B y the next afternoon, Theo was gone, and it was a whiteout. The enraged sky thundered, and heavy snowfall beat the roof. Harsh winds screamed across the lands, and the brittle trees clattered against the windows as if trying to break in. It felt like the kingdom itself was heartbroken.

Normally Sebastian would go out and hunt in the extreme weather, but he had no desire to. He had no desire to eat, to sleep, or to do much of anything at all. Instead, he sat curled up in a chair in the corner of the lounge, nursing a hangover. His tail wouldn't go away, and he passively bit it between his teeth to distract from the pain in his chest.

The guards were still drinking warmed liquor or eating a stew made by Collette. They milled about, but he had no interest in speaking with anyone.

"Where's your ward?" Lyle asked, coming over. He sipped from a mug and leaned on the armrest of Sebastian's chair.

Sebastian dropped his tail and did his best to not sound as irritated as he felt. "Day off. Nothing to do in the storm." He had hoped his answer would satisfy, but Lyle didn't leave. Instead, he let his fingers brush the tip of his tail. He swatted Lyle’s hand away. "Don't touch me."

"Why are you so sour today?" he asked with a laugh.

"I'm not." Sebastian thought of Theo's wounded look when he saw the two of them together but shoved the memory away. "I just don't like being touched."

"Now we both know that's not true." Lyle leaned in, lowering his voice further. "Perhaps if I was human you'd feel differently."

"I'm not in the mood." A low growl slipped in under his voice. "I told you nothing was going on. I heard you out yesterday. If you have something new to add, say it. Otherwise, go busy yourself elsewhere."

"I do have something new to say."

"Great," Sebastian said, sarcastically rolling his eyes. "Out with it then so I may be freed from your presence."

He leaned in and spoke in a low venomous tone. "I saw you with him."

"I don't know what you mean." Sebastian's chest tightened. "I'm often with him."

"Play coy all you want, but I know what I saw. I got worried and went out to find you before the storm. I have to hand it to him, taming you enough to get a gag in your mouth is a feat I never achieved. We certainly didn’t fuck in the yard where anyone could see. I'm a bit jealous."

"So what?" He scowled. "I slept with him. Who cares?"

"Are you kidding me? We need the curse to end as soon as possible and you're letting a human manipulate your heart."

"He wasn't manipulating me."

"Sebastian, don't be naive."

"Will you just leave me alone?"

"If it's not manipulation, it's pity." Lyle scoffed. "Think about it for a second. Out of everyone here, why would a human ever choose you?"

Irritability gave way to rage. Without thinking, he pounced on Lyle, knocking him and the chair to the ground. The mug he was holding burst as it hit the floor, sending bits of glass scattering. The room went silent, and all eyes were on the two of them.

"I said. Leave. Me. Alone," he growled, sinking claws into Lyle's chest.

"You animal!" Lyle spat. "What is wrong with you?" The words cut through his heart and Lyle immediately softened with regret. "I didn't mean that."

"Yes, you did." He got up, turned on his heels, and walked out the lounge.

"Wait for us!" Oliver called, rushing up the hall after him with Jacques in tow.

"I don't want to talk to anyone. I'm going back to bed. Being with everyone was a bad idea," he said, still walking.

Jacques stepped in front of him, forcing him to halt. "Where is Theo?"

"I'm sure he's halfway to his sisters if not further."

"I knew it." Jacques shook his head. "Why on earth did you send him away?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It matters," Oliver said, standing at Jacques's side. "I know the pressure you're under, but if he made you happy, I feel like you deserved to see it through. Besides, what if he's—"

"He's a human. Lyle's cruel but he was right. What business do I have with a human? It doesn't make sense. He couldn't possibly be the answer."

"Why not? Magic is complicated. The Veil is complicated. What if he was who we’ve been waiting for?" Jacques pressed.

"Well either way, he's long gone. If he was the answer he would've stayed."

"Let's drop it for now," Oliver said, touching Jacques's shoulder. "We'll discuss this later."

"I will not drop it!" Jacques yelled, shoving Sebastian back. "If there was even a sliver of a chance, you owe that to us. You should've kept him here. Have you forgotten what's happening to us? Are you that selfish?"

"No, Jacques, I haven't forgotten," he snapped. "Regardless of what you and Lyle think, I haven't forgotten many of my men have died. I haven't forgotten that my body isn't my own anymore. And I haven't forgotten that I will die alone in this forsaken place, roaming around like some feral animal because of something my father did."

His eyes burned with tears as he let out an exhausted laugh. "Theo stays, I'm selfish and not thinking about ending the curse. I make Theo go, I'm selfish because maybe he was the key to ending the curse. Perhaps as an animal it's in my nature to be self-serving."

"Sebastian, I'm sorry," Jacques said in a small voice.

"I don't want to see any of you today. Consider that an order from your prince," he said, not bothering to look at them as he made his way back to his suite.

For the first time, his suite felt too cold. Theo's body heat no longer drifted from room to room. Most nights he could see the glow of his scar flowing out from under his bedroom door, but today the room was dull and dim.

Sebastian pulled out Theo's old, tattered shirt that he had been curling up with in bed. He pressed it to his face and breathed in the familiar smell of fresh cut flowers.

The image of Theo haunted him every time he closed his eyes. His black wavy hair, his pretty green eyes the color of lily pads, his sand dune skin, and the faint spray of freckles on his cheeks that looked like stars dotting a clear sky invaded all his thoughts.

He swore if he listened hard enough, he could hear Theo's laugh up the hall and feel his gentle calloused hands holding his tail.

He sank to the floor and buried his face in the shirt as hot tears rolled down his cheeks.

It can't feel this for him. His four canines lengthened further, feeling awkward in his mouth. It can't be him. It doesn't make sense. His claws extended, tearing more holes in the fragile fabric . It's not fair. His skin itched as fur sprouted on the surface, and the bones in his wrist bent and curved, forcing him to drop Theo's shirt to the floor. His sobs shifted to huffs and growls. Eventually, he couldn't think of Theo clearly, and the feelings of agony were all that remained in his chest.

The smell of flesh, blood, and bone wafted in from up the hall. He wasn’t hungry, but suddenly he had the urge to hunt.