"Oh."
"I've had my suspicions, but after watching both you and Axel interact, I think that this may have happened to you. You both clearly hate each other, but you can't seem to stay away."
"It's because he keeps stalking me.” Deepa shrugged.
"Yes." Ryan nodded. "I think that's true. But I've noticed that you also initiate without any good reason."
Deepa frowned, taking a sip of her tea to avoid facing the confusing thoughts swirling around in her brain.
"It doesn't seem healthy for you," Ryan said. "Thanks to Axel, you were turned into a werewolf, lost your boyfriend, your job and your life. Yet you're constantly drawn to him, even though he obviously resents you as well."
"Yeah," Deepa muttered, looking back to the roses. "It doesn't make sense."
"I do have one thing that could help you.”
"What?"
"My mother once separated herself from my father for years, with this." He placed a small bottle of white pills on the table.
"What are they?"
"Suppressant pills. They only work for human turned werewolves. They suppress the werewolf urges and make it possible to lead a regular human life."
"Really?" Deepa picked up the jar and unscrewed the cap, the bitter scent of medicine wafting from inside.
"Take two once a day, and you should be able to stop your inner wolf from going to Axel."
Deepa's heart skipped a beat. "That's...amazing."
"Don't get too excited. It's not a magic cure all. If you stop taking the pills your inner wolf will come back with a vengeance, but if you continue taking them for the rest of your life, it will be like you were never bitten at all."
"I see." Deepa nodded, a grin spreading across her face. "This is incredible. Thank you."
"No problem." Ryan's mouth curved up into a gentle smile. "It's the least I can do."
Deepa grabbed two pills, swallowing dry before returning to her tea.
She couldn't wait to be rid of Axel forever.
Chapter Eight
It didn't take long for the effects to kick in. Deepa felt relaxed and calm, her thoughts no longer interrupted by a rabid animal. For the first time in weeks, she felt like the person she was before Axel attacked.
"Hey, are you okay?" Nastya asked. "You're smiling."
"Sorry," Deepa giggled, feeling a rush of endorphins. "I just feel really happy."
Nastya smiled back, holding up a cute summer dress. Several other outfits were discarded on Deepa's floor around them. "Here you should try on this one."
"Thanks." Deepa took the dress from her. "Are you sure that it's okay for me to borrow these?"
"It's fine," Nastya said with a casual wave of her hand. "I have far too many clothes, so I would just end up throwing them away."
"Thank you." Deepa smiled, slipping out of her clothes and pulling on the dress. "I really appreciate it."
"I'm glad." Nastya’s smile was gentle, but her eyes watched Deepa intently.
Deepa was certain that Axel was fucking with her. Ryan and Nastya didn't seem malevolent at all. Both of them had helped her out more than Axel ever had. She could only guess that Axel didn't like anyone willing to call him out on his shit.
