And There Were Wolves

eleven | something keeps me holding on to nothing

EROS

I watched that dickhead open the door for her before settling in behind the wheels. I was not sure whether this has been the stupidest idea I have ever made or if I was being really smart.

"What's your deal?" asked Sebastian inside my head once the car has driven away.

I turned my gaze away from its taillight to the red wolf standing a few meters from me. "I don't know what you're on about, Seb." I shrugged before crossing my arms against my chest. "I was just telling her what she needs to know."

"Yeah, right," said Seb before the red wolf turned into a naked human. Nudity was not that uncommon amongst werewolves. Young Seb has probably seen me naked a dozen times since we always paired up during patrol. "You damn well know I was not talking about that."

I frowned. "Then what in the hell were you on about?"

"Your feelings for Xyrra obviously," answered Seb, rolling his eyes.

My lips turned to a tight line. This was not a conversation that I wanted to have with anyone in the pack. Especially with Young Seb.

"You like her," Seb said again.

I took a deep calming breath while wondering how on Earth he could see it. Craving the one person you could never have sucks ass, but there was nothing to be done about it. Xyrra was my best friend and there was no way I would lose her just to pursue my own feelings. I heaved out a sigh. I had spent most of my childhood at Ashcroft's house. For as long as I could remember, I've always had a soft spot for Xyrra. I had watched out for her when we had been in elementary, middle, and then high school. Somewhere along the way, my feelings had changed, morphing into something different. Something stronger. I had started to notice things about her that I probably shouldn't have. Then my eighteenth birthday arrived and when I returned to my pack, I found my mate, Crystal. Not many people, including Xyrra, knew that the name Crystal was actually derived from the Ancient Greek word meaning 'carrier of Christ' — which suited best for my cover at that time because no one outside my pack would suspect that I was a werewolf.

"It's Crystal, isn't it?"

His words had me straightening up as if someone just rammed a stick up my ass. "What?" I asked because there was no damn way I had heard him correctly.

Seb's bored gaze flickered in my direction before refocusing on the pathway ahead of us. "Oh, come on, Eros. You heard me. Do I really have to repeat myself? You did not go for Xyrra because of Crystal, right? Because Crystal is your mate."

I shook my head and attempt to force down the thick lump lodged in the middle of my throat, making it impossible to breathe. "I did not want to go for Xyrra, what are you even—"

He scrunched his face disapprovingly, looking like the perfect mimic of Sebastianos Sr., Young Seb's father. It would have been comical if he did not hit right on the mark.

"Man, it's me, not Thanos. You don't need to fucking deny it. I am your friend."

My eyes widened as I moistened my lips and tried to make a second attempt. "Look, I don't know what you think you know but I like Crystal, she is the one I want and Xyrra is just—"

With a snort, Young Seb shook his head. "Just own up to it for goodness's sake! Your dick goes hard whenever you see that girl."

"It is not like that."

I learned that it was really such a difficult thing to push the words through stiff lips. I did not want anyone talking about Xyrra like that. In fact, I was so close to beating the shit out of my so-called friend for even suggesting it.