Half of What I Could Be

Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Mae

"So bear traps, those are actual things right?" I asked stupidly. I knew they were a thing. Hell, they haunted my dreams more than I would like to admit, but now Jacin and I were three hours into a hike that has been known to be frequented by bears. With bears comes bear traps... Bear traps means me stuck in one.

"Yes," he stated simply. I could tell his annoyance with me has dwindled a little since the whole Gas-Station-Worker-Flirt-Incident, but I had an uncanny ability to make his blood boil anytime I opened my mouth.

The woods were beautiful, the steady incline up Mount Olympus was not. The trees were thick and tall. When I was little I would pretend that it was a gateway to the heavens. Now I knew that they didn't even skim the clouds. The woods smelled...Clean? I thought leviathan had the woodsy rural smell, but I guess I was wrong.

For the first three hours I didn't really talk, because I knew it would most likely end in a fight with Jacin. Yet, my urge to make words was still strong, so I would let little comments slip here and there. Besides my thoughts, the only other sounds were the crisp leaves and snow crunching under my new boots.

Was it just me, but breaking in new shoes was a different kind of torture.

Jacin was always a few feet in front of me, leading the way. I guess his wolf smelling and astounding directional sense really came in handy. Every once in a while he would slightly crane his next back to make sure I was still keeping up with him. I knew if he transitioned into a wolf, he probably would have been at Katelyn's house by now.

"I'm sorry I am holding you back," I said to Jacin's back. I didn't know why I had verbally said that out loud, but I did. He slightly slowed down his pace, but still kept walking.

"It's not your fault," he rumbled out, "Just keep walking and stop getting all emotional," he continued. I honestly felt that he needed to say something everytime we talked with the purpose of getting me mad. Jokes on him, because I was too exhausted to even feel the slightest bit of anger.

"Does it suck not being able to turn into your wolf right now?" I asked. At that moment I realized I never actually saw his wolf...ever. I've seen him partially transform, but never fully.

"A little, but there is nothing I can really do about it," he quipped.

"Well, if my body wasn't a cesspool of sickness, I would be more than willing to turn into my wolf and run all the way to Katelyn's."

"Your body isn't a 'cesspool of sickness,'" he said in response to my personal jib. It took me aback.

"Well tha-" he cut me off.

"But you are a cesspool of annoyance and unluckiness," he finished, and I rolled my eyes, but allowed a small smirk spread across my face.

"At least I'm not a walking STD," I muttered back at him as I dragged my feet on the underbrush of the forest.

"I use protection, thank you very much," he jokingly spat out, but didn't turn around, "And that did not seem to stop you last night."

He had a fair point.

"Well," I stuttered, "I don't- I don't know what you mean," I blurted out, making no sense at all.

Okay, I can even admit that didn't come out right. There was no good way to respond to his comment, because he was right. I was not going to stop him. Jacin confused me. One second I thought bringing up our "rendezvous" was taboo, the next he was joking about it.

"Do you want me to refresh your memory?" he flirted as he let out a laugh. A really hot laugh, may I add. Why does this boy have to get me all sexually frustrated?