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.

This is going to hurt. Sorry.

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. 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

“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.

After years of fantasising about it, it had never crossed Ray’s mind that he might end up doing it in Econ class—unable to keep himself from stealing glances at Josh across the room. Part of him still couldn’t believe they’d kissed.

Ray’s moue of distaste over the crisps had always been endearing, but now it also made Josh want to kiss him. He laughed, because it was a crazy rush to want it, let alone to think he’d get to do it.

Sometimes he wondered how adults managed their lives without the certainty of the school week. They had jobs, sure, but you could quit a job. For example if you had an ill-fated affair with a colleague and couldn’t imagine ever having to look them in the eye again.

Slow burn, you say? Who me?

He did feel safe with Josh, as much as he felt safe with anyone anyway. It wasn’t easy to believe anyone would stay when the person who had always had his back had vanished in an instant. For a long time, he’d been furious at his father for leaving them. For leaving him. Because it had felt personal. His mother and his siblings had been left too, but he couldn’t help how it felt.