my mood. And I won¡¯t remember anything the next morning.¡± Rune stared at him with big eyes. ¡°So it¡¯s a coin flip whether you¡¯ll be scary or not? Is that supposed to calm me down?¡± Hyde scratched his cheek. ¡°Eh, I thought you should know what to expect.¡± Rune sighed. He rested his forehead on the palm of his hand. Hyde frowned, he tapped his fingers on his leg. ¡°I¡¯ll¡ªI¡¯ll go into my room now.¡± Rune nodded. Hyde stood up and walked away. Rune was left alone with his anxiety. Was he going to be aggressive? He wouldn¡¯t hurt him, would he? They were friends now. What if he was aggressive? What was he supposed to do? Run? Or would that make it worse? Maybe he should act like he wasn¡¯t even there? Ignore him? Or would that make him mad? Maybe he should leave the house altogether. But where would he go for the night? He guessed another night in the forest would be manageable. He flinched when he heard noise from Hyde¡¯s room. He looked towards the hallway from the couch. He heard a door open. He jumped as Hyde came through the doorway. Rune stared at him. His ears pointed and furry, his irises big and golden, his pupils thin like needles, all his facial and body hair longer and thicker, nails like claws. Rune let out a breath he had been holding. Hyde growled, Rune yelped and scrambled to the other side of the couch. Hyde climbed on it as he kept his eyes fixated on Rune, Rune froze. Hyde crawled towards him. Rune leaned back as much as he could as Hyde got into his face, crawling over him. He leaned his head down and sniffed. Rune pinched his eyes and lips closed with a high-pitched whine. Hyde pushed his nose against the skin below Rune¡¯s ear and sniffed more. He loosened his shoulders and purred. Rune opened his eyes. He turned his head to him. ¡°Did you purr?¡± he whispered. Hyde nuzzled his cheek. He moved down and rubbed his face into Rune¡¯s neck. Rune laid there, not knowing what to do. What was he doing? This wasn¡¯t aggressive. So, was this that opposite Hyde mentioned? Was the opposite of aggressive, cuddly? He guessed it made sense. ¡°Eh.¡± Rune pushed himself up onto his elbows. Hyde whined as he caught himself on his claws. He gave Rune puppy eyes. Rune was taken aback by his pupils. They weren¡¯t thin anymore, they had grown into big circles now. Rune compared it to a cat¡¯s pupils. Hyde nuzzled his cheek again with a smile. Rune put his hand on Hyde¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hyde, could you-eh.¡± He nudged his shoulder away. Hyde pushed back and laid against him with a whine. Rune sighed, he leaned back. ¡°Do you want to cuddle?¡± Hyde nodded. Rune relaxed and laid down. ¡°Okay, then,¡± he breathed out. He put a hand on Hyde¡¯s back and massaged it with his thumb. Hyde purred again. Rune wasn¡¯t sure what to think of this. It probably didn¡¯t mean anything. As Hyde said, he won¡¯t remember any of it. Hyde opened his eyes. He glanced down at himself, he was on the couch, a blanket laid over him. He pushed himself up on his arms and sat. He rubbed his dry eyes with his thumb and index finger, then looked further into the room. He saw Rune in the kitchen with a can of blood in hand. Hm. Did Rune give him the blanket? He must have, who else? How cute. So would that mean he didn¡¯t make him piss himself? Rune gave him a little wave and Hyde realised he was staring at him. He awkwardly smiled. ¡°So, what did I do?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Rune approached the couch. ¡°I think you were in more of an opposite mood.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Huh.¡± Hyde looked down in thought. ¡°Odd.¡± Rune sat next to him. ¡°Is it odd?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know I can get pretty aggressive when I¡¯m not in full control. Similar to my dad, I guess,¡± he mumbled. Rune raised his eyebrow. ¡°Your dad?¡± Hyde tensed up. ¡°Eheh¡­ forget I said that.¡± Rune leaned closer with narrowed eyes. He exaggerated a sniff. ¡°You know what I smell?¡± He got into Hyde¡¯s face. ¡°Daddy issues,¡± he whispered, then snickered. Hyde glared and pushed his face away. ¡°Just forget about it.¡± Rune moved back. ¡°Fine. For now.¡± ¡°What did I do to make you think that? That I was in an opposite mood?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°For one, you purred.¡± Hyde tensed. A deep, embarrassed blush came to his face. ¡°Several times.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Rune shrugged with folded arms. ¡°I don¡¯t know, you¡¯re the werewolf! You were very insistent that you wanted to cuddle.¡± Hyde laid his forehead in his hands, now even more embarrassed. What on Earth? He¡¯d never done that. ¡°Do you know why?¡± Rune asked. Hyde shook his head. ¡°Maybe because I¡¯ve been alone for so long?¡± ¡°Aw.¡± Rune put a hand on his chest. ¡°You wanted to cuddle because you were lonely? That¡¯s adorable, and sad.¡± Hyde shot him a glare from the corner of his eye. Rune snickered. Please, Go Home 5A Rune sat on the couch at night, Hyde had gone to bed a few hours ago. Rune read a book. As he let his eyes glide across the page, his mind began to wander. He had been here for a month, now. He and Hyde had continued to talk and hang out every day, but the more they did so, the more Rune began to realise how little he knew about Hyde. What did he know? He came to this village six years ago; the people bother and pressure him into being the only cop here and he hates it, and yet he stays. What happened that could¡¯ve caused him to come here and make him stay despite how exhausted, angry and lonely he often is? Rune had tried to ask about it, but Hyde shut him down right away every time he mentioned Hyde¡¯s past, telling him to forget about it or saying he doesn¡¯t want to talk about it. He probably didn¡¯t trust him enough yet, which Rune thought was fair. It had only been a month, Rune hadn¡¯t told him about his family either. It must have something to do with the scar on his lip, right? Yeah, he said he lost a fight. That must¡¯ve scarred him. But a fight with who? Whoever it was, he¡¯s here to avoid that person, or so he said. But why? Is he scared? Ashamed? Why did they fight? Rune snapped out of his thoughts as he realised he processed none of the words he read in the last couple minutes. He sighed and closed the book. Perhaps it was time for bed. He laid the book on the couch and stood up, then went into the hallway towards his room. He walked past Hyde¡¯s door on the way. Hyde screamed. Rune jumped, he nearly tripped over his own feet. ¡°What the¡ª¡± he whispered. ¡°Hyde?¡± he then called. He knocked. ¡°Are you okay?¡± No answer. Should he go in? He should check on him, right? Yeah, that¡¯s what a good friend would do. He pushed the door handle down and peeked inside. Hyde laid in bed on his side with his back towards him. He was wearing his sleep shirt, his shoulders were tense. Rune walked in further, he leaned over him to see his face. Hyde was tightly gripping and biting his pillow; his face was angry, but he had tears rolling down his cheeks. He was breathing heavily and groaning, nearly growling. Rune placed his hand on Hyde¡¯s shoulder, he was shivering. ¡°Hyde?¡± He gave him a little shake. ¡°Wake up.¡± He had to wake him up, right? He couldn¡¯t leave him in this distressed sleeping state, whatever was going on. Rune sat on the edge of the bed and shook him with both hands. ¡°Hyde, wake up.¡± Hyde growled and dug his face deeper into his pillow. Rune shook him harder. ¡°Wake up!¡± Hyde gasped as his eyes shot open. He rolled onto his back and thrashed Rune¡¯s hands off him. ¡°Hey, hey!¡± Rune grabbed his wrist. ¡°Calm down, it¡¯s me.¡± Hyde sat up and tried to push Rune away as he frantically looked around and hyperventilated. ¡°Hyde.¡± Rune got a hold of his other wrist. ¡°Hyde! Look at me.¡± Hyde looked at him for only a moment, but Rune could see his pupils were narrow. Rune moved his legs onto the bed, sitting on his knees. He let one of his wrists go and moved his hand to Hyde¡¯s face. ¡°Hey.¡± He gently grabbed his chin and turned his face towards him, Hyde finally looked him in the eyes. ¡°You¡¯re home, in your room, in your bed. I¡¯m the only other person here, you¡¯re safe.¡± Hyde stared at him as he kept hyperventilating. Rune let him go. He sat on his behind and let his legs lay in front of him, resting on either side of Hyde. He held Hyde¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Can you do something for me?¡± Hyde let out an unsure groan. ¡°Breathe with me, okay? In through your nose.¡± Rune put his hand on his belly and breathed in. ¡°All the way down to your belly. Then, slowly out through your mouth.¡± He blew his breath out. ¡°Now, join me. In through your nose¡±¡ªhe breathed in, Hyde joined with a shaky breath¡ª¡°and out your mouth.¡± They both blew their breaths out. ¡°In¡±¡ªthey breathed in¡ª¡°and out.¡± They breathed out. Rune smiled. ¡°There you go, keep going.¡± He pulled Hyde¡¯s shoulders towards him and let his head rest on his shoulder. As Hyde kept breathing, Rune pulled his hips closer and let Hyde¡¯s legs rest stretched on either side of himself. He held Hyde against him and leaned his cheek on his head. ¡°Just keep breathing,¡± he whispered. Hyde laid with his cheek against Rune¡¯s shoulder, breathing along to the rise and fall of Rune¡¯s chest. Tears stung in his eyes. He hooked his arms around Rune¡¯s waist. The tears rolled down his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. He sobbed. He turned his head and hid his face in Rune¡¯s neck. He gripped his shirt between his shoulder blades and hugged him tight as he kept taking wet, shaky breaths. He felt Rune massaging his shoulder with his thumb. The corner of his mouth crooked up as he rubbed his face into his neck. ¡°Do you want me to stay for the night?¡± Rune whispered. Hyde hugged him tighter and nodded against his neck. Rune smiled a little. ¡°Okay.¡± He moved to the top of the bed and dragged Hyde with him. He laid on his side with Hyde in his arms. ¡°You can go to sleep now, I¡¯ll be here when you wake up.¡± Hyde took one final deep breath before closing his eyes and falling asleep, surrounded by a comforting scent.
Hyde didn¡¯t want to wake up, he was comfy. He had his head on a nice, cool, sturdy pillow, which smelled amazing. He rubbed his face into it. He clenched his hand over¡ªwhat he assumed to be¡ªthe pillow case. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. The pillow fluttered up and down along with a quiet, breathy snicker. Hyde¡¯s eyes shot open. He pushed himself up on his arms and looked at the ¡®pillow.¡¯ He stared at Rune, he felt his face grow red. Rune chuckled. ¡°Uh, how long have you been awake?¡± Hyde wondered, embarrassed. ¡°Hm, twenty minutes, maybe?¡± Hyde turned to sit. He stared into the distance. Rune sat up, he frowned. ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± Hyde tensed his shoulders and turned his head away from him. ¡°You¡ªyou were surprisingly cold.¡± Rune raised his eyebrow. ¡°Eh, yeah. My body is kinda dead. But did you have a night terror or something?¡± Hyde shook his head. ¡°Just a nightmare. Do you have blood flowing through your veins?¡± ¡°Yeah, I have a blood flow. Only not as warm as yours and it needs to be refilled from external sources; it¡¯s constantly dying. Just a nightmare doesn¡¯t typically make you scream.¡± Hyde turned back to him. ¡°You seem experienced with this kind of thing,¡± he whispered. ¡°My little sister had night terrors sometimes. At the orphanage.¡± Hyde perked his head up. ¡°You¡¯re an orphan?¡± Rune sighed. ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not the one we should be talking about right now. Do you know what¡¯s causing the night terrors?¡± Hyde stared down at the bed. He brought one knee up to his chest and hugged it. ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hyde shook his head and hid his face against his knee. Rune moved closer. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, then I won¡¯t make you. But, as you said, I have a bit of experience dealing with night terrors. If I can help, I want to.¡± Hyde¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°Does it have something to do with your scar?¡± ¡°Why do you want to help?¡± Rune was taken aback. ¡°Well¡ªI care for you.¡± He gave him a small smile. ¡°You¡¯re my friend, I want you to be okay. And night terrors aren¡¯t a sign that you are, there¡¯s probably some underlying¡ªmaybe longterm¡ªissue. Again, I want to help if I can.¡± Hyde seemed like he was about to burst into tears. Rune thought of what else to say. Was there something he could say to convince him? He didn¡¯t want to pressure him, but he felt it was important for them to talk about this. ¡°Raven mentioned before that you haven¡¯t opened up to anyone since you got here.¡± Hyde hummed. ¡°So, have you talked to anyone about this?¡± Hyde shook no. Rune further turned to him, fully facing him. ¡°It might help to tell someone. That way, it leaves your mind. At least a little bit. It could be nice knowing someone else knows. If you ever have issues regarding it again, you know you could talk to them about it.¡± Hyde pushed his mouth against his knee, he silently stared down again. Rune looked down again too with a quiet huff, getting frustrated. He shook the thought out of his head, then took a deep breath; this was not a good time to be frustrated with him. ¡°We¡¯ve talked so much the past month.¡± He moved his gaze back to Hyde¡¯s teary, puffy eyes. ¡°Why won¡¯t you tell me about this?¡± Hyde pinched his eyes closed, he shook his head again. ¡°I¡ª¡± He opened them. ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± he whispered. ¡°Of what?¡± ¡°That you¡¯ll think differently of me.¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± Hyde turned to him but still looked down. ¡°Cause I¡¯m not only¡ª¡± His face trembled. ¡°I¡¯m not only a victim.¡± ¡°¡­Oh. What happened?¡± Hyde clenched his face as he put his hand on his forehead and tears fell down his cheeks. ¡°Hyde, you think I¡¯m one to judge?¡± Rune said with a chuckle. ¡°The whole reason we even met was because I was breaking into people¡¯s houses and nicking stuff¡ª¡± ¡°You did it for a good reason!¡± Hyde finally looked at Rune in the eye again. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Rune grabbed Hyde¡¯s hand from his forehead and pulled it down, holding it in his own. ¡°I promise, whatever it is, it won¡¯t change how I see you. Tell me what happened.¡± Hyde trembled. He sniffed his tears up, then nodded. ¡°I¡ªI hurt someone.¡± Rune squinted his eyes in thought. ¡°In that fight you lost?¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°Is that where your scar comes from?¡± Hyde nodded again. ¡°But then they hurt you too, right? That¡¯s generally what happens in a fight.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t some random fight, I¡­¡± Hyde stared off again. Rune frowned. ¡°Then, who did you fight with?¡± ¡°My dad.¡± Rune¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I hurt my dad,¡± Hyde sobbed. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how badly; if I only injured him or even crippled him.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°I lost control. We both did.¡± Rune sighed, he squeezed Hyde¡¯s hand. ¡°Tell me the full story.¡± Hyde took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°There¡¯s a pack, a werewolf pack, in our town. We¡¯re the alpha family. I was supposed to take over from my dad, but I never wanted to. But I didn¡¯t want to tell him, cause¡ªI guess I didn¡¯t want to disappoint him. Or everyone. My whole life, everyone expected me to take over, I thought everyone would hate me if I refused. ¡°Then, after my nineteenth birthday, my dad wanted me to take over suddenly. I panicked and ran into the forest. My dad went after me and found me and asked what was wrong, but I still didn¡¯t want to tell him. We started arguing and things got heated, because he didn¡¯t understand and I wouldn¡¯t tell him even though I had always told him everything before and we both shifted and lost control. ¡°When I was fully conscious again, we had already gone our separate ways. I had run further into the forest towards this village and there was no sign of my dad. But I was covered in wounds and I had blood on my mouth, so, I bit him pretty badly somewhere. ¡°Other than that, I don¡¯t know anything. If I injured him more, if he made it back home, if he told my mom and sister what happened, if he knows I¡¯m still alive, if he¡¯s still alive, I¡ª¡± ¡°So why don¡¯t you go home and check?¡± Rune interrupted. ¡°Because, what if I did cripple him or¡ªor kill him? How could I face that? Face my family? Even if I didn¡¯t do any of that, it was still my fault. If I had told him, none of it would have happened!¡± ¡°But you¡¯ll never know unless you go see for yourself.¡± Hyde sighed deeply and leaned his forehead against his knee. ¡°You mentioned you were covered in wounds.¡± Rune pointed at the scar on Hyde¡¯s lip. ¡°That isn¡¯t your only scar, is it?¡± Hyde shook his head. He sat up and turned to him. ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡± He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up. Rune stared at the scars. They were from at least three strikes with a claw. One diagonal over his chest, one more horizontal overlapping the first one, and the last diagonal over the top of his stomach. Rune shook his head with a huff. ¡°You blame yourself so much, but it¡¯s seems like he hurt you just as much, if not more.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that!¡± Hyde pulled his shirt back down. ¡°And you never will if you avoid him for the rest of your life!¡± ¡°Why do you want me to go see my dad so badly?!¡± ¡°Because¡ª!¡± Rune looked up and sighed as he teared up. ¡°Because, I wish I still had the time left with my dad that you can still have!¡± Hyde flinched back in shock. ¡°You never know how much longer you have with your parents, even if there¡¯s nothing wrong with them or nothing seems to be threatening them. Do you really want to waste all this time here, when you could go home and spend time with them? You¡¯re never going to forgive yourself if you take too long to go home and you¡¯ll never be able to reconcile with him.¡± Rune had tears rolling down his face. ¡°What happened to my parents didn¡¯t have anything to do with me, but there are so many things I wish I could say to them. Don¡¯t let yourself make that mistake.¡± Hyde was stunned. ¡°I¡ªwhat¡­ what happened to your parents?¡± Rune wiped his tears away, he smiled sadly. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to talk about me, now.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°My parents were killed.¡± Hyde was shocked. ¡°Holy shit. W-why? When? How old were you?¡± ¡°Thirteen, eleven years ago. I don¡¯t know why, their bodies were never found.¡± ¡°Then how do you know they¡¯re dead?¡± ¡°They were gone for weeks, then a wooden stake with their blood was found.¡± ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Hyde rubbed Rune¡¯s arm. Rune gave him a sad chuckle. He leaned forward and placed his forehead on Hyde¡¯s shoulder, he clenched his face and let himself cry. Hyde put his hand on Rune¡¯s shoulder, he massaged circles with his thumb. Rune sobbed, then placed his cheek on Hyde¡¯s shoulder instead and stared at the wall. Please, Go Home 5B ¡°So,¡± Hyde began softly, ¡°you went to an orphanage after?¡± Rune nodded against his shoulder. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have any other family to take you in?¡± ¡°My grandpa tried, but social services wouldn¡¯t let him take all three of us in.¡± ¡°Three?¡± ¡°Yeah, I have two little sisters, they¡¯re twins.¡± Rune sat up, he rubbed his eyes dry. He gave Hyde a little smile. Hyde smiled back. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they let your grandpa take you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s crippled in his right knee, so they argued he couldn¡¯t care for two five-year-olds and a thirteen-year-old by himself.¡± ¡°Is he in a wheelchair or something?¡± ¡°No, he can walk fine. But he can¡¯t put more pressure on his knee than that. So, he can¡¯t do stuff like running or carrying children.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Rune hugged himself and stared down. Hyde frowned. He hummed as he thought of something. Rune seemed to appreciate physical contact for comfort a lot. Last night, that was the way he comforted Hyde, too. So, maybe, ¡°You know, if you want to¡ªI don¡¯t know¡ªsnuggle up to me a little for comfort, then that¡¯s okay.¡± Rune perked up in surprise. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t want to¡±¡ªhe rubbed the back of his neck¡ª¡°cross a line or something.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Come here.¡± Hyde waved him over. Rune breathed out a chuckle and sat next to him, leaving no space between them. ¡°It¡¯s nice to snuggle while trauma sharing,¡± Hyde said with a grin. Rune laughed. ¡°So, now that you¡¯re away, are your sisters staying with your grandpa or are they still at the orphanage?¡± ¡°Neither. They¡¯re staying at our old house where we lived with our parents, with a friend from the orphanage.¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°A friend?¡± ¡°Yeah. She had lived at the orphanage her whole life. When we got there, she guided us through the orphanage life. And then, when I was old enough to leave, she moved in with us. She was also my girlfriend for a couple years.¡± ¡°Girlfriend, even? What¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°Lullaby.¡± ¡°Why did you break up?¡± Rune snorted. ¡°You want the gossip?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°What? I¡¯m just taking an interest in your life.¡± Rune laughed again. ¡°Alright, then you better tell me more about yours too, later.¡± Hyde sighed. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Great, well¡±¡ªRune tilted his head towards Hyde¡ª¡°we broke up, because I didn¡¯t want her to be stuck with me while we couldn¡¯t see or speak to each other for who-knows how long.¡± ¡°What if you go home and she¡¯s still single?¡± Rune raised a curious eyebrow. ¡°Are you asking if I¡¯d want her back?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Rune leaned closer with a teasing smirk. ¡°Why? Are you interested?¡± Hyde leaned away. ¡°Just taking an interest.¡± ¡°Mhm, right.¡± Rune got out of his face. ¡°Well, no, I wouldn¡¯t want her back. I mean, I still love her, she¡¯s my best friend. But that¡¯s where it ends for me now.¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Relieved?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Rune snickered. ¡°What about you? Do you have any exes?¡± Rune wondered. Hyde looked down and fidgeted with his fingers. ¡°No.¡± Rune hummed. ¡°What are your sisters¡¯ names? What are they like?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Rune was caught off guard by the sudden subject change. ¡°Their names are Moon and Night. Or actually Moonlight and Midnight, but we never call them that. I¡¯m not sure what they¡¯ll be like now, because they were eleven when I last saw them and they¡¯re sixteen, now. And that¡¯s quite the period of change. But Moon was always more social while Night was more reserved.¡± Hyde nodded and hummed. ¡°What¡¯s your sister¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Huh¡ªdid I tell you I have a sister?¡± ¡°Yeah, while you were freaking out.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Oh, right. Her name¡¯s Tayen.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s older?¡± ¡°She is, by three years.¡± ¡°Is she nice?¡± ¡°Eh.¡± Hyde tilted his head. ¡°Most of the time.¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°What about your parents?¡± ¡°My parents,¡± Hyde repeated. ¡°They¡¯re like the classic grumpy and sunshine combo. My mom is chatty and cheerful, and my dad is reserved and acts more like her shadow in public places.¡± Hyde looked at Rune. ¡°Not that he¡¯s mean or anything, he¡¯s really sweet and caring, but he¡¯s quiet about it.¡± Rune nodded. ¡°What about your grandpa?¡± Rune smiled. ¡°He¡¯s the most caring person I know. He¡¯s been through a lot and you can tell, but he doesn¡¯t let it ruin his current life. And it takes a lot to get him to lose his temper, but when he does¡±¡ªRune¡¯s eyes widened as he took a deep breath¡ª¡°prepare for a storm of sass.¡± Hyde laughed. ¡°A sassy grandpa, I love that.¡± Rune laughed too. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like a grandpa yet, but he definitely acts like it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Remember the vampire aging thing? He¡¯s seventy five but looks thirty seven.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Hyde got a disturbed look on his face. ¡°Oh my god, your grandpa looks younger than my parents.¡± Rune laughed again. ¡°Hey,¡± Hyde started in a serious tone. Rune raised his eyebrow. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°When are you going home?¡± ¡°Uhh, I don¡¯t know.¡± Rune frowned. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you get it over with? Seems like you¡¯re stalling, now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit hypocritical, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hyde tensed his shoulders and furrowed his brows. ¡°May I remind you how different our situations are? You don¡¯t have to worry about your family hating you for what you did.¡± Rune tilted his head. ¡°Well¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get what you¡¯d be so afraid of. You miss them, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course I do, but it¡¯s not that simple. I hurt them a lot by leaving and not keeping in touch, they¡¯re going to be mad at least a little bit.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you keep in touch?¡± Rune sighed. ¡°When you do the work I did, you create a lot of enemies. I was afraid if I wrote them letters, that one of those would intercept it and find out where my family lives and do who-knows-what to them.¡± ¡°If you tell them you didn¡¯t keep in touch to keep them safe, surely they won¡¯t be mad?¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°Hopefully.¡± ¡°You know, if you¡¯re afraid to go alone, then I could come with you.¡± Rune turned to him in surprise. ¡°Would you, really?¡± Hyde smiled. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯d get lonely again otherwise, if you go alone.¡± Rune smiled too. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re coming with me for moral support, then how could I still refuse?¡± Hyde chuckled. ¡°When do you want to go?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°We could go today, before you let your anxiety change your mind again.¡± Hyde nudged him with his shoulder. ¡°Oh¡ªokay.¡± Rune nodded, considering it. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it. It¡¯s a three day travel anyway.¡± Hyde¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Enath is very far from here.¡± Hyde stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Still want to go?¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°Uh. Yeah, fuck it, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°I should probably tell Selene and Raven I¡¯m leaving, first.¡± Rune nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get ready in the meantime.¡±
Hyde stood in front of Selene¡¯s door. She would probably be annoyed at him interrupting her again. Would she even care that he was leaving? He doubted it. She might even be happy about it. He knocked. ¡°Come in!¡± he heard, surprising him. He opened the door and walked in. He found her in her study. ¡°Hey,¡± he greeted. Selene turned her desk chair to him. ¡°Hey. What is it?¡± ¡°I wanted to let you know I¡¯m leaving for a while.¡± ¡°Oh? Where to?¡± ¡°Rune¡¯s hometown, to see his family.¡± ¡°Why are you coming with?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°He needs some moral support.¡± She smirked at him and snickered. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Afraid you¡¯ll be lonely without your boyfriend?¡± Hyde twitched his head with a raised brow. ¡°Wha- boyfriend?¡± Selene laughed. ¡°I¡¯m just teasing.¡± She turned back to her desk and waved him off. ¡°Have fun.¡± He gaped at her, confused, then stepped away to leave. Hyde stared at Raven¡¯s door with a feeling of dread in his stomach. She wouldn¡¯t react well. Should he tell her at all? Yeah, that was the nice thing to do. She was always nice to him, annoyingly so. Not to Rune, though. She always glared at him as if she wanted to stab him. Anyway, let¡¯s get this over with. He knocked on her door. It opened and Hyde was greeted with a big smile. ¡°Hey! Nice to see you here, wanna come in?¡± she gestured for him to walk in. He shook his head. ¡°No, I just wanted to tell you something.¡± Raven¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Oh. What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m leaving for a while today.¡± ¡°What, where? How long?¡± ¡°Not sure how long. I¡¯m going to Rune¡¯s hometown with him.¡± All the remnants of joy on her face were washed away, replaced with anger and confusion. ¡°Why?¡± Hyde took a step back, ready to leave. ¡°He needs some support.¡± Raven groaned. ¡°Why¡ªwhy is he so important to you?! You¡¯ve known him for a month and all he¡¯s done is break in and steal!¡± ¡°He¡¯s done a lot more than that, more than you and Selene have done for me in six years! I actually feel a connection with him and like being around him.¡± Raven scoffed. ¡°Unlike me?¡± Hyde sighed. He nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Tears came to Raven¡¯s eyes. ¡°Fine. Leave, then.¡± She slammed her door. Hyde took a deep breath and headed back home. Well, that went as expected. He walked into the house. He entered the living area where he expected to see Rune, but it was empty. He raised his eyebrow and looked around. He took a step back into the hallway. ¡°Rune?¡± he called out. ¡°Yeah?¡± he heard from one of the rooms. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Your room.¡± Hyde found Rune, searching through his closet. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Looking if you have any warm clothes, which it doesn¡¯t seem like you do.¡± ¡°Why would I? The only warm thing I have is the hoodie I gave you.¡± Rune glanced down at the hoodie tied around his waist. ¡°Oh. I guess I¡¯ll have to lend you some of my clothes in Enath.¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°You can return the favour, then.¡± Rune chuckled. He sat down on Hyde¡¯s bed. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking of something,¡± he began. ¡°Are you already starting to freak out again?¡± ¡°No¡ªwell¡­ no. It¡¯s about you.¡± Hyde took a seat next to him, confused. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I think you should at least send a letter to your family, to let them know you¡¯re okay.¡± Hyde flinched back and tensed up. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ready to talk to them yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a letter, you don¡¯t have to put a return address on it.¡± Rune leaned closer to him. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯d appreciate knowing you¡¯re, you know, alive.¡± Hyde sighed and shook his head. ¡°What would I even say?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s something as short as, Hey, I¡¯m alive. Love, Hyde. It¡¯s better than leaving them in the dark.¡± Hyde thought about it. Should he? Wouldn¡¯t that confuse them more? Make them wonder why he hasn¡¯t come home all this time? Hurt them more? But they did deserve to know. And if he was planning on going home relatively soon, it would be good to prepare them. He took a deep breath. ¡°Fine.¡± Rune smiled. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll go to the train station afterwards, then.¡± Hyde nodded. Rune stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± He left the room. Hyde sat on his bed with a pen and a notepad. He chewed on the pen as he thought of what to write. Who should he address it to? How should he start? He moved the pen away from his teeth and wrote the first words. Hey Mom, I wanted to let you all know I¡¯m alive. In case you weren¡¯t sure. It¡¯s been a long time, I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know if Dad told you what happened, but I¡¯m sorry for that, too. I never wanted to hurt him. Is he okay? I hope I didn¡¯t do any permanent damage, or worse. I guess that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t come back. I¡¯m afraid of finding out how badly I hurt him. And of facing what I did. I don¡¯t remember anything from the fight. I woke up in an entirely different part of the forest. But I know I bit him somewhere at least. Tell him I¡¯m sorry. It may not seem like it, considering how long I¡¯ve been gone, but I miss you. But I¡¯ve been too afraid to come back. I tried to forget about it, it¡¯s haunted me all this time. I¡¯m planning on coming home sometime soon, though. I¡¯m not sure when. But I am, at least if my friend has anything to say about it. I love you, all of you. Hyde Please, Go Home 6A The long-distance steam train was on its way to the north. It was going to be a long trip, so they had their own little cabin. It had a sitting booth against the outer wall below the window, consisting of a table and two seats on either side. There wasn¡¯t much room to stand, only the size of a third seat. There were two beds in the walls above the seats, stretching the full width of the room. Rune and Hyde sat in the sitting booth, facing each other and leaning against the window. ¡°How do you think they¡¯ll react to your letter?¡± Rune asked. Hyde shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I hope they¡¯ll be happy to hear I¡¯m alive.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they will be, unless your family is really vengeful and unforgiving. They aren¡¯t, are they?¡± Hyde chuckled. ¡°No, they¡¯re nice.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°What was your family like?¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Rune hesitated, not sure how to describe them. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what my sisters are like now, but I¡¯ve told you about my grandpa, haven¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yeah, you have. I more so meant your parents. What were your parents like?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Rune looked out the window in thought with a hum. ¡°I¡¯m¡ªor at least, I think¡ªa lot like my dad, in personality. More talkative, brash, witty, loved music.¡± ¡°Music?¡± Rune smiled. ¡°Yeah, he played piano and so do I.¡± Hyde¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really?¡± Rune nodded. ¡°Did he teach you?¡± ¡°No. He wanted to, but¡­ yeah. Lullaby taught me.¡± ¡°Oh. Well, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be proud of you.¡± Rune smiled sadly again. He grabbed his earring. ¡°This earring was his. He gave it to me a few weeks before he died, for my birthday.¡± ¡°At least you still have something left of him.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s become a bit of a family heirloom. It was my grandad¡¯s first, he gave it to my dad for his thirteenth birthday, too.¡± He gazed out the window again. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to describe my mum. I guess she was more of a fun mum? But as a kid, you don¡¯t tend to look at your parents as people, just parents. So, I don¡¯t fully know what kind of people they were.¡± Hyde hummed. ¡°Yeah.¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°I could ask my grandpa if I wanted to know more. No one would know more about my dad than him.¡± ¡°Cause he¡¯s your dad¡¯s father?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Is he your only grandparent you¡¯ve met?¡± Rune tilted his head and squinted his eyes. ¡°Uh, technically no. I¡¯ve met my dad¡¯s mum too. But barely. I¡¯ve never met my mum¡¯s parents, I don¡¯t think she talked to them anymore.¡± ¡°Why have you barely met your grandma?¡± ¡°Ugh,¡± Rune sighed. ¡°Long story. But in short, she wasn¡¯t a good mother. She was never home, always working on her career. And when she was, she ignored my dad. She and my grandpa argued and fought a lot. One day, it escalated so much, she pushed him down the stairs and caused his knee injury. That¡¯s when he finally kicked her out. My dad and grandpa had barely been in contact with her since. I¡¯ve only met her because she wanted to meet her grandchildren a couple times. But outside of that, she never bothered to be a part of our lives. Even if she did, I bet my dad kept her away from us.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Hyde wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. ¡°Have you met your grandparents?¡± Hyde sighed and shook his head. Rune frowned. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°My mom doesn¡¯t talk to her parents either. And my dad¡¯s parents both died before my sister was born.¡± ¡°Oh. Do you know anything about them?¡± ¡°My grandma liked to draw and my grandpa was the alpha before my dad. And my dad was closer to him than my grandma.¡± ¡°How did they die?¡± ¡°My grandad got killed over conflicts with another pack. Instead of talking about it like normal people, they decided killing him and leaving the pack to his inexperienced twenty-one year old son would be more convenient.¡± Rune gave him a horrified look. ¡°Bloody hell, are packs that savage with each other?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°That one was. Depends who¡¯s alpha, I guess.¡± ¡°And your grandma?¡± ¡°She died of cancer three years later.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s weird, though.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Even though I never met them, I miss them. My parents always told me stories about my dad¡¯s parents and said how much they would¡¯ve loved me.¡± Hyde¡¯s eyes teared up. ¡°So, even though they¡¯re dead and I never knew them, they still feel like they¡¯re a part of my family. And I miss them.¡± Rune smiled a little. ¡°I¡¯ve never had family that I lost before I was born¡ªas far as I know¡ªbut I get it.¡± Hyde smiled too. ¡°Sometimes I wonder what my life would¡¯ve been like if they were still alive.¡± ¡°Sort of as a what could¡¯ve been thing?¡± ¡°Yeah. Maybe my grandad could¡¯ve taught me some social skills.¡± Rune snorted. ¡°Your social skills are fine.¡± Hyde chuckled. ¡°Thanks, I guess.¡± The first night on the train, Rune laid awake for a while. He stared out of the window, hiding under the sheets up to his nose. The landscape raced past. Empty fields, forests, the occasional town. The train only had a few stops in major cities. They¡¯d taken a different train before getting onto this one, to get to the closest city. When they arrive in the north, at the final stop, they¡¯ll have to take another train to Enath. He moved his gaze to the other side of the cabin, to Hyde sleeping in the other bed. He slept on his back with his knees up; the beds weren¡¯t big enough for either of them to lay stretched out. His sheets only covered his legs. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Rune¡¯s mind wandered to the night and morning before. How he¡¯d hugged and held him, how they snuggled up against each other, how vulnerable they both were. Hyde¡¯s hair was messy, his mouth was opened a little as he slept (Rune was surprised he wasn¡¯t snoring), his shirt crept up to reveal his belly button. Rune forced himself to look away by turning around to face the wall. He had enough on his mind, he didn¡¯t have the energy to deal with however that made him feel.
A calming wave of nostalgia washed over Rune, easing the anxiety he had felt. He walked through Enath for the first time in five years. They passed through the shopping street he always went to with his parents, including the shop he got his ear pierced at with his dad, the school he went to, playgrounds he always loved to play at. He was conflicted. Happy to remember these moments again, but sad that they were gone now. However, now that he was back, they could begin making new happy memories. He hoped they remembered him as fondly as he remembered them. Probably not, they must be pissed at him for ¡®ignoring¡¯ them for so long. Surely, it would only be a matter of time before they¡¯ll forgive him, they can¡¯t be mad at him forever. Rune looked beside him. Hyde was rubbing his arms and shivering. This might be the coldest weather he had ever experienced, Rune realised. He grabbed his wrist and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get you inside.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He dragged Hyde through the streets. Rune stared at his house, pondering. He should knock. Should he, though? It would be so much easier if someone happened to open the door right now. ¡°Should I knock?¡± Hyde offered behind him. Rune jumped and turned around. ¡°No¡ªno. I should.¡± ¡°Then do it.¡± Rune sighed. He stepped towards the door, feeling his heart beating faster in his chest with every step he took. He held his fist up to the door, but froze again. Maybe they weren¡¯t home, maybe they could come back later, maybe they didn¡¯t want him to return, maybe they¡¯d yell at him to go away, maybe¡ª He stepped back, shaking his head. ¡°I can¡¯t do this.¡± He turned around and tried to run past Hyde, but Hyde caught his arm and pulled him back. ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t. I didn¡¯t spend three days on a train just for you to run away!¡± Rune tugged at his arm, wanting to get away from this house. ¡°We¡¯ll go to my grandad first.¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re here now. Knock on that damn door or I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± Rune stared at him, frozen and afraid. Hyde loosened his grip while he softened his posture. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. They¡¯re your family, they miss you. And you¡¯re not alone. Knock.¡± Rune glanced at the door. He took a deep breath and went back to it, Hyde let his arm go. He stood in front of it again, physically ready to knock. Mentally, however, he froze again. He pinched his lips, his eyes stung. He shouldn¡¯t be so afraid of seeing his family, but he was. And he hated it. His wrist was grabbed and made to knock on the door twice. Rune turned to Hyde with wide eyes as Hyde released his wrist. ¡°What¡ª!¡± ¡°Technically, you knocked.¡± Rune huffed, angry as well as scared. The door opened, Rune snapped his head around to it and held his breath. A young faerie woman with long, brown hair peaked outside. She seemed perfectly human, aside from her pointy ears. She gasped and opened the door further. Rune was silent. She hadn¡¯t yelled at him yet, at least. ¡°Hi,¡± he breathed out. ¡°You¡ªyou¡¯re back?¡± she asked in disbelief. ¡°Yeah. Is that good?¡± Her eyes teared up as she chuckled. ¡°What kind of stupid question is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I thought you¡¯d be mad at me for staying quiet all this time.¡± She shook her head. She reached outside and grabbed Rune¡¯s arm. ¡°Come here.¡± She pulled him inside, then looked at Hyde. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but¡ª¡± She waved for him to get inside, too. Hyde walked in. She closed the door. Rune took the house around him in. Barely anything changed. The walls all had the same colours; all on the darker side, some blues and purples mixed in here and there. The colours were his father¡¯s taste, they never bothered to repaint anything. The wooden floor was the warmest tone in the whole house. Rune turned back to the faerie and Hyde before things got too awkward. ¡°This is Hyde, my friend,¡± he introduced. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to him that I can come back in the first place.¡± ¡°Really, how?¡± she asked Hyde. ¡°Locked him in a cell for three nights,¡± Hyde answered. ¡°Oh.¡± Hyde leaned over to Rune and quietly asked, ¡°And this is¡ªprobably not one of your sisters¡­?¡± ¡°No.¡± Rune stepped beside her and gestured at her. ¡°This is Lullaby.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Lullaby smiled. Hyde smiled back a little awkwardly. ¡°You, too.¡± Rune grabbed Hyde¡¯s wrist. ¡°You should warm up.¡± He dragged him into the living room. There was a fire place with a couch facing it, as well as a black, shiny piano in the middle of the room. Rune took Hyde to the couch, then pushed him to sit. ¡°There, warm and cosy.¡± He grabbed a blanket from the armrest and threw it on Hyde¡¯s lap. ¡°A blanket, if you need it. Now I¡ªuh, I should¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, go deal with your family stuff.¡± Hyde waved him off. ¡°I¡¯ll wait here.¡± He wrapped the blanket over his head and body. Rune smiled and walked off. He returned to the hallway. Light footsteps came down the stairs. Rune saw a teenaged vampire girl with long, wavy, raven black hair walking down. ¡°Moon!¡± Lullaby called, she gestured at Rune. ¡°Look who¡¯s back!¡± Moon stared at him with her crimson eyes, she teared up. She tackle-hugged him and yelled, ¡°Rune!¡± He yelped and stumbled back. He chuckled and hugged her tight, resting his cheek against the top of her head. ¡°Hey.¡± She looked up at him through her sobs. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Rune rested his forehead against hers. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± More footsteps came down. Rune looked up again, Moon dug her face into his chest. Another girl came down the stairs, she had white hair cut into a bob reaching her shoulders. She stared at Rune in disbelief. Rune smiled again. ¡°Night, hey.¡± She teared up. Her face trembled as she shook her head and stepped away, she hugged herself. Rune frowned. So it wasn¡¯t going to be all happy reunions, after all. ¡°Hey,¡± Lullaby spoke up as she walked to Night. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°What? Are you fine with it that he comes back out of nowhere with no explanation and acts like nothing happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not acting like nothing happened,¡± Rune corrected. ¡°I¡¯ve only been back for a few minutes. Whatever you want to know, you can ask.¡± ¡°Why bother? You don¡¯t care!¡± Night snapped, startling Rune. He was at a loss for words. Moon let him go and looked at Night. ¡°That¡¯s not fair, he just got here.¡± ¡°Do you really think I don¡¯t care?¡± Rune asked, shocked. ¡°You were gone for five years without a word, what other conclusion am I supposed to pull from that?!¡± Night shouted. ¡°I was gone to provide for you!¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t have found a job nearby?! It certainly didn¡¯t seem like you tried!¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°You promised you¡¯d come visit and keep in touch with us, but you didn¡¯t! Not once!¡± Night cried. ¡°Night, I¡ª¡± ¡°What do you think it felt like?! First, our parents die, then our brother leaves us for no reason!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°And what about Grandpa?! He lost his son, and then his grandson vanished out of his life, too!¡± Rune stepped back with tears in his eyes. That was a low blow, dragging their grandad into this. ¡°And now¡ª¡± ¡°Could you listen for five seconds?!¡± Rune snapped, she flinched. ¡°I tried to get out of it, this job! I didn¡¯t want to leave! But you know what they did?!¡± He stepped closer to her and got into her face. ¡°They threatened to kill everyone I love,¡± he said through his teeth. ¡°Do you think I wanted to travel around the continent to who-knows-where to steal things from random, probably dangerous people? I spent every day trying to think of a way to get out of it without risking all our lives or spending years locked away in prison!¡± Night stared at him with wide eyes, startled. He stepped away and took a deep breath. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. That was enough shouting at his little sister. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I left you, I wish I never had to. If you need time to process everything, then I get that. I¡¯ll be here when you¡¯re ready to forgive me.¡± Night looked down with her lips trembling. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you keep in touch?¡± ¡°To keep you safe.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Some of the people I had to steal from were dangerous. I didn¡¯t want to risk one of those people intercepting letters and finding out where you lived and put you in danger.¡± His eyes teared up. ¡°All I wanted was to keep you safe, even if that meant I had to be away from you for as long as I have.¡± Night nodded. Rune turned to Moon behind him, she seemed worried. He smiled sadly at her and grabbed her arm to pull her against his side. She hugged him again. ¡°Now, I don¡¯t want to leave again right away, but¡±¡ªRune looked back at Night and Lullaby¡ª¡°is Grandpa coming over anytime soon?¡± ¡°No, he left a few days ago,¡± Moon told him. Rune frowned. ¡°What? Where? When is he coming back?¡± ¡°He said he¡¯ll be away for a month, he needed to get away from home for a while or something.¡± ¡°A month?! Wha-eh, can you tell him to come back?¡± Moon shook her head. ¡°He didn¡¯t tell us where he was going.¡± Rune sighed deeply and massaged his temple. ¡°Great.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the issue?¡± Lullaby asked. ¡°Can¡¯t you wait for him to return?¡± ¡°We weren¡¯t planning to stay for that long.¡± ¡°What?¡± Night spoke up again. ¡°You¡¯ll leave again?¡± ¡°Not for long, I just¡ª¡± Rune glanced at the door to the living room. ¡°I have other places to go, too. But, from now on, I¡¯ll always tell you where I am, okay? If there¡¯s an emergency, or you want to talk to me, you can send me a letter,¡± Rune reassured Night with a smile. Night huffed, upset again. Moon squinted and pushed herself off Rune. ¡° ¡®We¡¯?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You said, ¡®We weren¡¯t planning to stay that long.¡¯ Who¡¯s we?¡± ¡°Oh! Right, you haven¡¯t seen him yet.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Night and Moon asked simultaneously. Rune took his arm off Moon, he scratched his cheek. ¡°So, I brought a friend.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Moon asked. Rune shrugged. ¡°I guess I needed some moral support.¡± Moon stepped to the door to the living room. She opened it and saw the back of a figure on the couch wrapped in a blanket. She smiled curiously and walked towards him. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re just going to¡ªokay,¡± Rune called after her. Night peaked out the door at Hyde, too. ¡°What kind of wuss is he, wrapped in a blanket? It¡¯s not even winter.¡± Rune glared at her. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you survive in the summer heat of the south for a day.¡± Night glared back at him. Please, Go Home 6B ¡°Hi!¡± Moon said as she leaned over the back of the couch into Hyde¡¯s face. Hyde flinched away. ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Hyde.¡± He squinted his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re Moon?¡± Moon raised her eyebrow. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°Rune told me you¡¯re the more sociable out of the two of you.¡± ¡°Oh. Yeah, I guess that¡¯s true.¡± Footsteps came towards them, they were Rune¡¯s. ¡°I see you¡¯ve met.¡± He sat next to Hyde. ¡°How do you know him?¡± Moon asked Rune. ¡°Well,¡± Rune started, ¡°he kind of arrested me.¡± ¡°Kind of?¡± Hyde asked, offended. ¡°Yes, kind of. You were never a real cop, anyway.¡± Hyde glared at him. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be here right now if it wasn¡¯t for my fake copping, so I¡¯d appreciate some more respect for it.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry I didn¡¯t find your one cell police station very impressive.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky it wasn¡¯t, otherwise you¡¯d be in jail right now.¡± Moon snickered, she pushed herself up from the couch. ¡°You guys are adorable, but if you don¡¯t have anything else to tell me, I¡¯ve got a magazine to return to.¡± She walked away before she could see Rune¡¯s confused look. ¡°Adorable?¡± he mumbled to himself. Hyde nudged him with his shoulder, Rune turned to him and hummed. ¡°Can you get me some warmer clothes or should I walk around with this blanket for the next couple weeks?¡± ¡°Right!¡± Rune stood up, Hyde followed without the blanket. ¡°Let¡¯s go to my room.¡± They passed Lullaby on the way. ¡°Hey,¡± Rune got her attention. ¡°You didn¡¯t touch my room, did you?¡± ¡°Only the occasional cleaning. We didn¡¯t move anything,¡± Lullaby assured him. Rune nodded. ¡°Thanks.¡± They continued on their way. They entered Rune¡¯s room. Rune looked around. They did leave everything as it was, as if he had never left. His full-size bed, his closet, his empty desk that he never used. He went to his closet and pulled it open. He glanced at his sweaters and hoodies. He grabbed a sweater and tossed it at Hyde. ¡°Here, it probably fits.¡± Hyde caught it. He pulled his blouse off and pulled the sweater on over his t-shirt. It did fit. He sniffed at the collar, then pulled it up to his nose and sniffed more. ¡°What? Does it stink?¡± Rune asked. Hyde smiled and shook his head. ¡°Even after five years, it still smells like you.¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°Does it?¡± Hyde nodded. Rune turned to his closet to get something warmer for himself. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Hyde asked behind him. Rune raised a brow at him. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°You didn¡¯t sound okay when your sister was yelling at you, or when they told you you couldn¡¯t see your grandad.¡± ¡°Oh, you heard all that?¡± ¡°I heard everything. I tried not to listen, but that¡¯s hard with nothing else to listen to.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Rune looked back at his closet. ¡°Do you want to know what the last thing my mum ever said to me was?¡± Hyde frowned. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡° ¡®Take good care of the girls while we¡¯re gone, alright?¡¯ ¡± Hyde¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything else since, but she won¡¯t see it! She thinks I left her for no reason, no matter what I say.¡± He aggressively pulled a hoodie out of his closet. He sighed and turned to Hyde. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t mean to take it out on you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Hyde stood up. ¡°I did ask. I¡¯m here for moral support, remember?¡± Hyde grinned at him. Rune chuckled. ¡°Thanks.¡± Hyde smiled. He rubbed Rune¡¯s shoulder. ¡°She¡¯s a teenager, they often think they know everything, including your intentions. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll come around. Just keep proving her wrong.¡± Rune smiled back. There was a knock on Rune¡¯s bedroom door. It opened, Lullaby peaked inside. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Hey, sorry, can I talk to Rune alone?¡± ¡°Oh, sure,¡± Hyde said. He glanced at Rune before walking out. Rune took Hyde¡¯s hoodie off as he asked, ¡°What is it?¡± He threw it on the bed. ¡°I wanted to clear some things up,¡± Lullaby told him as he pulled his own, thicker hoodie on. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Our relationship.¡± Rune¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh.¡± He sat on his bed. Lullaby sat next to him. ¡°What about it?¡± he asked. ¡°I want to know; where are we at, right now?¡± ¡°Uh, well, we broke up, right? Five years ago?¡± ¡°Yeah, because you didn¡¯t want me to be stuck with you. But I didn¡¯t find someone else and neither did you.¡± Lullaby saw the wide-eyed look on his face, she squinted. ¡°Did you?¡± He only stared at her, stunned and speechless. She smiled sadly. ¡°You like Hyde, don¡¯t you?¡± She had shocked Rune awake. ¡°Eh,¡± he considered what to say, he sighed. ¡°Listen.¡± He clasped his hands around hers. ¡°I love you. Really, I do. But not romantically anymore. But you¡¯re my best friend and you¡¯re family, and I never want that to change.¡± Lullaby smiled and nodded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t hoping you¡¯d take me back, I only wanted it to be clear.¡± She put her hand on his cheek. ¡°And I love you, too.¡± She moved her hand down again and leaned her face closer with a grin. ¡°Best bud.¡± Rune cringed. ¡°Oh god, is that how it¡¯ll be now?¡± She snickered. Her smile faded. ¡°But really, if Hyde¡¯s the one you want to pursue, don¡¯t let me stop you.¡± ¡°Okay. Thanks, I guess?¡±
Hyde opened the door to the living room and went in. Night was there, she glared at him. Hyde awkwardly smiled at her and approached the couch. Night appeared in front of him, he yelped and flinched back. She glared into his soul. ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked. ¡°Eh.¡± Hyde was confused. ¡°Hyde?¡± Night shrugged and shook her head, urging him to tell her more. ¡°Rune¡¯s friend?¡± ¡°I mean the less obvious stuff.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Night crossed her arms. ¡°What¡¯s your surname?¡± ¡°Walker.¡± ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°Twenty five. Why are you interrogating me?¡± She got into his face with squinted eyes. ¡°I want to know more about some random guy staying at my house.¡± ¡°Fair enough, I guess,¡± Hyde sighed. ¡°Can I sit down for it, at least?¡± ¡°Why, do you have a physical issue?¡± ¡°No, I just prefer to be comfortable.¡± Night looked away and bit her cheek. She eyed him. ¡°Fine.¡± Hyde sat at the end of the couch. Night sat at the other end with both her arms and legs crossed, facing him. ¡°Where are you from?¡± ¡°Far south.¡± ¡°Why did you come with him?¡± ¡°He was incredibly nervous to come back, afraid you¡¯d be mad at him.¡± Night¡¯s face softened. ¡°So, he needed a friend to push him over that edge.¡± Night hummed. ¡°Why are you friends with him?¡± she continued. Hyde raised a brow. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°What about him do you like enough to be friends?¡± Hyde shrugged as he hummed in thought. ¡°He¡¯s easy to talk to, he¡¯s fun to hang out with.¡± He let his gaze wander. ¡°He was there when I needed someone,¡± he mumbled. Night frowned. She shook her head, then asked, ¡°Where¡¯d you get that scar?¡± Hyde¡¯s gaze snapped back to her with wide, startled eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about that.¡± ¡°Why? Did you get it in some shady business or something?¡± Hyde squinted his eyes. ¡°What? No. It¡¯s personal and I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± She kept giving him a suspicious look. ¡°Does Rune know the story behind it?¡± ¡°He does.¡± She sighed. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°But, again, why do you need to know such details from my life to be okay with me staying here? Shouldn¡¯t it be enough that Rune trusts me?¡± ¡°Yeah, exactly. He trusts you and he clearly likes you.¡± She leaned forward. ¡°So, I want to make sure you¡¯re worth trusting.¡± ¡°You wanna make sure I won¡¯t hurt him?¡± Night shrugged. ¡°I suppose.¡± Hyde scratched his cheek. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not planning to, for as much as that¡¯s worth. If either of us has hurt him, it¡¯s you.¡± Night was taken aback. She tensed her shoulders and furrowed her brows. ¡°He hurt me first.¡± Hyde groaned and leaned his head back against the couch. ¡°That¡¯s such a sibling response.¡± ¡°How would you know?¡± ¡°I have an older sister, I know the thought process of younger siblings.¡± Night glared at him again. Rune walked down the stairs with Lullaby behind him. He opened the door to the living room and went in. He saw the couch with it¡¯s back towards him and Hyde and Night on it together. Hyde turned his head to him. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on here?¡± Rune asked. ¡°Just a little interrogation.¡± Hyde smirked. ¡°She¡¯s worried I¡¯ll hurt you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Night shrugged. ¡°What, am I supposed to trust some random guy you decide to take with you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Lullaby leaned on the back of the couch near Hyde, she looked at Rune. ¡°Have you thought about where he¡¯s going to sleep? We don¡¯t have any extra beds.¡± Rune¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Shit,¡± he mumbled. ¡°I could sleep on the couch?¡± Hyde suggested. Lullaby shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re going to get serious back pains if you do that for however long you guys are staying.¡± ¡°Take my bed,¡± Rune said. Hyde frowned. ¡°What about you?¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°The couch¡­?¡± Lullaby glared at him. ¡°Do you want to get spine problems in your twenties?¡± ¡°How much damage do you think a couple of weeks on a couch will do?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t kick you out of your own bed,¡± Hyde intervened. ¡°What, then?¡± Rune asked. ¡°We could share your bed.¡± Rune tensed up. ¡°You sure?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the first time.¡± Rune noticed Night and Lullaby glancing at each other from the corner of his eye. ¡°Great,¡± Lullaby interrupted. She pushed herself up from the couch. ¡°Then that problem resolved itself.¡± She walked away. Night stood up with a groan. She began to leave as she said, ¡°Be quiet at night, your room is next to mine.¡± Rune gave her a confused and startled look as she walked off. He looked back down at the couch at Hyde. Hyde laid his arm on the back of the couch and his chin on his arm. He glanced up at Rune. Rune frowned. ¡°Are you really comfortable with this?¡± Hyde huffed with a smile. ¡°Why would I suggest it if I wasn¡¯t?¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°To solve the problem?¡± ¡°Rune.¡± Hyde pushed himself up, leaning on his elbows, and looked up at Rune. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ve shared a bed before.¡± ¡°One night. This¡¯ll be several weeks.¡± ¡°If it starts making me uncomfortable at some point, I¡¯ll tell you, alright? Calm down.¡± Rune nodded. ¡°Okay, then.¡± Hyde smiled at him, Rune sheepishly smiled back. ¡°Is it really okay?¡± Hyde groaned. He sat on the edge of Rune¡¯s bed as he was changing into some makeshift pyjamas; one of Rune¡¯s old shirts. He turned to Rune behind him on the other side of the bed, doing the same. ¡°How many times do I have to say yes before you believe me?¡± Rune uncomfortably shrugged. ¡°Are you okay with it?¡± Hyde asked. ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ve never shared a bed with a friend for so long.¡± Rune rubbed the back of his head. Hyde smiled. ¡°Neither have I, but it could be fun.¡± He climbed onto the bed. Rune followed suit. They sat next to each other at the head end. ¡°It¡¯s like a long sleepover,¡± Hyde added. Rune chuckled. ¡°We could play some boardgames, talk about boys, perhaps summon a demon,¡± he grinned. Hyde laughed, making Rune smile and laugh along with him. ¡°Let¡¯s just try to sleep for the first night,¡± Hyde told him with a smile. ¡°We can summon demons tomorrow.¡± Rune snickered. ¡°Okay.¡± He laid down and got comfortable in the sheets. He turned on his side and saw Hyde pull the sheets over himself. Hyde laid on his side too, facing Rune. Hyde smiled at him again. Rune gave him a small smile back. It faded as he felt his face get warm and he turned around, his back now facing Hyde. Rune didn¡¯t know what that was about, but he didn¡¯t want Hyde to see it. Hyde raised his eyebrow at his back, then shrugged, closed his eyes and snuggled his face into his pillow. Please, Go Home Interlude 3 It was quiet in the library as usual, other than the young vampire¡¯s friend¡¯s chewing. They both sat in a chair today. The vampire¡¯s stomach rumbled. He hadn¡¯t eaten all day. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any food?¡± his friend asked. The vampire shook his head. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I had to get out of the house quickly in the morning. I didn¡¯t have time to grab anything but my bag.¡± His friend let out a concerned hum. ¡°Should we buy you something in the canteen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any money.¡± His friend rubbed his arm. ¡°Me neither.¡± The vampire sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll manage.¡± ¡°No!¡± His friend leaned closer. ¡°I won¡¯t let you starve all day. Uh.¡± He frowned down to think of what to do. ¡°You need to drink blood. I have blood.¡± The vampire tensed in shock; he couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d even imply that. ¡°I won¡¯t drink from you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Bite my neck, drink some blood.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I won¡¯t watch you be hungry all day. Come on, bite me!¡± The vampire froze. ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Do it.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± He paused. He didn¡¯t have much choice. If he was so insistent about it, then the vampire didn¡¯t have to feel guilty, right? It was his idea. He was a big guy; he could stand to lose a bit of blood. His shoulders slumped in defeat. ¡°Fine.¡± The corner of his friend¡¯s mouth crooked up a bit as he turned his chair towards him. The vampire stood up. His friend grabbed on to the bottom of the chair and tilted his head to the side slightly. The vampire leaned down, he placed his hands on his friend¡¯s shoulders. He took a deep breath in anticipation, then sunk his fangs into his neck. He felt him flinch. He pulled his fangs out and let the blood leak out a bit before he sucked on the wound. It was warm and delicious. He felt himself entering some sort of trance as he drank. It scared him. He stopped and pulled away; what if he couldn¡¯t stop himself later? His friend looked at him, a little pale. ¡°Was that enough? It didn¡¯t feel like a lot.¡± The vampire stood straight and wiped his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll survive the day on it.¡± His friend kept giving him a concerned frown. ¡°I promise,¡± he added. ¡°It¡¯s only a few more hours.¡± That thought was upsetting, he folded his arms and sat down on his chair again. His friend still frowned. ¡°You could come to my house.¡± ¡°No. If I don¡¯t come home today, it¡¯ll only be worse when I do eventually go home.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± His neck continued bleeding. The vampire stood again to take a closer look. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your neck is still bleeding. I¡¯ll grab some paper towels or something.¡± He ran off before his friend could answer. He ran into the nearest bathroom and pulled a handful of paper towels out of the dispenser, then ran back to the library. He pushed a paper towel against his friend¡¯s neck. His friend grabbed it to hold it himself. The vampire let go and sat again. His friend let out a playful sigh. ¡°The bite is very noticeable, isn¡¯t it?¡± The vampire shrugged. ¡°People don¡¯t pay attention to us.¡± Please, Go Home 7A Hyde walked down the stairs with a stretch, wearing the same sweater as yesterday and a pair of Rune¡¯s sweatpants. Rune had told him he could grab anything he wanted from his closet. If they were going to share a room, might as well share a closet too. Hyde didn¡¯t have any clothes for himself here anyway, what else was he supposed to wear? Hyde entered the living room and saw Night on the couch. ¡°Hi,¡± he let his presence be known. Night flinched and looked behind her as he went towards the kitchen. Hyde opened the fridge and was met with cans of blood. Made sense, he supposed. He spotted some normal food, little tubs of yogurt. Those must be for Lullaby. He hummed. He called out ¡°Would Lullaby mind if I grabbed some of her food?¡± to Night. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her yogurt,¡± Night sternly called back. Hyde tightened his lips and closed the fridge. ¡°Do you have anything else I could eat?¡± ¡°Bread and stuff in the cupboards.¡± Hyde opened a cupboard and found bread and various things to put on it. He thought of something; they were alone. Rune was still in bed, but, ¡°Where are Moon and Lullaby?¡± ¡°Doing some shopping.¡± Hm. In that case, he had wanted to ask her something. He closed the cupboard and leaned on the counter towards Night. ¡°Why are you still mad at Rune?¡± He could see that upset Rune quite a bit, and Hyde wasn¡¯t a fan. Maybe he should stay out of their family issues, but he was here to help Rune. And asking one question wouldn¡¯t hurt, right? It could be helpful for her to hear an outsider¡¯s perspective. Night gave him a startled look. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be happy he¡¯s back home?¡± She scoffed. ¡°Not that this is any of your business, but why would I be happy that he randomly appears again after he left me for five years, never said a word to me and let me think he was dead or something?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be happy to see someone you missed for so long, again.¡± ¡°Yeah, we missed him.¡± Night fully turned her body towards him and glared. ¡°We missed him a lot! We needed him, and he wasn¡¯t there! And now he thinks he can come home and everything will go back to normal? Hell no!¡± ¡°He apologised and explained why he did all that.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I have to forgive him, he still did it.¡± Hyde sighed and bit the inside of his cheek. ¡°You know, when we met, all he wanted was to find a way home without risking all your lives. He would¡¯ve sacrificed anything for that. In fact¡±¡ªhe walked closer to the couch¡ª¡°he spent three nights in a jail cell for it. And the reason he left in the first place, was to provide for you. Everything he did was always with you in mind.¡± He didn¡¯t raise his voice, he didn¡¯t aggressively gesture at her, he barely even showed an expression on his face, despite the frustration he did feel towards her. He only told her the truth. A truth she needed to hear from someone else, since she wouldn¡¯t believe Rune when he told her the same truth. Tears welled in her eyes. ¡°Stay out of it!¡± she snapped at him. She got up and left the room. Hyde took a deep breath and turned on his heel back to the kitchen to prepare his breakfast.
Rune laid on his stomach, arm tucked under his pillow, sheets wrapped and tangled around his body like a fancy dress, and drooling a little. He snorted himself awake and opened his eyes in a flinch. He lifted his head with a hum. He searched the room, he was alone. His gaze landed on the space next to him, it was empty. He frowned. He pushed himself up on his arms and sat. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the empty space. He was disappointed. Why disappointed? In what? That Hyde wasn¡¯t here next to him? Would he have felt any better if he was? How would he have felt if he was still here? The opposite of what he felt now, probably. So, happy? Content? Pleased? But why, though? If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Wait. Did he have feelings for him? Was Lullaby right? Surely, he wouldn¡¯t feel this way if the relationship was only platonic. Oh no, my friend didn¡¯t wake up at the same time as me or wait for me to wake up, what a shame. Anyway¡ª That¡¯s how he would¡¯ve expected to feel if it was only platonic. But he was actually a little sad about it. He remembered waking up with Hyde on his chest that one morning. He had liked that. Really liked that. He wanted it to happen more often. Or when Hyde was so persistent to cuddle during the full moon, when he offered to snuggle while they were opening up to each other. Rune realised how warm his face was. Warm for his body¡¯s standard, anyway. There was no point denying it now, he was falling for him. He¡¯d liked him before, liked being around him and talking to him. And he had been physically attracted to him since day one. But now, he actually had a crush on him. Crush. It felt childish to use that word, like he was in high-school. But it was the simplest word to describe it with. Or was it more than that already? Surely not, they¡¯ve only known each other for a month or so. To be fair, they did spend every minute of that month together, but¡ª No. Whatever word he¡¯d use to describe it, he guessed he did want to pursue it, like Lullaby said. But how? Flirting, he supposed. He had teasingly flirted with him before, but that wasn¡¯t serious. If he started flirting with him again, how would he get Hyde to take it seriously this time? A different flirting technique? A different tone? He wasn¡¯t used to that, though. Did Hyde even like men? He had said he¡¯d questioned before, but he never confirmed anything. Had Hyde ever given any hints he liked him already? He never paid much attention to it. Rune didn¡¯t know what Hyde was like with other friends¡ªreal friends¡ªso how could he tell the difference between his platonic and romantic feelings? He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard someone walking up the stairs. A door opened and closed, then the shower began to run. Was that Hyde? The footsteps sounded a lot heavier than his sisters¡¯. How would Rune feel facing him again after this revelation? One way to find out. Rune entered the living room. He only saw Moon there sitting at the dining table. He glanced at the piano and frowned a little. He hadn¡¯t played in ages, he wasn¡¯t sure if he still could. Not as well as he used to, at least. He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He was delighted to see the variety. ¡°So many flavours!¡± Moon glanced up from her magazine. ¡°Is that special?¡± ¡°The further away from the north you go, the less flavours you¡¯ll find, since there are less vampires. I could barely find more than one flavour in the far south, if any at all.¡± ¡°Were you that far?¡± ¡°Yeah, Hyde¡¯s from there.¡± He grabbed a can of his favourite flavour he hadn¡¯t tasted in forever. He went to the dining table and sat on it in front of Moon. She glanced up from her magazine again. ¡°Manners.¡± ¡°Manners can kiss my bollocks, I¡¯m the adult in the house.¡± Rune opened his can and took a sip. ¡°Lullaby lives here, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m older.¡± ¡°Like a month.¡± ¡°Where is she, anyway?¡± ¡°Upstairs, I think?¡± Rune hummed. He glanced at the piano again. ¡°Has she been using it often?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Moon turned around to it. ¡°Oh. Yeah, she has.¡± Rune sighed. ¡°At least someone has.¡± He turned back to Moon. ¡°Have you and Night tried to play?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± She shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s hard.¡± Rune squinted disapprovingly. ¡°What? You¡¯re already furthering the family tradition, we don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°But you can want to.¡± Moon sighed. ¡°Music isn¡¯t my thing, okay? It¡¯s more of a you thing.¡± Rune hummed and frowned. ¡°I suppose you didn¡¯t grow up with it as much as I did.¡± He took a sip as Moon turned the page. ¡°You know,¡± Rune began again, Moon looked up and hummed. ¡°Even though I own it, it¡¯ll always be Dad¡¯s piano to me.¡± Moon smiled sadly. ¡°Yeah.¡± She turned to the piano again and thought of something. ¡°Did Grandpa¡ªor Dad, even¡ªever tell you the story of why he got it?¡± Rune raised his eyebrow and shrugged. ¡°He wanted a piano and bought one?¡± ¡°There¡¯s more to it than that.¡± ¡°Oh, well do tell me more.¡± ¡°Grandpa told us a couple years ago that getting a piano was at the top of Dad¡¯s to-do list after he and Mum moved out. He had taught himself to play on Grandma¡¯s piano they had there at the time, when she still lived with Grandpa. But then she took it with her when she left and all they could afford was one of those tiny, crappy, school pianos.¡± ¡°Oh, god.¡± ¡°So, ever since then, he wanted to get a nice, fancy piano for himself. But, he was stuck with the tiny one for ten years or so, until he could finally afford to buy one after saving up for forever. And then he got a bigger, fancier one than Grandma¡¯s out of spite.¡± Rune laughed. ¡°Yeah, that does sound like him.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t you played, yet?¡± ¡°Eh, I haven¡¯t in a long time, I¡¯m out of practice.¡± ¡°All the more reason to get back into practice.¡± He playfully glared at her. She shrugged with a grin. ¡°Right?¡± Rune groaned and stood up from the table. ¡°Fine, you¡¯re right.¡± She snickered as he walked towards the piano. He pulled the fallboard up and stared at the keys. He switched his can of blood from his right hand to his left. He brushed his fingers over the keys, then gently pushed some down, producing a fitting, gentle tone. He took a deep breath as he placed his can on the closed lid of the piano and pulled the bench out from underneath it. He sat down and thought of what to play. ¡°Uh, any requests?¡± he asked Moon. ¡°Anything you can play right now.¡± ¡°Not helpful.¡± He hummed in thought. He placed one hand on the keys and began to play a simple melody, the first one he¡¯d ever learned. The only one his dad had time to teach him. He repeated it several times to warm up. Then, he let his left hand join to play the more complicated version of the melody Lullaby had later taught him. He couldn¡¯t describe how he felt. Bitter-sweet? Playing this melody had always made him feel closer to his father, while also reminding him of his absence. Please, Go Home 7B ¡°Oh, it is you playing.¡± Rune yelped and turned around to see Hyde standing behind him with a startled face. Hyde smiled apologetically. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡± He was wearing a hoodie and jeans¡ªRune¡¯s hoodie and jeans¡ªand looked like he just came out of the shower. His hair was a lovely mess and not fully dry yet. ¡°Hey,¡± Rune greeted as he admired how he looked a little while longer. Hyde leaned on the top of the piano with his arms. ¡°What were you playing?¡± Rune scratched the stubble on his chin. ¡°A simple melody my dad taught me.¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°I thought you said your dad couldn¡¯t teach you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only thing he could.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Hyde smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nice.¡± Rune slightly smiled too. ¡°Yeah.¡± He felt frozen, unable to continue. Not with this pair of eyes staring at him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you keep going?¡± Hyde asked. ¡°Uh.¡± Rune felt his face warm. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± He didn¡¯t get it. He was never this shy. Was it only because of his realisation from this morning? ¡°You were doing fine before I got here, don¡¯t let me stop you,¡± Hyde grinned. Rune stared down at the keys, but couldn¡¯t make his fingers move. Hyde frowned. He took a seat next to Rune on the small bench, leaving no space between them, making Rune flinch and tense up. Hyde smiled at him. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s always better than what I could play, which is nothing.¡± ¡°Surely, you know something.¡± Hyde shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never touched so much as a shitty school piano thingy.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Hyde hummed and looked down at the keys. ¡°They were always reserved for the kids who were actually interested in music.¡± Their legs brushed together, making Rune blush. Hyde didn¡¯t seem to have noticed the touch. Or he didn¡¯t care. Rune couldn¡¯t tell if that was a good or a bad sign. ¡°¡ªme?¡± Rune snapped out of it with a flinch. ¡°What?¡± Hyde squinted his eyes with a curious smile. ¡°What¡¯s up with you today? You¡¯re so jumpy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, sorry. What did you ask?¡± ¡°If you could teach me. The basics.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Rune¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± They turned to the keys. Rune rested his left hand on them, Hyde followed suit and placed his right hand next to Rune¡¯s. ¡°Let¡¯s stick to one hand for now. Do you generally know how a piano works or do you need the real basics?¡± Rune began the lesson. Hyde hesitated. ¡°I know it makes noise when you press down.¡± He pushed one key down to prove his point. ¡°Well, that¡¯s something.¡± Rune placed his right hand on the far right of the piano. ¡°The right side makes the higher tones.¡± He pressed one key down, producing a short, high tone. He turned his head to the left. ¡°And the left produces low tones.¡± Hyde pressed a key with his left hand, indeed producing a low tone. ¡°And it gradually goes from one end of the spectrum to the other.¡± Rune slid a finger across several keys. ¡°What about the black ones?¡± Hyde asked as he pressed a black key down. ¡°You can ignore those, that¡¯s a bit more advanced. That should be all you need to know for now, do you want to try a little melody?¡± Hyde smiled. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Rune readied his left hand beside Hyde¡¯s right. ¡°Then try to follow what I do.¡± He slowly began to play the same melody he played before. Hyde tried to follow his hand movement, but got confused about the finger placement. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± ¡°Hm? Oh, hang on,¡± Rune realised. He switched his hands, placing his right hand next to Hyde¡¯s, causing him to lean closer to Hyde; against his shoulder. Hyde didn¡¯t move away. Rune glanced at Hyde¡¯s face with a blush. He was so close, he could see all the individual little hairs on his cheek and jaw. He moved his gaze back to their hands. He began to play again as he said, ¡°That should make more sense,¡± with a little chuckle. Hyde chuckled too as he tried to follow along. ¡°Yeah.¡± They kept going. Hyde didn¡¯t seem uncomfortable about their current closeness at all. Rune decided to test the waters a little. His left hand was currently tightly tucked against himself to not accidentally touch him, but he relaxed and let it rest against the outside of Hyde¡¯s thigh. Hyde glanced down for a moment before looking back at his hand on the piano, as if he didn¡¯t even feel it. Rune squinted his eyes. He couldn¡¯t tell if he was genuinely so nonchalant about this or if he didn¡¯t want to make Rune uncomfortable by telling him to back off. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Rune stopped playing and sat back, moving away from Hyde. Hyde raised his eyebrow at him. ¡°What?¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°Thought you wouldn¡¯t want me breathing down your neck for so long.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t mind,¡± Hyde reassured him. ¡°Really?¡± Rune still wasn¡¯t sure. Hyde huffed. ¡°Why do you keep thinking I¡¯m so uncomfortable with you?¡± He heavily leaned against Rune. ¡°Come on,¡± he chuckled as he put his hand back on the keys. Rune was stunned, until Hyde expectedly looked at his face. Rune smiled and began to play the melody again. Rune was confused. So, he was this nonchalant about the closeness. He wanted it, even. Had he always been this way or was this new? The only times he could remember him being so¡­ affectionate, was when they were talking about their pasts and during the full moon. But the moon didn¡¯t count, did it? And when they were trauma dumping on each other, Hyde wanted to comfort him. He had noticed physical affection was comforting to him, that¡¯s why he had offered it, right? But the fact he noticed that, though¡ª Rune had no idea where these thoughts were going. Again, he had no idea how to tell the difference between Hyde¡¯s platonic and romantic affection. He could simply be this comfortable with close friends. He guessed the easiest way to be sure would be to ask him, but he didn¡¯t want to do that. What if it ruined everything? He noticed Hyde looking at him. ¡°Huh?¡± Hyde laughed a little. ¡°Where are you with your thoughts today? Fucking hell.¡± ¡°Eh¡ª¡± Should he answer honestly? Probably not the full truth, but maybe a little snippet. ¡°You, I guess?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°You seem a lot more comfortable than usual.¡± ¡°I do?¡± Hyde furrowed his brows and bit his cheek in thought. ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t usually lean on me like this in the village.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Hyde got off him with a frown. Rune¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No no no, wait¡ª¡± He grabbed Hyde¡¯s arm. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it as a bad thing, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re comfortable with me, great even. Please don¡¯t get anxious about it, now.¡± Hyde shook his head, confused. ¡°Then I don¡¯t get what you¡¯re trying to say.¡± ¡°It was only an observation. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°So, if you¡¯re fine with me being comfortable with you, why do you seem so uncomfortable with me?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Rune considered what to say that wouldn¡¯t make things worse. ¡°I guess I¡¯m not used to friends like you. But that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t like it! Just¡ª¡± He groaned, rubbed his face and grabbed the roots of his hair. How was he going to dig himself out of this hole? He let his hands drop into his lap with a defeated sigh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m saying anymore.¡± Hyde breathed out a chuckle. ¡°If I seem different, then so do you.¡± ¡°What, why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re usually way more confident and cocky, where did the confidence go?¡± Rune knew the answer. Straight down the drain after he realised he actually did like him. He never had a hard time flirting with people to tease them or as a way to be witty. But, as soon as he actually liked someone, he worried about what that person thought about him, which he normally didn¡¯t care for. But he couldn¡¯t tell him that. Not yet, at least. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I feel off today. Maybe because of all the changes lately. Having a hard time adjusting?¡± It wasn¡¯t a complete lie. But also not the full truth. The perfect balance. Hyde hesitantly smiled and nodded. ¡°Right. I¡¯m sure you have a lot on your mind with how Night is being and that you can¡¯t see your grandad and everything. Can¡¯t expect you to keep the confidence up all the time.¡± Rune sighed in relief and smiled. ¡°Yeah.¡± Hyde leaned against him. ¡°I guess this is a side of you I haven¡¯t seen much of before.¡± He ruffled the front of Rune¡¯s hair a bit to fix it from when he had grabbed it before. Rune chuckled. He wrapped his arms around Hyde¡¯s waist and leaned his chin on his shoulder with a flustered smile. ¡°Thanks,¡± he whispered. Hyde was surprised, then put a hand on Rune¡¯s arm and rested his head against Rune¡¯s. Hyde put his other hand on the piano and badly played the melody, making Rune laugh. Hyde snorted along with him.
Rune knocked on Lullaby¡¯s bedroom door. ¡°Yeah?¡± he heard. He opened the door and saw her sitting on the two-seater she had on the opposite side of her room as her bed. ¡°Hey,¡± he greeted and closed the door behind him. ¡°I need to talk to you.¡± Lullaby raised her eyebrow, then gestured to the space next to her for him to sit. He sat. ¡°About what?¡± she asked. Rune sighed. ¡°You were right, I do like Hyde,¡± he said, hushed. ¡°You don¡¯t seem happy about that.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s making me act weird. My head is all over the place, I can¡¯t think of anything else and I can¡¯t have fun with him without overthinking every little touch and it¡¯s very noticeable. It nearly caused an argument between us, because it made him think I¡¯m not comfortable with him or something.¡± Lullaby snickered. ¡°Oh, Runy.¡± She pat his cheek. ¡°Seems like you broke the dam of feelings.¡± ¡°What do I do about it before it actually causes an argument?¡± ¡°What do you do about the feelings? You don¡¯t want them to go away, do you?¡± ¡°No, but¡ªhow do I manage them, I guess?¡± ¡°Well¡±¡ªshe placed her arm on his shoulders and pulled him against her side¡ª¡°first of all, calm down. Only because you now realise the feelings are there, doesn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t there before. And you could act normal, then.¡± Rune sighed and nodded. ¡°Second, give it time. You need to get used to the idea that these feelings are there and not going away anytime soon. For now, it¡¯s new. But you¡¯ll settle into it. Third, be yourself, clearly that¡¯s the Rune Hyde likes. Don¡¯t overthink every little touch or thing you say. Do as you normally do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying, but¡ª¡± ¡°See points one and two,¡± she interrupted. ¡°Lastly, think of how it would look from his perspective. For him, you began to act weird overnight, every time he so much as lightly brushes against you. So, it¡¯s understandable that he gets confused and upset over it, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Rune sat up, removing Lullaby¡¯s arm from his shoulders. ¡°Then, if I manage to do all that, how would I know how he feels? I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s like with other close friends, I don¡¯t know how to tell the difference between his platonic and romantic feelings. Or how I¡¯d even try to flirt with him.¡± ¡°Since when are you afraid of flirting?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different with someone I actually like, and not only doing it to mess with people! And I¡¯ve done that with him before¡ª¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Flirting to tease him. If I start to flirt with him again now, he might think I¡¯m not being serious again. How would I get him to take it seriously?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the ins and outs of your relationship. But be persistent with it? Surely, when you keep doing it, he¡¯ll realise you¡¯re not joking anymore?¡± Rune nodded and sighed. ¡°Makes sense.¡± If he kept flirting with him, either verbally or physically, Hyde should get the hint eventually, right? If he did it for several weeks, he¡¯d understand. Right? Surely Hyde wasn¡¯t that oblivious, he was so clever and perceptive with everything else. Rune smiled at her. ¡°Thanks. I needed to hear all that.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She smiled back. ¡°That¡¯s what best friends are for.¡± She booped his nose. ¡°And it¡¯s not that weird how you¡¯re acting.¡± Rune raised his eyebrow. ¡°Really?¡± She chuckled. ¡°Do you know how I acted when I figured out I had a crush on you?¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°You remember that day when I was dragging you around town, shoving a bunch of food in your face, even though you couldn¡¯t safely eat any of it, and refusing to leave your side all day?¡± Rune¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh, yeah! I do.¡± ¡°Yeah, that was the day I figured I liked you.¡± ¡°So, you tried to poison me with normal people food?¡± She laughed, then nudged him with her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s hard, having a crush on your friend. It makes you act like an idiot. But, you¡¯ll figure it out.¡± Rune smiled again and nodded. Please, Go Home 8 Rune laid on his bed, breathing slowly. He pinched his eyes when he felt someone¡¯s breath on his face. He opened them and flinched. Hyde was only a few inches away from him. He felt himself growing anxious again, he took a deep breath. Let¡¯s play it cool today, no freaking out like yesterday. Maybe he should lean in to it a little. He saw Hyde¡¯s hand resting between their faces. He placed his own hand next to it and considered what to do. Should he hold his hand? Maybe just a pinky first, to see if he woke up. He hooked their pinkies. No reaction. Maybe Hyde was ignoring the touch, like yesterday. If Rune grabbed his whole hand, he could play it off like he did it in his sleep. Or maybe he wouldn¡¯t believe that¡ª Stop. Stop overthinking everything, for the love of¡ª Go with your gut, like Lullaby said. Did he want to hold his hand right now? Yes. Did Hyde want it? He¡¯d have to do it to find out. So he did it. He rested his hand on top of Hyde¡¯s. Again, no reaction. He curled his fingers around Hyde¡¯s hand and sighed, releasing the tension in his body. His eyelids were heavy. He didn¡¯t fight them. Hyde opened his eyes and was met with Rune¡¯s sleeping face right in front of him. He felt something resting on his hand and looked. His eyes widened when he saw Rune¡¯s hand on his. He knew he told him he was fine with touch¡ªand he was¡ªbut this felt like another level. It didn¡¯t make him uncomfortable, necessarily, he was just¡­ surprised. He turned to the window behind him, the sun shone already. As much as it usually did in the north in late summer. It was time to get out of bed. He slid his hand away from under Rune¡¯s and sat up. Rune groaned, he clenched his hand where Hyde¡¯s had been. He opened his eyes slightly, then glanced at Hyde. Hyde smiled. ¡°Morning.¡± Rune only grunted as a greeting and closed his eyes again. Hyde breathed out a chuckle, then furrowed his brows as he thought of something. ¡°What day is it?¡± Rune hummed. ¡°Wednesday?¡± he croaked out, keeping his eyes closed. ¡°No, like, the day of the month?¡± ¡°Twenty¡­ seventh?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Rune opened his eyes and lifted his head a little towards him. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s a full moon tonight.¡± Rune shot awake. He sat up next to him. ¡°Really?¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°But, no need to get nervous, right? It went fine last month.¡± ¡°Yeah, but that was only with me. Do you know how you¡¯re going to act with three others?¡± Hyde frowned. ¡°No. Hopefully nothing too bad.¡± ¡°How do you think we should handle it tonight?¡± Rune asked. He walked through the streets of Enath wearing a winter coat. He wore a hoodie underneath, the hood of it laid over his head. He hid his hands in his coat pockets. He glanced beside him at Hyde. Hyde had his shoulders pulled up to his jaw, his chin buried in his coat and his hands in his pockets to keep them warm. He wore Rune¡¯s extra coat. Hyde sighed, releasing his warm breath into the cold air around them. ¡°Is it always this cold in the summer?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that cold, but it is quite cool for the time of year. Back to this evening, though.¡± ¡°Right, well, I don¡¯t know.¡± Rune hummed as his eyes went to the streets around him. ¡°We could lock ourselves in my room or something.¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°Yeah, that could work.¡± Rune observed the town around him. The chatter, the atmosphere, the kids playing on the playground. Playground? He turned his attention to the small play set they passed. The kids climbed on the monkey bars and swung on the swings. He squinted. He remembered this place. Remembered his dad lifting him up and helping him climb on the bars, remembered his mum pushing him on the swing. It was like he could see them in front of him, his parents and his younger self. Their faces were blurry. He couldn¡¯t fully picture their faces anymore, it had been so long since he¡¯d seen them. He could still picture their smiles, their eye colours, their hair and figures. But not full faces. ¡°You okay?¡± Rune flinched and turned to Hyde, who gave him a concerned frown. Right, must look weird, him staring at a playground for so long. ¡°Oh, yeah. Sorry.¡± Hyde glanced at the playground, then back to Rune. ¡°Did it trigger something? A memory?¡± Rune sighed and nodded. Hyde smiled sadly. He tugged at Rune¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s find some more places to give you a wave of nostalgia. Hopefully a happier one.¡± Rune smiled too and followed him. ¡°What memory did it trigger?¡± Hyde wondered. Rune shrugged. ¡°Nothing special. Just me playing there with my parents.¡± They entered the shopping street. Rune spotted one particular shop. ¡°Oh, hey!¡± He took Hyde¡¯s hand and dragged him to it. Two words were on the display window: Tattoo & Piercing. Various tattoo designs were displayed. Rune turned to Hyde with a smile. ¡°I got my ear pierced here, with my dad.¡± ¡°Oh, nice.¡± Hyde smiled. He glanced down at their clasped together hands, Rune¡¯s hand was hidden in his hoodie sleeve. He looked around to the rest of the shops. Rune followed his gaze. There were clothing stores, toy shops, grocery stores, liquor shops, and cafes. Rune turned to Hyde again. ¡°Anywhere you fancy going?¡± Hyde hummed and bit his cheek. ¡°I could go for some hot chocolate in this cold.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°What, not coffee?¡± Rune teased. Hyde scrunched his face up and shook his head. ¡°Bitter.¡± ¡°Weak.¡± Hyde shot him a glare. Rune let his hand go and went towards the nearest cafe, Hyde followed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind some caffeine, I¡¯m kinda knackered,¡± Rune sighed. Hyde squinted. ¡°Knackered?¡± Rune glanced at him with a raised brow. ¡°Oh, tired.¡± ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you sleep well?¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°Not sure.¡± They entered the cafe. It wasn¡¯t busy. They sat down at a table for two, across from each other. Rune pulled his coat off and left it over the back of his chair, then pulled his hood down, leaving his hair in a bit of a mess. Hyde breathed out a chuckle. Rune rested his eyes on him, he had left his coat over the back of his chair, too. ¡°Hm?¡± Hyde shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s just¡ª¡± He twitched his hand towards Rune¡¯s face. ¡°Your hair.¡± Rune leaned closer without taking his eyes off him. Hyde fixed the out-of-place strands of hair. ¡°Yeah,¡± Hyde cued. Rune moved back to his previous position and grabbed the drinks menu. Hyde leaned his elbows on the table and leaned in to read it too. Rune turned it ninety degrees so they could both read it sideways. ¡°What can I get you lads today?¡± a server asked. They both looked up at her. Hyde smiled and said, ¡°A cup of hot chocolate, please.¡± She nodded and wrote it down, then looked at Rune. ¡°A cup of coffee.¡± ¡°Black or with milk or sugar?¡± ¡°With milk, please.¡± ¡°Vampire variety?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The server wrote it down again and smiled. ¡°Okay, coming right up.¡± She walked away. Rune turned to Hyde and was met with a glare. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You little hypocrite.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You call me weak for not liking the bitterness, but you don¡¯t even drink it black yourself.¡± Rune leaned into his chair. ¡°I never said I like it black, I said you¡¯re weak for not liking it at all.¡± He glanced back at the menu. ¡°But, should we get anything else or only the drink?¡± ¡°Is there anything else you could get?¡± ¡°My options aren¡¯t as barren here as in the south. There are vampire varieties for the majority of foods here, but they cost quite a few quid.¡± Hyde snickered. ¡°I¡¯m learning so many new words since I met you.¡± Rune raised a brow. ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Hyde laughed. ¡°Every few days, a new word¡ªor combination of words¡ªcomes out of your mouth that I¡¯ve never heard before.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Knackered, quid, nick, bloody hell, fancy,¡± he mimicked Rune¡¯s accent with a grin. Rune felt his face flush a little. ¡°You¡¯ve never heard fancy before?¡± ¡°Not as a verb.¡± They both looked up at the server as she brought their drinks. She put their cups in front of them as she gave Hyde a teasing smirk. ¡°You complaining about the local lingo?¡± ¡°Not complaining.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Enjoy your drinks.¡± She walked away. Hyde lifted his cup and blew on it. He looked around the room before glancing back at Rune. ¡°I do stand out like a sore thumb here, don¡¯t I?¡± Rune stirred his coffee. ¡°You¡¯re not doing yourself any favours by pointing out the differences.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true.¡± Hyde took a sip. ¡°Plus, people don¡¯t exactly get a tan like yours up here.¡± Hyde looked at the colour of his hand. ¡°Especially my summer tan.¡± ¡°And the way you clearly can¡¯t handle the cold.¡± Hyde glared at Rune taking a sip with a teasingly raised eyebrow. ¡°You wait until we¡¯re back in my area,¡± Hyde challenged. ¡°Do you have specific vocab in the south?¡± ¡°Not that I can tell, but I guess you could point that out better than me.¡± Rune hummed and took another sip. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an ear out.¡± He stared out the window. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Hyde looking at him. He glanced back and saw him smiling. ¡°Hm?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°You seem more like yourself again today.¡± ¡°Do I?¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°Seems like you got some of your confidence back.¡± Rune smiled. ¡°Good.¡±
Rune and Hyde were downstairs with everyone else, later that day. Both were in the kitchen to grab themselves some late lunch, Hyde searched through the cabinets while Rune grabbed a can of blood from the fridge. Lullaby and Night were on the couch, Moon at the dining table. ¡°Just so you know,¡± Rune started at the girls, ¡°Hyde and I are going to be in my room the whole evening.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Lullaby asked as Rune went to sit across from Moon. ¡°Uh,¡± Rune began to answer, until he noticed the wide smirk Moon gave him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What are you going to do together all evening?¡± she asked quietly so only he could hear. Rune raised his eyebrow at her. She glanced over at Hyde in the kitchen and back to Rune. Rune blushed a little. ¡°Do you know?¡± he whispered. ¡°I was there yesterday with the piano. It was quite a shit show,¡± she whispered too. Rune blushed more as he tensed and took a sip from his drink. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a full moon,¡± he called out. ¡°So?¡± Lullaby asked again. ¡°I¡¯m a werewolf,¡± Hyde joined from the kitchen. Moon gasped. ¡°Really? I would love to see a shifted werewolf!¡± Hyde jumped. ¡°Uh¡ª¡± ¡°Why are you staying in Rune¡¯s room all night?¡± Hyde rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°I don¡¯t want to risk hurting anyone.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not worried about hurting Rune?¡± Night asked. Rune got up and stood in front of Hyde to shield him from his sisters¡¯ odd gazes. ¡°He¡¯s been around me during a full moon before, so no, we¡¯re not worried about that.¡± Moon walked over to them. ¡°But, I want to see what it looks like! Even if it¡¯s only for a minute.¡± She was taken aback by Rune¡¯s glare. Behind him, Hyde was uncomfortably rubbing his arms. ¡°Or is that too personal?¡± She frowned. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve never met a werewolf before.¡± Hyde glanced at her and nodded. Lullaby walked over there, too. She put her hands on Moon¡¯s shoulders and gently turned her away, she smiled at Hyde. ¡°Do whatever makes you comfortable tonight.¡± Hyde only nodded again. They went into their room again in the evening. Hyde sat on the bed, Rune closed the door and pushed a dresser in front of it. ¡°There, we¡¯re trapped.¡± Hyde chuckled. Rune sat next to him. ¡°Are you still worried?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Rune smiled and rubbed his back. ¡°Good.¡± They sat in silence for a bit. Hyde slightly leaned against Rune, making Rune blush. He looked away and scratched his jaw. ¡°Did Moon make you uncomfortable?¡± ¡°A bit. No one¡¯s ever reacted like that before. Normally, people get nervous, like you. Or scared.¡± He glanced at Rune. ¡°It only caught me off guard.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Rune placed his hand on the bed behind Hyde and leaned a little closer with a slight blush. Hyde blushed too and smiled. Rune jumped when Hyde¡¯s pupils turned into needles. His irises grew and covered almost the entire eye. Hyde grabbed his head and stood up as he made some growling noises. Rune saw his nails turning into claws. His ears grew pointed and hair covered them. He fell through his knees and growled again. ¡°Hyde?¡± Rune asked, concerned. He reached out to touch his shoulder. Hyde snapped his head around at him, Rune flinched. His teeth were sharp and his beard fuller. ¡°Are you okay?¡± All his body hair grew thicker. He was kneeling on the ground with one hand on the floor between his legs and the other still on his head. He grumbled. He placed a hand on the bed on either side of Rune and jumped up. Rune yelped as he was knocked over onto his back. Hyde placed his claws beside Rune¡¯s head and hovered over him. He stared down, angry. Rune stared back with a blush, his gaze wandered off to his strong and muscular body pinning him down. He shook his head and looked at his face. He huffed with a smile. ¡°Of course you¡¯re okay, you go through this every full moon.¡± Hyde growled. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so mad.¡± He put his hand on Hyde¡¯s cheek. ¡°It¡¯s me. You know that, right?¡± He rubbed his thumb over Hyde¡¯s cheek. Hyde moved his ears down, his expression softened. He smiled and purred as he relaxed into his hand. Rune pet the base of his ear. Hyde moved his face down to Rune¡¯s and made their noses touch, then rubbed his cheek against his face. Rune laughed quietly and rubbed his head. Hyde moved away to look at him again, his pupils big and round. Rune put both of his hands on Hyde¡¯s cheeks. ¡°If only you could remember these nights.¡± Hyde laid down on him and nuzzled his face into his neck. Rune ran his fingers through Hyde¡¯s hair. They laid there for a while, Hyde seemed to be falling asleep. Rune heard someone opening the door, then a bonk against the dresser he put in front of it. He looked towards it and saw an upside-down Lullaby peeking inside. ¡°You actually blocked the door?¡± she asked, annoyed. ¡°Yeah, it made him feel safer,¡± Rune answered, not noticing Hyde moving his ears when he heard her talking. Hyde shot up and growled at her, startling them both. ¡°Are you okay? He seems a bit aggressive.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, you¡¯re the one he¡¯s growling at.¡± ¡°Rude.¡± Rune put his hand on Hyde¡¯s head. He gently pulled him down. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he whispered. Hyde purred as he laid his head back where it was. ¡°What are you doing, anyway?¡± ¡°Full moon Hyde likes getting affection from me.¡± Lullaby snorted. ¡°As if regular Hyde doesn¡¯t.¡± Rune blushed and glared at her. She chuckled. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± She closed the door. Rune sighed and played with Hyde¡¯s hair some more. After a little while, Rune carefully got Hyde off him, making Hyde look at him and whine. ¡°Sorry,¡± Rune whispered. ¡°But I want to get into bed.¡± He moved over to the top of the bed, pulled the covers up and laid under them. He looked at Hyde and pulled them up again. ¡°Come here,¡± he said softly. Hyde crawled under the covers next to him and snuggled into his chest. Rune hugged him. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Hyde rubbed his face into his chest. Rune was reminded of the night of Hyde¡¯s night terror. Night terror. His mind wandered to Night. He hummed as he came to a realisation. He sighed and rubbed Hyde¡¯s shoulder. It could wait until morning. Please, Go Home 9 In the morning, Rune saw Night on the couch, reading a book. They were alone, good. He had gotten out of bed early in the hopes of catching her alone. He went to the couch and sat on the opposite side of it from her. She glanced up from her book. ¡°Hey,¡± Rune began. ¡°What are you reading?¡± ¡°I started reading Grandpa¡¯s childhood books a couple years ago,¡± she told him, uninterested. ¡°Oh, fun. I read some of them, too.¡± Currently, she was reading one of the books in an adventure series. She hummed in agreement. Rune took a deep breath. ¡°Can we talk?¡± Night sighed. ¡°Fine.¡± She put her bookmark between her pages, closed the book and laid it on the couch between her legs. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I think I understand now. Why you¡¯re the one who¡¯s still upset with me.¡± Night rested her elbow on the back of the couch and her cheek on her fist. ¡°Do enlighten me.¡± ¡°You were the one who always emotionally relied on me more with your night terrors and everything. Or if you had a fight, or anything else happened that upset you. Moon often dealt with it herself or went to Lullaby, but you always came to me. ¡°But then, I was gone, precisely when you would¡¯ve needed me the most; when you went into puberty. So, you¡¯re the most upset, because you missed me the most. Me leaving hurt you the most. That¡¯s why you feel like I left you, or that I don¡¯t care anymore. Everything I was doing was still for you, but it wasn¡¯t what you wanted¡ªor needed¡ªme for. ¡°When I left, I took your emotional security with me. And now, maybe, you¡¯re afraid to forgive me and let me in again. Afraid I¡¯ll take it away and hurt you again.¡± He glanced at her. ¡°Am I close?¡± Night stared at him, then looked down as her lip trembled. She swallowed the lump in her throat. ¡°It would¡¯ve been helpful if you were there while I was raging with hormones.¡± Rune frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t. Aren¡¯t you still raging with hormones, though?¡± he tried to lighten the mood. Night huffed as she hugged herself. ¡°Not as much. But, it would have been nice to have you here to help me understand things. Especially now that I know you¡¯re not straight.¡± Rune¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you queer, too?¡± She turned her head away with tears in her eyes. Rune stared at her, thinking of what to do. Clearly, she wanted to talk about this, but she wasn¡¯t convinced yet. He turned to face her with his legs crossed. He rested his elbows on his knees. ¡°Hey.¡± Night glanced at him. ¡°I know I wasn¡¯t there when I should¡¯ve been. But I¡¯m here, now.¡± Night considered it. She shook her head. ¡°You said you¡¯ll leave again.¡± ¡°Not in the same way. I won¡¯t disappear, I just have some other places to go, too. And, as I said, I promise I¡¯ll let you know where I am, you can always contact me. I won¡¯t always be home, but I¡¯ll still be in your life.¡± Night was still unsure. Rune held his arms out to her with a sad smile. ¡°Come on, let me help you. Baby queer to slightly-more-seasoned queer.¡± Night laughed a little, Rune was glad she did. She sighed and moved closer to him. She sat between Rune¡¯s legs and leaned against his chest with her shoulder. Rune put his arms around her and leaned his cheek on her head. He sat curled around her, as if to protect her from the world around them. It was easier when she was smaller. ¡°What confusing feelings are you struggling with? About attraction or gender or¡ª¡± ¡°Attraction,¡± Night whispered. ¡°Can you explain or do you want me to keep asking questions?¡± ¡°Ask,¡± she whispered again. ¡°Alright. Do you feel an attraction to boys?¡± She shrugged. ¡°An attraction to girls?¡± She shrugged again. ¡°No attraction?¡± She shook her head. ¡°So you do feel attraction, but don¡¯t know to who.¡± ¡°I guess.¡± He rubbed her back as he hummed in thought. ¡°Maybe it¡¯d help if you told me how you figured it out?¡± Night suggested. ¡°Okay, well, I never felt like I don¡¯t like girls. But with guys, I found out while I was traveling. I had to kill time between jobs, you know? And so, I often went to bars or clubs. And of course, in places like that, there¡¯s a lot of flirting and drinking going on. It was mostly women, but occasionally a guy took an interest in me and I realised that I didn¡¯t mind. It didn¡¯t feel weird. It felt natural, almost. And overtime, as I got more confident, I started flirting with anyone I was interested in, no matter their gender.¡± Night hummed in thought. ¡°Are you bi?¡± Rune squinted his eyes. ¡°That would be the most straightforward label. But, I guess the takeaway from that is: you¡¯ll know it¡¯s real attraction when it feels natural to you. If it doesn¡¯t make you feel icky,¡± he concluded. ¡°Hm.¡± Night moved down and rested her ear on Rune¡¯s chest. ¡°You could imagine yourself in scenarios and see what your gut feeling is.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Imagine yourself kissing a guy.¡± She cringed. ¡°Ew.¡± Rune snorted. ¡°Okay, then. Imagine kissing a girl.¡± She was quiet. ¡°Well, at least no ew.¡± ¡°But¡±¡ªNight shook her head¡ª¡°it¡¯s not that I¡¯ve never thought a guy was good-looking or anything.¡± ¡°You can appreciate people¡¯s beauty without wanting to kiss or fuck them. It¡¯s like looking at a pretty painting.¡± She hummed. ¡°Would you want to shag a girl?¡± Night huffed. ¡°Let¡¯s stick to kissing for now.¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°Alright. Then, could you be a lesbian?¡± Night shrugged. ¡°Maybe. I¡¯ll think it over.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± They silently sat cuddled up on the couch a while longer. Night laid curled up on Rune¡¯s chest, Rune held her between his arms and legs. He took a deep breath and smiled against her white hair. ¡°Am I forgiven?¡± Rune whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Rune breathed out a chuckle.
Rune wanted to spend some quality time with his family, now that there was no more bad blood between them. Having been to a cafe with Hyde a few days earlier, he got the idea to take them out for lunch, leaving Hyde alone at home. Hyde didn¡¯t mind some hours to himself. He chose a cafe he remembered eating at with his parents and grandad when he was younger, before his sisters were born. He remembered himself crawling under the table to climb on his grandad¡¯s lap, who sat across from him. He liked to steal his food instead of eating his own. His mum didn¡¯t appreciate that his grandad allowed him to. His dad chose the middle ground, letting Rune snack a little, but not too much; he didn¡¯t like to pick sides between his father and his wife. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. They all sat at a table for four, Rune next to Lullaby, across from Moon. Twenty years ago, he¡¯d by far been the youngest. Now, he was the oldest. ¡°Are you not mad at Rune anymore?¡± Lullaby asked Night, snapping Rune back to reality. He noticed Night hesitantly glancing at him before she said, ¡°No.¡± Lullaby smiled. ¡°Great.¡± Rune smiled a little too. He¡¯d figured she had forgiven him, but it was nice to hear. Moon grabbed the menu and scanned over it with a hum. ¡°I¡¯ll get a smoothie.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to try something else?¡± Rune asked. ¡°Or have you tried before?¡± Of course, she could have in the last five years. He had. ¡°I¡¯ve tried a sandwich, but I¡¯m not in the mood to chew.¡± Rune snorted. ¡°Great reason.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll have grilled cheese,¡± Lullaby announced. Night leaned in to see the menu, Moon pushed it towards her. Moon returned her attention to Rune with a smug look on her face, setting off alarm bells in Rune¡¯s head. ¡°Now that he¡¯s not here to eavesdrop, what¡¯s your relationship with Hyde like, exactly?¡± Rune glared at her with a small blush. She knew the answer, she was teasing him on purpose. ¡°Clearly, you like him,¡± she continued in his silence. Night¡¯s head snapped up at her. ¡°What makes you so sure?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Moon asked with genuine surprise. ¡°I assumed, but I wasn¡¯t sure.¡± Moon leaned closer to her sister as if they were gossiping. ¡°A few days ago, they were playing piano together, and he was a complete mess. Every time Hyde touched him, he freaked out and then they almost started arguing, because Rune was acting so weird. But at the end, they were cuddling,¡± Moon finished as she squished her cheeks like it was the most adorable thing she¡¯d ever seen. Night laughed a little, Rune¡¯s blush worsened. They were ganging up on him. ¡°You know, afterwards he came to me,¡± Lullaby joined in, oh no. ¡°And he was all like, ¡®I do like him, how do I deal with this? I can¡¯t think of anything else, weh.¡¯ ¡± All three girls laughed. Rune leaned back into his chair and folded his arms. He glared at Lullaby. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be sure to go back to you for advice in the future.¡± Lullaby nudged him with his shoulder. ¡°Aw, come on, we¡¯re only teasing. You¡¯re adorable when you have a crush.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be the anxious type with a crush,¡± Night admitted. ¡°You¡¯re usually pretty confident.¡± ¡°Because I rarely care about people¡¯s opinions of me. But of course, I worry about whether the person I like likes me back.¡± Night¡¯s eyes flickered to Lullaby before she grinned at Rune. ¡°Do you have a thing for brunettes?¡± Rune tensed his shoulders and glanced away. ¡°That¡¯s a coincidence.¡± ¡°So, would you want to date him?¡± Moon asked. Before Rune could answer, she added, ¡°Should we be mentally preparing ourselves to have him for a brother-in-law?¡± Rune tensed. ¡°Woah, slow down. I don¡¯t even know if he likes me back, yet alone if he¡¯d want to marry me, god.¡± ¡°Would you want to marry him?¡± ¡°Slow down!¡± he repeated with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ve barely known him for two months, I don¡¯t know.¡± He leaned on the table to get closer to her, he grinned. ¡°How about you tell me about your love life, instead of only prying into mine?¡± Moon glanced away and bit the inside of her cheek. ¡°I¡¯ve been on dates with some boys, but nothing worthwhile.¡± ¡°When was the last time?¡± ¡°A few months ago.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Night intervened, then smirked. ¡°Does Grandpa know about that?¡± ¡°What, as if I need his permission to date boys?¡± She hummed as her mind wandered to some place else. ¡°Will he ever date again? He¡¯s been single for over three decades.¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s probably been too preoccupied with us to think about dating.¡± He turned to Lullaby. ¡°Are you looking for a date?¡± Lullaby hummed and shook her head. ¡°Not at the moment, I don¡¯t want to bother right now. I¡¯m also worried a guy I¡¯d date would be intimidated by you. Since we¡¯re friends, but you¡¯re also my ex. A lot of guys get insecure about that and I¡¯m not in the mood for that drama.¡± ¡°I am very intimidating.¡± Lullaby chuckled. They called a server over to finally order their lunch and continued to enjoy their afternoon together. Rune had missed this, family time. He was sad one member was missing.
Lullaby found Hyde on the porch outside in the sun, drinking something out of a mug while he leaned on the low fence. He must miss the sun from his home or something. Rune and the girls were inside together. Now that she knew how serious Rune¡¯s feelings for him were, she wanted to be sure he was worthy of them. She joined him on the porch, leaning against the wall a small distance away. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± Hyde swallowed his sip of whatever was in his mug¡ªjudging by the brown left on his lip and in his moustache, hot chocolate¡ªand said, ¡°Sure.¡± He licked the remnants off his lip. ¡°Why did you let Rune stick around? You barely knew him, all you knew him as was a thief. Why did you help him? Why did you let him stay in your house?¡± Hyde chuckled. ¡°Rune asked me exactly the same thing. When I was questioning him, he told me about his family and that the gang he worked for threatened him and everyone he cared about. Later, he told me he hadn¡¯t seen his family in five years; I related to that a lot. And I felt bad for him. Not that I pitied him, but I saw he needed help, and I could help him.¡± He stared off into the small yard and took a small sip. ¡°And I like having him around. He livens up the space, you know?¡± Lullaby snickered. ¡°Yeah, he does.¡± Hyde seemed like a genuinely sweet and compassionate guy who had Rune¡¯s best interest at heart, Lullaby concluded. She only wanted Rune to have someone who cared for him and would make him happy. She wondered if he liked men. He probably did. She wasn¡¯t sure why she assumed that, Hyde wasn¡¯t stereotypically gay at all. Perhaps it was the vibe he gave off when he was around Rune. ¡°Rune hasn¡¯t told me about this in detail before,¡± Hyde began. ¡°How rough did he have it at the orphanage?¡± Lullaby sighed. ¡°Pretty rough. He was quite aggressive and prone to fights in his teens, because of all the anger and hurt he went through.¡± Hyde frowned and drank his hot chocolate again. ¡°It didn¡¯t help that some older kids liked to pick on the girls, he constantly fought the bullies off. Moon and Night would often threaten the bullies with their brother, like ¡®If you don¡¯t stop, our big brother will kick your ass!¡¯ ¡± Hyde snorted into his mug. ¡°The bullies, of course, expected a boy about their age, not a teen years older than them, with a lot of hormones and pent up anger to take out.¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected him to be so violent in his teens. Not that he¡¯s an angel now, he can still throw a punch, but he¡¯s usually a chill guy.¡± Lullaby shrugged. ¡°He processed his grief and grew up.¡± Hyde hummed. He glanced at the door into the house, then glanced back at her and said, ¡°Your name is quite odd¡ªsorry if that¡¯s rude,¡± he quickly added. ¡°Where did it come from?¡± Lullaby smiled a little. ¡°I was left at the orphanage as a nameless baby. The only way the caregivers could calm me down was by singing me a lullaby. So, that¡¯s what they named me.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s so sweet.¡± ¡°Do you know where your name comes from?¡± ¡°I think my dad just liked the sound of it. And my parents liked for both their kids to have a y in their name.¡± He frowned off into space. Lullaby wondered what his relationship with his parents was like, but it seemed like a topic too sensitive for her to ask about. She was sure Rune knew the answer. Rune sat in bed in the late evening, with Hyde beside him. They both wore their pyjamas and had their legs under the covers. Hyde had his legs flat, Rune with his knees up. ¡°How was your family day?¡± Hyde asked. ¡°Nice. Night isn¡¯t mad at me anymore, so it finally wasn¡¯t tense. It was great to just hang out and have fun, like we used to.¡± Hyde smiled, but there seemed to be a bit of sadness to it. ¡°Sounds great.¡± ¡°What did you do all day by yourself?¡± ¡°I doodled in my notebook and let my thoughts wander.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± Rune laughed a bit. ¡°Sounds productive.¡± They were quiet. Rune thought about snuggling up to him; about kissing him, even if it was only a brief peck on the cheek. He shook the thought out of his head. He didn¡¯t know how Hyde felt. ¡°I had a conversation with Lullaby,¡± Hyde spoke up. ¡°I asked what things were like at the orphanage.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Rune didn¡¯t like to think back to those times. He wasn¡¯t proud of who he was back then. ¡°She told me you were quite aggressive and prone to fights.¡± Rune sighed. ¡°Yeah, I was a menace in my teens.¡± He hugged his knees. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to cope.¡± Hyde paused for a moment before he softly asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to know?¡± ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t want you to see me that way. Like a violent prick that lashes out for no reason.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Hyde put a hand on Rune¡¯s arm. ¡°You don¡¯t do that, not anymore. You lost your parents, you were protecting your sisters, it makes sense you lashed out. And besides, no adult is the same person they were in their teens.¡± Rune smiled at him a little. ¡°What were you like in your teens?¡± He let his knees go and leaned back. Hyde took his hand off his arm, then sat turned towards him. ¡°I was always quite a lone wolf¡ªno pun intended.¡± Rune snickered. ¡°I never put a lot of effort into friendships, but I wasn¡¯t afraid to stand my ground. If I wanted to socialise, I¡¯d go to my family. Mostly my dad. I never felt the need to connect with my peers.¡± Rune raised a brow. He was his peer, right? ¡°Until now?¡± ¡°Well.¡± Hyde pushed their shoulders together with a little grin. ¡°Unless they¡¯re worth the effort.¡± Some blood rushed to Rune¡¯s cheeks, he glanced away with a shy smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯m worthy.¡± Hyde chuckled. ¡°That makes me sound like such an ass. Don¡¯t talk to me unless you¡¯re worthy, peasant.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay to be picky about who you socialise with. Especially if you have limited social energy.¡± Hyde stared at him, then smiled with his own small blush. He pushed his face into the crook of Rune¡¯s neck. Rune flinched at the sudden touch, his face heated up more. Hyde was tense, but then relaxed; like he¡¯d surprised himself with that move too, but decided to roll with it. Rune released the tension in his muscles and laid his cheek against Hyde¡¯s head. The message was clear to him. You get me.
Rune packed some cans of blood into his backpack by the fridge. Hyde was taking a shower before they went on their long trip again. Moon stood at the counter, a frown on her face. ¡°Do you really have to go?¡± Rune sighed with a sad smile. ¡°Yeah. But I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so important that you have to leave again, before Grandpa comes home?¡± ¡°Hyde helped me build up the courage to come home, I want to return the favour now. He¡¯s been away from his family for longer than I have. I don¡¯t want to give him the opportunity to run away again.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Rune ruffled her hair, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. After his shower, Hyde waited at the door with Rune¡¯s coat on. Rune had an arm around both his sisters, also wearing his coat. Lullaby stood next to them. ¡°I won¡¯t be away for long,¡± Rune promised. ¡°I¡¯ll send a letter when we get there, okay?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Moon repeated. She let Rune go and turned to Hyde. ¡°You.¡± Hyde perked up in surprise. ¡°Take care of my brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± he answered. Rune chuckled. He looked down at Night clinging to his chest, hesitant to let go. He hugged her tight with both of his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± he whispered to her. Night nodded and took a deep breath. She stepped away. ¡°You should go, you¡¯ll miss your train.¡± Rune smiled sadly. ¡°Yeah.¡± Lullaby put her arms around his neck and hugged him. She whispered something in his ear, causing Rune to gain a slight red tint on his cheeks. Hyde couldn¡¯t hear what she had said, but he felt an unpleasant tingle in his gut. They let each other go and Rune looked to the side at Hyde by the door. Hyde shrugged. ¡°Ready when you are.¡± Rune sighed and stepped towards the door, he pulled it open. They both stepped outside. Rune waved back at them one final time. Please, Go Home Interlude 4 The young vampire and his friend walked towards the locker rooms to change for gym class. The vampire wasn¡¯t a fan of this class; he wasn¡¯t a sporty person. Obviously. You could argue he was fast, but that was it. In the hallway to the boys¡¯ locker room, they passed a girl heading for the girls¡¯ room. She greeted the vampire¡¯s friend with a smile. His friend greeted her back, a bit confused. She stopped walking and asked, ¡°Are you going to the winter ball next week?¡± ¡°Uh, I wasn¡¯t planning to,¡± his friend answered. The girl frowned. ¡°Why not?¡± The vampire got grumpy. He didn¡¯t like this. They were busy; they had a class to go to. He hooked a finger around one of the belt loops of his friend¡¯s jeans and lightly tugged at it. ¡°It¡¯s not my thing.¡± His friend turned to continue walking. ¡°But we have to go.¡± ¡°Okay, bye,¡± the girl said, a little sad. ¡°What was that?¡± his friend asked him. The vampire shrugged. They entered the locker room with all the other boys from their class. They claimed their spot in the corner and began changing. The vampire glanced at his friend while he was changing his shirt and thought about how he¡¯d grown over the past two years. He had grown even taller, his head nearly reaching the tops of doorframes. The vampire had grown too, their height difference hadn¡¯t changed much. He was hairier, his beard was really starting to grow, his arm and leg hair was more obvious. He¡¯d gotten more muscular too, even though he didn¡¯t go to the gym or anything. Must be his werewolf genes. Unfair, he didn¡¯t have to work for his muscles. The vampire had never seen him shifted, he realised. He continued changing into his gym clothes himself. He took the piercing in his left earlobe out; they weren¡¯t allowed in gym class. He¡¯d recently gotten it as a bit of rebellion. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Today, the teacher decided they¡¯d play dodgeball. Great. They were divided into two teams, the vampire was on the opposite team from his friend. If you got hit, you had to go to the area behind the other team, so you could attack them from there if you got your hands on a ball. The game began. The vampire stood in the back of their field, planning to only dodge. His werewolf friend was targeted immediately, as always with these games. He was big and intimidating. They wanted him out of the game right away. The vampire thought it was dumb, because now the big, intimidating presence was behind them. Not that his friend would throw the balls hard, or even try his best. He was too gentle for that. As the game went on, the vampire stuck to his plan; only dodge. Until there was only one other person left in the field with him. That person did throw the balls, they were getting frustrated with the vampire that he wouldn¡¯t. He had balls thrown at him from all directions, his heartbeat sped up. He frantically ran and duck around, doing his best to stay out of the balls¡¯ paths. The other person had been hit, he was the only one left. His teammates yelled at him to throw a ball. He couldn¡¯t control his breathing, tears came to his eyes. He ran off the field, into the locker room. The werewolf saw his small vampire friend begin to panic on the field in front of him. He wanted to help, to calm him down; it was only a game. But he didn¡¯t want to attract unwanted attention, he knew the vampire would hate that just as much. His friend ran off, the werewolf wanted to go after him. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± the teacher sternly told him. ¡°Don¡¯t enable his tantrum throwing.¡± The werewolf clenched his fists and jaw. Tantrum throwing? Some teacher she was. He left the field anyway. ¡°Hey!¡± the teacher called. ¡°Try and stop me!¡± he snapped, then went to the locker room. He found the vampire on the bench in the corner, his knees pulled against his chest, crying and hyperventilating. He sat next to him, one leg folded under him, facing his friend. The vampire was rubbing the skin between his thumb and index finger. ¡°Hey,¡± he whispered. He held his hand. The vampire glanced at him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re alone. No one will hurt you, I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± The vampire sniffed his tears up. He let his legs down and laid his head against the werewolf¡¯s chest. The werewolf wrapped both his arms around him and comfortingly rubbed his waist. ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± The vampire shook his head. They sat there for a while, no one came to check on them. The werewolf was glad, he knew his friend wouldn¡¯t want anyone to intervene. The vampire took a deep breath and whispered, ¡°What must they all be thinking of me?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. They don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with you, who are they to judge?¡± The vampire shrugged. ¡°How about we leave and head into the city for the rest of the day?¡± the werewolf suggested. ¡°Get some ice cream or something. I don¡¯t care to skip a couple classes.¡± The vampire looked up at him with a teary smile. ¡°Okay.¡± Please, Go Home 10 Hyde stepped out of the train onto the platform, into the southern warmth, wearing the hoodie he had previously given to Rune. He took a deep breath and let it engulf him with a content smile. He hummed. ¡°Feels like home.¡± Rune stepped out next to him with a scowl, sweating in his own way-too-thick hoodie. ¡°Yeah, great.¡± Hyde looked beside him. ¡°Wanna switch?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hyde searched for a spot of shade around the station. The station was small, only having two tracks and barely any buildings, other than the small break house for the workers. He saw a roof for people to hide from the rain, presumably. He tucked at Rune¡¯s sleeve. ¡°There.¡± They stood in the shade. Rune took his thick, sweaty hoodie off and pulled Hyde¡¯s much thinner one on. He held his own hoodie. ¡°Where should I leave this?¡± ¡°At home, when we get there.¡± ¡°You want me to carry it all the way?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°I mean, I¡¯d offer to carry it, but it smells terrible.¡± Rune huffed. ¡°You wuss. But speaking of home.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rune grinned at him. ¡°How about, instead of going back to the village, we go to Corburn?¡± Hyde flinched. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We¡¯re on a family reunion streak anyway. Like you said, just get it over with.¡± Hyde stared at him, his eyes wide. He tensed his shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not ready.¡± ¡°Will you ever be? You¡¯ve already been away for six years.¡± Hyde stared at the ground as his breathing started to become shallow. He wasn¡¯t ready, he¡¯d never be ready. They would be mad at him, push him away, yell at him to leave¡ª ¡°Hey,¡± Rune interrupted his panicked thoughts. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay.¡± He put his hands on Hyde¡¯s arms and gently smiled. ¡°You¡¯re not going alone, I¡¯ll be with you. I¡¯ll support you like you did for me. And if they do get mad at you, I¡¯ll defend you. I¡¯ve got your back, okay?¡± Hyde¡¯s heart was racing in his chest. He considered it. He guessed it would be less difficult with Rune there, he wouldn¡¯t have to face them alone. He wanted to go home someday, maybe this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. He had seen how happy it had made Rune to go home, perhaps he should stop depriving himself of that happiness. He took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Rune beamed. Hyde tried to focus on the crunching leaves below his feet; on the pleasant, natural smells of the forest; on the branches bumping into each other in the wind. But he couldn¡¯t ignore the anxiety. How will they react to him? Did they want anything to do with him anymore? Was his dad okay? If not, what were his mom and sister going to think of him? He glanced to the side and recognised a rock with a peculiar shape. He remembered noticing that rock before, on that night. He had noticed it right before his dad caught up to him, he had paused his run to catch his breath and leaned against it. Flashes of the following events filled his mind. His dad had tried to take him home, Hyde pushed him away and yelled at him to leave him alone. His dad wanted to understand, but Hyde didn¡¯t tell him anything. They began arguing. He had felt himself losing control, and everything went black. Hyde yelped when he felt a touch on his arm, he jerked around to Rune¡¯s concerned face. ¡°Hey, you okay?¡± Rune asked. ¡°You don¡¯t seem like it.¡± Hyde noticed how shallow his breathing was. He stared at the forest floor. He tried to make a word leave his mouth, but he couldn¡¯t. He shook his head. He flinched again when Rune took a hold of Hyde¡¯s forearms. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯m here, I¡¯m not going anywhere. I¡¯ll stay by your side the whole way.¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°Now, take a deep breath and keep going. You can do this.¡± Hyde closed his eyes and breathed in all the way down to his belly, then slowly breathed out. He glanced up at Rune¡¯s face. He smiled a little and put his arms around his waist in a hug. Rune tensed up, but then relaxed and hugged him back. Hyde took another deep breath before letting go. He looked in the direction of Corburn. He held Rune¡¯s hand as he began to walk again, then let it slide out of his grip when Rune followed him.
Hyde stepped onto the messy pavement made of small bricks. He observed the town in front of him, everything was the same as he remembered. He felt another jolt of anxiety. He breathed in and pushed it down. It was too late to turn back now. ¡°Is this Corburn?¡± he heard beside him. He turned to Rune and nodded. ¡°Do you want to take your time, or go home right now?¡± Hyde shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Rune took a few steps ahead of him. ¡°We could vaguely go into that direction, we don¡¯t have to do it quick.¡± Hyde smiled a little. ¡°Okay.¡± They sauntered along the uneven, narrow streets, staring at the buildings. They entered a neighbourhood. Panic went through Hyde¡¯s body again, paired with a sharp inhale. ¡°Is this your neighbourhood?¡± Rune asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Hyde sighed. Rune tugged at his hand. ¡°Come on.¡± Hyde followed. ¡°Hyde!¡± Hyde shrieked and yanked himself in the direction the shout came from. He was tackled to the ground and yelped. He sat up and leaned on his hands. He stared into the distance as he processed what was happening. He was being hugged. He saw long, wavy, rich brown hair next to his face. ¡°You really came home,¡± she called out. ¡°Sooner than we expected, too.¡± Hyde placed a hand on her back. ¡°Yeah,¡± he answered absentmindedly. Rune stared at the two on the ground. The woman looked up at him and he was met with the same golden eyes as Hyde¡¯s. Her skin was slightly darker, though. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. She let Hyde go and stood up, then held a hand out to Hyde. Hyde stared at it. She let out a nervous chuckle. ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to spook you.¡± Hyde carefully took her hand, she pulled him to his feet. She glanced at Rune. ¡°Mind introducing me?¡± That shook Hyde awake. ¡°Right,¡± he stuttered. ¡°Uhh.¡± He gestured to Rune. ¡°This is my friend, Rune.¡± He now gestured to the woman beside him, looking at Rune. ¡°This is my sister, Tayen.¡± Rune smiled at her. ¡°Pleasure.¡± She smiled back. ¡°You too.¡± Tayen grabbed Hyde¡¯s hand. ¡°Come on, I bet Mom will cry when she sees you,¡± she grinned. Hyde hesitated. ¡°You¡¯re not mad at me?¡± ¡°What? No.¡± She turned to him and grabbed his other hand, too. ¡°Whatever happened, happened. What¡¯s the point of still holding a grudge six years later? We want you back, why would we make that harder for you?¡± Hyde didn¡¯t know how to react. ¡°And for the record, according to Dad, it was all his fault.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hyde blurted out, confused. Tayen shrugged, then began to drag him home. Hyde processed all that for a moment. They¡¯re not mad? It seemed as if she wanted to act like nothing happened. And their dad was alive, at the very least. He thought it was his fault? How? Hyde was the one that caused the fight. He looked behind him and saw Rune walking with them. Rune smiled at him, Hyde felt a wave of comfort wash over him. He smiled back with a sigh. Tayen burst through the front door, dragging Hyde behind her. ¡°Mom!¡± she yelled. ¡°Guess who I found!¡± Rune followed them in and closed the door as Tayen dragged Hyde into the house. Hyde searched around the living room and kitchen. He spotted his mother¡¯s greying, blond hair in the kitchen, she seemed to be preparing lunch. She gasped. She rushed to them and threw her arms around Hyde¡¯s neck, he had to lean down slightly. ¡°Oh my god,¡± he heard her sob next to his ear. ¡°You¡¯re home!¡± Hyde hugged her. He teared up as he said, ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± She let his neck go to place her hands on his cheeks. Hyde looked at her smiling, teary-eyed face, her eyes as gold as his and his sister¡¯s. ¡°Look at you, a fully grown man, now.¡± Hyde smiled back, sad. ¡°Yeah.¡± She frowned a little when she caressed the scar on his lip with her thumb, but then smiled again and breathed out a chuckle. ¡°Seems like you won¡¯t be as tall as your dad, after all.¡± Hyde huffed. ¡°Rub it in, why don¡¯t you?¡± She snickered. ¡°But speaking of Dad.¡± Hyde was hesitant. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Is he okay?¡± She smiled and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You left a nasty scar on his arm, but that¡¯s it.¡± She leaned closer to his face and whispered again, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± She pressed a kiss on his cheek. He sighed in relief. ¡°And he blames himself as much as you do.¡± She got her hands off his face and left them on his arms. Hyde nodded. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°Running some errands.¡± Hyde averted his eyes. ¡°I want to talk to him alone when he comes back.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take him to our bedroom when he comes through the door.¡± She looked behind Hyde. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Hyde flinched and turned to Rune. ¡°Oh, right.¡± Rune gave his mom a little wave. He had tied his hoodie around his waist and dumped the thick, sweaty one somewhere else. Hyde stepped away from his mom and closer to Rune. ¡°This is Rune, my friend.¡± ¡°Is he the one you mentioned in your letter?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Hyde saw Rune raising his brow at him from the corner of his eye. Hyde hummed at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you mentioned me.¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± His mom chuckled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m Dione.¡± ¡°Pleasure.¡± Hyde heard the front door open and turned to it with wide eyes. Dione ran past him and slammed the door to the hallway shut. He heard his dad yelp and stumble up the stairs as he was dragged away by his wife. He flinched and looked beside him at Rune when Rune touched his arm. ¡°You wanted to do this one alone, right?¡± Rune asked, hushed. Hyde nodded with a frown. Rune smiled a little. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait here.¡± Hyde smiled back. Footsteps came down the stairs. Dione came out of the hallway. ¡°You ready?¡± she asked Hyde. Hyde sighed and shook his head. ¡°Not really, but I never will be.¡± Dione put her hand on his cheek again with a reassuring smile. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be happy to see you.¡± Hyde took a deep breath and nodded. He went through the door to the stairs. Hyde stood in front of the bedroom door. He could smell his dad¡¯s scent through it. His dad could probably smell him, too. With one final deep breath, he pushed the door handle down and pulled it open. Hyde stared at his father sitting on the bed. His dad¡¯s hazel brown eyes stared back at him; some messy, greying, rich brown hair hung in front of them; his body frozen. Tears stung in Hyde¡¯s eyes. His dad stood up, seemingly afraid to touch him. Hyde scrunched his face up as he flung his arms around his chest, he hugged him tight with his cheek rested against his shoulder. His dad flinched, a startled breath escaped his throat. He hugged him back, tighter than he¡¯d ever hugged him before. He trembled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± his dad sobbed. ¡°So sorry.¡± Hyde pinched his eyes closed and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, too.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one that ran away, I started the argument.¡± Hyde looked up at his face. ¡°Why would it be your fault?¡± His dad was confused. ¡°Because I kept pushing you when you were upset, and didn¡¯t want to talk and wanted to be left alone. I escalated it.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s fair to not want to leave your child alone in a forest in the dark.¡± ¡°Then why did you keep refusing to come with me?¡± Hyde let him go. ¡°That¡¯s what I think now, but back then, I¡ª¡± He sat down on the bed with a sigh, his dad sat beside him. ¡°I should tell you why I ran away in the first place.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be nice.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be alpha, I¡¯ve never wanted to be. I thought I had some more time to prepare myself to tell you, but then you wanted me to take over out of nowhere, and I freaked out.¡± His dad frowned at him. ¡°Wha-I¡­ Hyde, I didn¡¯t want you to take over yet.¡± Hyde¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I wanted to start taking you to meetings and everything to start preparing you. So when the time came, you wouldn¡¯t be completely unprepared, like I was. In case anything ever happened to me.¡± ¡°You¡ªyou wanted to prepare me, in case you died soon before you had the chance, like Grandpa?¡± His dad nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to risk putting you through that, too. To have all that responsibility, that you have no idea what to do with, when you¡¯re trying to grieve¡ª¡± He let out a frustrated sigh. He looked down at his fidgeting hands. ¡°Both my parents were forty-six when they died, three years apart from each other. I don¡¯t believe in curses or anything, but then I turned forty-six myself and I couldn¡¯t help but think, What if I did die this year like they did? Would I have any regrets? Then I concluded I would. I would regret not teaching you how it all worked. So I wanted to start doing that.¡± Hyde stared at him in disbelief. He had interpreted it all wrong. All this happened only because he had misinterpreted his intentions. ¡°Well¡±¡ªhe wanted to lighten the mood a little¡ª¡°at least we know we¡¯re not cursed, right? You made it to fifty-two, now.¡± His dad chuckled a bit. ¡°We¡¯ll see if anything terrible happens when you¡¯re forty-six.¡± ¡°Comforting.¡± Hyde noticed the scar on his dad¡¯s left arm, half hidden by his t-shirt sleeve. He frowned. ¡°Did it hurt?¡± His dad gave him a confused hum. ¡°The bite.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He looked down at his scar. ¡°I didn¡¯t feel it at first. Adrenaline and all. I went home after I regained control of myself, not feeling pain anywhere. But then your mom saw me and yelled at me about it. ¡®Fallon, what the hell are you doing here?! Go to the doctor!¡¯ ¡± Hyde laughed, Fallon laughed along with him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what she was talking about, but then she pointed at my arm and I looked at it and it was covered in blood.¡± He gestured at his arm. ¡°My whole arm, red. And that was when I started to feel it. She had to drag me to the doctor, cause it was making me lightheaded.¡± ¡°It does sound like it hurt.¡± ¡°Eventually, sure.¡± Fallon pulled his sleeve up to show the whole scar. ¡°But it all healed fine.¡± Hyde examined the scar. The places his fangs had punctured were now deep pits in his flesh, he could see the individual teeth. He touched it, then dug his finger into one of the pits. ¡°Does that hurt?¡± Fallon shook his head. ¡°Barely feel a thing.¡± ¡°Did it make your arm weaker at all?¡± Fallon pulled his sleeve back down. ¡°A bit, but I¡¯m right handed anyway. What about you?¡± Fallon brushed the scar on Hyde¡¯s lip with his thumb. ¡°Do you have a lot of scars?¡± Hyde sighed. ¡°Yeah.¡± He pulled his shirt up and showed him the scars on his torso. Fallon painfully stared at them. Hyde saw the tears welling in his eyes, he pulled his shirt back down. ¡°No, Dad¡ªit¡¯s okay.¡± He smiled a little. ¡°Really, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not! How could I do that to my own son?¡± ¡°We lost control! It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Hyde gestured at Fallon¡¯s scar. ¡°How could I do that to my father? I don¡¯t know, I couldn¡¯t control myself!¡± He looked down and took a deep breath. ¡°You don¡¯t blame me, and I don¡¯t blame you, so let¡¯s do what Tay said.¡± Fallon raised a brow. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Whatever happened, happened. We can¡¯t change it now and we both want each other in our lives, so let¡¯s just¡­ forgive and forget.¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll be that easy?¡± Hyde shrugged with tears in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I hope so. But again, we don¡¯t blame each other. Forgiving ourselves will be the hard part, rather than forgiving each other.¡± Fallon smiled. He put his hand on Hyde¡¯s cheek and wiped his tears away with his thumb. ¡°You¡¯ve grown so much.¡± Hyde stared at him for a second, then smiled sadly. ¡°You have a full beard and everything, now.¡± Hyde chuckled. ¡°No more baby face,¡± he joked through the lump in his throat. Fallon hummed. ¡°Maybe if you shaved.¡± Hyde laughed a little. He let his head fall on Fallon¡¯s shoulder. Fallon wrapped his arm around Hyde¡¯s shoulders, he rested his face against his head. Hyde pinched his eyes and let himself cry a little. ¡°I missed you so much,¡± his voice cracked. Fallon rubbed his cheek against the top of Hyde¡¯s head with tears in his eyes. ¡°I missed you, too.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°I love you, too.¡± Please, Go Home 11A Rune watched Hyde disappear up the stairs to the encounter he had been dreading for the last six years. He hoped it would go well. Otherwise, if things got worse, it would be his fault that Hyde had to go through that. He came here because of him. ¡°So, where are you from?¡± Rune flinched and turned around to Dione. ¡°Oh, far north.¡± ¡°You came a long way, then.¡± ¡°Yeah, I had to travel for work.¡± Dione turned to go to the kitchen, then back to Rune with a smile. ¡°Like anything to drink?¡± ¡°I doubt you have anything I could digest.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you drink water?¡± Rune clicked his tongue. ¡°That I can.¡± Dione chuckled and continued on her way to the kitchen. She opened a cupboard and grabbed a glass. She filled it with water at the tap. Rune had followed her to the kitchen. She handed him the glass. ¡°Thank you,¡± Rune said as he took it. He took a sip. ¡°How do you know Hyde?¡± Rune turned to Tayen this time. She leaned against the counter next to her mother. Rune scratched his jaw. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. But, I¡¯ll give you the short version.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep it short, who knows how long they¡¯ll be talking,¡± Dione told him. Rune shrugged in response and sipped his water again. ¡°So, Hyde was staying in a village a couple hours away. And I had a job, it sent me there and we ran into each other. I didn¡¯t want that job anymore, but I didn¡¯t know how to get out of it. Hyde helped me do so. I¡¯ve been staying with him ever since.¡± ¡°Why did you want to leave the job?¡± Dione wondered. ¡°It didn¡¯t give me any time to go home.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you know how to get out of it?¡± Tayen asked this time. Rune rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°They¡¯re difficult people.¡± Tayen squinted at him. ¡°How long have you known each other?¡± Dione asked before Tayen could speak her mind. ¡°Uhh.¡± Rune calculated in his head. ¡°Close to two months, now.¡± He saw the surprised looks they were giving him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like a lot, I know. But it is when you haven¡¯t been apart for more than a few hours, two months straight.¡± Dione frowned as she thought of something. ¡°You¡¯re the friend who told him to go home, right?¡± Rune sipped his water and nodded. ¡°Had he not had a friend before, all that time?¡± Rune sighed. ¡°Not really. There were people he spoke to, but he never felt comfortable enough with them to open up about all this.¡± Dione smiled. ¡°Well, at least he has you, now.¡± Rune shyly smiled back. Dione looked at the lunch she was preparing before. She hummed. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough ingredients now, with Hyde here.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to prepare for me, you know that, right?¡± Tayen asked. Dione turned to her. ¡°Yeah, I know. I had enough for two people. But now I need more bread.¡± She looked at Rune. ¡°Could I make something for you, too?¡± Rune flinched. ¡°Oh, no.¡± He put his hands up in front of him to decline. ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there vampire alternatives for most foods?¡± ¡°Well, yeah, but they¡¯re hard to find in the south and quite costly. So, really, please don¡¯t.¡± She frowned. ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯ll be going to the store real quick. Play nice,¡± she told Tayen. Dione left, leaving Rune and Tayen alone in the kitchen. Rune drank his water. He raised his eyebrow at Tayen suspiciously squinting at him again. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You worked for difficult people. They were shady, weren¡¯t they?¡± Rune froze. ¡°I¡¯ll guess your job wasn¡¯t exactly legal.¡± Rune frowned down at his glass. ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t have a choice.¡± Tayen pushed herself off the counter and leaned into his face. ¡°Why not?¡± Rune leaned back. ¡°They threatened everyone I care about. You don¡¯t call the bluff of people like that.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t blame yourself, why not tell the truth right away?¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°What, should I tell my friend¡¯s family I just met that I¡¯ve done some illegal work? Isn¡¯t the best first impression.¡± She still glared at him. ¡°What about Hyde?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t hidden anything from him, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about. He¡¯s known since the beginning.¡± ¡°What was it?¡± ¡°Theft.¡± ¡°Nothing else?¡± ¡°No.¡± Tayen stepped back. ¡°Okay, fine. But since you¡¯re so worried about his family¡¯s impression of you, I do have to wonder,¡± she continued. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What exactly is the nature of your relationship?¡± Rune was taken aback. ¡°Huh? We¡¯re¡ªwe¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°Nothing more?¡± Rune frowned. ¡°No.¡± Tayen smirked at him. ¡°But you¡¯d like to be, don¡¯t you?¡± Rune¡¯s eyes grew wide as he felt a blush come to his face. ¡°Eh¡ª¡± She snickered. She leaned closer to him again and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve talked about this, but he¡¯s never been interested in girls. He didn¡¯t see it himself, before. But maybe he does now, so you have a pretty good chance there.¡± Rune gaped at her. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Fallon asked Hyde after they came through the door to the living room. Some random guy was talking to his daughter in the kitchen. Hyde looked in their direction too. ¡°Oh, yeah. That¡¯s my friend, Rune.¡± Fallon hummed, he leaned closer to Hyde¡¯s ear without taking his eyes off Rune and asked in a hushed voice, ¡°Did you figure out whether you¡¯re gay or not?¡± Hyde shot around to him with wide eyes. ¡°Huh? What does that have to do with anything?¡± Fallon glanced at him. ¡°No? Okay.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Tayen called out before Hyde could answer. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± She came up to them. ¡°Did it go well?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Hyde smiled. Tayen smiled too. ¡°Good.¡± She looked at a clock on the wall. ¡°I should get home, Warlon expected me to be away for only a few minutes,¡± she chuckled. She headed to the door. Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°Warlon?¡± ¡°My husband.¡± ¡°You¡¯re married?!¡± ¡°What¡ª¡± She put her hands on her hips. ¡°What¡¯s with that surprised tone?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, you seem young?¡± ¡°I¡¯m twenty-eight.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Just because you haven¡¯t emotionally matured enough for marriage yet, doesn¡¯t mean I haven¡¯t.¡± Hyde twitched his head in surprise. ¡°Jeez, I¡¯ve only been back for a couple hours.¡± ¡°I thought you were in such a hurry to go home?¡± Fallon pointed out. Tayen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh, right!¡± She turned to leave again. ¡°See you later!¡± Hyde watched her leave, then saw his dad searching around the room with a confused look. ¡°Where¡¯s Dione?¡± Fallon asked no one in particular. ¡°Buying bread,¡± Rune called from the kitchen. He gave Fallon a little wave as they met eyes. ¡°Oh,¡± Fallon responded. Hyde smiled at Rune. He grabbed Fallon¡¯s hand and dragged him to the kitchen. ¡°Rune¡±¡ªHyde gestured at Fallon¡ª¡°meet my dad, Fallon.¡± Rune smiled awkwardly. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Rune.¡± ¡°Yes, Hyde said so.¡± ¡°Right¡ª¡± The front door opened, Hyde looked into its direction. He heard Fallon sigh in relief beside him. Dione came through the door holding a fresh bag of sliced bread. She noticed Hyde and Fallon and smiled. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back downstairs! I take it went well, then?¡± ¡°It did,¡± Hyde answered. ¡°Great.¡± She came to the kitchen and laid the bread on the counter. She felt the awkward tension coming off Rune and knowingly glanced at Fallon with a little smile. Seemed like she came just in time. ¡°So,¡± she started at Hyde, ¡°you¡¯ve only known each other for two months. How come you¡¯re already as close as you are?¡± Hyde scratched his jaw. ¡°Well¡­¡± He looked into Rune¡¯s eyes, thinking of how to answer. ¡°He helped me a lot.¡± He smiled a little. ¡°He kept me company, and I finally had someone to talk to again.¡± Rune shyly smiled back. Dione suspiciously glanced from one to the other. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have someone to talk to before?¡± Fallon asked. Hyde shook his head. ¡°Not really. No one else there was actually interested in my private life. Or if they were, they made me uncomfortable.¡± Rune scratched his chin hairs. ¡°I¡¯d say you helped me a lot more than I helped you.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so humble,¡± Dione told him. She clasped both her hands around one of Rune¡¯s and smiled up at him, Rune was stunned. ¡°I also wanted to thank you.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For convincing Hyde to come home. Who knows how much longer he would¡¯ve stayed away if it weren¡¯t for you?¡± Rune tensed up and glanced away. ¡°No problem?¡± Dione sniffed for a moment before letting him go. She turned to Hyde. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you two would like some time to catch up now. I¡¯ll finish preparing lunch in a minute.¡± She turned back to Rune. ¡°You should join us!¡± Rune flinched. ¡°Oh¡ªno, I¡­ I shouldn¡¯t.¡± Dione frowned. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t eat what you eat, anyway.¡± ¡°Eat whatever you can, then.¡± Rune rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°I¡ªyou should have some time alone together¡ª¡± ¡°Nonsense, you¡¯re here anyway. Where else are you gonna go?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Hyde frowned at Rune. Something was up. He grabbed Rune¡¯s wrist as he said, ¡°He¡¯ll think about it, we¡¯ll go to my room, now.¡± Dione tried to catch a better whiff of Rune before they walked off. She flinched at a poke on her arm. She turned to Fallon, who gave her a look of What the fuck. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°What were you doing?¡± Dione glanced at Hyde and Rune leaving through the door. They were gone now. ¡°Didn¡¯t you smell anything off about him?¡± she asked. ¡°Who, Rune?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t sniff people like a weirdo.¡± Dione huffed and stepped closer to him. ¡°He has Hyde¡¯s scent on him, pretty strongly.¡± Fallon shrugged. ¡°So? They¡¯re friends, that¡¯s bound to happen.¡± ¡°No, as in, not only friendship strong. As in, Hyde¡¯s been scent-marking him.¡± Fallon¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°And we both know what that means, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but if Hyde does have feelings for him, it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s realised it himself, yet.¡± Dione raised her eyebrow. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°When we came downstairs and I asked who Rune was, I asked him if he knew if he was gay. And he didn¡¯t get what that had to do with anything.¡± ¡°Oh, how forward of you.¡± Fallon squinted at her. ¡°But perhaps he doesn¡¯t even notice himself doing it. Maybe his wolf knows he likes him and is making him do it instinctually.¡± Fallon hummed and grabbed his chin. ¡°Could be.¡± Dione grabbed his hand with a chuckle. She rubbed the facial hair on his chin. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember how long it took you to realise you liked me?¡± Fallon huffed. ¡°I have a good excuse.¡± Dione shrugged. ¡°Maybe not yet knowing what he¡¯s attracted to is giving him a similar hindrance.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Fallon admitted. Dione smiled and gave him a peck on his lips. ¡°But what happened while you were upstairs? Did you argue or fight or simply talk, or¡ª¡± ¡°Talk. He came to the conclusion that, since neither of us blamed the other, we should try to forgive and forget.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Fallon nodded. ¡°So, we¡¯ll just move on from all this?¡± Fallon shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°Good.¡± She caressed his cheek. ¡°Told you everything would be okay.¡± Fallon breathed out a chuckle and leaned his forehead down against hers.
Hyde walked into his childhood bedroom. It had been tidied up, but all his stuff was still there. His bed, his desk, the small amount of art supplies he barely used anymore, his chair, his closet, the stack of board games he was into for a while. Not that anyone was willing to play them with him, only his dad. His mom and sister thought they were too complicated. ¡°Aww,¡± Rune cooed as he spotted the games too and kneeled beside them, he squished his cheeks with his hands. ¡°You were a nerd,¡± he said fondly. Hyde¡¯s face flushed in embarrassment. ¡°What, have you never had any geeky interests?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°What were you into?¡± ¡°My grandad¡¯s old adventure novels at some point.¡± Rune stood back up. ¡°And not everyone thought playing piano was cool. ¡®Why don¡¯t you play something cool, like guitar or drums?¡¯ ¡± He looked at Hyde and saw his embarrassed face. He smiled a little. ¡°I¡¯m not making fun of you, it¡¯s cute.¡± Hyde only blushed more. He took a deep breath to regain his composure before asking, ¡°What was going on downstairs with my mom?¡± Rune fell silent. He frowned and looked away. ¡°I didn¡¯t avoid your family, why are you trying to avoid mine?¡± Hyde teased. Rune shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not avoiding them, I¡­ it¡¯s different with parents.¡± Hyde furrowed his brows. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to¡ªcouldn¡¯t¡ªmeet my parents. Seeing you with yours, it¡¯s¡±¡ªhe sighed¡ª¡°overwhelming.¡± He looked up at Hyde¡¯s frown with tears in his eyes. ¡°It reminds me that I can never have that again.¡± He shook his head again and wiped his tears away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m supposed to be supporting you here, I¡ª¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t,¡± Hyde interrupted. He pulled Rune¡¯s hand down from his tears and held it. ¡°Don¡¯t apologise, it¡¯s okay. I get it. You can stay here, I¡¯ll explain it to my mom.¡± Rune smiled through the tears. ¡°Thanks,¡± he whispered. He rested his forehead on Hyde¡¯s shoulder. Hyde hugged him by his waist. He glanced at his boardgames. ¡°You can look through my games, if you want. While you¡¯re here.¡± Rune snickered. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll find one I¡¯d like to play.¡± He lifted his head up with a weak smile. Hyde smiled back, still holding him by his waist. ¡°Could be fun for a sleepover,¡± he joked. Rune snorted. He bumped his head against Hyde¡¯s doing so, causing him to realise how close they were. His face flushed. He stepped back, out of Hyde¡¯s hold, and said, ¡°You should go downstairs, they¡¯re waiting for you.¡± ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Hyde hesitated, processing what just happened. Hyde smiled before walking out, leaving Rune alone in his childhood bedroom. Rune grinned. He would find out as much as he could about young Hyde. Please, Go Home 11B Hyde returned to the living room and kitchen area to see his dad setting up the table and his mom finishing the sandwiches. Dione looked up with a frown. ¡°Where¡¯s Rune?¡± ¡°Eh,¡± Hyde began as he approached the kitchen counter. ¡°He¡¯s not coming for lunch.¡± ¡°Why? Did we spook him?¡± Fallon hummed. ¡°Maybe he thought you were a bit much. You kinda spooked Warlon, too, at first.¡± ¡°I only wanna be friendly.¡± ¡°No, no, no,¡± Hyde interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal. He¡¯s feeling a bit overwhelmed, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°By me?¡± Dione asked, worried. ¡°No, he¡ª¡± Hyde sighed, considering what to say. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯d be okay with me telling you this, but¡­ he lost his parents when he was young. The whole family time thing, it triggered him a bit.¡± Both his parents stared at him, not knowing what to say. ¡°Oh, dear,¡± Dione spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Hyde shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be, you didn¡¯t know. He¡¯ll be fine, he just needs some space.¡± ¡°Does he have family?¡± ¡°He does, but not his parents.¡± Dione nodded. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good.¡± She looked down at the sandwiches and took a deep breath. ¡°On that cheerful note, lunch is ready.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She handed Hyde two plates and grabbed one herself. They walked around the counter to the dining table where Fallon was standing. They placed the plates on the table. Dione and Fallon sat next to each other, Hyde across from them. The same way they always did, like Hyde had never been gone. ¡°So, you¡¯ve been away for a while,¡± Dione stated the obvious while both Hyde and Fallon grabbed their sandwich and took a bite. Hyde glanced at her and hummed in confirmation with his mouth full. She huffed and glanced at both of them. ¡°What, are you father and son or something?¡± Fallon swallowed his bite. ¡°You¡¯re the one that always decides to start conversations right as we¡¯re about to eat. Can¡¯t you talk about that any other time of day?¡± ¡°Having a meal together isn¡¯t only sitting together when you¡¯re all silently eating, it¡¯s to spend time with each other.¡± ¡°Do you need food as an excuse to talk to your family?¡± Hyde emptied his mouth and chuckled. ¡°Oh, boys,¡± Dione sighed. ¡°You came back a few hours ago and you¡¯re already teaming up on me?¡± ¡°Fine, Mom,¡± Hyde gave in. ¡°What do you wanna talk about?¡± ¡°I wanted to know what you¡¯ve been up to while you were away.¡± She finally took a bite of her sandwich. Hyde shrugged. ¡°For the vast majority of the time, not much. I was staying in a village, a few hours away on the other side of the forest. I guess I was like an investigator there? People always asked me to find things for them, because I was the only werewolf¡ªyoung werewolf, anyway. It¡¯s mostly elderly people there.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been helping the elderly find their stuff? Aww,¡± Dione teased. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to, but then they¡¯d start complaining that I had to ¡®do my part in the community.¡¯ And every time, I thought: ¡®I don¡¯t want to be in this community, anyway,¡¯ ¡± Hyde complained. He took a grumpy bite. ¡°When did it become more interesting?¡± Fallon asked. Hyde swallowed. ¡°When Rune came to the village, two months ago. He had a similar problem, wanting to go home but not being able to for whatever reason. I helped him be able to do so, and now he gave me the push I needed.¡± Dione smiled. ¡°You do seem very fond of him.¡± Hyde shyly smiled, too. ¡°Yeah, we haven¡¯t been apart since we met.¡± Fallon raised his eyebrow. ¡°Hasn¡¯t he gone home yet, then?¡± ¡°He has, I went with him. We came back this morning.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve quickly gone from one to the other, then,¡± Dione pointed out. Hyde nodded. ¡°Yeah. He thought, since we were on that momentum anyway, might as well come here right now, too.¡± Dione¡¯s eyes widened as she realised something. ¡°Wait, he¡¯s from the far north.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°How long did you have to travel?¡± ¡°Three days.¡± Hyde nonchalantly took a bite as if that meant nothing to him. Fallon and Dione both stared at him. Hyde shrugged. ¡°You spent the last three days on a train?¡± Fallon asked, bewildered. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like much when you¡¯re with someone you can have fun with.¡± ¡°You sound like a good match. But I¡¯m sure your body is gonna love sleeping in a normal bed, tonight.¡± Dione smiled. Hyde chuckled. ¡°Speaking of beds, where do you think Rune should sleep?¡± ¡°Is there still a bed in Tay¡¯s old room?¡± ¡°Well, yes¡ª¡± ¡°Then there.¡± Dione thought it over, considering whether she should press further. She nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± They had all finished eating. Hyde sighed and looked into the direction of the stairs. He turned back to his parents. ¡°I should go check on him.¡± Dione smiled again. ¡°Go ahead. We¡¯ll clean up.¡± Hyde nodded and stood up. He looked at his mom. ¡°And thanks. It was great, getting to eat your food again.¡± ¡°Aww.¡± Dione put her hand above her heart. ¡°Of course, honey. I¡¯ll make you more whenever you¡¯d like.¡± Hyde chuckled. ¡°Okay.¡± He left to go upstairs again. Dione stood up and started gathering the plates as Fallon watched him go. He got up too and began cleaning the rest of the cutlery. He went to the sink and left them in there. He glanced at his wife as she was wiping the table. ¡°Are you trying to set them up or something?¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Dione turned to him. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°First you¡¯re so insistent about Rune joining us, despite him declining several times. Then you say they¡¯re a ¡®good match¡¯. And then you imply they should sleep in the same bed. Why are you doing that?¡± Dione shrugged. ¡°I thought a little push wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± Fallon sighed. ¡°My mother tried to do that too, with us. I know how annoying it is.¡± ¡°Well, it worked, didn¡¯t it? We¡¯re still married.¡± Fallon huffed and folded his arms. He leaned back against the counter. ¡°No thanks to her. If anything, she slowed it down.¡± Dione raised her eyebrow. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because, she kept pushing me¡ªand you¡ªto do things I wasn¡¯t comfortable with, yet. It only made me want to avoid it more.¡± He walked closer to her while she stood at the sink, about to do the dishes. ¡°So, keep out of their relationship. If they want to be together, it¡¯ll grow by itself. They¡¯re clearly capable of growing closer by themselves, no need for you to rush it.¡± Dione sighed deeply. ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯ll stay out of it.¡± Fallon put his hands on her hips before rubbing his face into the crook of her neck and hugging her waist. ¡°I don¡¯t mean I¡¯m not happy to be with you, I just wish she¡¯d let me do it at my own pace.¡± Dione leaned her head against his and smiled. She let out a content hum as she pet the side of his head. ¡°I know, you overgrown puppy.¡± She kissed his temple. She grabbed a sponge and tossed it into his face, making him flinch off her. ¡°Now help me with the dishes.¡± Hyde was met with Rune sitting cross-legged on his bed, flipping through a seemingly old book he¡¯d apparently found somewhere. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Rune flinched and looked at him. ¡°Definitely not flipping through your childhood drawings.¡± Hyde sighed as he shook his head and sat next to him. He glanced at the stack of games, they had been moved around. ¡°Do you still draw?¡± Rune asked without taking his eyes off the colourful scribbles. ¡°No¡ªwell, I guess I doodle in my notebook sometimes. My mom tried to get me into it, cause she draws and my grandma did too. My dad¡¯s mom. But I never had any more interest in it than any other child.¡± Rune hummed. ¡°What hobbies do you have? You write in that notebook a lot, but other than that¡ªwhat do you write in there, anyway? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve asked before, have I?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s like a journal. I write my thoughts in it, so they leave my mind, like you said,¡± Hyde grinned. Rune breathed out a chuckle. ¡°I don¡¯t do it as often anymore, lately. I guess because I have you to talk to, now.¡± Rune smiled at him. Hyde moved closer to him. ¡°How you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Had enough time to process your feelings?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I processed anything, but creeping through your childhood bedroom was a great distraction.¡± Hyde glared. Rune snickered and leaned against him.
¡°Hyde!¡± Hyde jumped towards the door, away from his conversation with Rune. Tayen ran inside, dragging a young man with her into the living room. She halted in front of Hyde with a big smile, panting. She gestured to the man behind her. ¡°Meet Warlon.¡± Hyde examined Warlon. He had short, wavy, black hair; pale skin; patchy, black stubble on his jaw¡ªHyde guessed he shaved often; and the lightest, ice blue eyes he had ever seen. He was muscular and around the same height as Hyde. ¡°Hey,¡± Warlon spoke up and Hyde realised he had been staring. Hyde awkwardly smiled. ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Hyde.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± ¡°Have you?¡± ¡°Well, duh,¡± Tayen intervened. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I tell my husband about my brother?¡± She gestured to Rune. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve told him about me, too.¡± Hyde glanced at Rune for a moment before squinting as he thought of the implications of that comparison. ¡°Yeah,¡± Rune confirmed. ¡°Good things, I hope?¡± Tayen asked. Rune let out a high-pitched hum. ¡°Mostly.¡± Tayen gave Hyde a dirty look. Hyde ignored it and asked Warlon, ¡°So, you¡¯re alpha, now?¡± Warlon rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± Warlon shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I guess.¡± He squinted at Hyde. ¡°Would you want the position back?¡± ¡°Definitely not.¡± Hyde hummed in thought. ¡°Is there a meeting soon?¡± ¡°This evening.¡± ¡°Can I tag along?¡± Hyde noticed both Tayen and Rune giving him surprised looks. ¡°I want to see what I¡¯m missing out on.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Warlon answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know how all the members are going to react to your return, though. Especially since they were never told why you left.¡± Hyde dismissively shrugged. ¡°They¡¯d find out I¡¯m back sooner or later.¡± ¡°What are they actually like, these meetings?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing going on lately, so it¡¯s more like a social gathering. People chat with their friends and such.¡± The sun had gone down. Hyde and Warlon were on their way to the building where they always held their meetings. ¡°Do you have any friends to talk to, there?¡± Hyde wondered. Warlon shook his head. ¡°They don¡¯t like me very much. But I can¡¯t not go, I¡¯m supposed to lead the whole thing.¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°Why don¡¯t they like you?¡± ¡°They expected you to be the next alpha, not some random guy from the west.¡± ¡°You¡¯re from the west?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you and Tayen meet?¡± ¡°She went on a trip to the city I lived in, five years ago.¡± Hyde frowned in thought. ¡°So, the only reason they don¡¯t like you, is because they¡¯re pissy I didn¡¯t want anything to do with them?¡± Warlon shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think they know you never wanted the position. But, they¡¯ve been losing respect for the alpha for years now.¡± ¡°What, why?¡± Warlon looked beside him at Hyde. ¡°Do you know how they treated your father?¡± ¡°I¡ªmaybe?¡± ¡°They always demanded things from him, especially when he wanted to be left alone. After you left, all they cared about was finding you or whoever took you, cause you couldn¡¯t possibly have left on your own accord. They didn¡¯t care he was injured, or for the emotional toll it had on him that his son vanished. ¡°And before that, after his father was killed, they wouldn¡¯t let him grieve in peace, they didn¡¯t seem to care their alpha died to protect them. All they wanted was to make your dad take revenge on whoever killed him. And they called him a coward for not wanting to kill someone, too.¡± Hyde stared at him in disbelief. ¡°What the hell? I knew they didn¡¯t leave him alone after my grandad died, but goddamn.¡± Warlon frowned. ¡°Yeah.¡± They arrived at the building. Chatter could be heard from the outside. Warlon frowned at the door before grabbing the door handle and pushing it down. Hyde followed him inside, his stomach twisted. Had this been a good idea? They walked through the groups of people conversing with each other, surrounding standing-tables with snacks and drinks. Some stopped to stare at Hyde. He tensed up; he¡¯d been noticed. They arrived at a regular table in the middle of the big room. ¡°This is usually where we plan things, if there are things to plan,¡± Warlon told him. ¡°Right,¡± Hyde replied as he uncomfortably looked around. ¡°Think they¡¯ve noticed you?¡± Hyde huffed. ¡°Pretty sure.¡± ¡°No one¡¯s said anything, yet.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it.¡± Warlon chuckled. ¡°Hyde? Is that you?¡± Hyde flinched and looked beside him to see a man around his thirties. He glared back at Warlon. ¡°See?¡± he whispered. He turned back to the man with a sigh. ¡°Perhaps.¡± ¡°Where¡¯ve you been? Are you back to finally claim your rightful place as alpha?¡± ¡°No!¡± Hyde took a step back and tensed his shoulders. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± The man looked confused. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I never have. So, leave me alone.¡± The man scoffed. ¡°But¡ªyou¡¯re supposed to be alpha, not this random dude!¡± He gestured at Warlon. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough!¡± Warlon snapped. He leaned into the man. ¡°Whether you like it or not, I¡¯m alpha now and I¡¯ve had enough of your disrespect! One more word from you and you¡¯re banned from the meetings for the next six months, you hear me?!¡± he finished with a threatening glow in his eyes. The man glared at him, then huffed and walked away. Warlon took a deep breath and rubbed his face. Hyde frowned at him. ¡°Do you have to deal with that a lot?¡± ¡°All the time. It¡¯s like running a high-school club sometimes.¡± ¡°You know no one¡¯s forcing you to do this, right? You can leave.¡± Warlon tensed. ¡°Oh¡ªno, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve only been alpha for a year, they¡¯ll come around. Probably.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t with my dad, it seems.¡± ¡°Well, who else will do it, then?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°Tayen?¡± Warlon squinted his eyes. ¡°Would they be okay with a female alpha? If she wanted it.¡± ¡°Before my grandfather, my grandmother¡¯s mother was the alpha. So, they might not make a big fuss over it.¡± Warlon sighed and shook his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to put this all on her. It¡¯s not exactly the safest occupation. But they¡¯d probably like her more than me, cause she is from your bloodline.¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°Bloodline?¡± ¡°They also don¡¯t like me because I¡¯m not from your bloodline.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s stupid. My grandfather wasn¡¯t from the previous alpha¡¯s bloodline either, and they seem to remember him pretty fondly.¡± Hyde folded his arms with angry brows. ¡°Which they better, he got murdered for them.¡± ¡°Yeah. I think they were hoping you would be an alpha they¡¯d like, since they were stuck with your dad for so long and they always thought he was too passive and uninterested.¡± ¡°Was he?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, he rarely attended meetings. If there were small problems, he wanted to wait for them to blow over. He never cared for anyone in the pack.¡± ¡°I mean, after how they treated him when he first became alpha, and the reason he became it so young in the first place, I don¡¯t blame him. Plus, he¡¯s never liked crowds, of course he¡¯d rather sit at home with his family than be here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he had the right personality for it, but they were stuck with him for thirty years. He told me they were hopeful for you. You were more energetic and confrontational.¡± Hyde let out a quick laugh. ¡°Confrontational? I spent six years avoiding my family!¡± Warlon shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s the impression they seemed to have gotten.¡± Hyde thought back to his time in Enath, when he had asked Night why she was mad. And what he had told Rune about his teenaged self. He hummed. ¡°I guess I can be,¡± he mumbled. Warlon looked around, no one seemed interested in them anymore. They must¡¯ve all overheard Hyde shouting he doesn¡¯t want the alpha position. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, doesn¡¯t seem like we¡¯re needed anymore.¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°Fine by me.¡± Please, Go Home 12A Tayen had asked Hyde to take a walk with her. They wandered through Corburn. Hyde looked around, this time with a nostalgic feeling instead of the anxiety and fear he had felt before. The small buildings and messy, stone paths gave him comfort now. He compared Corburn to Enath. It was clear they were made for different environments. The buildings here had thin walls and lots of windows to let the air in. The paths were crooked and slanted to let the heavy rains flow away to the sea nearby. Enath, on the other hand, had straight, smooth, stone paths so snow could easily be shovelled off. Their walls were thicker, the windows couldn¡¯t open as wide. Enath had fireplaces and a dozen blankets per household, Corburn had big backyards with kiddy pools and lots of outdoor taps. Hyde snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Tayen say something. ¡°Huh?¡± Tayen huffed with a smile. ¡°Will you stay here again?¡± ¡°Oh, uh.¡± Hyde looked down. ¡°Probably not.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be fair to Rune. We stayed with his family for only two weeks, because we wanted to come here, too. It would feel like a bit of a slap in the face if I got to stay indefinitely and he didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I mean, you don¡¯t have to stay in the same place. He could go home on his own.¡± Hyde frowned. He felt that unpleasant tingle in his gut again. ¡°I guess he could.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t want him to, do you?¡± Hyde looked up at her and was met with a grin. He shrugged. ¡°I¡ªI like having him around me.¡± ¡°Yeah, we all noticed that. But it makes me wonder.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You love having him close to you, he seems to calm you down somehow. Hell, he¡¯s the one that gave you the courage to come home.¡± ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s your question?¡± ¡°How do you truly feel about him?¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°He¡¯s my friend.¡± Tayen squinted. ¡°Just your friend?¡± Hyde squinted back at her, confused about what she was getting at. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Really?¡± He shrugged. ¡°What did you expect me to say?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never felt anything other than platonic feelings for him?¡± Hyde stared at her, his face warmed. ¡°Uh.¡± Tayen snickered. ¡°The fact that you don¡¯t say no right away says a lot, you know?¡± ¡°Wha- Why do you think I feel more for him?¡± ¡°You¡¯re touchy and comfortable with each other in a way that¡¯s¡ªI guess friends can be that close too, but I¡¯ve never seen you like it with anyone. Like you said, you like having him around you, but surely you¡¯d get sick of someone eventually. But it doesn¡¯t seem like you two get sick of each other. Even when you¡¯re separated for only an hour or so, the first thing you do when you come back is look for him.¡± Hyde examined the ground, his cheeks burning. ¡°I¡­¡± He considered it all. He guessed he did do those things. When he came back from the pack meeting that evening, his first instinct wasn¡¯t to talk to his parents about what he thought of it; the people that it would interest the most. No, he went upstairs to Rune sitting in his bedroom again to tell him about it, instead. And his parents afterwards. And he was very comfortable with him, he could talk to him about anything. And physically too. It had never felt so easy to lean against someone or grab their hand or hug them or sleep next to him or fix his hair¡ª His attention went back to his smug, older sister. He sighed deeply. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a bit of truth to it.¡± Tayen chuckled. ¡°Good. Then my job is done, here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She shrugged. ¡°I wanted to see if you knew about these feelings yourself, and if not, make you see them. Cause, it¡¯s pretty obvious. I¡¯m sure Mom and Dad have seen it already, too.¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Well, at least Mom.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Hyde glared at her. ¡°You¡¯re not very subtle.¡± ¡°Yeah, I got that.¡± ¡°If Rune hasn¡¯t noticed yet, he¡¯s an idiot.¡± She put her hand on his shoulder and pushed him away. ¡°Now go home and confess your love!¡± she cheered him on. ¡°What? No!¡± Tayen groaned. ¡°Please don¡¯t drag it out for an eternity. You adore each other, get on with it.¡± Hyde huffed. ¡°I¡¯ll do it at my own pace, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°I do if it¡¯s a snail¡¯s pace.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯m going home.¡± Hyde turned to leave with a grunt. ¡°To confess?¡± Tayen called after him. He snapped back around, his face red. ¡°No!¡± She laughed and waved him off. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± She went on her way home, too. Hyde sat on his bed. He had his knee pulled up to his chest and hugged it with one arm while he stared at nothing and chewed on a toothpick. Rune hadn¡¯t been home when he came back from his walk with Tayen. He had walked into the living room, looking for him. Only his parents were there. ¡°Where¡¯s Rune?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh.¡± Dione shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s doing some shopping for me, he¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°Oh, okay?¡± Dione had taken a good look at his face. ¡°Something wrong?¡± ¡°No, why?¡± ¡°Your face is all red. Did Tayen do something?¡± Hyde turned away. ¡°Kinda.¡± He fled upstairs before she could answer again. Perhaps it was a good thing Rune wasn¡¯t here yet, Hyde wouldn¡¯t know how to explain his red face. Why had it taken him so long to realise he felt this way? Thinking back, it was so obvious. How easily he grew attached to him, how quickly Rune could calm him down, how comfortable he was with him. When he held him after his night terror, when they slept next to each other in Enath, when they played piano together, when they spent a day in the shopping streets. How had he not seen it before? Fuck, he was dumb. So many people had seen it before him, too. Tayen, his dad, probably his mom, Night, Selene¡ªhell, even Raven. Ah, that must be why she had been so mad at him lately. Oh, well. The door to his bedroom opened, Hyde flinched. Rune walked in, he smiled at him. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Hyde quietly greeted. ¡°Are you chewing on a toothpick?¡± Hyde took the toothpick out of his mouth. ¡°Seems like it.¡± Rune sat on the bed next to him. ¡°Why?¡± Hyde put it back between his teeth and shrugged. Rune frowned. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯m kinda nervous.¡± ¡°Why?¡± You. But Hyde couldn¡¯t tell him that, yet. Hyde glanced at him, his cheeks warming, then looked away again. ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± Rune smiled a little. He leaned against the headboard of the bed. He wrapped his arm around Hyde¡¯s shoulders and pulled him against his side, making Hyde yelp. He left his arm around Hyde¡¯s waist. He pulled the toothpick out of Hyde¡¯s mouth. ¡°Stop that, you¡¯ll get splinters in your gums.¡± He left it on the nightstand. Hyde sighed, trying to relax. This would¡¯ve relaxed him before, but now, his heart only sped up more. He still felt the need to chew on something, but had nothing to bite now. He twitched a little. ¡°Do you need something to chew on?¡± Rune asked, concerned. Hyde hummed. ¡°Maybe?¡± He shifted to sit more comfortably against him. ¡°Can you distract me?¡± ¡°Of course. How?¡± ¡°Uhh, why did my mom send you shopping?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°While you were away, I said I was going to get some cans of blood for myself, I only had one left. So then she decided, since I was going to the store anyway, I should take some other stuff with me. And then she handed me an entire shopping list. I don¡¯t know if I got everything right, I never go shopping for normal people food. But I don¡¯t think she can complain, she¡¯s the one that sent a vampire to buy her food.¡± Hyde chuckled. He looked at Rune¡¯s face with a fond smile. He let himself lean on him more as Rune continued to talk. Hyde enjoyed listening to his voice. It didn¡¯t help slow down his heartbeat, but these were positive nerves. More like excitement. He liked spending time with him. He always had, that¡¯s why these feelings were there in the first place. Hyde laid awake at night. He couldn¡¯t stop thinking and worrying about Rune and their relationship. He needed to get these thoughts out of his head somehow. Lately, he always told Rune his thoughts, but he couldn¡¯t do that with this. So, he decided to go back to his old method. He rolled over to his nightstand and grabbed his notebook and pen. He propped himself up on his elbows and laid his notebook on his pillow. He chewed on his pen as he thought of how to start. He began with doodling a twig pattern at the top of the page to ease his nerves. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve written in here. I haven¡¯t felt the need to, lately. Telling Rune whatever is on my mind has the same effect. And it can prompt discussion. But I can¡¯t tell him this. Not yet. I¡¯ve realised I have feelings for him. And now I¡¯m worrying about the implications and consequences of that. How does he feel about me? Is there a chance he feels the same? Has he given me hints yet? If so, I haven¡¯t seen them. But then again, it took me this long to notice my own feelings, yet alone his. He¡¯s really close to me. He grabs my hand all the time, he let¡¯s me fix his hair, he leans on me a lot, especially when he¡¯s upset. He left his family again to join me with my family. He went out shopping for my mom. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m reading into things with that one, but it could mean that he¡¯s trying to get her to like him or something. She already does, though. Would a relationship work between us? I can¡¯t think of a reason why not, but I don¡¯t know. Maybe the distance between our homes and families. If I told him about my feelings, would it make things weird? Ruin our friendship? I guess that¡¯s the biggest thing I¡¯m afraid of. Not necessarily rejection, but losing the closest friend I¡¯ve ever had. Although, rejection would also make me sad. I wanna hold his hand. I wanna hug him. I wanna cuddle with him. I wanna hold him. I want him to hold me. I wanna kiss him. I wanna hold his hips. I wanna pull him against me. I wanna make out with him. I wanna¡­ Do I wanna fuck him? Do I want him to fuck me? I¡¯ve never thought of that before. Despite me questioning for years, I¡¯m still new to this whole gay thing. He¡¯s more experienced than me. It¡¯s lonely at night now that we¡¯re not sharing a bed anymore. Could I walk into his room and sleep in his bed instead? Would that be weird? Depends on how he feels about me, I guess. I shouldn¡¯t. I shouldn¡¯t take that risk. I should go to sleep. He closed his notebook and laid it back on the nightstand along with the pen. He let his head fall on his pillow with a deep sigh. Please, Go Home 12B Hyde decided to take Rune to the beach. Rune had shown him what his town is like, now Hyde wanted to show him more of Corburn. Hyde loved going to the beach as a kid, he wanted to share that with Rune. But Rune couldn¡¯t get the full beach experience during the day, so they went after sundown. They walked on the sand towards the water. Both were barefoot and wore swimming trunks and a t-shirt. Hyde had given Rune some of his clothes again. They both had a big towel with them. Rune stared down at his feet with an uncomfortable look. Hyde frowned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I never walk barefoot, it feels weird.¡± Hyde chuckled. ¡°It¡¯ll feel weirder in the water.¡± Rune tugged at his swimming trunks. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you I¡¯ve never worn shorts before?¡± Hyde was taken aback, then he squinted. ¡°Well, considering what you are and where you¡¯re from, I guess I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. I had never worn a winter coat before we went to Enath.¡± ¡°Heh, yeah.¡± They arrived at the edge of the sea. The waves were calm, making relaxing sounds. The moonlight shimmered in the water. ¡°Is it a good idea to go swimming in the sea in the dark?¡± Rune asked, worried. ¡°No. But we won¡¯t swim, just play around in the water. No deeper than our knees.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± They left their folded towels on the sand and approached the water. Hyde walked in, up to his ankles. Rune seemed unsure. Hyde breathed out a chuckle. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be a chicken.¡± ¡°Is it cold?¡± ¡°No.¡± Rune only hummed and rubbed his arm. Hyde frowned. ¡°Have you gone swimming before?¡± Rune huffed. ¡°Yeah, in indoor pools. Not the sea!¡± Hyde gave him a sweet smile and held his hand out to him. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be scared of.¡± Rune took a deep breath and grabbed his hand. Hyde pulled him closer, his feet into the water. ¡°See? Not cold.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Hyde went deeper, to his shins, water sloshing along. He pulled Rune with him again. Rune chuckled nervously. ¡°Nothing to be afraid of,¡± he repeated to himself. ¡°Unless you¡¯re scared of fish and crabs biting at your toes,¡± Hyde teased with a smirk. Rune glared at him. Hyde snickered and pulled him closer, leaving barely any room between them. ¡°What? Afraid of a little crab?¡± Rune turned his shoulder to Hyde. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault I didn¡¯t grow up with the sea.¡± ¡°Oh, come on.¡± Hyde put his arms around Rune¡¯s waist, his chin on his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t be so grumpy. This is supposed to be fun.¡± Rune stared at him with wide eyes, giving off a raspberry red glow brighter than the moon. He composed himself with a playfully raised brow. ¡°Fun, huh? Standing around in water?¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re not having a good time? Need some help with that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯d be planning to do that.¡± ¡°Wanna find out?¡± Rune scoffed as a challenge. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try.¡± Hyde gave a small pinch in Rune¡¯s side, making Rune yelp and jump away, into Hyde. Hyde stepped back to catch himself from the sudden force against him. He laughed a little. ¡°Or maybe I should let the crabs help me.¡± He began poking and softly pinching Rune¡¯s waist, stomach and the small of his back, making Rune squirm against him while he tried to hold his laughter in. Hyde switched to tickling instead and smiled as he watched Rune unable to hold his laughter back. Rune made himself small, pulling his arms against himself, his legs twitching around. ¡°Hyde!¡± he managed to laugh out. ¡°What?¡± Hyde leaned his chin back on his shoulder with a grin. Rune tried to get more words out of his mouth. He lost his balance with a yelp. He grabbed Hyde¡¯s arm, he fell down into the water with a big splash and brought Hyde down with him. Hyde yelled as he fell on his stomach, on top of Rune. Hyde pushed himself up on his hands and coughed. He rubbed the salt water out of his eyes. He saw Rune below him, leaning on his elbows between Hyde¡¯s arms and rubbing his eyes too. Rune pushed his soaked hair back, out of his face, and looked up at Hyde. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Hyde stared at him through the wet, dripping hair in front of his eyes; frozen, his cheeks heating up. Rune blushed. He moved his hand out of the water and softly ran his hand over the middle of Hyde¡¯s chest, admiring it through the soaked fabric. He brushed his fingers through Hyde¡¯s hair, pushing it back too, revealing his face. Rune gave him a shy smile. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Hyde managed to breathe out. He leaned closer to Rune. He rested his forehead against his. Rune gazed into his golden eyes, his lips slightly parted. Hyde didn¡¯t move. He breathed in sharply as he felt like a rock sank in his stomach. He moved away and sat back. He ruffled his wet hair and stared off into the horizon. He heard the water sloshing around as Rune changed his sitting position too. He glanced at him. Rune sat leaned forward now, with his arms in his lap. He had a confused look on his face. Hyde looked at their towels on the sand. ¡°We¡­ we should head home, it¡¯s late. We have to shower, too.¡± Rune frowned and glanced down. ¡°Oh.¡± Hyde stood up. He held his hand out for Rune to grab. Rune took it and Hyde pulled him to his feet. Hyde walked to the towels, trying his best to not look at Rune¡¯s torso through his soaked shirt. He grabbed his and rubbed his face dry, then dried his hair a bit. Rune picked his towel up too and dried his face. They walked to the house in a tense silence.
Hyde laid on his stomach in his bed, freshly showered, eyes wide open. What had he done? He shouldn¡¯t have tried to initiate a kiss if he wasn¡¯t ready to go through with it. He was afraid of things being weird between them if they kissed, but this was so much worse. They hadn¡¯t said a word to each other after they got out of the water. Rune must be so confused, maybe even upset. Hyde hadn¡¯t been sure if they were on the same page. But Rune didn¡¯t push him away, he more so leaned into it. He had no issue with the way Hyde was touching him the whole time, with how close they were. But he had never had an issue with that, so did that mean much? Should he have kissed him? The way Rune had looked at him and touched him, it was like he was waiting for it. It would have been such a cute moment, too. Hyde lifted his head up and repeatedly bonked his face into his pillow. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Stupid anxiety. He placed his chin on his pillow with a sigh. He won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight. Not unless he can fix things between them. He wanted to talk about this with someone. And the only person he wanted to talk to was Rune. He took a deep breath and pushed himself up. He got off the bed and walked out of his room. He went to the door next to his and opened it slightly. He saw Rune laid on his back. Rune turned his head to him. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake, too,¡± Hyde said, hushed. Rune let out a confirming but questioning hum. Hyde looked into the hallway, checking if anyone saw him. ¡°I-eh.¡± He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. He leaned against the door with a frown. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡± He glanced up at Rune. ¡°Can we talk?¡± Hyde saw Rune¡¯s eyes light up brighter, literally. He sat up with a relieved smile. ¡°Yeah.¡± He pulled the covers aside and pat the space next to him. ¡°Come here.¡± Hyde took the seat. They both sat against the headboard, Rune threw the covers over their legs. Hyde sighed and began, ¡°Tayen asked me why I didn¡¯t want to stay in Corburn, when she took me on that walk.¡± Rune raised his eyebrow. ¡°Why don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Because it wouldn¡¯t be fair to you. She suggested you could go to Enath on your own, but I hadn¡¯t even considered us separating. Cause I¡ª¡± Hyde glanced at him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be separated from you. You put my mind at ease,¡± he finished with a whisper. Rune smiled. He brushed their knees together and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be separated, either. You make me feel safe and wanted.¡± Hyde smiled back. He moved closer, making their hips touch, and laid his head on Rune¡¯s shoulder. They sat in more silence, but less tense. Hyde rubbed his face against Rune¡¯s shoulder. Rune reached out and grabbed his hand. Hyde took a deep breath, he lifted his head back up and built up the courage to begin again, ¡°At the beach.¡± Rune tensed and looked away. ¡°Did you want¡ª¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kiss me?¡± Hyde was startled. ¡°I¡­ I was about to ask if you had wanted me to.¡± Rune turned back to him, upset. ¡°I could not have made it clearer that I did, other than kissing you myself.¡± Now Hyde looked away with tense shoulders. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if we were on the same page.¡± ¡°What gave you the impression that we weren¡¯t?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Hyde turned to him again. ¡°You know how anxious I get. I don¡¯t have any experience in this, I don¡¯t know what hints to look for. I didn¡¯t wanna make things weird, I didn¡¯t know if you¡¯d want me to kiss you, I¡ª¡± Rune laughed a little. Hyde¡¯s face flushed in embarrassment. Rune saw it and grabbed his hand again. ¡°No, sorry, I¡¯m not laughing at you. It¡¯s just¡ª¡± He looked away with a blush. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to kiss you for weeks, now.¡± Hyde was taken aback. ¡°Weeks?¡± Rune nodded with a shy smile. Hyde stared at him, flustered and flabbergasted. Rune chuckled. He placed his hand on Hyde¡¯s cheek and rubbed his stubble with his thumb. ¡°You¡¯re cute,¡± he whispered. He leaned in and pressed their lips together. Hyde inhaled sharply as a shock of anxiety went through him. Rune pulled away, keeping their foreheads together, and moved his hand down to Hyde¡¯s chin. He caressed his bottom lip. ¡°Relax. We both want this, right?¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°Then take a deep breath, it¡¯s alright.¡± Hyde breathed in, and slowly breathed out. Rune smiled. He kissed him again. Hyde closed his eyes and kissed back, his chest fluttered, his stomach filled with excited nerves. Rune moved his hand to the back of Hyde¡¯s neck, pulling him closer and stroking the short hair. Hyde grabbed a hold of Rune¡¯s shirt, not wanting him to move away. Rune broke the kiss. Hyde tried to reconnect their lips, but Rune turned his head as he said, ¡°Hang on,¡± letting Hyde¡¯s kiss end up on his cheek. ¡°What?¡± Rune pushed Hyde¡¯s knees down and straddled his lap. Hyde stared up at him, face burning. Rune leaned his head down to Hyde¡¯s with a breathy chuckle. He grabbed Hyde¡¯s hands and placed them on his hips, then put his own hands on Hyde¡¯s cheeks and pressed their lips together again. Hyde moved his hands up to Rune¡¯s back, afraid to move them down for now. He let his hands explore under his shirt, Rune arched his back and kissed him deeper. Rune pulled away and gazed into Hyde¡¯s eyes as he panted. Hyde tried to catch his breath too, he smiled. Rune carefully stroked his thumb below Hyde¡¯s eye, causing Hyde to pinch his eyelid closed. Rune frowned. ¡°What?¡± Hyde whispered. ¡°How about we call it a night?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s well past your bedtime. You have bags below your eyes.¡± Hyde glared up at him. ¡°I¡¯m not a child.¡± Rune removed his hands from Hyde¡¯s face and sat back. ¡°Are you telling me you¡¯re not tired?¡± Hyde sighed. ¡°Fine.¡± He grabbed the bottom of Rune¡¯s shirt. ¡°I¡¯m staying here, though.¡± Rune smiled. He got off Hyde¡¯s lap, sitting beside him. He grabbed his chin and turned his face to him. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want anything else.¡± He pecked his lips, then laid down. He glanced up at Hyde, he held his arm out to him. Hyde laid down against Rune¡¯s side. Rune threw the covers over them again and wrapped his arm around Hyde, he kissed the top of his hair and rubbed his cheek against it. Hyde took a deep breath. He ran his fingers over Rune¡¯s chest a few times before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. Please, Go Home Interlude 5 It was quiet, blissfully so. It felt safe. The young vampire drank from a can of blood as he sat in his kitchen at the breakfast bar. He was alone at the moment. A book laid open in front of him, an adventure novel. He let his eyes glide across the page, escaping into the world described. He fidgeted with the empty piercing in his left earlobe, he squeezed and rubbed the little hole between his fingers. It was odd to his subconscious that there was nothing there. He jumped at a noise. The front door opened, then closed. There were footsteps in the hallway. He sighed with a smile. The door handle to the living area was pushed down, a familiar face walked in with a big grin. ¡°Hey!¡± The young vampire snickered. ¡°Hey. Where have you been?¡± His friend walked over to the kitchen, he shrugged. ¡°Nowhere in particular.¡± ¡°Then, why the grin?¡± The taller one leaned on the breakfast bar across from the vampire. ¡°Well, I might¡¯ve, maybe, perhaps, gotten you a little something.¡± The vampire raised his eyebrow. ¡°What, why? What?¡± ¡°Close your eyes and give me your hand.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°No.¡± His friend¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°Hmm, no.¡± The werewolf daringly squinted at him. ¡°Don¡¯t make me come around the counter.¡± ¡°Or else?¡± the vampire challenged with a smirk. His friend launched himself around the breakfast bar and grabbed the vampire. The vampire shrieked. The taller one held him against him. ¡°Now what?¡± the vampire asked. His friend gave him a mischievous chuckle. He moved his hands to the vampire¡¯s stomach, the vampire¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± He burst out laughing as his friend tickled him mercilessly. The friend began to laugh too at the smaller one laughing and squirming in his arms. ¡°S-stop, Barry!¡± the vampire pleaded. He stopped. ¡°Will you close your eyes, you little rascal?¡± The vampire glared, panting. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll close my stupid eyes.¡± The friend grinned and let go. The vampire groaned, he closed them and held his hand out. He felt a small box being placed in his hand. He looked. ¡°Was it really necessary? It¡¯s in a box anyway.¡± ¡°Just open it.¡± The vampire pulled the lid off the box and saw a little ring sitting inside it. An earring. He raised his eyebrow. ¡°How¡ªhow did you know?¡± ¡°I noticed you didn¡¯t have your piercing after we moved here. And that you fiddle with your earlobe a lot. So, I thought: maybe you¡¯d like a new one. I don¡¯t know if your other one has sentimental value, but it¡¯s better than nothing, right?¡± The vampire chuckled in disbelief. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t believe you noticed and remembered.¡± His friend shrugged. ¡°How could I not? We¡¯re living together now.¡± The vampire teared up. He shook his head, then hugged him. ¡°Oh,¡± his friend was surprised. He smiled and hugged him back. The vampire took a deep breath and smiled through his tears, he dug his face deeper into his friend¡¯s shoulder. Please, Go Home 13 Dione walked through the hallway upstairs. It was 11am, but Hyde hadn¡¯t come downstairs yet. He never slept in this late. Was he okay? Was he ill? Hyde¡¯s bedroom door was open. She looked inside and saw no one. She raised her eyebrow. Where was he, then? Her eyes widened as she glanced at the door beside Hyde¡¯s. Should she take a look? What if she was wrong? That would be awkward. Oh, well. She opened the door and took a peak. She saw Hyde in Rune¡¯s bed, sleeping with his head on Rune¡¯s chest, Rune had his arm around his back. Dione hummed and quietly closed the door. She knew they liked each other, but she hadn¡¯t realised how far along their relationship already was. She made her way downstairs. Fallon sat on the couch, elbow rested on the armrest, head in hand, flipping through the newspaper that laid on his lap. He glanced up at her. ¡°Found him?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Dione sat next to him. ¡°He¡¯s asleep. In Rune¡¯s bed.¡± Fallon¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°With Rune.¡± ¡°Yes, I got that.¡± Dione let out a chuckle. ¡°I don¡¯t know what magical night they had, but it sure seemed intimate.¡± Fallon squinted. ¡°How intimate?¡± ¡°They were both wearing clothes, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not worried. He¡¯s twenty-five, he¡¯s old enough. Simply curious how far along their relationship is.¡± ¡°Not that far, I guess.¡± Dione grabbed her chin and hummed in thought. ¡°You think he¡¯ll tell us about all this himself? Not only his relationship with Rune, but about him being gay as a whole?¡± Fallon shrugged. ¡°Best not to dwell on it. He¡¯ll tell us if he wants to. And if he doesn¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it, he could only tell us he¡¯s together with Rune like it¡¯s nothing special. In which case, we shouldn¡¯t turn it into a big thing either.¡± Dione nodded and leaned her head on his shoulder. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Fallon smiled and rested his head against hers as he continued flipping through the newspaper. Rune smiled as he thought about the night before. He had wanted this for weeks now, and it finally happened. He opened his eyes and looked down at Hyde sleeping on his chest. He stroked his hair. Hyde groaned, he pinched his eyes at the sun coming through the window. Rune put his other arm around him too and rolled onto his side, hiding Hyde¡¯s face in his chest, away from the sun. Hyde looked up at his face with narrow, tired eyes. ¡°What time is it?¡± Hyde whispered. Rune shrugged. ¡°Does it matter?¡± Hyde rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Rune heard him take a sharp breath and yelped when Hyde abruptly pushed himself up out of his arms. Hyde looked around the room with a slightly panicked look in his eyes. Rune frowned and reached out to his face. ¡°Hey¡ª¡± ¡°I should get out of bed, it¡¯s late.¡± ¡°What? Hyde¡ª¡± Hyde turned his back to him. Rune reached out to grab his shirt. ¡°No, calm down¡ª¡± Hyde left the bed. ¡°Come back!¡± He hurried out of the room. Rune sighed and let his arm drop on the bed. He blew a lock of hair out of his face. What came over him? Why did he leave so suddenly? Did Rune do something to freak him out? Where would they go from here? Rune had hoped they could discuss their relationship status in the morning, but no. He wasn¡¯t sure when the next opportunity would arise. Rune hummed and frowned. Maybe everything had gone a bit fast for him, last night. They went from first kiss straight to making out. A few hours before, Hyde was too anxious to kiss him at all, despite having the perfect opportunity to do so. He didn¡¯t seem to mind any of it in the moment, but maybe now, thinking back to it, he was anxious about how fast everything had gone. Rune decided he should give him some space to process last night and his feelings about it. He hoped Hyde would bring it up again himself soon enough. Dione sat at the dining table with her sketchbook in front of her. A glass of water stood a little further away, she was copying it onto the paper for practice. Fallon stood in the kitchen, preparing a cup of coffee. He poured it into the cup, then came up behind Dione and looked over her to see her drawing. She was working on the shading. He leaned one arm on the back of her chair and his chin on the top of her head. She scratched him below his ear, he couldn¡¯t help but smile and had to hold himself back from letting a purr out. He pressed a kiss on her head. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Footsteps came down the stairs, then Hyde emerged from the hallway. He noticed his parents at the table and walked over to join them. ¡°Morning.¡± Fallon stood up straight. ¡°A late morning for you. How so?¡± Just because he had shared a bed with someone, didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d have to sleep in this late. Hyde tensed his shoulders. ¡°I¡ªcouldn¡¯t get to sleep.¡± He took an interest in Dione¡¯s sketchbook. ¡°What are you drawing?¡± Dione poked the glass of water with her pencil. ¡°That.¡± She looked up at Hyde. ¡°Do you still draw?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°Not really. I doodle in my notebook.¡± ¡°Doodling is still drawing.¡± Hyde was tense, Fallon wondered why. He¡¯d had a pleasant night with the guy he likes, was that something to be nervous about? ¡°Why are you so tense?¡± Dione slapped his leg out of view from Hyde, making Fallon flinch. What? It was only a question. Hyde evaded both their gazes and folded his arms. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Are you warming up or something?¡± he asked Dione. ¡°You could say that. I¡¯m not sure what for, though.¡± Someone else came down the stairs, Rune walked in. He and Hyde stared at each other for a second before Hyde said, ¡°Morning,¡± like he hadn¡¯t seen him earlier. Perhaps Rune hadn¡¯t been awake at the time. ¡°Hey,¡± Rune greeted back, a bit uncertain. Even Fallon felt the awkward air between them. He sipped his coffee. He didn¡¯t know what happened between them, but he shouldn¡¯t get involved. Neither should Dione. He¡¯ll make sure she won¡¯t, let them figure it out themselves.
It was another full moon. Rune hid in his room, he had blocked the door with a dresser. He sat on the bed, reading a book he¡¯d taken from Enath. He had gotten used to Hyde during full moons, but no one else. Like Hyde¡¯s parents. He had no idea what to expect from them, so he decided to avoid them all night. He didn¡¯t know if Hyde wanted to be with him again this night, or if he¡¯d be preoccupied with his parents. He¡¯d been avoiding him ever since they kissed, avoided being alone with him. Perhaps he didn¡¯t want to be around him during a full moon, either, right now. Had Rune escalated it too much? Was it his fault? Hyde hadn¡¯t given him any reason to think he wasn¡¯t on board with it. He wanted to talk it through, but Hyde didn¡¯t. Not right now. He flinched at a bonk against the dresser, followed by some scratching noises coming from his door. It was probably Hyde. Rune didn¡¯t know why either of Hyde¡¯s parents would be trying to get into his room. He closed his book, laid it on the bed, then stood up. Now there was the sound of something scraping over metal. He pushed the dresser out of the way and cracked the door open. It was Hyde, kneeling down and scraping his teeth over the door handle. He froze when he noticed Rune staring at him, his ears perked up. He slowly let it go, not moving his eyes off Rune. Rune chuckled, he was adorable. He couldn¡¯t imagine why he was ever scared of this man-sized puppy. He opened the door further and tugged at Hyde¡¯s arm. ¡°Come here.¡± Hyde stood up with a smile and followed him further into the room. They sat on the bed. Hyde didn¡¯t touch Rune yet, as if he was waiting for permission. He never did that. Rune frowned. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m mad?¡± Hyde looked away with a grumble, tense. Rune grabbed his hand, he sat cross-legged towards him. ¡°I¡¯m not angry, but¡­ I am confused. You wouldn¡¯t be able to answer my questions right now, would you?¡± Hyde seemed unsure, only one ear went down. Rune shook his head. ¡°Even if you could, you wouldn¡¯t remember this conversation. That¡¯s not fair.¡± He moved closer to Hyde and pulled him close, Hyde¡¯s head against his shoulder. Hyde relaxed and rubbed his face against him. Rune placed a kiss on the top of his head. He combed his fingers through his hair, then left his hand below Hyde¡¯s ear and scratched the soft spot below it. Hyde stretched his neck with a purr. Rune stopped, he sighed. He moved his head back to see Hyde¡¯s face. ¡°Can I ask you one question?¡± Hyde pushed off him, he let out a confused grumble. Rune evaded eye contact as he softly asked, ¡°How do you feel about me?¡± He had been insecure about it ever since Hyde ran off, and regular Hyde wouldn¡¯t give him the opportunity to ask¡ªif he¡¯d even answer and not avoid the question. But now, he wasn¡¯t avoiding him. He won¡¯t be able to say anything, but he could show him, somehow. Hyde was thinking, thinking about how to show him. He moved his hand up to Rune¡¯s face, then placed it on his cheek, careful with his claws. He closed his eyes and pushed their foreheads together. He rubbed his face against Rune¡¯s cheek and purred again. Rune grabbed Hyde¡¯s hand that was still on his cheek, he smiled. He was still learning werewolf language, but it seemed good. Hyde moved back. Rune hugged him, launching himself at him. Hyde nearly fell back but caught himself, a startled noise came out of his throat. Rune laid against him, his arms around his waist. He could feel the layer of fur under Hyde¡¯s shirt. ¡°How about we switch cuddling positions for tonight?¡± Rune was curious what it would be like to be spooned by a werewolf. He looked at his face for a reaction, Hyde was blushing. Hyde laid down on his back. Rune laid his face in the crook of his neck, then felt Hyde¡¯s arms snake around him. He wondered how Hyde would react if Rune rubbed his face against him like Hyde always did. If he used his language. He laid his hand on the side of Hyde¡¯s neck and nuzzled his face into the other side. Hyde tensed, he brought his knees up slightly and let out a high pitched whimper. Rune chuckled to himself; cute. He yelped as Hyde turned on his side and pulled Rune along. Rune laid with his back to Hyde¡¯s chest, Hyde had his arms around his stomach. Oh, they really were spooning now. Hyde rubbed his face into Rune¡¯s hair. Rune smiled, he put his hand on Hyde¡¯s. He thought of pulling the covers over them before allowing himself to fall asleep, but the big, furry body pressed against him was plenty warm. In the morning, Rune awoke with a disappointing lack of werewolf holding him close. He looked beside him, he sighed. He was alone. He had the covers over him, they were pulled up all the way to his chin. Rune never did that himself in the southern summer. Way too warm. Hyde had left him again, but at least he tucked him in after he took his heat source away.
Hyde gave his mom a tight hug. ¡°Why do you have to leave so soon?¡± she whined. ¡°I¡¯ll come back quickly.¡± She let him go and gave him a stern look. ¡°You better.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll stay in contact, okay? I¡¯ll let you know where I am.¡± He turned to Fallon and hugged him now. ¡°Stay safe,¡± Fallon told him. Hyde chuckled. ¡°I will.¡± He let go. Fallon ruffled his hair with a small smile. Tayen grabbed Hyde¡¯s arm and pulled him into her own hug, making him yelp. She leaned up to his ear and whispered, ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll expect you to have a boyfriend.¡± He glared at her, his cheeks slightly flushed. She smirked back. He stepped away from her, towards Rune to leave. He looked at everyone. His parents and Tayen stood at the door, Warlon was here too to wave him goodbye. He waved at them and said, ¡°Bye!¡± with a smile. They all waved back. ¡°See you soon, honey!¡± Dione called back. Hyde turned around to walk into the forest with Rune beside him. Please, Go Home 14A Rune and Hyde walked through the forest. Hyde stared out in front of him, resting his hands on the back of his head. Rune had his backpack over one shoulder and hid himself from the sun in his hoodie, despite the shade the trees provided. He couldn¡¯t risk getting burned by the small gaps of sunlight between the leaves. They hadn¡¯t spoken of the night they kissed, yet. Rune waited for Hyde to bring it up, but it didn¡¯t seem like he would mention it anytime soon. ¡°Did you enjoy yourself there?¡± Hyde spoke up, startling Rune. ¡°Oh, yeah. Your family¡¯s lovely. But speaking of fun, I wanted to talk about that night. When we kissed,¡± Rune ended in a whisper. Hyde¡¯s eyes widened as a blush came to his cheeks. ¡°R-right.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to mention it yourself, because I didn¡¯t want to push you and you seemed freaked out. But it¡¯s been over a week, now.¡± Hyde let his hands down. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry I acted like it didn¡¯t happen, I¡ª¡± He sighed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about it.¡± Rune frowned. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never kissed someone I actually like before¡ªor a guy, even. And I had known of these feelings for only a couple of days, then. I didn¡¯t know how to deal with such strong and overwhelming feelings.¡± ¡°Okay, I get it. How do you feel about it now?¡± Hyde took a deep breath and hummed. ¡°I don¡¯t regret it. I wouldn¡¯t mind doing it again.¡± He smiled a little. ¡°But, let¡¯s maybe take things a little slower.¡± Rune smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± He reached out to grab Hyde¡¯s hand. ¡°Sorry I escalated it so quickly. I¡¯d been anticipating it for a while, I suppose.¡± Hyde chuckled and squeezed his hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Hyde¡¯s stomach rumbled as they entered the cabin. He groaned and headed to the kitchen. ¡°Lunchtime,¡± he mumbled. Rune pulled his hoodie off and threw it on the couch, together with his backpack. He glanced at Hyde rummaging around in the cabinets. He considered what to do. He wanted to go up to him and be flirty and touchy, but would that be too much for Hyde? How slow did he mean, exactly? Maybe he should let Hyde kiss him first, this time. But he might be waiting forever again if he didn¡¯t at least hint that he wanted him to. Rune went into the kitchen. He raised his eyebrow at Hyde leaning against the counter, munching on dry cornflakes from the box. ¡°What?¡± Hyde had felt his judging eyes. ¡°I told you it wasn¡¯t a suggestion!¡± ¡°We were gone for five weeks, everything else has gone bad. We didn¡¯t have much in the first place, when we left.¡± ¡°But the cornflakes are still good?¡± ¡°Better than everything else.¡± ¡°We could go buy some food, you don¡¯t have to eat old cornflakes.¡± Hyde shrugged and grabbed another handful. ¡°I¡¯ve already started.¡± He shoved it in his mouth. Rune huffed and shook his head. Why did he like this man? Not for his eating habits, that¡¯s for sure. ¡°You could¡¯ve asked your mum to make you something to-go.¡± Hyde hummed. ¡°I could have.¡± Rune leaned against the counter next to him, leaning his elbows on the edge. Hyde smiled at him. He grabbed Rune¡¯s hand and pulled it up, out of the way, then moved closer, resting their hips against each other. Rune curled his fingers around Hyde¡¯s hand before he let go. Hyde blushed. He put the cereal box on the counter beside him to give Rune his full attention. Rune leaned closer and pushed their foreheads together. Hyde stared into his eyes. Rune smiled. He caressed Hyde¡¯s hand with his thumb. Rune didn¡¯t move. He waited. Was Hyde going to do it? Didn¡¯t seem like it. He sighed and moved away. ¡°I have to wee,¡± Rune excused in a whisper. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy,¡± Rune said as he walked off. Hyde stood there, confused. Why did he leave? Did he get cold feet? No, he wouldn¡¯t. He¡¯s the one that kissed him the first time. So, why did he? This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. He thought about the beach, Hyde had pushed their foreheads together and moved away the same way Rune just did. And Rune wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled about that. Oh. Hyde got a grumpy, spiteful look on his face as he glared into the direction Rune disappeared in. So they¡¯d be playing games now, huh? Fine, have it his way. He grabbed another handful of cornflakes and munched on them with a grunt. Rune came through the door again. He sat on the couch and grabbed a can of blood for himself out of his bag. He opened the can as he looked at Hyde moping in the kitchen. He turned back to his bag and got the book out of it. He opened it to the page he left off, then took a sip. The air was tense. Hyde seemed to be ignoring him. Rune frowned. Did he upset him? If he wanted to kiss, he could come do so himself. It didn¡¯t always have to be Rune initiating. As if he read his mind, Hyde threw the cereal box in the garbage and approached the couch. He sat on the armrest beside Rune. Rune smiled at him. ¡°Full enough?¡± Hyde hummed and shrugged. ¡°Where did you get that book?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Rune looked down at the book on his lap. ¡°I took it with me from Enath. It¡¯s one of my grandad¡¯s that Night was borrowing.¡± He flipped to the first page and showed Hyde a handwritten name. Thomas B. Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°And you took it without him knowing?¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t mind. And Night was finished with it. She was going to switch it out for a new one once he came back, anyway.¡± ¡°Is your grandpa running a library or something?¡± Rune snickered. ¡°I suppose he does have his own private, little library that only we can access.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Rune drank some more of his lunch. Hyde ran a couple fingers through Rune¡¯s hair, Rune looked up at him with a slight blush. Hyde stared down at him. He ran his hand down from Rune¡¯s hair, over his cheek, to his chin and lifted his face towards his own. Rune¡¯s heart sped up. Was he going to do it? Rune breathed out a chuckle. ¡°Kissing me while I¡¯m having lunch might not be the best idea,¡± he whispered. ¡°Unless you want to know what artificial blood tastes like.¡± ¡°Whoever said I was going to kiss you?¡± Hyde teased in a low voice. ¡°A hunch.¡± ¡°Even if I was, I wasn¡¯t planning on shoving my tongue in your mouth.¡± ¡°Aww, too bad.¡± Hyde chuckled and kept staring at him, holding his chin. ¡°Well, get on with it, then. My neck is getting sore at this angle.¡± Hyde hummed, he let his chin go. ¡°Nah.¡± He got off the couch and stepped away to leave the room. Rune frowned at his back. ¡°Wha- Why not?¡± Hyde turned to him with a grumpy look and his arms folded. ¡°You¡¯re the one that started playing games.¡± ¡°Games?¡± ¡°Yes, games! In the kitchen, you acted like you were going to kiss me, but then you suddenly had to take a piss and you left me there, all confused. I¡¯m only giving you a taste of your own medicine.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Rune glanced away. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡± ¡°Then what did you mean to do?¡± ¡°I want to kiss you. But you want to take things slower, and I don¡¯t know how slow you mean exactly. So, I thought it¡¯d be better if you kissed me this time and I wanted to let you know that I wanted it. But you didn¡¯t do it.¡± Hyde squinted. ¡°So, you were waiting for me to kiss you, and I was waiting for you to kiss me?¡± Rune scratched his cheek. ¡°Apparently.¡± Hyde sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. ¡°You could¡¯ve just asked me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be too pushy.¡± Hyde went back to the couch. ¡°Let¡¯s stop making assumptions, okay?¡± Rune nodded. ¡°Yeah. Sorry.¡± Hyde shook his head with a little smile. He sat on the armrest again. ¡°Come here, stupid.¡± He lifted Rune¡¯s chin up, Rune smiled. Hyde softly pressed their lips together, a wave of relief came over Rune. Hyde pulled away with a hum. ¡°Your lips don¡¯t taste like blood.¡± Rune chuckled and pushed his face into Hyde¡¯s chest. Hyde ran his fingers through his hair, making Rune close his eyes and relax with a sigh.
¡°You were away longer than I expected,¡± Selene commented as Hyde walked into her house. ¡°Yeah, we took a bit of a detour,¡± Hyde called back while searching for her. He found her in her study again. She turned her desk chair to him. ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°Home. My home.¡± Selene¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh. After all this time? Honestly, I thought you¡¯d never go back.¡± ¡°I always wanted to, but I was afraid.¡± ¡°So, how did it go?¡± Hyde let a little smile creep onto his face. ¡°Great. Everything¡¯s okay between us again.¡± Selene nodded. ¡°Good. Then why did you come back here?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I¡¯m not ready to let this place go, yet.¡± She hummed, then smirked. ¡°How are things with you and Rune?¡± Hyde¡¯s face warmed, he rubbed the his neck. ¡°Oh, good.¡± ¡°Thought so.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Selene let out a mischievous chuckle. ¡°When you left, you were almost offended at me calling him your boyfriend¡ª¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t offended, just surprised.¡± ¡°¡ªbut now, it seems to be becoming a reality.¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re blushing only at the mention of him.¡± Hyde grumpily turned away. ¡°It¡¯s been an eventful five weeks.¡± ¡°Also,¡± Selene began again with a frown. ¡°Raven has been in a terrible mood since you left.¡± ¡°Oh no, how terrible.¡± Selene squinted at him. ¡°Did you say something to her before you left?¡± Hyde sighed. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She was pissed I was leaving with Rune and she couldn¡¯t understand why I cared about him so much. And then I said I actually like being around him and she was like, ¡®Unlike me?¡¯ And I said yes. Then she slammed the door in my face.¡± ¡°Jeez, Hyde. That¡¯s harsh.¡± ¡°She hasn¡¯t left me alone for longer than a couple days for six years, I¡¯m sick of it! It was about time she knew.¡± Selene gave him judging eyes. Hyde shrugged. ¡°What, should I have lied and strung her along instead?¡± ¡°No, but you could¡¯ve been a bit more gentle about it.¡± ¡°She¡¯s the one that started yelling at me, I only matched her energy.¡± Selene folded her arms. ¡°You know how she feels about you, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my fault she fell for a gay dude. I never did anything to give her the impression I liked her.¡± Selene sighed. ¡°If that¡¯s how you see it.¡± ¡°How else should I see it?¡± Selene turned her chair back to her desk. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She waved him off. ¡°Go smooch your man, or whatever it is that you do.¡± Hyde grunted and walked away. Please, Go Home 14B Hyde returned to the cabin. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m back,¡± he called out. No answer. He walked into the living room, empty. He raised his eyebrow. ¡°Rune?¡± Rune¡¯s hoodie laid on the couch. He must be inside, then. He peaked his head through the door to the hallway. ¡°Rune!¡± Silence. He stood in the living room with a thoughtful frown. Where could he be? He wouldn¡¯t leave the house without something to protect him from the sun. He flinched and snapped his head towards the backyard when he heard a painful cry. It sounded like Rune. He was outside. Hyde yanked the hoodie off the couch and ran to the backdoor. ¡°If you had never shown up¡ª!¡± he heard, he pushed the door open. He stared at the scene in front of him. Raven gaped at him, frozen by his presence, holding a bloody arrow in her fist. And Rune, laid on his stomach on the ground, huddled up and whimpering in pain at the sun burning his exposed skin¡ªhis neck and arms¡ªaccompanied by a faint hissing sound. Raven stood between him and the shade of the house. Rage boiled inside Hyde. He pushed Raven out of the way, making her yell and fall to the ground. He threw the hoodie over Rune, kneeled beside him, hooked his arms under his armpits and dragged him into the shade. Rune groaned and hissed. Hyde sat on his knees beside him and pulled the hoodie off his head. He turned Rune onto his back and laid his head on his thighs. ¡°Hey,¡± Hyde said, hushed. He saw Rune¡¯s torso, his shirt had holes and blood on it, the wounds had healed already. There was one big bloodstain in the centre of his chest; the hole in his shirt was so big, Raven must¡¯ve stabbed him there several times. Rune panted up at Hyde¡¯s face. ¡°Good news,¡± Rune¡¯s voice cracked out, ¡°arrows don¡¯t count as stakes.¡± He gave him a tired smile and a thumbs up. Hyde intensely stared at his chest. ¡°She tried to kill you?¡± ¡°I think so? Although, sunlight can¡¯t kill me, just makes me wish it could.¡± Hyde pulled him up to rest Rune¡¯s head against his chest and hugged him, letting the hoodie fall on Rune¡¯s lap. He glared at Raven still sitting in the grass, unmoving, staring at him. Rune felt Hyde¡¯s grip tighten on him. He turned his head up to Hyde¡¯s face. His jaw was clenched, he showed his teeth like he was growling. ¡°Hyde?¡± Rune whispered. He sat up more in Hyde¡¯s hold. His eyes were intense, his pupils thin. His irises began to grow, along with his body hair and teeth. The hairs on his arms stood up straight like a hissing cat. The fingers wrapped around Rune grew sharp. Hyde growled. He let Rune go and charged at Raven, making her scream. He jumped on her and pinned her to the ground. He raised his claw to slash at her. She tried to push him off, Hyde bit her arm. She screamed. Rune watched it all happen. Oh yeah, this was why he was afraid of him at first. Should he stop him? He examined the blisters on his arms and the blood on his shirt, he furrowed his brows. She deserved it. But Hyde might never forgive himself if he mutilated her. Ugh, damn Hyde¡¯s guilty conscience. Rune pulled the hoodie on and over his head and stood up. He ran to Hyde and Raven. Hyde had slashed at her a few times. He was about to do it again, but Rune grabbed his wrist and pulled him backwards. He grabbed Hyde¡¯s upper arms and pulled him off her, Hyde roared. Rune wrapped his arms around Hyde¡¯s chest and arms and did his best to hold him back as Hyde tried to pull himself free. ¡°Hyde, calm down,¡± Rune groaned. ¡°I know you¡¯ll regret this!¡± He glanced at Raven. She sat there, her arm bleeding, small cuts on her face and shoulders. ¡°Get out of here!¡± he yelled at her. She flinched awake, stood up and ran off. Hyde roared after her again. He fought harder against Rune¡¯s grip, yanking himself around to shake him off. Rune lost his grip, but grabbed him again in time. He couldn¡¯t hold him back like this forever; Hyde was much stronger, especially in this state. Rune guessed the only reason he hadn¡¯t escaped yet was because he didn¡¯t want to hurt him. He had to overpower him somehow, without harming him. Rune looked at their feet as he thought to when they first met. Hyde had overpowered him, then. Rune hooked his foot around Hyde¡¯s shin and tripped him to the ground. They both landed with a thud, Hyde yelped and gasped as the air was knocked out of his lungs by both the ground and Rune landing on his back. Hyde tried to push himself up. ¡°No, you don¡¯t,¡± Rune said. He pushed his shoulders down, leaning as much weight on them as he could, forcing Hyde¡¯s bloodstained chin to rest in the grass. Rune pinned Hyde¡¯s arms under his knees and kept him down by his shoulders. How could he calm him? What triggered this in the first place? Raven did. But not only Raven, she annoyed him all the time. What was the last thing he had said? ¡®She tried to kill you?¡¯ Oh, of course. ¡°Hyde.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Hyde growled. ¡°Look at me.¡± Hyde turned his head and laid his cheek in the grass with a scowl. Rune smiled a little. ¡°I¡¯m fine, alright? You don¡¯t have to avenge me. You helped me, you chased her away. Everything¡¯s okay, you can relax.¡± He ran his fingers through Hyde¡¯s hair, making Hyde give him a warning growl. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t give me those empty threats. You won¡¯t hurt me.¡± Hyde grumbled and glanced away. Rune leaned his head to Hyde¡¯s face and whispered, ¡°We can go snuggle on the couch together, if you calm down.¡± Hyde whined. His breathing slowed, he released the tension in his shoulders. ¡°There you go, almost there.¡± Hyde pinched his eyes closed, he shifted to normal. All the extra hair shed, his ears retracted into their usual shape. Rune sat up and took the pressure off Hyde¡¯s shoulders, letting his hands rest on Hyde¡¯s shoulder blades. Hyde opened his eyes again, they were rolled back and twitched for a moment before looking around, then resting his gaze on Rune. He was panting. Rune smiled. ¡°There you are.¡± He got off Hyde¡¯s back and sat on his knees. Hyde pushed himself up to sit on his knees, too. He looked around with a confused frown. He wiped his mouth, then looked at the blood on his palm and fingers. Rune frowned. ¡°Did you black out?¡± Hyde tightened his lips with tears in his eyes. ¡°One moment, I¡¯m holding you,¡± he croaked out. ¡°The next, you¡¯re pinning me to the ground and I¡¯m covered in blood.¡± He glanced at Rune. ¡°Who knows what I would¡¯ve done if you hadn¡¯t stopped me?¡± Rune shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t dwell on it, you were protecting me. She¡¯ll be fine. And honestly, if you wouldn¡¯t have had a guilty conscience about it, I might¡¯ve let you maul her.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because she stabbed me a dozen times and left me to burn in the sun for ten minutes or so, it was torture!¡± Hyde looked away with a frown. ¡°Do you really not remember any of it?¡± Hyde shook his head. ¡°So, your wolf was in control, like during full moons?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Rune squinted as he thought. ¡°You said you don¡¯t believe you and your wolf are separate entities, but seeing you like this makes me question that.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You have separate memories. You don¡¯t remember full moons, but your wolf does. During a full moon, you remember what happened the last one. You don¡¯t remember what just happened, or even when you fought with your dad, but I¡¯m sure your wolf does. And it seems as if you have separate morals, too.¡± ¡°Morals?¡± ¡°Your wolf is fine with mutilating people to protect others, but you aren¡¯t.¡± Hyde sighed. ¡°Or I¡¯m denying that I¡¯m fine with that.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be so horrified with yourself right now if you were. And even with your feelings for me, it seems like your wolf figured that out way before you did.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°During the first full moon, you were cuddly with me, and the one after that in Enath, too. You wouldn¡¯t have done that yet.¡± Hyde gave him a confused and lost look. ¡°But¡ªI¡¯ve seen people so in sync with their wolves, there¡¯s no way they¡¯re separate entities.¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯re so in control of it, it seems that way. And you don¡¯t have that much control over yours.¡± Hyde stared at him as if he was having an existential crisis. Rune sighed. ¡°Maybe you aren¡¯t completely separate. You do share a body, after all. And it seems you share desires too, it¡¯s not like you¡¯ve ever fought each other about what you want. Only the method to getting it. And your personality isn¡¯t that different either. You¡¯re both cuddly, sensitive and protective. So, perhaps you are two halves of the same coin.¡± Hyde huffed. ¡°You¡¯re giving me an identity crisis over nothing?¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°It was only a thought. In the end, you¡¯d know better than me.¡± Hyde hummed and squinted. ¡°I should ask my family how they feel about it.¡± He looked up at him. ¡°But, how badly did she hurt you?¡± Rune glanced down at his arms with a frown. ¡°Pretty bad. I¡¯m covered in blisters.¡± He moved closer to Hyde and pulled his hood out of the way to show him the blisters on his neck. Hyde frowned. ¡°Should we cool them?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how, but probably.¡± ¡°I could soak some towels in cool water.¡± Rune nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± He stood up. He held a hand out for Hyde to grab. Hyde took it and Rune pulled him up. Rune grinned, Hyde hummed. ¡°At least the existential crisis distracted you from your guilty conscience.¡± Hyde squinted at him again. ¡°Did you do that on purpose?¡± ¡°No, but it¡¯s a nice bonus.¡± Hyde glared. Rune chuckled and took his hand again. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ve got blisters to cool and you have blood to wash off.¡± Hyde pulled Rune to the couch and pushed his shoulders down. ¡°You sit, I¡¯ll get the towels.¡± Rune sat and pulled his hoodie off as Hyde walked to the kitchen. Rune watched him search around the cupboards and cabinets for towels. He grabbed a few and went to the sink. He first washed his hands and face before soaking the towels. He wrung them out. He gathered them all and went back to Rune on the couch. He sat next to him on the couch and placed the towels beside him. ¡°Hold your arms out.¡± Rune did so. Hyde wrapped a towel around his arm, making Rune tense up and hiss. Hyde wanted to pull away, but Rune said, ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Do it.¡± Hyde frowned, but grabbed the next towel for his upper arm. He wrapped both his arms in towels, then laid one in his neck. Hyde smiled at him. ¡°Good thing your face is fine.¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°I laid face down in the grass the whole time.¡± Hyde smiled. ¡°And, thank you. For bringing me back.¡± Rune smiled too. ¡°I¡¯m glad I was able to.¡± ¡°Of course you were able to.¡± Hyde pecked his lips. Rune blushed with a shy smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t you cuddle up to me?¡± he offered. Hyde hummed. ¡°No.¡± He leaned into the corner of the couch and pulled Rune into his chest. ¡°I¡¯d rather do this right now.¡± Rune blushed more as Hyde curled around him, keeping him safe in his arms. The protective instincts must not all be gone yet. More reason for why him and his wolf aren¡¯t separate, Rune supposed. He took a deep breath and let himself relax, laid on Hyde¡¯s chest. Hyde didn¡¯t seem relaxed, though. He tightly held Rune and shook a little. Rune rubbed his thumb over Hyde¡¯s arm. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Hyde sighed, he shook his head against Rune¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡ªjust the fact that this happened again¡ª¡± ¡°Again?¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°I thought it was a one time thing.¡± ¡°Losing control?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°This is only the second time it happened? When was the¡ªoh,¡± Rune realised in horror. ¡°You mean¡­¡± He ran three fingers over Hyde¡¯s chest in a small movement, tracing where he knew some of the scars were. Hyde sighed and nodded again. Rune rubbed his cheek. ¡°It was for a good reason this time. And nothing bad happened, I was there.¡± ¡°I bit her arm! She¡¯ll be scarred forever, just like my dad.¡± ¡°She deserved it.¡± Rune pushed himself up to see his face. He held his cheeks, the towels fell off his arms. ¡°You¡¯re not some bloodthirsty monster, you protected someone you care about. And you were still conscious enough to know not to hurt me.¡± He grinned. ¡°Despite me asking for it, the way I was wrestling with you.¡± Hyde sniffed a chuckle out with a small smile. Rune pecked his lips, then snuggled back into his chest. Hyde hugged him tight. Please, Go Home 15A Hyde walked through the forest with Rune beside him. He looked up at the stars. They¡¯d been in the village for a few days now, Hyde didn¡¯t feel like there was any point to staying anymore. Sure, he and Rune had their own house here, but was it worth the distance from their families? He glanced next to him at Rune. Rune stared at the ground, he had his hands in his jean pockets, his shoulders were tense. ¡°Something wrong?¡± Hyde asked, concerned. Rune flinched and looked up. ¡°Uh¡ªn-no, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Rune turned his head to the ground again. ¡°Then why are you so tense?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Rune choked up. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he whispered. Hyde stood still, Rune did too. ¡°Can¡¯t what?¡± Rune shook his head with tears in his eyes. Hyde frowned. He put his hands on Rune¡¯s cheeks and turned his face to him. ¡°Hey.¡± Hyde stroked his cheeks with a sad smile. ¡°You can tell me, I won¡¯t judge you.¡± Rune smiled a little and pushed their foreheads together, he placed his hands on Hyde¡¯s waist. Hyde kissed him in an attempt to calm him down, whatever was going on. Rune kissed back. Hyde stepped backwards and bumped into a tree, pulling Rune along. Rune removed one hand from his waist and pulled away. Hyde rested his hands on Rune¡¯s chest, Rune¡¯s heartbeat was going crazy. Hyde wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to the kiss. Hyde looked down. His eyes widened as he inhaled sharply. He pushed Rune off him. He stared at the pocket knife in Rune¡¯s hand, adrenaline surged through his veins. He felt his claws wanting to come out. Rune turned away with his fist pressed to his forehead and tears rolling down his cheeks. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Rune breathed out. ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡± He threw the knife with an angry grunt. Hyde watched the knife disappear into the trees, breathing heavily. He turned to Rune. Rune looked at him while he cried. ¡°What the hell was that?!¡± Hyde shouted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Rune whimpered. He stepped closer to Hyde, leaned his forehead on his shoulder and grabbed the bottom of his shirt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Hyde didn¡¯t reciprocate the touch, but didn¡¯t push him away. He wasn¡¯t sure what to think. ¡°Explain,¡± he demanded. ¡°The gang, the people I worked for, they found out I tricked them. They approached me this afternoon, when I went to buy food. They told me to kill you to prove my loyalty or they¡¯ll make me pay.¡± Rune wrapped his arms around Hyde¡¯s waist and rubbed his face into his shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Hyde took some time to process. Make him pay? They had threatened his family before, but it didn¡¯t seem like that¡¯s what they meant this time. They would¡¯ve said so, otherwise. He tensed, his senses heightened as he came to a realisation. He held Rune against him. ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out,¡± he whispered. Rune hugged him tighter. In the gang¡¯s eyes, it was either Hyde or Rune, Hyde realised. Either Rune killed Hyde, or they killed Rune. And maybe Hyde, too. ¡°They were here this afternoon?¡± Hyde asked for confirmation. Rune nodded. Hyde observed their surroundings. Bushes rustled in the distance. He grabbed Rune¡¯s hand from his back and pulled him along to leave as he said, ¡°We should go.¡± ¡°Huh? Okay.¡± The rustling came closer. A rock flew past Hyde and he froze. He turned his head to the side, breathing heavily. A woman came out of the bushes holding a wooden stake, followed by a man holding a knife. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you observant,¡± the woman snarled at Hyde in a northern accent. Hyde pulled Rune behind him. The woman scoffed. ¡°You still protect him even after he pointed a knife at you? How nauseating.¡± She pointed the stake at Rune. ¡°And you¡±¡ªHyde glanced at Rune¡ª¡°are weak. Pathetic. Your father would¡¯ve done it.¡± Rune¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯ll both die.¡± ¡°My father?¡± Hyde faced the woman again. ¡°Not the time,¡± he growled, he began to shift. ¡°You, knife,¡± he told Rune while he still could. ¡°Huh? R-right.¡± Hyde roared and ran to the woman holding the stake. He slashed at her. She stepped out of the way. ¡°Ugh, do you have any idea how annoying you are? After five years, you¡¯re the one who catches him? Why you? And why would he fall in love with you afterwards?¡± the woman questioned him. Hyde growled and jumped on her, tackling her to the ground. He noticed Rune struggling with the man holding the knife from the corner of his eye, bleeding from various cuts that quickly healed. Hyde slashed at the woman, cutting her across her cheek. She pushed his chest and shoulder in an attempt to get him off. Hyde grabbed the hand with the stake. She yanked at her hand, he pulled it back, bit her wrist and didn¡¯t let go. She screamed. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°You¡ª!¡± She switched the stake to her other hand. She rammed the blunt end of it into Hyde¡¯s temple, making him release her wrist and fall to the side. She got up and composed herself before approaching Rune and the man. Hyde twitched on the ground, face down, groaning, his head throbbing. He put a claw over his temple to try to ease the pain. He lifted his head and rested his chin on the ground. He opened his eyes, the world spun around him. He felt the need to throw up. There was a warm liquid dripping down the left side of his head. He tried to find Rune. He saw three hazy figures some distance away. Hyde tried to push himself up, Rune couldn¡¯t fight both of them at once. He fell through his arm and landed on the forest floor again with a thud. He heard the distant sound of Rune struggling to breathe. Hyde dragged himself forward. Rune was coughing. Hyde could make out Rune kicking his legs around. The man had his arms hooked under Rune¡¯s armpits and held him back. The woman stood over him with the stake. Rune had something in the side of his neck. The knife, Hyde realised. He pushed himself up on his shaky arms, he managed to get to his knees. ¡°Truly a tragedy for your family,¡± the woman said. ¡°First your parents, now you.¡± Hyde crawled closer. ¡°And right after you finally came home, too.¡± She raised the stake. ¡°Was he worth it, your boyfriend?¡± Hyde¡¯s eyes widened. No, no! Rune tried to yank himself free from the man and kicked at the woman. Hyde gathered all the strength in his body to jump at her. She brought the stake down and pierced Rune¡¯s chest. Hyde tackled her to the ground. He pinned her head down and dug his fangs into her neck, causing her to scream again. She attempted to push him off. He pulled his head up, ripping her flesh off, splattering more blood on his face. She stopped fighting. He spat it out and looked at the man holding Rune. He dropped Rune and sprinted away. Hyde growled and wanted to run after him, but stopped when he heard Rune groaning behind him. He turned around and fell to his side. Hyde began to shift to normal as he stared at the stake in Rune¡¯s chest. Rune had pulled the knife out of his neck himself. His chest was still rising and falling. Tears stung in Hyde¡¯s eyes as he lifted him into his arms. He caressed his head. ¡°You can¡¯t come back from this, can you?¡± Hyde choked up. Rune gave him a weak smile. ¡°You were worth it,¡± he whispered. Hyde clenched his face and pushed his forehead against the top of Rune¡¯s head. ¡°Please, don¡¯t go.¡± Rune¡¯s head fell against his chest. Hyde looked down, he had closed his eyes. His chest wasn¡¯t moving anymore. Hyde pushed Rune¡¯s head into the crook of his neck and tightly cradled him in his arms as he sobbed. He screamed in agony.
Two kicks on the door as a knock. His hands were occupied carrying his lover¡¯s body. Hyde turned his gaze to the side; he didn¡¯t want to see his lifeless face. He hated how cold Rune began to feel, more than he already was. His eyes burned, he was exhausted. It was late, he had cried his eyes out, he had fought for his life, his love had been murdered. He killed someone. The door opened. ¡°What do you need so¡±¡ªSelene noticed Rune in his arms¡ª¡°late? Oh, no.¡± Hyde trembled. ¡°You can communicate with souls or something, right?¡± his voice cracked. ¡°Only if they linger, but yes?¡± ¡°Can you contact him?¡± Hyde choked up. ¡°Even if I can only say goodbye.¡± Selene considered what to do while staring at Rune¡¯s body. She put her hand on Hyde¡¯s arm and gave it a small tug. ¡°Come in.¡± Hyde walked in. Selene led him to the guest room. ¡°Lay him on the bed.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She grinned. ¡°I could do you one better.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Lay him down.¡± Hyde laid Rune on the bed. He stepped back. ¡°Now what?¡± Selene pulled the stake out of Rune¡¯s chest and left it on the bed. She put her hands on Rune¡¯s forehead and chest, they began to glow a light blue as she muttered something under her breath. Rune¡¯s body glowed along. She took a deep breath as a drop of sweat fell down her forehead. She turned to Hyde. ¡°God, you¡¯re a mess.¡± She grabbed his wrist and dragged him away. ¡°Let¡¯s get you cleaned up.¡± Hyde stared at Rune as they left the room. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I put a spell on his body so it won¡¯t decay.¡± ¡°You can do that?¡± She smirked. ¡°I can do lots of things.¡± She took him to her living room, then pushed him onto the couch and left. Hyde stared at nothing, frozen. The side of his face was still warm and sticky. His head ached, everything was hazy. Selene came back with a first aid kit. She sat on her knees beside him. She opened the kit and grabbed something. Hyde flinched away when she touched his temple with the something. ¡°Sit still, I have to clean your wound.¡± ¡°Wound?¡± She raised her eyebrow. ¡°You haven¡¯t noticed the blood on your face?¡± Hyde wiped his cheek with a few fingers and looked at them. They were covered in a nearly dry, red substance. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realise it was blood.¡± He flinched when she tried to clean the wound again. She put her hand on his other cheek and held his head in place while she hissed, ¡°Sit still!¡± Hyde clenched his face at his stinging wound. ¡°How did you get this?¡± ¡°Eh¡ª¡± He struggled remembering. ¡°Oh, the lady, that killed Rune,¡± he added in a whisper. ¡°She rammed the blunt end of the stake into my head.¡± Selene hummed, concerned. ¡°Were you dizzy? Nauseous?¡± She put the cleaning rag away and grabbed a big plaster. ¡°Yeah, very.¡± ¡°How long ago did it happen?¡± She pushed his hair out of the way. ¡°Twenty minutes, maybe?¡± ¡°Are you still nauseous and dizzy?¡± She pulled the plaster over his wound and stuck it in place. ¡°Not nauseous, but dizzy.¡± She hummed again as she dragged her thumbs over the plaster to get all the air bubbles out. ¡°I think you have a mild concussion.¡± ¡°What do I do about that?¡± ¡°Rest.¡± Hyde grunted. He glanced at the door to the guest room. ¡°Can you do anything?¡± ¡°About Rune?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Selene sat down at his eye level and grinned. ¡°He¡¯s the perfect test subject for my research.¡± Hyde frowned at that word. ¡°What are you researching?¡± ¡°Bringing the dead back to life!¡± Hyde flinched in shock. ¡°I can already reanimate corpses, they heal and everything and they come to life. Even on bodies that have decayed, as long as the DNA in the bones is intact enough, the whole body will regenerate, it¡¯s fascinating! Only problem is, their soul doesn¡¯t join the body. It¡¯s an empty husk. I haven¡¯t figured that part out yet, but I¡¯m close, I can feel it!¡± ¡°You¡ªyou might actually be able to bring him back?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take some time, give-or-take some weeks. But most likely, yes. Although¡±¡ªshe looked to the door to her study¡ª¡°I am curious what my current potion would do to him.¡± ¡°Wha- You want to turn him into a zombie?!¡± She put her hands up in front of her in defence. ¡°If it goes wrong, I could kill the body and try again later. I¡¯ve been reanimating the same rat for months, now,¡± she finished with a chipper smile. Hyde stared at her, disturbed and slightly scared. She stood up and walked into her study. She returned with a small vial and headed to the guest room. She waved Hyde over. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t you want to see what happens?¡± Hyde sighed and got up. He entered the guest room, he looked away from Rune¡¯s body. Selene stood over it near his head. Curiosity got the better of him and he wanted to see what she was doing. She opened the vial, then pulled Rune¡¯s mouth open and let three drops of the potion fall in. Hyde froze when he saw the wound on Rune¡¯s chest knit itself together. Rune opened his eyes and sat up. Hyde couldn¡¯t believe it. Did it actually work? He stepped closer to him, he frowned. There was no expression on his face, no life in his eyes. ¡°Rune?¡± he whispered, he placed his hand on his cheek. ¡°Are you in there?¡± Rune yanked Hyde¡¯s shoulder towards him and pulled Hyde¡¯s head to the side, Hyde yelped. Rune¡¯s fangs brushed Hyde¡¯s neck before Hyde was pulled away from him. Selene grabbed the stake, pushed Rune¡¯s face away and pierced him through his heart. Hyde pinched his eyes closed and flinched. Rune fell down on the bed. Hyde looked, breathing heavily. Rune laid there, lifeless again. ¡°You should go home and get some sleep,¡± Selene told him. ¡°It¡¯s late and your head needs rest. I¡¯ll continue my research in the morning, I¡¯ll come get you when I¡¯m done.¡± Hyde tried to slow his breathing as he considered it. He nodded. With one last glance at Rune, he stepped back and left. Please, Go Home 15B Hyde entered the cabin and closed the door behind him. He leaned back against it, then let himself slide to the ground. He stared into the hallway. Everything that had happened the last hour crashed down on him. The blurry image of the man holding Rune back, of the woman stabbing him, killing him. He could¡¯ve saved him. If only he had been a second faster. If his damn head hadn¡¯t disoriented him so much! Rune would be alive. His breathing hadn¡¯t slowed. It was quick and shallow. Tears welled in his eyes. He grabbed his shirt above his heart. He stared at the floor, his head spun. He closed his eyes. Can you do something for me? Tears fell down his face. Breathe with me. He inhaled, then let a shaky breath out. In¡ª Hyde grabbed his hair and hid his head in his knees. He took a sharp breath. ¡ªand out. He blew his breath out. ¡°In,¡± he whispered and inhaled. ¡°Out,¡± he breathed out. There you go, keep going. Hyde let himself breathe, slowly, in and out. He released his grip on his hair. He lifted his head and leaned the back of it against the door. Tears fell down his cheeks, his face trembled. He glanced at his bedroom door. That¡¯s where it happened, that night. His gaze moved to the door beside it. He hated the thought of that room being empty. He thought of them sitting on his bed, sharing their pasts. Of them playing piano together. Of when he woke up with Rune holding his hand. Of Rune sitting in the cell with his cheeks squished between the bars. He let a small smile appear on his face, through his tears. He thought of the night at the beach, of when they first kissed, of Rune¡¯s stupidity when he wanted to kiss again. Hyde squeezed more tears out. He stared into the empty hall. He couldn¡¯t move. Couldn¡¯t muster up the will to move. What about Rune¡¯s family? How was he supposed to tell them he¡¯d never come back? He hadn¡¯t even seen his grandad yet. Selene seemed confident she¡¯d succeed, but what if she didn¡¯t? He¡¯d be crushed again if he believed her. He couldn¡¯t handle this pain a second time. His head throbbed. He groaned. He needed to rest, like Selene told him. He pushed off the door, then managed to get to his feet. He sauntered into his bedroom. He let himself fall on the bed and didn¡¯t bother to move more. He¡¯d be okay with it if death came to take him, too. Hyde laid in bed, his back towards the door, wearing Rune¡¯s hoodie and hugging Rune¡¯s pillow. They still had his scent on them. He missed his scent, it was so comforting and relaxing. He couldn¡¯t get himself out of bed, he hadn¡¯t eaten all day. He didn¡¯t feel hungry, either. He certainly was resting, though. Physically. Should he go to Corburn? Having his family¡¯s emotional support could help. But what if Selene finished while he was away? He wanted to be here when she finished. Plus, he didn¡¯t have the energy to walk all that way. His front door opened. ¡°Hyde?¡± someone called. It was Raven. Hyde tensed up in anger. What did she want, now? If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She opened the door to his bedroom. ¡°Hey, here you are.¡± There you are, shot through Hyde¡¯s mind. The bed bent down behind him. He groaned. ¡°Do you wanna take a walk with me? To take your mind off everything.¡± Hyde growled and yanked himself up at her. ¡°Would you leave me alone?!¡± She flinched back. ¡°I¡ªI thought¡ª¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you get the hint when I tried to maul you last week? I don¡¯t like you! Leave me alone!¡± He gave her a threatening glare. She teared up. Hyde scoffed at it. He laid back down. ¡°Go cry somewhere else.¡± She stood up. ¡°What is wrong with you?! You¡¯ve never been this cruel before!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing between us, there never will be. I¡¯m tired of tolerating you to spare your feelings.¡± She choked up and ran away. Hyde was alone again. Was he too harsh? Maybe. But he didn¡¯t care. It was about time she let go of these delusions of hers. I could¡¯ve saved you. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. Come back. I want you back. I miss you. Hyde sat on his bed, face covered in tears, jaw clenched, letting his hand run amok on his notebook with no thought. Open your eyes. Hug me. Hold me. Breathe with me. Dried tears covered the pages, crumpled in his tight hold. Breathe. Breathe. Don¡¯t go. Please. Don¡¯t go! Don¡¯t go! He scratched the pen over the paper so hard it went through several pages and nearly ripped the current one off. He cried out and flung his notebook against the wall. He stared at the notebook laid open on the floor, on the page with the little drawing he¡¯d made of Rune sleeping. He couldn¡¯t control his sobs anymore, he pulled at the roots of his hair and wept.
It had been over a week. Hyde wanted to talk to Rune. He knew Selene could contact him¡ªif he lingered, that is. Surely he did, after such a sudden, violent death. Their relationship only now started getting somewhere, Rune still had to see his grandfather, he¡¯d promised his sisters he¡¯d come back soon; there was no way he was ready to move on to whatever was next. Selene was confident she could bring him back, Hyde was sceptical. It sounded ridiculous, bringing the dead fully back. She¡¯d already turned Rune into a zombie, but that wasn¡¯t the same. Could a soul be reunited with its body after being severed? Selene opened her front door after he¡¯d knocked. ¡°What? You¡¯re keeping me from my research.¡± ¡°I¡­ can you contact him anyway?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I miss him.¡± He choked up a little. Selene sighed. ¡°Be patient. The more you distract me with things like that, the longer it¡¯ll take before he¡¯ll actually come back.¡± It sounded like a promise. An empty one. Sure, she was so full of herself to believe she could reverse death itself, but what evidence was there that she could? She could make corpses move. That was it. ¡°Why should I trust that¡¯ll happen? I have no reason to believe you actually could!¡± Hyde was visibly agitated. ¡°Have some trust. Go home, take a shower, and then a nap. You¡¯re a mess.¡± Hyde let out a loud groan, a near growl, and stormed off. He did smell awful. Days lying in bed rolling around in your own sweat would do that to you. Hyde stood in front of his bathroom door. He grabbed his head with a groan and leaned his forehead against the wood. His head throbbed; even that brief trip was too much stimulation. He entered the bathroom, then stood over the sink and examined himself in the mirror. He was a mess. He hadn¡¯t trimmed his beard all week, it was thick and getting quite long. His hair was unwashed and getting tangled in ways he¡¯d never let happen before. The plaster on his temple needed a change. He peeled at the plaster, it came off with ease. He threw it in the small bin, then turned the shower on. He returned to the mirror. The wound was healing, but there was still a huge bruise. He doubted it¡¯d go away anytime soon. He brushed his fingers over it, then winched and flinched his hand away. He sighed. He wondered what Rune would think if he saw him like this. What he would do. He¡¯d comfort him, take care of him. He¡¯d hold him¡ªafter a shower¡ªmaybe try to untangle his hair. He undressed, all the while trembling as his emotions became unbearable. Water rinsed down his body, down the locks of hair hiding his watering eyes. He hugged himself, squeezing his upper arms. His face quaked. He sharply inhaled, then gave up on stopping his tears. He stepped back against the shower wall and sunk to the floor. He leaned his forehead on his knee and cried. The moon was full. Hyde laid curled up on his bed, the bottom half of his face buried in Rune¡¯s pillow. He cried and whined, the pillow was soaked. He wanted his scent. He wanted his cuddles. He wanted his presence. His wolf heart ached at the loss of his favourite person. He wanted to rub against him, rub his scent on him. He wanted to be held by him, for him to run his fingers through his hair, to pet his ear, to scratch his neck and jaw. He dug his whole face into the pillow, he wanted to be surrounded by his scent as much as he could. He whined again. Come back. Please. Favourite person, lover, partner, mate. Please, come back. Please, Go Home Interlude 6 The young vampire sat cross-legged on the couch, his elbow rested on the armrest, with his book; a romance novel this time. He fidgeted with his earring. He flipped the page and saw he was near the end of the chapter. Footsteps came towards him, the cushion bent down. The vampire looked at his housemate sitting beside him. He squinted at the concerned look on his friend¡¯s face. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Well¡­ maybe.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± His friend turned further to him. ¡°Tonight¡¯s a full moon.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The vampire closed his book. ¡°What do you think will happen?¡± His friend shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Hopefully, I won¡¯t try to hurt you.¡± ¡°Why would you?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be in full control.¡± The vampire frowned as he moved closer to him. ¡°But it¡¯s still you, isn¡¯t it? You wouldn¡¯t hurt me.¡± His friend smiled, but the vampire could see he was still worried. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re probably right.¡± The young vampire sat on the couch again a couple hours later, trying to read his novel. However, he couldn¡¯t shake the anxiety. He rubbed the skin between his thumb and index finger. He won¡¯t hurt him, right? He wouldn¡¯t do that. Full moon or not, he was his best friend. If he was aggressive, one whiff of his scent should calm him down. It always did. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He shot up when he heard growling in the hallway. His friend burst through the door, the vampire took a sharp breath. He hadn¡¯t seen him shifted before. He stood hunched over. His ears were pointed and covered in dark brown hair, all his body hair was much thicker, his nails like razors. He approached the vampire. The vampire flinched. He tried to stay calm, fleeing might activate some sort of hunting instinct. The werewolf stood in front of him, he rested his claws on the back of the couch, trapping the vampire¡¯s head between his arms. The vampire stared up at him, huddled up and holding his breath. The werewolf¡¯s hazel brown irises covered his eyes, his pupils narrow. He lowly growled, showing his fangs. The werewolf leaned his head down to the vampire¡¯s. He smelled him. He pushed his nose against his cheek to sniff closer. ¡°Hey,¡± the vampire squeaked out. The werewolf released the tension in his body. He made a purring noise in his throat. He removed his hands from the couch and sat beside the vampire on his knees. The vampire finally breathed out. He smiled a little. ¡°See? You wouldn¡¯t hurt me.¡± The werewolf pushed his nose against his cheek again, he carefully rubbed them together. He began rubbing more of his face against the vampire¡¯s. The vampire¡¯s face flushed. Was he nuzzling him right now? Or rubbing his scent on him? The werewolf stopped. The vampire saw his eyes again, he raised his eyebrow. The werewolf¡¯s pupils had changed, they were big and round now. The vampire snickered. He brought his hand up to the werewolf and held his bearded chin. ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly adorable,¡± he whispered. The werewolf purred in response. He moved down to lay on the vampire¡¯s lap. The vampire rested his hand on the werewolf¡¯s head and massaged it. The werewolf closed his eyes and purred again with a smile. The vampire leaned his elbow on the armrest, placing his cheek in the palm of his hand. He smiled, a warm feeling grew in his tummy. Please, Go Home 16A Hyde laid in bed. His hair was a mess, his beard thick and unkept. He had showered a couple of times, when he couldn¡¯t stand his own smell anymore. Rune¡¯s scent had begun to fade from the hoodie and pillow. He hadn¡¯t touched them since he noticed, afraid of the scent disappearing. He glanced out the window. The sun had gone down already. He barely remembered it shining today. How long had it been? Three weeks? He hadn¡¯t been keeping track. The front door opened. Footsteps came close to his bedroom. The door handle went down behind him. ¡°Hyde?¡± Selene called out. Hyde groaned. ¡°I¡¯m finished.¡± Hyde¡¯s eyes widened, he turned to her. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She waved for him to come. ¡°Come on, I want to do the final test.¡± ¡°Which is¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, Rune. Hurry up!¡± Hyde pushed himself to sit, every joint in his body complaining. He got off the bed, then grabbed some sweatpants off the floor and pulled them on. He rubbed his eye and scratched the top of his head, creating even more of a mess in his hair. ¡°You don¡¯t seem excited,¡± Selene noted. ¡°I¡¯ll get excited when I see it working.¡± ¡°You look terrible.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Selene frowned. ¡°I see you pulled the plaster off. How¡¯s your head?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°Still dizzy?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Headaches?¡± ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s from the concussion.¡± She hummed. ¡°It seems to be healing well. I¡¯m sure the bruising will go away soon.¡± Hyde sighed. ¡°Are we going, or what?¡± ¡°Oh, now you get impatient?¡± Selene shook her head. She turned to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Selene dragged Hyde into her guest room, fresh vial in hand. Hyde turned away from Rune¡¯s body and tensed his shoulders. ¡°Okay, so¡±¡ªSelene turned to face him¡ª¡°for the first time, the rat I test on came back with a glimmer of life in its eyes. It seemed to act on some small amount of intelligence, instead of only instinct. And then I killed it again, and the same thing happened! So, I¡¯m confident I¡¯ve cracked it!¡± Hyde sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s hope it works on people.¡± Selene huffed. ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic. Don¡¯t you trust my abilities?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± She grinned. ¡°What do I get if I succeed?¡± ¡°Get on with it!¡± ¡°You¡¯re no fun,¡± she groaned. She leaned over Rune¡¯s face, Hyde stood at the foot end. She pulled Rune¡¯s lips ajar and let three drops of the potion fall into his mouth. She stepped away. Hyde saw the same thing as last time, the gaping hole in his chest knitting itself closed. Rune¡¯s eyes shot open as he gasped for air and cramped together. He pushed himself to sit. He took heavy breaths and stared down at nothing. He looked around the room before resting his gaze on Hyde. He seemed confused, but gave him a concerned smile and said, ¡°Hey.¡± Hyde didn¡¯t know how to react. It worked? It worked! He wasn¡¯t an empty husk of a body this time, he was here, smiling and talking. He was back! Hyde stepped closer to him. He carefully put his hand on Rune¡¯s cheek, he teared up. He smiled. ¡°Hey.¡± Hyde climbed on the bed and hugged him tight. He let himself lay against Rune¡¯s side and pushed his face against his head as tears escaped his eyes. Rune wrapped his arm around his waist and caressed his hair. ¡°Did I actually die or was that a dream?¡± ¡°You did die,¡± Selene answered. ¡°Three weeks ago.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°But, you¡¯re back now.¡± Hyde leaned their foreheads together with a teary smile. ¡°How?¡± Hyde shrugged and laid his head in the crook of Rune¡¯s neck, enjoying his scent. ¡°Congratulations! You¡¯re my first successful humanoid experiment,¡± Selene exclaimed. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You know that research you tried to steal? It was this, bringing back the dead! This is the second attempt on you, actually.¡± ¡°What?¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Hyde moved down slightly to see Selene grab a notebook and pen. ¡°Your body came alive, but your soul wasn¡¯t there. So, tell me. Do you remember that?¡± Hyde looked up at Rune, his eyes were wide, his mouth agape. ¡°No. You turned me into a zombie?!¡± ¡°Only for a moment, then I killed you again.¡± Rune looked down at Hyde. Hyde nodded with a frown. ¡°You tried to bite my neck,¡± Hyde whispered. Rune frowned too. ¡°Oh, shit, really? I¡¯m sorry.¡± Hyde shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be, it wasn¡¯t you.¡± Selene made notes on the paper. ¡°Do you remember anything from any sort of afterlife?¡± ¡°No, it feels like I woke up from a long nap or something.¡± She hummed and wrote it down. She laid the notepad on the bed and grabbed the bottom of his shirt. ¡°What¡ª¡± Rune tried to protest as Selene pulled his shirt up. She examined his chest, Hyde looked at it too. There was a round scar in the center of his chest. ¡°Fascinating,¡± Selene whispered. She grabbed her pen. ¡°Fatal wound left a scar, even on a vampire,¡± she mumbled as she wrote. Hyde pulled Rune¡¯s shirt down for him, Rune smiled. Hyde clung to him again. Selene sighed and picked her notepad up. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you some time alone. Clearly, you need it.¡± Before either of them could answer, she walked out of the room. Rune rubbed Hyde¡¯s side. ¡°You look like a mess.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°How is your head?¡± Rune lightly brushed his fingers along the edge of the wound. ¡°She hit you pretty hard, didn¡¯t she?¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°Selene thinks I had a mild concussion.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± Hyde pushed himself off Rune and sat cross-legged in front of him. Rune did the same, their knees touching. Hyde stared down with a frown. ¡°I killed her,¡± he whispered. ¡°I ripped her neck off.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Rune cupped his cheek and tilted his face up. ¡°You only defended yourself. They were going to kill you, too. She deserved it, anyway.¡± He stroked his cheek. ¡°And you wanted to save me. Even after I pointed a knife at you.¡± Hyde smiled sadly and grabbed Rune¡¯s hand on his cheek. ¡°That wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± He placed a kiss on Rune¡¯s fingers while he teared up again. He sighed. ¡°I missed you.¡± Rune leaned his forehead against Hyde¡¯s. ¡°The last three weeks have been horrible, and lonely,¡± Hyde choked up. ¡°I felt so guilty. That I couldn¡¯t save you. That I couldn¡¯t tell you¡­¡± he trailed off. Rune raised his eyebrow. ¡°Tell me what?¡± Hyde pinched his eyes closed and shook his head. He moved his face back, away from Rune, and let his hand go. ¡°I had thought about how to tell your family about your death. I had no idea how I could.¡± Rune¡¯s eyes widened. His family. Were they okay? Did they stop with him? And that comment the lady made about his father. ¡°Hyde.¡± Hyde hummed. ¡°Can we go to Enath? Right now?¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°Eh, it¡¯s 11pm, there aren¡¯t any trains until morning.¡± Rune turned away with a groan and impatiently tapped his fingers on the bedsheets. Hyde frowned. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I need to check if they¡¯re okay. Make sure the gang didn¡¯t hurt them, too.¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll take the first train in the morning.¡± He placed his head on Rune¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s try to relax for now.¡± Rune sighed. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Want to go home?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Rune brushed his fingers through Hyde¡¯s hair. ¡°Then you can get cleaned up.¡± Hyde groaned. ¡°At least take a shower. I can help comb your hair and trim your beard, if you want?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to help me shower?¡± Hyde teased as he lifted his head with a tired little grin. ¡°You¡¯re not elderly, come on now.¡± Hyde chuckled. He pecked Rune¡¯s lips, then gave him a small smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Rune smiled back and nodded. Rune stepped out of the guest room, dragging Hyde behind him by his hand. Selene sat on the couch. ¡°Hey.¡± She stood up. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°Home,¡± Rune answered. ¡°I¡¯m not done researching you, yet!¡± Rune groaned. ¡°Look, I¡¯m grateful for you bringing me back. Seriously, thank you. But I¡¯m not a test subject! I have more pressing matters to attend to.¡± She glanced at Hyde for a moment before sighing. ¡°Fine. You¡¯re welcome.¡± Rune smiled at her, then took Hyde out of the house.
Hyde sat cross-legged on his bed, only in his underwear, with Rune on his knees in front of him, brushing his damp hair. He had taken a shower, now Rune insisted he brushed his bird¡¯s nest of a hairdo. ¡°God, I didn¡¯t realise how much of a mess hair would be after not brushing it for only three weeks.¡± The brush got stuck. Rune grabbed the lock of hair with his free hand and tugged at the brush to get it out. ¡°Ow,¡± Hyde mildly complained. Rune pulled the brush loose. ¡°Sorry.¡± He carefully combed through his hair again. He sighed and laid the brush on the bed, then sat down at Hyde¡¯s eye level. He looked at the scars on Hyde¡¯s torso, it was only the second time he¡¯d seen them. It won¡¯t be the last. He smiled a little, glad Hyde was comfortable enough with them¡ªand him¡ªto not cover them up. He glanced down at his own chest as a realisation came to him. He pulled his shirt up to his chest and looked at his own scar. Hyde arched a brow at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°We have matching chest scars, now.¡± Hyde snorted. Rune chuckled along and pulled his shirt down. He rubbed Hyde¡¯s thick beard. ¡°Should we go trim it? Or shave it, if you want.¡± ¡°No, not shave.¡± Rune pouted. ¡°I¡¯d like to see what you¡¯d look like.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to have a baby face.¡± Rune snickered. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± He got off the bed and held a hand out to Hyde. ¡°Let¡¯s trim it, then.¡± Hyde took his hand and got to his feet, too. Rune pulled him closer and pressed a quick kiss on his lips. He only smiled at Hyde¡¯s light blush and took him to the bathroom. ¡°Shaving would be a lot easier,¡± Rune complained while he was clipping Hyde¡¯s beard short with a trimmer. Hyde stood bent over the sink on the right side, his elbows on the edge. Rune stood over the left side, both showing the mirror their shoulder. ¡°Nah.¡± Rune grunted. ¡°What? You offered to do it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Rune paused the trimming and moved back to see his handy work. He hummed. ¡°It¡¯s not very even.¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°It¡¯ll grow in no time.¡± He looked in the mirror above the sink. He frowned at one longer spot on his cheek. He took the trimmer from Rune and fixed it himself. ¡°How often do you do this yourself? Since your beard grows this much in three weeks and I¡¯ve never seen it longer than it is now.¡± ¡°Twice a week or so. Once a week when I¡¯m lazy.¡± Hyde laid the trimmer down on the sink and rubbed his cheek. He glanced at Rune through the mirror. ¡°Jeez.¡± Rune rubbed the stubble on his chin. ¡°I haven¡¯t touched my facial hair in weeks.¡± He examined his own small beard. The stubble on his chin and jaw stopped in the middle of his jawline. He had stubble above his lip, too. ¡°The joys of being a werewolf, I guess. It gives you a nice beard, but it takes a lot of maintenance to not look like a homeless person. If I were to shave my face clean, the first stubble would be back the same day. Having a smooth face for not even a day isn¡¯t worth the itchiness.¡± Rune looked down at Hyde¡¯s body. ¡°What about your other body hair? You¡¯re not that hairy.¡± Hyde rubbed his chest with a hum. ¡°I¡¯ve got some fuzz. It¡¯ll get thicker and longer with age, judging by my dad¡¯s chest hair.¡± Rune chuckled. They laid in Hyde¡¯s bed. Hyde rested his freshened up face on Rune¡¯s chest, Rune held him against his side. ¡°Have you been sleeping at all?¡± Rune asked, hushed. ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°About time, then.¡± Rune looked down at Hyde on his chest. He frowned. They always laid like this. He wanted to try something else. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Turn around, your back to me.¡± Hyde didn¡¯t have the energy to argue. He turned on his side, his back facing Rune. Rune pressed his chest against Hyde¡¯s back and laid his arm over his stomach. He nuzzled his face into Hyde¡¯s hair. ¡°So you¡¯re a spoon guy?¡± Hyde asked. ¡°Yeah. Aren¡¯t you?¡± Hyde turned his head towards him. ¡°I haven¡¯t tried it before.¡± He had, during a full moon. But Hyde couldn¡¯t recall, of course. ¡°How is it so far?¡± Hyde smiled. ¡°Comfy.¡± Rune smiled, too. ¡°Good.¡± He gave Hyde a kiss on his cheek. Hyde laid his head on his pillow and finally let himself fall asleep. Please, Go Home 16B Rune opened his tired eyes. The morning sun began to shine. He despised getting up this early, but they had a train to catch. He glanced down at Hyde sleeping in his arms, his face snuggled into the crook of his neck. Rune sighed. He didn¡¯t want to wake him; he looked so sweet, clinging to him like this. He loved his warmth. But again, train. He moved back a little to get Hyde¡¯s head out of his neck. He ran his hand through Hyde¡¯s hair and whispered, ¡°Hyde.¡± Hyde pinched his eyes and groaned. ¡°Wake up, we have to catch the train.¡± Hyde tried to push his face into Rune¡¯s chest with a whine, but Rune put his hand on his forehead and stopped him. ¡°No, love. Get up.¡± Hyde opened his eyes slightly. He glanced up at Rune¡¯s face. Rune smiled, he removed his hand from his forehead and placed a kiss there instead. ¡°You can continue sleeping once we¡¯re on the train, alright?¡± Hyde sighed. Rune pushed himself up and got out of bed. He left the room to grab his backpack and pack some stuff. Hyde dragged himself out, too. He looked at the sunrise through the window. This was too early, even for him. He went to his closet and opened it. He wondered what to wear. It was still warm here, but Enath would be cold. Maybe a shirt and a hoodie he could take off? Or bring a sweater he could pull on later? Perhaps he should bring a bag, too. Should they even come back here, to the village? He didn¡¯t feel the need to anymore, they could switch between Enath and Corburn. Either way, he didn¡¯t have a bag big enough for all his clothes, he¡¯d have to come back at least once. He¡¯d do it when they¡¯re in Corburn again. He grabbed a small duffle bag from his closet, then began picking out clothes to bring. To put on now, he got some blue jeans and a plain, black shirt, as well as an olive green sweater from Rune he had taken with him from Enath. ¡°So, I¡¯m out of blood,¡± Rune announced as he came into the room. ¡°But the train should have a supply, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± He placed his backpack on the bed, then spotted Hyde¡¯s bag. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re packing, too?¡± ¡°It¡¯d be nice to have some of my own clothes this time, I don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll stay,¡± Hyde told him without taking his eyes off his closet. ¡°Plus, I¡¯m not planning on staying in the village any longer. I¡¯ll grab all my other clothes when we¡¯re in Corburn again.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to live here anymore?¡± Hyde turned to him and saw Rune had the hood of his hoodie over his head, but let it drape over his shoulders. ¡°What¡¯s the point? Sure, I have a house here, but other than that, I¡¯d much rather live with my family¡ªor even your family.¡± ¡°Alright, sounds good to me.¡± Hyde grabbed the black shirt. He pulled it over his head as he realised something. He pulled it down his torso and squinted at Rune. ¡°Did you call me love?¡± Rune stared at him for a second. ¡°I suppose I did. Do you have a problem with that?¡± Hyde¡¯s face warmed a little, he evaded his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± He grabbed his jeans. Rune snickered. Hyde closed the button on his jeans, then took the green sweater from the bed and tied it around his waist. He glanced at Rune and hummed. ¡°I¡¯m kinda copying your look right now.¡± ¡°My look?¡± ¡°The black, sweater tied around my waist.¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s practical.¡± He grabbed his backpack and carried it in his hand. He took Hyde¡¯s hand with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Hyde pulled the handle of his bag over his shoulder and smiled back. ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± They made their way to the front door. Hyde frowned at the way Rune loosely wore his hoodie. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you actually pull it on?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh,¡± Rune looked at his hoodie, too. ¡°Nah, it covers everything.¡± Hyde shook his head with a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± They left for the station. The sun continued to rise. Rune watched it, sitting in the window seat in their small cabin on the train. Hyde sat beside him, slumped in his own seat and his head on Rune¡¯s shoulder. He had his eyes closed, but Rune wasn¡¯t sure if he was asleep. Their bags laid on the seats across from them. Rune¡¯s stomach rumbled. Hyde sighed. Rune turned to him, his eyes were open. ¡°Can¡¯t get to sleep?¡± Rune asked. Hyde shook no. Rune glanced at the bed in the wall above the seats in front of them. ¡°You could lay in bed.¡± Hyde shook his head again and hugged Rune¡¯s arm. Rune breathed out a chuckle. ¡°Or stubbornly refuse to let go of me.¡± Hyde loosened his grip. ¡°You know that thing I wanted to say last night, but didn¡¯t?¡± Rune raised his eyebrow. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Well, I wanted to tell you how much I missed you, but you can see that yourself. And I¡­ I blamed myself for what happened.¡± ¡°What? Why would it be your fault?¡± ¡°If I had been a second faster, I would¡¯ve saved you. But no, I was too slow.¡± Rune caressed Hyde¡¯s cheek. ¡°You had a concussion. You already did everything you could. You tried to get us out of there, you tried to fight them off, you tried to save me. My death wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± Hyde¡¯s eyes teared up, he hid his face in Rune¡¯s shoulder. Rune rubbed his cheek against the top of his head. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Rune¡¯s stomach complained again. Hyde glanced down at it. ¡°Want to grab some food?¡± Rune nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± They stood in front of a food table. Hyde considered his options while Rune searched for anything he could eat at all. Where was the vampire food? They always had it. He looked at the person behind the table. ¡°Excuse me?¡± The person turned to him. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you have any vampire food?¡± The person shook their head. ¡°No, sorry. There wasn¡¯t any supply in the south.¡± Rune stared at them. ¡°¡­Oh.¡± Well, shit. What was he supposed to do? Starve? Hyde took Rune¡¯s hand and dragged him away. Rune saw he had grabbed a sandwich, he carried it on a plate with a napkin. They returned to their cabin. Rune sat back in his window seat with a frustrated groan. Hyde sat beside him with a frown, he put the plate down on the table. ¡°Bloody hell. Why wouldn¡¯t they have food for vampires? What do they expect me to eat?¡± Hyde hummed. ¡°They might not have expected there to be a vampire on the train, since they¡¯re so uncommon in the heat of the south.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°But, I have an idea.¡± Rune squinted at Hyde. ¡°What?¡± Hyde tensed his shoulders and looked away. ¡°You could drink my blood.¡± Rune flinched and widened his eyes. ¡°Wha- really?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I¡¯m not sure if I trust myself not to kill you. I¡¯ve never drunk from a person before.¡± Hyde smiled a little. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯ll tell you when I get dizzy.¡± He rubbed Rune¡¯s cheek with his finger. ¡°I trust you.¡± Rune stared at him for a moment, then took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Okay, then.¡± They turned to face each other. Hyde moved closer, he kept his shoulder down and slightly tilted his head to expose his neck. ¡°In the neck, right?¡± Rune let out a worried sigh. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why, actually?¡± ¡°The blood comes out the quickest, and the skin is soft and easy to puncture.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Rune put his hand on Hyde¡¯s cheek and leaned in, but paused and said, ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll let me know at the first sign of dizziness or nausea or anything.¡± Hyde huffed with a smile. ¡°I promise.¡± Rune got closer to his neck and bared his fangs, then pulled back with a whine. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only two little stabs, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve felt worse.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it better!¡± ¡°Do it! Dragging it out doesn¡¯t help, either.¡± Rune took a deep breath. He leaned into his neck again, baring his fangs. He bit. Hyde flinched and hissed, Rune¡¯s stomach twisted. He removed his fangs from his skin and began to suck blood out of the two holes. Fuck, it was warm. He was used to cooled or room temperature fake blood, but this, this tasted so much better. It was thicker, richer in flavour, more filling, he wanted to take it all. He let himself get lost in it, like he entered a trance. Hyde shook his shoulder, snapping him awake. He stopped and moved away. He frowned. ¡°Oh no.¡± Rune rubbed Hyde¡¯s cheek. ¡°You¡¯re so pale.¡± Hyde gave him a weak smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just dizzy, tired, and¡ªyou know¡ªdrained.¡± He leaned forward and placed his cheek on Rune¡¯s shoulder. Rune brushed his fingers through his hair. He stared at the wound, it kept bleeding. He wiped the blood away with his finger, he hummed. Hyde questioningly hummed back. ¡°It won¡¯t stop bleeding.¡± Rune gently pushed Hyde off him. ¡°I¡¯ll try to find a plaster or something.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Hyde wanted to stand up to let him through, but Rune grabbed his shoulders. ¡°No, no, stay on your butt, you might faint if you stand up.¡± ¡°Then how will you¡ª¡± Rune licked the blood off his fingers and climbed on the table. He slid to the other side and stood up. He looked at Hyde¡¯s bleeding neck again with a frown, then glanced at the napkin on the table. ¡°Hold the napkin against your neck for now.¡± Hyde nodded and grabbed it. He pushed it on the wound. Rune pulled the sliding door open and went to find a plaster. Rune returned to their cabin, plaster in hand. Hyde slid to the window side, Rune sat next to him. Hyde removed the napkin from his neck, it had a big, red stain on it. He left it on the table. Rune pulled the package of the plaster open. Hyde tilted his head to the side. Rune placed the plaster over his bite, then tightly slid his fingers over it to make it stick. He moved back with a sigh. Hyde certainly looked drained; pale, bags under his eyes, shoulders slumped, shivering a little. ¡°You should eat your breakfast.¡± Hyde frowned. ¡°Was it enough?¡± Rune smiled. ¡°It should be enough until we arrive in Enath. Real blood is a lot more filling.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Hyde grabbed his sandwich. He leaned against Rune and munched on it. Rune wrapped his arm around Hyde¡¯s waist. ¡°Thank you,¡± Rune whispered. ¡°Of course,¡± Hyde whispered back. Hyde had finished eating. He laid exhausted against Rune and whined, ¡°Now I really wanna sleep.¡± ¡°You can.¡± ¡°I wanna sleep on you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s stopping you?¡± Hyde sighed. ¡°These seats aren¡¯t comfortable for that.¡± Rune rubbed his side. ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Hyde glanced up at the small bed above them. ¡°Oh, now you want to lay in bed?¡± Hyde nodded. Rune chuckled. ¡°Alright.¡± He sat up, moved onto his knees and climbed on the bed. Hyde followed suit. Rune leaned his shoulder blades against the wooden wall of the bed, not fully laying down. Hyde crawled over his legs and laid down on Rune, his head on his shoulder. They couldn¡¯t stretch their legs in these small beds, but they managed. Hyde placed his hand above Rune¡¯s heart. He smiled a little. Rune raised his eyebrow. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I love feeling your heartbeat, now.¡± Rune frowned. He massaged his head with his fingers, making Hyde close his eyes. ¡°Get some sleep, love.¡± Hyde woke up to the soothing rise and fall of Rune¡¯s chest. He groaned and turned to lay on his back. He let his legs hang out of the bed and stretched his whole body. He relaxed his muscles again with a grunt. He looked up at his mattress¡¯s face. ¡°Rest well?¡± Rune asked. Hyde hummed as he stared out of the window. Judging by the sun, it was getting close to noon, now. ¡°How long was I out?¡± ¡°Several hours, I didn¡¯t keep track.¡± Rune rubbed Hyde¡¯s chin. ¡°But you seem less pale. Do you feel any better?¡± Hyde smiled. ¡°Yeah.¡± He wrapped Rune¡¯s arms around his stomach and held his hand. He lightly scratched Rune¡¯s jaw. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I want to tell you something.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m all ears.¡± ¡°I want you to know how important you are to me, and how much I care about you.¡± He pulled Rune¡¯s face closer. ¡°And how thankful I am you entered my life. I would still be stuck in the village and in my own head if it weren¡¯t for you.¡± Rune hugged him tighter. ¡°Well,¡± there was a small tremble in his voice, ¡°I want you to know that I feel the same. I would still be stuck working for them without you. You mean a lot to me,¡± he finished in a whisper, then pressed a kiss on Hyde¡¯s hair. Hyde moved up to see his face. Rune had tears in his eyes. Hyde smiled sadly and wiped them away. He pecked his cheek. He looked down with a frown as a question came to him. ¡°Do you¡±¡ªhe hesitated for a moment¡ª¡°want to be my boyfriend?¡± His face warmed. A pause. ¡°I thought I already was.¡± Hyde scratched his cheek and chuckled. ¡°I want to confirm it. We never said the word.¡± Rune smiled, he took a hold of Hyde¡¯s chin. ¡°Yes, I want to be your boyfriend.¡± He kissed him. Hyde closed his eyes and kissed back. Rune pulled away and hummed. He left his hands on Hyde¡¯s waist. ¡°You know, when we first met, I had considered what a relationship between us would look like.¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I was attracted to you. And I had a lot of time to think in that cell.¡± Hyde snorted. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°At first, I had expected me to be the little spoon out of the two of us. But, you¡¯re a lot more sensitive and cuddly than I had expected.¡± Hyde grinned. ¡°What, you thought I was some tough guy?¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°You can be. But I like this softer side of you, too.¡± He placed a kiss on his nose, Hyde pinched his eyes closed. ¡°It¡¯s cute.¡± Hyde squinted as he came to a realisation. ¡°Do you wanna be the little spoon more often? Cause I¡¯d enjoy being big spoon, too.¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m in the mood for it, sometimes.¡± ¡°Are you in the mood now?¡± Rune blushed a little and glanced away. ¡°Maybe.¡± Hyde pushed himself off Rune and sat on his knees. Rune sat up. Hyde nudged him to the side. ¡°Move.¡± Rune made space for him and Hyde laid in Rune¡¯s previous position. He grabbed Rune¡¯s shoulders and pulled him onto his chest, with his head on his shoulder. Rune smiled and snuggled into him. Hyde hugged him and stared out of the window with his cheek pressed into Rune¡¯s hair. Please, Go Home 17 Rune rushed through the front door in Enath in the morning. He burst into the living room where Moon, Night and Lullaby all sat on the couch, reading a book, magazine, or newspaper. They all looked up at him in shock. Rune turned to the kitchen. ¡°Rune!¡± Moon called with a big smile, but Rune ran to the fridge. He yanked it open as Moon walked up to him. ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± she asked for his attention again. Rune grabbed a can of blood as he told her, ¡°Yeah, hang on.¡± He opened it and threw his head back, letting the contents slide down his throat as fast as possible. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here again, too,¡± he heard Moon call to what he assumed to be Hyde. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll have to get used to my presence,¡± Hyde answered. Rune let his hand with the now-empty can fall on the counter and cleared his throat, then sighed with a content smile. He looked to the side at everyone staring at him. Moon next to him, Night and Lullaby standing at the dining table, Hyde a bit further behind them. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lullaby asked. ¡°I hadn¡¯t eaten in two days,¡± Rune replied in a husky voice. Lullaby¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What, why?¡± ¡°The train didn¡¯t have any vampire food.¡± Rune turned to Moon and hugged her. ¡°Hello.¡± Moon snickered and hugged him back. ¡°But isn¡¯t it a three day trip?¡± Night wondered. ¡°What did you eat the first day?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Rune glanced behind her at Hyde. Night followed his gaze to Hyde. ¡°Oh.¡± Rune guessed she noticed the bite in his neck, it wasn¡¯t hard to spot. ¡°You bit him?!¡± Moon yelled as she pushed off him. ¡°What else was I supposed to do, starve?!¡± ¡°It was my idea,¡± Hyde defended him. Moon turned to him, then sighed. ¡°Well, if it was consensual, then fine.¡± Night squinted at Hyde. ¡°Why do we need to get used to your presence all of a sudden?¡± Hyde stepped backwards towards the couch and the fireplace as he said, ¡°Cause I¡¯m your brother¡¯s boyfriend, now,¡± with a grin. Moon gasped excitedly and hugged Rune¡¯s arm. ¡°Really?!¡± Rune was a little startled, but nodded. ¡°Oh, and when is the last time you¡¯ve seen Grandpa?¡± ¡°Yesterday,¡± Moon told him without letting his arm go. ¡°He was here, yesterday,¡± Lullaby clarified. ¡°He always asks if you came by again.¡± Rune frowned. ¡°As if I wouldn¡¯t go see him if I did?¡± Night shrugged. ¡°You didn¡¯t last time.¡± ¡°What¡ªhe was the one that wasn¡¯t here!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t wait for him to come back, either.¡± ¡°I had stuff to do.¡± ¡°Are you going to Veritas today?¡± Lullaby asked. Rune hummed in thought. He glanced at Hyde huddled in a blanket on the couch, seeming to be dozing off with his head on the armrest. ¡°We¡¯ll go tomorrow. The trip here was already exhausting.¡± Lullaby grinned at him. ¡°You want him to come, too?¡± ¡°Well, duh. I want my grandad to meet my boyfriend.¡± Lullaby chuckled. Moon let Rune¡¯s arm go and went to the couch. Rune followed her. Moon leaned over the back of it and looked down at Hyde falling asleep. She squinted. She poked the bruise on Hyde¡¯s temple. Hyde flinched and yelped, then swatted her hand away. ¡°The fuck?!¡± ¡°Moon!¡± Rune scolded. Moon looked up at him. ¡°What? It didn¡¯t look that painful, it¡¯s almost faded.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t poke people¡¯s bruises! Who raised you?¡± ¡°You, partially.¡± Rune squinted at her. ¡°Shut up.¡± Moon glanced back at Hyde. ¡°Sorry.¡± Hyde sat up with a grumpy look. Rune sat on the couch in front of Hyde. ¡°What happened to your head?¡± Moon asked. ¡°I had a concussion,¡± Hyde grumbled. ¡°Which also messes with my energy, so excuse me for dozing off.¡± ¡°Okay, calm down, Hyde. She apologised,¡± Rune told him. Hyde glanced at him, then groaned. ¡°How did you get a concussion?¡± Night asked as she arrived at the couch, too. ¡°Uh,¡± Hyde hesitated, looking at Rune. Rune sighed. ¡°You know those people I worked for?¡± The girls nodded. ¡°The way I got out of the job, so I could go home, was kind of by tricking them. Three and a half weeks ago, they figured out I tricked them and they were pissed. They wanted me to kill Hyde to make up for it, but I didn¡¯t, obviously. But then, they attacked us. They gave him a concussion and they¡ªuh¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t sure how to phrase it. ¡°They killed me.¡± Night froze up, Moon flinched in shock. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Lullaby called from the kitchen. She came to the couch too. ¡°They killed you?!¡± Rune tightened his lips and nodded. ¡°Then how are you here?¡± Night asked. ¡°Because a witch friend of his¡±¡ªRune gestured at Hyde¡ª¡°just so happened to be researching how to bring back the dead. And she succeeded, three weeks after I died.¡± None of them knew what to say, they only stared at him. ¡°And that¡¯s also a reason for why I came here again. I wanted to be sure they didn¡¯t hurt any of you.¡± ¡°You were dead for three weeks?!¡± Lullaby repeated, unable to believe it. Rune frowned and nodded. ¡°What was it like, being dead?¡± Night asked with a grim grin. Rune hummed as he considered what to say. ¡°Like nothing. It was like I had woken up from a nap, as if no time had passed at all.¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯re coming after us, now?¡± Moon worried. ¡°Probably not. Surely, they would¡¯ve done something in the last three weeks if they are.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°What if you¡¯re wrong?¡± Lullaby asked. Rune sighed, he glanced at Hyde. At least he wouldn¡¯t have to protect them on his own. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± In the afternoon, Rune sat on the couch, reading the same book he had taken last time. He wanted to finish it before they went to see his grandad tomorrow, so he could give it back. Hyde rested on his shoulder, dozing off again. Moon and Night had gone upstairs, Lullaby was having lunch in the kitchen. ¡°Does a concussion drain your energy this much?¡± Rune asked Hyde. ¡°Seems like it,¡± Hyde groaned. ¡°You¡¯re not getting ill or something?¡± Hyde shook his head. Rune pressed his palm to Hyde¡¯s forehead to check his temperature. ¡°You do feel warm.¡± ¡°My head is always warm compared to your hand. I¡¯m fine, okay?¡± Rune sighed. ¡°Alright.¡± Rune flinched at little taps on the top of his head. He looked up at Lullaby. She retracted her hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to do some shopping.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. How long?¡± ¡°An hour, maybe. Need anything?¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± She smiled. ¡°Okay. See you later.¡± Rune smiled back. ¡°Later.¡± He watched her leave, then continued reading his book. Footsteps came down the stairs. Rune looked around, it was Night. ¡°Since you¡¯re going to Veritas tomorrow,¡± she said as she approached the couch, ¡°can you take this with you?¡± She pushed a book against his shoulder. ¡°I finished it.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Rune grabbed it and took a good look at it. It was one of their grandad¡¯s adventure novels. He smiled. ¡°Oh, I read this one, too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s Veritas?¡± Hyde mumbled. ¡°The city my grandad lives in.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Rune turned to Night. ¡°Did you like it?¡± She nodded, she glanced at the book on Rune¡¯s lap. ¡°Oh yeah, you stole that one from me.¡± Rune raised his eyebrow. ¡°Stole? Weren¡¯t you finished with it?¡± ¡°I was, but Grandpa didn¡¯t know you had it. He thought I should have three books of his, but then I only had two and he thought I lost one.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell him I took it?¡± ¡°I did, but he didn¡¯t give me the chance to say it right away.¡± Rune chuckled. Night frowned a little. ¡°You know, he was pretty upset when we told him you came by.¡± Rune frowned too. ¡°Was he?¡± ¡°Well, of course he was glad you had come home and you were okay, but he was upset that you left again before he could see you.¡± Rune looked down. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°You really couldn¡¯t have stuck around a few more weeks?¡± Rune glanced at Hyde. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I thought it would¡¯ve been best if we didn¡¯t wait too long.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For Hyde to go home. He had already been away for six years. And I didn¡¯t want to give him the chance to grow so anxious, he¡¯d run away again.¡± ¡°You know I can hear you, right?¡± Hyde grumbled. ¡°So what, am I lying?¡± Hyde grunted. ¡°You¡¯re grumpy today.¡± Rune turned back to Night. ¡°So yeah, that.¡± Night hummed. She glanced at Hyde. ¡°Did you go home?¡± Hyde nodded with his eyes closed. ¡°Did it go well?¡± Hyde nodded again. ¡°Good.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Whoa, you hadn¡¯t seen your family since I was ten. We just got out of the orphanage, then.¡± ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t make me feel old,¡± Hyde complained. Rune chuckled. Rune and Hyde were having a late lunch at the dinner table. Rune had an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Lullaby wasn¡¯t back yet, it had been several hours, now. ¡°Should we go look for her?¡± he asked Hyde. Hyde shrugged. ¡°We can, if you want.¡± ¡°You could track her down, right?¡± ¡°I can try.¡± Rune stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Rune walked through Enath with Hyde sniffing around beside him. ¡°Found a trace yet?¡± Rune asked. Hyde shook his head. ¡°With all the smells everywhere, it¡¯s difficult to single one out.¡± Rune hummed. ¡°Could you shift to make it easier?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to shift in the middle of the street! You know how much attention that would attract?¡± ¡°Could you partially shift?¡± ¡°You know I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Have you tried?¡± Hyde groaned. ¡°How about, instead of relying on my nose, we think about this logically and not try to search the whole town? Where do you think she went? Which stores?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Rune squinted in thought. ¡°The grocery store, at least. Maybe a tea shop.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s search there, first.¡± They first went to the grocery store. They searched around it; in the alleyways, the back of the building, everywhere. Hyde couldn¡¯t find a trace of her. They went inside and walked around the whole store. The vegetable section, the meat section, bakery section, every aisle they could. There, the smells were way too overwhelming for Hyde to find anything. They concluded she wasn¡¯t there. They did the same at the nearby tea shop. Not there either. They continued walking around the streets in the hope of finding a glimpse of her. Rune¡¯s stomach twisted. Maybe she took a little detour somewhere. Maybe she ran into a friend. What friend, though? She made other friends the last five years, right? Right? Or maybe the gang had gotten to her. They had already gotten rid of her body, they¡¯d never be able to find a trace of her. Just like his parents. They had waited for him to come home so he¡¯d be here when they did it. So he¡¯d hurt. Panic. He flinched when Hyde grabbed his arm. Rune looked at him, Hyde stared into a dark alleyway with wide eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Blood,¡± Hyde whispered. He glanced at Rune. ¡°I smell blood.¡± Rune stared at him, frozen, terrified. He searched around, there wasn¡¯t anyone else on this street. Hyde took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll go first, okay?¡± Rune nodded. Hyde walked into the alley. Rune couldn¡¯t stand the tension of standing there alone and followed him in at a small distance. Deep into the alley, someone laid on their back on the ground. Hyde rushed to their side. ¡°It¡¯s her!¡± he called out. He turned to Rune. ¡°She¡¯s still alive!¡± Rune was shaken awake. ¡°What?¡± He ran to them and fell on his knees beside her. Her chest still rose and fell, despite the big open wound in her stomach. She turned her head to him, her eyes barely open and struggling to breathe. A pool of blood laid around her. Rune teared up. He lifted her into his arms and let her rest against his chest. He stroked her cheek. She gave him a weak smile. ¡°Hey,¡± she whispered. He hugged her tighter and pushed his cheek against her head as tears fell down his face. He looked at Hyde. He sat a bit further away, defeated. ¡°Can we do anything?¡± Rune asked him in a whisper. Hyde sighed. ¡°She won¡¯t make it to a hospital.¡± Rune looked back at Lullaby. ¡°I¡ªI could turn you.¡± She shook her head. ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± she whispered again. ¡°I¡¯m a faerie.¡± He trembled and pinched his eyes closed as he laid his forehead on her head. ¡°Thank you,¡± she wheezed, then inhaled sharply. Rune looked at her face. She smiled a little again. ¡°For giving me a family.¡± Rune held her tightly again. ¡°Thank you, for everything.¡± She stopped breathing. Rune sobbed into her hair. He flinched at a hand on his shoulder and turned his head around. Hyde gave him a sad look. He rubbed his shoulder. ¡°We should report it to the police, even though we know perfectly well who did this.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s suspicious if we don¡¯t. Someone else would find her eventually. We can¡¯t tell them who did it without incriminating you, but we could at least make them think we¡¯d want to find out.¡± Rune glanced away, thinking it over. ¡°Otherwise, they might figure out I was involved with them?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Rune sighed, then nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go, you stay here with her.¡± Hyde stood up and stroked Rune¡¯s head for a moment before running off. Rune looked back at the body of his best friend in his arms. He cried into her hair again. If only he hadn¡¯t tried to trick them. If only he¡¯d done what he was told. If only Hyde had never caught him. But then he still wouldn¡¯t have been able to come home. He might never have been able to. He wouldn¡¯t have met Hyde. Could Selene bring her back, too? That might not be the best idea, now that the police was getting involved. They could wait until this all died down, then they could get her body and bring her back unnoticed. How long would they have to wait? Would Selene agree to bring her back? Surely, she won¡¯t deny another test subject offered to her. For now, they¡¯d have to leave her dead. Her body wouldn¡¯t be going anywhere. He looked at her lifeless face again and ran his thumb over her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered. ¡°One day.¡± He heard people approaching. Everything was a blur. He vaguely remembered Hyde kneeling in front of him, gently tugging him away, telling him it was time to let her go. He recalled Hyde holding him close while the police sectioned off the crime scene and took her body. He barely remembered an officer separating him from Hyde to interview them both, he couldn¡¯t recall the answers he gave. They were good enough for the officer to let them go home. He remembered walking behind Hyde, holding his hand. In the blink of an eye, they were home. Hyde took Rune inside. ¡°Where have you been?¡± he heard Night call out as she came into the hallway. He looked at her face but couldn¡¯t get a word out of his mouth. He noticed Hyde frowning at him. ¡°They should hear it from you,¡± Hyde whispered. Rune teared up again and shook his head. ¡°What happened?¡± Night asked. Rune looked at her face, his little sister¡¯s face. He had never been able to tell them something like this. Not when their parents died, either. ¡®Where are Mum and Dad?¡¯ they¡¯d ask. He couldn¡¯t tell them. They had to wait for their grandad¡¯s first visit. Eleven years later, he still can¡¯t. He grabbed at his hair as his face trembled. Hyde held his hand as he said, ¡°You should sit down.¡± He took Rune to the couch. Moon was sitting at the dining table. Rune sat down, he leaned his elbows on his knees and grabbed his hair again with both hands as he quietly cried. Moon came to sit beside him. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Rune shook his head. He felt her arms wrap around his shoulders in a hug. ¡°Seriously, what happened?¡± Night asked Hyde behind them. Hyde sighed and hesitated. ¡°Should I say it?¡± he asked Rune. Rune nodded. Hyde was right, it would be better if they heard it from Rune, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to talk right now and wasn¡¯t sure when he could. Leaving them in suspense for so long would only make it worse. Hyde sighed. ¡°Well, Lullaby, she¡ªuh¡­ she died. We found her, went to the police, they took care of it all.¡± Silence filled the room. ¡°What?¡± Moon broke it. ¡°H-how? Why?¡± Night asked. ¡°The gang most likely killed her. They wounded her, not sure how. She was still alive when we found her, but we couldn¡¯t do anything to save her.¡± Moon¡¯s arms trembled around Rune¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Did she¡±¡ªshe choked up¡ª¡°say anything?¡± Rune took a deep, shaky, wet breath and nodded. ¡°She thanked me, us, for giving her a family.¡± His voice was hoarse. He looked at Moon, tears fell down her cheeks. He then looked at Night, she seemed to be holding her tears back, but they welled in her eyes, too. Rune leaned back into the couch and pulled Moon against his side. He turned to Night again and tugged at her arm. ¡°Come here.¡± She clenched her face as she climbed on the couch and laid against his other side. He put an arm around her, too. Hyde sighed behind them. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± He leaned down and pressed a kiss on Rune¡¯s head, then walked away. The image of his sisters crying on his chest danced through Rune¡¯s own tears. Moon sobbing, Night only letting tears fall out of her eyes. He didn¡¯t want to tell them they could potentially bring her back, in case they couldn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t want to put them through this pain again. He kissed Moon¡¯s hair, then rested his chin on Night¡¯s head and rubbed both of their sides. Now he was the only adult of the house, with no one else to rely on here in Enath. Please, Go Home 18 The atmosphere was grim the next morning. No one said anything. What was there to say? Moon and Night sat at the dining table. Rune sat still on the couch with Hyde next to him, his thoughts spiralling down a rabbit hole. They were after them. They had waited for him to come here before killing her, so he¡¯d feel threatened. They¡¯d go after his sisters next. His grandad. Hyde. They¡¯d kill him again. What could they do? Clearly, he wasn¡¯t capable of protecting them himself. Lullaby would still be here if he was. ¡°Penny for your thoughts?¡± Hyde asked beside him. Rune flinched. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m scared they¡¯ll come after the rest of us.¡± Hyde sighed and took his hand into his own. ¡°We¡¯ll not let anyone go out alone again until this is all over. And if we have to go alone, stay in populated, well-lit areas.¡± ¡°Then what about my grandad? He lives on his own.¡± Rune¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How would I know he¡¯s still okay? None of us have seen him in two days.¡± Hyde opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Night from the kitchen, saying, ¡°Then go see him, so you can calm down. That was your plan, right?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. But I won¡¯t leave you two alone.¡± He squinted, then turned back to Hyde. He wanted him to come with him to Veritas, but this was more important. ¡°Could you stay here with them?¡± Hyde frowned. ¡°You want to go alone?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay in busy areas, like you said. I want you to meet my grandad, but please, keep them safe.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Are you sure he could protect us?¡± Moon asked. ¡°Very.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Hyde asked. ¡°You¡¯d be perfect. Your heightened senses could smell or hear something off and if anyone breaks in, you could let yourself lose control and go ham.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡± Rune sighed and turned to fully face him. He grabbed his hands. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like to, but I also know you can if necessary. Promise me you¡¯ll protect them, whatever it takes. Even if you have to slaughter a whole group of people.¡± Hyde stared at him, unsure and a little scared. ¡°That¡¯s a big ask.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a big situation.¡± Rune frowned. ¡°I¡¯d rather not ask this of you, but please,¡± he leaned closer and held his hands tighter, ¡°promise me.¡± Hyde was quiet for a bit, then took a deep breath. ¡°I promise.¡± Rune smiled in relief. ¡°Thank you.¡± He let his hands go and stood up. He grabbed the two books on the couch and his backpack off the floor. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go. I¡¯ll take my grandad to Enath so you can meet him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯d want to, he was just here,¡± Night commented. Rune looked at her with a glare. ¡°I¡¯ll drag him by his good leg, if I have to.¡± Night chuckled. ¡°Good luck with that.¡± Rune glanced back at Hyde, who wasn¡¯t having a good time. He leaned down and pressed a kiss on his head, then ruffled his hair a little. Hyde turned his face up to him, Rune smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later today, okay?¡± Hyde smiled back a little. ¡°Okay. Hyde sat at the dining table. He decided to write a letter home to let them know where he was. And so they could contact him if they wanted. He bit his pen, thinking of everything he wanted to tell them. So much had happened. How to start? Should he tell them about everything? Maybe not through a letter. He sighed and brought the pen to the paper. Hello family, I¡¯m in the north, in Enath. With Rune¡¯s family. So, in case you wanted to contact me, this is where I am right now. I¡¯ve decided I don¡¯t want to live in that village anymore, so when I come back south, I¡¯ll come home. Rue Shit. Hyde crossed it out. Rue? Sounded kind of cute, actually. Rue Rune and I are a couple, now. I¡¯m sure that surprises none of you. So, yes. I¡¯m gay. There. That¡¯s all the coming out you¡¯ll get from me. The north is cold. Especially now that we¡¯re going into fall. I¡¯m constantly sitting at the fireplace with a blanket. It¡¯s pretty cosy. I don¡¯t know if I want to experience what winter is like here. But seeing snow for the first time would be neat. If anything special is going on back home, let me know. Love you, Hyde
Rune made his way through the city centre after the half-hour long train ride. Buildings were up to five or six stories tall, the streets were wide to handle the amount of people. There were small roofs for shade everywhere for vampires, but of course everyone could hide from the rain or snow under them. He spotted a vampire food store. He forgot how accommodating the city was to vampires after years away. Towards his grandfather¡¯s house, Rune made sure to take the most visible, well-lit routes he could. He lived in a calm, quiet neighbourhood near the outskirts of Veritas. Once there, he searched for the house. They were rather small, brick row-homes with porches in front, big enough for two or three people. Rune arrived at the house, his heart skipped a beat. Five years. Five years, he had waited for this. They¡¯d both waited for this. He took a deep breath and walked up the steps to the front door. He knocked twice. He held his breath as he listened for the noises inside. Was he home? Was he okay? Had the gang gotten to him? Footsteps came to the door, the doorknob twisted. It opened. A man looking to be in his late thirties showed his face, not a hint of grey in his pale brown hair or his light stubble. Raspberry red eyes pierced into Rune. Rune smiled a little. ¡°Hey. I¡¯m back.¡± Thomas grabbed his arm and pulled him inside into a tight hug, then closed the door with his foot. Before Rune could hug him, Thomas let go and pulled the backpack off Rune¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Get that off,¡± he complained. The bag dropped to the ground. He locked his arms around his grandson again, without the bag being in the way. Rune hugged him tight with his chin on his shoulder as he teared up. Thomas gripped Rune¡¯s hair and rubbed his face against his head. ¡°Welcome home,¡± Thomas¡¯s voice cracked. Rune sadly chuckled. ¡°I missed you.¡± ¡°I missed you, too.¡± Thomas let him go and put his hands on Rune¡¯s cheeks, he smiled with tears in his eyes. ¡°Some timing you had, coming home the first time,¡± he chuckled. ¡°How was I supposed to know you¡¯d be away exactly that month?¡± Thomas shook his head and let his hands down, still smiling. He stepped towards the door to the living room. ¡°Come sit on the couch, there¡¯s a lot I¡¯d like you to tell me.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Rune glanced at the bookshelves standing proudly in the hallway. He grabbed his bag off the floor as he said, ¡°Wait.¡± He pulled the zipper open and got the two books out. He handed them to Thomas. ¡°These are yours.¡± Thomas took them and looked at them, one in each hand. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Night asked me to give that one back, and the other is the one I took, last time.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Thomas went to his shelves and placed both books in their spot. ¡°So no, Night didn¡¯t lose it,¡± Rune teased. ¡°I stole it. I¡¯ve been getting good at that the past five years.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Thomas turned to him with an unimpressed, arched brow. ¡°Speaking of the past five years.¡± He pointed towards the living room. ¡°Couch.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Rune walked into the living room. He sat on the couch, on the right side. Thomas came to the couch too, sitting on the left with his left leg folded under him and his right stretched over the side, facing Rune. Rune saw him thinking, probably of what to ask first. Thomas took a deep breath. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you keep in touch?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Night and Moon tell you? I told them.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What did they tell you?¡± ¡°That you came by and stayed for two weeks, and you brought a guy with you that you were suspiciously close to.¡± ¡°Suspiciously,¡± Rune laughed. ¡°Well, yeah, he¡¯s my boyfriend now. But that can wait. I didn¡¯t keep in touch, because I didn¡¯t want to put you all at risk.¡± ¡°How would that put us at risk?¡± ¡°When you¡¯re stealing from people all around the continent, you¡¯re bound to make some people upset. I didn¡¯t want to risk one of them intercepting any letters I might¡¯ve sent and find out where you live.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡±¡ªThomas glanced down¡ª¡°probably was for the best. How did you finally get out of it?¡± Rune tensed and frowned. ¡°I tricked them. With Hyde¡¯s help, my boyfriend. He lived in a small village that I was sent to, and he was kind of like a cop there. But not really, he didn¡¯t have any actual power. But he caught me, and, after we talked for a bit, he came with the idea to lock me in a cell for a few days, so they¡¯d fire me. It seemed to have worked, until a bit over three weeks ago.¡± Rune glanced at Thomas, not sure how he¡¯d react. Not well, he guessed, that his grandson had been killed, too. ¡°We were in the village at the time. They attacked us, and they killed me. But then a friend of Hyde¡¯s happened to be researching how to bring back a dead person, and I was her first successful attempt.¡± He tried to gloss over the killing part. He was alive now, no need to dwell on it. Thomas stared at him, processing what he was told. He closed his eyes and shook his head, as if to reset his confused brain. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yes, you heard that right. It¡¯s insane, I know.¡± ¡°They killed you?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°You died?!¡± ¡°Sure did.¡± Rune pulled the collar of his sweater down to show his scar. ¡°Here¡¯s proof.¡± Thomas examined it, confused and upset. ¡°How long were you¡ª¡± ¡°Three weeks. I¡¯ve been back for¡­ four? Five days?¡± ¡°Was it painful?¡± ¡°Being dead? No, I didn¡¯t experience anything those three weeks. As if I took a nap. In the blink of an eye, it was three weeks later.¡± ¡°I meant more dying itself.¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say having a stake rammed into my chest was a comfortable experience.¡± Thomas breathed out a chuckle. ¡°Yeah.¡± He glanced away with furrowed, thoughtful brows. ¡°So, that friend could bring someone back to life, with no repercussions?¡± Rune¡¯s eyes widened, getting what he was thinking about. He sighed. ¡°She¡¯d at least need a body.¡± Thomas gave him a defeated frown. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Let me ask you a question now, though.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why did you leave?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡ª¡± Thomas sighed. ¡°I needed to get away for a while. To get my head straight. Usually, we got a paycheque every month for your work, I used it to make sure you were still okay. But then we didn¡¯t get one, three months ago. I wasn¡¯t sure what to think, I hoped it meant you¡¯d come home soon. But then another month passed, still no cheque, and you weren¡¯t home yet.¡± He looked down at his hands, he was rubbing the skin between his thumb and index finger. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what could¡¯ve happened to you; if you were okay, if you were alive, if I was ever going to see you again. It all reminded me of your parents.¡± Rune¡¯s heart sank. ¡°The uncertainty, the anxiety, the fear.¡± Thomas teared up. ¡°It felt way too familiar.¡± Tears stung in Rune¡¯s eyes, too. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I hadn¡¯t considered that. I stayed away for a bit, because I thought you¡¯d all be mad at me for not keeping in touch. I wasn¡¯t ready to come home, yet. But I never meant to put you through that again.¡± Thomas shook his head. He pulled Rune against him by his shoulder and hugged him again. ¡°You¡¯re back now, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± Rune put his arms around him with a sigh, with his cheek on Thomas¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I brought something with me, though.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It seems like the gang isn¡¯t satisfied with killing me. They killed Lullaby yesterday, the exact day I came here.¡± Thomas held him tighter. ¡°What?¡± Tears escaped Rune¡¯s eyes. ¡°Now, they¡¯ll probably go after Night or Moon, or you, or maybe Hyde. I wanted Hyde to come with me, here, but I couldn¡¯t leave Night and Moon alone right now.¡± ¡°You think he can protect them?¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a werewolf. He killed the woman that killed me.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°But, can you come to Enath until we know it¡¯s safe again? And to meet my boyfriend.¡± Thomas sighed. ¡°Alright. Let me pack some stuff.¡± ¡°One more thing,¡± Rune stopped him. ¡°Hm?¡± Rune let him go. ¡°You know what kind of job Mum and Dad had, right?¡± Thomas¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°They never wanted to tell me. What was it?¡± Thomas stared at him. ¡°Uh¡ª¡± Rune tensed up. ¡°It was the same as mine, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Thomas flinched in surprise. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°The woman that killed me first wanted me to kill Hyde, but I couldn¡¯t. Then she called me pathetic and said my father would¡¯ve done it. So apparently, she knew him.¡± ¡°What?¡± Thomas shook his head. ¡°No, he wouldn¡¯t have!¡± ¡°Had he killed anyone?¡± Rune asked, hesitant. Thomas was quiet for a bit, then frowned. ¡°Once. Accidentally, when he was twenty. It was how he got involved with that gang in the first place. They tried to mug him, they fought. He pushed one of them, they hit their head on something and died. Then they began threatening him, the same way they threatened you, saying he had to replace the one he killed. And then your mum decided to join him in the work, not sure why.¡± Rune released the breath he had been holding with a little smile. Thomas seemed confused. ¡°Is that relieving?¡± ¡°Ever since she said that, I had been considering a lot worse options. So yeah, it is.¡± ¡°Okay, good.¡± ¡°Oh, and can I take another book?¡± Thomas chuckled. He pat Rune¡¯s cheek. ¡°Pick whichever one you want.¡± He stood up and left. Rune entered the hallway and searched the bookshelves for a new book. He glanced at the small amount of romance books. He knew his grandad wasn¡¯t a big fan of romance, so the ones he did have must be good. He grabbed one. It was a queer fantasy romance about a merman and an ocean researcher. He opened it to the first page to see the written name, along with a little comment. Very cute. Rune snickered. He couldn¡¯t imagine him enjoying this, but apparently he did. Thomas came down the stairs with a bag. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d like this type of stuff,¡± Rune said as he showed him the book he picked out. ¡°Hm? Oh.¡± Thomas chuckled. ¡°I read that decades ago. I did like it at the time.¡± ¡°I guess you loved it enough to keep it all these years.¡± ¡°Yeah, I suppose so.¡± As Thomas went to grab his coat, Rune flipped to the next page, then squinted his eyes. There was another note, in a different handwriting. Happy 25th, you little rascal! ¡°Who wrote this?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Thomas called out with a slight panic in his voice. ¡°You read this fifty years ago, damn. Was it a gift?¡± Thomas dropped his coat on the floor, rushed to Rune and slammed the book shut in Rune¡¯s hands, making Rune flinch. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Was it?¡± Thomas sighed. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°From who?¡± ¡°An old friend.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had friends,¡± Rune teased. ¡°I did. One.¡± Thomas grabbed Rune¡¯s backpack off the floor and shoved the book inside. ¡°Take it and let¡¯s go.¡± He handed Rune his bag. Rune took it, but still squinted at him. ¡°What happened to them?¡± ¡°Probably dead by now.¡± Thomas took his coat off the floor. ¡°That¡¯s grim.¡± Thomas pulled his coat on. ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you live twice as long as the average person.¡± He pulled the door open and gestured for Rune to go outside. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he repeated impatiently. ¡°Alright, fine.¡±
Hyde sat on the couch in Enath with his notebook on his leg, mindlessly doodling. He wanted to save his mental energy to keep his guard up. Both Moon and Night stayed downstairs, perhaps afraid to be alone. They were both at the dining table, as if they didn¡¯t want to get close to him. Maybe they thought it was awkward without Rune. ¡°Hey.¡± Hyde flinched and turned his head to the table with a hum. ¡°Why is Rune so certain you can protect us?¡± Night asked. ¡°And what did he mean with losing control?¡± ¡°Oh, well, he¡¯s seen me fight before, a few times. I guess he thinks I¡¯m good at it?¡± Hyde shrugged. Night folded her arms. ¡°And what about the control thing?¡± Hyde sighed. He turned and leaned his arms and chin on the back of the couch to face them. ¡°Very rarely, when I¡¯m angry or upset or¡ªI don¡¯t know¡ªprotective? I can lose control of my wolf. I black out and shift and go ham, as Rune put it.¡± ¡°How often does it happen?¡± Moon asked. ¡°It¡¯s only happened twice in the twenty years I¡¯ve been able to shift.¡± Moon raised her eyebrow. ¡°You can¡¯t shift from birth?¡± Hyde shook his head as he chuckled a little. ¡°Can you imagine a baby or a toddler shifting? That would be a nightmare for everyone involved.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t imagine it, because I still haven¡¯t seen it,¡± Moon complained. Hyde huffed. ¡°Maybe some day.¡± Moon grinned. ¡°How about today?¡± ¡°For your sake, I hope not.¡± Moon glared at him. ¡°What happened those two times you lost control?¡± Night chimed back in. ¡°The last time, a girl was attacking and hurting Rune, which pissed me off and I tried to bite her face off.¡± ¡°¡­Fair. And the first time?¡± Hyde took a deep breath with a frown. ¡°That time resulted in a big fight. The one where I got all my scars.¡± ¡°With who?¡± Moon asked. Hyde groaned and glanced away. ¡°A family member.¡± He pushed himself off the back of the couch. ¡°Now get your noses out of my business.¡± Night gave him an angry squint of her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s rich coming from the guy who got all up in our business eight weeks ago.¡± Hyde considered it for a moment before clicking his tongue and admitting, ¡°Okay, fine, that¡¯s fair.¡± ¡°So, who?¡± Hyde sighed and looked away. ¡°My dad. We¡¯ve made up now, though.¡± Night¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Rune said you hadn¡¯t been home in six years. Is that why?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Moon frowned. ¡°At least you made up now.¡± Hyde only hummed. He continued his doodles. He heard the front door open, he looked around. ¡°Hey!¡± Rune called out as he entered the living room. ¡°We¡¯re back.¡± After him came another man¡ªabout the same height; the same light, greyish skin; pale brown hair; wearing a dark blue sweater. The man spotted Hyde on the couch while Moon came up to him and said, ¡°Grandpa!¡± and hugged him. Their grandad smiled at her. ¡°Hey, love.¡± Rune came up to Hyde and took his hand. ¡°Come on.¡± He pulled him along. ¡°I¡¯d like you to meet¡±¡ªhe gestured at his grandad¡ª¡°my grandpa.¡± His grandpa held his hand out to Hyde and smiled again. ¡°Thomas Brightbold, pleasure.¡± Hyde shook his hand. ¡°Hyde Walker, nice to meet you. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± He smiled back. Thomas¡¯s eyes widened for a moment. ¡°Walker?¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°Yes?¡± Rune squinted at Thomas. ¡°Do you know that name?¡± Thomas turned to Rune. ¡°Oh, no.¡± He looked back at Hyde. ¡°Sorry. It sounded familiar for a moment, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to stay here, too?¡± Moon asked Thomas. ¡°Probably. Safety first, right? And, of course, I wouldn¡¯t mind spending more time with my grandkids.¡± He ruffled her hair. Hyde smiled a little. At least there was one good thing about this grim situation. Rune was happy to have his grandad here. While Thomas spoke to the girls, Rune stood next to Hyde and quietly asked, ¡°No trouble?¡± Hyde shook his head. ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary.¡± ¡°Would you hear or smell it if someone was stalking the house?¡± Hyde glanced away in thought. ¡°Maybe if I focus on it. But I can¡¯t keep my focus up all the time.¡± Rune frowned. ¡°Yeah. Could you do that, a couple times a day? To be safe?¡± Hyde grinned with a teasingly raised eyebrow. ¡°You want me to be a guard dog?¡± ¡°No, but¡ªyou can do things we can¡¯t, and those would be helpful now.¡± Hyde snickered. ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Rune hugged him from the side. ¡°Thank you.¡± He kissed his cheek. Hyde put his arm around Rune¡¯s waist and leaned his head against his. ¡°There¡¯s something else I wanted to talk to you about,¡± Rune whispered into his ear. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Could we ask Selene to bring Lullaby back?¡± ¡°¡­Oh. I hadn¡¯t considered that, but I guess we could.¡± ¡°We should wait until her case is closed, though.¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°Then we will have to go back to the village at some point.¡± Please, Go Home Interlude 7 ¡°Happy eighteenth, you little rascal!¡± the werewolf called out. The young vampire and his friend sat at the breakfast bar beside each other. Various bottles of liquor¡ªboth regular and vampire varieties¡ªstood on the bar, along with several glasses. ¡°I¡¯m not that little anymore,¡± the vampire defended himself. His friend snickered. ¡°You have grown the last two years, the top of your head reaches my eyes now instead of my chin.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a giant, I¡¯m average height.¡± The vampire looked at the bottles in front of them. ¡°But was all this necessary?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for two years for you to be of drinking age!¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve drank by yourself.¡± The werewolf dismissively waved his hand around. ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± He grabbed a bottle and twisted it open with a grin. ¡°Come on, time to celebrate your adulthood.¡± ¡°You think I should visit my family at some point?¡± the werewolf slurred as he laid with his head on the bar with a glass of whiskey in hand. Several bottles of a variety of alcohol were opened. None were empty. The vampire now sat across from him, face rested in his hand, his other hand around a wine glass. His cheeks were flushed. He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You left for a reason, right?¡± He removed his hand from the wineglass and began stroking his fingers through his friend¡¯s hair. ¡°Yeah, I know, I know,¡± the werewolf whined. ¡°But it¡¯s not like they were as bad as yours.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t bad at all.¡± His friend turned his head to him, chin on the bar. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you wise for a drunk person?¡± The vampire leaned down, closer to his face. ¡°I¡¯m not as drunk as you.¡± ¡°Boo.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The vampire lightly tugged at his hair. ¡°Ow,¡± he whined again. He lifted his head up, removing the vampire¡¯s hand, and rested his elbows on the bar. ¡°Then drink more.¡± The vampire grabbed his wineglass. He took a sip as he stared his friend in the eyes. ¡°Not wine, try something else.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather remember tonight.¡± ¡°One drink of whiskey or something won¡¯t make you black out.¡± ¡°Are you blackout drunk already?¡± His friend dramatically waved his hand around. ¡°How would I know that?¡± He grabbed the vampire¡¯s arm and let his head fall on the bar again. ¡°Please! This stuff wasn¡¯t cheap, y¡¯know? Just one. I got it for you.¡± He gave him puppy eyes. The vampire groaned. He grabbed a glass and a bottle. ¡°Fine. One.¡± ¡°Yay.¡± He poured the drink in his glass. His friend stared up at him with a little smile, he got a hint of pink on his cheeks. He lifted his head off the bar again. ¡°Hey, Th-eh¡­¡± he frowned. The vampire stopped right as he wanted to take a sip. ¡°Did you forget my name? Oh, you won¡¯t remember any of this tomorrow, will you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know, but shut up, I wanna¡ª¡± ¡°Rude.¡± ¡°Be quiet, I¡ª¡± ¡°You should stop drinking before you¡¯re throwing up all day tomorrow.¡± ¡°Shut! Let me¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to clean it for you.¡± ¡°Shut up and listen, you little twink!¡± the werewolf shouted. The vampire was taken aback. ¡°The fuck did you just¡ª¡± The werewolf pushed his finger against his lips. ¡°Shut it! I wanna tell you something important.¡± The vampire pulled his hand down. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Listen¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°¡ªI want you to know how important you are to me, okay? You¡¯re my best friend.¡± He held the vampire¡¯s hand. ¡°I love you. I can¡¯t imagine my life without you.¡± The vampire blushed, not because of the alcohol this time. ¡°So, please, never leave my life.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Oh, he so badly wanted him to remember this night, now. He most likely wouldn¡¯t, though. The vampire smiled a little. ¡°I love you, too.¡± It felt good to have it out there, out of his mouth. It had been on his mind for over two years, now. His friend smiled back. He leaned closer. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Come here.¡± The vampire raised his eyebrow. The werewolf grabbed a hold of his chin and pulled him closer. The vampire squeaked when he pressed their lips together. His friend moved his hand to his cheek. The vampire relaxed and closed his eyes. He reached up to the werewolf¡¯s face and brushed his fingers against his jaw, reluctant to touch him more. The werewolf pulled away, he rested their foreheads together. The vampire opened his eyes again. ¡°Uh¡­¡± His friend moved away from him. He laid his head down on his arms as he whined, ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°Wha-¡± The vampire shook his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare pass out on me!¡± He heard a quiet snore coming from him. The vampire groaned. He was tense, feeling hot and bothered. And the cause was asleep in front of him. He glared down at him, but then sighed and stroked his hair again. Please, Go Home 19A Moon squealed and hugged Night¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯m so excited you¡¯re coming with me for once!¡± Night grunted as she tried to keep walking with her sister hanging on her arm. ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to do so often.¡± Moon pouted. ¡°What did I get a twin sister for if she doesn¡¯t want to come to parties with me?¡± ¡°To make you seem more sociable in comparison.¡± Moon sighed and let her arm go. ¡°I suppose that works.¡± Lullaby had died a month ago. There hadn¡¯t been any incidents since. Rune had agreed they could go to a party to have some fun again, after some persuasion from Thomas. As long as they stayed together, in public, well-lit places. It was dark and cold outside, around 8pm. They both wore winter coats for now, but under that, Moon wore a nice, cute dress and Night wore jeans, a shirt and a leather jacket. Moon¡¯s long, black hair laid over her shoulders in elegant waves. Night¡¯s shoulder length, white hair was tucked behind one ear, the other side hung loosely around her face. The location of the party was in sight, there was a small crowd of people around the building. Moon jumped in front of Night and walked backwards as she rambled, ¡°What should we do first? Grab some drinks, or food? Or should we go dance? Or talk to people? Or¡ª¡± She yelped as she walked into someone so hard she nearly fell over. ¡°Fuck¡ª!¡± the man swore, stumbling after the impact, too. Moon turned to look at the man, he had composed himself. He stared at them. Moon stared back as she said, ¡°Sorry.¡± She couldn¡¯t see much of his face, he had his hood up, despite there being no sunlight, rain or snow. Everything about him gave away he was a vampire. The grey tone in his light skin; the white hair sticking out from under his hood; the light, white stubble on his chin, lip and jaw; and lastly, his raspberry red eyes glowing through the shade of his hood. ¡°Excuse me,¡± he spat and walked off. Moon and Night watched him go for a moment. ¡°Rude,¡± Night complained. Moon shrugged. ¡°Must be tired or something. Anyway.¡± She grabbed Night¡¯s hand to drag her to the party. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Rune sat on the dining table, slurping up an evening snack. Thomas sat on a chair at the table like a normal person while he read a book he fetched from his house last week. Hyde stood in the kitchen, grabbing his own snack. Hyde raised his eyebrow at Rune. ¡°You only ever do that here.¡± Rune turned to him. ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Sit on tables.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t sit on other people¡¯s tables, that¡¯s rude.¡± ¡°You sit on mine,¡± Thomas commented without looking up from his book. ¡°You never scolded me for that as a kid. If you didn¡¯t want me sitting on your table, then you shouldn¡¯t have let me.¡± Thomas glanced up at Rune, unimpressed. He poked his side, making Rune squirm away. Hyde came to sit next to Rune, leaning on the table. He pushed their shoulders together with a smile. Rune smiled too and leaned his face closer. The chair scraped over the floor as Thomas stood up. Rune hummed at him. ¡°I¡¯ll be off to bed early, tonight,¡± Thomas explained. He began to walk off, but then turned back to Rune with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯d fancy an evening to yourselves.¡± Rune¡¯s cheeks warmed as Thomas walked off. He glanced back at Hyde. ¡°I suppose I would fancy that,¡± he said and wrapped an arm around Hyde¡¯s waist. Hyde grinned. ¡°Did you have anything in mind?¡± ¡°There is one thing I¡¯ve been thinking about.¡± Rune placed his chin on Hyde¡¯s shoulder. Hyde blushed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I fancy you,¡± Rune muttered into his ear. He slid his hand under Hyde¡¯s sweater onto his bare waist, feeling him flinch at his touch. He chuckled. ¡°So tense, right away,¡± he teased. Hyde turned his head away. ¡°Your hand is cold.¡± Rune took a hold of his chin with his other hand and turned his face back to him. He pressed their lips together. He let his hand explore more of Hyde¡¯s side, Hyde grabbed Rune¡¯s hoodie. Rune broke the kiss. ¡°Question is,¡± he breathed, ¡°are you ready for it?¡± Hyde stared at him, his lips slightly parted. He pushed his forehead against Runes¡¯s and caressed his bottom lip. ¡°I do want to,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯m just a little¡ªI don¡¯t know¡ªworried?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never done it with a guy. And only one girl before, which I don¡¯t count, cause I hated it.¡± Rune snickered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± He pulled his face closer. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± He kissed him again. Hyde pulled away. ¡°Won¡¯t your grandad hear us?¡± ¡°His room is on the other side of the hall from ours. As long as we¡¯re not super loud, it should be fine. Plus, I¡¯m sure he already knows what we¡¯re doing.¡± He pressed a kiss on Hyde¡¯s neck. Hyde shivered and took a deep breath. ¡°Okay.¡± Rune smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs.¡± Rune sat on their bed with Hyde laid in his arms, both under the covers, catching their breaths. He stroked Hyde¡¯s hair with a smile. Hyde looked up and gave him a tired smile back. Rune kissed his head. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re tired,¡± Rune commented. ¡°Yeah,¡± Hyde groaned. ¡°I¡¯m not, though.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going downstairs for a bit.¡± Hyde sat up in his arms. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°I want to play piano.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t leave me after fucking me. Especially the first time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome to join me.¡± Hyde groaned. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± Rune rubbed his cheek. ¡°Then sleep.¡± ¡°Not without you.¡± ¡°Then come downstairs with me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re annoying.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Rune chuckled. ¡°I won¡¯t stay downstairs too long, alright?¡± Hyde sighed. ¡°Fine.¡± He got off Rune and laid next to him. Rune left the bed. He grabbed some clean pants from a drawer, then took a pair of sweatpants off the floor. He pulled it all on, then grabbed the sweater Hyde wore and pulled that on, too. Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°Not after sex, it isn¡¯t.¡± Rune went back to the bed and climbed on it. He sat on his knees beside Hyde and leaned down to kiss him. He pulled away. ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered. Hyde¡¯s eyes widened, Rune chuckled. ¡°Say it whenever you¡¯re ready.¡± He kissed his cheek. He pushed himself up and got off the bed again. He went to the door, then turned back. ¡°I¡¯ll be downstairs if you want me.¡± He winked at him, then walked through the door. Rune entered the empty living room, he went to the piano. He pulled the fallboard up and sat on the bench, he began to play melodies with both hands. He¡¯d been playing more often again. Now with Lullaby gone, someone had to keep it in use. Plus, he knew his grandad liked to hear him play, it reminded him of his son. It reminded Rune of him, too. He wished he could hear him play again, he was so much more skilled than Rune. He did also have about twenty years more experience, but that was beside the point. It had always felt wrong that this piano wasn¡¯t being played by him anymore. It was his piano, after all. Bought to spite his mother. Rune smiled at himself. He loved that little anecdote, it represented his dad so well. He stopped and turned around at a noise behind him. Nothing was there. He squinted, then looked back at the piano keys and continued playing. Weird moments like this had been happening quite frequently lately; a disembodied noise, small things being moved. Rune felt like he was being watched sometimes. Footsteps came down the stairs. Rune didn¡¯t look away from the keys again, confident what and who it was this time. Hyde took a seat on the bench next to him, he wrapped his arms around Rune¡¯s waist and laid his cheek on his shoulder. Rune rubbed his head against Hyde¡¯s. ¡°Changed your mind?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep with you playing music down here, anyway.¡± Rune chuckled and glanced at him. He wore Rune¡¯s hoodie and had his eyes closed. ¡°You know,¡± Rune said as he looked back at the keys. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only lived in this house without my parents for about a year.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. First, we were at the orphanage for five years. Then we moved back here, then I had to leave less than a year later.¡± Hyde hummed again while he nuzzled his cheek against his shoulder. ¡°Does it still feel weird, them not being here?¡± ¡°It always will.¡±
Rune continued to play with Hyde clinging to him. Hyde only listened to his music, dozing off. Rune smiled and kissed his head. The knob of the front door turned. Hyde moved to lean his chin on Rune¡¯s shoulder to look. Rune scratched the side of Hyde¡¯s head. ¡°Probably the girls.¡± ¡°So soon?¡± ¡°Maybe it sucked.¡± The front door opened, someone walked inside and closed it again behind them. Rune felt Hyde tense. ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like them,¡± Hyde mumbled. Rune frowned with a concerned hum but kept playing, not that concerned. Maybe they were tired. The door to the living room opened, someone walked in. Now Rune stopped playing. He squinted his eyes. No one said anything, no one moved, Hyde held his breath. ¡°Who is that?¡± Hyde whispered. Rune turned around, confused. He audibly gasped and tensed every muscle in his body. What the hell. What the hell. What the hell! How was this possible? It wasn¡¯t possible! Where had he¡ª Had he been¡ª All this time? The man in front of them stared at Rune. He pulled his hood down, revealing his short, fluffy, white hair. ¡°Rune?¡± the man hesitantly spoke up. Rune hissed in a breath as anger flooded his mind. He jumped from the bench, out of Hyde¡¯s arms. ¡°Have you been alive all this time?!¡± Rune shouted. ¡°And you never bothered to say anything?!¡± He got into the man¡¯s face with tears in his eyes. ¡°Eleven years, you let us think you were dead?!¡± The man put his hands up in defence and lowered himself away from him, startled. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± ¡°And now you show up out of nowhere?!¡± ¡°Eh¡ª¡± ¡°Where the hell have you been?!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± the man hesitated, unsure if he was going to let him answer this time. ¡°I wasn¡¯t alive. At least, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Rune backed away slightly with his eyebrow raised, giving the man room to stand straight again. ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s going on. My thirteen-year-old boy is now an adult man shouting at me!¡± He grabbed the sides of his head and paced back and forth in front of Rune. ¡°One moment, I get a stake rammed into my chest and my wife is dying right next to me; the next, I wake up in the middle of a forest, somewhat buried into the ground, all alone, naked, and with a pile of clothes beside me!¡± He looked at Rune and shouted, ¡°What the hell am I supposed to make of that?! It¡¯s bollocks!¡± Rune stared at him, tears threatening to fall. He glanced down at the man¡¯s chest. ¡°Like you woke up from a nap?¡± The man froze for a moment, squinting. ¡°I suppose.¡± ¡°Do you have a scar?¡± The man raised his eyebrow. ¡°Why would I have a scar?¡± Rune pulled the collar of his sweater down. ¡°Like this?¡± The man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What¡ªwhat happened to you?¡± ¡°Do you have one?¡± Rune pressed. The man tried to pull his collar down too, but his shirt was too tight. He pulled it up from the bottom. ¡°Oh, shit,¡± he mumbled. ¡°I do.¡± He rubbed the circle in the centre of his chest. He pulled his shirt down. ¡°Do you know what happened?¡± ¡°Maybe?¡± Rune turned his shoulder to him and hugged himself. ¡°I was killed too, a little while ago. But someone managed to bring me back with a potion she created. Seems like you were brought back with the same potion, but I have no idea how it got here or how it found your body. No one had found your body for eleven years!¡± ¡°Eleven years? That¡¯s how long I¡¯ve been dead?¡± Rune nodded, his tears fell. The man frowned. He reached out to touch his shoulder, Rune flinched. Rune¡¯s face trembled, he sobbed. The man gently pulled him against himself in a hug. Rune laid his cheek on his shoulder and let himself cry. The man rubbed his back with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s alright, little one. I¡¯m not going anywhere again,¡± he whispered. Rune put his arms around him and nuzzled into his shoulder. He took a deep breath to calm down, then remembered something. He turned his head to Hyde, who was giving them a very confused look. ¡°Oh, fuck, right,¡± he mumbled. He let the man go. He stepped towards Hyde and grabbed his hand to pull him up. ¡°Hyde¡±¡ªhe gestured to the man¡ª¡°this is my dad.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guessed as much,¡± Hyde told him without glancing away from his dad. ¡°And you are?¡± Rune¡¯s dad asked. ¡°Hyde Walker, Rune¡¯s boyfriend.¡± His dad gestured at himself. ¡°Severn Brightbold.¡± He smiled. ¡°Pleasure.¡± Hyde awkwardly smiled back with tense shoulders. He looked at Rune. ¡°I¡¯ll go to bed, give you some time alone.¡± Rune smiled a little. ¡°Okay.¡± He rubbed the small of Hyde¡¯s back. ¡°Good night.¡± Hyde smiled again too and left. Severn looked at the piano as Rune watched Hyde leave. ¡°Who taught you how to play?¡± Rune glanced at the piano, too. ¡°Oh, a friend from the orphanage.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ª¡± Severn shook his head for a moment. ¡°Orphanage?¡± Rune frowned. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why were you at an orphanage? How long?¡± ¡°Five years, until I was eighteen.¡± ¡°Wha-¡± Severn got upset. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you live with your grandad?¡± His eyes widened. ¡°Did he die?¡± ¡°No!¡± Rune grabbed his arm with both hands. ¡°No, no, he¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Then why? Surely, he would¡¯ve wanted you?¡± ¡°He did, but¡±¡ªRune sighed¡ª¡°it¡¯s complicated. You should ask him about it. But, basically, social services decided he wasn¡¯t suited to raise two five-year-olds on his own because of his knee. And then I had to decide if I wanted to live with him and leave the girls alone at the orphanage, or stay there too. I chose to stay. He still visited us as much as he could.¡± Severn grunted. ¡°Ridiculous. They¡¯d rather have you grow up at an orphanage than with your grandfather? Just because one of his knees doesn¡¯t work well?¡± ¡°They argued he couldn¡¯t run after them or carry them if he had to.¡± Severn pinched the bridge of his nose with a groan. Rune looked towards the hallway. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m surprised he hasn¡¯t come downstairs yet.¡± Severn perked up. ¡°He¡¯s here?¡± ¡°Yeah. He said he¡¯d go to sleep.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s always been a heavy sleeper. I can wake him up.¡± Severn wanted to go upstairs, but Rune grabbed his wrist. ¡°No, wait!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll have a heart attack if he wakes up with your face looming over him all of a sudden. He should at least get a warning.¡± Severn bit the inside of his cheek and sighed. ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right.¡± He squinted. ¡°Hang on.¡± He looked around as if searching for something. ¡°Where are the girls?¡± ¡°At a party.¡± ¡°Right, they¡¯re sixteen now.¡± Severn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh, fuck, wait¡ª¡± He tensed up and began pacing again. ¡°Shit, shit,¡± he mumbled. Rune raised a brow. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I ran into two girls on my way here, I was a bit rude to them. They seemed familiar, but I thought there¡¯d be no way they were that old already!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t recognise your own daughters?¡± Severn snapped around to him. ¡°They were five when I last saw them!¡± ¡°And they didn¡¯t recognise you?¡± Severn shook his head. ¡°I had my hood up.¡± ¡°I mean, I recognised you right away.¡± ¡°Well yeah, but you have a better memory of my face.¡± Rune frowned. ¡°Yeah.¡± He looked at his dad pacing around, he sighed. He grabbed his wrist again. ¡°Let¡¯s sit on the couch and calm down for a bit, okay?¡± He dragged him to the couch. They sat. Severn leaned his elbows on his knees and rubbed his face. Rune wasn¡¯t sure what to say. There was something he wanted to talk about with him, but now didn¡¯t seem like the best time. He hesitantly put his hand on his dad¡¯s back. ¡°Will you be okay?¡± Severn sighed, he took his hands off his face. ¡°It¡¯s a lot to take in.¡± Rune rubbed his back, then let his hand slide off and leaned his head on his shoulder. Severn put an arm around him and sat up to lean into the couch. He hugged him as he rubbed his cheek against Rune¡¯s head. ¡°This all feels so surreal,¡± Rune whispered. ¡°Like I¡¯ll wake up from a dream any moment.¡± Severn rubbed his arm. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe I died and came back, but I can¡¯t deny the time skip.¡± He caressed Rune¡¯s cheek with his thumb. ¡°But I¡¯m glad I can be here for you again. Better late than never.¡± Rune closed his eyes and smiled. Severn hugged him again. ¡°I love you, son.¡± ¡°Love you,¡± Rune mumbled as sleep washed over him. Please, Go Home 19B Severn let Rune rest on him. It was quite late, this must all be a lot for him, too. But there was another person here that he wanted to talk to, and he felt antsy about it. He wondered how he¡¯d react. He¡¯d most likely be emotional, and confused. Would he be angry, like Rune was at first? Surely not if Rune warned him beforehand, right? He shook Rune a little. Rune opened his eyes. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Before you fall asleep, can you wake him up?¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± Rune sat. He stretched, then stood up. ¡°Stay here,¡± he told Severn before going upstairs. Severn leaned his arm on the back of the couch and his chin on his arm. How had the past eleven years been for his dad? He doubted it had been easy. Losing his son, having his grandkids kept away from him, too. He had already been through so much, it wasn¡¯t fair. The only thing Severn knew the details of, was everything with his mother and Thomas¡¯s knee. Other than that, Thomas had mentioned an old friend a few times, and someone he¡¯d been in love with when he was young. Severn had never heard him mention his parents. He had never asked him about them, but he wasn¡¯t sure if they had died or something else happened. A question for another time. Rune took forever. Severn stood and went up the stairs. He searched for an opened door, the door to his own bedroom was opened. Had they been using it as a guest room? He looked into the room and saw Rune trying to shake Thomas awake, but Thomas wasn¡¯t budging. Severn groaned. ¡°You¡¯re being too gentle.¡± Rune flinched and turned around. ¡°Fuck, Dad. I told you to stay downstairs.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be waiting all night like this.¡± Severn grabbed a sweater off the floor. ¡°Throw this at him.¡± Rune took it with an arched brow. ¡°I know how to wake him up, alright? I¡¯ve been doing it all my life. Do it.¡± Rune rolled his eyes and tossed the sweater at Thomas. ¡°No.¡± Severn groaned again. ¡°Don¡¯t just¡±¡ªhe mockingly flicked his wrist¡ª¡°toss it. Fold it up into a ball, and throw it!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you kind to your dad?¡± ¡°Kindness won¡¯t wake him up, I¡¯ve tried many times.¡± Rune sighed and grabbed the sweater again. ¡°Go downstairs. You being here defeats the whole purpose.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Severn took a step back. ¡°Throw it,¡± he repeated. ¡°Or pinch his nose closed, that works too,¡± he added before walking away. Rune squinted. He looked to his grandad laying on his back on the bed. Was it really that easy? He dropped the sweater onto the floor. He leaned on the bed with one knee, loomed over Thomas and pinched his nose. Thomas snorted and gasped for air before he opened his eyes and slapped Rune¡¯s hand away. ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°It does work.¡± He leaned back. Thomas sat up. He rubbed his nose as he demanded, ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Sorry, but I had to wake you up and nothing else worked. Unless I threw a sweater in your face.¡± Thomas narrowed his eyes. ¡°Who told you¡ª¡± He shook his head. ¡°Why did you have to wake me up?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Rune climbed further on the bed and sat cross-legged in front of Thomas. ¡°Something happened. Something important, and confusing, and shocking¡ªand good, but unexpected¡ª¡± ¡°Stop rambling.¡± ¡°Sorry. So, you know when I told you how I came back to life and you thought about if it could bring Dad back?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Rune stared at him as he took a deep breath, unsure how to phrase it. ¡°It happened,¡± he said under his breath. Thomas raised his eyebrow. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Somehow, it happened. He¡¯s back. Dad¡¯s alive.¡± Thomas leaned forward as he intensely stared at Rune. ¡°What?¡± ¡°He¡¯s downstairs,¡± Rune whispered. Thomas was frozen as he gave the bedsheets an intense look. He glanced up at Rune. ¡°I swear, if you¡¯re fucking with me¡ª¡± ¡°Why would I joke about this?¡± Rune gestured at the doorway. ¡°Go downstairs, see for yourself. Hyde saw him too, so I know I¡¯m not hallucinating.¡± Thomas finally stood up. He pulled some trousers on and went on his way downstairs. Severn waited on the couch again, leaning on the back, impatiently tapping his fingers as if he was pressing the keys of the piano. He glanced at the hallway when he heard footsteps coming down. He smiled and lifted his head up. ¡°Dad!¡± Thomas stood in the doorway, frozen with wide eyes. Severn¡¯s smile faded a little. He stayed on the couch, deciding it would be best for Thomas to come to him and do this reunion at his pace. Thomas took some steps closer. ¡°What,¡± he breathed out. He walked further. ¡°How¡ª¡± He arrived at the back of the couch. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Severn gave him another careful smile. ¡°Hey.¡± Thomas bent down and grabbed his face. ¡°How is this possible?¡± He teared up. ¡°Rune knows that better than I do.¡± ¡°Are you¡ª¡± Thomas choked up. ¡°Are you really here? I¡¯m not dreaming or hallucinating?¡± Tears fell down his cheeks. Severn teared up too, still smiling. He sat up on his knees, causing Thomas to stand straight, and hugged him with his face in Thomas¡¯s chest. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± He hugged him tighter. ¡°I promise, I¡¯m really here.¡± Thomas trembled and hugged him back, pressing his head against Severn¡¯s and gently grabbing his hair. Thomas let him go for a moment to sit next to him on the couch, then wrapped his arms around Severn¡¯s shoulders and hugged him tight. ¡°I¡¯m never letting you go again,¡± Thomas whispered through his tears. He sobbed. Severn held him against his side. Severn looked around to footsteps coming towards them. Rune arrived at the couch and sat on his other side. Severn hooked his arm around Rune¡¯s neck and pulled him closer, Rune yelped. Severn rubbed his face into Rune¡¯s hair with a smile. Thomas leaned his chin on Severn¡¯s shoulder. ¡°How did this happen?¡± he asked Rune. Severn moved his hand to Rune¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure, but it seems like he came back the same way I did. I have no idea how that potion got here or how it found his body, though,¡± Rune tried to explain. Thomas glanced at Severn. ¡°Where was your body?¡± ¡°In the middle of a forest. It took a while to find my way out of it.¡± ¡°Was Mum¡¯s there, too?¡± Rune wondered. Severn shook his head. ¡°Not that I could see.¡± ¡°Could she have been buried around there?¡± ¡°I was barely buried, so I doubt it.¡± ¡°Do you know who killed you?¡± Thomas asked. ¡°And why?¡± Severn tensed with a frown and nodded. ¡°Who?¡± Severn glanced at Rune before looking back at Thomas. ¡°You know those¡­ people?¡± ¡°The gang?¡± Rune asked in disbelief. Severn flinched. ¡°Wh-¡± ¡°He knows about your job,¡± Thomas told him. ¡°He had the same one, except worse.¡± Severn got his arms off both of them. ¡°Wait, what? Why¡ª¡± He shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll come back to that.¡± ¡°The gang killed you?¡± There was a hint of anger in Rune¡¯s voice. Severn nodded. Rune stared down with an angry frown. ¡°I worked for the people that killed my parents? I mean, they killed me too, but¡ª¡± ¡°Why?¡± Thomas interrupted before he could start rambling. Severn sighed. ¡°We wanted to get out of it, wanted to be good role models for our kids. We were tired of living under their thumb. But, of course, they won¡¯t let you leave so easily. So, we wanted to report them to the police, hoping we could get immunity, since we gave them the info and cooperated. But they killed us before we could get to the station.¡± A silence fell over the room. ¡°Eleven years,¡± Thomas broke it. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting to hear that.¡± ¡°Does it feel good?¡± ¡°Somewhat. It feels a lot better that you¡¯re alive, though.¡± Severn chuckled. ¡°What if they find out you¡¯re back?¡± Rune worried. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do they know you¡¯re alive?¡± Rune nodded. ¡°They killed my best friend over it.¡± Severn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?¡± ¡°They might not know how I came back, maybe they think I somehow managed to survive a stake in the heart. But you¡¯ve been dead for years, seeing you alive would be a lot more unbelievable.¡± Severn squinted and glanced down with a hum. He was right, seeing him would be a lot more jarring. Horrifying, even. ¡°Perhaps.¡± Night followed Moon inside. She was exhausted. Moon had dragged her all over the place, kept talking to a shit load of people. Her social battery will be empty for the next week. She hung her coat on the rack and pulled her shoes off. She looked into the living room for a moment before she wanted to go upstairs to her warm, comfy bed. She stopped and turned back as she registered what she saw on the couch. Someone with white hair, leaning on someone with brown hair¡ªher grandad. Who was that? The only person with white hair here was herself. ¡°What the heck?¡± Moon whispered next to her. ¡°Who is that?¡± Night shrugged. She approached the couch. She walked around it to see them from the front. A man with white hair and her grandad leaned on each other, and her brother leaned on the man, all seemingly asleep. She squinted at the bottom of his face. The white stubble. He was the man Moon walked into. Why was he here? Moon poked his head from behind the couch, making Night tense up and glare at her. ¡°Moon!¡± she whisper-yelled. ¡°What?¡± The man pinched his eyes before opening them. He looked around, then locked his gaze on Night. He jumped up. ¡°Oh!¡± He turned to Moon. ¡°Girls.¡± He looked at Thomas and Rune. He carefully stood up, letting Rune lean on Thomas instead. ¡°There you go, lean on each other,¡± he mumbled. He turned back to Night. ¡°Hi,¡± he said with a smile. Night stared at him, her eyes narrow. Moon came to stand next to her. ¡°Are you the man I walked into?¡± Moon asked. ¡°Oh,¡± he glanced away. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be this old already.¡± He chuckled a little. Night raised her eyebrow. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He frowned. ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t recognise me. I guess I can¡¯t blame you, you were really young.¡± ¡°Should we know you?¡± He looked back around to Rune and Thomas. ¡°You can¡¯t guess from context clues by now?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Alright, big reveal it is. Night, Moon¡±¡ªhe opened his arms and smiled¡ª¡°I¡¯m your dad.¡± They both quietly stared at him. What? Was this possible? Night guessed Rune was also resurrected, but not after eleven years. ¡°Huh?¡± she let out. ¡°I know it¡¯s a lot to process, but it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Night challenged. ¡°Prove it.¡± He squinted. ¡°Other than the fact that you look like a mini, female version of me? Fine, I¡¯ll play. Do you know your dad¡¯s name?¡± Night nodded. ¡°It¡¯s Severn.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve looked that up.¡± ¡°You have a birthmark below your belly button.¡± Night¡¯s eyes widened as she put her hand on her belly. ¡°What about me?¡± Moon wanted to join in. Severn smiled at her. ¡°You have an outward belly button.¡± Moon stared at him in disbelief. ¡°It was an easy way to keep you apart as babies, one has an innie, the other an outie. Other than your eye colour. But crimson and raspberry are pretty hard to keep apart if a baby is screaming.¡± Night and Moon glanced at each other, not sure what to make of this. Severn sighed. He turned around to Rune and Thomas, he shook Rune¡¯s shoulder. Rune let out an annoyed grunt and opened his eyes slightly. ¡°Rune?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Rune groaned. ¡°Am I your father?¡± Rune squinted. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Am I your father?¡± Severn repeated. ¡°Yes?¡± Severn looked back at Night and Moon. ¡°See?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Rune sat up after he noticed them. ¡°Is he really?¡± Moon asked Rune. Rune nodded. ¡°How?¡± Night asked this time. Rune shrugged and rubbed his eye. ¡°Probably the same way I came back. I don¡¯t know the details.¡± Moon teared up. She hugged Severn, making him yelp. He smiled and hugged her back. Tears stung in Night¡¯s eyes, too. Severn grabbed her arm and pulled her into the hug, an arm around both of them. He kissed the top of Night¡¯s head. ¡°Guess I¡¯m not the only one with white hair anymore,¡± Night tried to joke through the overwhelming mix of emotions. ¡°You thought you were the only one with white hair in this family? Well,¡± Severn ended in a chuckle. ¡°Let me tell you about your grandmother.¡± Night snickered a little. ¡°Right.¡± Severn looked down at Rune, Night followed his gaze. Rune rested his cheek in his hand and his elbow on his knee, dozing off again. Severn rubbed his head, Rune smiled and leaned against Severn¡¯s hip. Night smiled too and nuzzled her face into her dad¡¯s chest. Please, Go Home 20A After a good night¡¯s rest, Severn leaned on the counter with his elbows, tapping his fingers on his arm and staring at everyone else in the room. The girls and Thomas on the couch, Rune and Hyde next to each other at the table. There were still a lot of unanswered questions. How did Rune get involved with the gang? Why did they send him away? Were they going to make a move again? What the hell were social services thinking, keeping his kids away from their grandad? ¡°Why are you staring?¡± Severn flinched at Rune. ¡°You look like a psycho.¡± Severn sighed. ¡°There¡¯s a lot going through my head.¡± Rune leaned his arm on the back of his chair. ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°How did you get involved with the gang?¡± Rune frowned. ¡°Oh, that.¡± He gestured at the chair in front of him. ¡°You should sit down, it¡¯s a pretty long story.¡± Severn pushed off the counter and approached the table. He pulled the chair backwards and sat across Rune. ¡°After we left the orphanage, I needed a job. But all I could get was a minimum wage one, and even with Lullaby working too, we couldn¡¯t provide for us all.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The friend from the orphanage. I¡¯ll get to her. After we were struggling for a year, some people approached me, offering me a job that could provide for them. I was desperate and agreed. But then, they told me I had to travel around the continent and steal whatever they wanted me to. I tried to back out, I didn¡¯t want to leave and get a criminal record. But they threatened everyone I cared about if I didn¡¯t do it, so I left and was gone for five years. Until a few months ago.¡± Severn let out an angry grunt. ¡°Of course they targeted you at your most desperate. Did you get out?¡± Rune tilted his head and squinted. ¡°Sort of?¡± ¡°How?¡± Rune glanced at Hyde. ¡°You know that rule they have, when you¡¯re in custody for more than forty-eight hours, they fire you, because you¡¯re too much of a liability?¡± ¡°Yeah. We always thought it was too risky to make use of it.¡± ¡°I thought so too, but then I was arrested by someone who didn¡¯t actually have the power to put me in prison.¡± Severn raised his eyebrow. ¡°How?¡± Rune smiled and laid his head on Hyde¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He arrested me.¡± Severn looked at Hyde. ¡°How does that work?¡± ¡°It was a tiny village,¡± Hyde began. ¡°They wanted someone to act like a cop, but no one actually had the power to do anything. Usually, all that happened there, were small things that wouldn¡¯t warrant prison. But then, he started breaking into people¡¯s houses and stealing things, so of course, the people wanted me to do something. I managed to catch him, and he told me everything that was going on and about that rule. Then I told him that I don¡¯t actually have the power to lock him away, but they don¡¯t know that. So, we agreed to keep him in a holding cell for two days, which ended up being three days.¡± Severn nodded with an impressed look. ¡°How cheeky of you. Did it work?¡± Rune pushed himself off Hyde with a frown. ¡°It seemed like it did, at first.¡± ¡°Also, what a way to meet your partner,¡± Severn added as an afterthought. Rune snorted. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°But it didn¡¯t keep working?¡± Severn got serious again. ¡°They killed your friend or something, right?¡± Rune sighed and nodded. ¡°Lullaby. And they killed me first, too. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll try something again.¡± Severn glanced away in thought. They shouldn¡¯t wait for them to strike first. ¡°Do you know why they sent you away? They let us stay here.¡± Rune shook his head. ¡°Maybe that was the job they needed?¡± Severn hummed. ¡°Perhaps. Who was your friend? Lullaby?¡± ¡°We met her when we arrived at the orphanage. She helped a lot with getting used to the place and routines and such. She helped distract the girls when I wanted to be alone.¡± Severn massaged the bridge of his nose. ¡°Jeez, you were already co-parenting at thirteen?¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°I guess so.¡± He glanced at the piano. ¡°And she taught me how to play piano, after I told her I wanted to because you did.¡± Severn gave him a sad smile. ¡°It sounded like she taught you well, last night.¡± Rune shyly scratched his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m nowhere near your level.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t always amazing, either. You¡¯ll get there. Especially now that I¡¯m here to help you,¡± Severn grinned. Rune smiled. Severn turned around in his chair to the couch and looked at his dad. He wanted one more question answered. He looked back at Rune. ¡°Did you have any questions, or¡­¡± Rune shook no. ¡°Okay, great.¡± Severn stood up and went to the couch. The couch was unfortunately full, so he leaned on the back of the couch instead, beside Thomas. ¡°Dad.¡± Thomas turned his head up at him with a hum. ¡°What the hell happened with social services?¡± Thomas¡¯s eyes widened as he tensed up. ¡°Oh, yeah. That.¡± He closed his book with an angry frown. ¡°I hadn¡¯t been that angry in a very, very long time.¡± ¡°Since your knee?¡± ¡°Before that, even.¡± ¡°Should I move?¡± Moon asked from the middle of the couch, looking up at Severn. ¡°So you can sit?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Severn smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll move to the table.¡± Before Severn could protest, Moon stood up and left towards the table. Severn shrugged and walked around the couch, then sat in her place between Thomas and Night. ¡°So, what happened?¡± ¡°I got a notice, telling me to come to their office first to get permission to take them from the orphanage. So, I went there, thinking it wouldn¡¯t take too long. But they only gave me permission to take Rune, and they wanted me to sign off on a form to give permission for the girls to be adopted by some other family that they hadn¡¯t even found yet.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°What?¡± Severn interrupted. ¡°Why would they want to search for a new family if they still have living relatives?¡± Thomas gave him an exasperated shrug. ¡°They¡¯d done a background check on me and found my medical records, and decided I wasn¡¯t fit to raise them solely based on that.¡± ¡°Did you sign off on it?¡± ¡°Obviously not, they¡¯re still here.¡± Severn looked next to him at Night, Night eyed him. ¡°Right, yeah.¡± ¡°They said I was being unreasonable and that I should put their wellbeing first, and¡±¡ªThomas took a sharp, angry breath as he clenched his fists¡ª¡°the hypocrisy! Oh, I should think about their wellbeing? I¡¯m not the one removing them from their home and separating them from their remaining family, right after they lost their parents! If I had let them be adopted, they wouldn¡¯t have just lived with other people, I would¡¯ve lost all rights over them, including visitation. If I had gone along with their plan, Rune and I might¡¯ve never seen them again! They might¡¯ve never even seen each other, how likely is it they¡¯d be adopted together?¡± ¡°What did they do after you refused?¡± ¡°They said they¡¯d have to stay at the orphanage their whole childhoods, then. Or at least until Rune was eighteen and could take them in, because apparently an eighteen-year-old is good enough to raise them on his own!¡± Severn frowned. Judging by how angry it made him to talk about it years later, he couldn¡¯t imagine how pissed off he must¡¯ve been as it was happening. ¡°I could¡¯ve taken Rune,¡± Thomas continued. ¡°But leaving the girls on their own there didn¡¯t feel right, either. So, I asked him what he wanted. He could come live with me and leave them there, and we¡¯d visit them as often as we could; or he could stay there with them and I¡¯d visit as often as I could. He didn¡¯t want to leave them on their own. ¡°So, I decided I had to be patient. Social services had already said Rune could take them when he turned eighteen, so I had to wait five years. I told myself it would be fine eventually, as long as no one else took them. I tried to appeal their decision every year after their birthday, arguing they¡¯re older now, I wouldn¡¯t need two working knees as much. They never changed their minds.¡± Severn let out an angry sigh. Not only did the gang break their family apart, the systems that were supposed to protect them broke them apart even more. ¡°How often could you visit?¡± ¡°Friday and Saturday were the only visitation days, but they were pretty lenient there, thankfully. They never checked if anyone actually left from Friday to Saturday, so I stayed the night every week.¡± ¡°Weird an orphanage even has visitation days. You¡¯d think, if the kid has anyone to visit them, they should live with them.¡± Thomas shrugged. ¡°I guess we weren¡¯t the only ones in that situation.¡± He glanced past Severn at Night. ¡°Would you have wanted me to handle it differently?¡± Night looked up from her book, a little startled. ¡°Oh, well¡ªuh, no? The only other option would¡¯ve been a whole different family, right?¡± Thomas nodded with a frown. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to be taken away from you and my brother and sister, no matter how loving that other family might¡¯ve been.¡± She leaned on Severn¡¯s shoulder and reached out to grab Thomas¡¯s hand. ¡°You did what you could, and everything¡¯s okay now.¡± Thomas smiled sadly and rubbed his thumb over her hand. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t think I had told any of you this,¡± Thomas realised. ¡°But, there was one more thing that I tried.¡± Severn raised his eyebrow. ¡°What?¡± ¡°They told me I couldn¡¯t raise them by myself, so I thought, Okay, what if I wasn¡¯t by myself?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me¡ª¡± Thomas bit his cheek and nodded. ¡°I asked if I¡¯d get custody if their grandmother helped me. They wanted to do a background check on her, first. They deemed her too mentally unstable, without even meeting her. So, that didn¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Severn chuckled. ¡°No surprises there.¡± ¡°I never told her I tried that.¡± ¡°Do you still talk to her?¡± Thomas shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t spoken to her since a week after you died.¡± ¡°Good.¡±
Rune and Hyde wanted some space to talk, alone. They decided to take a walk through town in the evening. The neighbourhood they walked through was quiet and empty. They both wore a winter coat, the autumn cold had begun, after all. ¡°So,¡± Hyde began, ¡°your dad. Is he the same as you remember?¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡± Rune rubbed his chin. ¡°But it seems like he¡¯s hiding less. Probably because I¡¯m an adult now.¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°Hiding? What was he hiding before?¡± ¡°His anger and frustration. Before, he must¡¯ve put a filter on himself around his kids, but now that we¡¯re all¡ªalmost¡ªadults, he seems to have gotten rid of that.¡± ¡°How can you tell the difference?¡± ¡°He swears more and doesn¡¯t seem to be holding back any of his thoughts.¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°Or there¡¯s a lot to be angry about right now. But, what do you think of him?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Hyde squinted his eyes in thought. ¡°He seems okay? He clearly loves you. But I don¡¯t think I can judge what type of person he is already.¡± Rune nodded. ¡°Yeah, fair.¡± ¡°While we¡¯re on the topic, what did you think of my parents?¡± ¡°Um, your mum is friendly, a little overly friendly.¡± Hyde chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s pretty aware of that. She knows she can spook people sometimes. She even asked if she spooked you.¡± Rune snorted. ¡°Well, maybe a little bit.¡± ¡°What did you think of my dad?¡± ¡°He¡¯s¡­ quiet. I hadn¡¯t really talked to him. He doesn¡¯t give off a vibe that he wants to talk, you know?¡± ¡°I know he can seem cold at first, but he¡¯s not. He needs time to get comfortable with someone.¡± ¡°Why? How can you get comfortable with someone if you don¡¯t talk to them?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°He has his reasons. It¡¯s more that he needs to get used to your presence.¡± Rune hummed. Someone approached them, walking in the opposite direction. Rune thought nothing of it. ¡°How did those two even end up together? They¡¯re polar opposites.¡± The person walked past them. Hyde chuckled. ¡°Yeah, they¡ª¡± Hyde screamed and arched his back. Rune jumped around, the person ran away. Rune turned to Hyde, his eyes widened in fear. A knife stuck out between his shoulder blades. A piece of paper was attached to it. Hyde was frozen and stared down as his body shook. Rune searched around, there was no one. He grabbed Hyde¡¯s hand and pulled him into an alleyway, Hyde gritted his teeth and held a scream in as he had to move. Rune helped him sit on the ground. He stared at Hyde sitting there, leaning forward, not moving. Rune¡¯s breathing quickened. What should he do? ¡°Are you okay?¡± he stupidly asked. Hyde glared up at him. He gave him a fake smile. ¡°Never better.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a knife in my back, what do you think?!¡± ¡°Right, sorry.¡± Rune kneeled behind him. ¡°At least you¡¯re conscious enough to be snarky.¡± He inspected the knife. It wasn¡¯t in the middle, it was more to the right. ¡°I don¡¯t think it hit your heart.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be dead already if it did,¡± Hyde wheezed. He violently coughed into his hand. ¡°Are you coughing up blood?¡± Rune asked, concerned. Hyde showed his hand and nodded. There were blood splatters on it. Rune¡¯s heart sank. ¡°It must¡¯ve pierced your lung, then.¡± He moved to sit on his knees in front of Hyde. He didn¡¯t know what to do. Pulling the knife out would make it worse. What could a hospital do at this point? If they could even make it that far. Hyde leaned forward to rest his forehead on Rune¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Everything¡¯s fading,¡± he whispered. Rune began to shake as the fear grew. No no no no no no no. He knew that feeling. He won¡¯t let that happen. But how? He thought to Lullaby dying in his arms. It will not happen again! He considered the option he had offered her, which couldn¡¯t save her. But it could save him. He didn¡¯t know how it affected werewolves, but surely it was better than death. He grabbed Hyde¡¯s head and made him look at him. ¡°Hyde.¡± Hyde gave him a tired hum, eyes barely open. ¡°I¡¯m going to try something. And if it works, it will result in a big change for you. Okay?¡± Hyde weakly nodded. Rune glanced at his neck. He recalled all the steps. His dad had told him how to do it once, when he told him about how he turned his mum. He hoped he still remembered everything correctly. He moved one hand to Hyde¡¯s shoulder and sunk his teeth into his neck. He began drinking as he recalled his dad¡¯s words. Drink as much of their blood as you can, until you¡¯re completely full. Rune pulled away after a few minutes and let Hyde rest on his shoulder again. Hyde was limp in his arms. He was pale, almost lifeless. Rune brought his hand up to his mouth and tried to make a cut across his wrist with his fang. He whimpered in pain, but continued. He needed to bleed. Make yourself bleed¡ª Rune managed to slice his skin open. He pushed his bleeding wrist against Hyde¡¯s lips. ¡ªand let your blood drip into their mouth¡ª Rune turned Hyde to lay with his face up in his arms and let gravity do the work with his blood as he squeezed the wound. ¡ªas much as possible until the wound closes. Rune pulled his wrist back, the wound had healed. He sat still and stared at Hyde. He let himself breathe for a moment. That should do it. He pushed his fingers against Hyde¡¯s neck to check his heartbeat. It was slow, but still there. Should he pull the knife out? He¡¯d have to eventually. But was it too soon? Should he wait for it to take effect? That would take hours, though. They couldn¡¯t stay here in the alley all that time. How was he going to get him home? He wasn¡¯t strong enough to carry him. And dragging him around in the streets would look weird and suspicious. He turned Hyde to rest his head on his shoulder again and pulled the knife out. He saw the piece of paper again. He pulled it off the knife and unfolded it. Good riddance. Rune held his breath. What? How long had they wanted Hyde dead? Since they killed him? They were planning on killing him, too. Was it because Hyde killed one of theirs? Or because he helped Rune get away from them? Because he made it so much harder for them to sneak up on Rune? Because they couldn¡¯t get to his sisters because of him? Because he brought Rune¡¯s dead body to Selene which resulted in his return? Did they even know how Selene brought him back? If he had actually died at all? They had to go home. He could drag him through the back alleys. Rune hooked his arms under Hyde¡¯s armpits and stood up. He went deeper into the alley, dragging Hyde with him, and went on his way home. Please, Go Home 20B Severn drank a late night snack in the kitchen, leaning on the counter. The front door opened. He heard Rune groaning and something dragging over the floor. The door slammed closed. Rune entered the living room, dragging Hyde. Severn raised his eyebrow. Hyde seemed to be unconscious. Rune laid him on the couch, then fell through his knees and panted. He pulled his coat off and left it on the floor. He turned Hyde onto his stomach and pulled his coat off, too, then dropped it on the ground again. He laid a bloody knife on the floor. He seemed to be inspecting something on Hyde¡¯s back. Severn noticed the big, red stain on his sweater. He frowned in concern and pushed himself off the counter. He walked to them. ¡°What happened?¡± Rune flinched and looked up. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t see you.¡± He turned Hyde onto his back again. He stood up. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Severn repeated. Rune rubbed his arm. ¡°Someone stabbed him.¡± Severn¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Probably the gang,¡± Rune added. ¡°I¡ª¡± He choked up. ¡°I turned him.¡± Severn stared at him for a moment. ¡°Did you?¡± Rune nodded as some tears made their way down his cheeks. Severn wrapped his arm around him. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d rather be a vampire than die so young, right?¡± Rune sniffed and nodded. ¡°Did I do it right?¡± he whimpered. ¡°I would assume so.¡± Severn glanced at Hyde on the couch, still breathing slowly. ¡°He¡¯s not dead.¡± Rune grabbed at his hair. ¡°They¡¯re after him. Not only people close to me, but him specifically.¡± ¡°What makes you think so?¡± Rune pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Severn. ¡°This was attached to the knife they stabbed him with.¡± Severn unfolded it and read it. He clenched his jaw. ¡°Why? What did he do to piss them off?¡± ¡°What didn¡¯t he do? He helped me get away from them, he makes it harder to sneak up on me, he killed one of their higher ranking people, they couldn¡¯t get to the girls because of him. In their eyes, he¡¯s a body guard who¡¯s at my side at all times. The night they killed me, the woman was even saying how annoying he was, because he heard them coming before I noticed they were there.¡± Severn only hummed as he stared at the note. He glanced at the bloody knife on the ground. His eyes narrowed. He stepped to the knife and lifted it off the floor. He examined it, felt its weight in his hand, and pricked his finger on the tip. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Rune asked, confused. ¡°I¡¯ll be away for a few hours,¡± is all Severn coldly told him before walking towards the door. ¡°Huh? What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Pay some old colleagues a visit.¡± ¡°What¡ªare you crazy? They could kill you again, you just came back!¡± Severn ignored him and walked through the front door, slamming it shut behind him. He had an intense look in his eyes as he kept ignoring Rune¡¯s muffled shouts from inside the house and left on a mission. Rune sat on his knees beside the couch, leaning his folded arms next to Hyde. He kept an eye on him. He pressed his fingers against Hyde¡¯s throat, feeling for his heartbeat. Still there. He brushed his fingers through Hyde¡¯s hair with a sigh. ¡°What was all that yelling about?¡± Rune turned to see Thomas walking into the living room. Thomas furrowed his brows in concern as he looked at Hyde. ¡°What happened to him?¡± ¡°Someone from the gang stabbed him,¡± Rune told him. ¡°What?!¡± Thomas rushed to Rune¡¯s side. ¡°Will he be okay?¡± Rune nodded. ¡°I turned him.¡± Thomas sat on the floor next to him. ¡°Oh. So, he wouldn¡¯t have been okay if you hadn¡¯t?¡± Rune shook his head with tears in his eyes. ¡°He was already bleeding out.¡± Thomas wrapped his arm around Rune. He searched the room. ¡°Where¡¯s Severn?¡± ¡°Doing something stupid,¡± Rune mumbled, frustrated. Thomas tensed up. ¡°What?¡± ¡°He grabbed the knife Hyde was stabbed with and said he was going to Pay some old colleagues a visit.¡± ¡°Oh no.¡± ¡°I told him not to, that they¡¯d kill him again, but he completely ignored me!¡± Thomas sighed. ¡°I haven¡¯t always been able to stop him either, once he gets an idea like that in his head.¡± He put his other arm around Rune in a hug. ¡°I suppose all we can do is hope he¡¯ll come home.¡± Rune could hear the worry and fear in his voice. He leaned his head against Thomas¡¯s. He thought back to Hyde. ¡°Do you know anything about turning people?¡± Rune wanted to distract them both. ¡°I haven¡¯t done it, but I¡¯ve seen the before-and-after with your mother. And I¡¯ve read a book on vampirism before.¡± Rune raised his eyebrow. ¡°Why would you need to read a book about that?¡± Thomas removed one arm from Rune and stared into the distance. ¡°I needed something to distract myself and that book was the only one in the house at the time.¡± Rune squinted. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a book on vampirism on your shelves, what house are you talking about?¡± ¡°My f¡ª¡± Thomas shook his head. ¡°Never mind. What do you want to know about turning?¡± ¡°Uhh.¡± Rune was caught off guard at the sudden change. ¡°How it affects werewolves, I guess. Will he be a full vampire?¡± Thomas hummed. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Out of the four states-of-being other than vampire, there were two that couldn¡¯t be fully turned. Faerie can¡¯t be turned at all, one became a hybrid. If I¡¯m remembering correctly, that one was werewolf. But I read that book decades ago, so take it with a grain of salt.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Rune¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°A hybrid? What would that look like?¡± ¡°He¡¯d be lucky, honestly. He¡¯d only get the good traits of vampires. The lifespan and aging, fangs, healing open wounds. He could drink blood, but wouldn¡¯t have to. He wouldn¡¯t burn in the sun. He¡¯d keep all his werewolf traits.¡± Thomas grabbed his chin in thought. ¡°Now that I think about it, I¡¯m pretty confident it was werewolf. I remember the book described something about vampirism and lycantrophy both being considered ¡®curses¡¯. And the thing about curses is, you can¡¯t get rid of one by being infected with the other.¡± Rune blankly stared at him. ¡°Lycan¡ªwhat-now? Curses?¡± ¡°Lycantrophy is the name of the ¡®werewolf curse.¡¯ The story goes that both werewolves and vampires started out as a few people being cursed, and then passing their curses onto their children, or spreading it by turning others in the case of vampires. Over the years, they became so common place that they¡¯re considered regular states-of-being, now. But these are only myths at this point.¡± Rune let himself process all that for a while. Thomas stayed quiet to let him do so for a minute before continuing, ¡°There were two more things about turning, but I can¡¯t remember. Something to do with aging and souls.¡± Rune sighed and looked behind him at Hyde. ¡°We¡¯ll see what happens.¡± A couple hours later, Rune still waited. Thomas had moved to the dining table. Severn hadn¡¯t returned yet. Rune heard movement on the couch behind him and turned to look. Hyde had pushed himself up on his elbows and rubbed his forehead. He opened his eyes slightly and glanced down at Rune. Rune smiled in relief and flung his arms around him. ¡°Hey.¡± Hyde pushed himself up further to sit on his behind and hugged Rune back. Rune moved his hands to Hyde¡¯s cheeks. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Hyde frowned. ¡°Fine?¡± He looked down at his hand. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I turned you.¡± ¡°Then why is my skin not greyish?¡± Rune pushed Hyde¡¯s lip up with his thumb to check. ¡°You have fangs, so it did work.¡± ¡°I do?¡± Hyde licked his teeth, he hummed. ¡°Seems like you really are a hybrid.¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°Hybrid?¡± ¡°Apparently, werewolf and vampire happens to be the only possible hybrid. You age and heal like a vampire, you have fangs, and you could drink blood if you wanted to. But other than that, nothing changed for you.¡± Hyde stared at him. ¡°Age like a¡ªoh, shit.¡± Rune let his hands fall down from Hyde¡¯s face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°My lifespan has doubled.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Rune glanced down. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about that.¡± Rune shook his head, there were more important things right now. He put his hand on Hyde¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Can you turn around? I want to check the wound on your back.¡± Hyde nodded and turned. He pulled his shirt up and over his head, then left it on his arms. Rune rubbed the spot between his shoulder blades where the knife had been. The wound was completely gone. The only trace left was the dried blood. ¡°Like it never even happened,¡± he mumbled under his breath. Hyde hummed, Rune saw him rubbing his chest. ¡°What?¡± ¡°My chest fuzz is gone.¡± Rune frowned. ¡°Oh, weird.¡± Hyde pulled his shirt on and turned to Rune again. Rune hugged him. ¡°I was so scared I¡¯d lose you,¡± he whispered. Hyde sighed and hugged him back. ¡°You didn¡¯t. You knew how to save me.¡± He rubbed his face into Rune¡¯s neck. ¡°I¡¯m still here.¡± Rune smiled and curled his fingers around the hair in Hyde¡¯s neck. He sighed. ¡°And I worried if you actually wanted the turn. It¡¯s a pretty big and permanent change.¡± ¡°I¡¯d much rather be a hybrid than dead.¡± Hyde hugged him tighter. ¡°And I¡¯m glad I won¡¯t age twice as fast as you.¡± He let Rune go and put his hand on his cheek. ¡°We could still have another one-hundred-and-fifty-something years together, that sounds amazing.¡± Hyde smiled. Rune smiled too with tears in his eyes. He was glad Hyde saw this as such a positive thing. He didn¡¯t even seem to care he almost died. Hyde pushed their foreheads together and whispered, ¡°I love you.¡± Rune grabbed Hyde¡¯s hand on his cheek and leaned into it. ¡°I love you, too,¡± he whispered back.
Severn kicked the door. It swung open. He stood in the doorway, the knife in his hand dripping with blood, people groaning in pain behind him, grabbing at their cuts and stab wounds. Three people stared at him, Severn observed them. One big guy on the left of the desk; one medium guy on the right; and a small, pathetic little man safely sitting on his big, fancy desk chair between them. Severn smirked. ¡°What¡¯s with the shock on your faces? Thought you¡¯d gotten rid of me?¡± The big man charged into an attack. Severn stabbed him in the shoulder and pushed him to the side using the knife. He pulled the knife out and kicked him out the doorway. He turned back to the small boss man, holding up the knife. ¡°I believe this knife is yours. Somehow, it found its way into my son¡¯s boyfriend¡¯s back.¡± He approached the desk. The medium guy cried out and charged at him. Severn stepped out of his path, grabbed his shoulders and slammed his head on the desk, knocking him out. He pushed him out of the way with his foot. He sat sideways on the desk and loomed over the boss. The boss stared at him in shock. ¡°How is this possible?¡± Severn let out an evil snicker. He climbed onto the desk, then placed his feet on the chair on either side of the boss. He leaned his elbows on his knees and got into his face. ¡°Oh?¡± Severn pointed the knife at his throat. ¡°You thought, just because you rammed a stake through my heart and dumped my body in the middle of the forest and watched it rot until all that was left of me were bones, meant you¡¯d gotten rid of me permanently?¡± He pushed the tip of the knife into his skin, the boss leaned back and gulped. ¡°And since you thought I was gone, you decided you could go after my son and break my family apart even more.¡± Severn let some of his anger show on his face. ¡°What do you want?¡± the boss demanded. ¡°To stop us? To take us down? To kill me?¡± ¡°Now why would I want that?¡± Severn lifted the boss¡¯s chin up with the knife. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to start a war. I don¡¯t care what you people do to others.¡± He gave the boss a threatening glare. ¡°All I want is for you to leave me, my family, and anyone surrounding us alone, understood?¡± ¡°Or else?¡± ¡°Well, if I can come back to life after all that was left of me was a skeleton, who knows what else I could do?¡± ¡°You¡¯re bluffing.¡± ¡°Fuck around and find out. The moment I see any of you anywhere near my family, you¡¯re all dead.¡± He pressed the knife into his neck, drawing blood. ¡°Are we clear?¡± The boss pinched his eyes closed and gulped, then nodded. ¡°Brilliant,¡± Severn whispered into his face. He backed away, letting the boss relax a little. He stabbed him in the shoulder for good measure, the boss cried out in pain. Severn pulled the knife out and got off the desk. He put his free hand in the pocket of his jacket and twirled the knife in his other. He walked through the doorway, past the line of bleeding people, groaning and grunting in pain, and went on his way home.
Rune laid on Hyde¡¯s chest on the couch, listening to his now-regular heartbeat. Hyde played with his hair. The front door opened, Rune flinched awake. The door to the living room opened, Severn walked in, bloody knife in hand. Rune pushed himself up in Hyde¡¯s arms as he called out, ¡°Dad!¡± Severn didn¡¯t even look at him as he made his way to the kitchen. Rune got off the couch and followed him. ¡°Severn!¡± Thomas called too, he stood up from his chair at the table and went after him into the kitchen. Severn dropped the knife into the sink right before Thomas threw his arms around him. Thomas let out a relieved sigh. ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡± Severn took a deep breath as he hugged him back with one arm. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay.¡± Thomas let him out of the hug but kept his hands on his arms. ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°At the gang¡¯s base.¡± Rune noticed a red stain on Severn¡¯s sleeve. ¡°What did you do?¡± Severn stepped out of Thomas¡¯s grip. ¡°Just had a little chat.¡± ¡°With a knife?¡± ¡°¡­Yep.¡± ¡°Then why do you have blood on your sleeve?¡± Severn¡¯s eyes widened and he looked at his sleeve. He frowned. ¡°Damn it. I was being so careful.¡± ¡°What the hell did you do?!¡± Rune demanded. Severn glanced at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill anyone.¡± Rune was dumbfounded for a moment. ¡°What kind of answer is that?!¡± ¡°Where did the blood come from, then?¡± Thomas asked. Severn sighed and dropped his arm. ¡°I might¡¯ve stabbed a few people. Only in non-lethal places, they¡¯ll be fine.¡± He nonchalantly waved it off. ¡°Why? What happened?¡± Rune demanded. ¡°I went to their base and I gave them a piece of my mind. We won¡¯t have to worry about them anymore.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Severn¡¯s shoulders tensed as he got angry. ¡°They kept us under control through fear all these years, it was about time for a switch.¡± He turned away from them and continued to let his anger out. ¡°They had watched the life leave my eyes, watched me rot away in the forest, watched me turn into nothing but a skeleton. Now, I came back from being only bones. Who knows what else I could possibly do?¡± he finished with an unsettling grin. He turned to them, his grin more normal. ¡°I bluffed out of my ass, but it worked.¡± Rune stared at him in disbelief. ¡°You made them fear you?¡± ¡°Pretty much. To a murderer, what could be more terrifying than his victim coming back to life?¡± ¡°Do not ever do anything that reckless again!¡± Thomas scolded him as he got into his face. ¡°I lost you once, I¡¯m not losing you again due to your own recklessness!¡± Severn slightly leaned back away from him. ¡°Okay, okay. I promise I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°You better. Now, come here.¡± Thomas hugged him again. Severn put one arm around him, then looked at Rune. He held his arm out to him. ¡°Come on, I¡¯m sure you want to join, too.¡± Rune huffed, but hugged him from the side. Severn rubbed his cheek against Rune¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I scared you. Both of you.¡± Rune sighed. ¡°I¡¯m just happy you¡¯re okay.¡± Please, Go Home 21A Hyde sat at the dining table with a bowl of cereal in front of him for breakfast. An envelope laid next to it, ready to be opened. It came in this morning, addressed to Hyde. He recognised his dad¡¯s handwriting on it. He shoved a spoonful of cereal in his mouth before it became too soggy. He wasn¡¯t sure what to expect. He had told them to let him know if anything was going on back home. So, did this mean there was something important happening? Or they only wanted to check on him, they hadn¡¯t seen him for nine weeks now. Three weeks in the village, about four weeks in Enath before Severn came back, now two weeks after that. He finished his bowl as he stared at the envelope. He pushed the empty bowl out of the way and grabbed the letter. He ripped it open, pulled the piece of paper out and unfolded it. He took the spoon out of the bowl and put it between his teeth to bite on. Hey Hyde, Could you come home soon? As soon as you can? We need all the help we can get. Remember those territory issues with the other pack that have been going on for decades? They¡¯re rising up again. Hyde¡¯s eyes widened. Shit, did he mean those problems? The ones his grandad had tried to deal with? On one side, I¡¯d rather you stayed away, it¡¯s safer for you. But on the other, we could really use your help. Most of the newer generation in the pack aren¡¯t great fighters, they¡¯ve never had to fight. But you do have some experience, even if it was against me. Oh, were they going to be this casual about it, now? Okay. And you tend to be clever, which could help with making a plan. Warlon isn¡¯t very experienced, I¡¯m trying to help as much as I can. But I¡¯ve never been alpha during big problems like this, only in the aftermath. So, three minds would be better than two. Also, on a completely different note; when you come home, don¡¯t be surprised if your mom gets upset with you about your last letter. She didn¡¯t like how you came out that way. Though, I¡¯ve told her before, if you don¡¯t want it to be a big deal, we shouldn¡¯t make it a big thing either. She doesn¡¯t get why. So I guess you¡¯d have to explain that yourself. Anyway, hope to see you soon. Dad Hyde sighed and laid the letter down. He leaned back in his chair and folded one arm over the other while the other held the spoon in his mouth, still biting on it. It probably wasn¡¯t great for his teeth, but a few minutes wouldn¡¯t do that much damage, would it? He guessed he should go home, then. Could he be of much help? Fighting-wise, he supposed he did have more experience than the average person. Against his dad, against Rune, against the gang. And now that he was a vampire-hybrid, he would be much harder to kill. Even if he didn¡¯t have all that, he should still go home and help his family. He flinched when the spoon was pulled out of his mouth. ¡°Stop that, you¡¯ll grind your teeth away.¡± Hyde looked up to see Rune holding the spoon with a disapproving frown. Hyde was so lost in thought, he hadn¡¯t noticed him coming in. Should Rune come? He wanted him to, because he didn¡¯t want to be away from him until these problems were over. But, like his dad had said, it was safer to stay away. ¡°What¡¯s in the letter?¡± Rune asked. Hyde glanced back at the letter on the table. ¡°It¡¯s from my dad, asking me to come home and help with big pack problems.¡± ¡°How big?¡± Hyde gave Rune a concerned frown. ¡°The same ones that killed my grandpa.¡± Rune stiffened up. ¡°Oh, shit. Are you going?¡± ¡°I have to, I can¡¯t leave my family to deal with this on their own! They could use all the help they can get, so we won¡¯t get a repeat of last time.¡± Rune sighed. ¡°Fine. Then I¡¯m coming with you.¡± Hyde shook his head. ¡°No, you should stay here. It¡¯s safer. And your dad just came back, you should spend time with him.¡± ¡°You tell me you¡¯ll put yourself into a dangerous situation and you expect me to let you go alone? Hell no!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, I can heal like you, now.¡± Hyde smiled a little. Rune tensed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re invincible. You of all people should know that, you watched me die!¡± Hyde flinched back. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine as long as they don¡¯t have a wooden stake.¡± ¡°Sure, you won¡¯t die, but you can¡¯t regenerate. All you do is close open wounds to keep your blood inside your body. If your finger gets bitten off, that finger is gone.¡± Rune leaned down to Hyde¡¯s eye level and put his hand on his cheek with a worried frown. ¡°So please, don¡¯t get cocky. I¡¯d like to keep you in one piece.¡± Hyde glanced down and sighed. ¡°Okay, I promise I¡¯ll be careful. But you¡ª¡± ¡°I am coming with you,¡± Rune told him sternly. ¡°I¡¯m just as ¡®invulnerable¡¯ as you. If you think it¡¯s safe for you to go, then it should be for me, too.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t put yourself in danger for my family¡¯s issues.¡± ¡°Says you, who has put himself between me and a dangerous gang numerous times by now and nearly got stabbed to death for it. Whether you like it or not, I¡¯m coming.¡± Hyde sighed deeply. There wasn¡¯t much he could do to stop him, was there? ¡°Fine.¡± Rune smiled and placed a kiss on Hyde¡¯s forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll pack some stuff.¡± Rune walked out of his room with a bag over his shoulder. He went on his way downstairs and passed Severn. ¡°Where are you off to?¡± Severn asked.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Rune turned to him. ¡°To Corburn.¡± ¡°Which is¡­¡± ¡°Hyde¡¯s hometown. His family needs his help with stuff.¡± Severn frowned. ¡°Oh, okay. Will you be away for long?¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll see.¡± Rune and Hyde were preparing to leave downstairs. Everyone else was there, too. While the girls both hugged Rune, Thomas turned to Severn and asked, ¡°Can I go home, yet?¡± Severn raised his eyebrow. ¡°What, are you tired of us?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been here for six weeks! As much as I love you all, I¡¯d like to sleep in my own bed again.¡± Severn glanced down in thought. ¡°I suppose it should be safe now.¡± He sighed. ¡°Fine, you can go.¡± He looked at his daughters with a frown. ¡°Maybe it¡¯d be good to be alone with the girls for a bit. To connect with them better.¡± Thomas smiled and rubbed his shoulder. ¡°They just need to get to know you a little, they¡¯ll warm up to you.¡± Rune and Hyde finished preparing. They said their goodbyes to everyone and left. Thomas went home afterwards, leaving Severn alone with his daughters. He looked at them both sitting on the couch and sighed. How was he going to do this?
Hyde made his way to his parents¡¯ house through the heavy rain, wearing a hoodie with the hood up. Rune walked closely behind him. Hyde turned to him, Rune had a grumpy look on his face, Hyde laughed a little. ¡°I guess the rainy season has begun.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± Hyde reached out to grab his hand and pulled him next to him. ¡°Come on, you won¡¯t melt. It¡¯s better than the suffocating heat, isn¡¯t it?¡± Rune groaned. ¡°I suppose.¡± ¡°These downpours never last long anyway.¡± ¡°Then why are we walking straight through it instead of waiting it out?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°I wanna go home.¡± ¡°Does being soaked in rain not bother you at all?¡± ¡°It¡¯s annoying, but I¡¯ll manage.¡± Hyde walked through the door and pulled Rune inside. He closed it before too much rain could get in. ¡°Hey!¡± he yelled to let his parents know he was here. He pulled his hood down. The fabric hadn¡¯t done much to keep his hair dry. He looked over at Rune, his hair was wet, too. Rune pulled his hoodie off and cringed at the soaked hoodie in his hands. ¡°Ugh, I hate wet clothes.¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The way they stick to you and that suction noise it makes when you pull it off¡±¡ªhe shivered¡ª¡°makes me feel icky.¡± The door to the living room opened. Hyde turned to see his mom. She gasped. ¡°Oh¡ªmy goodness, you¡¯re drenched!¡± ¡°Oh, really? I hadn¡¯t noticed,¡± Hyde said dryly. She sighed and pulled Hyde¡¯s hoodie off for him. ¡°Go dry yourselves and put some clean clothes on, you¡¯ll get sick.¡± She took Rune¡¯s hoodie, too. ¡°Okay, fine.¡± Hyde grabbed Rune¡¯s hand. He took him up the stairs and into his bedroom. ¡°Stay here, I¡¯ll grab some towels.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Hyde went into the bathroom and grabbed two clean towels from the towel rack. He came back to his bedroom and saw Rune shirtless, looking cold and uncomfortable. ¡°Here,¡± Hyde said as he handed him the towel. Rune only smiled and took it. He rubbed his face dry. Hyde rubbed the towel through his hair and over his face, too. He pulled his shirt off and watched Rune dry his torso. He smirked as an idea came to him. He went to put his arms around Rune as he said, ¡°Come huddle for warmth.¡± Rune tensed and put his hands up to keep him away. ¡°No, dry yourself first!¡± Hyde hugged him from the side anyway and pushed their cheeks together with a satisfied hum. Rune uncomfortably groaned. ¡°You¡¯re cold and wet,¡± he whined. Hyde chuckled. He kissed his cheek and let him go. He continued drying himself. Hyde went to his closet and grabbed two sets of clothes, one for each of them. He laid them on the bed. They both changed into the dry clothes. Both with jeans, Hyde in a t-shirt and a blouse, Rune in a long-sleeved shirt. Hyde hummed at Rune with a smile. Rune raised his eyebrow at him. ¡°That shirt looks nice on you,¡± Hyde told him. Rune blushed and glanced away with a smile. ¡°Thanks.¡± They went downstairs. Dione stood in the living room, waiting for them, while Fallon sat in the kitchen. Dione walked up to Hyde and slapped him on his arm. ¡°How dare you come out like that?! You don¡¯t do that over letter!¡± Hyde flinched away from her with his arms pulled against him. ¡°Would you have preferred to wait six weeks for me to tell you now?¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± Rune asked as he stepped next to him. ¡°He decided it was a good idea to tell us he¡¯s gay through a letter,¡± Dione complained. Rune let out a snort and put his hand in front of his mouth to hold it back. ¡°Nice one.¡± Hyde glanced at Rune. ¡°I¡±¡ªhe turned back to his mom¡ª¡°I didn¡¯t want it to be a big deal, okay? Can¡¯t it just be an understood thing?¡± Dione stared at him for a moment, then glared to the side at Fallon. Hyde looked too, Fallon was eyeing her as he smugly drank from a mug. ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± she warned him. ¡°I¡¯m not saying anything.¡± ¡°Stop giving me those eyes.¡± Hyde wanted to ask what they were talking about, but then remembered the last part of Fallon¡¯s letter. ¡°And it¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t already know. You all guessed before I even knew.¡± He squinted. ¡°How did you know, actually?¡± ¡°I noticed you¡¯d been scent-marking Rune.¡± Hyde gulped and tensed up. ¡°Scent-what-now?¡± Rune interrupted. ¡°I was doing that?¡± ¡°Does he rub his face on you a lot? Particularly in your head-and-neck area?¡± Dione asked. Rune thought about it for a moment. ¡°Yes, he does.¡± ¡°That¡¯s scent-marking. It¡¯s a subconscious thing werewolves do when they like someone. It¡¯s to get his scent on you to ¡®claim¡¯ you. Or to let other werewolves know that, Hey, I¡¯m pursuing this person, or This is my partner.¡± ¡°Seems a little possessive?¡± Hyde gave Rune a worried look. ¡°Does it make you uncomfortable? I¡¯m sorry, I genuinely didn¡¯t realise I was doing that.¡± Rune looked back at him. He bit the inside of his cheek as he considered how he felt about it. He shrugged. ¡°I suppose it isn¡¯t much different from something like a wedding ring. Simply showing people you¡¯re spoken for, right?¡± Hyde sighed and smiled. ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± ¡°How did you come out?¡± Dione asked Rune. Rune tensed in surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t, actually.¡± ¡°Your family doesn¡¯t know yet?¡± ¡°They do, but I never told them. They all just figured. I was away for five years, then I came home with a guy and after a day, they all assumed I liked him, which obviously meant I wasn¡¯t straight.¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°Not sure why, we weren¡¯t super cuddly or anything. Maybe I gave off gay vibes.¡± He looked at Hyde. ¡°Or you did.¡± Hyde gave him a squint of his eyes. ¡°Or you two together,¡± Dione added. Hyde thought back to how Selene and Raven guessed what kind of connection they had, despite barely knowing Rune. ¡°Probably. Gayness aside¡±¡ªHyde looked at his dad¡ª¡°what¡¯s going on exactly?¡± Fallon put his empty mug down with a frown. ¡°Right.¡± He walked over to them. ¡°What I told you in the letter.¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s as serious as it was back then?¡± ¡°Warlon has gotten threats already.¡± Hyde¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh. Why do they take it so far? It¡¯s just a stupid forest.¡± Fallon shrugged. ¡°Beats me.¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m ignorant about all this,¡± Rune chimed in, ¡°but if you don¡¯t care for it, why not give it up? Let them have it if they care so much.¡± ¡°I tried that last time,¡± Fallon begun. ¡°They claimed a chunk of the forest after they killed my father. I told them to take it all, because I was sick of it.¡± He folded his arms and tensed his shoulders in frustration. ¡°But then they said it wasn¡¯t honourable and didn¡¯t feel deserved. And I thought¡±¡ªhe gestured his hand around¡ª¡°do you need to kill me first or something? I¡¯m telling you it¡¯s yours, leave me alone!¡± He unfolded his arms and clenched his hands in front of him. ¡°But they wouldn¡¯t take it. And now, thirty-one years later, they suddenly want it and they first want to kill us again!¡± Hyde squinted in thought. ¡°It¡¯s like they waited for an alpha who¡¯d fight back.¡± Fallon released the tension in his body and looked at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You surrendered right away after grandpa died, but they didn¡¯t accept it because they didn¡¯t have to fight. As if they didn¡¯t actually want the forest, they wanted the fight. But they knew you wouldn¡¯t give it to them. So all the thirty years you were alpha, they left you alone because you wouldn¡¯t fight.¡± Hyde grabbed his chin. ¡°Now Warlon is alpha, has been for only a year, and they decide to attack again. Like they waited a year to see what kind of alpha he was and see if he would be worth the fight. And it seems like he is more active than you.¡± His parents stared at him for a bit, thinking all that over. Dione hummed. ¡°It does make sense. The pack always hated your passive attitude, but if he¡¯s right, then that might be exactly what had protected them from all this for the last thirty years.¡± Fallon frowned. ¡°Maybe.¡± He went to the door and grabbed Hyde¡¯s wrist on his way. ¡°Come with me.¡± Hyde walked along. ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°A pack meeting. We¡¯re going to figure out what to do.¡± Please, Go Home 21B The rain had stopped. Hyde and Fallon made their way to the pack building. Hyde took a deep breath, breathing in the post-rain air. ¡°Why do you seem so much more understanding and casual about my sexuality than Mom?¡± he wondered. ¡°Hm?¡± Fallon shrugged. ¡°I have a better understanding of what it¡¯s like to have a part of you you can¡¯t change, and it¡¯s just the way your brain works and the way you were born. And you¡¯d like people to understand and accept that. But they always like to make a big deal out of it, because it¡¯s different to them.¡± Hyde examined the ground with a hum. ¡°I never thought about it like that,¡± he admitted. ¡°But I guess queerness and autism are similar in that way.¡± ¡°Autistic people are also more likely to be queer. If your brain is already different in one way, might as well stack more things on top of that.¡± Hyde jokingly raised his eyebrow. ¡°Are you trying to tell me something?¡± Fallon laughed a little. ¡°No, not as far as I¡¯m aware.¡± They arrived at the building. Fallon pulled the door open, Hyde walked in after him. They made their way through the standing-tables to the regular table in the centre. Warlon stood there, his weight rested on his hand on the wood, his other hand rubbing the hairs on his chin with a thoughtful frown. ¡°Any idea what to do, yet?¡± Fallon asked as they arrived at the table. ¡°Nope,¡± Warlon answered simply. Hyde rested his behind on the table, his back to Warlon for now. He stared into the crowd, most were looking at them. Should they discuss this with everyone here? Maybe it¡¯d be better to do so privately. Less chance they¡¯d be mad at their decision. He turned his head to Warlon behind him. They were already here, it was too late for that. ¡°How about we do nothing?¡± Hyde suggested. Warlon stood straight with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Huh?¡± Hyde only shrugged. Warlon looked at Fallon. ¡°This is why you wanted him here? For this brilliant idea?¡± Fallon sighed. ¡°It has some good reasoning behind it.¡± ¡°Care to explain, then?¡± Warlon glanced between Fallon and Hyde, not caring which of them did so. ¡°They haven¡¯t tried to attack in all the thirty years he was alpha.¡± Hyde pointed at Fallon and turned his body ninety degrees to Warlon, still leaning on the table. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Right after I first became alpha,¡± Fallon chimed in. ¡°I had made it very clear I wasn¡¯t going to fight them. I had already told them to take the whole forest, but they wouldn¡¯t, because they didn¡¯t have to fight for it.¡± ¡°They want the fight,¡± Hyde continued. ¡°If we don¡¯t give it to them, they¡¯ll get bored and back off.¡± ¡°And we should just let them take the forest?¡± Warlon couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Yes,¡± Hyde told him matter-of-factly. ¡°We don¡¯t do anything with it anyway. You said so yourself, this pack is more like a social club. Who cares about a stupid forest?¡± Warlon glanced around, then tensed up. ¡°I¡¯m not going to back down like a coward! If they want a fight, so be it.¡± Hyde stared at him in disbelief. Was a forest worth his life? Was he underestimating how much danger he¡¯d put himself in? He glanced at Fallon. Judging by the look on his face, he thought the same. Fallon tensed his shoulders and gritted his teeth in anger. ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re up against. You¡¯ve never fought before, not like this.¡± He put his hands on the table and leaned in. ¡°They will kill you. The fight they want is one to the death and nothing less! No holding back, no mercy. If you don¡¯t go into it with the same attitude, you¡¯ve already lost.¡± Hyde could feel what he was linking this to. ¡°They¡¯ll scratch your eyes out, bite your fingers off, rip your neck apart until you¡¯re choking to death on your own blood.¡± Fallon gave Warlon an intense, dangerous look. ¡°You think you¡¯re ready for that?¡± Warlon was quiet. Fallon continued, ¡°You don¡¯t know what they¡¯re capable of. I¡¯ve seen the aftermath with my own eyes. I don¡¯t want my daughter to lose her husband that way, too.¡± Warlon moved his gaze down, thinking it over. He took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m not doing nothing.¡± He looked back up at Fallon. ¡°But I don¡¯t have to go alone, either. What if we go in a group, spread out over the forest? To them, it¡¯d seem like we¡¯re alone, but we¡¯re not.¡± Fallon sighed at his stubbornness. He backed away. ¡°It¡¯s your funeral.¡± ¡°If you must go through with that,¡± Hyde said as he stood up straight. ¡°Then, at the very least, stay together in duos. Less chance someone gets silently murdered.¡± Warlon considered it. ¡°Fine. Then who do you think should go with me?¡± ¡°Me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Fallon called out. ¡°If he wants to put himself in harms way, then fine, that¡¯s his choice. But not you¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll survive,¡± Hyde assured him. ¡°I promise, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°How are you so sure?¡± ¡°A lot has happened the past nine weeks.¡± ¡°Fine, then,¡± Warlon interrupted. ¡°We¡¯ll go tonight. I¡¯ll explain it to everyone.¡± Hyde stood outside of the building with Fallon, waiting for Warlon to finish. ¡°What happened the past nine weeks?¡± Fallon asked, concerned. Hyde sighed. ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain. Trust me, I¡¯ll be okay.¡± Hyde glanced at the building. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about Warlon, though. Why does he want to risk his life for a forest?¡± ¡°He wants the pack¡¯s approval. He¡¯s been trying to get it for a year, now. And he¡¯s always been stubborn.¡± ¡°If only he truly knew what happened to Grandpa. He wouldn¡¯t risk it, then.¡± Fallon sadly sighed. ¡°At least he¡¯s cautious enough to go in pairs. Who knows? It might make a big difference.¡± Hyde squinted in thought. ¡°Why did Grandpa go alone?¡± Fallon shrugged. ¡°Not sure. They might¡¯ve made a deal or something. A one-on-one fight to end it. But he¡¯d underestimated how ruthless they¡¯d be.¡± Hyde frowned. One mistake, one miscalculation, and he never got to meet his grandfather. He thought about Rune¡¯s death. He¡¯d been distracted for only a moment and got a fatal concussion. Fatal for Rune, anyway. He thought about his own near-death. They hadn¡¯t given the person walking up to them a second thought. Hadn¡¯t been on guard.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. One mistake. One miscalculation. Death. He would have to protect Warlon. He couldn¡¯t afford to make mistakes. He knew how it felt to lose someone who wasn¡¯t even his boyfriend yet. He couldn¡¯t imagine the pain his sister would go through if he let her husband die. He looked at his dad. Fallon frowned into space. Hyde hugged him, Fallon tightly hugged back.
After sundown, Hyde walked through the forest with Warlon. Hyde tried to be as quiet and sneaky as possible. He took careful steps to reduce the noise of crunching leaves under his feet, he wore an earthy green shirt for camouflage. He kept his senses heightened, he¡¯d learned any little noise could be a threat. ¡°We¡¯re only supposed to scare them off, right?¡± Hyde whispered to Warlon. ¡°That is the plan,¡± Warlon whispered back. ¡°But, I haven¡¯t seen anyone yet.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anyone, either.¡± Although, that might be because the other pack would stay quiet, too. ¡°Think it could be false alarm?¡± ¡°No, they¡¯ve sent me threats.¡± ¡°They might be fucking with you.¡± ¡°I doubt it.¡± Hyde fell quiet at a noise. ¡°Seems like a messed up thing to¡ª¡± Hyde got into Warlon¡¯s face and pushed his finger against his own lips to silently shush him. He listened again. There was rustling in the bushes. He faced its direction. There was a small movement. He tensed. A werewolf jumped out of the bushes. He ran to them. Hyde pulled Warlon to the side. He stood between him and the attacker while Warlon seemed to be frozen. Hyde gave into the adrenaline and let himself shift, for the first time since his turn. He didn¡¯t feel any different. His vampire fangs were barely noticeable now between his regular fangs. The werewolf slashed at Hyde. Hyde duck and tackled him to the ground. Warlon watched Hyde fight the attacker, sitting on top of the werewolf and scratching at him. He couldn¡¯t make himself move. He should be fighting. He was the one that insisted to fight, despite their warnings. He couldn¡¯t let Hyde do all the work and prove them right, that he was in over his head. He shook his head and clapped his hands on his cheeks. He growled as he began to shift. He jumped around at a noise behind him. Another werewolf jumped on him and bit him in the shoulder. Warlon cried out in pain and fell over, with the other werewolf on his back. Hyde yanked his head around at Warlon¡¯s cry. He jumped off the first attacker to help him, but the attacker grabbed his ankle and dug his nails into his skin. Hyde yelled and nearly tripped, but managed to stay on his feet. He kicked the attacker in the face, knocking him out. Hyde stared at him for a moment, making sure he was unconscious. He winched at the pain in his ankle, which soon faded away. Warlon was still wrestling the other attacker with a bleeding shoulder. Hyde pulled the attacker off, he stumbled to his feet. Warlon pushed himself off the ground, too. He painfully grabbed at his shoulder with a groan. The attacker slashed at Hyde¡¯s face. Hyde¡¯s eyes widened as he shielded his face with his arms. He deeply scratched his arms. Hyde moved them down again and slashed back, cutting the werewolf¡¯s chest. He tackled the attacker. He grabbed his throat and dug his nails into his neck. The attacker, realising the peril he was in, shifted back in an attempt at mercy. ¡°Spare me,¡± he choked out. Hyde growled. He shifted back too, but kept his tight grip on his throat. ¡°Surrender.¡± ¡°Never.¡± Hyde tightened his grip. The attacker pinched his eyes closed, then opened them slightly and looked at Hyde¡¯s arms. ¡°Your¡ªyour arms¡ª¡± he whispered. ¡°What? Never seen a werewolf heal before?¡± ¡°How?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°Guess I¡¯m special.¡± He tightened his grip again. ¡°Surrender,¡± he commanded. The attacker stared at him, thinking it over. ¡°I surrender.¡± Hyde loosened his grip. ¡°Get out of here.¡± He jumped up. The attacker scrambled to his feet. He kept staring at Hyde. Hyde gave him a dangerous glare. The attacker flinched back, then ran off. Hyde turned to Warlon. Warlon laid against a tree, clenching his injured shoulder, covered in blood. Hyde kneeled beside him, he seemed confused and a little scared. ¡°What was that?¡± Warlon breathed out. ¡°Nothing, it can wait. Let¡¯s get you to the doctor before the other one wakes up.¡± Hyde pulled Warlon to his feet. Warlon couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Hyde¡¯s arms. ¡°He slashed at you, but your arms¡ªthey¡¯re fine.¡± Hyde groaned. ¡°I told you, it can wait. We need to stop you from bleeding out first.¡± He dragged Warlon with him, away from danger. Rune stood in the kitchen, leaning on the counter while he slurped up a can of blood through a straw. He stared down at nothing. Hyde¡¯s whole family was in the room, too. Rune worried for Hyde¡¯s safety. He and Warlon had insisted on going with the two of them, wanting to keep their partners and parents safe. Tayen and Dione had admitted they¡¯d only be a hindrance and didn¡¯t argue, they weren¡¯t fighters. But Fallon wasn¡¯t so easily convinced. Hyde had nearly ordered him to stay home. Sure, he had some fighting experience, but he wasn¡¯t exactly the youngest anymore, was he? In his fifties, even if he didn¡¯t get injured in the bleeding sense, he could throw out his back or something. Fallon begrudgingly agreed to stay home, he didn¡¯t like to be reminded how fragile his aging body was becoming. He hadn¡¯t had any issues yet and Hyde wanted to keep it that way. Rune had wanted to come along too, despite not having much to do with the pack. He wanted to be there for Hyde, protect him. Even if Warlon was close to death for whatever reason, Rune could save him. But Hyde had told him no, Rune didn¡¯t know how to fight werewolves. The only time he¡¯d fought Hyde, he¡¯d lost. And like Rune had said before, Hyde would like to keep Rune in one piece. Rune had watched Hyde during all this, watched how he acted, how he took charge. He came home and immediately came with theories, ideas and plans. Much like how he had done while dealing with the gang several times. Hyde thought he wouldn¡¯t make a good alpha, but Rune begged to differ. The sound of him sucking on air brought him back to reality. He shook his can, it was empty. He pushed off the counter and threw it in the garbage. He noticed Tayen and Dione staring at him from the couch and flinched. How long had they been looking at him? Fallon was staring into space like Rune had done. ¡°What?¡± Rune asked. Tayen shrugged. ¡°You seemed very lost in thought.¡± ¡°Is that not allowed?¡± Tayen only shrugged again. ¡°I do wonder,¡± Dione began. ¡°Why did you come here? Didn¡¯t Hyde tell you it¡¯d be dangerous?¡± ¡°He did, he told me not to come. But I insisted.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Dione asked while Fallon seemed to tune back into the conversation. ¡°I don¡¯t get the whole pack thing, but I want to be here for him. Especially when things are dangerous. I love him, I want to keep him safe. We¡¯ve always protected each other, why not now?¡± Dione¡¯s face lit up, presumably at the L-word. But Fallon spoke before she could, ¡°I don¡¯t get the pack thing, either.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah!¡± Tayen called out. ¡°You¡¯re together, now. Who confessed first?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Rune was caught off guard at the sudden shift in tone. ¡°Neither, really. It was more of a mutual understanding.¡± ¡°Then who kissed who first?¡± Rune uncomfortably tensed and glanced away. ¡°Ask him.¡± The front door opened. Hyde walked into the living room, messy and with arms covered in blood. ¡°Where¡¯s Warlon?¡± Tayen asked, afraid. ¡°At the doctor,¡± Hyde told her, out of breath from the fight and the sprint here. He pointed at his shoulder as he leaned against the door frame. ¡°Got bit in the¡±¡ªHyde waved his hand around his shoulder some more, looking for the word¡ª¡°shoulder.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Tayen jumped off the couch. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine.¡± Tayen passed him and left to see her injured husband. Rune walked up to Hyde. ¡°You okay?¡± Hyde pushed off the door frame. ¡°I am¡±¡ªhe rested his cheek against Rune¡¯s shoulder¡ª¡°exhausted.¡± Rune rubbed his back. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Two guys attacked us, and Warlon was useless. First, he froze up, then when he finally moved, he got bitten and tackled right away. So, I had to fight them both on my own while also making sure he didn¡¯t die!¡± ¡°But you won?¡± ¡°In a way.¡± His parents had walked up to them, Hyde got off Rune to look at them. They both seemed concerned. Dione grabbed one of Hyde¡¯s blood-covered arms. ¡°Where did all this blood come from?¡± She rubbed his arm with a frown. ¡°You¡¯re not injured, thankfully.¡± ¡°How intense was that fight?¡± Fallon asked. ¡°Not that intense. They injured me more than I did them.¡± ¡°But¡±¡ªFallon squinted¡ª¡°you¡¯re not injured.¡± ¡°Not anymore.¡± Both his parents were confused now. ¡°Could you be any more cryptic?¡± Rune complained. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Dione demanded. ¡°I¡¯ve been here all day, you haven¡¯t noticed my new fangs?¡± Hyde opened his mouth for a moment to show them. Dione¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What? When? How? Why?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Fallon finished the sequence somewhat jokingly. Dione glared at him. ¡°Um, well, okay,¡± Hyde thought of which question to answer first. ¡°Who?¡± He pointed at Rune next to him. ¡°Him, obviously. When? About two and a half weeks ago. What? Vampirism. How? Biting and bloodsucking and such¡ª¡± ¡°But how are you still a werewolf, too?¡± Fallon interrupted. ¡°Turns out werewolf and vampire just so happens to be the only hybrid possible.¡± Hyde gave him a thumbs up with an unsure smile. ¡°Lastly, why? Someone stabbed me in the back and I nearly died.¡± Dione stared at him in disbelief again. ¡°Who stabbed you?!¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Rune began as he uncomfortably rubbed his nape. ¡°My family had some¡ªdangerous connections. But they¡¯ve been resolved now.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Mom, please relax¡ª¡± ¡°Relax? My son got stabbed and you¡¯re telling me to relax?!¡± She angrily turned to Rune. ¡°You put him in harms way¡ª!¡± Hyde stepped between her and Rune. ¡°Mom, stop! I¡¯ve known about those connections since I met him, okay? I knew what I was getting into. Not to the extend of getting stabbed, but I knew the risk was there. Don¡¯t blame him, he¡¯s the one that saved me! And it¡¯s what saved me now, too. I would¡¯ve let him turn me eventually, anyway.¡± Dione was taken aback. ¡°What, why?¡± ¡°The aging difference is pretty inconvenient if we want to stay together longterm.¡± ¡°So this is why you were so confident you¡¯d survive,¡± Fallon commented. Hyde nodded. ¡°Yeah, I was mostly concerned about losing my fingers or something.¡± ¡°I told you to stay safe!¡± Fallon called out. ¡°I tried my best!¡± Hyde looked back at Dione. ¡°Mom, just be happy I¡¯m alive, okay? I¡¯m an adult, you can¡¯t protect me from everything.¡± Dione sighed. ¡°Okay.¡± She grabbed his hand. ¡°I¡¯m happy you¡¯re alive.¡± He smiled. Please, Go Home Interlude 8 The young vampire sat on his couch, alone. He stared at the floor, eyes wide and unable to hold his tears back. He left. He left him. He left him alone. He had asked the vampire to never leave his life. Now he¡¯s the one that left. And for what? Some random girl he had known for two months? The vampire tensed his shoulders and scrunched up his face as tears fell down his cheeks. The young vampire had sworn he would never hurt him. He would never cause him harm. But he left him. He broke his heart. He betrayed his trust. His only source of security and happiness moved to the other side of the continent for a girl he barely knew. Away from everything and everyone in his life. The vampire had thought he could always hide behind him if he wanted, if he needed to flee. Hide in his chest, leap into his arms for protection. But he couldn¡¯t anymore.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He grabbed at his hair and sobbed. He was left behind, like he never mattered. What could he do? Who could he turn to? No one. He was the only one that had felt safe. He was the one that had helped him. That took him away from there. From her. He saved him. But where was he now when he needed saving again? He bent over, elbows on his knees, pulling at his hair as he breathed heavily. He thought he loved him. He thought it would be the two of them forever. He might¡¯ve even asked to turn him eventually, so he¡¯d live as long as him. He had wanted to spend his life with him. He cried out in agony. He let his head fall into the crook of his elbows. Six years of friendship thrown out the window. Three years of living together and being in love, gone. He was left alone, to fend for himself against the world. There was no one to save him. No one to give him hope. He was alone. He looked at a whiskey glass on the coffee table. He left. He stood and grabbed it. He left. He stared down at it with gritted teeth and tears running down his cheeks. He left! He threw it at the wall. HE LEFT! It shattered into a million pieces. He fell through his knees and wept. Please, Go Home 22A ¡°The cemetery is over there,¡± Hyde told Rune as he pointed to the left. They couldn¡¯t see it yet, it was obscured by buildings. Hyde wanted to show Rune more of Corburn. His parents were out for the day, too. They were on the opposite side of town, now. Rune hummed. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to one.¡± ¡°Wanna go?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± They walked through the graves. It was a big, fenced field. Gravel paths laid between the gravestones, all leading to the centre where a small, stone building stood; a mausoleum. Hyde searched through the graves, looking for one in particular. ¡°Are you looking for your grandad?¡± Rune asked. Hyde shook his head. ¡°No, my grandma. My grandad¡¯s in there.¡± Hyde nodded to the mausoleum. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s where they put all the alphas. My dad didn¡¯t want him in there, he wanted him to be buried with a gravestone.¡± Hyde waved his hand to their surroundings. ¡°Like this. Like any ordinary person. But my grandma wanted him in the mausoleum and since she was the spouse, it was her decision.¡± Rune frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t your dad want him there?¡± ¡°One big building with a bunch of other people¡¯s bodies feels a lot less personal than a grave.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t the whole idea behind it that the whole family gets laid to rest together?¡± ¡°Maybe, but it¡¯s not the whole family. Only the alphas. And in my grandad¡¯s case, it¡¯s not even his family, it¡¯s my grandma¡¯s. He isn¡¯t related to any of them, hadn¡¯t even met any of them. At least, until my dad dies eventually.¡± ¡°Right.¡± They walked around the mausoleum with a curve. Hyde still searched along the stones. ¡°Is that normal?¡± Rune asked. Hyde glanced up. ¡°Hm?¡± Rune pointed at the small building. ¡°The doors, they¡¯re open.¡± Hyde looked, the two big doors were wide open. He squinted. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that before.¡± ¡°Should we be worried?¡± Hyde shook his head. ¡°No, they¡¯re probably cleaning it or something. Oh!¡± He jogged towards a gravestone. He turned back to Rune with a smile. ¡°Here¡¯s my grandma.¡± He read the text on the stone. Vela Walker. Loving mother, taken too soon. Reincarnated into her granddaughter. He squinted as he realised something. He looked to the mausoleum. He didn¡¯t actually know his grandfather¡¯s name. His dad always called him My father, My dad, Your grandfather. Hyde hummed. He should ask him. ¡°Reincarnated into her granddaughter?¡± Rune asked. Hyde turned his attention back to him. ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± he chuckled. ¡°She died less than a week before my sister was born. And while she was on her death bed, she said if she died before my mom gave birth, they¡¯d know she reincarnated into her grandchild.¡± He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s an inside joke, I guess.¡± ¡°Quite a grim one.¡± Hyde looked around the cemetery, then to Rune again. ¡°Want to head back?¡± Rune nodded. ¡°We could take the long way through the forest.¡± Rune chuckled. ¡°Okay.¡± Hyde stared at the tops of the trees. It was always so quiet here, only the sounds of nature. The lack of sensory stimulation was nice once in a while. The forest hadn¡¯t felt safe the past week. The other pack seemed to have retreated for now; they hadn¡¯t had any more issues, at least. Warlon was still recovering. Perhaps they wanted to wait until he was viable for a fight again. But now, it was the middle of the day, and Rune was with him, so Hyde could let himself relax. Rune grabbed Hyde¡¯s hand, Hyde turned his face down to it. Rune pulled his hoodie sleeve over both their hands and continued walking. Hyde chuckled. ¡°Afraid your hand will burn?¡± ¡°Obviously. But I want to hold your hand, so¡±¡ªRune pulled their hands up¡ª¡°a solution.¡± ¡°Genius.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Hyde flinched and yanked himself around at a sudden noise. There was rustling in the bushes. He tensed and growled as he pulled Rune behind him. He waited for a moment. Nothing showed itself. Hyde stepped closer, Rune followed. ¡°Anyone there?¡± Hyde called. No answer. He approached the tall, dense bush further. He pushed it out of the way, his eyes widened. A werewolf sat on the ground, his head in his claws and between his knees. He was panting and tense. Rune pinched Hyde¡¯s hand. ¡°Do you know him?¡± he whispered. ¡°No,¡± Hyde whispered back. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s much of a threat.¡± ¡°Right now, no, but he could be if we startle him.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Hyde let Rune¡¯s hand go and stepped closer. ¡°Hello?¡± The werewolf yanked his head up, then jumped to his feet and growled. Hyde took a good look at him. He was tall, slightly taller than his dad, maybe. His hair was short and dark brown, his beard was short but thick, his eyes hazel brown. He had scars on his face; three lines, like a claw. His neck was scarred, too. Hyde couldn¡¯t tell what kind of scar it was. It covered a big surface, a burn perhaps? Hyde put his hands up and smiled a little. ¡°Hi. No need to be so defensive, we¡¯re not here to hurt you.¡± The werewolf didn¡¯t relax, he growled again. ¡°We were taking a stroll and heard you rustling around in the bushes.¡± Hyde frowned. ¡°Are you okay? You seem like you had a panic attack or something.¡± The werewolf seemed anxious; his ears faced backwards, his shoulders tense, his claws ready to slash. ¡°Do you need help? We could help you find your way home or something?¡± The werewolf shook his head with a grunt as he took a step back. ¡°Would it help you relax if I let you sniff me? So you know my scent?¡± The werewolf gave him an unsure look. Hyde slowly approached him and stuck the back of his hand out to his face. The werewolf sniffed his hand. He released the tension on his face, only to replace it with confusion. He stared at Hyde¡¯s face for a moment. He turned away with a grumble. He stepped back and grabbed his head. All his extra hair shed, his ears retreated into their regular shape, his claws went away. The man let his head go and looked at Hyde, his eyes exhausted. Hyde frowned. ¡°Do you have anywhere to go?¡± The man glanced down. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he murmured. ¡°You could come home with us to get some rest?¡± The man considered it, then nodded. Hyde gently tugged at the long sleeve of the shirt he wore, the shirt seemed familiar to him. ¡°Come on, then.¡± He let him go and began walking home with Rune beside him. The man followed. Hyde kept an eye on him. He didn¡¯t seem to be registering anything. What had exhausted him so much? What was going on with him? What happened? He noticed Rune giving him a concerned look. Hyde only shrugged with a frown. ¡°You can rest on the couch for a bit, I¡¯ll get you a glass of water,¡± Hyde told the man as they entered the living room. The man dragged himself to the couch and collapsed onto his back. Hyde went to the kitchen. He opened a cupboard and grabbed a glass. Rune stood beside him as he filled it at the tap. ¡°What are we going to do with him?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll see when he¡¯s rested and not as delirious. Maybe then he¡¯ll remember where he lives.¡± Rune looked towards the man, shoulders tense. Hyde raised a brow. ¡°Why are you so on edge?¡± ¡°Unlike you, I don¡¯t like bringing strangers into my house.¡± He glanced at Hyde. ¡°I know this isn¡¯t my house, but I am staying here.¡± Hyde put his hand on Rune¡¯s cheek with a little smile. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. If he wanted to hurt us, he would¡¯ve done so in the forest. He¡¯s the one that¡¯s vulnerable here, not us.¡± Rune looked at the exhausted, sleeping man again. He sighed and released the tension in his body. ¡°I suppose so.¡± Hyde rubbed his thumb over his cheek, then went to the couch. He placed the glass of water on the small, square table beside the couch. He stared at the man for a moment, then forced his gaze away. It felt creepy to stare at him sleeping. But curiosity got the better of him. He glanced back and examined his face. His short, thick beard had some grey patches in it. He had lines on his face, showing his age. Hyde guessed somewhere in the forties. His hairline hadn¡¯t receded much, lucky him, but it had begun losing its colour at his temples. The scars on his face seemed recent. Hyde compared them to his own scars. The man¡¯s scars had a red tone to them, Hyde¡¯s didn¡¯t anymore. He was muscular like the average werewolf, and tall. When they stood, the top of Hyde¡¯s head only reached the man¡¯s nose. Hyde squinted. He weirdly reminded him of his dad, for some reason. Maybe because they were both middle-aged, tall, werewolf men. Hyde turned his head away and walked to Rune in the kitchen, deciding that was enough creeping. They stayed in the kitchen, watching the man and waiting for him to wake up. After a couple hours, he finally moved. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, then propped himself up on his elbows. He stared at the two in the kitchen. Hyde went to the couch again. The man moved his legs off it and sat normally. He spotted the glass of water beside him and grabbed it. He took a sip as Hyde sat cross-legged beside him, facing him. ¡°Why were you so exhausted?¡± Hyde began. The man swallowed his sip and hesitated for a moment. ¡°I can¡¯t explain.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened. I just¡ª¡± The man shrugged. ¡°Woke up. And I was panicking, the last thing I remembered was fighting for my life.¡± He frowned down at his hand and flexed his fingers. ¡°Then I woke up and I was fine. I wasn¡¯t missing any fingers or eyes, I wasn¡¯t bleeding anywhere, I could breathe. It¡¯s like I dreamt my own death.¡± ¡°O-kay. I¡¯m not sure what to make of that,¡± Hyde admitted. ¡°Neither am I.¡± The man took another sip and looked around the house. He squinted as if he came to a realisation. ¡°Is this your house?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my parents. Why?¡± ¡°This is where I lived.¡± Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°What? How long ago? My dad has lived here his whole life and I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s older than you.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± The man looked down at his glass with tense, furrowed brows, like he was questioning his own reality. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Did you hit your head at some point?¡± ¡°Not that I can remember, but it¡¯s possible.¡± Hyde sighed. He wasn¡¯t sure what to do. Should he take him to the doctor? Did he have amnesia or something? Did he remember anything? Wait, he should test that. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Barry.¡± Hyde hummed. He remembered his name, at least. What next, his family? ¡°What¡¯s yours?¡± Hyde flinched out of his thoughts. ¡°Hyde.¡± He pointed to the kitchen. ¡°That¡¯s Rune. Do you remember anything about your family?¡± ¡°Yeah, I lived here with my wife and son.¡± Barry glanced away. ¡°And his girlfriend,¡± he added. Hyde considered it all. It didn¡¯t make any sense to him. Barry distinctly remembered living here with his family, but Hyde¡¯s family had lived here for decades. He recalled all the events from that morning. They visited the cemetery, then found him nearby. Were those connected? Nothing seemed to stand out at the cemetery. Except¡­ Hyde glanced at Rune; he¡¯d noticed it first, the mausoleum was wide open. Now, there was a strange man he¡¯d never seen before and the last thing he remembered was his own death. Hyde turned to the man again. ¡°Where did you wake up?¡± ¡°Eh,¡± Barry was unsure. He rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°It sounds insane.¡± ¡°You already sound insane, so get on with it.¡± Barry huffed. ¡°Yeah, I guess. I woke up in the mausoleum, in one of those stone caskets.¡± So Hyde was correct. It happened again, this time in Corburn instead of Enath. It¡¯s like it was following them. But why Barry? ¡°Was it like waking up from a nap?¡± ¡°Kind of? Not as relaxed, though.¡± Hyde tensed, his heart sank as he came to a realisation. ¡°Were you alpha at some point?¡± He must have been, he wouldn¡¯t have been in the mausoleum, otherwise. Barry nodded. ¡°Unfortunately.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your surname?¡± Barry raised a confused brow, then said, ¡°Walker.¡± Hyde was quiet as he stared at him. ¡°That¡¯s my surname, too.¡± Barry silently stared back. He glanced away, Hyde saw the gears turning in his head. ¡°You had a familiar scent on you,¡± Barry mumbled. He glanced at Hyde¡¯s face. He stared at him, as if to examine his features. ¡°And you look familiar, like someone I know.¡± He tilted his head and squinted. ¡°Or rather, like a combination of people I know.¡± He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the next question. ¡°Is your father¡¯s name Fallon?¡± Hyde nodded with tears in his eyes. ¡°Are you my grandpa?¡± he whispered. Barry froze. He looked confused, upset¡­ lost? ¡°Seems like it,¡± he whispered, too. Hyde didn¡¯t move, eyes welling with tears fixated on Barry. Was this really possible? He guessed he wouldn¡¯t be the first. What other explanation was there? He flung his arms around him, making Barry flinch. He hugged him tight, tears rolled down his face onto Barry¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I never thought I could meet you.¡± Barry only put his hand on Hyde¡¯s back at first, then hesitantly hugged him. ¡°I really was dead?¡± Hyde nodded. ¡°How long? How the hell am I alive now?¡± ¡°You died thirty-one years ago, six years before I was born. I think I do know how you¡¯re alive, but it¡¯s hard to explain. It can wait.¡± Hyde let Barry go. ¡°I should get my dad. He¡¯d be really confused.¡± He remembered Rune¡¯s reaction to his father¡¯s return. ¡°Maybe even upset.¡± ¡°I hope he¡¯d be happy to see me,¡± Barry commented a little sadly. ¡°Yeah, of course, but it isn¡¯t easy to process someone coming back from the dead. Especially someone you¡¯ve grieved so much.¡± Barry frowned. ¡°Right.¡± Hyde stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± he told both Barry and Rune. He left the house, leaving Barry to process everything. Please, Go Home 22B Fallon watched Dione grab sketchbook after sketchbook. This one¡¯s too big, that one too thick, the paper is too thin, this paper too textured. He patiently waited for her to find the perfect one, she knew exactly what she liked after decades of drawing. Fallon couldn¡¯t count on his fingers how many sketchbooks she¡¯d filled by now. Many of the drawings were of him. He often sat still in a certain position for some time as he read or ate or slept. She then took the opportunity to use him as a model. She tried to draw their kids too, but they didn¡¯t sit still as often. Especially not when they were young. Most of the drawings of Tayen or Hyde were either unfinished or them sleeping. Dione held a smaller sketchbook in her hand. She opened it and felt the paper between her fingers. ¡°This one¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± Dione hummed as she thought it over. Fallon heard someone coming into the store but didn¡¯t bother seeing who. ¡°Maybe¡ª¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Dione was interrupted. Fallon turned around to see his son, to his surprise. ¡°Hyde?¡± ¡°Oh, hey hon.¡± Dione smiled. ¡°How¡¯d you know we were here?¡± ¡°You told me you were gonna buy a new sketchbook during breakfast.¡± Hyde looked around the art supply store. ¡°Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d take all morning.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t been here all morning, we went to other places first,¡± Dione defended herself. ¡°We have been here for over half an hour, though,¡± Fallon added with a grin. Hyde absentmindedly breathed out a chuckle as he observed some fancy coloured pencils beside him. He grabbed one. ¡°We could get you some stuff too, if you want,¡± Dione told him. Fallon looked at her and saw her smirk. Hyde put the pencil back. ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m not here for that.¡± He stepped closer to Fallon, close enough for Fallon to catch a whiff of his scent. Fallon squinted a little. There was something oddly familiar about it, it wasn¡¯t Hyde¡¯s own. ¡°You have to come home, there¡¯s something you need to see.¡± ¡°Uh, okay.¡± Fallon looked at Dione again. ¡°Do you want that one, or¡­¡± Dione nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll take this one. You go ahead, I¡¯ll go to the cash register.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Hyde took Fallon¡¯s hand and dragged him out of the store. Fallon kept smelling that scent on him, he had thought it might¡¯ve been his mind playing tricks on him the first time. ¡°What do I need to see at home?¡± Hyde let his hand go, they stood in front of the store. He scratched his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how you¡¯ll react to it.¡± Fallon raised his eyebrow. ¡°Okay, ominous. What¡¯s that scent on you?¡± Hyde perked up in surprise. ¡°Oh, you can smell it already?¡± ¡°I guess so?¡± ¡°Do you recognise it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s familiar, but¡±¡ªFallon shook his head¡ª¡°my mind must be playing tricks on me.¡± Hyde gave him a knowing grin. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure.¡± Dione came out of the store with a little, paper bag. ¡°Oh, you waited for me, how nice.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Hyde said and began walking. Fallon and Dione followed him. Hyde turned around and walked backwards as he said, ¡°I should tell you about something before we get there. You know how I said Rune¡¯s parents were dead?¡± ¡°Hard to forget,¡± Fallon answered. ¡°Right, well, one of them isn¡¯t anymore. His father¡¯s alive now.¡± Fallon stayed quiet, processing that for a second. Dione answered first, ¡°Huh? So he wasn¡¯t dead?¡± ¡°No, he was. But not anymore.¡± Hyde glanced away with tense shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain, but I¡¯ll try to summarise. In the village I was staying at, I had this witch friend who was researching the dead. Turned out she was researching and experimenting to bring a dead person back to life and also have their soul return to the body. And you know those ¡®dangerous connections¡¯ Rune mentioned? They killed him at some point, he was dead for three weeks. But then he was her first successful experiment. And now her potion seems to be following us somehow? Cause only a month later, Rune¡¯s father showed up out of nowhere, and for him, it was like he jumped eleven years into the future. So yeah, point is: resurrection is possible.¡± Fallon, again, didn¡¯t know how to respond. He only stared at Hyde, who was waiting for a reaction. ¡°Rune was dead?¡± is what Dione picked up from all that. Hyde rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Yeah¡­¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. She gave him a sad frown. ¡°That couldn¡¯t have been easy for you. Why didn¡¯t you come home?¡± ¡°The witch told me she could bring him back, I wanted to be sure I¡¯d be there.¡± ¡°Why are you telling us all this now?¡± is what Fallon landed on eventually. He could see Hyde thinking and considering how to answer. ¡°The scent on me that you smell, what do you think it is? What¡ªwho¡ªdoes it smell like?¡± Fallon tilted his head slightly in confusion. He knew it was a who? How was that possible? ¡°It smells like¡ª¡± Fallon wasn¡¯t sure if he should say it. It wasn¡¯t possible, he¡¯d sound crazy. He looked at Hyde waiting for him to answer, as if he knew what he was going to say. ¡°¡ªmy dad,¡± Fallon admitted. Hyde only grinned for a moment before changing the subject. ¡°This morning, Rune and I visited the cemetery for a bit.¡± Fallon flinched slightly. ¡°Okay, jumping around a bit.¡± He had trouble following his thought process. Hyde shrugged. ¡°Not really. The mausoleum was wide open. Later, we found an exhausted werewolf in the forest and took him home to rest. He told me he lived in your house with his wife, son and his son¡¯s girlfriend. And his name is Barry.¡± Fallon stared him, unable to process all that. It was possible? Apparently, it had happened twice before. Had he told Hyde his name before? He couldn¡¯t recall. Fallon noticed Dione frowning at him from the corner of his eye. ¡°He has quite a lot of scars,¡± Hyde continued. ¡°The potion that brought them back leaves scars in the places where the fatal wounds had been. Three claw lines on his face¡±¡ªHyde mimicked the motion over his face with his hand¡ª¡°and a big one in his neck.¡± He squinted. ¡°Now that I think about it, I thought it might¡¯ve been a burn before, but he had half his neck ripped off, didn¡¯t he? He also mentioned missing fingers.¡± Fallon didn¡¯t react, he didn¡¯t know how to. He stared at the ground as they kept walking. All three were quiet for the rest of the way. Barry waited on the couch, anxiously bouncing his leg. What did Fallon look like after all these years? He was over twice the age he was when Barry last saw him. Would he accept him back? He wasn¡¯t sure why he wouldn¡¯t, but a lot might¡¯ve changed. Fallon might¡¯ve changed. Barry wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Fallon was angry about his death. Fallon had told him not to go, that it was a trap. He hadn¡¯t listened. He glanced at Rune reading a book at the dining table. He hadn¡¯t spoken a word. There was something weirdly familiar about him. Something about his face. Or his general vibe. The front door opened, Barry snapped his head towards it. ¡°We¡¯re back!¡± Hyde yelled. Hyde walked into the living room, followed by his parents. Barry smiled at the sight of his son. He pushed off the couch as he called, ¡°Fallon!¡± He stepped towards him. Fallon froze and stared at him, his face pale as if he saw a ghost. Barry guessed, to Fallon, that was what he saw. Barry tensed and grew anxious about his silence. ¡°Hey,¡± he said in a small, soft voice. Fallon didn¡¯t move. ¡°I¡¯m alive, again,¡± Barry added with a little smile. ¡°I see that,¡± Fallon finally breathed out. ¡°How do you feel about that?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± Hyde stood next to Fallon, turned to Barry. ¡°Is he really your dad?¡± Fallon only nodded. ¡°You okay?¡± Hyde frowned. ¡°You look like you¡¯ll faint.¡± Fallon glanced down, then grabbed at his hair. ¡°I might. I feel like I¡¯m losing my mind.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Barry admitted. ¡°Maybe you should go talk somewhere,¡± Hyde suggested. ¡°Alone.¡± Fallon glanced up at Barry, then nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs.¡± Fallon sat on the edge of his bed with Barry beside him at a small distance. It reminded him of when Hyde came back, except now, Fallon was the son of the two. ¡°You¡¯ve¡­ aged,¡± Barry decided was a good opener. Fallon glared at him. ¡°Is that how you want to start this conversation?¡± Barry looked down and shook his head like he was disappointed in himself. ¡°No,¡± he whispered. He glanced back up with narrowed eyes. ¡°Are you older than me now?¡± Fallon shrugged. ¡°I guess so? I¡¯ve lived longer than you.¡± Barry frowned. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve noticed the lack of your mother.¡± ¡°She got cancer and died three years after you, a few days before my daughter was born.¡± Barry perked up. ¡°Oh shit, you have a daughter, too?¡± Fallon nodded. ¡°Tayen.¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°At home with her husband, who¡¯s recovering from an injury.¡± ¡°What happened with the pack after I¡ªdied?¡± Fallon sighed and turned his head away. ¡°They tried to pressure me into killing whoever killed you, but I refused. They¡¯ve hated me ever since. Think I¡¯m too passive. But all I wanted was to be left alone, I was already going through a lot. Not only my father¡¯s sudden, violent death, but also the fact that I found your body first.¡± He tensed his shoulders. ¡°The sight of that will haunt me forever.¡± Barry rubbed the scar in his neck with a painful frown. ¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t have had to see that.¡± A moment of silence. The image went through Fallon¡¯s head again. The blood, the missing pieces, the gore. He glanced at Barry¡¯s hands. All back in one piece. ¡°Are you still alpha?¡± Barry snapped him out of it. Fallon shook his head. ¡°Not since last year. Tayen¡¯s husband Warlon took over after their wedding.¡± ¡°Why not Hyde?¡± Fallon tensed again, he rubbed the scar on his arm through his sleeve and stared at the ground. ¡°He didn¡¯t want to,¡± is all he said. Barry was quiet for a moment, Fallon knew he could tell there was more to it. ¡°Did something happen between you?¡± Fallon sighed deeply and caved in, ¡°We had a bad fight, six years ago. He was gone until a few months ago because of it, he blamed himself and was afraid to face me again.¡± Barry sadly hummed. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re okay now, though.¡± ¡°We are.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice you and Dione are still together.¡± Fallon smiled. ¡°Yeah.¡± Barry took a deep breath with a frown. ¡°It is sad I missed my grandkids¡¯ entire childhoods. Even a chunk of their young-adulthoods.¡± Fallon didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. But it did sound like something that would warrant a response. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± is all he could come up with. He squinted at a certain drawer in the room. The one Dione stored all her filled sketchbooks in. ¡°You know, Dione has made a lot of drawings of the kids over the years, if you¡¯d like to see them. And of me. Mostly me. I guess you could see me age, too.¡± Barry raised his eyebrow. ¡°Why mostly you?¡± ¡°Because I sit still long enough to be drawn.¡± Fallon got off the bed and went to the drawer. He pulled it open and lifted the big pile of books out. He dropped them on the bed next to Barry, then flipped the stack upside-down so the oldest was on top. He sat on the other side of the stack. Barry grabbed the one on top and opened it. He flipped through the drawings, most of them indeed of Fallon in various poses and locations. There were also a few nature scenes. And even some of Fallon¡¯s mother. One of them was of her in bed with Fallon sleeping against her side, she wasn¡¯t looking too good. Barry frowned at it. The next one was of a sleeping baby. ¡°That¡¯s Tayen,¡± Fallon told him. Barry smiled. ¡°Cute.¡± Next were more drawings of Tayen and Fallon and them together as Tayen grew into a toddler. Eventually, there was another baby. ¡°That¡¯s Hyde, I¡¯m guessing?¡± Barry said before Fallon could. Fallon hummed in agreement. Barry continued flipping through the stack of sketchbooks, seeing Hyde and Tayen grow up and Fallon grow older, too. He caught up to her latest drawing, which was Fallon napping on the couch. He closed the book and laid it on the other stack he had built next to him. ¡°Is it nice to see it all?¡± Fallon asked. Barry smiled with sad eyes. ¡°It is.¡± Fallon could see he was emotional. ¡°Are you getting used to me, yet?¡± Barry asked, teasing. Fallon breathed out a chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°I can form coherent sentences now, so that¡¯s something. It still feels like I¡¯m dreaming, though.¡± Barry snickered. ¡°Would you be okay with a hug?¡± he asked, uncertain, and held an arm out to him. ¡°So I can prove I¡¯m real.¡± Fallon responded with a hug. Barry relaxed and wrapped his arms around his son. He rubbed soothing circles into his back. ¡°I love you,¡± Barry told him. ¡°Love you, too,¡± Fallon mumbled. ¡°I missed you.¡± Barry only hugged him tighter. Please, Go Home 23A Hyde and Rune wondered what was going on with this resurrection. They¡¯d discussed it last night. Was it Selene¡¯s potion? It must be, right? Was it following them somehow? Did someone else get their hands on it? Why would they be bringing their family members back specifically? They both came downstairs where Barry happened to be sitting on the couch, alone. Hyde went to sit in the middle of the couch, with Rune on his right and Barry on his left. ¡°Grandpa,¡± Hyde began. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been trying to figure all this out, with the resurrection and such.¡± Barry squinted. ¡° ¡®All this¡¯? I¡¯m not the first?¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re the third, as far as we know.¡± ¡°Third?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the first,¡± Rune chimed in, which was the first thing he¡¯d said to Barry. ¡°My dad the second.¡± ¡°Can you give us more detail about what happened when you came back?¡± Hyde asked. Barry hummed in thought. ¡°Well, as I said, I woke up in one of those stone boxes in the mausoleum. The lid was pushed off a bit. I climbed out and there was a pile of clothes next to me, which was convenient, because I was naked.¡± Clothes? That sounded familiar. Hyde glanced at Rune, Rune gave a knowing glance back. ¡°I pulled the clothes on and tried to stay calm, but I was freaking out, because obviously. I got murdered and then woke up in what is pretty much a coffin.¡± Barry got frustrated. ¡°What was my brain supposed to make of that?!¡± ¡°Mush,¡± Hyde helpfully commented. ¡°All the adrenaline made me shift and I ran off into the forest. And then you found me.¡± Barry gave him a little smile. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I know.¡± ¡°We should visit the village, ask if Selene knows anything,¡± Hyde told Rune. ¡°It¡¯s her potion, after all. And I still want to get all my clothes from there.¡± Rune nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Barry asked before they could leave. ¡°Oh, yeah. She¡¯s a witch who was researching how to bring back a dead person. Rune was the first successful attempt. And now, her potion seems to be following us somehow.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Hyde stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll grab a bag, then we can go,¡± he said to Rune. Rune stood up to follow him. Hyde turned to Barry again. ¡°Can you tell Mom and Dad where we are if they ask?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re going.¡± Hyde dismissively waved his hand. ¡°Just tell them we¡¯re in the village and they¡¯ll know.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡±
The village was quiet, as usual. Hyde was uneasy. His feelings about this place were complicated. On one hand, he didn¡¯t like being reminded of why he was here for so long. On the other, he met Rune here. But Rune also died here. But then came back here. Some of his favourite moments between them happened in this village, but so did the darkest moments of his life. Rune walked beside him with his hands in his pockets. Hyde shoved his hand into Rune¡¯s pocket to hold his hand. Rune chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re getting more and more creative.¡± Hyde smiled. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve returned,¡± someone snarled behind them. They both turned around to see Raven with a scowl on her face. ¡°Not for long,¡± Hyde said as he let Rune¡¯s hand go. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°To talk to Selene.¡± Raven scoffed and folded her arms. ¡°You can¡¯t, she¡¯s dead.¡± Hyde flinched in shock. ¡°What? How?¡± ¡°She was killed right after you left. Don¡¯t ask me why, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it had something to do with you.¡± She glared daggers at Rune. Rune stared at her, frozen. Hyde grabbed Rune in the crook of his elbow and pulled him along. ¡°Maybe we can find something at her house.¡± They walked into her house, which was unlocked. Rune pulled his hood down and Hyde sniffed for anything off. Hyde went to the study. He opened the door and stepped inside. It was dark and empty. The rat laid dead in its cage, probably starved to death. He noticed a notebook on the desk, he approached it. Rune followed him in. ¡°It feels so ominous,¡± Rune commented. Hyde studied the notebook. It was her research notebook, the one Rune had stolen, then. It was opened on a page. There was a passage about souls. Souls can either linger or move on. Which of the two the soul did does not affect the effect of the potion. How did she know this? He flipped a few pages back. Another entry about souls. Souls with strong enough wills can interact with the physical realm in small ways. For example: move and carry small objects, writing. Writing? The wounds that killed the soul remain on their ghastly appearance after death. My throat is now permanently slit. Rune stood beside him. He pointed at something on the page. ¡°Look at the date, it¡¯s after she died.¡± ¡°What the hell,¡± Hyde muttered under his breath. ¡°Is she researching herself after her death?¡± He flipped to the first passage she wrote after they left. They were notes on Rune.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Fatal wound left a scar, even on a vampire. The bastard left?! How am I supposed to research the long-term effects now? He ruined it! I have been killed, but it won¡¯t ruin my research. I can follow him to observe him, but I¡¯ll have to find him first. ¡°Damn, she¡¯s so casual about that,¡± Rune said. He tensed and anxiously looked around. ¡°Wait, she¡¯s following me?¡± He seemed to come to a realisation. ¡°That¡¯s why I felt like I was being watched back home! I actually was!¡± Hyde grabbed Rune¡¯s cheeks to turn him back to the notebook. ¡°Let¡¯s keep reading.¡± I found him in Enath. I¡¯ve been observing him for several weeks now. I don¡¯t see any lingering effects of the reanimation, other than the scar. There¡¯s another lingering soul in this house. He has a big hole in his chest, like Rune¡¯s body had. He seems to have realised what I can do and is begging me to bring him back. He can lead me to his body. I¡¯m curious what my potion would do to an older body, so I agreed. We¡¯re leaving tonight. I brought the lingering soul back. All that was left of his eleven-year-old body was a skeleton after it was left to the forces of nature, but it still worked. It further confirmed the fact that I can bring anything back as long as the DNA on their bones is intact enough. I had brought him clothes, he had asked me to. He wasn¡¯t strong enough to interact with the physical realm. He knew he¡¯d be naked when brought back. I grabbed some clothes from Rune¡¯s closet. His body completely regenerated and I witnessed his soul being pulled in. All his memories of his time as a ghost has left his mind, which I had speculated was possible. Now I know I can¡¯t bring myself back. I would lose all my new knowledge. ¡°She¡¯s talking about my dad, right?¡± Rune asked. Hyde hummed in agreement. ¡°He lingered around us all this time?¡± Hyde glanced at him. ¡°Not that it would matter now, he can¡¯t remember any of it.¡± Rune thought of something. ¡°I wonder if I lingered or moved on.¡± ¡°No way of knowing, really.¡± Hyde continued reading. In Corburn now. I¡¯m curious what my potion would do to a body whose soul has moved on. And to an older body. After using Rune¡¯s family as a test subject twice now, I¡¯ll use Hyde¡¯s family this time. None of them linger. I¡¯ll use the one that has died the longest ago. Out of the people Hyde actually knows about, anyway. And the one I¡¯m thinking of is in a mausoleum and not buried in the ground, which makes it possible for me. Remembering the last one¡¯s concern, I brought him clothes from his son¡¯s closet. Of him was only a skeleton left as well. It still worked. The last thing he remembered was fighting to the death, so he was very panicked and on an adrenaline-high. He tried to stay calm as he pulled the clothes on, but then shifted and ran off. The scars covering his body, especially on his face, are quite unfortunate for him. Hyde and Rune looked at each other, confused and concerned. What were they supposed to make of this? Would anyone even understand a word of it if they tried to explain? Hyde uncomfortably came to a realisation. ¡°She¡¯s watching us right now, isn¡¯t she?¡± he whispered. Rune tensed. ¡°Most likely.¡± ¡°Umm,¡± Hyde began while he didn¡¯t know where to rest his gaze. ¡°Hi?¡± He frowned. ¡°Thanks for giving me the opportunity to meet my grandfather.¡± Rune looked around the room, too. ¡°Thanks for bringing my dad back,¡± he followed Hyde¡¯s example. ¡°And me.¡± He snapped around to Hyde. ¡°Oh! We should ask¡ªLullaby.¡± ¡°How? Can we communicate with her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe if we write the questions in the notebook? Leave for a while and come back, to give her some time to answer?¡± ¡°Alright, sounds reasonable.¡± Rune stepped to the notebook and grabbed a pen. Can you bring my friend Lullaby back, please? Hyde grabbed the pen from him and wrote his own questions. Are you stalking us? Will you keep bringing our relatives back? Why were you killed? Hyde put the pen down. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s give her an hour or so.¡± ¡°What will we do in the meantime?¡± ¡°Gather my clothes.¡± They left Selene¡¯s house to go to their old cabin. They stepped into the cabin. Hyde went to his bedroom right away while Rune lingered in the hallway. He took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ll miss this little cabin,¡± he said as he followed Hyde. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s where I first started bonding with you, it¡¯s nostalgic.¡± Hyde entered the bedroom. ¡°That was only a few months ago.¡± ¡°Still.¡± After nearly an hour, Hyde¡¯s bag was filled with clothes, and they were on their way back to check the notebook. They passed Raven¡¯s house, Hyde frowned at it. Maybe he should give her some closure. He¡¯d been in her life for six years after all, before he suddenly left. He sighed and handed his bag to Rune. ¡°Hold this, I¡¯m going to have one last talk with Raven.¡± Rune took the bag, slightly concerned. Hyde stepped to the door, then turned the doorknob and stepped inside; she¡¯d done that in his house numerous times. ¡°Raven?¡± She came into the hallway with a scowl. ¡°What?¡± ¡°This¡¯ll probably be the last time you¡¯ll see me, so if there¡¯s anything you want to say, now¡¯s the time.¡± She sighed and thought about it. ¡°Why were you so cruel the last time?¡± ¡°Because the guy I love just died. And I always felt like you were too clingy with me, I never understood why. Even after I attacked you.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t really you.¡± ¡°Yes it was, it¡¯s still me when I¡¯m shifted, whether I remember it afterwards or not.¡± Hyde folded his arms and shifted his weight to his other leg. He had a question in mind to which he knew the answer, but he wanted to explain his side of it. ¡°Why were you so attached to me?¡± Raven uncomfortably shrugged. ¡°Because I liked you.¡± ¡°You know I never felt that way, right?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Mainly because I¡¯m gay, but even if I wasn¡¯t, I doubt it would¡¯ve worked out.¡± Raven only nodded. ¡°Is that it, then?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Hyde stepped back to the door with a frown. ¡°Okay. Bye.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Hyde went back outside to Rune. He took his bag again and hung it over his shoulder. ¡°No yelling, at least,¡± Rune commented. Hyde only nodded. Rune raised a brow. ¡°Why do you seem sad?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I guess I just feel bad for hurting her feelings.¡± ¡°She had to hear it at some point.¡± ¡°I know.¡± They were back at Selene¡¯s house. They entered her study, Hyde read the page they had left their questions on. She¡¯d answered. Can you bring my friend Lullaby back, please? No, there¡¯s nothing special about her death. She wouldn¡¯t be worth anything for my research. I can¡¯t bring everyone back, it¡¯ll be noticeable. Sorry, I won¡¯t take requests. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t be worth anything?!¡± Rune shouted. ¡°She¡¯s more than just a test subject, she¡¯s a person! My best friend!¡± He trembled. Hyde rubbed his back, Rune laid his forehead on Hyde¡¯s shoulder and quietly cried. Hyde rubbed comforting circles into his shoulder. Rune had hoped to bring her back, but they couldn¡¯t do it themselves. If Selene refused, there wasn¡¯t anything they could do. Hyde knew he felt guilty about her death, he wanted to fix it. He wanted her back. But there was nothing they could do. Hyde read her other answers. Are you stalking us? I prefer the term haunting. Vague. Will you keep bringing our relatives back? Most likely, if their circumstances are worth researching. Who could she still bring back? No one Hyde knew. Why were you killed? That gang of yours was pissed I saved the guy they tried so hard to kill. Don¡¯t feel guilty about it, that was my choice. I¡¯m fine with being a ghost. ¡°Okay,¡± Hyde spoke up. ¡°Thanks for answering.¡± He searched around the room. ¡°Wherever you are.¡± ¡°Are we done here?¡± Rune asked Hyde with a lump in his throat. Hyde nodded and rubbed his shoulder again. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± They made their way to Corburn through the forest. Hyde had his bag full of clothes hanging over his shoulder. A lot went through his mind. How could they explain this? You know that which I talked about? Yeah, she died and is now haunting us and bringing our family members back as experiments. They¡¯d want more explanation, but Hyde wouldn¡¯t be able to provide it. He wondered who else she could bring back. She said she can¡¯t reach buried people, so his grandma was out of the question. Rune¡¯s mother? But she didn¡¯t seem to be lingering, Selene would¡¯ve mentioned that. The only reason she could bring Severn back, was because he led her to his body. With no one to lead her to Rune¡¯s mother¡¯s body, that wasn¡¯t possible either. Lullaby was a possibility, if they dug her up, but Selene refused that. He noticed Rune staring at the ground, dried tears around his eyes. ¡°You good, Rue?¡± Rune looked up, he blushed a little at the name. He glanced away. ¡°Yeah, just a lot going through my head.¡± Hyde nodded and bit his cheek. ¡°Me too.¡± He reached out to grab his hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel guilty about Lullaby¡¯s death, we did what we could. I doubt she¡¯d want you to blame yourself.¡± Rune sighed, he squeezed his hand. Please, Go Home 23B ¡°I can¡¯t wrap my head around this,¡± Tayen said as she stared up at Barry. She reached to touch his face, but Barry gently grabbed her hand to stop her. ¡°You think I can? I¡¯m the one that died.¡± They stood at the dining table. Dione sat on a chair, Fallon stood in the kitchen making himself a cup of coffee. ¡°Is it weird that you¡¯re older than your dad now?¡± Tayen asked Fallon. Fallon turned to her. ¡°Duh. How would you feel if I was younger than you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Weird,¡± Tayen answered uncomfortably. She turned back to Barry. ¡°But, you knew Grandma, right?¡± Barry gave her a confused but amused look while Fallon laughed. ¡°I¡¯d hope so, I was married to her for twenty-three years.¡± ¡°Did you really ask my dad if he knew my mom?¡± Tayen glared at Fallon with an embarrassed blush. ¡°I¡ªshut up, my brain¡¯s confused right now! As if you never have your moments!¡± ¡°And you make fun of me just as much.¡± ¡°But, what was she like?¡± Tayen asked Barry. Barry tensed a little. ¡°She was nice. She liked to draw. Oh!¡± He remembered the sketchbooks from yesterday. ¡°Did they ever show you her sketchbooks?¡± ¡°No?¡± Barry grinned as he eyed Fallon, who was taking a careful first sip of his coffee. ¡°There¡¯s lots of baby drawings of Fallon in there.¡± Tayen gasped excitedly. ¡°Oh my god, I wanna see!¡± ¡°No!¡± Fallon protested. ¡°Why not?¡± Tayen complained. ¡°You know what I looked like as a baby¡ª¡± ¡°Well yes, I¡¯m your father.¡± ¡°¡ªwhy can¡¯t I know what you looked like?¡± ¡°He was fat,¡± Barry audibly whispered to Tayen, making her laugh. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Where are they? I have to see that,¡± Tayen demanded from Fallon. Fallon let out an exasperated groan. ¡°In the basement somewhere.¡± Tayen hurried to the basement. Barry watched her go with a smile, then looked at Dione, who had only been observing the interaction, seeming delighted. Fallon was grumpily drinking his coffee with a red face. ¡°Has Fallon changed much?¡± Barry asked her. ¡°Hm? Oh.¡± She grinned at Fallon. ¡°Not really. He¡¯s matured a little.¡± ¡°A little?!¡± Fallon got offended. Dione snickered. Hyde and Rune came through the front door. They entered the living room. Hyde dropped his bag on the floor as he said, ¡°Hey, we¡¯re back.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in the bag?¡± Dione asked. ¡°My clothes from the village.¡± ¡°Do you know what happened?¡± Barry wanted to know. He¡¯d been waiting for hours. ¡°Ehh.¡± Hyde rubbed the back of his head. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe.¡± ¡°Is any of this easy to believe?¡± Barry retorted. ¡°Fair point. Well, you know that witch that I talked about, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Apparently, she died and is now a lingering soul. And she¡¯s continuing her research by stalking us and bringing more people back and using our families as test subjects. She picked you, because you weren¡¯t buried in the ground, which means she could reach you.¡± Barry let that sink in for a while. ¡°So, I was just a convenient test subject?¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one. When Rune was dead, she also called him ¡®the perfect test subject.¡¯ Seems like that¡¯s simply what she sees people as. Including herself.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Barry glanced around. ¡°Is she haunting me now?¡± ¡°Maybe, but there¡¯s not much we can do about that.¡± Hyde looked past Barry at Fallon. ¡°Why¡¯s your face red?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like being embarrassed.¡± Fallon glared at Barry. ¡°Twenty-eight years with no parents to embarrass you? It was about time,¡± Barry teased him. ¡°When was the last time you were embarrassed by your parents, then?¡± Fallon asked in an accusing tone. Barry tensed. All these years with no mention of them and now he asks? Fallon squinted as he seemed to realise the same thing. ¡°Wait, you¡¯ve never even mentioned your¡ªhow am I only realising that now?¡± he asked as if he was accusing himself of being stupid. ¡°That¡ªuh¡­¡± Barry wasn¡¯t sure what to say. ¡°Let¡¯s leave that for another day, there¡¯s enough going on as it is.¡± ¡°I found it!¡± Tayen yelled as she ran back upstairs. Hyde jumped around to her, startled. ¡°Fuck¡ªwhat?¡± She held a sketchbook, her fingers between some pages, her face beamed. ¡°Grandma¡¯s baby drawings of Dad. Look!¡± She showed Hyde a drawing of Fallon as a toddler. Barry recognised it, Fallon was two years old in that one. ¡°Holy shit, that is adorable!¡± Hyde called out as he yanked the book from her. Barry was curious for Fallon¡¯s reaction. He was turned away and hid his face in his hand. Barry snickered. ¡°You guys have baby drawings of each other? I wish we had that,¡± Rune whined. ¡°Would you like to see Hyde¡¯s? I know I loved seeing Fallon¡¯s, too.¡± Dione asked, making both Hyde and Rune turn to her. ¡°Oh¡ª¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°¡ªgod.¡± Dione chuckled and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll grab them.¡± She came back into the living room with a stack of sketchbooks. She sat at the dining table with Rune next to her and Hyde across from them. Hyde didn¡¯t want to see his embarrassing baby drawings, but he at least wanted to know what Rune had seen. Dione flipped through the drawings. Several of Hyde as a baby, and then a toddler. ¡°Oh!¡± Dione stopped at one. ¡°This was when he shifted for the first time, when he was five.¡± She let out a squeak. ¡°He was so confused and scared, he clung to Fallon all night.¡± The drawing itself was of shifted Hyde sleeping on his dad¡¯s lap on the couch. His ears were huge. ¡°Is the first time not during a full moon?¡± Rune asked. Dione shook her head. ¡°No, the first time is random. Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t at school.¡± There was a drawing of tween Hyde playing a board game with Fallon. Most of the others were Hyde sleeping at various ages. Hyde still didn¡¯t like this, but at least it cheered Rune up.
Things had calmed down in the house again after over an hour of gushing over baby drawings. Fallon had gone upstairs for some silence, Dione went with him. Tayen had left to go home. Hyde was in the basement, looking through his grandmother¡¯s art. Barry was left alone in the living room with Rune, again. Rune sat on the couch, reading a book. Barry observed him from the kitchen. Still, something about him was so familiar. Especially with him reading that book. Specifically that book. Barry recognised it. He approached the couch. ¡°Good book?¡± Rune flinched and looked up from the book as Barry sat down on the other end of the couch. ¡°Oh, yeah. It¡¯s my grandad¡¯s.¡± Rune mindlessly flipped to the first page to the written name, not necessarily to show it. Barry glanced at the name. He squinted. Did he read that right? He reached to grab the book. He retracted his hand a bit. ¡°Sorry,¡± he muttered. Rune let him grab the book with a confused, raised eyebrow. Barry read the name again. He did read it right. It was even his handwriting. Thomas B. Very cute. ¡°Thomas B. is your grandad?¡± ¡°Yeah, why?¡± ¡°What¡¯s his full surname?¡± ¡°Brightbold.¡± Barry was in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re Thomas Brightbold¡¯s grandson?¡± ¡°Yes, do you know him?¡± Barry flipped to the next page to see the other written message. Happy 25th, you little rascal! He pointed at it. ¡°I wrote that.¡± He closed it to see the cover. ¡°I¡¯d recognised it before, but I can¡¯t believe this is the exact copy I had bought all those years ago.¡± He looked at Rune¡¯s face again, he noticed the earring in his left ear. He squinted. ¡°I bought an earring for him, once.¡± He pointed at it. ¡°Exactly like that one.¡± Rune grabbed at his earring as he stared at Barry in disbelief. He knew his grandad? Was he that old friend Thomas had mentioned? He must be. Thomas had said he was probably dead by now, but most likely had no idea how right he had been. ¡°Did you live in Veritas at some point?¡± Rune asked. Barry nodded with a frown. ¡°I did. For six years. How many years ago is that by now? Fifty-six?¡± His eyes widened. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s in his seventies now, isn¡¯t he? Not that he¡¯d look that old.¡± Rune jumped off the couch and ran to the stairs to the basement. ¡°Hyde!¡± he yelled. ¡°Huh?¡± Hyde called back. ¡°Come up here!¡± He heard some noise, presumably Hyde cleaning things up. Hyde came up the stairs. ¡°What is it?¡± He frowned. ¡°Why do you look so freaked out?¡± ¡°Your grandad knows my grandad.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I had this book with me from my grandad, that had a message written inside it from someone else. He said an old friend.¡± Rune pointed into the living room. ¡°Now he¡¯s telling me he¡¯s the one that wrote it! Your grandad is my grandad¡¯s ¡®old friend¡¯.¡± He realised something. ¡°That must be why he had such a weird reaction to your surname! It¡¯s the same as his.¡± Hyde was quiet for a moment. ¡°Our grandparents are friends?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve known each other since before our parents were even born?¡± ¡°Seems like it.¡± ¡°What the fuck¡ª¡± ¡°What are the odds of this?¡± Rune finished for him. ¡°On opposite sides of the continent?¡± Hyde went into the living room to Barry, who still stared at the book. Rune followed him. ¡°You know Thomas?¡± Hyde asked. Barry nodded. ¡°Vampire, pale brown hair, red eyes, loves books, has the personality of a cat?¡± Rune let out a startled chuckle. He hadn¡¯t thought about his personality like that, but it felt accurate. ¡°You¡¯ve met him?¡± Barry asked Hyde. ¡°Yeah, we lived in the same house for six weeks.¡± Barry seemed like he was going to ask a question, but Hyde waved it off. ¡°Long story, doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Hyde asked Rune, ¡°Should we tell him?¡± Rune shrugged. ¡°I bet he¡¯d like to know.¡± ¡°I could write him a letter,¡± Barry suggested. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him since I was twenty-one, but we always wrote to each other, several times a week.¡± Rune hummed as he considered it. ¡°Might be a bit jarring to get a letter from someone you haven¡¯t heard from for thirty years.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t he know I died?¡± ¡°He said you were probably dead by now, but he didn¡¯t seem sure. So, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Barry frowned. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°He seemed quite bitter about it.¡± Barry sadly hummed. ¡°We could both write him a letter? I could explain what happened to prepare him for your letter. Then put them in the same envelope.¡± Barry shrugged. ¡°I guess that would work.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Hyde perked up at an idea. ¡°Why don¡¯t we take the opportunity to invite your whole family to come meet mine? They¡¯d have to stay at a motel or something, but it could be fun.¡± Rune smiled. ¡°Good idea.¡± Please, Go Home Interlude 9 Hey Thomas! We arrived, I wanted to write to you as fast as I could. The trip on the train took forever, three days on a train is way too long. It¡¯s warm here. Compared to the north, it¡¯s like a furnace. There¡¯s a beach, at least. And a forest. We¡¯re engaged! I¡¯ll send you an invite for the wedding when we have a date. Apparently Vela wants to have a private wedding, with just the two of us. I would¡¯ve wanted you to be my best man. And it would¡¯ve been a good excuse to come visit. But, sorry, I guess we can¡¯t do that. We¡¯re married. Apparently I¡¯m supposed to be the alpha of a pack here? She hadn¡¯t mentioned that before. In the two years she had to do so! Not sure how to feel about that. I¡¯m going to be a dad! I¡¯m a father now. I can¡¯t believe it, to be honest. I have a little boy, his name is Fallon. I¡¯d love for you to meet him.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. You¡¯re having a kid, too? I didn¡¯t know you had a partner? Or was it accidental? Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be the type for that, honestly. No shame, though. Are you excited? Congratulations! Good luck with the upcoming months of sleepless nights. We should definitely have our boys meet some day. Happy birthday! I saw this book in the store and it reminded me of you. Cute and sweet with a darker undertone. I¡¯m not sure how your taste has changed over the years, but I hope you like it. By the way you¡¯re complaining about her, maybe you should leave? Or kick her out, rather. It¡¯s your house. (Might sound a bit hypocritical of me, I know.) Holy shit, she pushed you down the stairs?! You kicked her out now, right? Other than your knee, are you okay? I want to visit (it¡¯s been twenty years, oh my god. Time flies.) But there are internal issues with the pack, I can¡¯t leave. I¡¯m sorry. Fallon has a girlfriend, now. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure if it was ever gonna happen. Which would¡¯ve been fine, if he had no interest in that. You know, you¡¯re right. I should seriously consider leaving. Fallon¡¯s an adult now, he could choose for himself where he wants to stay. Which is most likely with me, him and Vela aren¡¯t very close. The plan will be on hold for a while. There are huge problems with another pack. Might be dangerous. Or that might be exactly why I should leave now. But I can¡¯t leave everyone else to fend for themselves. I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m going to do, but I might not have a lot of time to write to you over the next few
Barry? Sorry, I know you said you wouldn¡¯t have much time to write for a while, but it¡¯s been over a week. Are you okay? I¡¯m a little worried. Hey, I don¡¯t mean to be pushy, but it¡¯s been several weeks now. If you don¡¯t have time to write a whole letter, could you send me a little note to let me know you¡¯re alright? Okay, it¡¯s been over a month. I¡¯m seriously concerned now. Let me know you¡¯re okay, at least. Please. Leaving me to worry like this isn¡¯t a nice thing to do to your friend, you know? At this point, it feels like you¡¯re deliberately ignoring me. If you¡¯ve gotten tired of me or something, at least let me know! Seriously, anyone who¡¯s getting these, let me know if he¡¯s okay! Barry, please! Where are you? Barry! Please, Go Home 24 Thomas watched Night rummage through his bookshelves, searching for new books to read. ¡°How have things been going with you and your dad?¡± Thomas asked. Night uncomfortably hummed without looking away from the books. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Every conversation we have feels awkward. He can talk to Moon, though.¡± Thomas frowned. ¡°I had expected it to be easier for you, since you and Severn have so much in common.¡± Night glanced at him and shrugged. ¡°Sure, we have similar styles, but not similar interests.¡± She continued her search. Thomas sighed. He knew Severn¡¯s relationship with Night wasn¡¯t going as smoothly as Severn had hoped. He had complained about it to Thomas several times; she seemed to shut him out, as if she didn¡¯t care to be closer with him. ¡°I¡¯ve seen how you respond whenever he tries to talk to you,¡± Thomas began his attempt to help. ¡°You tend to shut him out. Whenever he asks about the book you¡¯re reading, you keep your answers short as if you don¡¯t want to talk to him. If you keep that up, he¡¯ll feel like you¡¯re not interested in being closer with him and he might give up.¡± Night turned to look at him again with a frown. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t want that.¡± Thomas leaned into her face. ¡°Let him in, then. Talk to him, engage in conversation when he asks for it. He seems closer to Moon, because she actually talks to him about what she reads in her magazines, unlike you.¡± Night glanced away and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Severn stood in the kitchen, watching Moon read a magazine at the dining table while he drank out of a can. She seemed quite interested in whatever she was reading. ¡°Anything interesting?¡± he asked her. Moon flinched her head up with a hum, then looked down at the page again. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s this gossip going on about a well-known musician in Veritas. They always write the same things about her, ever since she¡¯d been becoming more famous in the city in the last ten years or so.¡± ¡°What things?¡± As a piano player himself, he was quite interested in the music scene, despite having no intention of entering it. ¡°People try to find information about her private life, because she never wants to share anything about it. They often ask about her family, her love life, if she has kids.¡± ¡°Who is it? I wonder if I¡¯ve heard of her.¡± He took a sip. ¡°Dael Kiers.¡± He choked. He punched his chest and coughed as he leaned on the counter. He saw Moon giving him a confused look. ¡°Have you heard of her?¡± Severn cleared his throat one more time, then turned his face to her and only said, ¡°I have.¡± ¡°Oh, cool.¡± ¡°Tell me more.¡± She returned her attention to the magazine again. ¡°I know quite a lot, this magazine has been reporting on the gossip surrounding her for years. She once told an interviewer that she did have a partner at some point, but not currently. And she confirmed she does have a child. She didn¡¯t want to share any personal information about them or their father at first, but then she accidentally let it slip that her child was a son. Since then, people seem obsessed with figuring out who they are. People spot her somewhat close to a man, and immediately assume it¡¯s her son or her ex. It¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s so ridiculous, why do you read it?¡± ¡°I like watching the train wreck.¡± Severn laughed. The front door opened. Night came into the living room with a small bag over her shoulder. ¡°Hey,¡± Severn greeted her. ¡°Got any interesting books?¡± ¡°I guess,¡± was all she said. Severn frowned. Was he not even worth a hello? She went on her way to the stairs, but then seemed to change her mind. She came to the kitchen instead, then got three books out of her bag and laid them on the counter in front of Severn. ¡°I got these.¡± Severn was surprised, but delighted. He looked at the books in front of him. ¡°Any particular reason you picked these?¡± She pointed at two of them. ¡°These two are the next parts in a series I¡¯ve been reading.¡± Then pointed at the third. ¡°And this one seemed interesting, similar to other books I liked.¡± Severn hummed. He remembered seeing the two from the series on his dad¡¯s shelves, he¡¯d had them for a long time. ¡°Sounds fun.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you read books?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m too impatient, I can¡¯t sit still for that long. Believe me, my dad tried.¡± Night laughed a little. She put the books back in her bag, then frowned and bit the inside of her cheek. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry for how I¡¯ve been treating you.¡± Severn was taken aback. ¡°How I¡¯ve been avoiding you and brushing you off. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to be close to you, but it feels weird.¡± She rubbed her arms. ¡°Nearly all my life, you were gone, and I never expected you to come back. And now you¡¯re here suddenly, and I don¡¯t know how to process that.¡± Severn gave her a sad smile, he nodded. ¡°I get it. It¡¯s okay, you can take your time to process. I¡¯ll still be here.¡± Night smiled back. She hugged him, surprising him again. She was full of surprises today, Thomas must¡¯ve talked to her. She let go, Severn softly rubbed her head before she was too far away. ¡°You know I love you, right?¡± he asked. She smiled. ¡°I know.¡± He turned to Moon. ¡°You too.¡± Moon chuckled. ¡°Yeah, we know.¡± ¡°How are you dealing with this so easily?¡± Night asked her. Moon thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s a big change, but a good change.¡± She gestured at Severn. ¡°He¡¯s here now, I¡¯m just rolling with it. What else are we supposed to do, put him back in the grave?¡± Severn let a cackle out. Night laughed a bit, too. ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±
Thomas sat in his little reading nook in his living room. On a big, comfy chair. A small bookshelf stood next to him against the wall, filled with books he had yet to read. A fluffy carpet sectioned off the corner. He read a book, a thriller, while drinking a can of blood from a straw. Night left a couple hours ago, so he had another quiet day for himself. He heard something being pushed through the letter slot in his door. He raised his eyebrow towards it, he wasn¡¯t expecting anything. He closed his book, placed his can on top of the small shelf, and stood up. He went into his hallway and saw an envelope on the ground. He picked it up. Only his name and address was written on it, but he recognised Rune¡¯s handwriting. He went back to his reading corner and sat down again. He opened the envelope and pulled two folded sheets of paper out. He guessed Rune had a lot to say. He folded it open and began to read. Hey Grandpa, I¡¯ll keep this short, I¡¯m not the important thing here. Short? It was two sheets long. You know how Dad came back to life, right? Of course you do. Well, he¡¯s not the only one anymore. Hyde¡¯s grandfather came back to life, too. After 31 years. Thirty-one years? He saw your book I was reading. The one with the message from your old friend, you know? He asked about the book, then recognised your name written in it. Then pointed at that other message and said he wrote it. Thomas¡¯s heart sank. He claims to know you. And by the way he described you, it did seem like he does. His name is Barry Walker. Thomas inhaled a sharp breath as tears stung in his eyes. The other letter is from him. I¡¯m sure he has a lot to say to you himself, so I¡¯ll stop here. But before that, Hyde thought we could take the opportunity to have our families meet. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d want to come see Barry, but Dad, Night and Moon could come too. You¡¯d have to stay at a motel or something, though. Anyway, I hope this doesn¡¯t freak you out too much. See you soon, Rune Thomas stared at Rune¡¯s letter, holding his breath, frozen. There was no way. After all these years. He was brought back to life? Thomas hadn¡¯t known he had died in the first place. So he didn¡¯t ignore him on purpose? Didn¡¯t forget about him? Didn¡¯t grow tired of him? He still cared? He pulled the letter out from behind Rune¡¯s and now stared at this one. It was his handwriting. Thomas was afraid to read it. What would Barry say to him after all this time? Did it even feel like any time had passed for him? Judging by Severn¡¯s experience, probably not. He finally breathed again and read the first line of Barry¡¯s letter. Hey Thomas, I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t written to you in over three decades, I was a little busy being dead. You remember those big pack problems I talked about in my last letter? I don¡¯t blame you if you don¡¯t, it¡¯s been a very long time for you. But, I was killed in that conflict. And now I¡¯m back. In the same way your son is alive, now. But you didn¡¯t know I was dead, did you? Of course Vela never bothered to tell you. Also, your son died? I¡¯m so sorry, that must¡¯ve been awful. Are you coming over? I¡¯d love to see you again. It¡¯s been way too long, even for me. I can¡¯t imagine how long it feels to you. Fifty-six years for you? That is insane. And now our kids can finally meet, like we¡¯d said. Also, isn¡¯t it crazy our grandkids found each other? Damn. Anyway, I hope to see you soon. I miss you. Barry The letter quaked in Thomas¡¯s hand as he intensely stared at it with tears running down his face. All this time, he had so much pent up anger, frustration, confusion and sadness due to this, with nothing to take it out on. He thought, if he¡¯d ever see Barry again, he could take it out on him. But now he couldn¡¯t, it wasn¡¯t his fault. He didn¡¯t do it on purpose. But that didn¡¯t mean he had no reason to be angry with him. He had still left him. If he hadn¡¯t¡ª Thomas frowned. If Barry hadn¡¯t left, Severn would¡¯ve never been born. He wouldn¡¯t have his grandkids. And Barry wouldn¡¯t have his family, either. But still, he hurt him. He left him. He broke his heart. Barry deserved to know how badly he fucked his mental state all those years ago. Thomas went to Enath with a bag of stuff he¡¯d need to stay in the south for a while. He had the letters in his coat pocket. His mind was racing, barely paying attention to his surroundings. He arrived at the house. He opened the door and walked in. ¡°Hey,¡± he let his presence be known. He dropped the bag on the ground. Severn walked into the hallway with a raised brow. ¡°Hi? Where are you going?¡± Thomas pulled Rune¡¯s letter out of his pocket as he said, ¡°To the south.¡± He handed Severn the letter. ¡°Rune wants you and the girls to come, too.¡± Severn took the letter and read it. His eyes widened. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not going for Rune, are you?¡± Thomas only sighed. ¡°This ¡®Barry¡¯, is he that old friend you mentioned sometimes?¡± Thomas nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t seem happy.¡± Thomas tensed his shoulders. ¡°I¡ªa lot happened between us. It seems like he doesn¡¯t realise most of it, but he hurt me. A lot.¡± Severn squinted, seeming to come to a realisation. ¡°You¡¯ve also mentioned someone you were in love with when you were younger.¡± Thomas held his breath in shock. He didn¡¯t think Severn remembered that. ¡°Is that also him?¡± Thomas stared at him for a second, then frowned and nodded. ¡°So, are you only going to yell at him, or are you planning on reconnecting, too?¡± Thomas shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Severn bit his cheek and nodded. He stepped into the living room and called, ¡°Girls! Want to come to the south?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Night called back. ¡°Rune wants us to meet Hyde¡¯s family.¡± ¡°Oh dang, are they that serious?¡± Moon wondered. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll come!¡± ¡°Night?¡± Severn asked. Night sighed. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go.¡± Severn looked back at Thomas with a smile. ¡°Guess we¡¯re going.¡± Please, Go Home 25 ¡°So, now that they¡¯re coming to visit,¡± Dione spoke up at the dining table, where she sat next to Fallon and across from Hyde and Rune, with Barry close to them in the kitchen. ¡°Can you tell us a bit about what they¡¯re like?¡± she asked Hyde. Hyde hummed. He looked at Rune beside him. ¡°You know them better.¡± ¡°No,¡± Rune protested. ¡°You know better what their first impressions would be. You should.¡± Hyde tilted his head. ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± He turned back to his mom. ¡°Fine. He has two younger sisters, who are twins. And there¡¯s his dad and his grandad.¡± ¡°Twins?¡± Dione was surprised. ¡°Are they easily distinguishable?¡± Rune nodded. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re not identical.¡± ¡°What are they like?¡± ¡°Well, first of all, they¡¯re teenagers, so, you know.¡± Hyde shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s Moon, who¡¯s generally an energetic, cheerful girl, like, ¡®Hey, how are you? What¡¯s your name?¡¯ ¡± Hyde tried to mimic her voice, making Rune chuckle. ¡°She also likes to poke things,¡± Hyde added, annoyed. Fallon raised his eyebrow. ¡°Oddly specific.¡± Hyde glanced away with a grumpy frown as he rubbed the spot where his bruise had been. Rune laughed a little. ¡°Then there¡¯s Night,¡± Hyde moved on. ¡°She¡¯s more quiet. And suspicious of everything and everyone. But it seems like it¡¯s out of love, she was concerned with Rune¡¯s wellbeing while being suspicious of me.¡± Hyde scratched his chin in thought. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to describe Thomas.¡± He noticed Barry perking his head up to them from the corner of his eye. ¡°He¡¯s kind, usually. But also a bit rude, sometimes? I¡¯m not sure how to put it.¡± He glanced at Rune for help. ¡°Petty?¡± Rune suggested. Hyde squinted. ¡°You¡¯ve called him sassy before.¡± Barry chuckled. ¡°That hasn¡¯t changed, then.¡± Hyde shrugged at him, then thought of what to say about Severn. ¡°Severn, his dad, is nice and loving to his family. But he also seems a little unhinged.¡± Rune gave him a confused, raised brow. ¡°Unhinged? Why?¡± ¡°Because he stabbed a bunch of people, Rune!¡± Rune opened his mouth to defend him, but Hyde interrupted, ¡°I¡¯m not saying it wasn¡¯t an appropriate reaction after all the shit those people did, but goddamn. He grabbed a knife, walked into that building and started stabbing! Like a day after he came back to life!¡± Hyde glanced at his parents, they seemed a little disturbed. Hyde added, ¡°I mean, those people were the ones that stabbed me in the back and nearly killed me, so I¡¯m not upset about it. But that his mind went straight to stabby town is¡­ fuck, dude.¡± He looked at Rune again. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of him or anything. I get he was protecting you, and I guess me too, but I also definitely wouldn¡¯t want to get on his bad side.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d suggest you don¡¯t break my heart,¡± Rune joked with a grin, earning a glare. ¡°Well, they sound interesting,¡± Dione said, a little worried. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re fine,¡± Hyde dismissively told her. ¡°But they¡¯ve been through some stuff.¡± ¡°Okay, if you say so, hon.¡±
Thomas was the last to step out of the train, behind Severn, Moon and Night. Rune waited for them on a bench with Hyde. The warmth hit him like a brick; it felt like summer, wasn¡¯t it autumn? Was it this warm all year round? No wonder Barry hated it. Rune came up to them, followed by Hyde. ¡°Hey!¡± Rune smiled. ¡°Welcome to the south.¡± ¡°Why is it so warm?¡± Moon complained. ¡°Because it¡¯s the south,¡± Hyde told her like it was obvious, which it was. ¡°But it¡¯s autumn!¡± Rune snickered. ¡°Believe it or not, summer is even worse.¡± Moon gaped at him. ¡°Do you get now why I always want a blanket in Enath?¡± Hyde asked with a grin. Night scoffed. ¡°You haven¡¯t even experienced our winter, yet.¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯m not looking forward to it.¡± Rune took a few steps backwards as he said, ¡°Shall we go?¡± He looked at the sky. Thomas followed his gaze, it was getting darker. ¡°Before we get rained on?¡± Rune finished his thought. The six of them went on their way to Corburn. Thomas quietly walked behind, he had too much on his mind to engage in conversation. Severn sped up to get beside Hyde and asked, ¡°What can we expect of your family?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s my mom and dad, and my sister. Perhaps my brother-in-law. And my grandad, of course.¡± ¡°What are they like?¡± ¡°My mom is friendly, my dad quiet. My sister, excitable.¡± Hyde grabbed his chin. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to say about my grandad, I¡¯ve only known him for a week.¡± Thomas sniffed out a spiteful chuckle. ¡°If he¡¯s anything like he was before, he¡¯s an idiot.¡± Hyde turned around to him, surprised. He shrugged. ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Hyde called out when they were all inside, right on time for the rain. He opened the door to the living room, everyone followed him. Thomas stayed in the doorway. A blonde woman walked up to them with a smile. ¡°Hi! Nice to meet you all, I¡¯m Dione.¡± She pointed at the tall, brown haired man standing some distance behind her. ¡°That¡¯s Fallon.¡± Thomas let his eyes wander around the room, until they landed on a familiar face in the kitchen. He flinched, Barry stared at him. How did Thomas take this long to notice him? He wasn¡¯t sure what he had expected, but seeing Barry as an older, middle-aged man felt odd. Even at this distance, he saw the grey patches in his beard and at his temples. His face was quite heavily scarred, must be from his death. Barry came up to him, which snapped him awake and made him realise the others had walked further into the room to sit somewhere. ¡°Hey,¡± Barry greeted him with a nervous look on his face. ¡°Hi,¡± Thomas breathed out. Barry pointed to the stairs. ¡°Want to talk upstairs?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Thomas sat on a bed in a room that confused him. Did Barry sleep here? It looked like a teen girl¡¯s room. Mirrors, candles, magazines. It reminded him of Moon¡¯s room. He shook his head; it didn¡¯t matter. Barry quietly sat beside him, waiting for him to say something. For the past three days, Thomas had thought about what he would say to Barry when he finally saw him. But now that he was right in front of him, he couldn¡¯t get a word out of his mouth. He couldn¡¯t even bring himself to make eye contact; that would make it more real. He saw Barry¡¯s uneasiness from the corner of his eye. Barry hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°You look well.¡± ¡°Do I?¡± Thomas snarled. ¡°I don¡¯t feel well.¡± Barry rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°It does feel kinda weird, seeing you after all this time¡ªeven longer for you. But it¡¯s good to see you again.¡± Thomas only examined the wooden floor. He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt, yet alone what he should say. Seeing his face brought painful memories back, but also an old comfort. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to agree,¡± Barry observed, a hint of sadness in his voice. Thomas remained quiet. Did he agree? Was it good to see him again? Or would he have rather lived the rest of his life without him?Stolen story; please report. ¡°What are you feeling?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Thomas quietly answered. ¡°Did you want to see me?¡± ¡°Yes, but not for the same reason you did.¡± ¡°Why, then? I wanted to see you, because I missed you. Didn¡¯t you miss me?¡± Thomas tensed his shoulders, anger beginning to cloud his mind. ¡°I did. I missed you to death.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you happy to see me?¡± ¡°Because you hurt me!¡± Thomas snapped, he finally made eye contact. Barry was taken aback, startled by his glare. ¡°What? Because I didn¡¯t answer you for thirty years? That wasn¡¯t my fault.¡± ¡°You really think that¡¯s the only thing you could¡¯ve possibly done to hurt me?¡± ¡°What else, then?¡± ¡°You left me! You went to live with a girl you¡¯d known for a couple months and left me behind like I never mattered!¡± Tears stung in Thomas¡¯s eyes, he felt like that nineteen-year-old, heartbroken boy again. ¡°You promised me you¡¯d always be by my side. You asked me to never leave your life and you left mine!¡± Barry shook his head with a frown. ¡°I didn¡¯t leave your life, we still wrote to each other.¡± ¡°You think that¡¯s the same?! You have no idea how much it hurt to read about you loving life down here while I was miserable, all alone and wanted to die! You never considered how I would feel.¡± Barry was shocked. ¡°You never told me you felt that way. How am I supposed to consider your feelings if you don¡¯t tell me how you feel?!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to interfere in your perfect little life here.¡± ¡°What¡ªyou know it was anything but perfect, I¡¯ve complained to you about it numerous times.¡± ¡°And yet, you never left.¡± ¡°Because¡ª!¡± Barry stopped as if he changed his mind, he gave the door a worried glance. ¡°You know I was going to.¡± ¡°A bit late.¡± Barry let out a frustrated groan. ¡°I always told you if I was upset about anything, why didn¡¯t you tell me when you were? Didn¡¯t you trust me?¡± ¡°I did. Then you broke my heart,¡± Thomas¡¯s voice cracked. He hadn¡¯t told anyone about this before. Was it relieving? He wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Thomas scoffed. ¡°Do I need to spell it out for you?¡± He leaned into Barry¡¯s face. ¡°I was in love with you.¡± He pushed his finger into the space between Barry¡¯s eyes, causing him to pinch them slightly. ¡°Guess being blunt about it is the only way to get it through your thick skull.¡± He backed away. Barry stared at him in disbelief. ¡°I thought you felt the same,¡± Thomas continued. ¡°The way you were always so cuddly and close with me. You even kissed me, once.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t remember. It was on my eighteenth birthday, when you insisted on getting wasted. You kissed me and passed out right after. But, despite all that, you still left with someone else, as if you never felt any of that.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you felt that way.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t subtle.¡± Barry evaded eye contact this time and sighed. ¡°You were the only real friend I ever had. I guess I didn¡¯t know if it was just friendship, or¡ª¡± ¡°Seriously? We cuddled on the couch, we slept in the same bed occasionally, you often slept with your head on my lap, you even pulled me to sit on your lap sometimes!¡± Barry smiled a little. ¡°Because you were so small and huggable¡ª¡± He noticed Thomas¡¯s glare and stopped smiling. ¡°Not the time, sorry. I¡¯m not very in tune with my emotions. I¡¯ve always known I loved you, I guess I didn¡¯t know in what way exactly.¡± All the anger was startled out of Thomas for a moment. Did he admit he did feel the same? ¡°Are you telling me you were in love with me, too?¡± he choked up. Barry was quiet for a while. Thomas saw him thinking, considering what to say. ¡°I¡­ you know what my plan was after leaving Corburn?¡± Barry whispered all of a sudden, like he was worried someone overheard him. ¡°No?¡± ¡°I was hoping to live with you again. I was never as happy with Vela as I was with you those three years. I¡¯d always missed that. And now that my kid was an adult, his parents divorcing wouldn¡¯t be as devastating, which is why I waited so long.¡± Thomas let tears fall down his face. ¡°I¡¯d still like that, if you¡¯d have me,¡± Barry added with a nervous quake in his voice. He still felt the same? All this time, he did love him back? Thomas hadn¡¯t been delusional and an idiot? Those feelings really were there? He asked to move in with him. Should he let him? It felt too soon to decide. So, instead, Thomas told him, ¡°Before we came here, Severn asked if I only came here to yell at you, or to actually reconnect.¡± ¡°Which is it?¡± Thomas shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not yelling. But I don¡¯t know if I can trust you with my heart again.¡± Barry frowned, sad. ¡°Oh. If it¡¯s any help, I know I want you. I won¡¯t run off with someone else again.¡± Thomas was quiet with tears on his face, staring at nothing. Barry sighed beside him. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some space to process all this. I¡¯ll keep my distance, then you can come to me when you¡¯re ready, okay?¡± Thomas thought it over, then nodded. ¡°Mom,¡± Hyde called to Dione, making her turn to him. He gestured at the two girls uncomfortably standing near Rune. ¡°Would you be interested in entertaining two teenaged girls?¡± Before Dione could answer, Moon called, ¡°We don¡¯t need a babysitter!¡± ¡°I figured you¡¯d like to talk to some sort of mother figure, since you don¡¯t have one.¡± Silence filled the room. Hyde tensed as he rethought what he said. ¡°Well, damn,¡± Rune spoke up. ¡°Kick us while we¡¯re down, why don¡¯t you?¡± Hyde nervously chuckled and the rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to sound so harsh.¡± Dione snickered. ¡°Oh, I¡¯d like to,¡± she decided to save him. ¡°But, you know I can¡¯t leave your father alone with new people.¡± Hyde glanced past her to the kitchen. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s doing too bad talking to Severn.¡± Dione turned around and¡ªto her surprise¡ªsaw her husband chatting with someone he just met. He seemed pretty relaxed, too. A rare occurrence. ¡°Oh.¡± Was he actually relaxed, though? Maybe he was masking. She decided to join them, in case she needed to help him out of a conversation he couldn¡¯t find an escape from. ¡°You know, last I heard, Rune¡¯s parents were dead,¡± she interrupted whatever Severn was saying, catching both his and Fallon¡¯s attention. Severn considered her for a moment, then said, ¡°Yeah, so were both of his.¡± He pointed at Fallon. ¡°What of it?¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Rune scolded, startling Severn. ¡°Could you be polite for five minutes?¡± ¡°No,¡± Severn told him, then proceeded to ignore Rune¡¯s following angry comments. ¡°You know,¡± he began at Fallon, ¡°it¡¯s weird seeing other people in their fifties and realising they¡¯re the same age as me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s equally weird the other way around. Isn¡¯t it odd you and your kids look the same age?¡± Fallon responded. ¡°To people who aren¡¯t familiar with the double lifespan, sure. I remember when I was younger, some people wouldn¡¯t believe my dad when he said he was my dad.¡± Dione stepped away, deciding to let Fallon have this conversation on his own. He didn¡¯t seem uncomfortable, even asking a question himself instead of only answering. It was rare new people didn¡¯t make him feel uneasy and lock his mouth shut. She wondered why this was the case with Severn, though. Especially considering the only thing they had previously known about him didn¡¯t paint him in the best light. She went back to the girls, who were giving Hyde a hard time, presumably for his previous choice of words. ¡°How do you girls like Hyde? I hope we raised him well.¡± The girls stepped away from Hyde to turn their attention to Dione. Night looked grumpy. ¡°He¡¯s very nosy.¡± Dione gave Hyde a disapproving look. Hyde tensed and defended, ¡°What¡ªas if you aren¡¯t! Where do you think I got it from? Not Dad.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a bit oblivious,¡± Moon audibly whispered to Dione. ¡°Which is a great match for Rune¡¯s anxiety around someone he actually likes.¡± ¡°Wha- Don¡¯t tell people that!¡± Rune complained. Hyde glanced between Rune and Moon, confused. Both proving her point. Dione chuckled. ¡°Oh, hon.¡± Footsteps came downstairs, Rune looked to the door. Barry walked into the living room. He didn¡¯t seem happy. He sat on the couch without a word. Rune wondered where Thomas was. Was he still in the hallway? He went to see and found Thomas indeed lingering in the hallway. He wasn¡¯t particularly happy either. ¡°Hey, how did it go?¡± Rune asked. Thomas shrugged. ¡°Where will we be sleeping?¡± he ignored his question. ¡°I want to be alone for a bit.¡± Rune frowned. ¡°Oh, okay. I got two rooms at a motel for you, I¡¯ll take you there.¡± The rain had stopped anyway. Thomas nodded.
Barry stared out the window. The sun had gone down. He wasn¡¯t happy with how his conversation with Thomas had gone. But he should give him space; he had said he would. There were more things he wanted to tell him, though. Things that might help Thomas process his feelings. Or make it worse. Barry wasn¡¯t sure. He had wanted to tell him before, but he didn¡¯t want to risk Fallon overhearing. It might be upsetting to him. He wanted to tell Thomas somewhere where they were truly alone. Barry knocked on a door at the motel. Thomas opened it, a bit confused. ¡°Hey,¡± Barry greeted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I know I said I¡¯d give you space. But there¡¯s some more stuff I¡¯d like to tell you. Want to come to the beach with me?¡± Thomas thought it over with a sigh. ¡°Okay.¡± They walked over the sand in silence. The only thing they heard were the waves. They were alone; who would go to the beach at night? They did. Barry sat down on the sand, leaning back on his hands. Thomas sat next to him, Barry noticed how stiffly he moved his right leg. ¡°Doesn¡¯t sand get everywhere?¡± Thomas mumbled, annoyed. ¡°Not as much after rain.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll get a wet arse instead.¡± Barry squinted, unsure what to make of his annoyance. Did it mean he was more or less comfortable? ¡°Why did we have to come here?¡± Thomas asked, snapping Barry out of his thought. ¡°I wanted to be sure no one overheard. I don¡¯t want Fallon to know, or at least not find out like this.¡± ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t as happy here as you seem to think I was. And I¡¯m not only talking about Vela. I¡¯ve always felt incredibly homesick. I thought it¡¯d go away after a while, but it never did. It lessened after Fallon was born, because now there was something here that I loved, but it never went away.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t love your wife?¡± ¡°I¡ªit¡¯s complicated.¡± Barry brought his knee up and hugged it. ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t think she was a nice person or anything, but we weren¡¯t a good match. You know how cuddly I am, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the cuddliest person I¡¯ve ever met.¡± ¡°Well, she wasn¡¯t. At all. At least not in the way I wanted. Early on, when I was feeling homesick, I tried to reach out to her for comfort. I tried to lean on her or cuddle up to her like I was used to with you, but she always pushed me away. And then told me to get over it, because this was my home now. She cuddled up to me, but I wasn¡¯t allowed to cuddle up to her, no no, that was illegal,¡± Barry mocked. ¡°She didn¡¯t like whenever I was upset or sad for whatever reason, she told me to ¡®man up¡¯. It¡¯s like she had this idea of what she wanted me to be, and whenever I deviated from that, she got upset. She wanted me to be this perfect alpha type, whose only negative emotion was anger.¡± ¡°So, she tried to make you into something you weren¡¯t?¡± ¡°Yeah. I emotionally distanced myself from her, which resulted in a very loveless marriage, as I¡¯m sure you can imagine. Fallon was the only thing keeping it together, which is why I don¡¯t want him to hear this. I don¡¯t want to risk him somehow twisting this into it being his fault that I wasn¡¯t happy here, he was the only thing that did make me happy.¡± Thomas frowned, thinking. ¡°Do you regret marrying her?¡± Barry sighed. ¡°That is¡­ also complicated. I don¡¯t want to say I regret it. If I hadn¡¯t, Fallon wouldn¡¯t have been born. It makes it sound like I regret my son, which I don¡¯t, at all! I love him more than anything. ¡°But, I do wonder what things could¡¯ve been like if I had left sooner and taken him with me. But then, Fallon wouldn¡¯t have met Dione and Hyde and Tayen wouldn¡¯t exist, and¡ª¡± He grabbed his head and groaned in frustration. Thomas let out a sad sigh. ¡°Even if they had met, if you had left and came back to me with Fallon, then him and Severn probably would¡¯ve been more like brothers. And that would make Rune and Hyde like cousins. I doubt they¡¯d be dating, then. And seeing how much they adore each other, that makes me sad.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Thomas moved a little closer to Barry. ¡°Maybe this is how it was supposed to go. At any turn, if things had been different, something would drastically change. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without my family, either.¡± Barry lifted his head up to him, sad. Thomas gently pulled his head onto his shoulder, to Barry¡¯s surprise. Tears stung in Barry¡¯s eyes; no one had been tender with him like this in years¡ªdecades, even. Thomas rubbed their heads together, then sighed and released the tension in his body. He let Barry quietly cry on his shoulder. Please, Go Home 26A Barry sat on the couch, chatting with Fallon. Thomas was alone at the motel, Hyde and Rune took the girls on a tour around Corburn. Dione and Severn were both in the room, chatting as well. Someone walked inside. Or two people, rather. Tayen and Warlon came into the room. ¡°Fallon!¡± Warlon called out, seeming worried. He wore a shoulder sling, bandages were visible around his collar. ¡°What?¡± Fallon responded. ¡°We have a problem.¡± Fallon stood up. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting threats again.¡± ¡°They¡¯re still not done?¡± Fallon let out a frustrated groan. ¡°What more do they want?¡± ¡°For us all to be dead.¡± Barry stood too, giving Fallon a concerned look. ¡°Are these still the same problems as¡ª¡± Fallon nodded. ¡°They left us alone while I was alpha, but not anymore.¡± ¡°What¡ªwhy do these problems still exist, didn¡¯t they win already?¡± Fallon sighed. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t take the whole forest when I told them to, they wanted to fight for it.¡± ¡°As if they didn¡¯t fight for it already!¡± Barry frustratedly clenched his hands in front of him. ¡°I know!¡± ¡°Do you have any idea what to do?¡± Warlon asked Barry. ¡°You¡¯re the most experienced with this.¡± Barry tensed and sharply inhaled. ¡°Nothing. Do nothing. It¡¯s pointless and will get you killed.¡± His hands quaked. ¡°Who cares about this forest, anyway? No one does anything with it!¡± Barry turned his shoulder to them and grabbed his hair. ¡°The pack wouldn¡¯t care, they don¡¯t care about you, all they want it for is meaningless status and if you have to die for it, so be it! The next one will take over after you anyway, they could afford losing you! But of course they won¡¯t do anything themselves, you¡¯re the alpha, you¡¯re supposed to put yourself in danger, not them!¡± Barry yelped at a hand on his arm. Fallon was concerned for him. He put both his hands on Barry¡¯s shoulders and pushed him to sit on the couch as he said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit back down?¡± Barry let him push him down and sat. He looked down at his shaking hands. A drop fell on them from his face. He wiped his cheek, leaving his hand wet. He hadn¡¯t realised he was crying. ¡°Let¡¯s not get him involved,¡± Fallon told Warlon. ¡°Clearly, he isn¡¯t ready to be thrown back into this.¡± Barry hadn¡¯t known this affected him so much. He hadn¡¯t felt a lot about what happened before, other than anger and frustration. But only the thought of it happening again triggered this reaction. He hadn¡¯t realised how much it had traumatised him. But it made sense, he was murdered. For him, only a few weeks ago. The addition of a third voice to the conversation led Barry¡¯s attention back to it. ¡°Maybe he should get involved,¡± Severn suggested, having joined them near the couch. ¡°Show the leader who killed him he¡¯s alive and scare them enough they¡¯ll back off.¡± ¡°That sounds risky,¡± Fallon argued. ¡°How could we be sure they¡¯d be scared and wouldn¡¯t try to kill him again?¡± ¡°I did it before, worked wonders. Seeing someone you knew to be dead tends to stun people for quite a while, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve experienced yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not see the guy who murdered me,¡± Barry joined again. ¡°Who knows if he¡¯s still even alive? If so, he¡¯s elderly by now.¡± ¡°It could be the best solution,¡± Severn told him. ¡°We should do nothing this time,¡± Warlon said with a frown. ¡°We had a plan last time, I would¡¯ve died if it wasn¡¯t for Hyde. The only thing that seems to be effective against them is doing nothing.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯d only be sitting here, hoping they¡¯ll get bored,¡± Fallon was uncertain. He sighed. ¡°But it does seem like the least risky option.¡± Severn didn¡¯t seem pleased. He stepped away and said, ¡°Alright, I doubt it¡¯d be that easy, but it¡¯s your call.¡± Barry wasn¡¯t convinced either. It was a gamble. But the smallest gamble they could take. It had gotten dark. Hyde and Rune were on their way to take Night and Moon to their motel room. ¡°What did you think?¡± Hyde asked them. ¡°It¡¯s such a cute town,¡± Moon squealed. ¡°With the plants and grass everywhere, and the little houses, I love it! I can¡¯t believe you grew up here.¡±Stolen novel; please report. Hyde raised his eyebrow. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re not cute at all.¡± Hyde was taken aback, his brain stuttered for a second. What a correlation to make. ¡°Says you,¡± Rune argued. ¡°Maybe he would be if he shifted,¡± Moon added. She glared at Hyde. ¡°Which I still haven¡¯t seen!¡± Hyde groaned. ¡°What about you?¡± Rune asked Night. Night hummed as she looked around. ¡°It¡¯s not my thing, but I get why people like the atmosphere.¡± They arrived at the motel. ¡°Alright, good night.¡± Rune smiled at his sisters. ¡°Say hi to Grandpa for me.¡± ¡°You could come in and say it yourself,¡± Night told him. ¡°No, he wanted to be alone. And we should be heading back, too.¡± Night shrugged and walked inside with Moon behind her. Hyde and Rune went on their way. ¡°You think your dad has been rude to my parents again?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± Hyde chuckled. He heard rustling. He yelled as he was tackled before he could react. Hyde turned on his back to see a werewolf sitting on top of him, ready to fight. Hyde shifted too and growled. ¡°Hyde!¡± Rune yelled. The other werewolf bared his teeth and roared, earning a knee in his mouth from Rune. The force pushed him off Hyde to the ground. Rune pulled Hyde up to stand. The werewolf sat on the ground, his nose and mouth bleeding, some of his teeth broken. He growled and fled. Hyde shifted back. ¡°What the hell,¡± he said under his breath. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re attacking again?¡± Rune asked. ¡°Yeah. And not only Warlon this time.¡± ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve put a target on your back. Again.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Hyde yelled as he ran inside, Rune close behind. He found him in the living room with Barry, Warlon, Tayen, Dione and Severn. ¡°They¡¯re attacking!¡± Everyone instantly tensed. ¡°How do you know?¡± Dione asked. ¡°One of them jumped on me.¡± ¡°Well, that didn¡¯t last long, did it?¡± Severn helpfully commented from the kitchen. Fallon was quiet, thinking of what to do. He looked at Barry. ¡°You stay inside, you¡¯re in no mental state to fight.¡± Barry sighed and silently agreed. Dione walked over to Fallon. ¡°I¡¯m fighting too.¡± Fallon was shocked. ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°You can¡¯t stop me, I won¡¯t just sit around this time! We¡¯re married, we¡¯re supposed to do this type of stuff together. I¡¯m not a fragile little flower.¡± ¡°I¡ªehh¡­¡± Fallon stared at her determined face. She wasn¡¯t backing down. He sighed with a worried frown. ¡°Okay.¡± Rune walked over to Severn. ¡°We should warn the others.¡± ¡°Stay inside, okay? That pack doesn¡¯t have any problems with us, they won¡¯t go after you,¡± Rune told his sisters and grandad at the motel. They all sat in one room. Rune and Severn on one bed; Thomas, Night and Moon on the other across from them. The girls were scared. Moon more visibly than Night, but Rune could tell Night felt it, too. He wasn¡¯t sure what Thomas felt. ¡°What about you?¡± Moon asked. ¡°I can¡¯t leave Hyde to deal with this on his own. Especially after how much he¡¯s helped me with the gang.¡± ¡°I¡¯m helping too,¡± Severn said. ¡°What?¡± Thomas was startled. ¡°Why? This isn¡¯t your fight.¡± ¡°Our fight with the gang wasn¡¯t Hyde¡¯s either, but he still helped us a ton. I wouldn¡¯t even be alive right now without him. The least I can do is help in return.¡± ¡°But you¡ªyou¡¯ll put yourself in danger again!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t die. At most, I¡¯ll lose a limb or something,¡± Severn assured him like it was no big deal if he did lose an entire arm somehow. ¡°That is not comforting,¡± Thomas hissed. ¡°Oh, and in case you wanted to know,¡± Rune began at Thomas, ¡°Barry is staying inside, too.¡± Thomas frowned. ¡°Oh, okay. Good.¡± ¡°What will we do?¡± Rune asked Hyde. Him and Severn had returned to the house. There was a tense, uncertain atmosphere. No one knew what would happen tonight, if they¡¯d all make it out in one piece. Or alive. Hyde stood in the kitchen, his elbows on the counter, hands in his hair. He sighed. He grabbed a butter knife off the counter to put between his teeth, but Rune yanked it out of his hand before he could. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Rune told him sternly. Hyde groaned and glared. He rubbed his face. ¡°We don¡¯t have much choice but to fight.¡± He grabbed his hair again. ¡°They¡¯d be after Warlon, but probably the rest of us too, since they already attacked me.¡± He looked at Warlon and Tayen. ¡°You two stay inside, you can¡¯t fight with your shoulder.¡± Warlon agreed, but didn¡¯t seem to like it. ¡°We¡¯ll fight the werewolves,¡± Hyde continued, looking at his parents. He turned to Rune. ¡°You and your dad could stand guard at the door.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Rune agreed. So did their parents. Hyde¡¯s eyes widened, he pushed himself off the counter and asked, ¡°Why am I the one taking charge?¡± a bit distressed. Dione shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s talking.¡± ¡°But, if something goes wrong¡ª¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be your fault,¡± Rune interrupted. ¡°No one else has a better idea.¡± Hyde stared at him for a bit, scared. Rune put his hand on Hyde¡¯s cheek. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± he comforted him, which felt weird with their parents watching. ¡°Rune and I will need some sort of weapon, then,¡± Severn said to no one in particular. ¡°We don¡¯t have razors on our fingers and in our mouths like you all do.¡± ¡°You have fangs,¡± Dione reminded him. ¡°The most these things can do is puncture little holes, not rip off flesh or anything.¡± ¡°Grab a knife from the kitchen, you¡¯re familiar with that,¡± Fallon told him, startling Severn. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Hyde told us you went on a stabbing spree.¡± ¡°¡­Oh.¡± They stood outside, ready to fight. Rune and Severn in front of the door, both with a knife. Hyde went to the left on his own, he tried to stay close. Dione and Fallon to the right, together. Rune anxiously held the knife in his hand. This wasn¡¯t the little pocket knife he had with him for years. No, this was a big, sharp, murder knife. He looked at his dad for guidance. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill anyone.¡± Severn frowned at him, seeing the fear in his eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Injuring should be enough. Deep cuts could fend them off, or, if you must, a good stab in the shoulder always does the trick.¡± It didn¡¯t ease Rune¡¯s nerves much. What if he stabbed wrong or cut too deep? Wouldn¡¯t be difficult with a knife like this. ¡°Rune,¡± Severn asked for his attention again, ¡°I¡¯m here with you, okay?¡± He smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡± Rune took a deep breath, then nodded. They¡¯ll be fine. He looked into the direction where Hyde disappeared between the buildings. They¡¯ll be fine. Inside, Barry nervously sat huddled up on the couch, resting his forehead on his fist and pulling at his roots. He wanted to help, he wanted to hide, he wanted to go to Thomas, he wanted to protect Fallon, protect Hyde. He should be protecting his son and grandson, not the other way around. This was all his fault. They wouldn¡¯t be going through this if he had won thirty years ago. But he was too weak. Near him, Warlon was upset too. He paced around ranting to Tayen, ¡°Everyone is fighting to protect me right now. I¡¯m alpha, I¡¯m supposed to be leading this! Not hiding inside like a coward!¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Tayen grabbed his hand. ¡°You¡¯re injured, no one blames you. You¡¯re family, of course they¡¯d fight to protect you.¡± Barry felt those words were somehow meant for him, too. They didn¡¯t calm him down.