Queen Of The Night ×Wyatt Lykensen×

•Being True To Yourself•

🏹Alec🏹

I'm picking up my bow when a voice stops me. "Alec!" I feel my heart skip before speeding up. I turn around and look to see Caleb walking up to me. "Hi," he says and a grin graces my face when I see the smile on his. At least it's not awkward like last time. "Hi, Caleb."

"You got a minute?" I nod and drop my bow back down, grabbing my plaid shirt and wiping the sweat from my face. "What can I do for you?" I ask letting my arms drop down to my sides. He slips his hands into his jean pockets, his shoulders hunching slightly, making him look nervous.

"I was hoping to clear up what happened last night at the falls."

"Which part? The one where your brother almost got into a full blown brawl?" He chuckles, flashing his slightly too sharp canines and I can't help but admire them. "Or what happened between us?" I ask carefully not wanting to make it awkward again. He doesn't lose the smile, but it does become somewhat shy.

Seeing the tough sarcastic boy look so cute made me want to tease him, but I refrain from saying anything. "Yeah. The second one."

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Sometimes I say what's in my head without thinking," I say talking about when I called his eyes beautiful. His eyes widen slightly and he shakes his head. "No, it was fine. I just... In that particular area I'm not entirely... Experienced."

"With people complimenting you?" He sighs and I tilt my head. "No. I mean..." He trails off and I wait patiently. "Screw it. When I was twelve I noticed that I had developed feelings for one of my friends. A boy. I was really confused about what it meant, but to my father it was pretty clear."

His tone changed near the end and I remember what Crystal said about Caleb having a rough childhood. "And since werecats were trapped for centuries my father grew up with a distinct belief about homosexuality. It was just another thing he could hate me for."

I stare at him sadly as he runs his fingers through his hair. "And so later that day my father decided to beat me straight. Almost killed me. I returned the favor tenfold when I shifted for the first time in my life and nearly ripped him apart."

My eyes widen to learn that all that happened to him at age twelve. "He didn't die, but he never laid his hands on me again. And ever since then I've been afraid to make intimate connections with anyone. Let alone... a guy. Even if you don't notice me in that way I just wanted to clear it up."

"Um. Wow, that's a lot of information to process, Caleb." He chuckles lightly at my playful tone. "First of all your father is a douche. Because no child should be put through that just for being gay. Second of all I am homosexual and third of all yes, I notice you in that way."

His shoulders finally relax as he exhales. I smile in amusement as the breeze picks up, cooling my damp skin. "You're adorable when you're nervous. You know that?" He rolls his eyes and my smile grows. "Alright, um, I need to change because I'm practically soaked with sweat. So, want to come in and hang out?"

He nods and we head inside. I see Crystal, Lukas, and Robin in the living room talking. "Everything okay?" Crystal asks from her spot on the couch and Caleb nods. I head up the stairs and into the guest room, taking off my damp shirt and pulling on a fresh one. I hear my phone vibrating from its spot on the nightstand.

I walk over and press the home button causing the screen to light up. I see it's my mom and sigh, turning it back off. I'm not in the mood to talk to her. I slip my phone into my pocket and head back downstairs. "Breakfast!" I hear Robin call as I reach the last step.

I enter the kitchen and see the others maneuvering around each other. Robin holds a plate out to me and I accept it. "Here you go, sweetie."

"Thanks, Miss Barkley." I sit down at the table and Crystal sits beside me with Caleb on my other side. "You guys excited for school to start back up soon?" Robin asks as we all get settled down at the table. "I don't know if excited is the word I'd use," Crystal says as she bites into her sausage. Lukas smiles in amusement as he drinks from his steaming mug.