Wolf & Witch III: Oracle's Path

Ch. 19

"I'm attracted to him," Sean said softly, but clearly. "Until recently, I thought it was just a crush, and that'd it go away. But...I do have deeper feelings for him." Sean suddenly pulled back so that he could look Kaid in the eyes. "Don't get me wrong, though. The feelings are there, but nothing's happened between us."

Kaiden was silent for a minute. He wasn't expecting anything to come from his question. It was a shot in the dark. But there it was, the answer he was pretty sure he'd already known but had just been silently avoiding. "Is that why you still have his ring? Because nothing happened?" Kaiden didn't know why he was pushing this, maybe because Dakota was someone important to him, just like Sean and Nate.

"I kept it because he said I could, and because he's important to me," Sean replied. "He didn't want the protection of my magic, which was why I'd initially taken it."

"That's it?"

"That's it. I stopped wearing it because I didn't wanna send the wrong message, and I haven't told him about any of this...Haven't talked to anyone about it but you. I couldn't even tell Trev or Anna, who I normally feel like I can tell everything to..."

The sound that came out of Kaiden was like a tire deflating rapidly, and a cloud of steam rolled out of his nose as he kicked at the ground. Then, he zipped up his pants and pushed off the tree. "We should get back. Bad look for me to be away from my own party for too long."

"Right," Sean agreed, though it seemed like he wasn't exactly eager to head back.

The mention of Sean's cousin only served to remind Kaiden of his conversation with Anna, and given what Sean had just admitted, he just wanted to get back to the party and lose the feeling that had settled in on him, and that Sean no doubt had picked up on.

"Kaid?" Sean slowed to a stop. "Wait..."

He really didn't want to, but he couldn't just shrug Sean off either, even if he knew what was going to come out of his mouth next. "Hm? What's up?" Kaiden wondered in as casual a tone as he could muster.

"Anna told you that I'm meant to be with another wolf, didn't she?" Sean said, shifting his weight. "She and Trev think it's Dakota. That's why I can't talk to them about this...I don't want anything pushed on me, or to rush into things anymore. But more importantly, I don't want anything to come between me and you. I want to be a good boyfriend."

"You can be, if you just talk to me. Like what we're doing right now. But if you don't, then how can I help or trust you?"

"...You can't."

Kaid pointed a finger gun at Sean, the hint of a smile showing. "Exactly."

"You're right," Sean replied, nodding for a moment, before closing the distance between them, and pulling Kaid into a hug that the tall wolf comfortably returned.

"...Can I ask you something about Dakota?"

"Sure."

"Do you know what happened between your dad, and mom, and him? Were any of them ever actually even mated?"

"Yeah, but being claimed is different for wolves than it is for non-wolves. It changes us. My mom was never claimed, but Rose and Dakota were...by the same mate. They kept it secret, and I don't think either of them have ever really recovered."

Sean's lip's parted as he stared for a moment, then he cleared his throat. "Travis...had a lot of secrets," Sean muttered before adding, "Changes you how?"

"I don't know, I've never experienced it. But they say it's the strongest bond you'll ever have. It's so strong that it's usually all the adults warn us about before the mating season."