silver & stardust

midnight escapades

After dinner, I'd started a shitty horror movie with Liv in the living room and promptly fell asleep half an hour in on their way-too-comfortable sofa. The last thing I remembered was seeing a screen of blood and hearing the whir of a chainsaw.

I eventually jerked awake in the middle of the night when I heard a small crash coming from the kitchen. And a hissed "f**k!" following that.

It wasn't too loud in retrospect but it sounded like an siren with the adjustment to my new hearing. It seemed like the wolf in me never wanted to sleep again after nearly 22 years of being dormant.

The house was completely dark and there were no lights on but I could make out clear silhouettes of furniture and the walls.

I felt myself being pulled back into that night, moments before teeth and claws had ripped into me. Forcing a change on me that I didn't want. I could feel that murderous glare again that make my skin crawl and left my stomach in tight knots. I knew where Liv kept a trusty metal bat under the couch and reached for it. The cool metal bit into my fingers and palm.

I could taste my pulse at this point. I padded towards the shuffle and saw a shadow move in the lightless space.

Don't, I echoed in my mind. A sound would've passed my lips but I slammed my lips shut. Don't yield. Flashes of that venomous darkness spooled in front of me, threatening to consume my mind, my consciousness - it neared close and closer -

I flipped the light switch and there was no wolf. I wasn't in the woods. I was in Livia's house. I was safe.

But the person responsible for the scuffle was looking at me like I had a leg growing out of my neck. He also didn't miss the metal bat hanging from my hand behind my leg.

"I'm sorry I thought-" Thought you were a murderous wolf out to finish the job. I blinked away those memories, that night and focused on the tall figure in front of me.

"Thought I was a robber apparently." Hazel eyes scanned over me with a dark brow raised.

"Nothing. No one. It was just a mistake," I said more to myself, shaking my head at my stupidity. At letting fear rule over me like this. I couldn't stop remembering those golden eyes that had branded themselves onto my brain - I wanted to wipe that image from my mind.

"Are you okay?" His voice was a sincere attempt at being gentle but came off taut.

I noticed the plate stacked high with food on the counter - and it clicked in my mind that this was Liv's cousin, Julian. The one I'd seen on the arena, who had been very shirtless and was currently lacking a shirt now too. Apparently one of the greatest warriors out of the thousands of honed soldiers part of this pack who could finish me off before I blinked, even in this upgraded physical version of myself. Who was also having a feast at midnight that I'd apparently interrupted.

It took a degree of self control I didn't even know I had to keep my eyes from straying to the corded muscles of his arms and the ripplings ones on his -

"I'm fine. I'm fine." I might have bit out the second I'm fine a little harshly.

In the fluorescent lights, I could see every detail about it. A shock of the Diaz curls, skin that soaked up the summer sun, accompanied by body honed with muscle that I'd gotten a glimpse at earlier today. My mouth went a little dry - he was handsome, but there was something more delicate about his features that just screamed beautiful.

This was Liv's cousin, dickweed, I had to tell myself. Keep in your pants.

And the look on his said beautiful face that he gave me was full of inquisition, touches of curiosity at my presence.

"Why were you just sitting here in the dark in the middle of the night?" I gestured with my hand, not realizing I was now pointing the bat at him.

His lips quirked up in a half-smile. "I don't need the light. Perks of night vision." He said sounding like I was the weird one for questioning him, "And it's wasteful."

"It's creepy."

"And you just arm yourself with a bat at any small noise?" He looked at the electric pink bat pointedly that was covered in stickers and emblazoned with Livia's name on it.

I didn't have anything to say to that so instead I said a little too sharply to be polite, "Sorry for interrupting. I'll leave you to it." And decided to sleep in my room instead. Who was I kidding - I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep now.

"Wait," he said, his voice a little breathless like he'd forgotten to take a breath. "Who - What's your name?" A slight flush rose up his neck into his face.

He didn't look like he was used to asking questions like that. It was kind of cute.

"I'm Shirin. Liv's friend - you know, the werewolf who didn't know she was one." The words tasted strange in my mouth. But this was my life now apparently. This was me now.

Recognition lit up in his eyes. "I'm Julian. Liv's cousin. I heard how you fought Reyna. You're not bad for someone who found out they were a werewolf seconds before."

"Thanks." It sounded more like a question. I paused before saying, "And I know who you are. I saw you on the training field today," I tried to say without sounding creepy on my end now. "You're not too bad either."

I wanted to face-palm into eternity so I avoided any further interaction with him, and left the kitchen with a flourish. I swear I thought I heard him laugh softly behind me as I scurried up the stairs to my room where my thoughts wouldn't linger on Julian at all. Not one bit.

. . .