Rationally, he knew he was doing the right thing keeping his distance from Ray. But it felt like he was being shredded from the inside out, heart first.

Skipping school was more than tempting, it felt necessary. But that was precisely why Ray couldn’t let himself do it. He’d just lost his boyfriend and his best friend in one night, and he knew very well what he’d done the last time he’d lost someone he loved.

Ray wasn’t asleep, of course.

heart eyed emoji with a big shocked open mouth

This is going to hurt. Sorry.

Part 1

Staying in the house for so long was making him crazy. Or crazier—the thoughts he’d been having lately were very far from normal or healthy. That morning he’d woken up with blood in his mouth where he’d bitten his lip nearly through. He didn’t want to think of what he’d been biting in his dreams instead of himself.

He kind of wanted to ask Dora if this was Josh’s moon somehow, since his boyfriend was a Capricorn. Mostly, it would have been nice if there had been a reason other than the obvious.

He kind of wanted to ask Dora if this was Josh’s moon somehow. Mostly, it would have been nice if there had been a reason other than the obvious.

Werewolves were possessive creatures by nature, sure. It came with their connection to the land and to each other. Unlike human bonds, it was a love that demanded violence to defend both pack and territory.

Chapter thirty-six: Ray

“Did you know about Belinda?”

“You should come home with me.”

Ray liked visiting Granny Aurora when his mother’s sister stopped by with her own children. In their already chaotic house, his twin cousins were the straw that broke the metaphorical camel’s back.

Something woke him before his alarm rang that morning. By his side, Ray was in his green pyjamas, splayed on his back, face slack in sleep, eyelashes twitching like he was dreaming.

Ray didn’t want to go home, but it was a school day. So unless they were planning on telling their parents, he didn’t have a real choice. As if to confirm his fears, the first thing his mother asked after greeting him was, “How is Josh?” “Fine,” Ray said and it came out a little curt. “I mean, you saw him, like, two days ago?” Martha paused to give him a long look. “Yes, I’m aware.” She was probably also aware that Ray had gone to Josh’s house for the last two days, and that

He was a little tempted to go home, but Ray had already agreed to come back to his after school and… He felt like an idiot. Ray had been so sweet and patient, though, helping him through his frankly embarrassing display of possessiveness and not pushing for answers.

He’d showered, even washing his hair, so if Josh’s claim that he wanted to smell like him still looped through his mind as he put on some borrowed clothes... Well, that wasn’t visible to Josh’s mum.

PG-17? Which is to say, NSFW.

Even though I did publish A Quiet Fire last October, I kind of feel like it's been a long while. I have spent the past year and change writing so many stories that it’s turned into a big publication dessert. Sorry! It’s the muses, not me. Or possibly also me, changing, evolving, discovering new facets. But there is one story that will be familiar to you and that’s Raymond Halley’s. I still remember writing the first story in 2015 during a time when I was unemployed and decide