A sound broke Clary out of her miserable trance, and she realized from her drowsiness, that she had fallen asleep and dreamed the whole thing. Yawning while she stretched, the sound came again. It was the sound of knocking on wood, coming from the door.

"Come in," she called loud enough to be heard. The door creaked open to reveal silver hair and blue gleaming eyes.

"Ash--" he looked distant, the color gone from his face. "Is something the matter?" She was interrupted by a thump as Ash's legs gave out and he fell to the floor, panting for breath.

Clary, worry clear in her golden eyes, rushed to his side.

"Ash. Ash, can you hear me?" Terror was in her voice, though it was steady. Ash looked up. The sight of his face hit her like ice; his eyes glowed blue, and he was scowling through clenched, sharp incisors.

Suddenly remembering the werewolf responsible for the death of her parents, she recoiled. His expression was indifferent, still glowering at her like she was food that had sprouted feet and was escaping his clutches.

Hurt flashed in her eyes, and she touched her cheeks in realization that they were wet.

Ash, as if he felt moved, suddenly looked at her with normal blue eyes gleaming with guilt. Clary, now sobbing silently, had cradled her head in her hands and was rocking back and force.

"C-Clary I--"

"Save it!" she shouted with rage. "Just...go, Ash. Please." Her tone was softer, but not without hurt.

Ash protested. "Clary, what did I do? Clary, tell me. I’m--"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Clary's shout echoed throughout the empty apartment, Ash flinching away from her, frightened. Clary shook her head violently.

"Just GO, Ash. I can’t have you here. Just go. Please."

Hurt flashed across his face before he turned to leave. He saw the tenseness in her shoulders loosen, as if a weight was lifted, and he walked out the door without another word.

________________

Stella was passing by the white fountain with the angel holding the sun in one hand and the moon in the other, spewing water from its mouth in Aprikus Park when she saw a glimpse of silver hair.

"Ash?"

He looked up at her, his fine hair in tangles as if he had run a hand through it several times. His eyes were dark, the light gone from his features. "What... what are you doing out here? Clary will be worried sick. Come on, let's--" She was interrupted sharply.

"No." His voice was firm, his mouth shaped in a thin line. Puzzled, Stella began to reach for him when the realization hit her. She pulled her hand back and recoiled as if she had been slapped.

"She found out you are a werewolf, didn't she?"

After she explained Clary's story, he looked as if he had been given a silver ring to wear. His face was twisted into an unreadable expression, and his hair fell over his eyes, blocking out his soft blue eyes, which now seemed a shade darker.

After a few minutes, he looked up, his expression carefully neutral.

"I... Could I still be her friend? I mean..."

Stella sighed softly.

"I don't like you, but you seem like a decent enough guy, if you care about her so much that you won't hurt her."

Letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, he managed a weak smile. Thank you, is what he wanted to say, but he just couldn't make a sound. He soon realized the world around him was starting to sway, as if he was on a carousel.

Before he could process it, he saw Stella's worried face and blond hair swirling together and blurring like a badly painted picture, and then came total darkness.