"Here it is. It’s quiet enough that you should be able to cool down," Dominic remarked gruffly as he hit the pedals and stopped the bike at the field.

His companion unwound an arm that was loosely thrown around him and hobbled away from the bike, sinking down into the knoll. Groaning through his teeth, Dominic kicked the stand on the bicycle and leaned on it, musing over the enigmatic behavior of the other boy. Lucian hadn’t said a word on the whole ride here and he had passed up every opportunity to make a crude joke about the closeness of their bodies on the bike. To top it all off, whenever Dominic had tried to look back to check on his passenger, Lucian had whipped his head away from view. It was obvious that Lucian wasn’t going to get over his leaving so easily. The alcohol was probably also having some influence over the redhead’s temper and making him more prone to extremes.

He watched as Lucian rolled onto his back, folding his arms underneath his head as he stared up at the stars. The other boy still looked so tense. His position was all jerky and rough, not at all like the usual insouciant movements. Dominic was about to approach the red-haired teenager when he felt a wet drop of rain slap against his head. He tilted his head just to be smacked in the face by more droplets. Within minutes, the rain had developed into a typical drizzle, drenching his attire and pasting his ebony hair to the front of his face. This was just perfect. His one shot to cool off Lucian and it was destroyed by some faulty weather. If it weren't for rotten luck, he wouldn’t have had any luck at all.

"Guess we better call this thing off before we get soaked," he called over to Lucian.

"Why? There’s nothing wrong with a little rain," the other boy scoffed as he stuck out his tongue to taste a drop.

"Oh I see. You want to be both drunk and sick," Dominic said sarcastically, holding up one hand to shield his face from the rainfall.

"You just don’t know how much fun it can be to hang out in the rain."

"Hmm. Let’s see. Which of us spent time as a wild wolf, meaning spending many nights in the middle of thunder storms?"

"Touché Nicky. I was just trying to say that I have no intention of leaving just yet. I want to enjoy this place some more," Lucian replied, wiping some of the rain of his face. It was beginning hard to tell the difference between the moisture produced by the rain and that of his tears.

"Well, I could care less about the rain since I’m already used to being soaked. But you, you’re just going to make yourself sick like I said. Then, you can deal with combined fun of having a hangover and a cold. I’m sure you’ll feel just lovely by morning," the dark-haired youth criticized as he walked over to the other’s side and lay on his back. Peering up at the sky, he could see the luminescence of a full moon cutting rays of silver all over the ground, making it sparkle with a metallic hue. A yawn overtook him as he admired the elegance of the landscape. How late was it anyway? It had to be somewhere close to midnight, maybe later. Was Lucian planning on spending the night out here? In the rain, no less?

"This is nice. How did you find it, Nicky?" his comrade’s wispy voice touched his ears. Dominic was glad to see that the animosity had faded from it, meaning the alcohol was losing its affect and producing a sort of mild euphoria for his young companion. At least, this meant that there should be no more rash outbursts from the other teenager for the rest of the night.

"I used to hang out here when I was the wolf. I guess I found it peaceful," he answered, feeling the rain dousing his hair and weighing it down on the grass. He used the side of his hand to brush it back as Lucian glanced over, noticing the way the moonlight streaked the jet-black strands with its glow.

The redhead pushed himself up so that he sitting on the ground and tipped his head back to explore the sky in more detail. "It’s amazing. Look how bright the moon shines down here. Makes me wish I could pull off the wolf thing like you."

"Whatever for?"

"So I could howl at it. Awwwooo!" Lucian gave his own impression of a feral howl, throwing his head all the way back and making his wet ponytail slap against his sodden shirt. Catching Dominic’s befuddled visage; the boy’s face broke into a bemused grin as he performed the animalistic call again. He was startled when a very real howl answered his own.

"Guess you’re better than you thought," noted Dominic with a subtle raise of his eyebrows.

"Cool! You try it. I want to meet some of your old friends," the younger youth chuckled, nudging Dominic’s shoulder.

"They’d just eat you."

"And why would they want to do that?"

"They listen to me," the dark-haired boy taunted with the smallest hint of a smirk.

"Ass!" laughed Lucian, giving his companion an even harder shove. "Come on, I’m sure you’d be really good at it. You’ve had lots of practice."

"I don’t howl unless there’s a reason. It’s the way the wolves talk to each other over distances and it shouldn’t be mocked. I would never do it while posing as a human."

"You’re no fun. I guess I’ll just have to do the howling for the both of us then," the redhead chattered as he let out another counterfeit cry.

"You are way too drunk."

Lucian tossed his head over his shoulder and eyed Dominic for a moment, running his eyes down his reproving expression and then finally across the sun amulet that hung from his throat. "Must be otherwise I wouldn’t do this," he exclaimed, yanking the necklace over Dominic’s head and dashing away like a foolish puppy.

Dominic jumped to his feet and gawked at the younger boy. "What the hell? Give that back right now!"

"Aw does the reluctant wolfie want his widdle necklace? Come and get me, beastie. Show me your renowned hunter prowess," Lucian teased as he let the necklace swing from his fingers in the pattern of a pendulum.

"Ambrose, if you weren’t drunk, I’d...." the dark-haired youth growled through his teeth, rushing at the boy and making a powerful lunge for his property. Just before his fingers grazed the topaz gem, Lucian jerked the amulet away from him and hopped backward.

"Hah! You can’t lunge for shit, Nicky. How ever did you manage to catch anything as a wolf?"

"Why do you always have to take my stuff?" Dominic complained as he loped after him.

"Because it’s fun!"

"Ambrose!" The older youth made another grab from the necklace. His feet slipped on the slick ground and sent him crashing into the mud face-first.

His quarry ambled over to him and stood above him shaking his head disapprovingly while keeping the amulet behind his back. "And another miss. Tsk tsk wolf-boy, bad form."

The hunter pushed his face up from the ground and swiped the dirt from his face. He looked down at his clothing. It was filthy and most of his thick black hair was smattered in mud. This was starting to get on his nerves. It was one thing to mess around but it was another entirely to act like a hyperactive child. His sharp eyes searched around the area, looking for some way to get an advantage over the wiry youth. That’s when he noticed that Lucian was taunting him right in front of large extruding rock.

He bunched up his legs so that he could spring at Lucian within a split second and focused his vision on the orange jewel gleaming from within Lucian’s fist. "That’s it! I don’t care if you’re drunk or not, I’m going to knock some sense into you!" Dominic roared as he gave a final lunge at the boy. As he predicted, Lucian tried to jump back and caught his heel on the edge of the rock, throwing his off balance.

"Yipe!" With the cry, Lucian toppled over and smacked against his back. He groaned as Dominic leaned over him, snatching at the medallion held above his head.

"Give it back!"

A laugh poured from the redhead’s throat as he mimicked Dominic’s earlier action of gathering his legs close to his chest. "You think I’d go down that easy? You don’t know me, Nicky?"

Before Dominic knew what was happening, Lucian kicked him as he hard as he could, knocking his to the ground. Dominic yelped and tried to roll over as Lucian flipped onto all fours and placed his knees over Dominic’s legs, trapping the older boy under him. When Dominic made an attempt to push him off, the other boy seized his wrists as Dominic had done to him so many times before and planted them against the ground, the pointy edges of the sun amulet stabbing into Dominic’s fingers. Garnet eyes shimmered with triumph as they glared down at his companion.

Concern filled Dominic’s eyes as he realized that he was in a very compromising position. Nervous, he struggled against his captor. "Ow! What the hell are you doing? Get off of me Ambrose! Get off right now!" he snarled, the fear causing his voice to waver. "You’re drunk! You don’t know what you’re doing! GET OFF!"

"Un uh. I’ve caught you and now you’re going to do whatever I say," purred Lucian, crooning down his neck so that his face loomed just over Dominic’s.

"Ambrose," Dominic tried again in a more threatening hiss.

The other boy snickered and patted Dominic’s forehead with his free hand. "Don’t sweat it. I’ll let you up when you tell me something."

His actions seemed free of ill intention, so Dominic allowed himself to calm down. "What?"

"Why are you a Guardian? And not just because it’s what you were told to do. Why do you fight? What are you fighting for?"

"I want to protect those I care about. When I was younger, I lost someone special to me because I was too weak to protect him. I won’t be that weak again. I want to be strong enough so that I never had to lose anyone ever again," the dark-haired youth responded coolly.

"Do you care about Tye?" Lucian asked, changing the direction of the discussion.

Dominic was confused, but decided to answer the question anyway. "Yes. He’s a Key and it’s my destiny to defend him."

"So you only protect him because he’s a Key?"

"I respect him. He may be a bit of a flake and a drama-queen, but he’s a very understanding kid. It’s good to know that people like that still exist in this age. There are so few people that one can trust nowadays."

"Do you trust me?"

The inquiry took Dominic by surprise. "What?"

Lucian smiled weakly and pushed his long bangs from his eyes. "I’m a danger to you, you know. Just as you are to me. I’m not what I seem. You want to know why I fight, Nicky? I fight to make up for the sins of my past. This is my redemption."

"Ambrose," the older youth murmured, unable to comprehend what his companion was trying to tell him. How could he be a danger? And redemption? Redemption from what? What had Lucian ever done to warrant a need for redemption? He was just an ordinary kid, crazy maybe, but other than that, just like everyone else. What was he missing about the other boy?

The redhead continued in a sincere undertone. "See, your reasons are much nobler than mine. I think it’s because you’re the better person. Even if you are a mean boy, you have convictions and that’s worth more than any covenant," he explained, giggling a bit at the beginning of his third sentence.

Dominic was growing unnerved by this talk. He wanted to stop it right away. Lucian didn’t mean any of what he was saying. He was just drunk. In the morning, he would wake up and have forgotten the whole thing. It was stupid to pay heed to anything he was saying tonight.

He looked up at the younger teenager and shook his head. "You’re not making sense Ambrose. You should lie down. I think you drank too much."

"Obviously," Lucian admitted with a wide smirk. "But I’m not as out of it as you think, Nicky. I’m just not as afraid to talk. Some say alcohol removes the limits on the inhibitions." He leaned closer to the older boy. Dominic could smell the strong liquor on his breath and turned his head. Lucian gazed at him with his enthralling blood red eyes, drawing his face closer to Dominic’s as he whispered smoothly, "Tell me, do you think they’re right?"

Dominic was caught in the trance of crimson and tried to shut his eyes to avoid the breath-taking vision of his companion overshadowing his body. But the pull of the eyes was to strong and he turned back his head in a languished movement. All he could see was the sea of red swirling before his eyes, blocking everything else from his sight. As if trapped inside some ardent daze, he started to lift his head closer to the younger youth.

Lucian let out a shaky breath as a drop of water trickled from his fringe and smacked into Dominic’s cheek. The action spurred the dark-haired boy’s mind into action as he grasped what he was doing. He wasn’t supposed to do this. Nobody was supposed to get this close to him. It was too dangerous. He was going to lose Lucian just as he had lost Aiden and Selene. Lucian would suffer the same fate as all those who he dared to care about. He couldn’t let that happen again.

He jerked his head away in grief and closed his eyes as tight as he could. Heat was tingling through his body and his heart was doing aerobics inside his chest. Trying to keep his voice as stable as possible, he managed to force out a faint command. "Get off me."

The other teen cocked his head to the side in quandary, and then shrugged and rolled off Dominic. He glanced at the older boy and gave a half-hearted laugh, tossing the sun amulet over his shoulders so that it clattered against the ruby globule. "You were way too easy to pin. Some big strong Guardian."

Eager for a chance to forget all the tension of the moment, Dominic swatted at Lucian who scampered back on his knees.

"Too fast for you, wolf-boy," he sniggered with a flick of his tongue.

Dominic stared at him for a moment, a new idea coming to mind. Lucian was playing with him. It had been such a long time since he had engaged in such juvenile activities that at first his mind cringed at the notion of him joining in. He was freezing due to the pounding rain and half-covered in mud from all that rolling around on the ground. There had to be something to take his mind off the discomfort of the situation. It would be even better if it would help him forget what had just happened a moment ago. Besides, he was still a teenager; he knew how to have a little fun. When he was younger, him and Nadia used to play from time to time. Just because he never showed it anymore, didn’t mean that the act of fun was completely alien to him. If Lucian wanted a wolf, then a wolf was what he was going to get.

"Grrowl!" he yelled, curling his fingers into claws and leaping at the other boy. Lucian beamed, realizing that Dominic was interested in his game, and scrambled to the side, his eyes dancing with excitement.

"Whoa! Is wolfie hungry?" he said with another laugh as Dominic charged after him. The redhead gave a dramatic scream and ran faster. Dominic increased his pace to match and the two teenagers raced across the grass, making incredible fools out of themselves. Lucian evaded each of Dominic’s attempts to catch him and scurried to the side, vaulting over rocks and mud puddles that strewn the field. He appeared to be having the time of his life as Dominic snatched at his shirt, only managing to nick it with his ‘claws.’

"Ack! Mad wolf! Help!" hollered Lucian in a convincing performance.

Dominic chuckled to himself as he watched Lucian act out his sheer terror, gasping and placing a hand on his chest. Gone from his mind was the fact that Lucian was still wearing his necklace, the one given to him by Aiden. A new preoccupation had won over. This was actually fun. Too bad, Lucian had never gotten drunk before. He would probably have never pulled half these stunts if he were sober. The redhead would have thought that Dominic would slaughter him for such annoying games. Dominic swiped at his legs as Lucian gave another bloodcurdling shriek. With all the racket that Lucian was making, somebody would surely hear from a nearby development and call the cops to arrest them for disturbing the peace. Either way, this was a whole lot more entertaining than dealing with a moody Lucian the rest of the night.

"Ah, what the hell," Dominic muttered under his breath as he threw back his head in a low howl. Unlike his companion’s, Dominic knew how to make it sound genuine, throaty and full of power. It sent a tiny visible shiver through Lucian as he stopped his running and turned to face Dominic. More howls flowed through the night air, sounding from farther down the field. Real wolves, Dominic’s adopted brethren.

Amazed by the haunting melody in the calls of the twilight, Lucian failed to notice the muddy pool by his feet. "No fair, you’re cheating. You have natural talent," he whined playfully. Then, he called out, "Here wolfie, wolfie!" as he whirled around and made another dash from his chaser. His feet slid on slushy mud and he tottered unsteadily just as Dominic launched another half-hearted attack. Unable to move quickly enough, Lucian began to fall to the ground. Dominic’s feeble lunge was enough to catch the collapsing boy as the older boy crashed into him and smashed him into the mud puddle. Dominic’s knee dug into his hip as the redhead screeched in agony, "Ow! You’re crushing me, Nick."

The dark-haired youth grumbled at the change in mood and climbed off the other. Why did something bad always have to interrupt whenever he was having a good time? It happened seldom enough as it was. He didn’t need any help making his life more miserable. He was a bit annoyed at Lucian. He had just ignored his better judgment and broken his own rule not to howl while in human form. It wasn’t fair to the other wolves to summon their responses if he wasn’t truly interested in talking with them. But despite the sacrifice of pride that he had just made, Lucian was still whining as usual. Didn’t he have anything better to do with his time?

Crossing his arms across his chest, Dominic rested on his knees and snorted in frustration. His companion saw his sullen expression and flicked him on the arm with his fingers. "What’s up? You should be happy. You caught me didn’t you, wolf-boy?"

"Be quiet. I have a headache," groused Dominic, moving away from Lucian.

Lucian stared at him; taking in the way Dominic’s choppy ebony bangs splayed across his eyes and forehead. The rest of the short mane was sticking up in several places around the crown of his head. His amethystine eyes were hardened and glaring at the younger boy in displeasure. With his messy hair and burning eyes, Dominic really did look like a wolf. The resemblance was almost eerie. The redhead grinned devilishly and crawled over to Dominic, cuffing his arm with a light chuckle. "Heh heh, now you really look like a grumpy wolf."

His comparison annoyed Dominic who turned to him, trying to come up with a suitable retort. Lucian sat next to him with that intoxicated smirk on his face as several strands of hair swayed against his face, free from the ponytail that drooped against his back from the weight of the rain. The way he had his hands pressed against the ground in front of his folded legs brought to mind the image of an overgrown cat, especially with the way he kept pawing at his skin.

At a loss for better insults, Dominic snapped back the first thing to come to mind, "Oh yeah? Well, you look like a bedraggled kitten. You even have the tail for it." As he spoke the last words, he caught Lucian’s ponytail and gave it a violent tug.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" wailed Lucian as he yanked his hair away from the older boy. Draping the ponytail over chest, he shot Dominic a fiery glance and tried to push him. "Hey, I don’t look like a bedraggled kitten."

"Hmm? Maybe I was wrong," drawled the dark-haired youth as he shoved back the redhead with all his might, sending him back into the mud puddle beside them. Seeing Lucian jump up from the pool, dirty water dripping off his arms as he flung them to the side, made a smile begin to work its way across Dominic’s face. "Make that a soggy and dirty kitten," he joked.

Glowering at him, Lucian set about wringing out his damp mane. Then, without reason, Lucian started to chortle at the utter silliness of the situation. The look on his face was too much for Dominic. Before he knew what he was doing, he too was laughing richly at the hilarious sight. At first, it didn’t bother him that much since he was sure that Lucian was too busy with his own guffaws to notice him. But after a few minutes, Lucian had to catch his breath and when he did the echo of Dominic’s chuckles fell upon his ears.

Lucian gaped at him, unable to fathom what was happening. He had never seen Dominic laugh before. From time to time, Dominic would show him an evil smirk after winning one of their fights, but he had never laughed. It sounded so crisp and delicate to Lucian. The younger boy choked down another of his snickers and stared in awe at his companion. In between his laughter, Dominic noticed that Lucian was watching him and he quickly swallowed the rest of his mirth and bit his lip to prevent any more from bubbling from his lips.

The redhead seemed bothered by this sudden change. "Don’t stop. You have a beautiful laugh, Nicky. Why would you want to hide it?" he asked with a soft drop of his voice.

"I don’t have much reason to laugh anymore," Dominic brooded, turning his face from the other youth.

"That’s why you make one up. It’ll make you feel a lot better."

"But that’s phony. I’d be living a lie."

"Maybe. But people will believe you. People need to be lied to sometimes because the truth hurts too much. If enough people are convinced that you are really happy, soon or later it will start to convince you as well," Lucian replied in an absent tone as he ran his hand through the blades of grass.

"It would still just be a lie," the older boy stated, returning his attention to his companion. Was this what Lucian did? Lie to people? He only pretended to be happy? It was all an act? Dominic didn’t want to think about it anymore. It flustered him to think that Lucian was just letting everything eat him up inside as he played the part of a content teenager to the rest of the world. That style of life didn’t suit the younger boy.

"Stop being such a pessimist!" contested the red-haired youth as he smacked Dominic on the side.

Dominic ignored the action. He was sick of this dismal conversation. It had been much more enjoyable back when they were acting like a bunch of morons. Surprisingly enough, he wanted to return to that feeling. Maybe, Lucian would still be willing to play. He was prone to mood changes all the time.

"I’m not a pessimist...." he began somberly. Then, he spun around to Lucian and shot him a feral smile. "I’m a ravenous beast. Remember?" He snapped at Lucian’s wavering fingers as the boy whipped them back.

"Ah! Watch the fingers," Lucian giggled, his serious mood disappearing in an instant as it was won over by his lust for amusement.

Noticing the switch in disposition, Dominic growled deep in his throat and set a pair of ravenous violet eyes on the other youth. "Why settle for fingers, when I can just take the whole body?" he shouted, tackling the unaware boy and pinning him on his back.

"Aah! No fair! I wasn’t ready!" protested the red-haired teenager as Dominic pressed a hand against his chest.

Lucian could barely believe it. Dominic was messing around. He wasn’t really trying to hurt him. He was just playing. Dominic played? Those were two words he had never thought he would use in the same sentence. Maybe, he was drunker than he thought. He had to be. Only an imaginary Dominic would be acting this way. He was acting the way that Lucian had pictured the younger child in Tyrell’s picture to act, so free and full of life.

He had been surprised enough when he had heard Dominic screaming for him by the side of the street. A nasty headache had been having its way with his head and he had been having some trouble walking. Devon had told him not to drink too much but after seeing how quick Lucian had drained the initial glasses of alcohol, had quit trying to stop him after a few attempts. The blue-haired man did not have the imposing demeanor that Tashira had. She usually was the only one who could make him stop drinking once he had decided that he wanted to get really drunk. It wasn’t like he did it that often. He mostly used alcohol to calm his nerves after a disturbing episode with Tavores or a particularly upsetting day. As a matter of fact, he hadn’t drunk since he had met Tyrell. Now, that was an accomplishment.

But it wasn’t just the relief it gave him, it was the freedom. Though Lucian shared little fear for most dangers, there were a few that he wouldn’t dream of taking on when he was sober. Drinking gave him a chance to forget his misgivings and just go for it. Sure, there had been a few times when it had turned out badly. But hey, he was still alive so it never had a solid impact on him. It never convinced him that using alcohol to increase his brazenness was a totally bad idea. As long as he got his danger fix, it never mattered anyway.

Yet tonight hadn’t been just an ordinary depression. He had wanted to block the entire day from his memory. Lucian had not just wanted to get drunk and feel loose. He had wanted to get stoned out of his mind. Only then, could he possibly come to terms with the realization that he had lost. Dominic was leaving. Determined to reach his goal, he had tried everything from mixing drinks to chugging down liquor until he could hardly see. Devon’s lame measures to get him to ease down had only received violent curses and physical threats punctuated with broken glasses. That had been enough for his friend. He had made him leave though Devon had seemed heartsick when he saw Lucian climb into his car and drive off.

Now that he thought about it, maybe getting into his vehicle wasn’t the best idea in the world. The anger he felt and the effect that the alcohol was having on his mind hadn’t been a good combination. He had just seen the tip of the telephone pole when he tried to jerk the car to the side. Of course, the breaks had locked and the car had careened toward the object. Lucky for him, he hadn’t been going that much over the speed limit since the pole came right after a sharp turn in the road, which Lucian had been forced to slow down for to avoid flipping his car. Because of that quirk of fate, he had just bashed himself pretty good against wheel instead of flinging himself through the windshield.

After stumbling from the vehicle, he had done the most logical thing in calling up Tashira for help. It had infuriated him when he heard Dominic’s voice on the other line. The simple manner in which he spoke had seemed to mock Lucian and the boy had hung up the phone and ran. It had been almost thirty minutes later when he woke up from where he had passed out by the street and saw Dominic wandering around, looking nervous and afraid. Seeing the older youth had caused something to snap in him and he had sought out Dominic for the sheer purpose of hurting him. Rage had taken over his normal common sense and all he had wanted to do was make Dominic pay for making him feel so lost.

Throwing the liquor bottle at his old partner had not served to quell his fury at all and when Dominic had turned on him with his hateful words, he had lost it. What right did Dominic have to talk to him like that after what he had done? Upon learning that Dominic had no interest in fighting him, he had become consumed with burning resentment. He wanted to make Dominic hurt as much as he was hurting. So he had attacked him, striking him with all his strength in vain hope of releasing all the frustration and agony that was built up inside him. Yet Dominic had not fought back. Probably, he only withheld his vengeance because he knew that Lucian wanted him to fight back and Dominic would die before ever giving the other boy his way. Lucian had felt the power that he was unleashing on his companion. He had known that it was causing him severe pain even if Dominic refused to let it show. But seeing the glazed look in Dominic’s eyes had still failed to satisfy him. He still felt that same aching emptiness. Why did Dominic want to leave? Had he done something wrong?

The sheer futility of his actions had finally reached him just as his strength was running out from using it all to pound the older youth. Then, to his horror, he had discovered himself sobbing and clutching at Dominic like a pathetic child. He had nothing left to give. His pain wouldn’t leave and he no longer had the energy to take out his anger on the other boy. So he had given up and resorted to crying on Dominic’s chest, disgusted at how weak and pitiful he was acting. Still, Dominic hadn’t mocked him or even yelled at him for the assault, he had just given him that concerned look. Dominic had been worried about him.

That look alone had been enough to convince Lucian to come here. The rest of the night had been one huge amazement after another. He had acted like a basket case as usual and Dominic had tried his best not to snap at him too much. But Dominic’s decision to play his game had really stunned him. The older youth had humored him, chasing him along the fields and pretending to lunge at him. It had been great. It was just like Lucian had always wished it could be between him and his partner, this simple friendship and playful affection. Dominic’s sudden laughter had been the icing on the cake. Lucian had been delighted beyond words to see the dark-haired boy chuckling at his wet self. Dominic really did have a dazzling laugh.

It had possessed enough power to make him reveal to Dominic that most of his frivolity was just an act to make others happy. He was hurting inside all the time and had to use merriment to pull him out of his slump otherwise he would never be able to enjoy life. That was where the addiction to danger came in handy. Testing his limits gave him a chance to forget about the hard parts of his life. He could forget about Tavores, his past, his destiny, his self-doubting and just be. There was no way he could let that feeling go.

His words had obviously upset Dominic otherwise the other teenager wouldn’t have been so eager to play with him some more. But it was thrilling to see Dominic acting like a regular boy for once instead of the brooding recluse that he seemed to be. He was sure that Dominic hadn’t always been this way. Something must have happened early on in his life to produce the sullen youth that he was today. Lucian had hoped to discover what that something was. Then, Dominic had decided to leave him and Tashira. Now, he would never know what had hurt Dominic so much that he shunned basic friendship.

"Still think my lunging technique sucks, Ambrose?" Dominic questioned, disturbing Lucian’s train of thought, as he leaned over him. The redhead looked up at him and smiled.

"Did you mean it when you said I looked like a drenched kitten?" he posed, hoping that the memory might make Dominic laugh for him again. He so wanted to see that radiant smile on the older boy’s face. It made him look remarkably gorgeous.

"Well, you did," muttered the dark-haired youth matter-of-factly.

Lucian reached up one hand and lightly cuffed his cheek with his curled fingers. Dumbfounded, Dominic stared down at him, unable to say anything in response to the action. The redhead laughed softly in his throat and glanced back at his companion with glossy garnet eyes. "Meow," he said in a tender tone.

Struck by the absurdity of the moment, Dominic gave a short chuckle as he shook his head in disbelief. "You never quit, do you Ambrose?

"Did you know that your eyes glisten when you laugh?" replied the younger boy as he gazed up at the ravishing gems that Dominic’s eyes had become. The violet shone within them as it picked up the luster of the full moon. Man, they were beautiful, even more enticing they usually appeared. Maybe it was the way the alcohol dulled everything else that made Dominic’s eyes seem so bright. They danced in front of Lucian like a pair of glowing spheres of amethyst. It was intoxicating, irresistible.

"Stop talking nonsense," mumbled Dominic, wary of the hungry look in Lucian’s eyes.

Lucian tried to clear his head of the image of Dominic looking so absolutely stunning. But it wasn’t working and he was beginning to wonder why he should even want to break free of this thrall. Dominic looked like a dark fallen angel. He was exquisite. Lucian wanted to capture that intensity and untamed beauty. The liquor was making his vision blurry but he could still see the alluring creature that was braced over top of him. He lifted his hand and stroked the side of Dominic’s cheek, making the older teenager jump a bit at the gentle caress.

"All right, I’ll stop talking," Lucian purred, unable to take his eyes of his companion.

Then, he moved his hand so that it rested on the back of Dominic’s neck as he pulled himself close. Seconds later, his lips brushed against Dominic’s, an act of his own volition. Dominic froze under the kiss as his eyes shivered with fear. Lucian noticed the hesitation but did not pull away. He was in pure bliss. The passion surrounding him was just like it had always been with Kat, except for one major difference. This was his choice. These were his feelings this time. He wanted to do this because it was what his desire was telling him to do. More importantly, there was no sign of any reluctance from his mind or his conscience.

He loved this feeling. It wasn’t something twisted or forced. This was real. He wanted more. Lucian placed his other hand on the side of Dominic’s face, breathing deeply as he tried to intensify the kiss. He wanted to taste more of his companion. He wanted him to feel like Kat had often felt whenever his kiss melted into her own. But Dominic wrenched himself from the other youth, panting in either ecstasy or horror. Lucian couldn’t be sure.

Dominic pushed Lucian back down against the grass as roughly as he could, face flushed and eyes widened, as he screamed at the younger boy. "Ambrose, stop! You don’t know what you’re doing. You’re so damn wasted that I don’t know how you can even see straight." He gasped again and then leapt to his feet.

The redhead remained on his back, having been torn from his nexus of rapture. He didn’t understand. Dominic hadn’t tried to stop him during the kiss. Why had he reacted so strangely when he had tried to deepen it? What was he afraid of? It certainly wasn’t the kiss itself. That meant that it had to be the overwhelming fervor of the moment. Dominic was averse to an overkill of emotions.

Maybe, it also had something to do with the fact that he was drunk. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing for the majority of the night. Though for some reason, he had been incredibly coherent a minute ago. Lucian knew exactly what he had done. He had kissed Dominic and he didn’t regret an instant of the action. Nothing that made him feel that complete could ever be wrong. This had to be authentic. That was why he felt so devastated that Dominic wanted to leave him. Everything was starting to come together for him.

"Are you ready to go back to Tashira, yet?" questioned Dominic distantly as he walked over and leaned against one of the few trees in the field. The rain was getting worse and his clothes were practically plastered against his flesh. The dark-haired youth wrapped his arms around his shoulders and shuddered at the icy fingers of rain.

Lucian shook his head, sprinkling the water all around him as he removed the band from his ponytail, letting the length of the mane rush across his back. The ponytail had just been making the whole thing far too heavy against his skin and was chafing the lower part of his neck. He too was freezing, though the alcohol was doing a fair job of dulling his senses, which made the cold not half as bad as it should have been. Dirt had stained most of his attire and his hair was streaked with mud. He was sure that he looked like a filthy bum. Tashira would have a fit when she saw him. But he didn’t want to go home just yet. Despite the fact that he was beginning to feel very sluggish, he still needed to know something.

"Tell me Nicky, is this fun?" he asked, bringing his legs closer to his body so that it would be easier to get up.

"Huh?"

"Spending time here...with me. Is it fun to you?"

"I guess," the older boy said as he ran a hand through his sodden hair.

"Then, why would you want to leave?" Lucian persisted, pulling himself up from the ground and hobbling over to the tree that Dominic was resting under.

"I don’t belong here," the other responded in a low sigh.

"But you could. You could belong here." The redhead removed the sun amulet from his throat and brought it close to Dominic. With precision, he dipped his arms behind the older youth and fastened the necklace around his neck. "You could belong with me."

"Ambrose," Dominic whispered, touching the topaz relic that brushed against his chest, where it belonged.

Lucian laughed and clapped a hand down on Dominic’s shoulder, giving it a slight shake. "Heh. I guess it looks better on you than me anyway."

"You should really be getting back."

"I don’t want to go home. I want to stay here. It’s so perfect here," yawned the younger boy as he stretched ostentatiously. He scooted closer to his companion; his eyes half-lidded from exhaustion.

Dominic gave him an austere look and nudged him to the side. "But, you’re falling asleep."

The redhead paid no attention to his statement as he tilted his head and laid it down on Dominic’s shoulder. "Mmm," he garbled, barely able to speak due to how tired he felt. Situating himself on his companion, he drew himself closer and murmured, "You know you were always wrong about one thing, Nicky."

"Hmm?" responded the older youth with a loud yawn of his own. He didn’t seem all that offended that Lucian was using him as a pillow. Most likely, he was too tired to care anymore. Dominic did tend to get affable when he was really worn out. After all, that one time he had even allowed the younger youth to sleep in his bed just to shut him up. Come to think of it, Dominic wasn’t all that unreasonable if one knew which buttons to push.

"You are more than just my partner. You’re my friend," finished Lucian as his eyes fluttered shut and he surrendered to his fatigue.

"Ambrose?" Dominic called softly before he realized that the redhead was completely asleep. He gazed at the snoozing boy for a minute, astonished at how captivating he still looked, even drenched in rain and mud. Pushing a dangling strand of wet crimson from Lucian’s face, he tipped his head back against the tree and lamented in a hushed tone, "You know, I think you’re my friend too. That’s why I can’t stay." With these words, he closed his eyes and allowed the slumber to engulf him.

A few hours later, the soft cry of an owl woke Dominic from his repose. He jerked upright and looked at his watch. Jeez, it was almost three o’clock. He had to get out of here. Lucian had school in the morning and he had to be gone by then to avoid making him late to class. They had enough detentions already, the next tardiness promised a suspension. Making up missed work was a bitch and Dominic knew that there was little chance that the younger youth would do it.

Careful not to disturb his companion, Dominic leaned Lucian against the tree and backed away from the other youth. He hated doing this to him, just leaving him after tonight without even saying goodbye, but he couldn’t stay anymore. His mind was made up. For the safety of the twins, he had to isolate himself from them. If he wasn’t around, then they couldn’t be affected by the curse that had wreaked its havoc on everyone else had cared about. Fate intended for him to be alone.

As he attempted to get to his feet, he glanced back at Lucian. Everything about last night came back to him with painful clarity, especially the kiss. It had been his first. When he had lived with Aiden, many of the girls had always come onto him, but they never seemed to interest him enough for him to want to get involved. So as pathetic as it was, it was true. He, an eighteen year-old boy, practically a man, had just received his first kiss ever. Well, Lucian was experienced enough for the both of them so he guessed that it didn’t matter.

And it wasn’t like it had been bad. Far from it, it had been wonderful. He could still taste the stale alcohol from the other youth on his lips. It seemed to be a freakish combination of whiskey, rum, beer, and bourbon. Lucian had had himself quite a night after all. Dominic was baffled how the other teenager had even been conscious after that array of beverages. He was also curious to know how Lucian had come across so many different types of liquor being that he was still underage. It was possible that the redhead had gotten himself some help in that department. Lucian was rather skilled at manipulating people into doing what he wanted. Without a doubt, it was the fact that he was drunk that had led the younger boy into such a reckless action as kissing him in the first place. He would have never done that under normal circumstances. It was best to leave it at that.

He also knew that the inebriated Lucian had probably been perturbed by his manner of breaking off the kiss so suddenly. But he had to do it. He couldn’t have taken one more moment of that ardor without losing himself in the moment. Then, everything would have been a mess. It was a mess as it was and it didn’t need to get any worse. He had to stick to that one basic tenet. Allow no one to get to close. No matter how much it hurt him, he had to be careful, otherwise others would suffer as well.

It was time to leave. Yet, he still felt that there was something he should do to make up for the damage he had already caused. Last night had made him feel a little less guilty but overall the feeling still remained. Sighing, he rubbed the amulet on his chest. As he did, his fingers grazed against the white-gold surface of his mother’s ring. Though it had not given him the relief that it had given Nadia, it might still be able to do something for Lucian. Also hidden in his reasoning was the desire to make sure that his companion didn’t forget him. He knew it was selfish, but he didn’t want to think that the boy who had shown him such kindness would just allow him to vanish from his memory once he was gone. It would be easier for him to do so, but Dominic couldn’t allow that anymore.

With nimble fingers he undid the clasp of the necklace and allowed it to topple into his open palm. He slid the precious jewelry from the chain and reached for Lucian’s limp hand, which was lying on the ground next to him. Dominic fished Lucian’s keys from out of his pocket and placed them in his other hand alongside the ring. Then, as slowly as he could, he opened the younger teenager’s hand and set the objects inside it. Holding his breath, he proceeded to close the slack fingers back over the palm so that they held the ring and keys in place.

Looking over the boy to make sure that he would be okay until morning, Dominic felt a heavy regret fill his being. He shook his head. This was the right choice. It had to be. But even as he tried to convince himself, he knew he would never truly be able to accept it. Yet, accept it or not, it had to be done. Determined to do something to take his mind of his sorrow for even just a moment, he leaned over his old partner, trailing his fingers through his damp dark red locks.

"I’m sorry, Lucian," he uttered in faint whisper as he planted a quick kiss on the waves of crimson. Then, he scrambled to his feet and dashed away, not wanting to risk looking back again. In his haste, he failed to realize that his notebook had fallen out of his pocket and still lay by the tree where Lucian slept.

As he ran along the road, a dark blue sports car blurred past him, nearly slamming into his unsuspecting form. Dominic spun around to see Erik leaning over the steering wheel and jerking the wheel around so that the car’s wheels screeched in agony as it was forced to change course. She turned the vehicle around and sped right toward him before Dominic had a chance to blink. Just before plowing him down, the blond crushed her foot onto the brake, bringing the automobile to a roaring stop a mere yard from the older youth. Dominic gasped in disbelief as Erik shut off the ignition and clamored out of her car.

Eyes flaring with uncontrollable fury, Dominic snarled at the approaching girl. "You crazy bitch! What the hell are you trying to do? Kill me?"

Erik whipped her gun out of the pocket of her blazer and trained it on the dark-haired youth’s chest, a hard-set grimace forming across her face. "All in good time, Solanis. But for now, I have bigger fish to fry. Now, you either listen to me or this bullet goes straight into your heart."

Dominic was stuck. He would never be able to jump her for the gun before she fired. Of course, there was always the option of Wolf, but that was a last resort. First, he would see what the blond had to say before he decided how he would take her down if she were posing a threat. Erik did look upset about something. Maybe, it had to do with the Keys. It would be best to hear her out before jumping to any rash conclusions.

"I’m listening," he bit, keeping his arms at his sides as he checked the girl for any signs of murderous intentions. Erik just held the weapon with one head as she yanked her rose necklace from under her shirt and set it against the pale white fabric. It shone with a blinding jade hue that danced across the black asphalt street.

"Something has happened to the young Key, Tyrell," she hissed, anger transforming her chestnut eyes into spheres of sparkling brown flames. "He needs our help."

"What are you talking about? Tyrell told me that he was going to spend some time with that delinquent, Maren. What were you doing with him?" Dominic demanded, taking a step toward the blond.

Erik immediately dipped her gun and fired a shot just inches from his shoes. "Not so fast, Sun Guardian. You didn’t let me finish." The boy halted his advance and remained in place as Erik gave him a content sneer. "Yes, your naive Key was spending time with his good friend. That’s where I found him."

"Why were you looking for him in the first place?" shouted the older teenager, clenching his fists at his sides so hard that he could feel the blood ebbing on the flesh.

"Always so impatient, Solanis," the blond reprimanded with a toss of her head, sending golden strands to sway across her face. "I wanted to speak to him about the Chimera. We went to the park to talk and we were there for quite a while, having a nice discussion. Just a few minutes before ten, we were attacked by Fang and Lionelle together."

"You stupid girl! You took Tyrell to the park in the middle of the night? What sort of Guardian are you, deliberately placing our charge in danger? I ought to kick your ass good."

Chestnut eyes motioned toward the weapon in Erik’s grip as she shot Dominic a fierce grin. "Let’s rethink this plan, Solanis. Who has the gun here?"

"I don’t give a damn. If you did anything to Tyrell, I’m going to kill you," threatened Dominic in complete candor. He no longer cared about the gun pointed at his body. All that he could think about was the possibility that the young Key might be in jeopardy. Aiden would never forgive him if he let Tyrell got himself killed. He couldn’t believe the audacity in the Earth Guardian in dragging Tyrell out to an isolated place that late at night. What the hell was she trying to pull? What annoyed him even more was the fact that Tyrell must have agreed to go with her. Hadn’t he taught the younger boy better than that?

"Look what happened wasn’t my fault. I was watching your darling Tyrell just fine. Fang just happened to pull his nifty little illusion trick on me when Tyrell went off to get a drink from one of the miniature fountains. I don’t know why I didn’t notice it but I didn’t. Before I knew it, I heard the boy’s terrified scream. When I jumped up to find him, I discovered that I couldn’t get into the area where the fountains where. Unlike last time, I wasn’t in the field when it was put up so I couldn’t break though it. By the time Fang undid the spell, Lionelle had captured Tyrell. Fang stayed behind to taunt me no doubt, but he accidentally revealed the Chimera’s location in his gloating so now I know where to find Tyrell. I need the help of an expert, a skilled fighter. You, Dominic Solanis, Guardian of the Sun."

"Why should I even believe you?" spat the older youth, digging his nails even deeper into his palm, furious at the unadulterated helplessness of his situation.

Erik tapped her foot on the ground and cocked back her gun, switching the barrel so that it was a real bullet that would be fired. "Because you have no choice. Now, either you follow me or I’ll shoot you. We can’t have a Guardian who refuses to do his job. Besides, Tyrell needs you," she uttered in a vicious voice.

"What if I think that you set Tyrell up? Your story doesn’t really seem to synch well anyway. It wouldn’t be that far-fetched to assume that you’re actually working with the enemy. We hardly ever see you and it's usually only when there’s a Chimera involved."

"That’s because I’m a loner like you, Solanis," the blond remarked, resting her finger on the trigger as she leveled it at Dominic’s heart. "You surely wouldn’t condemn someone who simply wishes to follow the same policy as you. I prefer to live a normal life and only choose to associate myself with Tyrell’s charming little group when I have to."

Dominic snorted in derision. "Some normal life, you dress like a stuck-up guy and waltz around with a gun."

"We all have our pluses and minuses," retorted Erik haughtily as her eyes traveled across his stiff form. "And as for the chance of me being a traitor, what choice do you have? I’m the only one who knows where the one destined to possess the Cruce is."

"The Cruce? You know about it?"

Erik snickered bitterly, twirling the chain of her necklace around her finger with her free hand. "All Guardians know of the Cruce, Solanis. That’s why we’re here after all. It’s our destiny to protect the Cruce. The Keys are just the ones who will lead us to it. We were chosen to watch over the Keys and use them to find the Cruce before the Chimera. That is our ultimate purpose."

The dark-haired youth was starting to find Erik very unsavory. She knew way too much to be an ordinary Guardian. He was sure that she had to have some associations with the Chimera. But if she knew how to help Tyrell, he had to go. Then again, how could he even be sure that she wasn’t lying about Tyrell even being in danger?

Narrowing his eyes at the girl, he growled at her in a savage tone, "I want some proof that you’re not making this whole thing up. I have no reason to believe you otherwise."

"Really?" Erik purred. "Well, that’s unfortunate because I’m going to give you to the count of five to decide." Dominic gulped audibly as he stared back on the blond with wavering violet eyes. The girl glowered at him and began to count in a boisterous voice. With each number she counted off, she pulled back slightly on the trigger. "Five! Four! Three! Two!"

He could hardly believe that she was serious. But there was that gun pointed straight at him with a live bullet in the chamber. She was really set on shooting him if he didn’t comply. Part of him was indifferent to the whole idea of dying, but the other insisted that he protect the Keys. How was he supposed to do that if he was dead? To make matters even more complicated, he knew that he couldn’t transform into Wolf. If he attacked Erik, then she would never tell him where Tyrell was. She was as stubborn as he was and he had a feeling that she would defy him at all costs, even if it meant forsaking her charge. Obviously, her mission did not hold the same depth for her as it did to the other Guardians. What were here true intentions? He could have to find a way of coercing some information out of her later, when Tyrell was found. For now, he would just have to play her game.

"One! Ze...."

Tossing his arms up in the air in surrender, Dominic shot a detestable glare at the younger girl. "Fine! I’ll go! But it’s not because of the threat, it’s because it’s that boy in danger," the older boy grumbled as Erik lowered the gun and gave him a wicked smile.

"Perfect." She sauntered over to her car and held open the door. "Time to do our job."

Dominic knew it was stupid to agree to this. Yet, the young girl was right. He had no choice. Even if he had no proof, there was still the chance that Erik was telling the truth. He had to trust her just this once. Tyrell’s life might depend on his decision. Groaning in defeat, he trudged over to the vehicle and climbed into the right seat. Erik smirked at his submission and hopped into the front seat, forcing the engine into life. She revved it up and took off down the road.

A ray of light cut a white streak through Lucian’s face as he blinked his eyes, taking in the morning air. Groggily, he raised one of his hands to his hazy vision and tried to make out the digital numbers on his watch. The blinking red lights made him feel dizzy and he dropped the hand back to his side. He guessed the time to be around seven or so, meaning that class would start in an hour. Getting another detention and possibly a suspension would sure suck. He had better get back to Tashira.

"Nicky, we’re gonna be late!" he screeched as he whirled around to where he had last seen his companion. Dominic wasn’t there. Where had he gone? "Nicky?" Lucian tried again, trying to fight back the fog in his vision to see better around him. His stomach felt queasy and it was getting hard to move without upsetting something inside him.

He clawed at the tree and attempted to yank himself to his feet. As he lifted his other hand, two objects plummeted to the floor with a tiny clink. The sound surprised Lucian and he bent over to see what he had dropped. His hand had the faint impression of something crushed into his flesh. Bending down to explore the grass almost made him throw up as he felt his stomach make a grotesque turn. He dropped to his knees and tipped back his head, taking huge gulps of air to ease his unhappy insides. Shaking his head hard, he managed to lean back over and scrape his hands across the wet ground.

After a few seconds of perusing the grass, he was able to spy a glint of silver amongst the greenery. He groped tediously at the silver and scooped up a clump of keys and metal. The sight made him remember that he had left his car keys in the vehicle after the crash. Not too smart but he hadn’t exactly had been in the most sensible state last night. Dominic must have found them and given them back to him sometime after he had fallen asleep. Lucian crumpled the keys in his hand as an unfamiliar circle peeked out from the heavy mass. He picked up the keys and shoved them into his pocket with his other hand. The action of lifting the other item caused a small ring to roll in his palm.

Disconcerted, he glanced at the trinket in the center of his hand. He was sure that he had never seen it before. Something as beautiful as this would have been imprinted in his memory. Yet, his eyes had never come across this working of white gold, amethyst, and diamonds. The gems formed dancing prisms of light upon his flesh. Even his bleary eyes could make out the image of their incandescence, a stunning combination of violet and crystal. Where had this ring come from and how had it gotten mixed up with his car keys? Did Dominic lose it by accident when he was returning them? Speaking of which, where was the dark-haired youth?

"Nicky?" he summoned again, flipping his head from side to side and forcing his weak eyes to search for the older boy. "Nicky? Where are you?"

Wrenching himself up from the ground, he examined the area around him for any sign of Dominic. There was nothing. His head was beginning to thunder with another agonizing migraine. Except this one wasn’t from his dreams nor was it from the alcohol. It was the deluge of dread that was washing over him. Dominic couldn’t have left, not after last night. Didn't’ he understand anything? Was he truly that afraid? What on earth was he scared of? Lucian clenched the ring in his fist. Dominic had to be around here. He just had to be.

"Nicky!" his voice became a desperate scream. He tried to search for his companion on foot but the swimming in his head and the surging of his stomach was too much for him to take. "Nicky!" he shrieked as loud as his faltering voice would allow. The howl transformed into a sob as he sank to his knees. "Nicky! Answer me damn it! I said answer me, you stupid bastard! Nicky!" The sound faded to a meek whimper. "Nicky...please...."

The truth hit him like a speeding truck. Dominic was really gone. He had meant what he had said about no longer wanting to hang around him. Everything about last night had just been because he was drunk. Dominic had just acted out of pity. He never planned on sticking around. It was all a fucking joke. Dominic had tricked him. He had actually thought that Dominic was going to stay. He had believed he was his friend despite how many times he denied it. Actions always spoke louder than words. Didn’t they? Didn’t they! But Dominic had never lied to him before. Why would he do it now? He had just been keeping his promise. That god-forsaken promise! Why had Dominic even bothered to agree to it in the first place? For that matter, why had he suggested it?

It had been about danger. That had been the cause of the whole thing, right? He had just wanted his stupid high and Dominic had been the perfect manifestation of his twisted desire. Dominic had matched wits with him for every fight. He had refused to back down no matter how impossible his chances of winning were. His temper had been able to stand up against Lucian’s. Even the way he constantly threatened or used abuse to tame his younger partner had enticed Lucian. Dominic was dangerous. He relished danger. It was his ultimate conquest. Dominic was his ultimate conquest.

But after a while, the reasons had been contorted out of imagination. It wasn’t just the danger anymore. Though he still got a thrill at tempting the dark-haired youth, there was more to it now. His taunts had no longer been just for fun; they had possessed a hidden meaning behind him. He was searching for answers about Dominic, searching for the key to unlocking his past and discovering what made him what he was. Dominic couldn’t possibly the heartless loner that he posed as; that had been made clear last night. Someone who was willing to let loose like that had to have some life left in them, some vivacity. There had to be more to Dominic than what he showed to the world. He needed to learn what it was.

Need. There was a word that was encompassing his thoughts more and more, lately. He had needed to listen to STRYFE play the other night. Then, he had needed to lie to Dominic about Tavores and his encounter with Tyrell. Last night, he had needed to get unconditionally drunk. Later, under the influence of the liquor, he had needed Dominic to understand his anger and his torment. He still needed Dominic to understand him. He still needed Dominic.

Yet, the cold truth continued to ring lucid in his mind. Dominic didn’t care about any of that. He didn’t care about him at all. All that had concerned him was maintaining his honor and protecting Tyrell. He had run away from him. Dominic didn’t want anything to do with him.

His stomach churned under the combination of heavy alcohol and anguish. Gripped by intense pain, he vomited violently. Tears sprang to his eyes and gushed down his burning cheeks as he leaned over and retched again and again. Everything was spinning around him and veiled in a thin film of liquid as the tears hindered his vision. He didn’t care anymore. Squeezing his eyes closed, he allowed himself to go through the process of his hangover.

Finally, excruciating dry heaves took over his nausea, sending sharp spasms up and down his spine as his insides clenched. He panted in agony and grabbed his stomach as tightly as he could, sparkling tears still slinking from underneath his shut eyelids. The rending ache in his head continued to assault him as the same disgusting words replayed in his mind over and over again.

‘You lose.’

He never lost. Yet, this time he had. Dominic had beaten him. He had taken control of the game and made it his own. Lucian no longer had a say in how the game was played. All the rules had been converted in something unrecognizable. He should have known better than to get himself into this. Dominic could have never been defeated. He was truly untouchable. The whole thing was rigged from the beginning. He must have been kidding himself to think otherwise.

‘Deposit another quarter to play again.’

Dominic was not coming back this time. He was through with the Guardians. The call of the lone wolf was demanding his unquestioned obedience. Lucian would never have the chance to try again. He would never be able to get closer to him. Dominic didn’t want that anyway. The eldest youth preferred to be alone. As depressing as that was, Dominic wanted solitude. That was his life.

‘5’

Lucian looked down at his hand to realize that he was still clutching the silver ring. He had been holding on to it so hard that it had made a mark in his skin similar to the light one left by the keys. There was a slight pain, but that was nothing compared to the suffering in his stomach or his heart. He stared at the ring again and suddenly he knew.

‘4’

This was Dominic’s ring. Dominic had given it to him. He truly wasn’t going to return. The ring crystallized that fact. Even with its majestic violet centerpiece and the adjacent diamond chips, it seemed to mock Lucian. It was a trivial parting gift. Something to make the dark-haired youth feel better about abandoning him. This was payment for his stay. Lucian’s hospitality had been nothing more than a simple act of compassion to Dominic, nothing else. Therefore, he must have felt the need to offer something in return for the luxury. It was completely impersonal.

‘3’

The boy pressed his fingertips against the ring, thrusting it farther into his palm with enough force to draw blood. Dark red liquid trickled through his fingers, staining the already messy ground before him. It hurt. There was no other way to describe it. It just hurt. Hurt like nothing else had ever hurt him prior to this instant.

‘2’

Turning his head from the pool of blood, tears, and vomit, Lucian noticed the frayed notebook that was propped up against the bottom of the tree. He wiped at his face and mouth with the back of his hand and then rubbed it against some clean blades of grass in a sloppy attempt to clean it off. Then, he haphazardly crawled over to the tree and pulled the notebook over to him. Dominic must have forgotten it by accident. That was unfortunate since it had always seemed so damn important to him. What the hell was it anyway?

‘1’

It wasn’t like it mattered now. Whatever information it yielded would be useless. He would never be able to discuss it with Dominic. Even if it helped him discover some tragic secret about his companion, it would do no good if he were unable to ever see him again. Yet, some part of him still yearned to read the writing inside if just for some form of absolution.

‘0’

Lucian tossed the notebook to the side. He didn’t feel like reading it right now. That would just make the pain even worse than it already was. Placing a hand on his hot forehead, he tried to regain control of his emotions and stop the coursing tears. He was sick of crying. It did no good in the end. All the crying in the world couldn’t convince fate to lead Dominic back. Destiny claimed Dominic for itself. It wanted it’s lone warrior, it’s rogue wolf. Fate was a selfish bitch!

Reaching behind his neck, he released the clasp and watched as the necklace slithered down his chest and came to a stop on his knees. The ruby globule was dull and lifeless, having lost some of its usual splendor. It fed of his inner strength and now that strength was currently out of commission. Opening his clenched fist, he removed the ring and forced it down the chain so that it pressed against the ruby Shard. Perhaps later, he would get another chain for the trinket. Lucian wrapped the necklace back around his throat and snapped it back into place. Climbing to his feet, he began to look for his bicycle, as the ring lay nestled against his chest. Then, petting the circlet with his fingers, he shook his head to force the sickening realization out of his head. It was over. Dominic and he were finished.

‘GAME OVER.’

The redhead placed his hand over the jewel. "It’s not over until I say it’s over."