Blueberry Scones (MxM)

Chapter 7 - Break

Getting hurt during runs happened a lot. My wolf was slower and got tired easily. Accidents happened. I was grateful that Erin had stayed behind with me. He didn't have to. But I was surprised when I saw Joshua's wolf off to the side. Why wasn't he up at the front? He was a beta, wasn't he? He could have easily run in front.

My wolf hobbled forward, supported by Erin's. We passed Joshua, who seemed to just be watching. The moment our body brushed against his, though, I felt something odd.

Joshua and I had touched in human form before during that one time in the cafe when I touched his hand and he had froze. And I'm sure there have been other random touches, just like with any other person. The kind that weren't supposed to happen but did because of a twitch in your finger or something.

But this was different. My wolf was the one who felt it. It was warm, almost like a very dull tingle, right where our bodies brushed against each other. It was a single moment, one that should have been insignificant.

I was confused. What just happened? Why did I feel that way? What did I feel? Erin's wolf and mine kept walking, ignoring it but I kept thinking about it. That wasn't normal. Perhaps it was just a reaction to brushing against a stranger in general. Maybe it was just my imagination.

I wished I could glance back at Joshua but my wolf was focused on walking away. He clearly didn't care about what just happened even though he was the one that controlled our body right now. So maybe I didn't have to care either.

Right?

.

.

.

At some point, the pain got to be a little too much for my wolf. He whimpered, telling Erin that we needed to shift and rest for a bit. He shifted first, scooping up my wolf and taking us over to a nearby rock. I shifted as well, still in his lap. A small blush warmed my cheeks, but a voice in the back of my head whispered that something was different.

I ignored it, though. How could anything be different? This was Erin. He was perfect. Looking up at him, I smiled gently. "Sorry, our leg just hurt too badly," I explained softly.

He smiled back, reaching up to brush my hair away from my face. "It's fine. I understand."

He went quiet for a moment, just staring at me. I couldn't help but stare back, captivated by his warm brown eyes. They were like pools of melted chocolate. I didn't think I could ever look away.

"You know I love you right?" He spoke up, his eyes searching my face for something.

"Of course. You tell me all the time," I joked lightly.

"No, I mean it, Wren. I love you so much that it hurts sometimes because you still have a mate out there. I don't want to let you go but you deserve to be happy with your destined partner," he admitted.

My chest tightened up at his words. Was this what he always felt? Didn't he understand that he was the one I was choosing? That I wanted him to be my mate?

I reached up, cupping his cheeks in my hands. "But I'm happy with you right now. Isn't that what matters?" I told him.

A pained expression crossed his face. "No, it doesn't, Wren." He sighed, pulling away from my hands. "I don't know, we just started talking about your mate and stuff and it just got me thinking. I don't want to get hurt in the process, you know? I already lost one mate; I don't want to lose you too. But I can't forget that you have a mate somewhere out there, looking for you. They'd make you happier than I ever could."

I shook my head, feeling a bit frustrated. I was happy with him. He was focusing on something he shouldn't even worry about. "You need to stop worrying, Erin. I'm right here. Why can't you just accept that?"