She stared at him with unblinking eyes, her face as blank as a new canvas, carrying no trace of emotions whatsoever as she silently munched her favorite cookie.

Icarus held his breath and waited for her reaction. He expected her to run away from him, and show signs of disbelief and fear, but she simply dusted the crumbs from her fingers and leaned toward him. With a soft smile, she pinched his cheeks and said, "That was a cute joke."

His mouth opened, and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand down to his lap. "I am serious. I am a werewolf."

She tried to ignore the warmth that spread through her veins when he rubbed circles on her palm. "Wolves are wild animals. They stay away from human civilization, so you are definitely lying."

He smiled at her. "I'm not just a wolf. I'm a werewolf, which means I can shapeshift into a wolf. "

She huffed at his ridiculousness. "You mean you can disfigure from human to wolf and vice-versa anytime?"

He nodded. "Yeah, you want to see?"

"S-sure," she said unsurely, and he let go of her hand to jump out of the bed. Her eyes widened when he tugged at the edge of his T-shirt and yanked it over his head, proudly displaying the contours of the hard muscles that adorned his olive skin. He then proceeded to unbuckle his belt and take off his pants. She squeaked and clenched her eyes shut, feeling color rise to her cheeks at this man's audacity.

He chuckled. "Nothing you won't see in the future. Now open your eyes and watch."

Anaya shook her head but hearing the sounds similar to bones cracking and dislocating, she forced herself to open her eyes and look at him. A gut-wrenching scream tore out of her lips, and she felt a sense of panic bubble in her stomach when his body changed its shape and fur covered him entirely. Instead of a man, now stood a humongous wolf on all fours, as black as the midnight sky. She recoiled at the vibrant amber eyes when the animal looked up at her. They reminded her of Icarus, and that unsettled her.

He took a cautious step toward her, which made her jump out of the bed and rush to the other side of the room. "No! Don't come near me!" Her voice quivered, laced with pure terror.

The wolf growled in response and stalked in her direction. She let out another scream and sprinted into the bathroom, the wolf hot on her trail but before he could enter inside, she locked the door.

Her heart pounded erratically in her chest when she heard his paws repeatedly hit and scratch the door. She could feel sweat dripping down her brow as she remained silent, struggling to regain her breath.

When minutes passed and she made no attempt to let the wolf inside, he let out a pained whimper and changed back into his human form. The sound sliced through her, and she felt horrible, but she couldn't bring herself to open the door and face the wild beast. She would probably be his next meal, she thought.

Quickly slipping into his pants, Icarus walked towards the bathroom door, his heart breaking with each step he took. He felt rejected. He knocked lightly at first, but when he didn't receive any response from her, he grew agitated and kicked the door open.

She let out a shocked gasp, her eyes dancing between the broken door and Icarus who stepped into her line of vision.

I'm powerful to some extent.

She flinched and he raised his hands in the air, meaning no harm as he approached her with slow, steady steps.

I'm a werewolf.

He grabbed her waist and pulled her against his firm chest. She didn't know she was trembling until he clasped her closer to this warmth. "Fuck, you scared me." He stroked her hair and for once, she found solace in his arms. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and slid her arms around his back, her fingers gliding up to his shoulder to hold him tightly.

"I'm sorry. I-I was scared. I thought you...you were fooling me, but you became a wolf. I didn't know—" she hiccupped, her voice cracking with every word she spoke.

He pulled away slightly and tucked the stray tendrils of hair behind her ear. "Breath, Anaya. It's okay."

"But...but how is it possible?"

"Let's sit." He wiped away the tears that stained her cheeks with the pad of his thumb before he led her to the bedroom.

She sat on the bed and fidgeted with her fingers. "It's not true," she repeated, more to herself. She wanted her words to be the reality. She didn't want to believe him.

"Anaya..."

"You are a human. Nothing more, nothing less." Her eyes searched his for the answer she so badly wanted to hear.

"I can show you again. I'm a werewolf." He shook his head, telling her otherwise.

"Please, Icarus. Don't do this."

"Anaya, I know it's not easy for you. But Cy is my essence. Please don't push him away."

"Cy?"

"My wolf."

'I love you, man!' He heard his wolf in his head.

'Shut up! I don't!' He responded to which Cy stuck his tongue out.

"It has a name?" she asked him tentatively, wondering if he was going as insane as his words.

"Yes, he has a name. Now I'm going to shift once more. Stay put and don't be afraid," he said.

Her eyes grew wide. "Don't leave me alone!" She whimpered and gripped his arm.

"Isn't it strange that you fear the wolf and not the man when they are the same?" He smiled gently. "I swear Cy won't cause you any harm. Just once, please?"

She wasn't ready, but before she could open her mouth to protest some more, he had already stepped away and transformed into a wolf.

He strode towards her and jumped into the bed, not giving her the time to back away. Her eyes watched him closely as he sniffed her and rubbed his wet snout against her cheek. She yelped, expecting him to bite her, but he just flicked his tongue out and licked her cheek with so much playfulness that she found herself laughing at the tickling sensation.

She raised her hand and hesitantly petted his head, feeling the soft fur tickle her palm.

He settled beside her and feeling a little courageous, she nuzzled her face into his neck. She felt a connection- warm and comforting, exactly how she had felt with Icarus. A grin crept up her face, and she was soon running around the room as Cy chased after her.

It felt surreal and beautiful at the same time to have a wolf play with a human.

It actually was like having a pet dog. Well, she couldn't be so sure if it was another werewolf.

"You are such an adorable baby." She fell on the bed with a gentle thud. Cy joined her with a low growl and placed his forelimb around her midriff. Nowhere was he a baby to be honest. In fact, he was so gigantic and bulky, she could be easily crushed under his weight.

Giggling, she wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her chin above his head. "I'm so sorry for my behavior earlier. I shouldn't have been afraid of you."

He simply listened to her voice, feeling the softness of her skin press against him. Icarus hated to admit it, but he was jealous of his wolf right now.

'You should be, human. Mate loves me more.'

'Ha, you wish!'

"I love your eyes. They are beautiful." She placed a soft kiss on his fur, enjoying the warmth radiating off him. A blissful sigh escaped her lips, and she snuggled closer to him, soon drifting into a sweet slumber.

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