DAY 73

Veronica is vaguely aware of light, soft touches on her neck. In her sleepy state, she cannot form any coherent thoughts, let alone figure out the source of the mysterious touches. They continue their path, just under her jaw, down the length of her neck, across her collarbones, over her shoulders, a nip on her earlobe...

Ah, they're kisses.

The light pressing of lips travels all over her skin. Veronica sighs in pleasurable content. A deep, rumbling chuckle sounds in her ears, warm breath fanning her exposed neck. Hands glide up and down her back in soothing strokes, fingers dragging lazily over her hip and down her thigh.

Goosebumps rise along her skin, despite the warmth that radiates from the lycan beside her. The kisses come to a stop and a small whine of disappointment escapes her lips.

"L-like it?" A voice, husky with sleep, whispers in her ear. Veronica only nods, pressing her body flush against his.

That was all Theseus needed to continue showering her with kisses. He couldn't help but sweep his tongue over her smooth skin every once and a while. Every time he did, he felt the shiver that would rattle her body. Whether it was with shock or pleasure, he wasn't sure, but either way, he was pleased.

Pecking each of her eyelids, he watches as they open, revealing the green eyes he had fallen so in love with. His breath is momentarily knocked from his lungs, her beauty stealing the air right out of him. Long, dark lashes are framed around vibrant green eyes. A small, button nose is settled between smooth, pale cheeks. Soft, pink lips are slightly parted, an open invitation for his hungry ones.

Just as he leans in to capture her lips with his, he is stopped by a small finger pressed to his chin.

"Morning breath."

A growl of frustration rumbles in his chest in response.

"Nuh uh, you and I both know that's nasty."

Theseus resorts to puppy-dog eyes. He lifts his eyebrows and presses his head forward, her finger now pressing against his pouting lips, his eyes soften in a way that's only for her. For a moment, she seems to contemplate giving the needy lycan what he wants, but then her gaze hardens.

"I'll be back, just let me brush my teeth."

Theseus immediately sits up in the bed, a growl bubbling in his chest. "Not fair!" He crawls off the bed, making his way to Veronica in a predatory manner. "Can't stop me," he says, stalking forwards.

Veronica slowly moved towards the bathroom, quickly grabbing a pair of clothes off her dresser on the way. Just as Theseus lunges at her, she opens the bathroom door and scurries in, locking it behind her.

Veronica's girlish giggles reach the ears of a malcontent Theseus, lessening his dissapointment. He loved her laughter.

▪▪▪

"C'mon! You're going to love it!" Veronica says, practically dragging Theseus to the car.

Theseus doesn't like cars.

"N-no. I not like sick," he says, eyeing the modern contraption warily. The thing always made him sick to his stomach and the sky to spin, his head aching like it had been smashed with a hammer.

"Here, this should help," she says, sticking a small patch behind his ear. Theseus wasn't quite sure how a sticker was going to help, but he didn't question her. There is much about this new world he doesn't understand.

"I promise you will like it," she continues. "There won't be any people, either. Just you and me."

Theseus nods reluctantly, warily climbing in the vehicle after her.

The drive wasn't a long one, and Theseus enjoyed it much better this time, the sickness not plaguing him as it normally does. Tall trees whoosh past as they fly down the winding road.

She is taking him to the forest.

Theseus can't help the smile that stretches across his face, his eyes beaming with a light Veronica had yet to see. Pulling to a stop in an empty parking lot, she shuts off the engine.

Theseus is out of the car and waiting for her before she can even unbuckle. "C-can we go?" He asks, gesturing to the woods that await them.

"That's why we're here. I thought you might want to see the forest, since it is where you are supposed to be. And I thought maybe you would like to, you know, shift into your wolf?" She says, asking the last part quietly. She figured an abandoned park would be a secluded enough area for him to be his true self.

The smile Theseus gives her is enough to bring world peace. Theseus launches himself at her, his arms wrapping around her petite frame.

"I love you," he mumbles into her hair. "So much."

"I love you too," she says, not realizing how much truth is behind her own words.

Hand in hand, the two walk into the trees. Theseus tells her all the things he used to do when he was young and surrounded by his own kind. Veronica was nearly brought to tears as she realized how truly alone he is.

He is the last of his kind.

About twenty minutes into the trees, they wander off the path and into the thick of the forests, the sound of the wind and their breaths the only sounds heard.

Reluctantly, Theseus releases his hand from her's and backs away. Confused, Veronica goes to follow him, until he holds up a hand.

"Don't follow," he says with finality. Veronica watches as he steps behind the trees, his large body disappearing into the darkness of the forest's shadows.

It is only a moment, however, before he returns, but in a form she hardly recognizes. His familiar dark fur glistens in the little light between the trees, his dark eyes looking up at her warily.

His large paws sink into the dirt of the forest floor, his claws leaving marks in the soft earth. His ears perk up at the sound of her breath hitching in her throat.

He is beautiful.

Veronica hesitantly reaches a hand out, her fingers ruffling the grey/black fur between his ears. A soft sound of content rumbles in his chest, causing a light chuckle to emit from her throat.

"You're beautiful, Theseus," she says, still awestruck by the beast before her. "Alright, I won't keep you here any longer." She takes a step back.

Theseus tilts his head in confusion.

"Go on. Have fun for once! I'll be here waiting for you."

Theseus looks back one more time before taking off into the woods, running like he did when he was free. He weaves back and forth between the trees, his claws digging into the ground and propelling him forward. He breathes harsh breaths through his snout, his chest heaving between strides.

Veronica watches as her lover dashes into the wilderness, his lithe form slipping effortlessly into the shadows. She wonders how he lasted so long away from his home. Granted, this isn't his true home, just a random forest in Virginia, but it is close enough, right? Having been locked in a lab for so long, anything should do.

She hasn't told him of the cabin she bought with the left over money she still has saved up from the Project. It is just a small cabin completely secluded in the Yukon. She hopes he knows how to farm, because she sure doesn't. She is willing to learn, though.

It seems like it's almost every day that he tells her of the time he spent living with his family in Canada. How could she not want to return him to his home? But where is her home? Well, home is where the heart is, right?

They will have hardly any money, and they will have to move soon, because she isn't sure how much longer she can pay the rent, but they will make it. It's crazy, really, how far they have come.

She is brought from her thoughts by Theseus' return. He stands before her, naked, except for the shorts he had worn before. He is covered in mud from head to toe, twigs and leaves stuck in his curly hair.

But besides his unruly appearance, his eyes shine like the brightest of suns. They shine with happiness, freedom, hope, love...

He steps towards his beloved, his eyes taking her in as if it were the first time he had ever seen her. For her beauty always shocks him as if he is just seeing it for the first time.

Reaching up a hand, she caresses his cheek. He leans his head farther into her hand, his lips brushing against her palm in a tender kiss.

And to think, they used to be just a young scientist and an experiment.

The Tekula Project