Heart of a Beast

Chapter 18 | Tiberius

She had taken some of his burden the way mothers did—wanting to help him and trying to do everything in her power to help him and failing—taking the blows of his pent-up frustrations in streams of silent tears.

She never cried before he was cursed. The only other time he had heard of her crying was when his sister—their firstborn—died hundreds of years ago before he was born.

She never said it, but now he realized the death of his sister must have plagued her thoughts that she kept tightly guarded. The helplessness and inability to help him only brought back those same emotions that she kept locked away in her iron-tight heart.

From the floor, he looked out the window to see the moon in the corner, shining brightly through the sheer curtains.

He knew he didn't pray enough to the Goddess. Knew that he didn't worship Her properly through the rituals his parents had ingrained in him since birth. Knew that he didn't thank Her for walking alongside him on this path and turning to Her for guidance when he should have.

He closed his eyes and cleared his mind of all thoughts and opened himself up to Her, asking Her to stay by his side and show him the right path.

Comforted, he managed to fall asleep.

***

The moon stared back at him—a big bright silver disk in the inky darkness that surrounded him.

He got down on his knees and bowed his head. Pressing his claw into the soft earth, he drew a circle around him and threw his head back in a long, low howl that rose in pitch. His fur stood on end as he reached the highest note his throat would allow.

With the crescendo, the ground began to shake and crack like ice.

Before he could cry out, he fell through the ice.

He fought to swim back to the surface. Bubbles escaped as he opened his mouth and water flooded in. He grasped at the icy edges of the surface, but they broke off and he couldn't pull himself out.

Fear and panic ate away at him, as his strength lessened and he began to fall away.

The moon stared down at him as he reached out to Her, his silent pleas unheard.

Until she appeared.

Her face blotted out the moon, save for the silver halo that encircled her head.

Her hand plunged into the water, reaching out to him as she called his name.

He kicked forward and stretched his paw out, watching it change into human flesh and grasp hers.

"I won't let go!" Crystal shouted.

With strength found only in dreams, she pulled him out of the water and knelt next to him as he gasped for air on his hands and knees. Collapsing to the ground and rolling onto his back, the tightness around his chest snapped open and he stared at her as he dragged lungfuls of air into his starved body.

She stared back at him before scooting closer and leaning over him slightly.

Fingers touched his face without feeling him, her eyes tracing along the trail her fingertips made over his eyebrow, down his cheek, and along his jaw.

Even in the dream, her soul drew him to her and he wished he could feel her touch across his skin. She was looking at him differently. Looking at him in such a way that he thought his heart would burst.

"I see you."

It hit him and he jerked away, rolling over and covering his head with his arm.