Loving His Broken Luna

Chapter 37

It’s forward of him, Kris knows.

It’s also complete crap that she’s ignoring his status. Crystal didn’t do that.

… Crystal also wasn’t human.

Kris sighed, audibly, but Renee didn’t bother responding. Perhaps he was being too needy, Kris worried.

She did seem to like that possessive piece of s**t though. Her signals, her past, it hinted at paths he wouldn’t think to take.

Was it so wrong to want this the right way?

“If I don’t get blamed for this,” Renee struggled, still patting herself dry, “wasting all of this, I’ll be surprised.”

“Are you dressed?” he asked, avoiding looking at the mind stone for confirmation instead.

“Ye-yeah. Why?”

“If you let me in, I’ll pee there,” Kris offered while Renee blew raspberries. “What? It’ll mask your scent.”

“Do you know how much trouble you’d get into?” Renee tried to warn him.

“It’d be worth it,” Kris grinned.

“I can’t let you take the fall for me,” she regained her control.

… I’m already falling.

“I’m at the door,” Renee followed up.

… Yes! Goddess, YES! He nearly yelped with excitement.

Kris stilled his racing heart, forcing himself not to tap around like a human’s pet. Being labeled as such would ruin him. Werewolves were not pets. Especially not him. But for her? He’d get on his hindlegs and make an utter fool of himself if it made her smile.

“It pushes forward,” she warned, waiting.

“Oh, uh…” Kris padded backwards, his nails barely clacking on the shellacked surface beneath him. “You’re clear.”

“Okay, I’m com–”

At the sight of the crack she’d made in the doorway, Kris wagged his tail. The anticipation nearly ended him despite seeing her earlier that day, in class, of all places.

… Control yourself, you i***t.

“Oh,” Renee caught herself as he pushed his way through. “No… what? Come on,” she protested. “You’re going to get us both in trouble!’

“Nonsense…” Kris eased her worry. “At the very least they’ll spray blockers, maybe even bleach bomb it to avoid fights.”

“Fights?” Renee parroted. “Over what?”

“My scent.”

“That’s not really a thing…”

… What?

“It is absolutely a thing,” Kris’ wolf briskly shook off loose fur to sprinkle around the area. “You watch, tomorrow they’ll have this locker room on lock down to keep students safe.”

Kris caught Renee rolling her eyes.

“Why would you do it then?” she asked.

“I want your safety. I don’t care about theirs…”

… It was most definitely the wrong thing to admit.

… But it didn’t feel right to lie.

… When was the last time someone else took his needs into consideration? Never? Yeah, that sounded more like his life

“... Okay.”

Renee paused to look back at the door.

“Do you think we can go now?”

… We.

“Yes,” Kris agreed. “Where to?”

======

Renee

======

Her gym sweats haven’t been cleaned in ages. In fact, there’s a chance they haven’t been cleaned since last spring.

Her mother had a problem with sharing her things after all. Many of which were her appliances. Renee silenced that resentment. There’d be time for reflection but it wasn’t now.

Truthfully, she was running scared.

Walking out on her parents was so much more doable while leaving for sports or school. It was easier to be away while an activity absorbed her time, but things were different now. She told them off, too. Which by definition made her feel like the enemy.

… And enemies didn’t deserve happiness.

… They were meant to be destroyed.

And perhaps she would have thought about it more if there wasn’t an adorable, young alpha beside her, but truth be told, he held all of her attention.

“I dunno,” she forced out while her gaze traveled over the darkness of his coat.

It wasn’t exactly one color but a mix of shadowy tones that kept her glued to him. Well, not glued, but thoroughly interested in his details.

“Before you said you were tired,” Kris mentioned. “Are you still?”

His voice seemed to still sound off in her mind, despite being right next to her. It was pretty weird. Weird enough to ask about.

“Hey, are you talking as your wolf? Renee asked, confused.

“Uh,” she heard him reply, his mouth unmoving. “We speak your language through telepathy as wolves,” Kris answered. “If you were a wolf, you’d understand me differently.”

“Ah…”

“It’s pretty much a secret ancient language, otherwise,” he added.

It felt like he was fishing for attention or genuinely proud of his species for having such resources.

… He’s entitled to his pride.

Renee’s stomach rumbled next.

… Rude, body, she scolded herself.

Kris’ wolf seemed to perk up at the sound.

“You’re hungry?”

Renee ignored her reasons, unable to face them.

“Yeah,” she paused. “I think I might have change for the vending machine.”

“What do they sell in those?” Kris questioned.

“Crap, according to… a guy I know,” Renee refused to speak the demon’s name.

“Oh. Do you want crap?” Kris followed up.

… Truthfully, no one really asked her that before.

“I think so?” Renee countered. “I mean, I don’t really have the energy to want anything real. Does that make sense?”

Renee watched Kris’ wolf lick his nose as if he was considering what she’d said.

“When you regain your strength, I want to take you out - If you’ll let me, I mean.”

Renee thoughtfully nodded, unsure of when she’d feel normal again, or if it was even possible.

Probably not.

Still, it was sweet of him.

“When I feel up to it,” she agreed.

Renee changed her focus, trying to allow herself peace, but every step she took felt as though the ground was falling out from underneath her.

Kris wolf walked alongside her, ever vigilant. Quietly. He emitted strength Renee wished she had. It was a certain poise, maybe. His form remained proud, somewhere stuffed between getting his way and completing his task.

She could only wish that’s how she looked leaving her place. Her mother’s voice rang out in her ear, cold, callus comments throughout the years of how she didn’t deserve her own life. Her father’s emotional abuse whispered in her ear next, confirming what she knew to be true. All the while she tentatively kept her eye on Kris.

He couldn’t know this about her.

… No one could.

Renee’s eyes dropped to the floor then.

“Kris?” Renee asked, spooked with the way he turned to give her all of his attention.

“Yes?”

His tone even made her nervous. Was he mad?

… Ask. Ask. ASK!

Kris’ nose wiggled slightly. The downward press, the way his nose flared, searching for what, she didn’t know.

“Uh,” Renee stopped herself. “We can go this way,” she said, leaning into a door that led down a ramp into the senior’s cafeteria.

Kris waited in place, making her heart twist with nerves.

“What?” she asked nervously.

Kris licked his nose to wet it once more. He worked his jaw, swallowing once or twice like he was trying to clear his tongue from a foul taste.

“Tell me,” she pushed, unsure if she should have.

“I don’t make you nervous, do I?” Kris wheezed out.

“N-no?” Renee forced herself to answer.

“I do, don’t I? Kris worried, unable to follow her.

“Kris,” Renee sighed. “Do you know how many of your kind are around here? All of the different species that use this place on a daily basis?”

Somehow throwing facts made it easier to speak.

“Why do you smell like that then?” Kris coughed.

Renee couldn’t help but to shut down.

“It’s probably my clothes…”

“It’s not,” Kris gagged again. “You’re scared of me,” he pushed. “That’s what you smell like… Like you think I’m going to hurt you.”

“I-I… No. Werewolves aren’t like that here. Maybe down in Caden where crime is legitimately everywhere… but not here.”

“Uh huh…” Kris looked away. “Then what’s really going on?”

Renee shook her head.

“My life is complicated, okay?”

Kris tilted his head to the side, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“I don’t want to get into it. Food,” she reminded him. “Sleep.”

“Then?”

“School.”

“So we’re not going to talk about it?” he pressed.

“No. We’re not,” she tried to say sternly.

Her voice shook like a leaf though. There was no way not to hide it. Deep down, maybe she wanted to, but Jason didn’t make it any easier. He made it worse.

Some golden boy he turned out to be.

“What are you doing here?” his voice hummed lightly behind her, as if he never really left.

Renee froze. Her eyes went wide, remaining forward, anchored in on Kris’ pupils for dear life.

“I asked you a question,” Jason grumbled like thunder in her ear.

“Leave her alone!” Kris snarled as he shoved his way between the two.

“Who’s this, Rey?” Jason chortled. “A pet?”

Kris charged forward, baring his teeth but Jason didn’t flinch.

“No,” Renee struggled to speak up.

Fear gripped her tightly like a vice around her throat.

“Is he my replacement?” Jason asked, swiftly grabbing her arm to pull her flush against him.

The ramp did her no help. It’s slant pushing her further against him. Her body was weak to stop it, despite how her mind begged for her release.

… This is wrong, she cried from within.

“Get off of me…” she flailed her arms, trying to push him off.

“My, how a day changes,” Jason teased. “You weren’t like this yesterday,” he seized her once more, flattening his hand on her back for control.

Kris’ growl electrified the air. His teeth nipped her as he lunged in to fight the devil’s spawn.

“Get out of here, you mut! This doesn’t concern you!”

Kris’ rage filled her head. His thoughts, his needs, his calculated attacks. It was almost too much to hear.

“Is he supposed to be my replacement?” Jason’s hand slipped down her spine covering her backside. His eyes darkened terribly. Renee knew that look. He was holding back.

“Kris!” she shrieked. “Go home! Please…”

“That’s right,” Jason agreed. “Go on home, pup. She’s mine.”