#2. The Beta's Little Caster(MxM)

CHAPTER 16

Theodore Hault

"What are you doing?" I hissed at Carmen finally having managed to pull him away from the seemingly flawed peace going around.

"Having fun? Heard of it? It's that thing where you let go and do what you want, do what feels good? Remember that?" He shot back, pulling his arm from my grip.

"They're wolves."

"Yeah, so am I, or have you forgotten that little fact?" I was stunned into silence, searching my friend who had suffered mercilessly under the same man as I did.

"That's not- I did me-"

"But you did." Carmen's gaze was unwavering as I pursed my lips and he sighed. "Theo-" I glared, "Theodore, life is too short to dwell forever on the bad." He said still searching my eye. "I know you're hurt, this was a man you learned to love, a man who promised you the world, nobody expects you to be ready to open your heart up, ever, but you can't stand in your own way forever." Carmen made dancing movements. "Nobody is saying you have to stay, no-one will force you to leave either...so have fun while you can, wherever you can, you never know if it'll be your last."

****

I walked away because how dare he stutter and stumble back like a baby seal? How dare he be wide eyed and searching when he had a mate? Just, how dare he?

I huffed as I washed dishes, glaring out the window and muttering about wolves and their wandering eyes. Winston didn't look, not in the way my statement suggested, but he hesitated and he held onto a hand that wasn't mine for a minute too long, just- ugh.

"Someone's in their feelings." I paused and pouted, my mother weakly turned the counter.

"You're not supposed to be up."

"Oh, hush, these old bones need to move in order to heal." I frowned at her and shook my head knowing there wasn't anyone about to stop her. She began to dry the dishes I washed. "Now, whose got you in your feelings."

"I'm not in my feelings."

"I bet it's the tall baldy." She giggled and I stared at her wide eyed and looking around wondering if someone heard.

"Someone will hear you."

"So what? I'm old, I'm probably talking nonsense to anyone who catches me talk."

"Wrong!" A small voice said and we both looked down as Claude giggled and made a motion to wanting to be carried. My mother obliged him, groaning sweetly in the process.

"My my, what a big boy we got here."

"I grow big and strong like my papa!" He declared and we chuckled. My mother tapping his nose.

"And nosey too." He held his hand to his mouth and laughed while we shook our heads and tisked. "Adorable."

"Yes!" He clapped and we laughed.

My Mom began to pat my back which Claude began to mimic. "Whatever it is that's going on... I know you'll figure it out and do the best thing."

"But what if the best thing isn't what I want to do?"

"Honey, at the end of the day, you gotta do what makes you happy, regardless of how scary and tricky it might be. Nobody but you has to understand why you're doing it or if you're going to. If you're following your heart, whose to stop you really? If not yourself." She adjusted Claude on her hip and he offered her a sweet from his pocket.