|     01.    a  school  of  magic  and  mythology  :      on the surface it sounds perfect.    a place for all kinds of supernatural students to attend.    for witches to gain control,    wolves to feel included,    vampires to be a part of society.    and demi gods to control the power in their veins.     all of it within the walls of the school catered to their very needs.      a school where they can be themselves,    no matter the age,   or how powerful they can be.   as thanks to the two owners,   the school is built to handle it.     built to control chaos.     especially in a supernatural world,    where aging is slow,    like really slow thanks to a curse cast many millenia before.

over the last millennia,    the school has grown from a simple idea to the best damn magic school in the world.   with the head mistresses  Eliie Contavius  and Hera Panhellenios Olympiakos at the helm the school has become a beacon in the dark that is known as the supernatural world.    here the students can become the best of what they are,    with teachers catered to their very needs.    and  after convincing their family members to attend,   things would only get better.    right ??

yeah it was probably a good idea,    to have a lot of adult supervision around.    as chaos was about to come to the school.     and neither female was sure if that was a good thing or not.   they just prayed that the school stayed standing,   and their sanity in tact.    was that too much to ask ??

|     02.    and,     we are one  :      the students make up 90% of the school grounds.    but every now and then you’ll find a sprinkling of some adult supervision.    but very rare if we’re honest.

KNOWN ADULTS

𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙸𝙴   𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚃𝙰𝚅𝙸𝚄𝚂   :    headmistress  /  school founder.      formed the school with Hera after seeing how the magical community was being mistreated and abused by those who wanted power.     handed over the title as alpha to the wolves when Jules started the school.      primarily lives on campus and may or may not be Hera’s lover.     (   teaches  :  wolf economics .  )

𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙰   𝙾𝙻𝚈𝙼𝙿𝙸𝙰𝙺𝙾𝚂    :    headmistress / school founder.      formed the school with Ellie to protect the demi - gods,   and has since also become highly protective of the magical community.     primarily lives on campus and may or may not be Ellie’s lover.     (   teaches  :  power management .  )

𝙾𝚁𝙸𝙾𝙽   𝙼𝙸𝚃𝙲𝙷𝙴𝙻𝙻    :    teacher.     was recruited by Hera and only reluctantly agrees as he’s always had a hard time saying no to her.      lives away from campus,   only so he gets some sort of  privacy.    but the kids always know how to reach him if they need him     is dating  hot for  Tyrphon.     (  teaches  :  healing magic .  )

𝚃𝚁𝚈𝙿𝙷𝙾𝙽   𝙿𝙰𝙽𝙷𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙴𝙽𝙸𝙾𝚂    :    teacher.    pretty much became a teacher thanks to his connection with Hera.     but has found a reason to be there.   is also the stand in principle and the one Ellie and Hera trust to run the school when they’re out recruiting.    lives on campus.      (   teaches  :  strength management   ( demi - gods ).  )

𝚁𝙰𝚉𝙰   𝙰𝙼𝚄𝙽   𝚁𝙰    :    teacher.      basically became part of the school after Ellie’s gentle persuasions.     and learning that whilst they wanted to explore into other cultures more,   Ellie and Hera are both greek based and thus slightly bias to what culture they represent.      chooses to live off campus.         is the mate to karina.         (   teaches  :  egyptian studies / introduction to egyptian mythology .  )

𝙲𝙴𝚁𝙱𝙴𝚁𝚄𝚂   𝙳𝙸𝙰𝙺𝙾𝚂    :    graduated student  /  teacher.    has literally just graduated from the school before being recruited to take over the subject to which he was best in.    and he agreed due to the fact he enjoyed the school and found a home in the school.    primarily lives on campus.    is the mate to Elysia & Deeks.      (   teaches  :  origin of the species .  )

KNOWN  STUDENTS

𝙼𝙴𝙻𝙸𝚃𝚃𝙰   𝙲𝚁𝙾𝚆   :    student  /  year three.    was forced to attend after unlocking her god powers,   as she ended up losing control and devastating a village.   since then she’s learnt how to control them and is steadily one of the strongest on campus.     is the mate of Elias .     (   is a member of the football team.    also she’s the stand in teacher for magic control due to her being the strongest witch on campus .  )

𝙹𝚄𝙻𝙸𝚄𝚂   𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚃𝙰𝚅𝙸𝚄𝚂    :    student  /  year three.      attended mostly because his sister did.    he had no other real reason to attend.     but he has learnt a lot more about his magic since he started and has also become highly involved in the ‘sports’  side of the school.    which allows for a way to burn off the excess energy from his wolf.      is the mate of Astra.       (   is alpha of the schools wolf pack.  and also is also a member of the schools football team .  )

𝙳𝙴𝙼𝙸   𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚃𝙰𝚅𝙸𝚄𝚂    :    student  /  first year.    had to come to the school after she lost control of her powers and nearly ripped open the earth.     wears a necklace to contain her powers but she still has access to most,   such as her wolf and her empathy.     but even thought only being in her first year,   she is flourishing within her schooling and finally gaining control.     (   is in anger management classes to control her anger.   and also plays on the schools football team .  )

𝙺𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙰   𝚂𝚃𝙾𝚁𝙼𝙱𝙾𝚁𝙽𝙴    :    student  /  sixth year.    took absolutely forever for Hera to convince Karina to join the school.    as karina didn’t want to bring the cult to the school.    but when he manages to get rid of them,   she joins.   and soon excels in all her classes.     history becomes her main study area.     is the mate of raza .       (   head of the schools football team  /  also head of the schools mixed martial arts team .  )

𝙳𝙴𝙴𝙺𝚂  𝙹𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚂    :    student  /  fourth  year.    was supposed to be a fifth year but failed some of his classes due to having a personal issue.   which was he lost himself to the anger of his wolf.    thus it took almost a year to get him back.    and he had to redo the year he lost.      is the mate to Elysia & Cer.      (   on the schools football team  /  also attends quite a few classes of anger management .  )

𝙴𝙻𝙸𝙰𝚂   𝙷𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙵𝙸𝚁𝙴    :    student  /  sixth year.    details to be added.     mate to melitta.     (   ??? .  )

𝙴𝙻𝚈𝚂𝙸𝙰   𝙷𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙵𝙸𝚁𝙴    :    student  /  fourth  year.    details to be added.     mate to Cer  &  Deeks.        (   ??? .  )

𝙲𝚈𝚁𝚄𝚂   𝙿𝙰𝙽𝙷𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙴𝙽𝙸𝙾𝚂    :    student  /  sixth year.    ???.     (   ??? .  )

𝙰𝚂𝚃𝚁𝙰   𝙷𝙴𝙲𝚄𝙱𝙰    :    student  /  first year.    came to the school at eighteen to advance her newly acquired powers.    more details tba.      mate to Julius.       (   ??? .  )

𝚃𝙱𝙰    :    ???.    ???. (   ??? .  )

𝚃𝙱𝙰    :    ???.    ???. (   ??? .  )

SCHOOL  ENEMIES

𝙿𝙷𝙾𝙴𝙽𝙸𝚇  𝚆𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂  𝚂𝙲𝙷𝙾𝙾𝙻   :    another school.    pretty much the thorn in the side of the school.    they had opened up after them and had been trying to compete with them since.    and it spilled over onto the football field.   with the two teams often quite literally breaking out in fights on the pitch.     (   challenge frequently for ‘natures cup’ .  )

𝙴𝚇  𝚂𝚃𝚄𝙳𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚂    :    varies.     there are ofc some students who get booted for breaking too many rules.    as such they tend to have an issue with the school and are often found coming back to cause issues.     which is why the school also has the highest form of security.    to stop these students becoming an issue and disrupting the peace of the school.       (   ??? .  )

𝚃𝙱𝙰    :    ???.    ???. (   ??? .  )

𝚃𝙱𝙰    :    ???.    ???. (   ??? .  )

𝚃𝙱𝙰    :    ???.    ???. (   ??? .  )

|     03.    learning,    is important :      the school offers a wide variety of classes and different clubs.    all of them focused towards certain supernatural species,   or cultures in general.

𝙵𝙾𝙾𝚃𝙱𝙰𝙻𝙻  𝚃𝙴𝙰𝙼    :    Karina is the captain.    done as a way for the demi - gods / supernatural’s to let off some steam.    there is a male and female team,   but primiarly they end up blended more often than not.   as ofc the sexes don’t matter when they’re all as strong,   as each other if not stronger .       (   currently champions and holders of the ‘natures cup’ .  )

𝙰𝙽𝙶𝙴𝚁  𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙰𝙶𝙴𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃  𝙲𝙻𝙰𝚂𝚂    :    ???.    runs along side the class that actually teachs them how to control their anger.    this is the place to come if you’re really struggling and find a way to control yourself.    Deeks and Demi are two known students.      (   three days a week after school .  )

𝙼𝙸𝚇𝙴𝙳  𝙼𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙸𝙰𝙻  𝙰𝚁𝚃𝚂  𝙲𝙻𝙰𝚂𝚂    :    Karina is the head.    for those who need an outlet for some of the anger that isn’t splurged through football or the anger management class.    the school designed a mixed martial arts class,    which is basically an umbrella terms for outright supernatural brawling.    and also involves weapons.     Karina as the ‘primary’ fighter of the school,   was the one who persuaded Ellie and Hera to create it,   and thus she runs it.      (   two days during the school week,   and during the weekend .  )

Astra didn’t know what she was expecting when she had returned, to be honest. Her mind first went to an emergency that needed her abilities to fix, but what would be the emergency? Klarick was no longer an issue. The walls that Julius had put up between them almost killed her, triggered such a deep rooted wound that had her feeling NUMB. She remembered … long ago when she had one foster parent after another, who had first showered her with love and then closed up on her before sending her back to the orphanage, triggering deep psychological wounds and a toxic cycle of her going to the nines to be loved, to be somehow accepted in this cold lonely world she had found herself in. A toxic cycle where she begged to be loved. She didn’t think she could survive it with Julius.  

Her time away had been helpful to get her head back on straight, to stop herself from asking, begging to know why he shut her out  — begging in the same way she had done all those years ago. She did not want to beg someone to love her. Or question why she wasn’t enough. The love she had for Julius was the most powerful love she had felt her entire life, and some part of her would always love him even when he shut her out.  

He really did look terrible, and as for the explanation he gave as to why, well… her eyebrows rose. Even as she was trying not to be too affected by the way his fingers curved along her jawline. Karina had beaten him up? And what was this about an alpha lecture from Ellie? Brown hues looked at him, a million questions unfolding in her mind but deciding to stay quiet. Because the strangest thing was happening –  

“I remember,” she said softly. Astra had needed a week to recover from that because she would find herself bursting into tears over Melitta and Julius’ pain, overwhelmed with sadness at what they had gone through, with no one to save them. It was terrible, but not even a fraction of how terrible it had been to actually experience something like that. Her gaze did not miss the way he pressed his fingers into his rib – so that was where the wound was located. Why…. wasn’t he healing himself?  

Though his next sets of words left her …. Speechless. Everything from the way he described the effect Klarick had on him… to the reason why he closed upon her. But oh… he LOVED her. The reinforced titanium walls that he put up crumbled before her very eyes and every single feeling he had for her came crashing over, like a TIDAL wave that he drowned her in. It caused her to inhale sharply, the purity of his love a force that could take on this very world, wrapping around her, making itself known in full force. It caused tears to well up in her eyes, breath hitching in her throat as he continued to speak, continued to pour his heart and honesty out at her.  

She waited a moment when he had gone back into the house, wiping at her tears and taking deep breaths to calm down, closing her eyes. And then….she lowered her body to the balcony, feet touching the cool concrete before walking into the house, approaching Julius from behind and wrapping her arms around him in the gentlest way. Immediately, her healing powers activated in full force, encasing him much like her arms were, tackling every recent physical wound he carried and healing it within a mere few seconds. Her cheek rested against his back, eyes closed, before she turned her head and pressed a warm kiss over his shirt. She knew his scars rested there…beneath the fabric of his shirt…beneath that complex glamour.  

“I fell in love with you too… well before the mating bond was triggered. Honestly, I think it was after our second meeting,” she rested her cheek against his back once more, her tone soft, revealing this secrete within her heart. “It’s so easy to love you, Julius. Trust me. It was the easiest thing in the world.” She paused, thinking of ways to speak her thoughts in the best possible way.  “Normally, I would have poked and prodded and asked a million questions when I saw you were closing up. But it…. it reminded me a lot of the past. In which every person I cared about would initially accept me… and then close up. It was mainly with foster parents, who would then return me to the foster home. No matter how hard I tried –” She’d never opened up about this to anyone before. “It was never enough. I was never enough,” she finished quietly. “It was a cruel experience… to be welcomed and then disregarded over and over again, until I was tossed to the streets at 18. I suppose you can say…it…it triggered me. I was afraid the past would repeat and if it did, I don’t know if I would have survived it.”  And so, she closed up and distanced herself.  

Astra gently turned him around, resting a hand against his cheek and offering a small smile. “We’re all flawed…and the damage done to you by HIM … was beyond terrible. But fate is never wrong, Jules. I would know - I am the goddess that represents it now,” she said, with her smile lifting a bit higher. It was another tidbit she hadn’t revealed about herself yet… such as what her powers were and what they represented. What SHE represented.

She lowered her gaze, taking her hands in his. “Our love was never about fate… simply because we chose it before fate intervened. I loved you before fate deemed it so,” she lifted her gaze to meet his. “And I love you still now. That will never change,” she finished, shyly, a hint of colour spreading across her cheeks, slightly overwhelmed with the force of Julius’ love around her, a force that could power the world for years to come. How…on earth had he managed to cage that up? 

“We need to…work on your insecurities and lack of self worth. And we both should work on better communication,” She purposely used ‘we’ so he would know that she was going to work on this with him, right by his side. “And you MUST get some rest, how long have you been without sleep?!” And there was the concern bleeding through once more, as oh she had sensed his fatigue when he healed her – but his body needed actual sleep, that was certain. “Come on…,” she tugged at his hand, leading him down the hall towards his bedroom. She glanced back, lips curving up into a loving smile, the light in her eyes that had been there before… returning in full force.

  HE  HAD  MANY  FAULTS ;       he was all but made up of them.         (   𝑓𝛼𝜇𝑙𝜏𝑠  𝛼𝜋𝜕  𝑚𝜄𝑠𝜏𝛼𝜅𝜀𝑠  𝑙𝜄𝜋𝑔𝜀𝑟𝜀𝜕  𝜄𝜋  𝘩𝜄𝑠  𝜕𝜋𝛼.   )         he also had the issue   ;    of how he would always put someone elses problems before his own.    he would change the entanglements of his own thoughts and needs,   to make sure someone else was taken care of.    he was a protector,   it was a default setting that unfortunately he was wired too.    his mothers problems,   his siblings,   his children,   his friends.   all of it came before himself.    and he would shove everything down into a cage that was built of titanium,   if it meant his emotions and thoughts didn’t damage them.    but somehow,    his pain towards Astra had broken through.     though if he thought about it,    maybe this ‘protector thing’  had kicked in and forced him to hurt her on purpose.   to push her aside to be better without him.   away from him.

    if it was      —     then honestly he hated every minute of it.   he wished      [  .  .  .  ]       he didn’t have this stupid protective instinct.    that meant he hurt her,    that meant he hurt himself.    and as he watched her,   his love burning out of the cage he’d contained it in to swirl around her.    he hoped she could feel the deep regret he felt.    the regret on how he had hurt her and allowed her to know the sharp edge of his mistreatment.    especially as her words fluttered over his back.    the way she speak was nothing more than a stark reminder,   that he was just as deadly to her as those who had played with her love in the past.   another scar to add to her collection.

 he knew she’d healed him,   but he ignores it for now.   shifting beneath her hands in what can only be considered as awkwardness.   obsidian eyes so open and revealing,   like dark mirrors that acted as a doorway straight to his heart and emotions.    her words were soothing balms,   but he found he didn’t deserve them.    oh he clung to each slither of softness that was represented in them,   her love so pure and unending as it crashed into him.    fuck how did he ever manage to hurt someone so pure,   who loved him with a fierceness that at times scared him.    but wasn’t his love just as encompassing.   as it radiated inside of him,    with a strength she could feel.

  his forehead rests against hers,   as he lets out a heavy sigh.    eyes closed as he churns everything through his mind.    works it in a million directions and decides which way to say what he was feeling.      “   I love you    ……   and i'm sorry i came to you so broken   !!.    ”      he didn’t know what else to say     [  .  .  .  ]     his fatigue crashing into him like a tidal wave.    stealing ever last visage of his thoughts.   and leaving nothing behind but pure exhaustion.   the type that couldn’t be healed,    and seeped deep into his skin and bones.    Karina and his mothers words still clattering around inside his mind.    and he makes a promise to spend more time with Karina.    she had been as broken as him,    even more so,   but had managed to move forward.    so maybe instead of kicking his ass,   she could guide him.

Astra had lived most of her life being CAREFUL. She had kept most parts of herself surface level, though she reserved depth for her chosen family: the Contavius family members. However, she was always careful about not getting too close, not allowing herself to fall TOO deep in love with Julius, not revealing her secrets, keeping everything under control as not to arise suspicion as she knew ….her fate had been set in stone. However, it was the depth of her feelings that had saved her in the end.  

And now, she carried no such restrictions, was bound by no shackles to which she could not express herself to the fullest. Some part of her was rather glad that Julius had been so stubborn with her when she’d revealed the truth… for him remaining her constant had saved her from a fate that all other women in her family had succumbed to over the generations. 

She felt WILD. Gone was her previous careful nature. Adrenaline was spiked through her veins, remnants of their match, for which she had the most fun she’s had her ENTIRE LIFE. She outright whined into the kiss as she felt the bulge of his erection press up against her stomach, a need so powerful taking over, it was making her head spin. Her head fell back against the wall, lips parting as he kissed his way down her throat, his fingers expertly ridding her trousers and slipping his fingers IN – 

“— Oh,” she writhed against him, adding friction against their bodies, her nails raking across his shoulders, bunching his shirt up, up, up off his frame and tossing it aside, needing if OFF. Her breaths coming out harsh, mixed in with soft moans, especially when he found that bundle of NERVES that had her writhing more, the blush rising up from her chest to her cheeks with a vengeance. 

Normally she’d obey. She rather liked it when he was bossy with her in intimacy. He was clearly the more dominant one in the relationship, but right now she did not want to. No, no, they could take it slow later. “Stop teasing me,” she growled out uncharacteristically, eyes flaming with a DEMANDING nature. Her fingers found his hair and tugged it back a bit more harshly than she’s ever had, leaning forward as her tongue ran up his neck before biting down on his earlobe. Her voice was breathless, but HER command was clear, even as her hips struggled to stay in control with his menacing fingers. “Take me now.”

  HIS  MOTHER  HAD  ONCE  SAID ;       that fate can be changed.         (   𝜄𝜏'𝑠  𝜋𝜀𝜈𝜀𝑟  𝜏𝑟𝜇𝑙𝜑  𝑠𝜀𝜏  𝜄𝜋  𝑠𝜏𝜎𝜋𝜀.   )         of course at the time   ;    he thought she’d been going on about something she’d found on one of her digs.    his mother being a curse breaker had taken her all around the world,   unlocking the secrets of many different cultures.   so whilst he had simply thought that was what she meant,   he was also open to the idea that no ones fate was truly set in stone,   that there was a different path that everyone could walk.   that whilst you were going straight,   there was always a diagonal option.    he just never openly admitted that’s what he thought.    as god knows it would have led to long conversations,   that he wasn’t in the mood for.   not really.

  but when astra told him her fate      —     what she believed was the path o her story.   those thoughts      [  .  .  .  ]       and the conversation with his mother.   had once more reared it’s head.   and he had been a stern fighter in her camp that she could change her fate.   that following the path of her mother and grandmother wasn’t the way it was going to go.   and luckily for both of them,   he had been proven right.   and every day after she was growing stronger,   her power radiating for her and he was drawn in like a mother to a flame.   even more than he had been before.   but watching her flourish,   merlin it was the greatest thing he had ever witnessed.   and seeing her flushed and wild after the match,    he had never seen anything better in his whole life.   and he found himself wanting,   craving.

  his fingers are a light tease,     as he plays that bundle of nerves like an instrument.   his fingers the perfect thing to play it with.   and oh every breathey moan and hushed sound was like music to his ears.   he didn’t care that they were in the quidditch changing rooms.    he didn’t care that at any moment someone could walk in.   he honestly didn’t care,   his whole mind and thoughts were being consumed by her.    only her.   he barely even registers her stripping him of his shirt,    except to feel the light brush of cold air as it dances over his heated skin.    his dark eyes blown with desire as they pierce her in place.    and lord she was fantastic.   especially as she took control,   her powerful actions,   her sweet command.   it set him on fire.

     lips hitch up,    a smirk covering every inch of his lips as he shoves down her trousers,    his own soon following as he lifts her into his arms,   pinning her against the wall with the steady power of his own frame.      “   as you command    ……   baby  !!.    ”      the final part of the sentence     [  .  .  .  ]     is punctuated with his hips snapping forward.   his hard length burying inside of her warm heat.    his groan is punctuated along the column of her throat as he lets the feel of her surround him.    but he doesnt linger for long.   as hips soon set a almost punishing speed,   each snap of his hips a visual representation of the need that was inside of him.   the need that was quite literally going to eat him alive if he wasn’t careful.   merlin he didn’t think he’d ever get enough of her.   not when she was like this,  wild and untamed.   and so gloriously his.

Astra thought she had been the one being forward, being impatient, but now she saw that it was Julius who had been reigning himself in the entire time, holding back a WILD side of him she didn’t know he had. A side that completely encompassed her, drowned her in his touches, his SIN. It’s as if he had been playing the gentleman part up till now, – and he was unable to hold back this side of him that suddenly abandoned all pretenses and put to action whatever THOUGHTS had been swirling through his mind. 

But she couldn’t really think, not as her legs shook from her first orgasm, as he continued slamming into her from behind, all the way to the hilt, over and over –  

The command washed over her, feeling his large hand wrap around his wrist and tug her lowered face up, meeting his eyes in the mirror. Her pupils were dilated, breaths coming out in shudders as he slowed, dragging out the wave after wave of pleasure. His warm hand wrapped around her neck had viciously inappropriate thoughts swirling through her mind – all in positions that involved his fingers gripping her neck, and taking what he wanted. A soft whine left her as he bit down against the side of her neck, spikes of pleasure running down her spine over the sensitivity of THAT SPOT, one which he appeared to know about.  

She wouldn’t be able to keep herself upright, that was for sure, Not when his sinful voice filled her ears in a way she couldn’t HELP but obey. She watched the ways in which he filled her, the way his expression clouded with pleasure, the way the temperature in this trailer seemed to SKY-ROCKET. He amped up his thrusts, increasing them in intensity and her eyes rolled back, closing. Her sounds couldn’t really be contained, moans echoing off the trailer walls. An arm came up reaching behind her to wrap around his neck, head tilting up more as fingers curled into his hair, bringing his lips down to hers. Their harsh breaths mixed in with each other, lips clashing, eating her moans right up. “Jules — Jules I need to touch you.” She barely got the words out, though her hands wanted to run all over his back, leaving scratches in her wake, wanted to mess up his styled hair, wanted to tear that shirt off his frame, wanted, wanted, wanted – but she couldn’t think, not when he fucked her like this.

  HE  HAD  BEEN  HIDING ;       his true self behind a façade.         (   𝑐𝛼𝑔𝜄𝜋𝑔  𝘩𝜄𝑠  𝜏𝑟𝜇𝜀  𝜔𝜄𝑙𝜕  𝑠𝜄𝜕𝜀.   )         as oh he knew   ;    if he was truly to let it loose.   he probably would have scared her away.    so he allowed a sense of slowness to fill their interactions,   careful of every step he took.   He was the gentleman his mother raised him to be,   allowing all his manners to encompass him whole.    a façade he war with a gentle smile and soft hands.    it wasn’t who he was as a person,   but he was an actor so he was used to wearing the right mask for different reasons.   and that was what he used this as.    a simple mask as he got to know her,   became tangled up in knots that tied him irrevocably to her.   the one he wanted.

     but like this      —     there was no denying how he felt.    no hiding behind a facade or mask      [  .  .  .  ]       as he let out his wild side.   his hips not stopping in the way they were dragging pleasure from her body.    working her up into a frenzy as he relishes in every single moan and sound that left her lips.   a brand new song that he fucking adored.    and oh he was more than thankful that he wasn’t needed for a while,   as he had plans to all but fuck his mark deep into her skin.   and as his dark eyes meet hers in the mirror he enjoys the flush that dances along her skin.   the way his hand wraps around her throat as though it was built to sit there.    her frame moulding to his,   as though fate had deemed them both to be built for the other.   relishing in the feel of her.

    her orgasm was glorious,     as he devours every tick and twitch that wraps around her face.   oh her features were so expressive and he devoured it all.    not to mention the twitch at the way his teeth sunk into her flesh,   the whine that falls off her lips.   oh he was going to be remembering that bit of information.    and the way her fingers tangle in his hair have small slithers of pleasure trailing down his spine.   and oh her words had just the right amount of whine,   that he was lost.   lost in the feeling of her and the pleasure and friction that was between them.    he smirks,   almost evilly into the mirror at her request.    part of him wanting to give in but a much larger part,   wanted to deny her.   to keep the control firmly in his hands for a little longer.   to make her come undone.

He was INSANE. He had to be, in order to keep doing this over and over again. And for what? Astra? Why did he want her so badly? Astra was just a simple seer, running her own shop, minding her own business. A deep, dark part of herself, one that she was too afraid to mention, was entranced by him. Drawn to him like a flame to a moth. The only difference was…she knew she might get BURNED.  

Her dreams were not even safe from his presence. And of course he didn’t answer the most important question she had – why HER. But then again, Julius was rather evasive. Though he was showing far more patience than she thought right now. She had suspicions of WHAT he was, but nothing could have prepared her for how he lowered his blocks between them, allowing her to sense EVERYTHING. Since it was a dream, she was able to stop the influx of colours that showed themselves through the form of his aura. Instead, she was able to focus on his set species. Of what he was – and by the gods. 

She inhaled sharply, though not entirely by what he revealed to her, partially also because he was in her personal space, his large hand dragging down the curve of her jaw so intimately, as if he had done it 100 times before, as if there was connection between them that had developed far beyond her comprehension. She saw him. She saw all of him.  

“You’re…You’re everything,” she managed to get out, mind spinning, body instinctively leaning towards him even though her mind told her she should go in the other direction. “Your wolf is….a blessed being. Your magic — a powerful witch,” her brows furrowed as she concentrated, blinking a few times. “You are living death…a vampire, but birthed by – no. It -,” her temples began to pulse. “You have god blood in you.” Beyond the essence of him she detected, there was so much going on with him. He was A STORM of chaos. She didn’t understand how a storm of power could be contained within him…. without going mad.  

Or maybe he was mad. He had to be. Now she understood why he was so arrogant, why people bowed at his feet, begging to be spared. Why he ruled the lands with an iron fist. He was … quite frankly, at the top of the food chain of supernatural beings. And he called her Angel. “How do you cope — ,” she couldn’t help the whisper of a question, brown eyes colliding with his despite the oncoming headache. “How do you cope with all that chaos and power inside you? Is it not…painful?” The question was not spoken out of anything but care and curiosity. She knew… if most people had what Julius had going on within him… they’d PERISH.

  HE  WAS  A  BASTARD ;       that much is true.         (   𝛼𝜋𝜕  𝜋𝜎𝑟  𝜔𝛼𝑠  𝘩𝜀  𝛼𝑏𝜎𝜇𝜏  𝜏𝜎  𝜕𝜀𝜋𝜑  𝜄𝜏.   )         he had a tendency   ;    to get what he wanted and used his power to navigate through the treachery that was life.    most supernaturals tended to shift out of his way,   never wanting to get caught in the storm that was him.    hell he could command a room the moment he walked into it.   all eyes drifting towards him,   even if previously they’d been too scared to catch his eyes.    it was the way of the world to which he belonged.    his father had raised him to never ask what he wanted,    just to take instead.    and oh he had done just that all his life.   had taken what he wanted and never apologized for his desires,    nor his wants.    and thus,   yes he may have grown a tad egotistical.    but he really didn’t care.

  but she was the light      —     the light that was breaking through his darkness.    the light      [  .  .  .  ]       that was keeping him a float in all the chaos he surrounded himself in.    if he was a better man he would have let her go,    would have granted her freedom from someone like him.    and oh he had tried,   giving her guards to keep him physically away.   but then he’d hounded her dreams.   unable to appreciate even the smallest amount of distance between them.     so yeah he was not a good man,   that much was plainly obvious.    but he would be lost without her.    he knew that.    and maybe that was why he was even allowing some of his walls to come down.   to show what was hidden inside.

  his hand holds her,   as she sways towards him.    eyes burning into hers as she lists everything she sees.    sees his chaos and separates it all with ease.      “   I was born a witch and a wolf    ……   the vampire came from my sister.    the granddaughter of hades and hecate  !!.    ”      secrets revealed     [  .  .  .  ]     and yet he was still keeping so much of himself hidden.  he was skirting the major question she kept asking.   why her,   but oh he wasn’t prepared to answer that just yet.   it was something he was still trying to name himself and for right now,   he wasn’t sure if he wanted to share till he knew what it was.    but oh one thing she would sense in him,    he was in no way going to be letting her go anytime soon.   not at all.

Julius was PERSISTENT and RELENTLESS in his pursuit of knowledge - something Astra should have foreseen, but alas even she thought he’d give up when she was being evasive and not answering regarding her earlier comment about ‘the first of thousands’. Gods, she shouldn’t even have said that, but Astra did not have much of a filter. Not around him. 

After the fifth or sixth time of him persisting, she finally went out with it, in the most summarizing, conclusive, blunt way. She had seen them…. in almost all timelines. Wherever both Astra and Julius existed, they were both drawn to each other in ways that only spoke of fate. Astra did not know the “why” and perhaps she was not meant to, for it was as natural as the earth rotating, as natural as the existence of all reality, that Astra and Julius would be drawn to each other. In some timelines, the power of their love and all they accomplish together is spoken in legends themselves. 

And in some timelines, she’s left broken hearted and alone. Those timelines were few and far in between….. they were quite possibly a negative to balance out the positive. 

She didn’t want this conversation. Not at all. But for him pushing it repeatedly, she perhaps would have worded it better, but Astra did not want to filter herself with him. Still, there was the small voice in the back of her mind, one that voiced her fear that he’d run away and shut her out. As he so often did in other timelines….even ones where she was a goddess. So instead, she merely watched him as he took her words in, her expression blank, which was rather uncharacteristic of her. 

“Yes.” There was no other way to answer it. That was exactly what he did. Though she did not elaborate; she didn’t think she had to. It was clear in her eyes and her demeanour.  

Oh, Astra could sense the bite to his tone, but she didn’t take it personally. However, him asking her how to fix it caused her to breathe through her nose rather forcefully, almost refraining from sighing in exasperation. “You just said it yourself. You put everyone else before yourself… and did not work enough on your own self-development. Further, you slam the doors of communication and refuse to let anyone in, including myself. You feel as if you do not deserve a mate and it causes you to lash out. Identifying the problems are the first step. The only way to fix it, I’m afraid…. is to face it head on like you face everyone else’s problems for them.” Her words were not at all sugar coated, they were cut-throat, Astra was not usually like this, but she wasn’t going to coddle him. Not when it came to this.

She paused, closing her eyes briefly, before opening them. “I did not want to have this conversation until much, much later. Perhaps never at all, really. There is no magical solution to stop your insecurities from blowing up. I’ve told you the consequences it has on you… on US. And Julius… I am here for you. That is almost ALWAYS a constant regardless of who we are… or where we are. Even in timelines where things do not work out, there is no doubt if you needed me, I’d drop everything to be there for you. It is not about whether you are deserving… it is simply as natural as breathing for me.” She held his gaze. “Like the sun rises and sets, there is no doubt you are my other half, my equal. Though what I can tell you is….in timelines where we work towards friendship first…. those are the most successful.” Except for one, but she did not want to think about that one.

She stood from her seat, eyeing the door before glancing at him once more. “I can give you some time to think, if that is what you want. But there will be no more visits from me until you deem yourself ready.”

  HE  COULD  ALREADY  FEEL  IT ;       his walls shifting into place.         (   𝘩𝜄𝑠  𝜕𝜀𝑓𝜀𝜋𝑐𝜀  𝑚𝜀𝑐𝘩𝛼𝜋𝜄𝑠𝑚  𝑐𝜎𝑚𝜄𝜋𝑔  𝜄𝜋𝜏𝜎  𝜌𝑙𝛼𝜑  𝜎𝜋𝑐𝜀  𝑚𝜎𝑟𝜀.   )         his anger was starting to burn   ;    as the iron walls slammed into place.   he had been warned a thousand times,  that something like this would happen.    that his insecurities would come ,   and start to eat away at any bit of happiness he had.    he’d known it as well,    had known it for far longer than anyone had to tell him.    he had watched as Melitta healed,    let go of all her issues and moved on.    but he had let the founds wester,    to become an infection that pulsed beneath the surface.   tainting his view and his mind.    buried beneath his thousand and one walls.

  he runs a stressed hand      —     through his dark hair as he listens to what she lists.    listens to the words      [  .  .  .  ]       she speaks and is almost thankful for the cut throat way she does.    even if his anger didn’t appreciate it.   here she was laying his issues at his feet as though she knew him.    she had seen him,   a thousand times over and was laying it all at his feet.   and in reality he wished she never did.    wished she’d never reminded him of how fucking broken he was,    of how tarnished his soul was.    the reason he had never healed from any of it,  was because his default setting was protection.   Artemis had hardwired him that way,    her double blessing meaning it was much harder for him to ignore another’s issues and focus on his own.   he knew that,    it was one of the many things he did know.

    sighing softly,   he turns from her gaze.    feeling naked under it.    and yeah in this moment he was cursing her goddess nature.     hating how naked he was to her with no secrets.     but that was just a rash thought,    born of left over anger from his own insecurities being laid at his feet.      “   do you want to know why i’m the way i am    ……   because i’m hard wired to protect.    after i let my sister get abused and made the choice to never let it happen again.   its as though something in me shifted.    locking in place,    and no matter how i try.   i can never put someone else’s issues below my own.    never make a choice for myself if someone else needs me   !!.    ”     he hated it     [  .  .  .  ]     hated that this was who he was.    and the words are only able to escape his chest because she’d called him out.    because she’d aired them and giving him a way to talk.     an ear to listen.

  head hits heavily,    off the cupboard behind his head.    the pain a gentle prodding reminder to keep his anger at bay.    luckily his wolf was sleeping and it made thigns a lot easier.    he only had his human emotions to deal with.      “  why do you stay    ……   in every timeline.   if i’m such a bastard,    and there’s no denying i am.   why do the fates deem you beside me,   why do you stay  !!.    ”      he was confused     [  .  .  .  ]      if his damaged edges hurt her,    if he hurt the one he was supposed to protect.   then he didn’t deserve her to be beside him.     he didn’t deserve the softness or beauty that was her.          “ as standing here right now,   i can’t even picture hurting you.    i can’t even picture shutting you out.     but im guessing i do in about a week.   ”       he growls to himself.    wondering if it was possible to punch himself in the face.    or did he need to go get Mel to do it for him.

Julius still remembered her body like his own. She was barely hanging on, barely keeping herself from falling over the edge as she rode him, but when his hips thrust up to the rhythm she kept with her own, she couldn’t help the whine that escaped her lips, the flush on her body deepening in colour. He always knew how to undo her, knew her body, her mind, her heart – he always had right from the beginning. That is why it had been so devastating. No one else could compare, could they? Not even when she tried – and oh, she had tried dating other men, sleeping with other men. Even dating women. It always left a sour taste in her mouth and felt all sorts of wrong.

Her nails dug against his chest, almost drawing blood as he timed his words with his thrusts, hitting a spot inside her JUST right, she almost saw stars, tears pricking at the back of her eyes, similar to how Julius had a few moments prior.  When he sat up, lips dancing across her chest, finding the piercing she had gotten in their teenage years, she couldn’t help the moan that fell from her lips. 

She was losing control, spiralling, and a subconscious part of her held onto the control possessively, for it was the one habit she had developed since the incident: to never hand over control. Even as she orgasmed, it seemed a part of her wanted to hold onto the control, to remind her what happened the last time she gave it all up blindly. 

“ – Gods,” she choked out, as his arm wraps around her waist and lifted her hips off his cock before guiding it down again, timing it perfectly with his thrusts, hitting that spot inside her so relentlessly. His words – she didn’t know how much she needed to hear them in this moment. How it had always been her. Always. It caused that grip of control to ease and she felt her orgasm beginning to slam into her, letting him guide her through it, giving her control up for him.

The growl of his words pierced through her, showing her just how much HE was losing control too, how utterly close he was to falling off the edge with her. “Jules –,” her head fell back as she tightened around him, letting go of the control, falling completely off the edge as moans and soft whimpers left her, nails clawing at his back desperately as waves of pleasure wracked through her body, hitting a high she didn’t want to come down from. “Oh,” she couldn’t help the whine. This. This is what it was supposed to feel like. She had forgotten. 

  THIS  WAS  A  DANCE ;       he could do in his sleep.         (   𝜏𝘩𝜀  𝑠𝜏𝜀𝜌𝑠  𝜎𝘩  𝑠𝜎  𝑓𝛼𝑚𝜄𝑙𝜄𝛼𝑟  𝜋𝜎  𝑚𝛼𝜏𝜏𝜀𝑟  𝜔𝘩𝛼𝜏.   )         her body was a map   ;    that he knew every curve too.   a song that he knew the lyrics for even without hearing the music.    and its how he was able to increase the pleasure,    to bring her the one thing he knew how to do,   bring her pleasure and see her reach heights that she deserved to see.   his hips moving in such a way to achieve it,  as memories played in his mind along side reality.    blurring together and creating a storm that he was happily lost inside.    it hit against him,   thrashed in his heart and lord he was lost,    lost in the feeling that was her.   his forever.

   he could see with ease     —     the way she kept control.   her nails digging into his chest      [  .  .  .  ]       was the final punctuation mark on that.   so he lets her have it,    knowing it was his damage that had caused it.   but he had no problem with her having the control,   he enjoyed looking up at her,  watching every flicker of emotion as it burns across her face.   watches her come undone and flush in a way that was his favourite sight.    he hadn’t slept with anyone else in years,   concentrating primarily on his sobriety and beating his demons.    but even if he had been with others,   there was no one else that could replace her.   not in his heart,    that was still hers.   and the day she had walked away,   she had taken it with her.

    the way they move,   always together,   always in sync.   has him coming undone.   the way her walls tighten with the orgasm bringing him so close to that brink.     and yet he wanted to hold on a little longer.     and he rides her through it,    his strength now controlling her body,    but also guiding her at the same time,   as he works her towards a final orgasm,    and to his.      “   fuck   ……   angel.    i love you.   always you  !!.    ”      the words fell     [  .  .  .  ]     in heated whispers.    but truth shined from every syllable.   as his orgasm gets closer and closer,   the heat building at his lower back,   tightening and aching and lord he needed the release.    but hers would always come first,    shown in how he speeds up,   angling his hips to hit that part deep inside that he knew so well.   wanting her pleasure to slam into her first.    riding through her system.

She’d had a vision. Something about her destiny, her fate, was tied to this man. It was undeniable and unshakable, the bonds that brought them together. She didn’t understand it, didn’t understand why her mind went blank everytime he came close to her or why she kept ignoring the warning bells that kept going off in her mind whenever he was near. There was darkness everywhere within him; he was powerful beyond measure, feared across the lands as the devil himself and yet, for some utterly strange reason, he was obsessed with her. 

It was evident in his actions, in his pursuit, in his eyes. He had latched on and he would not let go anytime soon, not until she became completely and utterly HIS. Before the visions Astra had the impression that he just wanted to have her body, wanted the chase, liked the pursuit of getting what he wanted. But then she saw their fates tied, and now she was hearing his words. 

She moaned as he slowed down, toes curling as she felt every inch of him dragged in and out in a slowed down pace that had her trembling slightly,  his words piercing through her heart, the sudden softness of his words, the feel of his lips along her spine, has her whimpering out his name. She had questions about his words, but right now her mind was emptying out of all thoughts save for him. Save for the words he spoke. 

There were parts of him unravelling too, coming undone just as she was. “Julius,” she choked out his name, hoping, praying that no one walked into her shop as her body and mind completely gave themselves up to him. She was letting out soft sounds, breathy moans as they both began to lose themselves in each other. Even as she was bend over the counter, she reached behind her, hand covering his where it was gripping her hips, just so she could get more contact. Astra wanted to FEEL HIM, wanted to run her hands over his form, but right now, he couldn’t THINK, not when he spoke like that, not when she became WILD and matched how she felt. Not when he stretched her so wide and hit a spot inside her that had her squirming and whining his name as she tightened around him, eyes screwed shut as she felt an onslaught of her second orgasm, legs beginning to tremble from the release that was slamming into her, lips parting and back arching.  

For the first time since she’d gotten these abilities, since she’d discovered touch was harmful to her, since she’d realized how lonely her existence was — for the first time since that moment, she felt alive. Felt wild, felt FREE.  “M-Mine,” her whisper was hoarse, in a voice she barely recognized, in a tone she never used. “You’re mine.”

  THEY  WERE  LINKED ;       in ways even the fates couldn’t argue.         (   𝜋𝜎𝜏  𝜏𝘩𝛼𝜏  𝘩𝜀'𝜕  𝑙𝜀𝜏  𝜏𝘩𝜀𝑚.   )         he knew it   ;    right down to his bones he knew that she belonged to him.   that their fates were tied in a way that no one could disrupt.   there would be nothing that could come between them and then of course there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her.    he would burn the world,   if she asked and he would do it with a smile.    lord for someone to have that power over him was unknown,   and he was still adjusting to such a thing,   but she was his queen,   and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her.   her pleasure and happiness was his number one priority.    even for someone as dark as him.

   she was his     —     and everyone knew it      [  .  .  .  ]       there was no way anyone dared to touch her.    even now his guards had told him how people avoided the shop.   his claim all but burning in the air and it amused him.    lord knows she wouldn’t be if she found out that he’d unintentionally been chasing away some of her customers.    oh fuck it,   it wasn’t unintentional.   he was doing it on purpose.    keeing people away from her,   and their true intentions as she was beautiful and could call anyone too her.   but he didn’t want to disrupt her customer base,   that much he’d admit too.   everything else,  yeah okay he did on purpose.   she was his queen,   and his alone.   his angel.

 his his stutter slowly,    dragging out all the pleasure he could as she nears her second orgasm.   her hand resting on his has him growling as he feels the warmth of her skin soak into his.    his whole body hardwired to her already,   wanting to drag it out,   make her feel heaven before he dragged her closer to his darkness.    because fuck right here with her,   he felt a softness he knew he didn’t deserve,   but every part of him wanted.   he wanted to drown in her,   and as her orgasm nears,   there was an incessant feeling within him,   needing to bring her even closer to a release,   his body and mind already planning her third.   as fuck she was glorious like this.   all his.

Klarick was VILE. A horrendous being she could not BELIEVE held the title of Julius and Melitta’s birth father. There was little motive or reasoning behind Klarick’s actions. He simply wanted power, and more importantly, he wanted to make his children suffer to attain that power. It had warped his mind, made it something so monstrous, there was no chance at redemption. Every soul Astra had encountered at that point had a chance at redemption, had the opportunity present itself to be redeemed…to be cleansed. There was no hope for this one, not one bit. 

Astra was in so much pain,  her vision blurring as she curled into herself, clutching her arm as it cut open and then healed itself, her screams of pain echoing through the chamber. How – how was he doing this?! Her body heat skyrocketed, her necklace BURNING at her throat in warning. Though when the cuts stopped, it was now the breath being stolen from her lung. She gasped, hand flying to her throat in panic as she could FEEL her airway closing up slowly. Her breath hitched, pain evident in her features as her vision began to blur. She couldn’t answer his question - though it must be another mind game. She was MORTAL.  

The colours came back, swirling around her as her vision began to go dark, gasping for air. And suddenly it wasn’t aura colours, it was the swirls of MAGIC that surrounded them. She could see the dark energy of the spell he knitted flowing to her, wrapping around her throat. Astra, as her vision darkened, reached up and pushed against that energy, feeling it SHATTER at her touch and whip back towards Klarick, wrapping around HIS throat instead. She didn’t know it yet, but she had redirected magic itself back to the sender. She felt her throat ease and she sharply inhaled, catching her breath, near collapsing from the light headedness. 

Raw, hot panic crept up her throat, over what had just happened, over what she had just done. The desperation of feelings and regret and confusion wrapping around her like a cloak, manifesting into a form of energy that was building, building, building — “Let me GO!” Her necklace began to glow. Vials around the room SHATTERED, Books beginning to glitch? Glitch in and out of existence. Appearing in one area and then reappearing in another, Astra’s desperation taking the form of chaotic energy. “Stop!! Stop doing this!” White bled into brown irises before her necklace flashed with a high energy light and it all just — Stopped. It felt like a dam had been put up, a barrier that capped whatever had been going on inside her. She shook her head before clutching it, feeling an oncoming headache.

  OH  HE  COULD  SEE ;       the disgust shining in her eyes.         (   𝛼𝜋𝜕  𝜄𝜏  𝜕𝜄𝜕𝜋'𝜏  𝑏𝜎𝜏𝘩𝜀𝑟  𝘩𝜄𝑚  𝛼𝜏  𝛼𝑙𝑙.   )         he never said   ;    that he was anything but.    he was a bastard,   he was a disgusting stain on this earth.    he had figured that out over two thousand years ago,   when he formed a bunch of hunters to go after his family.    those same hunters that had raped his daughter,   oh when he heard that news he had laughed.    and wanted nothing more but her daughter.   and then of course she had turned out to be a different power,    one he couldn’t control nor use.    but it was fun breaking her.   that much he’d admit.    and yeah it did nothing more than secure the knowledge that burned within.   that he was a bastard.

  his own necklace      —     sits against the column of his throat.    burning against his skin      [  .  .  .  ]       the power was Ellie and Melitta’s.   a constant source that he tapped into,   as oh whilst his magic was weak,   when mixed with theirs he was unstoppable.   even able to go up against them,      to cause them the right amount of pain to make them come undone.    and oh he enjoyed watching them as they unravelled.   but right now it was their power he was using,   to attack his sons mate.   to cause her pain in the short amount of time he had left.    as he’d looked at the hourglass on the table.    the one linked to his son,    and he saw the sand falling at a much quicker rate.    meaning Julius was drawing closer,   and far quicker than klarick had anticipated.   well shit.

       he feels his magic,   being returned to him,   and it has his head cocking in wonder.   as he ends the spell quickly before his breathe can be stolen.    her words echo in his mind,    power wrapping around the syllables as dark eyes watch everything in the room.    and oh he knew it was her,    as even with the strength of his magic,    he could never do that.      “   well  well    ……   aren’t you just full of surprises  ??.    ”      his laughter is wicked     [  .  .  .  ]     and ice cold as he steps closer.    his fingers dancing along her collarbone,   so close to her necklace but with enough space that he isn’t hurt by any of the power that may reside inside of it.     she intrigued him,   and he wished he had all the time in the world o figure her out.    to unravel her secrets.

Julius seemed to understand her, even when she did not speak. That was not a skill that anyone else in the Institute had, in her opinion. Elysia and Elias avoided her like the plague – when they were supposed to be family. Astra could see Elysia’s expression darken with frustration during meal times, as if she was refraining from doing something… and she could only assume, based on what had gone down at the Council meeting, that she was holding back from telling her to hurry up and become the weapon they so desperately needed. 

Astra forced herself to stop thinking about that and focus on Julius, who was much more pleasant to think about it. Lately, she had found herself smiling at the mere thought of him. It was becoming a problem, especially since she couldn’t voice how special he was to her. And writing it all down… well… she was shy, let’s just say that. She wanted to heal… wanted to get her voice back… so that she could be capable of supporting him the way he supported her since she had been rescued.  

The brush of his knuckles against her arm, combined with the feel of his presence settling in right next to her had her smile widening. She glanced down at the book in question. The Ministry of Historical Affairs had released a book on very updated findings in ancient greek mythology, in which there was evidence of the gods mingling with the Nephilim. In fact, there was a whole tomb found with stories that mentioned them. She was currently devouring the book. 

At the mention of Ellie, her hand found his arm, resting it comfortably there as warmth spread in her chest. She definitely had a soft spot for Ellie, who had fought for her while being a complete stranger to Astra. She would pay a visit to Ellie.  It had captured her heart in ways she could not explain. Eyes met Julius’ before she reached over, taking out her notepad, scribbling quickly before showing him: ‘ Tell Mel to be careful. I overheard talks about her on thin ice ’.  

She set it down before turning to the next page, writing for a few brief seconds before showing him once more: ‘ How long is Ellie here for? Also, am I really that predictable? It makes me want to challenge that a bit. Next time you’ll have to work harder to track me down ’. Her smile curved up a bit more, eyes twinkling with a rare amusement.

    THEY  HAD  A  BOND ;       that went far deeper than spoken words.         (   𝑓𝛼𝑟  𝜕𝜀𝜀𝜌𝜀𝑟  𝜏𝘩𝛼𝜋  𝑚𝜎𝑠𝜏  𝜏𝘩𝜄𝜋𝑔𝑠.   )         she didn’t need to speak   ;    for him to guess what she was thinking.   or what she needed.   he only had to look at her and it was as though he could read her mind.   which was a dangerous thing he knew,    and one of the reasons he had avoided the rune that gave that gift.    his sister had done it once and then tried to literally burn the rune from her skin.   thus he preferred his natural intuition.    which seemed to be dialled up to a thousand in Astra’s presence.   as was his protective nature,    lord there wasn’t a single thing that could outdo.    when it came to her,   he was just,   dialled up to a thousand in every way.

  he knew      —     she was having issues with her cousins.    that she thought Elysia’s mood swings      [  .  .  .  ]       was regarding Astra and her abilities'.   but Jules knew it was more about her thing with Deeks.    the two having to be so secretive unless they got caught.   which also meant not only was Mel up for the potential of her runs being stripped,   but so was Elysia.   it was a dangerous time they were all navigating,   trying to find a balance in the darkness.    trying to show that not all downworlders were evil.    and of course navigating their own issues close to home.   the council wanting to come in and make changes they had no understanding of.   when the shadowhunters as a whole,    had already changed themselves.   they no longer enjoyed the councils ruling,   nor saw in just black and white.    they’d long ago introduced shades of grey.

  reading her words,   he sighs with a soft nod.      “   I know    ……   they’re speaking of stripping her runes.    due to her skipping patrols to help out Deeks.    and of course every time Elias questions her,    she’s unable to answer.    which doesn’t help when he’s supposed to be putting her back in line  !!.    ”      he speaks quietly     [  .  .  .  ]     in case anyone else was listening.    but Astra was privy to the familial connection he had to the other family who had once lived here.   he had told her during one of their many bonding sessions.   and lord that day he had wondered if her arm would cramp,   as she’d written questions at a speed not even he could keep up with.    but he’d answered them all with patience and care.   entertaining her curiosity.

Soft laughter fell from her lips, holding her man close, nails gently dragging along his scalp. It was moments like these, moments of peace in the midst of chaos, that she truly appreciated. Their lives were far from easy… and their relationship was far from perfect – especially in the beginning - but there was honestly no one in this world she’d want to share this life’s journey with than with Julius. 

The Contavius family were not the most sane, that was for sure. They caused disruptions almost everyday. They were rowdy, loud, invasive, but the love they shared was genuine. There’s nothing that family wouldn’t do for each other and she was rather proud to be a part of it. 

While she was aware the tension and stress always returned (much like her own), Julius was a balm to her stress as much as she was to his. She pretended to be shocked, “Choosing cuddling over food? You must really need this,” she lifted her head a bit to press a kiss to the top of his before resting it back down again. She knew the past week had been one straight from hell, the chaos of it burning Julius’ stress levels to insurmountable heights. And unfortunately, when something went wrong, they almost always went to Julius (and sometimes Astra) to help fix it.  

She chuckled, body slightly shaking from the movement underneath him, “I doubt you can cage those two… but I do believe that last earthquake of Oliver’s was less damaging than his usual ones so…. improvement?” Oh she was only messing with him, making light of the situation. “I have restored the woman’s eyesight… the one who unfortunately looked at Raza in the presence of Karina, so that part is taken care of, love.” She caressed his hair lovingly before rubbing his back in soothing circles. “As for Elias… hmm, I simply stay out of their issues,” amusement laced every syllable. “I’m afraid she’s going to be knocked up a few more times…. but that’s a problem for later. Much later.”

  AS  A  FAMILY ;       they were beyond crazy.         (   𝜄𝑓  𝑐𝑟𝛼𝑧𝜑  𝜔𝛼𝑠  𝜏𝘩𝜀  𝑟𝜄𝑔𝘩𝜏  𝜔𝜎𝑟𝜕  𝜏𝜎  𝜇𝑠𝜀.   )         they’d lived far longer   ;    than most people alive.  and had only met a select handful of immortals who were older.   and strangely they were either friends or past lovers of such.   but due to their long lives,   extended by the grace of immortality.     they had learnt to not let trivial things weigh them down.    oh it was true that some emotions stained their souls,   tainting it and sitting to fester.    but other then that,   they did what they wanted and when they wanted to do it.    they knew how to have a laugh,   and that meant they were loud.    also secrets weren’t really a thing in their family.    but it was who they were.     and there was probably nothing in this world that could make them change.   absolutely nothing.

  but they loved      —     and it was the fiercest thing in existence.    of that he was completely sure      [  .  .  .  ]       as no one else would go to the same lengths that he and his family would go for each other.   or for those who were linked to the family.    it was why they were so dangerous,   why the supernatural world quaked at the mention of their names.   as most of their reputation was built on the limits they’d go for each other.    the other half was the damage they could deal on their enemies.   and then of course you couldn’t forget the strong as hell people they were linked too.    after all they had Karina on their side,   and now her mate.   they had Elias and Elektra.   and whilst their marriages had been to stop a war,    the downside was all power now shifted to one family.     and everyone knew it.

   but for now,      he simply enjoys the peace that comes with spending time with Astra.   the aura around soaking in and alleviating the pain of his worries.    luckily for him he found someone who understood,   who could look at him and know how he was thinking,   what he was thinking and what his moves would be.    it helped make things easier,   not to mention they moved in a way that meant they were in sync.    which also helped,   but right now,   none of that was bugging him.    he was too busy focusing on the calming aura,    her calming presence,   and the softness and love surrounding them.    heaven.

      he snorts at her tease,    eyes dragging to watch her as she kisses his forehead,   his fingers lazily drawing circles on her side.      “   hey,    if i wanted to eat    ……   i don’t have to go far for my dessert  !!.    ”      obsidian eyes drag to hers     [  .  .  .  ]     as he waggles his eyebrows in comical fashion just for the fun of it.   allowing a tease to burn into the situation,    also helping to ease the stress he was feeling.    sometimes he really wished everyone would stop coming to him.    and let him have a simple day off.    but he guessed in some cases it made sense,   as after all he was the calm and level headed one.    especially where Mel was concerned.

    he snorts,    as he feels her chuckles beneath his head.   her words passing over and honestly making him shake his head.    “  please άγγελος    ……   it was still bad enough that μητέρα had to go and fix the damn ground.    but true,  he’s done worse.     and so has Demi in a mood  !!.    ”      he shivers     [  .  .  .  ]      it had been barely a week since they’d managed to contain Demi’s mood swing.    and get her necklace back on before she destroyed the place.    another issue that burned in his stress levels.          “  and i did warn Raza that Karina was dangerous to the female population.    she doesn’t share,   and that means a view too.   ”       which meant unfortunately a poor bitch lost her eyesight.    all for looking.

It was difficult to remain positive, to keep an upbeat attitude in life when Astra had absolutely nothing and no one. Oh, she wouldn’t dare do anything like fall in love or let anyone close to her because the few people that had…always got caught in the crossfire of her uncle’s obsession. She’d never forgive herself for that damage she’d caused to the few who had dared to care for her. Astra had been living for the shred of a possibility that she may life freely and die freely without her uncle getting in the way, but now that possibility had narrowed down to zero. They were headed right into the eye of the hurricane and it was now only a matter of time before she faced her biggest fear.  

Julius’ touch burned her, only because it had felt so gentle and caring, something she had grown up feeling she did not deserve. Her uncles touch was always harsh. leaving bruises and blood…. and she had seen for herself how terrifying he was when he murdered her parents. Touch was something rather tough of a subject, a trauma she had no time to address as she was always on the run or working to hide her identity as much as possible. And so, her reaction was what it was with Julius. It didn’t help that he had manhandled her and drugged her unconscious in the beginning either. But, she didn’t let any of that trauma surface, didn’t let it show, even though Julius’ need for wanting a straight answer must be driving him crazy. 

Heading out tonight? Brown eyes glanced down at his wounds. Oh she KNEW there were injuries that required him to rest. There was another power she had, one of healing others, and that power not even her uncle knew about. Perhaps if he wasn’t her enemy, her harbringer of death, she would heal him. But right now, she did not have a shred of empathy left in her. It was void, a dark hole in her chest, as if some part of her that had accepted death also accepted the death of her kindness and good heart.  

She hovered over as he stood though, glancing at whatever he had discovered, and it caused a wave of shock fill her expression. “My uncle,” she whispered. “Why… why would he attack us – attack YOU?” It didn’t make sense as Julius was on the path to delivering her; why disrupt that? Something clicked. “He’s located me… meaning … he has no more use of you. And doesn’t intend on paying you that hefty sum.” The tone was grim. This changed things… changed them immensely. Her uncle was a terrible person through and through. 

The safehouse. His sister. It was the first time she’d heard of him having a sibling. But the next town over… it would be a journey with those injuries. And if she knew her uncle, more would come in waves if they weren’t in their best form. She sighed and walked over, determination glinting in her eyes before her hands came up, resting against his cheeks. And then she closed her eyes, breathing out slowly, activating her healing magic as her hands glowed gold, spreading across his skin like lightning, traveling to where there were sprains, bruises, cuts, and mending them all over the course of a minute, her body heat rising, a delicate blush spreading across her cheekbones from the concentration of magic. 

When she had completed the healing process, she opened her eyes, hands staying where they are, looking a bit dazed before her vision cleared and she came back to reality. “…. If you tell anyone about this, I will shoot you…. Right down there, at your favourite part.” She held his gaze, daring him to contradict her. “Understood?”

  HE  HURT ;       and it was doing nothing to ease his dangerous mood.         (   𝜎𝘩  𝘩𝜀  𝜔𝛼𝑠  𝑚𝜇𝑟𝜕𝜀𝑟𝜎𝜇𝑠.   )         he was healing he knew   ;    but not quick enough.    as there had been something on the blades they used,   which meant her uncle had some inclination that he wasn’t human.   not many knew that as he hid it well,   as he hid everything about him.   Hell he didn’t even use his normal surname so her uncle was playing in dangerous waters.   but he would soon larn that Julius was king of those waters and he would make the asshole pay.    vengeance was dish he knew how to serve cold,    and blood on his hands was nothing new either.  he would coat his fingers,   to do what was needed.

   he sighs softly      —     as he allows the agitation to burn its course.      [  .  .  .  ]       flowing through his system and turning into the anger he needed.    he knew he had to be cautious with his steps,   he had Astra to look after now,   and he also had to protect himself and his family.   and thus he couldn’t do his usual moves.    but right now he concentrates on what he was doing,   finding anything he could on the bodies,   weapons,  information and more importantly money.    all of his plans needed it in some way,    so no matter his choice that was what was needed.    but he is painfully aware of where Astra is.

  eyes cast over his shoulder,   as she notes what is in his hand,    and puts the same puzzle together that he did.      “   He has    ……   but he’ll learn i am not a man to double cross.   nor am i the forgiving kind to those that try to kill me  !!.    ”      his words are a growl     [  .  .  .  ]     as already his head was churning with a million possibilities.   he was already coming up with a million possibilities and the glint in his obsidian eyes showed it.   showed the maliciousness but also the deadly intent that was his mind.   he had a good few exit strategies by the time she’d finished talking and knew more would be born and created,   by the time they reach the safe house.   of that he was sure.

  a dark brow raises,    as she draws closer.     his body growing rigid at her touch.   he can feel himself healing,   his skin knotting back together in the most delicate of ways and it has him curious.   but he concentrates on her,   a hand coming to hook around the crook of her elbow to steady her as she’s dazed.     and he also can’t help the quick laughter that drips from his lips,   her threat more than well aimed.    “  hmmm    ……   threat noted  !!.    ”      his words a rich croon     [  .  .  .  ]      as he bends to look at her,   dark eyes pinning her in place.          “ but it’s not my favourite part darling,   that would be my tongue.    it has many uses.   ”       winking he moves away from her and starts to scour the cupboards,    looking for anything flammable.   as he had to burn this place,   burn the bodies.   lest he end up wanted for murder.    and her along with it given her dna was here too.   and she was now under his protection.

“You’re so stubborn,” the words came out of her before she could help it when Julius told her that she should have told him about what was going on. Why add sadness and such a heavy burden on his shoulders when there was nothing that could be done? Though Astra knew the love he had for those he cared about and knew there were no boundaries to his stubbornness regarding that topic. And she was included. The words were spoken with an undertone of love, as she understood him better than most.  “How on EARTH would you have helped me?”

As he corrected her, the words washed over her like the crisp night are, clearing all doubt from her mind. Brown eyes went soft, cheek leaning into his hand a bit as she locked gazes with him. So she hadn’t been imagining it; it hadn’t been one sided at all. Though his escapades and various hookups certainly made her think otherwise. Perhaps that was one of the biggest rifts between them. Astra still recalled that first bite of jealousy when she overheard one of the girls talking about Julius… and what they had done.  “Your siblings teased you mercilessly…but you’ve known for a while haven’t you?” 

“You’re Jules…  you never fail,” she spoke softly, barely above a whisper, as if she were trying to preserve what was unfolding between them. She hoped this would last a bit longer, before reality came crashing her down from her high. 

His forehead was warm against hers, causing her eyes to fall shut, face heating up as her senses filled with Julius. The way he spoke, Astra knew there was no arguing with him or changing his mind. He’d set himself on fire if it meant keeping her warm. Astra wasn’t a fan of it, nor was it something she wanted him to to do. But it seems like he was sharing this journey with her whether she wanted him to or not. 

“Why do you think I can fight it…when no one else in my family has been able to?” Her eyes open just a bit, body instinctively leaning in closer to him. She never really was good at controlling her body language when she was near him, everything would give away her interest… hence the distance. But now? Now she had her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt along his chest and was soaking up the heat of his body as if she CRAVED It. But it came at odds with the internal war going on inside her despite their confession of love. Was it the right thing to do…. to continue loving him when it would lead to heartbreak? “But you deserve happiness, Jules. I want that for you… regardless of what happens.” Oh just like his stubbornness knew no bounds, Astra could be equally as stubborn. 

  HE  LETS  HER  RAGE ;       he lets her argue against his words.         (   𝜄𝜏  𝜔𝛼𝑠  𝛼𝑐𝜏𝜇𝛼𝑙𝑙𝜑  𝜅𝜄𝜋𝜕𝛼  𝑐𝜇𝜏𝜀.   )         but he was set in his ways   ;    his stubbornness knew no bounds and in this moment he wouldn’t shift.   he knew she could fight,    that she could survive and would change the fate of her familial line.   he had no idea where the deep routed belief in that came from.   but he knew it,   it was the truth that sat heavy in his heart as he looked at her.   paired with the fact he wished she’d have told him,   come to him with her struggles.   but he understood her reasoning,   he hadn’t made things this easy this year.   he had been avoiding her,   losing himself in useless whores.    but now,   now he knew the truth,   he had finally unlocked that part of his heart,   that was solely hers.   and along with it came his deep rooted protective instincts.

   his eyes never stray     —     as he watches her.   listens to every word that falls off her lips.   the way she argues against him      [  .  .  .  ]       but he was already forming all his arguments in retaliation.   already knowing in what direction he was focusing all of his answers.    she might have her own stubbornness at play.   but he wasn’t going to let that happen.    and it shows in the way he eyes her,   his stubbornness burning like an uncaged fire in his eyes.   he sighs,   as he looks down at her,   fingers tangling in her dark locks as he holds her close.   finally letting his own words fall from his lips.    but a heavy hand keeps her looking at him,   forcing her with kindness,   to listen as he speaks.

  “   Yes    ……   the whole time they teased.  i knew,   but i let them do it for their own fun.   it’s fun to see them smile  !!.    ”      it showed his heaviness     [  .  .  .  ]     of being the older sibling that he will always put their happiness before his own.    “  and listen to me angel    ……   you can fight this.   your fate will be different than the others.   because you have me.   you have Mel,   you have Oli.    even little Demi who follows you around when she isn’t in class  !!.    ”      tilting her head     [  .  .  .  ]      he places his lips against her forehead.          “  if you let us.    we’d fight this with you.    but the one thing you can’t fight is how much we love you.    and maybe that’s the key that makes it different.    the fact you have more family around you than you can handle sometimes.   ”       he  chuckles softly.    before shaking his head.

@ischyros sent:  “ nothing about any moment i’ve ever spent with you will ever be a regret. ” / jules  from [x]

She had to have been completely mad. Standing there, dressed like a man in the middle of the night after scaling two stories of the property to reach the floor of his bedroom. All because the two weeks of separation from him had killed her inside. Oh sure, her life was put into sheer chaos with the wedding planning. Elysia was still avoiding her and Julius after that…day, and Elias was no doubt being a micromanaging military officer to Julius as the plans went underway simply to protect her honour.

But where was that attitude from Elias when it came to his own wife? How was it fair that she be kept far away from the one person she wanted to see most in this world when Elias certainly did not conform to such propriety? It was the double standard that had her patience snapping and quite literally breaking into Elias’ home where Jules was confined to… just to see him. And finish what they started.

When she knocked and heard his bedroom door open, catching disheveled dark hair, and eyes that pierced right through her. Her gaze almost dropped low to the expanse of his skin on display, heat creeping up her neck at the sight but she kept her eyes on his. 

“Do you regret it?” The words fell from Astra’s lips before she could help them, a caress of a whisper in a darkened hallway. They let their emotions get the best of them and now he was stuck with her. It was a thought that plagued her mind, riddled with insecurities despite their confessions of love in the heat of the moment. What if his mind had changed? What if – 

Time slowed as she waited for her answer, though it couldn’t have been more than a heart beat before he spoke. Nothing about any moment i’ve ever spent with you will ever be a regret. Warmth flooded her chest, the love and longing clear as day on her expression, that fire and ache for him coming back tenfold.  “I miss you so much it hurts.” It was a breathless whisper, gaze eating up the sight of him as if she were STARVING.

  HE  WAS  ANNOYED ;       with his brother-in-law in a bad way.         (   𝜄𝜏  𝑏𝜇𝑟𝜋𝜀𝜕  𝜄𝜋𝑠𝜄𝜕𝜀  𝑙𝜄𝜅𝜀  𝛼  𝑓𝜄𝑟𝜀.   )         he was confined   ;    to Elias’ estate.   whilst the wedding plans were put in motion,   all to protect Astra’s honour which he understood.   but Melitta and himself had taken some amusement in knowing that Elias hadn’t followed such rules.   after all his sister was still a ‘maid’ in the eyes of everyone,   given her husband died before their consummated their marriage.    of course Julius knew that wasn’t true,   given her previous interactions with Elias.   but still,   given Melitta had an honour to protect,   there should have been propriety in place for their wedding.    but their wasn’t.   and oh the double standard was pissing Julius off.    at least twice Melitta had to stop him,   stop him from hitting her husband.

  so he spent his days with Demi      —     his little sister,   was a very welcome distraction      [  .  .  .  ]       she was as blunt as Julius at times.    never once conforming to society’s rules and it was an amusing thing for sure.     and thus he could bitch to Demi,   and she more than once repeated his words back to Elias,   which was a brilliant loophole around his twin.    but more than that,   his baby sister was a welcome distraction,   stopping him from taking what he wanted.   and doing what he knew was the one thing,   everyone was trying to stop him doing.    which was finishing what he and Astra had started.    gods even now he still burnt for her,   a lame he was sure wasn’t going out anytime soon.   all he wanted was her.

     he had sent an apology to Elysia ,     as he knew he had thrown his temper at her when it was undeserved.  but he knew it was going to be a while before she forgave him.    but he’d work on that,   as even with his own anger and desires,   he never should have treat her that way.    He’d heard from Deeks that she at least appreciated the gift,   something from Greece that he knew she’d like,   as well as a custom made pistol just for her.    but despite all that,   the fire for Astra still burnt.  it consumed him,    and as he stood,   looking out over the night air,   he could feel that need coiling within him.     the knock is a welcome distraction.   but as he sees her standing there,   it does nothing more than making him wanting.   his obsidian eyes burning into hers,    and he knew that fire would be there,   smouldering and needy.

  his answer had come quickly,   but truth covered every single part of the sentence.    he would never regret anything that involved her.    he could never bring himself to regret it,    even now with the wedding but a few days away.    eyes close briefly,   as she states she missed him,    and quicker than she anticipated,    his hand reaches out,   pulling free the hat she was wearing so his hands can tangle in her hair,    pulling her close to his shirtless frame.      “   I missed you    ……   so much so i was nearly in a few brawls with Elias  !!.    ”      eyes flash     [  .  .  .  ]     showing he had no regrets to those words.   as he finally seals his lips over hers.    gives into the one thing he’d been aching to do since she had been whisked away from him.    and lord his memory didn’t do her justice.   not at all.

@ischyros sent: “  you know, if you were a vegetable you’d be a cute-cumber.  ” // cerberus :D

Gloved hands were hidden behind the counter as she sat, going through some accounts. It was rare anyone came around this time, and she had all her defence shields up to ward off those with ill intent since…. strange beings looking for trouble wandered in during these ungodly hours. 

Astra couldn’t sleep, which was nothing new. She had been more tense than usual lately thanks to her visions becoming more and more intrusive. She couldn’t even make sense of them at times. But most of them resulted in migraines that had her struggling and chasing away sleep. She had a bowl of cucumbers she was snacking on, knowing that there was a strange but fascinating customer browsing her shop as if he were a child in a candy store. Astra’s Sight hadn’t kicked in just yet, but she presumed it would once she got some energy back. 

Brown eyes flicked up at the words and found the stranger rather close, his eyes a startling hellfire blue. She blinked once, then twice as silence stretched out between them. A breath of a laugh escaped her without meaning to before she quickly covered her mouth with her gloved hand. But the laugh spilled out again, albeit muffled. 

“I’m sorry I –,” shoulders shook with silent laughter as she dropped her hand from her mouth, revealing a grin. “That was terrible, honestly. But I needed that, thank you. I am glad to know if I was a vegetable, you would find me apeeling.” She hoped he picked up the pun there, as she decided to deliver an equally bad one in return. Why not? It’s been quite some time since she’d had a silly conversation. And neither her gut nor her Sight was picking up on any red flags from this dark and mysterious stranger.

  HE’D  FOUND  THE  PLACE ;       rather randomly during his nightly walk.         (   𝜏𝘩𝜎𝜇𝑔𝘩  𝜏𝘩𝜀  𝑓𝛼𝑐𝜏  𝜄𝜏  𝜔𝛼𝑠  𝜋𝜄𝑔𝘩𝜏  𝜕𝜄𝜕𝜋'𝜏  𝑏𝜎𝜏𝘩𝜀𝑟  𝘩𝜄𝑚.   )         he didn’t sleep   ;    as after all he didn’t need it.    his body worked on a different wavelength then everyone else's.   burnt with a different kind of energy.    and given he’d not long been to the underworld,   his powers were completely topped up,   leaving him at his strongest,   and not in need of the same sustenance that most did.   including sleep.    and it led to walks during the night that had him heading in random directions,    finding places he could never dream of visiting.    like the shop he was currently browsing,   its many wonders calling to him.    he was like a child,   who had fund wonderland.    and he wasn’t ashamed in showing it.

  he could sense      —     all the magic contained in the place,    packed into the belongings      [  .  .  .  ]       and brimming along the shelves.    he could also sense the magic and power radiating from the women.    he knew who she was,   what her job was.    but right now he was far too busy browsing the shelves.    he was 15,000 years old ,   and he had seen some of these cultures in the underworld.    had felt the taste of freedom as it burnt along their souls and he had to throw them back into the pits they deserved to be.     but right now he was too busy enjoying things,   picking them up and putting them back down.   he had literally at this point touched everything in the store at least twice.   had returned to various objects,   before turning his attention to the woman at the counter.    the joke falling off his lips before he could stop it.   ah well.

  he smiles widely,   as she at least laughs at her words.    he had seen the stress on her soul and well he figured being his usual goofy self was a good way to make an introduction.   and he was glad to hear her laugh.     and oh the one she returned was welcome,    a snort of laughter dripping off his lips,   and across the air.      “   well done    ……   ten points for the bad pun  !!.    ”      he grins heavily     [  .  .  .  ]      as he leans against the counter.   he sensed her aura and it burned across him like sunshine.    a stark contrast to his usual feeling of death but he guessed that came with being the gatekeeper to the underworld.   shifting he leans heavily on his arms as he hums deep in his throat,   a mindless tune really.