So you can drag me through hell, if it meant I could hold your hand.

I will follow you cause I'm under your spell, and you can throw me to the flames.

I will follow you, I will follow you.

He did not know how to approach the situation that slowly unfolded before him. There was Greer, the fully independent yearling who had spent most of his life in solitude, despite being constantly surrounded by family members. He craved the comforting blanket of silence and recoiled at even the thought of conversation. Despite being painfully loyal to his kin, his wanderlust and thirst for the unknown was overwhelming and often made it difficult to focus on pack tasks. He had always preferred doing things on his own, which was why the role of pack scout was perfectly suited for him. Despite the fact that he would have to converse with others, but Greer knew he was exceptional at listening and could avoid speaking too much.

And then there was Hecate—a fiery, outspoken girl that somehow made the shadow prince questions his motives to seek solitude. Now, when he pictured himself discovering more of Relic Lore, he saw a hazy, green-eyed ghost at his side. And he did not know how to feel about it. The girl, in all her accented glory and clumsy words, only continued to intrigue the soot-coloured yearling—and it was very frustrating. He did not like his mind being possessed by another; he did not like the idea of another intruding on his thoughts and his ‘Greer time’. But… Hecate was okay. He did not mind her doing those things. She was quirky; she was everything he wasn’t, and everything he normally shied away from. Yet, she was captivating…

Hecate made his head (and heart) hurt.

Her voice broke him away from his thoughts once more, capturing his full attention as he rested his silver gaze onto her. A lump formed in his throat as she inched even closer, resting her thin muzzle in the spot between his shoulders. Comfort immediately washed over him; a comfort that could not compare to what silence offered him. Acting on impulse, the boy shuffled closer to her as he shyly rested his own muzzle on her forelegs. It was a peculiar feeling, being so close to another—Greer’s verdict on the closeness was still undecided, but he did not entirely despise it. Which confused him even more.

“Hecate stay? Greer not want home tonight. Greer want here. With ‘Cate.” He could hardly believe the words spilling from his tongue but it was too late; there was no going back now.

This was okay; he wasn’t going to explode and she wasn’t going to leave. The closeness, although completely foreign to the solitary prince, wasn’t completely awful. It was still slightly uncomfortable and left him feeling incredibly awkward, but the ghost curled up beside him did not seem to mind. For whatever reason, she liked his quiet demeanor and his lack speech—she made up for this with her eccentric personality). Greer couldn’t deny that he was quite fond of her as well, but he did not understand it. All he knew was that he didn’t want anything to happen to her—ever—and it was a strange feeling to care for someone so much, who wasn’t family. He would have to think more about this when he wasn’t so distracted; she made his head foggy and his heart thump erratically, making it difficult to organize his thoughts.

With her answer came a soft sigh of relief as he shuffled closer to her, his muzzle still resting upon her forelegs. Greer didn’t want to move, nor did he want the ghost to leave his side. For now, company was welcomed; it was a strange twist of fate, but the longer they spent together the more he found himself enjoying it. They could return to the willows later, perhaps when the rain stopped; any other time except for right now.

He was over the moon that she had agreed to stay with him. Asking another to actually spend time with him was utterly terrifying—friendships did not come easily to the silent prince. There were a few that he had enjoyed short, simple conversations with, who he wouldn’t mind running into again, but friends were almost nonexistent. Not that he minded; the fewer friends he had, the more often he could be alone. But Hecate had changed things. She had left an imprint on his mind (and heart) and it was meddling with both his feelings and thoughts. It was confusing; the whole thing was confusing. Another sigh escaped him as his mercury gaze remained focused on the water. He needed to clear his thoughts and focus on now, with her. He could hear her breathing slowing down as sleep begun to take its hold, and he knew soon he would also follow suit. But for now, he was comfortable watching the rain fall and listening to the ghostly dove fall into a deep slumber.