Page 72 of Left Hand of the Divine
“His name is Vega,” Erebus said as he came to join me in petting the wolf big enough to bite my head off.
“You know their names?”
“Yes,” he replied, smiling as he walked to the other wolves. “I created them as a gift for Nyx and named them after the stars. Vega is the Alpha, Altair the Beta and the slightly smaller one is the Omega. She’s called Capella.”
“I thought Zeus cursed men to turn into wolves?”
Erebus huffed a laugh, but it didn’t hold any warmth. “There’s a lot Zeus is credited with that isn’t true.”
Sounded like there was a lot of unresolved tension there.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Vega. Thanks for not killing us in the Vault.”
Vega huffed through his snout, and Capella sauntered over to say hello too. She wasn’tmuchsmaller than the other two, slimmer maybe, and her eyes were more almond-shaped, but she still looked very capable of ripping limbs off if she wanted to.
Capella playfully nipped at Vega’s ear, and he nuzzled his snout into the soft spot below her jaw. Altair, not wanting to feel left out, joined in, pressing his nose on Capella’s other side. Gods, they were cute. Deadly, but definitely cute.
“Nyx never liked them,” Erebus said, interrupting my enjoyment of watching the trio curl up and snuggle together.
“What?” How could someone not like these beautiful creatures?
“She thought they were a poor representation of her stars.”
Erebus gave me a sad smile and looked away from the wolves who appeared to be making themselves at home in our front yard.
I reached over to Erebus and took his hand in mine, giving it a soft squeeze. There was so much of myself that I saw in the sadness in his eyes, the longing for someone they’d lost, that I felt connected to him in a way that I didn’t with the others. He was a kindred spirit, and the more I got to see the man behind the shadows and the defensive barbs, the more I liked him. He showed me his vulnerability, and it was raw and damaged. In need of care and gentleness. Erebus was fragile behind those walls he’d built himself, and I wanted to wrap him up and protect him from the world to give him the time to heal from the wounds that had been inflicted on him.
“The Lycaon are beautiful, Erebus. And if they want to find a home here, they’re more than welcome to stay. They’ll be safe here.”
Vega’s ear twitched as if he were listening to my conversation. He lifted his head and gave me a small nod of acknowledgement before settling back down with his pack.
Erebus ran a finger along my jaw, pulling my gaze back to his, those red eyes of his full of emotion. Longing. Gratitude. Fear. Hope. “I wish I could view the world like you do, Roux. To be able to see beauty in all things, no matter how lethal or damaged they are. I do not think you realise just how wonderful you are.”
“Keep talking to me like that, and I’m going to kiss you again.” And maybe fall in love with him.
“I do see you, Roux, but I cannot turn my back on the woman I love. The woman I have spent centuries dreaming of returning to. You’ve pulled me back into the world of the living, and I’m struggling to figure out which way is up and which is down. I need to find my place again and stand steady on my feet. Until then, I cannot be what you need.”
I ran my fingers through the ends of his hair, the blunt ends soft against my skin. Stepping up onto my tiptoes, I pressed my lips against his cheek in a butterfly kiss. “I understand, Shadowman, and just like the Lycaon, you will have a place here for as long as you need.”
He tipped a dark eyebrow in a sharp arch. “I should think so;thisismy house.”
“You know what I mean.” I slapped his chest playfully, and he grabbed my hand, pinning it to the spot above his heart, and he rested his forehead against mine.
“Thank you, Roux.”
“You’re welcome. Now, let’s figure out what we need to do next.” I stepped back from him and cast a glance at the ginormous wolves on the front lawn. “Vega, can you keep an eye on things out here?”
He lifted his head, and I swear his eyes were smiling back at me. He dropped his head in a nod, and he nipped the ears of the other two before standing and heading towards the tree line. Altair stood and went in the other direction while Capella sat up to stand guard outside the house.
As I stepped back into the house with Erebus, a worrying thought hit me.
What the hell did you feed a giant wolf?
Chapter Twenty-Four
Roux
It had been a while since I’d been topside, and the air felt heavy in my lungs as I materialised in Maleficavae. It wasn’t often that I came into Witch Territory, and magic pulsed and prickled against my skin like a thorn bush. The magic of the living had always irritated me. I always figured it was due to my magic being fuelled by death, but now I wasn’t so sure.
