42: The Moon Goddess' favourite

I walked- more like stumbled- to my room proudly with the beautiful, shiny black book in my hand. Earned it? Hell yes, I did. In fact, I wasn't even sure that was the correct way to put it. I enjoyed every single second of what happened just moments ago, and the feeling of euphoria still lingered, distracting me from my weak knees and tired back. I'd be alright in a few moments.
But my lighthearted and happy mood collapsed the moment I turned the door handle to my room, opened the door and came face-to-face with Demetri who now sat on my bed. When his eyes met mine, they widened, and a smirk appeared on his face.
"Had a bit of fun I see. You smell just like Xavier and Liam. Don't tell me... both?" He questioned in astonishment. I stayed silent for a while, not quite sure how to approach this situation. It was clear he wasn't mad, but that was the problem. Sebastian made these types of encounters easier for me by getting jealous and angry. That way I could be angry and insulted as I felt I should have been. But Demetri was always so calm and understanding.
"Well," I began, and then scratched the back of my neck nervously, "y-you could say that."
When the words left my mouth, a deep, red blush made its way onto my face and I bit at my lip nervously. Demetri, however, chuckled lightheartedly.
"Could you get *any* sexier. Fuck." He whispered out. And for a second his blue eyes flashed a brilliant, bright golden colour. But that was not what startled me. What startled me where the soft whisps of blue flowing out from the center of his pupil right down to the round, golden edges of his irises. I'd never seen a wolf with such a peculiar eye colour before.
"Y-your eyes." I stuttered.
Immediately, they changed back to their original bright blue and he looked away from me. He was hiding from me again, but this time I wanted to at least *attempt* to get something out of him. And so, I neared him and sat on the edge of the bed before placing the book next to me. Slowly, he looked at me, guilt all over his face.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"A millennium and two centuries."
"What?" I asked confused.
Demetri sighed and then took one of my hands in his, immediately causing sparks to dance across the skin. "That's how old I am. A millennium and two centuries."
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped when he said this. "But no werewolf-"
"I know. Werewolves aren't immortal like vampires, but I am. I've roamed this Earth for a long time, longer than Sebastian even. It's probably why I'm not such a jealous jackass." He chuckled and then began rubbing circles at the back of my palm. I always found myself unbelievably calm with him, as though nothing ever mattered except him and I.
"But how? How could you be so... *old*?" I asked.
Demetri waited a moment, thought a little and then raised his finger to his lips. "Well, I guess telling you about myself wouldn't *really* break the promise I made to Athena and Denzell. They told us to protect you from your own truth, not ours. Besides, Sebastian found a loophole, so why don't I try to find my own as well."
I sat back slightly and prepared to listen, already waiting with bated breath. I was finally going to be able to hear about who Demetri was!
Demetri laughed at my enthusiasm, and then fell silent, staring off at one of the walls of my room.
"When I was born my mother died. My father blamed me for her death and so I was cast out of his life and out of his pack. I roamed the Earth as a rogue for most of my life: poor, abandoned, mistreated and shunned. No one wanted me back then. I was skinny, weak... I was an omega. And then it happened, my greatest sacrifice. Back in the day there was great unrest between the wolves in packs and the rogues. The unrest only worsened over the years and so it soon led to one of the greatest wars known to werewolf history."
"I remember reading about it in a book once. But if I recall correctly, it was in a book about mythical legends." I said.
Demetri smirked and then said, "Was it now? Well, what you call legend, I call history, because this really did happen. Bloodshed, carnage. It was unimaginable. In fact," he then stood up and began tugging at the hem of his shirt, "I still have the scars as proof."
With that, he lifted his shirt, revealing his large, heavily muscled body. If I thought Xavier was muscular, then this man was colossal. He was clearly not the weak omega he claimed to once be. Etched onto the back of his broad shoulders and muscular back were deep scars which I instinctively reached out to touch. He gasped as my fingers grazed his skin and I froze, afraid that I'd crossed the line.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have-"
"No, it's quite alright. You shouldn't have to apologise for touching what's yours."
My breath hitched at his words and I continued to feel the scarred skin beneath my fingers, biting my lip to regain some sort of self-control as my eyes roamed his body. Goddess, this man was gorgeous, sinfully so.
"The wolves wanted war, I wanted peace, so I fought for it. And then sadly-"
"You died." I said, recalling the legend. A single rogue stepping out in the midst of absolute chaos, begging for peace. Even though he was weak and powerless, he fought and begged and pleaded. But he died, with both sides ripping him to shreds. In dying, however he brought peace between the two sides with them finding common ground in eliminating him. It was said that the man's spirit was sent up into the realm of the Moon Goddess where she took pity on him. Moved by what he'd done, she bestowed him the gift of immortality and immense power. He was known as the Moon Goddess' favourite, guardian of the werewolves and the bridge between werewolves and the Moon Goddess herself. At least, that was what the legend had said.
"But... it can't be possible. You can't be him. He doesn't exist." I uttered out in disbelief.
Demetri growled out lowly, frightening me and then turned towards me. His eyes were golden again, with those light whisps of blue flowing from his pupils.
"How can I not be real when you can touch me?" He said, frustrated and then he grabbed my hand and placing it on his warm chest. His heart thudded erratically, and I found my face reddening at the sudden contact. "I've spent years roaming this Earth, trying to keep the werewolf realm in peace and harmony. Everything was perfect... until you, Phoenix. Until you stumbled into my life and changed it. I never loved anyone. I never trusted or let my walls down, not until I met you and saw you smile. But you were already Sebastian's then, and you still are now."
"Then? Do I have forgotten memories of you too?" I asked.
Demetri hesitated before nodding. "They aren't forgotten. They are just hidden. The only way to bring them to the surface is by marking you, like Sebastian did. But I won't, not until I know that you love me. I won't make the same mistake twice. I won't force you to love me. I won't take you away from Sebastian if your heart resides with him, or Liam, or Xavier."
I was so tempted to ask him to bite me but asking him would have been selfish. I cared for the four of them, yes, but love was something I couldn't freely give. At least not now. I wanted to know everything first. And as for who I belonged to; it didn't seem right saying I belonged to any one of them.
"I don't belong to Sebastian, Demetri. In fact, I don't belong to any of you. I belong to myself. And you have as much right to be loved by me than anyone else." Slowly my hand moved from his chest, to his face where it cupped his cheek gently.
"You must have been lonely, roaming the Earth by yourself. Were you at least welcomed and accepted when you returned with your immortality?" I asked, curious.
Demetri nodded. "Oh yes, people only respect you when you have power. They loved me because the Moon Goddess loved me, and they believed that being good to me would gain favour with her. I was never truly accepted by anyone... well anyone except you. You took one look at me and you saw right through me. Just like you're staring now."
And I *was* staring. I was examining his eyes and the loneliness beneath them. Beyond his smile, his light-hearted comments and his laughter was a man bruised and beaten by the blows life had dealt with him. There was a man who'd only ever known sacrifice, with nothing and no one to call his own. It was as though Demetri were sitting in a dilapidated building, hiding himself against one of the corners. He was crouched over, small and afraid of losing more of what little he had.
"I don't need anything, but that look in your eyes. Because when you look at me like that, I feel seen."
His touch was soft when his hands dropped mine gently and then caressed at the skin of my cheeks. He then leaned down and stared into my eyes deeply before saying,"I love you, Phoenix. I always have, and I always will."
----
So, on my instagram account (thenightingale_01) I asked which male character you all wanted to feature more in HB. It was a literal tie between Demetri and Sebastian. It seems we have a divide. Team Sebastian and Team Demetri. Which one do you belong to at this very moment?
Stay safe! Stay healthy! Sending my love!