Page 45 of Thanatos' Craving

He sounded so damn guilty.

I desperately attempted to break free from his grasp, forcefully pushing against him and kicking with all my strength. Deep down, a nagging feeling reminded me that this surreal moment was too perfect to be real. He didn’t really want to help me—he just wanted his information and maybe to cop a feel while I was sleeping.

My heart sank. His touch did not differ from the repulsive advances of the countless creeps I encountered at the strip club.

But despite my doubts, I couldn’t ignore the possibility that we were supposed to mend each other. ThatFateas Athena called it, brought us together. That we were supposed to fix each other.

“Juniper!” Thanatos growled, but I wouldn’t listen.

I pushed and kicked until a warm hand touched my elbow. I gasped, feeling the sudden feeling of warmth on my arm. There was no cold, boned hand, and my efforts to get away from Death were gone.

“Whose hand is that?” I whispered, staring at the massive hand.

The hand that held my arm in place was a gentle caress, slightly tanned and inviting. Its touch sent a jolt of electricity through me, buzzing and crackling like a live wire. The moment stilled me, taking my breath away, as if time itself had appreciated the connection.

I couldn’t move, too entranced, that was connected to my arm that was a part of Thanatos.

A body? Did he have a body now?

“I touched your arm,” his grave voice sent shivers straight to my core.

Holy shit balls.

He chuckled.

“And no, I do not have a body. Not entirely, not yet.”

I still couldn't take my eyes off his hand. “Is that your hand? Not one you cut off from someone’s dead body and ripped out their bones and you put it on like a glove?”

He stared at me, at least I think he did, and slowly shook his head.

Great, he thinks you are a freak now.

“No, I did not. This is my hand. I willed it to come to be when I realized the only way to wake you was to use the touch of my skin. Hypnos took you to the Dream Realm, but another person had to wake you. My bones were only part of me, my hand—” Hegazed at it for a few seconds before continuing, “This is me. Part of me, anyway. I willed part of who I really am back into being so your body could feel my warmth to wake you.”

I nodded slowly, even though I fully didn’t understand god magic and powers of the gods. Whatever he said went.

I reached my hand forward and touched his. “So you really are a person, not just bones, then?” I touched his hand that still laid on my arm, running my fingers over it. It felt normal, like a human hand, but so much heat and fire ran through me.

Were all gods like that? I wanted to touch his hand more, feel it on my skin. That’s crazy, right?

“Yes, I have a body. One of muscle, tendons, organs, and heart. I've taken the body of just bones and spirit for a thousand years. It was better this way. To keep the other gods from abusing my power, I remained unapproachable.”

I frowned. “Sounds terribly lonely.”

“I have my brother, Fluffy, and now--” he leaned in closer to my face, “and now you.”

Wait, what?

“Yes, Juniper. I now have you now, for company.” He held me tighter to his robes and my body tensed.

Hold up.

I thought I was just helping him with his emotions, helping him out with this Fuzzy Bunny business. It's true I didn’t know what was going to happen where my life would lead me afterwards when I got free of this place, but…

“I-I-I thought I was just here to help for a bit. Just for a while.” I tried to shake out of his hold, but his boned arms grasped me tighter.

Wait, are his arms still boney?

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