Playful Time

Chapter 5

Forgive any grammar errors.

I was sitting in Bryce's office with him, waiting as he answered an important phone call. I was still pretty uncomfortable from the scene I saw in the basement with Eli, but I knew it was something I was going to have to get used to.

Much like everything else in my life now.

"I don't care what you have to do Jeremiah. Find out where Tyrion and Marcus are and report back to me." Bryce said with impatience before ending the call and throwing his phone on his desk.

"Still can't find them?" I asked and he ran his hands down his face and groaned in frustration.

"No. That fucker is sneakier than Marcus was. And the fact that Marcus was seen in town is not a good thing." He had a point. If Marcus was here, that means he was scoping something out. That or create a distraction so that way they could kidnap Charlie. I frowned as I thought back on everything. The poor guy can't catch a break, can he? Already kidnapped by King and now he's being threatened again.

"We're gonna keep him safe Drake. I swear on my life." Bryce's words surprised me and made me wonder if he could read my mind, but judging by his sudden laughter, my face was just very easy to read. We were silent for a while as I tried to build up the courage to actually say I was sorry, but my stubbornness just wasn't making it easy

"Uhm-anyway. I wanted to apologize for the other day with everything I said." I finally said and Bryce just stared at me in response. What is up with everyone just staring at me when I apologize? Nixon did the same thing earlier. "I feel like no one is understanding my side of everything and where I'm coming from. I was human. We were best friends—practically brothers. I knew something's about the life of a werewolf but I didn't know much. So to be suddenly thrown into the world and having to treat someone I saw as an equal like royalty is difficult." The amount of times I had to keep repeating myself on how hard this transition is was becoming tiring.

"I am also at fault Drake," Bryce admitted with a sigh. "I should've realized that you were not meaning to be intentionally disrespectful and paid attention to your actions as a member of this Pack and not as what your ranking is." Well, that was good to know. I won't lie and say him calling me an Omega didn't sting a little. It still did. While we sat there in silence again--albeit a more comfortable silence--I started wondering if Bryce could offer me some help in overcoming my newfound sexuality.

"When you found out you were going to mate with Allister...what--well, how did you feel about it?" I asked after gathering the courage and Bryce cocked his head to the side in question. "Okay, like. Ugh, why is this so difficult! You slept with nothing but chicks before and after your mate died. So how did you go from strictly chicks to dicks and not have any problems with it?"

"Well, there were some problems. But none had to do with my sexuality. I will admit, it was really strange to get used to the thought of being with another man, but there was just something about Allister that made it all disappear and after everything we went through, all I wanted to do was make him happy and be with him." Clearly Bryce's goal in telling me this was to erase the doubt I had in my head, but it wasn't working. Instead, it was making me more frustrated because I've been trying to do what he did. I want to make Nixon happy and I could get high off the love that fills me up when he's around, but there is still that voice that tells me I'm wrong and it isn't right.

"Just give it some more time Drake." Bryce brought me out of my turmoil and I looked up to see him giving me a hopeful smile. "I know you dude. You were the strongest human I knew and you still are. You got through a break up from a three-year relationship at the same time you were dealing with your mother's death. Try opening up to Nixon and see if that might help some. It helped Allister and me." I nodded at his advice but didn't respond. Him mentioning my mom brought up a deep sorrow I hoped to never feel again and I can't be mad at him for doing it because talking about her after all these years might be the building block for my relationship. We left each other and I pondered going to my room and just crawling in my bed, but decided against it. I couldn't be depressed when I told Nixon tonight and I definitely couldn't be depressed when I finally asked him about his life.