Page 29 of Thanatos' Craving

I let go of my brother. He coughed in a fit of laughter and slinked away from me when I fully turned to her.

“Everything, alright?” she asked.

She tried to look at Hypnos, but I spread my wings to hide him. “Everything,” I paused, trying to calm my voice, “is well.”

She swallowed and shuffled from side to side. Athena stood behind her, giving her a push to speak with me. It appeared I am not the only one having trouble speaking and for that, I am grateful.

“I wanted to tell you I’m sorry.” She began and straightened her body. “F-for calling you a twat. I didn’t mean to call you that. Out loud, anyway.” Juniper crossed her arms and placed a hand over her mouth.

“You called me a female body part. I do not understand why.” I tilted my head at her.

Her face reddened, and my body went rigid. I liked this color on her. It went up to her ears and down her neck and I’m instantly interested to know if it went down her chest and the rest of her body. I stepped closer to her as she sputtered.

“Ah, well, you yelled at me. It is just a word you call people when you are angry. I didn’t mean to say it out loud. When I get nervous, I can say things out loud when I shouldn’t, but it was wrong. I shouldn’t have even thought that. I thought you were mad I was hurting. I didn’t try to—”

The more she talked, the more I liked it. I liked how she fumbled over her words. It made me want to touch her, to see what she felt like. My hand reached out, my boned fingers going toward her cheek. She didn’t notice at first; she looked everywhere but me.

My wings surrounded us, blocking out Athena, Hypnos and Fluffy. She played with her fingers, and when I got closed enough, I touched her cheek.

A minuscule jolt of electricity crackled through my finger, sending a surge of energy up my spine, making it stiffen instantly. The faint sound of the electrical discharge filled the breath between us, creating a subtle hum. As the shock coursed through me, I witnessed Juniper’s reaction firsthand. She gasped audibly, her eyes widening in surprise. In that moment, I extended my hand, the bones within it providing a stark contrast to her soft skin, and gently placed it against her cheek. The faint scent of her delicate perfume wafted around us, adding to the intensity of the moment. To my astonishment, she didn’t recoil like a mortal or even a god normally would if death touched them. Instead, she welcomed my touch, embracing it as if it were a long-awaited caress.

She leaned into me, and I leaned into her.

My wings, like a grand canopy, wrapped around us, casting a shadow that swallowed the flickering light, silencing the world.

In that moment, I forgot about everything else. I forgot about the gods, my duties, my brother, and even my identity. All that mattered was Juniper and the way she made me feel. It was like she had unlocked something within me, something that had been dormant for far too long.

Her trembling hand hesitantly inched upward, the faint scent of uncertainty hanging in the air. I stood frozen, unsure whether to retreat or allow her fingers to delve into the depths of my hood, exploring the contours of my skull. As the seconds tick by, a soft rustling sound filled the silence, a gentle breeze of feathers being displaced. Fluffy, our loyal canine companion, pressed against my side, his warm breath brushing against my robes. In a tender gesture, he nudged Juniper’s leg, his whine echoing in the stillness, as if urging her to reconsider her actions.

Immediately, the spell between us broke, and she shifted her attention to my companion.

“Oh my god, aren’t you a cute little beastie!” she squealed. “Can I pet it?”

She kneeled down before Fluffy, not waiting for an answer, and Fluffy licked her cheek. Juniper laughed and wrapped her arms around the beast, and immediately I feel the heat of jealousy surge in my body.

Shadows circled me with anger and she squealed in laughter when her backside connected to the floor when Fluffy pinned her to the ground, licking her, touching and tasting her.

“Damn, looks like your pet knows how to woo a female more than you do,” Hypnos whispered in my ear.

“Leave,” I snarled, my hand nearly connecting to his face. He backed away, unfortunately, his body vanishing in the blink of an eye.

“What a good beastie you are, yes you are!” Juniper laughed again and sat up. “A big, big boy. What the heck are you? Cat, a dog? Hey, Thanatos, what is this thing?”

Juniper stood, but Fluffy rose on his hind legs and perched on her shoulders, making him as tall as me.

“Down,” I commanded, and he whimpered and stepped away.

Juniper frowns. “What a big meanie, isn’t he?” She cupped her hand and whispered to Fluffy. “Maybe he is a big flabby twat.”

This. Female.

“Excuse me?” I growled and stepped forward. “I am not a…a… what you said.”

She giggled. “Can you not say it?” She tilted her head and stared up at me. “Can you not say twat?”

“Of course I can. I just refuse to.” I crossed my arms.

“Say. It.” She crossed her arms back at me, yet she smirked, daring me.

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