Stubborn and the Mutt

seventeen | the pack

"Hey, hey, don't cry, bestie." Andrea pulls me in for a hug.

"Well, now I'm going to cry because you said I shouldn't." I mumble against her chest, pressing my eyes shut to avoid the stinging sensations at the back of them. "I feel so bad."

"You didn't know—"

"I know, but still." I pull away slightly. I even have to sniff a bit. "I just... you should have seen his eyes, Drea. His face. He looked pained. He hid that from me all along!"

"I mean, to be fair, you didn't want anything to do with him. Maybe he just felt like he couldn't exactly share whatever it was, with you or it would be an overload. Maybe he was trying to protect you?"

My head nods a bit. Maybe he was. Even still, it doesn't ease up the guilt I feel.

There I was making fun of him, mocking him and what he believed only for all of it to be true. All of it. Down to him actually being a mutt. And I mocked him. Yet he kept such a burden, covering the pain behind his silly face with grins and annoying words, or even nonchalant expressions and repetition of the same thing. I am his mate, whatever that means, and he really needs a mate.

He needs his mate. I took that as a joke, and he suffered as the result.

"I should apologise, shouldn't I? I should apologise. I feel like I need to. It's wrong, what I did."

"Hey." Andrea pulls away to frown at me. She's a sweet, she even caresses my cheek to provide comfort. "You're also hurt by what your ex did. It makes sense not to take men seriously for a while, and this boy, Micah, just rocked out of nowhere and said all that he did. Anyone would second guess taking him seriously."

"I know." I mumble, pulling her closer against me to feel some sort of embrace. "I should still apologise."

"Do you really want to?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." She pulls away, rubbing my shoulders with a small smile. "I may know where he is, but I won't take you there. I want to wait here for Carlos."

What would he be doing here?

Andrea takes my hand and leads me back towards the back entrance of the house, right into the same garden I was in moments ago. I can't help that my shoulders tense up at the thought of me seeing him as his wolf. What if he doesn't want to see me? At least if he is in his human form, he won't exactly attack me.

I stare at the forest, all it's green glory, before glancing at my friend to be certain that this is a good idea. All she can do is grin and now, waving her hand as though shooing me towards the forest. The garden we are in is quite massive — and it makes sense since such creatures as Micah exist — and then the forest stretches out I'm sure for miles on end.

I can only take a deep breath and then clear my throat, taking a step closer towards the forest that's quite a distance from the both of us.

After what feels like eternity and a few seconds, I get to the end of the garden and beginning of the forest. It's much like the forest back at my house, except it's rich; the plants look overly watered in a healthy way, and the grass is thick, bright in colour. The trees are kind of tall, which is a bit scary but I don't let that shaken me up. I glance over my shoulder and I see Andrea who waves at me before turning and walking back to the mansion of a house.

So... I just walk in the forest?

I feel a bit anxious. If I remember correctly, the last time I was in the forest, I was looking for a ball that mysteriously rocked up after noises filed the atmosphere. It doesn't make sense to enter a forest in which I have no idea what it inhabits. It makes sense to turn back around and sprint back for civilisation not too far from me.