As the moon began to fall and the skylight illuminating the dome with its soft light began to close, the fog covering Andrew's mind lifted, leaving behind a more manageable mix of reason and desire.
Andrew turned his head away from Julien's sleeping form for the first time since the young man had fled beyond the door.
Just like his body, his mind was on fire.
Andrew's faded amber eyes shifted to the stars above, searching for a path he wasn't sure even existed.
The longer he spent in this state… the longer he spent as a Shifted, the longer the nights would become—and only now did he realize he'd been overestimating his ability to control himself.
The first moon only took an hour to resolve, leaving the apartment as the sole casualty.
The past few days weren't much different, with the only lapses in his control coming from his… territorial behavior.
But tonight was different.
Andrew squeezed his eyes shut, his brow tightening into a severe grimace.
Remus's presence may have pushed him to be more aggressive, but it didn't change the truth.
Had the man not been there…
He would've crushed Julien to death.
Or worse.
And with each passing month—
Andrew opened his eyes, his gaze drifting back towards Julien's sleeping form despite himself.
If he stayed, Julien would die. But if he left…
So would he.
Andrew licked his canines.
What was the right choice?
Between self-indulgence and propriety, which one took priority?
He had to leave.
Make it stop.
He had to apologize.
It's hot.
He had to care for, monitor, support, control—
He had to live.
…
But was that really the best choice?
Lowering his head, Andrew stared at his hands—unfamiliar, despite being an undeniable part of himself.
Razor sharp claws that harmed instead of protected. Black fur matted with the remnants of his failures—all a cruel reminder that the humanity he clung to had left him behind.
And a reminder that even fate wouldn't allow him to forget who he was.
He was violent.
Senseless.
Useless when it would hurt the most.
Andrew looked over at the sleeping wolf in the grass beside him, an urge to reject his presence nearly overwhelming his gratitude for it. Then, his gaze drifted beyond the door, where the red-headed human slept.
Why…
He just couldn't understand why he would stay here.
Lingering for longer than he should've, he lowered himself to the ground—his movements earning a soft chuff from the werewolf beside him.
Just what was he supposed to do?
He stared into the softly shimmering dome as if an answer would manifest itself before him.
It never did.
Slowly succumbing to his own exhaustion and the heat ravaging his body, Andrew's eyes slid shut.
Le suplico una oportunidad para demostrar mi valía. (I'm begging for a chance to prove my worthiness).[1]
—
Andrew's eyes fluttered open as Remus awoke from his slumber with a loud yawn.
At some point, the young wolf had curled up around him, enveloping him in the fluffy coat of his nickel-grey fur and that familiar minty scent.
Andrew inhaled.
Julien was still behind the door.
And the shuffling beyond it told him he was awake as well.
Pushing himself off the ground, Andrew examined his hands—rough skin the color of warm honey, short, completely human fingernails.
The sun had risen on a new day.
And the clock began anew—ticking toward the next time he would become a beast.
Remus stretched before trotting behind a nearby tree. Reemerging a moment later, fully clothed with golden bangles jostling on his wrists, he spun a similar one to Julien's around his finger.
The man moved to press the bangle against the door, but Andrew stopped him.
"… Are you hurt?"
Remus's lips curved into that meandering smile of his.
"What's it look like?"
Andrew scanned him. Other than being a bit dirty, he was fine.
He checked himself.
It was the same.
He tilted his head. Remus just laughed, clapping him on the shoulder.
"Takes more than a little tusslin' to keep me down teddy."
Andrew looked away, then met his gaze again.
"Thank you. I apologize."
Remus froze for a moment.
"…'s no problem."
Clearing his throat, he moved the bangle towards the door again and muttered under his breath.
"The princess's prolly fine too."
Click.
Remus opened the door, revealing a shirtless Julien standing there with a clean shirt in his hands—face colored with surprise.
The impact was immediate.
Cedarwood instantly enveloped Andrew's senses and he moved to cover his face, his feet carrying him closer without regard for his will.
Julien's eyes darted up to meet his—a flash of unease crossing his features as he registered the amber still marring Andrew's irises. It didn't matter.
They were too close.
After being deprived of it all night, Andrew nearly reached out for him—desperate to submerge himself in the woody aroma.
But he couldn't do that.
Stopping just before the shorter man, Andrew looked him over.
To his relief, he was fine.
He had a few sporadic bruises of various shades of green and yellow marring his skin but overall—he scanned Julien's face.
Though he wasn't hurt physically…
Mentally, he could never be sure.
A selfish thought flitted across Andrew's mind. He pushed it down.
"Are you okay?"
Julien exhaled as if he'd been holding his breath, scanning Andrew in turn.
"Arguably… are you?"
Andrew nodded.
He paused, the thought surfacing once again.
It was selfish.
And he knew it.
But—
"Can I hug you?"
Julien blinked at the unexpected request, his eyes darting to Remus who was picking up the remnants of Julien's clothes and the bangle he'd left sitting on the floor. His eyes returned to meet Andrew's gaze.
Andrew waited, his breathing loathsomely heavier than it should've been.
Then, Julien finally relented.
"…Okay."
That was all he needed.
Andrew pulled the other down, kneeling on the floor to envelop him into a careful hug.
He wasn't reassuring him.
It's warm.
He was securing himself.
Burying his face in Julien's neck and earning a yelp of surprise from the other, Andrew shut his eyes.
Paila.[2]
…
Julien sat there for a moment, unmoving as the larger man's warmth mixed with his own.
It's kind of hot.
He was confused. Just confused, and the lack of anything else only made it more confusing.
Maybe I am strange…
When Andrew first approached him with onyx eyes suffused with amber, he was sure the man was going to jump him.
He didn't.
If anything, it almost seemed like he was compensating for his behavior. It was like night and day.
Was I always this easy?
Julien carefully lifted a hand, resting it on the other man's back.
He felt like he should've been madder, scared, worried, anything.
But instead, he felt a little… nostalgic.
Sighing, Julien turned his gaze towards the third party meandering about the room. Remus put new gems within the broken armlet, and, as if sensing his stare, he turned to give Julien an easy wave.
Julien frowned, flipping the other off.
Now that the full moon was over, Julien finally had the chance to process everything.
Why did Andrew's changes start so early this time? Would it happen again next month, and if so, would it happen sooner? Was it because of the pheno releasers that he slept until the sun set, or was it something Remus did?
Julien looked away from the wolf.
He'd bet on both.
More importantly—
Julien looked down at his body, the few bruises he had already a memory on his skin.
His injuries shouldn't have been this shallow.
Julien poked Andrew's side.
"Andrew."
After a few seconds, Andrew hummed out an acknowledgment.
"Hm?"
"Release me."
No response.
Andrew's body went rigid instead.
Blankly staring into space with an exasperated expression on his face, Julien tried again to the same result.
Don't tell me I'm stuck like this?
He turned his eyes towards Remus who slowly began inching along the wall. The two made eye contact and Julien nodded towards Andrew.
Help me out here.
Remus just smirked at him, continuing his quest towards the stairs. Andrew turned his head to stare at him as well, a menacing expression making itself known every time Remus so much as breathed in their direction.
Julien slowly came to a realization—
Remus raised his hands to ease the other man, glancing at Julien as he ascended the stairs.
"Good luck poppet."
Then he left.
Julien stared at the stairs, his mouth slightly agape.
D-did he just ditch me like this?
—
It took another hour or two before Andrew finally let him go. Well, not exactly.
Julien munched on his food, trying to ignore the clingy werewolf beside him who was steadily getting on his nerves.
Oasis was closed at this time of day, leaving only the inhuman staff lingering within the premises, but somehow—
"What happened to everyone?"
It was dead quiet.
Remus loosened the apron around his waist, hanging it on a hook behind the bar counter.
"They're getting ready."
"For?"
Remus leaned on the counter, flashing his sharp canines.
"To eat ya!"
Julien stared blankly at the other man, and even Andrew let out an indignant huff.
Remus clicked his tongue with a 'tough crowd' before resting his head in his hands.
"Ignore 'em."
He smirked, glancing over at Andrew.
"They're just excited."
Julien sighed, too tired to bother chasing after answers the other clearly wasn't going to give.
He paused.
There was one thing he was curious about though.
Poking at his food, Julien opened his mouth.
"…Hey, Remus?"
Remus absently hummed in reply.
Stabbing through a piece of fruit, Julien looked up.
"I'm still human, right?"
Andrew's brow raised by a hair and Remus's face twisted into a mix of disbelief and amusement.
"Hehe."
His shoulders shook.
Stealing the strawberry off the tip of Julien's fork, he bit into it with barely contained laughter.
"Why? Ya feel a wolf awakenin' inside ya?"
Lifting his hand like a microphone, Remus devolved into a fit of laughter as he began his off key rendition of a song from the bygone era—
"Baby I'm preyin' on you tonight~"
Flushing with anger, Julien slammed his hand on the counter.
"That's not it, jackass! Look."
He pointed between the two wolves.
"Andrew being fine I get. You being fine despite getting your ass handed to you—"
"I beg to differ."
Julien stared at him, unamused.
"—I get."
He lifted up his shirt, showing off the smooth valleys of his stomach.
Completely bereft of any injury.
"But I'm not like you."
He lowered his shirt.
"Is this a bond thing too, or did Andrew's bite make me… weird?"
Andrew paused beside him and Julien hurriedly corrected himself.
"Not weird but—I don't know. Am I human?"
Remus's silence didn't help.
The grey wolf circled the counter and plopped down in the stool beside him—earning an immediate growl from Andrew for the transgression.
Rolling his eyes, Remus pointed at Andrew.
"First of all, no. The big lug couldn't turn anyone even if the Earth blew up tomorrow."
He raised up the scratched up bangle he'd given Julien the other day, pointing to the three green gemstones encrusted into its surface.
"This's my answer for ya poppet."
Julien glanced at it, furrowing his brows.
Wasn't it just a key to the door? No, maybe that's just what the golden band is for. Then it's the gemstones that—
His eyes widened.
"Is it magic?"
Julien's heart leaped with expectation.
Remus scanned him, his smile taking a mysterious but undeniably mischievous turn.
"Bingo."
Spinning the armlet around his finger, he began his… sales pitch?
"A buy-one-get-two Afeny exclusive pass—get your ass whipped one day and be ripe as rain the next!"
He slipped the bangle back onto his wrist, rubbing his fingers together.
His grin was only getting wider.
"With this bad boy, goin' for only Ç49.499 a month, you can keep your ass from becomin' grass—"
Julien covered his mouth.
"I get it. I get it already!"
Andrew pulled his hands away from Remus's face and Julien huffed in annoyance.
"The stones have healing magic and I am one-hundred and ten percent human."
Remus chuckled.
"What else would you… be?"
Before Julien's anger could flare up again, a bright blue blur hurtled towards him.
"Julien! There's a reeeaally pretty giantess outside!"
Julien spun his seat to face the incoming blue blur—her energetic form crashed right into him.
Nevaeah?!
But he only had a second to register who she was before Andrew picked her up by the scruff and set her aside with a warning glare.
Nevaeah only then seemed to realize she came running straight into danger territory and waved her hands in surrender.
"Sorry, I forgot."
She looked Julien up and down with a serious expression on her face before bouncing back up with a smile.
"And you're not hurt!"
She jabbed his arm before ducking behind Afenia who came up from the entrance. Sticking her tongue out, she reprimanded the stunned redhead.
"That's for scaring me bozo. You can't just go MIA like that without texting me first. If I'd known you were gonna stay in this wolf den—"
She peeked at Afenia.
"—No offense—then I'd've at least tried to be more prepared! Cello's still with me y'know? What if you…"
She pouted, and Julien moved to comfort her, only to be stopped by Andrew grabbing hold of his wrist.
Clenching his jaw to hold in his annoyance, Julien sat down and offered her an apologetic smile instead.
"I didn't know there was anywhere on Earth without internet."
[1] Normally I'd move the translation to this note, but I feel like it hits harder on the page
[2] Paila just means uh, well it literally means pan but in this context he's using it kind of in an ah shit kind of way (but my good Andrew doesn't curse so just take the vibes from that and that's what he said.)