The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

“Yes.” He rose and made his way to the bed, sitting so
we were shoulder to shoulder. “So am I.”
I could feel my face heating. “Don’t be. It makes me feel
weird.”
He grinned as he dipped his chin. “I don’t think you
understand why we feel…honored to be alive when a
descendant of the gods is present. Many of my kind are not
old enough to have lived among them. Alastir was one of
the only few, and well, fuck him, right?”
I grinned. “Yeah. Fuck him.”
He smiled. “But the children of the gods have always
held a special place with the wolven. We exist in this form
because of them. Not because of the Atlantians.”
I squeezed the pillow tightly as I wiggled down onto my
side, remaining silent.
“My ancestors were wild and fierce, loyal to their packs,
but the kiyou were driven only by instinct, survival, and
pack mentality. Everything was a challenge—for food,
mates, pack leadership. Many didn’t survive very long, and
the kiyou were on the brink of extinction when Nyktos
appeared before the last great pack and asked that they
protect the gods’ children in this realm. In return, he offered
them human form so they could communicate with the
deities and have long lifespans.”
“He asked and didn’t just make the kiyou wolven?”
“He could have. He is the King of Gods, after all. But he
made it clear that the agreement was not servitude but a
partnership between the kiyou and the deities. There cannot
be equality in power if there is no choice.”
He was right. “I wonder why Nyktos asked for this
partnership. Was it because he is the only god who can
create life? I imagine being given a mortal form was like
creating new life. Or perhaps because he is the King of
Gods?”
“Probably all those reasons, but also because he is one
of the few gods that can change forms,” he said.