Chapter 9

I couldn’t lie to Shaun; not only because, as an alpha, he was even better at detecting lies than the average werewolf, but as sad as it was, Shaun is the closest thing to a friend I have. “I, uh…” I started as I tried to think of a way out of this that didn’t end with me being kicked out of the pack. Yes, I wanted to leave, but I didn’t want to be exiled. That was making me unwelcome in any other pack. With no better solution, I fell back on my usual tactic — lie with the truth. “I was meeting up with him.”

Worry marred Shaun’s face. “Why?”

“He’s hired me for a job.” And before he could ask, I quickly added, “Nothing that’s going to hurt the pack. I would never do anything to hurt us, but he has some things that he doesn’t want his people doing, so…” I shrugged.

“Are you insane?” Shaun snapped, looking at me as if I was in fact insane.

His expression and tone kinda hurt, so I snapped right back at him. “No, I’m unemployed in a town where no one will hire me.”

He looked surprised, but I wasn’t sure if it was because I snapped or.. “Why would you need a job?”

I crossed my arms and laughed a cold, humorless laugh. “Your privilege is showing, Shaun.” With that, I turned and walked away from him. 

“Wait,” he called after me and raced to catch up. “Okay. Sorry. I didn’t mean… it’s just… a vampire, Robin? Why a vampire? It’s barely been ten years since the war ended.”

Intense worry and anxiousness washed over me. I sucked in a breath and stopped at the suddenness of them. 

“Robin? Are you okay?” Shaun asked, and the feelings intensified. 

I stared up at him in surprise. These feelings; they were his. He was worried about me. Shaun Hunter, the alpha’s son and the guy I’ve had a crush on since I could remember, was actually worried about me!

A flutter filled my stomach that was all mine, and I looked down at my shoes, trying to not smile. I don’t think he’d like it if I grin in the face of his concern. “Yeah, I’m okay. I… I just didn’t expect you to worry so much about this?”

“Why wouldn’t I worry? You’re my—” he started, then stopped for a second. “You’re my friend. Worrying it’s what friends do.”

I gave him a curious look at the pause. “Friends? Is that what we are?”

“Of course.”

Again, I wanted to grin. He considered me a friend. As happy as that made me, I am also a little. He saw me as his friend… but I didn’t want to just be his friend. I wanted him to see me as more than that, yet…

Why now? Why was Shaun suddenly talking to me and acting like no time had passed between us? Unable to shake the suspicion, I had to say something. “Shaun, we haven’t talked since middle school, or even better, you’ve barely looked in my direction since then. I’m not sure I’d call us friends anymore.”

His brow furrowed, and he looked down at his feet. Hurt and guilt tickled the back of my brain. “I…” he started, then stopped. Again.

Now, guilt assaulted me for pushing him and making him feel bad, so I shook my head and gave him an out. “You’re the alpha’s son and I’m an omega. We’re on a different spectrum. It’s not your fault and I’m sorry for throwing it out there like it was, but the truth is…” I liked Shaun. I really did, and it hurt to think this much less say it, but I couldn’t live a lie either. “We’re not friends; not any more.” I turned away from him and started walking again. Afraid I might cry, I turned away and started walking again. I didn’t want him to see me cry if I did. 

“Well then, that changes from today,” Shaun said, hurrying to walk next to me.

My heart and stomach did that fluttery thing. “Why?”

He shrugged. “Because.”

Another emotion prickled in the back of my brain, but I wasn’t sure what it was. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. What did matter was that the answer wasn’t nearly good enough. So I pushed again. “Because? Come on, Shaun. What’s going on? Why are you suddenly interested in my life?”

“I’ve always been interested,” he replied and my breath caught as I recognized the emotion. Desire. It was just a spark, but it was there. Did Shaun ‘like me’ like me? 

“You have?” I asked, hope springing up in my heart, but my brain was desperately trying to keep my head in the real world. What did Shaun desire? Friendship? Or perhaps something more?

“Yeah,” Shaun said with a nonchalant shrug. “I always am interested in my friends.” 

At first, the disappointment returned, but I also caught the faintest hint of a lie. A lie? He was lying? My eyes briefly widened, but quickly, I looked down at my feet so he wouldn’t realize I had caught it and I needed a minute to process all this. “Okay,” I said with an air of agreement after a moment, and we walked in silence. What was he lying about? Being friends? Did he want to be more than friends with me? It seemed like it.

I chewed on my lip as we walked. This was like a dream. I had to be dreaming… Discreetly, I pinched my arm and winced at the pain. Nope, I wasn’t dreaming. Perhaps I was insane that this was all a hallucination? I shook my head, feeling silly. What did it say about me that I was trying to rationalize away the possibility of Shaun liking me? Would it be so impossible for him to like me?

I looked up from my feet and realized we were almost at my aunt’s house. Dread filled me. I didn’t want this walk with Shaun to end, and I didn’t want it to end without being sure about his feelings. So I stopped walking and turned to face him. “Thank you for worrying about me.” Once again, I found my breath stolen by the smile he gave me. “And I promise I’ll be careful around the vampire.” 

The smile dimmed. “You should stop whatever this work is. Vampires are beyond dangerous.”

“I’ll be careful,” I replied. My heart pounded in my chest as an idea came into my head. It was crazy, and might ruin everything, but afterwards I would be certain of how Shaun felt about me. So yeah, it was crazy, but I was going to do it. Never in my life would I do something like this, but if I could actually sense his emotions, then I didn’t want to pass this chance up. 

Swallowing and trying to control my nerves, I took a step towards him. “Unless there is a reason you want me to stop beyond rekindling our friendship.”

Shaun didn’t step back, but his brow furrowed. “I—” he started, but when I took another step closer, he said nothing more.

Emboldened by his silence and needing to see how far this would go, I took another step and closed the distance between us. I pushed up on my tip toes to bring my face closer, my eyes never leaving his. I heard his heart sped up like mine and matching its rhythm. 

With every ounce of bravery I might claim, I closed my eyes and the distance between my lips and Shaun’s.