The Mouse and The Wolf - Chapter 60: Chapter 60

-Oliver-
I was anxious. I could hardly sit still on the couch and listen to Natalie while she spoke about the history of our people. Even after the sleepless night, I felt restless and stressed. Even my hands were shaking. I wanted to go out and just run as far as my feet would take me.
"Oliver?" Natalie spoke my name, and I realized she had asked me something.
"Sorry... I can't seem to focus today..." I muttered, vigorously stretching my fingers.
She gave me a smile, placing her hands on mine. "It's going to be a rough night for all of us."
"What?" I asked, almost forgetting how to breathe.
"It's full moon," she said with a calming voice. "And we're surrounded by werewolves."
I stared at her for a moment, but she nodded towards Tilly, who was pacing around, letting out frustrated sighs. Then, I turned to look at Jaden, who was chewing on his fingernails, leaning against the kitchen counter, and then Arch, who was sitting at the table, tapping his foot on the ground.
"I don't like running, but right now I could go run a marathon," Natalie said, and then leaned closer to me. "Maybe we should continue your lesson later and go get some fresh air?"
"Oh, yes please God!" Tilly groaned, turning to look at us. "If I have to stare at these walls for a second longer, I'm going to prove everyone that witch wood can be destroyed."
"I think we all could use some fresh air," Aurora agreed.
I took a better look at her. She was a bit pale, and she had a permanent, worried frown on her beautiful face. She was hugging herself, and even though the presence of her mate had calmed her down, I could still feel her distress.
Alastair, Tilly's father, hadn't left her side ever since he arrived that morning. He seemed like a kind, calm man. His spirit was like a silent pond in the early morning, surrounded by immobile mist. It was quite a contrast, taken the fact that his mate and daughter were more like thunderstorms. He, too, had blond hair and blue eyes just like Aurora and Tilly, and he was even taller than the two.
"Maybe you should try to get some rest?" Aurora turned to speak to Arch, when he got up from his seat.
"Like I can," Arch muttered, looking down at her chest for a brief moment. I knew he was worried about the broken spirit. He hadn't spoken much about it, but I knew he was devastated after hearing the person considered him as their mate.
While Jaden and I were in our room getting dressed to go outside, I was rummaging through my brain, trying to remember where I had met that spirit before. I had a strong feeling that I knew him, but he could be pretty much anyone! It was so frustrating... Was he someone at school? Did I meet him at a store? Was he someone I was friends with when I was much younger? Nothing... I couldn't remember...
"Are you holding up?" Jaden asked while I was pulling my coat on.
"Better now," I said, giving him a smile. "I was freaking out yesterday, but... What can I do? I can't change anything, not the past, not what's happening right now... Freaking out won't help."
"True," he said slowly. "You have every right to freak out, though."
I chuckled and hugged him. "I would be crying under the bed if you weren't here with me," I told him quietly. "You give me strength."
"That's what mates are for," he muttered, hugging me back. "The power of four spirits are much greater than the power of two."
"I only have one spirit," I reminded him.
"And that's one hell of a spirit, if you ask me," he said and pushed me back to look at me in the eyes. "I'm jealous – I wish I could see your Echo. You keep playing with mine, and I'm left out."
"I think I can summon it," I said, looking at his chest. I pressed my hand against him, trying to see if I could actually find it inside him. If all I had to do was ask... "Could my Echo please come out for a moment?" I asked hesitantly, not quite sure if I was doing it right.
I guess I did, since a short moment later, a small ball of light emerged from his chest. It was similar to Jaden's Echo, but this one seemed to have much more white in it.
"There it is," Jaden smiled as the ball landed on my hand.
I tried to take a better look at it, but it jumped right off, climbed up Jaden's chest and went behind his neck.
"Are you hiding from me?" I frowned when I realized what it was doing. "You're my Echo!"
"Well, it is part of you, but it belongs with me now," Jaden said, looking at me with a smug smile on his lips.
"I'm not taking you away – I just wanted to see you," I tried to tell the Echo, but it refused to come out of its hiding place. I rolled my eyes at it. "Fine, I'll just play with Jaden's Echo then," I said, and called for the tiny blue ball. Jaden's Echo jumped on my hand and started making happy little twirls around my fingers, and I noticed my own peeking at us.
"I can't believe mine is such a spastic monkey," Jaden muttered, as he stared at his Echo, while mine stayed graciously seated on his shoulder.
"Well... It is part of you..." I muttered, trying to hide a smirk from him.
"Funny," he grunted.
I looked up at him. Our eyes met, and I was filled with reassurance and comfort. His green eyes were so familiar, yet so strange to me... It was an odd feeling. I barely even knew him, but I knew him. I could see a scared boy in front of me. A scared child who had found his peace and strength in his friends, without whom he would be lost. When I looked at his spirits, I could see the wounds he was carrying. His fears were gnawing at his soul. He was so different than what I thought... Causing trouble, scaring people, acting like he owned the world... It was all a lie.
Lies of a broken boy, who had lost all his trust in people.
Looking back at the memories I saw about his childhood, I was surprised that he didn't reject me once and for all right there in the beginning. What kind of man I would be looking at right now, if Arch hadn't found a way into his heart? If Tilly hadn't joined that little duo? That small child was so full of anger and hate before Arch came to offer him cookies. I saw real darkness in him.
Jaden's Echo suddenly jumped on Jaden's shoulder and slowly made its way to my Echo. His did a couple of laps around mine, clearly trying to get its attention.
"Are we having a moment?" Jaden asked carefully in his own, awkward way.
"Looks like it," I chuckled, and hugged him again.
"You know... on that day, when our eyes met... I was suddenly filled with restless energy, like I could explode any second. You turned me into a spastic monkey," he told me, making me laugh.
"I felt peaceful at that moment," I said, remembering that moment when he looked at me for the first time. "And warm. Safe."
"I should've accepted you right away... Instead I... I laughed..." he muttered almost angrily.
"I think I understand why," I said quietly. "You didn't want anyone get close to you."
"I just freaked out. There's nothing more to it," he said, but I knew I was right.
"It's always been you three against the world. You had no one to turn to. You didn't want to burden your parents and the rest of the pack believed you were a snotty brat who kept lying and bullied other kids... That leaves scars that are hard to heal. You gave up trying to be close to your pack. Not many were listening to you. Only a few believed you. Part of you hated them. Part of you still loved them. Your spirits were left in chaos and confusion and the easiest thing was to walk away and focus on your own mental health."
I looked at him, but he wasn't looking at me, but somewhere on his left. He didn't even reply to me.
"You were so hurt," I whispered, placing my hand on his cheek. "Your own pack believed the lies and thought badly of you. You didn't want to get hurt again. That is why you didn't want to accept me."
"I should've trusted Moon Goddess," he muttered.
"You didn't have any trust left," I said and waited until he was looking at me again. "If I've learned something, it's that spirits can be fragile things, and the biggest wounds in our souls are caused by those we love."
Once again, he didn't reply, but he rested his head against mine, and took a deep breath. For a moment, his spirits were in turmoil, but they soon calmed down as we stood there in silence. And then he started growing restless and energetic again.
"I think you were a spastic monkey all along, but they took it away from you," I whispered, earning a short laugh from him.
"Thanks..." he muttered.
"Come – you guys need to burn some energy, or I'll go crazy," I said with a smile, letting go of him to walk to the door. Jaden's Echo hurried after me and jumped in me, while mine vanished inside Jaden.
"Does it affect you?" he asked as we walked out of the room.
"Please – it's like you all are screaming in my ear to let you out," I told him.
"Sorry," he mumbled.
"I'll get used to it," I smiled at him, and he returned it.
It was actually nice to get out of the house, even though the air was chilly outside. Tilly and Arch were already there, walking around the yard while Aurora and Natalie were sitting on the stairs, talking quietly. Alastair was looming right behind them, watching over his family like a silent guardian.
"I knew right away that our best bet was you," Natalie was saying, speaking with an encouraging voice.
"What do you mean?" Aurora asked hesitantly. I thought that woman could never feel discouraged, but I guess I was wrong about her, too. Looks were so deceiving...
"You have a warrior's spirit, but the first thing you did was to come to protect your children, and you never left their side," Natalie smiled.
"Is that relevant?" Aurora asked.
"Yes, because that is exactly what this little one desperately needs. Unconditional love."
"Wouldn't it have been better for him to be with Arch?" Aurora asked.
"With a person who didn't even know about the bond?" Natalie asked instead of answering.
"True..." Aurora nodded quietly. "I'll give him whatever he needs. I'll protect him like he was my own."
"I'm sure he knows that," Natalie said with a smile.
"Come on! What are you waiting for?" Tilly suddenly shouted at us.
"Don't leave the yard," Aurora told us sternly.
"But mom...!" Tilly sighed in frustration.
"I'm sorry, but it's not safe," Aurora told her, while Jaden and I were making our way down the stairs.
"Fine," Tilly gasped dramatically, and turned into a wolf. I was still not quite used to see the shapeshift, but it was awesome, nonetheless. I was actually a bit jealous of it.
Both Arch and Jaden followed her example, and shortly after, we had three wolves running around the yard, barking and growling at each other. I stood there at the bottom of the stairs, watching them go with a smile on my face. I could feel that they all felt better now, making me feel less restless as well.
And then they all rammed straight into me, and for a short moment, I was covered in fur and snow.
"Careful! Oliver is still a human!" I heard Aurora yelling somewhere, and the trio got off me.
I just laughed at their enthusiasm. Bunch of spastic monkeys...
Tilly and Jaden started a wrestling match, so I decided to crawl further away from them, so I didn't get caught in it. Arch was watching them for a moment, panting heavily, but then he turned to look at me.
"Come here," I said, patting the ground next to me, and he jogged to me. "How are you?" I asked when he sat down next to me, and I could feel his enjoyment fading. "Not good, huh?"
He let out a quiet whine, pinning his ears back.
"I'm sorry," I told him quietly.
He lay down next to me, resting his big head on my leg. I started petting him slowly, hoping to make him feel better, but I knew there wasn't much I could do. He was worried over the spirit, maybe even more than the rest of us. Excluding Aurora.
"I'm sure he'll be all right," I told him. "Natalie seems optimistic."
I turned to look at the two women, who were still talking. I hoped the spirit would make it, but then I remembered the purple blob of fading mist in Annabelle's arms...
Arch lifted his head and looked up at me over his shoulder. I felt like hugging him, so I did just that. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his brown fur, and he let out another quiet whine.
"I know..." I muttered. "But there's still hope."
Tilly came to us, and lay down in front of Arch, placing her head between her paws with ears pinned back, wagging her tail. Arch licked her cheek while Jaden emerged on my other side to make sure his best friend was all right.
Arch tolerated them for a moment, but then he snapped his teeth at both of them in a playful manner, making them scatter. They made a round around the yard, and tried to come back, but Arch growled, flashing his teeth again.
"You show them who's the boss," I smiled, ruffling his fur as the other two ran away.
He let out a snort. He was feeling a bit better now, but still too tired and worried to deal with Jaden and Tilly, who let us alone for a moment. We watched them play in the snow for a while, until started to feel cold sitting on the snow.
"I need to stretch my legs," I told Arch, who got up – much more gracefully than I – and waited for me to start walking. The yard was pretty big, but I still felt a bit claustrophobic with the sturdy, iron fence surrounding us on all sides. The forest was right outside the fence at the back of the house, and I wished we could go there to explore. I stopped to stare at the tall trees.
"You know, I spent all my life wishing there was more to our world... Now that I know there is, I kind of want everything to go back to normal," I spoke, turning to look at Arch. "Without losing you three, of course," I added.
I was a bit surprised when he suddenly turned into a human again. He put his hands into his pockets and turned to look at the forest as well.
"Sometimes I wish we were regular humans as well," he said quietly.
"Like now," I guessed.
"Yes," he breathed out. "I don't know what to think about... this whole mate thing... If he still considers me as his mate..."
He looked like he didn't even know what he wanted to say. He looked lost and confused, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration.
"It's someone you would never consider as your mate," I said slowly. "And yet he still does consider you as his."
"One-sided bond is one of the most cruelest things I know," he said quietly. "The bond is still alive so it must be someone I've met recently. But I haven't felt a thing."
"Could it be someone you've known for a while now?"
He shook his head slowly. "If that's the case... God, I'd hate myself. The bonds usually die away soon, and they'll find their actual mate, so it has to be a new bond."
"Well, I'm sure we'll find out who it is soon enough," I said. "Like I said, Natalie seems optimistic."
"She also said it's too soon to say if he'll make it," Arch noted, looking at me from the corner of his eye.
"Hope," I said, placing my hand on his arm. "It's not lost yet."
He let out a long breath and turned to look at the forest again. "It's a guy..."
"Yeah," I muttered. "Is that a surprise to you?"
It took a moment, before he answered to me, "...no."
I nodded. "I see. Is there someone particular who made you realize it?"
"Yeah," he chuckled. "All the girls I wasn't interested in."
"So, you just... knew?"
"Pretty much. I didn't tell anyone about it, though. I had no idea what the pack would think about it, and since I hadn't found my mate yet, well... It didn't seem important. I didn't even think about it much, to be honest..."
"I understand," I said as we continued walking. "I never thought about it either, but it... it feels correct, you know?"
"Uh-huh," he nodded. We were silent for a moment, until he stopped. "I just can't understand why I wouldn't consider a guy who clearly cares about me as my mate. Why can't I feel the bond? What have I missed?"
I hesitated for a moment, but I had to point it out... "You would never consider Jack as you mate."
"It's not him," he sighed, and when I tried to argue my point, he lifted his hand to silence me. "Look, I know, I've been thinking about it myself as well, but it can't be him. You saw how he treated us. You were there when Tilly kicked him in the face. Why would he be such an asshole towards us if I was his mate? And he's never paid any attention to me. He's always been fixated on Jaden."
I let out a deep sigh. "But he's the only one that makes sense even a little. He has a bad shadow in him for one. He's in close contact with the Shadow Walker. He's around your age and–"
"He's the kind of guy who would let the shadow in him willingly," Arch interrupted me. "He and his father would do anything to gain power and crush us. He's always hated us, and I'm talking about years."
"All right," I shrugged, lifting my hands up. "But I'm going to be there to tell you 'I told you so'."
"You sound awfully confident," Arch said.
"I'm probably wrong," I sighed. "I just... I don't know... You're the diviner, not me."
"He hates us," he chuckled. "There's no way he could ever consider me as his mate."
"Well, in that case, you'll get to tell me 'I told you so'," I smirked.
When we walked around the corner, and the front yard opened up in front of us, I could suddenly feel three people walking in our way in the distance. One of them was Rayleigh.
"There you are," Aurora smiled at the sight of us. "I was getting worried."
"Where would we go?" Arch chuckled.
"Rayleigh is coming – he's not alone. I think the other one is Vice Principal... I mean, Beta Ryder," I said. "I don't know the third one."
"That's so handy," Arch said with a hint of jealousy in his voice.
"So is turning into a wolf," I told him, and he chuckled.
A short moment later, when Arch and I joined Natalie and Aurora by the steps, the three people stepped out of the forest.
"It's Ezra," Arch told me when he saw the third man. "Rayleigh's second Beta."
Tilly and Jaden ran to the gate in their wolf forms as soon as they spotted the visitors, and Arch went to open it. Ezra was immediately swarmed by the two teenage wolfs. He laughed cheerily while trying to avoid getting trampled by them. I watched them all with a smile on my face. It was moments like these when it was hard to remember that we were in danger – I felt so peaceful and happy watching their reunion.
When they all started walking towards us, I took a good look at the stranger. He was nothing I had expected, as usual. I was so used to seeing these strong warriors around me that for a second, I thought he wasn't a werewolf after all. I could feel two spirits in him, though, so he had to be.
He had a slim figure, and the way he moved made him seem almost fragile. He had short, light-brown hair, his skin was so pale he almost looked like a ghost, and there was something eerie in his eyes.
And he had big scars on the left side of his face. Three of them.
"Ezra," Aurora smiled and went to hug him when they got to us. "I heard your journey was a success?"
"It was, yes," Ezra spoke with a soft voice, hugging her back. "I heard that you got yourselves in a lot of trouble while I was gone," he added, turning his light-gray eyes at me.
"It was Thorn who made this mess," Aurora snorted.
Ezra sighed, but his smile didn't vanish as he stared at me. "And you are Oliver," he then said.
"Yes," I said timidly.
"Oliver Attwood," he said quietly, and his smile turned sad. "Everyone adored your father. You look just like him."
"Spitting image, am I right?" Aurora said quietly.
"Yes," Ezra nodded.
I could only stare at him. I remembered what Jaden once told me... This was the man who Rayleigh accidentally turned into a werewolf... "He still bears the scars from the attack..." he'd said... This man was the reason why humans weren't allowed into their territory, and I could see why. The wounds he got must've been deep to leave scars like that...
"You don't have to be afraid of me. Or my appearance," Ezra said.
I could feel Rayleigh's regret when Ezra spoke those words. The Alpha truly hated himself for what he had done to one of his best friends. It was embedded into his soul.
"I'm not," I said truthfully.
"Good," Ezra said, but he was forced to turn his attention elsewhere, when Jaden and Tilly were both bouncing up and down next to him, whining in excitement. "Yes, yes, I see you... No, I didn't forget you, silly puppies..." he chuckled at them.
"We are all happy to have you back," Ryder spoke.
"I'm sorry it took me so long," Ezra replied. "Diplomacy takes time."
"At least we have a bunch of new allies now," Rayleigh said, trying to push Jaden and Tilly out of the way, so he could get to the stairs, but Jaden flashed his teeth at him. "Oh, no you didn't," Rayleigh grunted at his son, but Jaden did it again.
One heartbeat later, there was a big, big wolf standing in Rayleigh's place. I had never seen a canine that big! His fur was dark brown, almost black, and he was huge! When he growled at his son, I nearly peed myself. But, of course, my beloved mate didn't take the hint, and flashed his teeth at his father again. And then he ran as fast as he could when the big, scary Alpha started chasing him.
"Oh, for the love of..." Ryder let out a deep, defeated sigh. "Ray!"
"Oh, come on – let him play with his son," Aurora chuckled, jumping out of the way when Jaden dashed through our group with his father on his tail.
Tilly joined the chase, but soon, Rayleigh caught up with Jaden and snapped at his side. Jaden did a complete one-eighty, but instead of running, he covered down on the ground, wagging his tail, while Rayleigh stood above him, growling. Tilly jumped in action and bit her teeth into Rayleigh's neck to distract him, so Jaden could get back up on his feet, and together they tried to win against him.
It was pretty rough to watch and hear, but it was clear they were just having fun. Soon, Arch couldn't stay behind, and he joined the match. Even he was smaller than the Alpha, and no matter how hard the three of them tried, they didn't have a chance against Rayleigh, who was effortlessly tossing them around.
"They've changed so much..." Ezra smiled as he watched them play. "Look at Jaden."
I was looking at him, and I had to admit, he was amazing. There was nothing skittish about him as he kept challenging his father. Of course, it was completely different to play with a parent than be in an actual fight with an enemy, but I could already see the Alpha in him. His attacks and movements were similar to Rayleigh's, and I could feel his determination to win. Even the way all three of them worked together was beautiful to watch.
"We don't have time to be goofing around," Ryder sighed.
"Don't be such a party pooper," Ezra chuckled.
"There must always be time for kids," Natalie said. "Especially during the dark times, when there's no guarantee for tomorrow."
"Agreed," Aurora nodded.
"Ray needs this too, you know," Ezra spoke softly. "He's been sad over the fact that Jaden doesn't want to spend time with him."
"Fine... Fine..." Ryder muttered.
I turned my attention back to the squabble. Rayleigh was too preoccupied keeping Tilly pinned on the ground and avoiding Arch's teeth that he didn't notice Jaden launching at his neck. It didn't matter, though, since all Jaden got was a mouthful of fur. I believed that was why Rayleigh was such a tough opponent; his fur was far too thick for the smaller wolves to get their teeth through. I was curious to know if the older wolves had better luck with it. They were bigger, after all, and had longer fangs.
Tilly managed to escape when Rayleigh turned to grab Jaden by his back. Jaden growled furiously while his father yanked him away, pulling him down on the ground. He couldn't do much else, when Tilly and Arch launched another attack, aiming at his throat. A few seconds later, Rayleigh shook them off, turned around, closed his jaws around Arch's neck and pushed him down with a murderous growl.
"I'm not getting used to that anytime soon," Natalie muttered, looking timid.
Neither was I. They were still playing, right? I mean, I could feel in my soul that they were having fun, but it looked and sounded like someone was about to get killed.
"It's good practice," Aurora smiled. "Rayleigh is being careful – don't worry."
It was Arch who gave up first. He disengaged the fight and started jogging towards us, limping a little. I sat down and he practically collapsed on my lap, panting heavily.
"Are we feeling better now?" I asked, checking his legs for wounds – playing or not, their teeth were sharp. Arch snorted loudly, and I could feel he was pleased with himself. "Good."
It wasn't much later, when both Jaden and Tilly ran to me with Rayleigh following them. The first two lay down next to me, letting out whimpers when Rayleigh stood next to us, flashing his teeth at the youngsters. Jaden pushed his head under my arm while Tilly was hiding behind me, like asking me to do something about the Alpha. As if I could do something to protect them from a wolf that weighed probably ten times more than me.
"Well that's what you get for pissing him off," I told the whiners when they tried to act all cute and innocent.
Rayleigh barked at me in approval, before he turned back into a human, stretching his back with a smile on his face. "That felt good," he laughed.
"Can we continue now?" Ryder asked with a frustrated voice.
"Sure, sure," Rayleigh said and turned to look at Aurora. "We can't stay much longer – Ezra wanted to see the kids before we head to the Hall."
"We are already late," Ryder mumbled.
"Sorry," Rayleigh laughed. "We better get going then. You three – don't cause any trouble and try to let poor Oliver sleep tonight. I'll come check up on you tomorrow," he told us.
Ryder was already walking towards the gate, when Rayleigh followed him. Ezra stayed behind for a moment, keeping his eyes on me.
"It was nice to meet you, Oliver," he smiled. "I'd like to have a chance to talk with you soon, if that's all right?"
"Sure," I nodded. "But why?"
"I think I knew Kevin better than anyone else," he said quietly. "Hell, they all come to me when they have something on their chest. They've always known I can keep a secret. I could tell you more about your father, if you'd like."
I watched him closely for a moment, thinking about his words. His spirit was giving me hints as well. He was... sad...
I nodded slowly. "There's something you know... but you're not sure if I want to know," I spoke slowly, gaining the attention of everyone around me.
"You Spirit Walkers..." he breathed out in amusement. "There's no hiding from you."
"I guess not," I sighed. "Not now. I'm too tired to hear more right now," I told him, feeling exhausted all of a sudden.
"I understand. Let's talk another time."
"Thanks," I said.
We bid our farewells, and Ezra hurried after Rayleigh and Ryder. The wolves looked up at me, and I could feel their worry, so I smiled at them. "I'm fine. Who's up for some fetch? I saw a stick behind the house..."
None of them moved a muscle, and I knew they were still worried over me. I let out a sigh, and scratched Jaden behind the ear. "Whatever he has to tell me, it's nothing I want to hear right now. It doesn't even matter what he has to say. It won't change anything. I just want to spend some time with you guys."
They looked at me for a moment, before they got up on their feet. Jaden left running somewhere behind the house, Tilly following him closely. Arch stayed with me, and while I was getting up from the snow, I heard the other two running back to us. I was only partly surprised to see they were fighting over a stick.
"You found it," I smiled at them, when Jaden stopped in front of me, dropping the stick at my feet.
"You were... not kidding," Aurora said, watching me pick up the branch from the ground, and throwing it for Jaden and Tilly. "You are making my daughter fetch a stick?"
I froze for a moment, and then slowly turned to look at her. "I... I thought it's fine..." I muttered.
Jaden dropped the stick at my feet, but I didn't dare to take it. Aurora stared at it blankly, but before neither of us could do or say anything, Tilly grabbed it with a demanding whine, trying to give it to me.
"I bought you an expensive phone. If I had known you'd rather play with a stick, I wouldn't have bothered," Aurora told her, and Tilly let out a muffled bark while holding onto the stick, pushing my hand with it. "Fine, play with a stick," her mother rolled her eyes.
I took it from Tilly, and hesitantly threw it for them to catch.
"If anyone asks, this is an endurance practice," Aurora said, crossing arms over her chest.
"Come on, they're just having fun," Alastair spoke while walking to us. He stopped right next to his mate, wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "Besides," he muttered in her ear, "I remember a few occasions when you–"
"Oh, don't you dare!" Aurora told him sternly, trying to hold back a smile. "We do not talk about that!"
Alastair whispered something in her ear, making her blush and giggle like a schoolgirl. Then they forgot all about us, and went to sit down on the porch, continuing their flirty conversation. Natalie turned to look at me.
"The bond between mates is fascinating," Natalie said. "Werewolves are fascinating," she added, when Jaden brought the stick to me.
"They truly are," I said, and Jaden stopped to stare at me. "Yes, you are fascinating," I told him with a smile, and he licked my hand, wagging his tail. He didn't notice Tilly stealing the branch until she was already running away with it.
When the two of them were fighting over it, Arch barked quietly, and I turned to scratch his neck. He seemed happy with it. He leaned against my leg, moving his head a little to help me find the perfect spot.
"I'm so happy to see you have good friends now," Natalie said quietly as she watched us. "It broke my heart every time I saw you all alone..."
"I had Gecko and all the others. It wasn't that bad," I said truthfully. All I could think of at that moment was little Jaden, all alone, with no one to play with... At least I had the other kids at the group home.
Arch rubbed his head against my leg, letting out a quiet mumble every now and then. Jaden lost the stick to Tilly, who brought it to me, and I threw it again.
"You are such a good kid, Oliver," Natalie said, hugging me all of a sudden. "You deserve the best."
"Uhm, thanks," I chuckled, hugging her back.
"I'm sorry for not telling you about your abilities sooner... I was afraid you would reject me again, and... I couldn't do that, but now I see I was being selfish..."
"Stop thinking like that," I said sternly. "You didn't know this would happen."
She took a deep breath while I threw the stick again, and when Jaden and Tilly chased after it, she continued, "I had it all planned, you know... If Anthony hadn't returned, I would've waited until you noticed that you were different than the other kids. It was bound to happen since you were making friends with werewolves. I was so excited. And he ruined it..." she trailed off with an angry gleam in her eyes.
"I would've loved that," I told her quietly. "But we don't always get what we want."
"That I know painfully well," she said quietly, brushing her hand through my hair. She looked so sad...
"Is it..." I swallowed hard and tried again. "Is it possible for me to get fostered again? If I convince the social workers that I'm fine with it?"
She didn't reply to me right away. There was a hint of tears in her eyes, when she pulled me into another hug. "I hope so," she breathed out.
To have a home... A real home...
I didn't notice the silence in the yard. Not at first. When Natalie pulled away, drying her eyes, I saw Jaden and Tilly standing close by, watching us silently. Their concern over me gave me strength, and I turned to look at Natalie again.
"Well, in two years, I'll be kicked out of the group home anyway. I'm going to need a place to stay while I figure out my life," I told her.
A big smile appeared on her lips, and she hugged me again, more tightly than ever before.
"You are welcome to stay with us as long as you want," she told me, and I could feel her happiness radiating in her soul.
I kept throwing the stick for the wolves to fetch for a moment, but they were getting tired, I was getting cold, and it was getting late, so soon, we decided to go back inside. Jaden, Arch and Tilly were now calm and relaxed, and the restless tension was gone. I hoped that meant they would sleep well, since I definitely needed a good night's sleep.
Later, when it was time for bed, Jaden was barely awake while we changed our clothes. He nearly collapsed on the bed while I was still pulling my pajama pants on and hugged his pillow. I smiled at him and lay down next to him.
"I can't keep my eyes open any longer..." he muttered.
"Good," I chuckled. "Maybe I'll get to sleep after all."
"Maybe," he muttered. "But it's about to get noisy around here..."
"What do you mean?" I asked, but he was already asleep. "Hello?"
He was snoring lightly. I stared at him for a moment, feeling jealous of his ability to fall asleep so fast. It always took me at least half an hour to fall asleep, even when I was exhausted.
I shook my head in amusement and found a good place to sleep. I kept watching him, feeling peaceful. Even though we were still in danger, at that moment, I couldn't feel it. I didn't want to think about it. I just wanted to enjoy that peaceful night after a peaceful day. The little spirit was safe with us. There were dozens of wolves between me and Anthony. I was surrounded by people who cared about me. Whatever Ezra had to tell me, it wasn't important; it was only about the history of a person I never even met.
After a few highly confusing and exhausting days, I felt like I was entitled to just enjoy the moment and watch Jaden sleep.
He sure was nice to look at... I thought about what Arch said about his sexuality. I had never been attracted to anyone. Not in a way that I would've noticed it. I had seen a few girls that I thought were cute, but I never really felt anything towards them. It was the same deal with guys...
"Was I meant for you all along?" I whispered my question, but no one was there to answer.
I liked that idea... I hardly knew the guy, but I was already growing feelings for him. He seemed... perfect. Now that I wasn't panicking anymore, I really was happy to have him by my side.
The quiet peacefulness was making me drowsy, and I closed my eyes just for a moment. Or so I thought. The next time I opened them, Jaden wasn't in bed anymore. I sat up to search for him, and saw him standing by the window, looking up at the sky.
And I heard wolves... dozens and dozens of wolves, howling in the distance.
It was beautiful... I felt shivers running down my spine as I listened in to their song. I didn't dare to speak so I wouldn't ruin anything. I just watched Jaden, feeling his restlessness. So much for the peacefulness, but I didn't mind. I had never heard anything like that before.
The door was suddenly opened, and we were joined by two wolves. One white, one brown one. Tilly jumped on the bed and lay down, her ears pinned back. She let out a quiet whine, wagging her tail at me. I petted her head while Arch walked to Jaden and sat down to look at the moon. Tilly fell silent when she saw it and her ears popped up again while she listened in to the other wolves.
"Go ahead – I know you want to," I chuckled, and they all turned to look at me for a second.
Jaden gave me a smile. "I'm sorry..." he muttered, before he turned into a wolf as well.
And they joined the song, howling at the moon with the rest of their pack.