The Lycan's Curse

Escaping His Realm

I woke up on the shore of a moonlit pond. It was so quiet; insects couldn’t be heard nor the fish splashing the pond. I sat up and took in my surroundings. How did I even get here? I was just eating enchiladas… and then, the all too familiar feeling of the burn on my neck. I whipped my head around, “Where are you, you mother-?”

There was a hand on my mouth and his arms surrounded me, “That mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble.”

Reflex took over. I immediately focused my energy into breaking the hold he had on me. Obviously, it didn’t work and when it hit me, I started hyperventilating. My head felt like it was going to explode, and the reddish haze took over my sight again. A flash of sliver cut through the red, and I was laying with my head in Tsukuyomi’s lap next to the black water of the pond. I was too weak to get off and him stroking my hair felt good, if I was honest. I needed to get up though, this god was twisted and did as he pleased; I would not become his puppet. Almost as if he could read my thoughts, he chuckled, “So stubborn. I stopped the thing from tearing your body apart. Why didn’t you call to tell me he had awoken?”

“If I could never see you again, it would be too soon.”

“That hurts Ashari, you only know I have your best interests at heart.”

It was my turn to snort, “Yeah, okay. Keep thinking that buddy.”

Tsukuyomi’s hand felt a cold as ice as I kept running my mouth. But, seriously, if this guy couldn’t kill me with a snap of his fingers, I would have told him to go f**k himself. I gathered up all of the energy that I had in my body to roll my head off his lap when he broke the silence again, “I know your spirit is male.”

My stomach sunk I had to stay in the moon god’s realm longer now. He always knew what to say to make me stay around him longer. That was usually his game. This was not new, and I wouldn’t fall for it anymore, not for this. “You don’t know anything.”

“I know enough. Your spirit is a male because a part of you is male; you’ve just been repressing it since that event 10 years ago.”

“What event 10 years ago?”

“You’ll have to ask your father.”

I was so sick of everyone being so cryptic, as if they knew what was going on with me but, wouldn’t let me in on the secret. I was not a damn child. I was the one who was shoved into the Alpha role and made into a freakshow with a god who wouldn’t stop stalking me! I drew on my powers, just to make me strong for a second, to whip myself away from Tsukuyomi’s clutches and pets. I used a boulder nearby to sit myself up, “You know, I am so SICK of everyone knowing everything and not telling me. First, you, then, my uncle before I nearly killed a guy and now, you’re telling me that my dad has been keeping s**t from me too?! Take me home, Tsukuyomi. I don’t want to be here.”

He chuckled, “You speak as if you have a choice. You’re in my realm, you can’t leave until I let you. Besides, your spirit woke up, didn’t it? I thought you’d want to tell me about it.”

His mouth slipped into a condescending grin; I avoided the subject when he first brought it up because he was the last person, I wanted to talk to this about. I rumbled low in my chest, “I hate you so much, you know that?”

Those were the wrong words. Tsukuyomi widened the gap between us, and he was suddenly pressing his cold body against mine, “Why do you lie to yourself? You know you want me and…” He trailed his cold hand along my face, “I crave your warmth.”

I couldn’t speak. It was like I was rooted to the spot. I couldn’t decide if I wanted him or not. The hand stroking my cheek was like the smoothest stone, so cold yet soft. I looked up at his face and was blown away by how beautiful he was. I ran my hand through his silky black hair. It flowed to his waist and his eyes… his silver eyes that saw everything… I couldn’t stop myself nor did I even want to when Tsukuyomi lowered his face onto mine and pressed his cold lips against me. The fire that exploded as his kiss touched me was so shocking, I pushed him away and stood up, my body forgetting that I had just used all my energy just moments ago. I nearly collapsed again, but I managed to croak out, “Stop messing with my head! Take me home! I can’t handle being around you! What game are you playing, Tsukuyomi? You’re in love with Amaterasu, not me!”

His eyes flashed black and he threw me back so I fell over onto the ground. His face had taken that inhuman look again and black flames began to surround him. “What do you know about me, child?” he spat that last word out like it was disgusting. I couldn’t speak. All of my words caught in my throat as I witnessed Tsukuyomi’s temper. He began to pace, and everything his fire touched began to immediately freeze instead of burn.

“Do you know what it’s like to be alone and always in the dark? Away from your wife and family? Forced to chase her for the rest of eternity?!” he shouted. “It was a mistake! I didn’t think Mochi would die! I didn’t know I had the strength to kill another god, I was young! And she didn’t stick up for me! She banished me! Cursed to love her forever and see her every time there is an eclipse!”

He roared more profanities in rapid Japanese that I couldn’t understand. I just wanted to go home.

Do you trust me, child?

Oh gods, not now.

Do you trust me?

No.

Then, there will be a price.

It felt like my body was deteriorating, almost as if the wind was carrying me away and the world went blank once again.