Out, wild and free.

“So, she's finally out, wild and free, huh?” Anton chuckled, handing Seth a cup of tea and dropping his body on the couch next to her.

This was the first time in a while he had gone back to the apartment friends used to share together. While Seth was busy with the work at the Council territory job, Anton started a new relationship and soon moved in with his boyfriend.

However, he kept covering the apartment's costs since Seth would need a place to come back.

Even though many thought that his effort was useless, Anton didn't think so - his best friend only felt at home wherever he was, so even the idea of Seth moving elsewhere felt awful.

Besides, who knew where she would go after going through the nightmare Seth had to call her life for a couple of weeks. Anton had an incredible sixth sense; he felt that she didn't quite enjoy the life of luxury there, and he was as right as ever.

Maybe some might try to tell that her life was an adventure, especially with four Alphas circling her and fighting for her attention, but Anton knew that Seth didn't enjoy it. She had never been someone who loved to stay in the center of the attention, let alone one that consisted of Alphas.

“Yeah, I'm not sure why or how she did it, though. I thought that we were too weak to shift all those years, especially after you know what happened. If there's one thing I'm absolutely sure of - it's the pain. Man, it was intense. I'm not sure how much time it took, but it felt like forever, I swear to God. Maybe that is the main reason why we didn't really do that? You know, the torture you have to endure to get to that end result? I mean, Clara is beautiful; I have never seen a puma as gorgeous as she is, but to get there, I would need to go through the same over and over again. I'm not sure if I am ready if we are ready to be okay with that. I'm not the only one who has to suffer - she is there, fighting against me, forcing herself on the surface. She's in pain too, Anton. I don't want to make her suffer even more. She is too precious for that,” Seth stared at the wall, recalling the agonizing pain, each bone that broke during the shifting.

When she was younger, it didn't hurt at all, for the most part at least. Those couple of times when she did shift into her puma, she didn't notice how it happened.

Seth knew that there had to be a reason for her puma to finally surface and show herself - otherwise, Clara would keep hiding from the world.

But what was her trigger? Were those the words from the doctor or the constant feeling of being walked over? It didn't matter, not anymore. They reunited, felt the rush of adrenaline and power - the one feeling that was more addictive than orgasms.

“Well, I am glad to have her back. I am glad to have you back too.” Without warning, Anton stood up from the couch and leaned down to kiss the top of Seth's head. “I better get going now, or mister perfection will start getting worried about my absence. Will you be okay here, by yourself?” His eyebrow rose, face twisted in worry.

Seth knew that if she lied to his face or appeared a little uncertain, her best friend wouldn't be able to leave her alone. Anton never left her side for most of her life, especially when she seemed even a little off.

“Of course, I am a grown woman. Besides, the fridge and freezer are loaded with food - thank you for that. I won't die of starvation all because of your kind heart. Oh, and before I forget, I would love to meet your boyfriend one day.” Seth followed her best friend and stood up, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him in a tight hug.

Unknowingly, she held him a little longer than usual, inhaling his scent, letting herself feel at home for a little longer. He was her home and always would be.

“Bet your ass that you will. How about this weekend? We could go out of town, for camping or hiking maybe?” Anton giggled uncomfortably, trying his best to wiggle out of Seth's bear hug.

“Wait, hold up right there. Who are you, and what have you done to my best friend? I knew the food, and all that crap was too good to be true, damn it. Where is my Anton, you imposter!” She let go of him and jumped back, landing on top of the couch.

Seth made sure to show off her canines, making her show seem a little more realistic than just a joke. Both of them kept playing pranks on each other or pretending to be angry, surprised, or sad, but this time Seth had to look like she was serious.

Perhaps he didn't notice how out of character his offer sounded, but Seth noticed it right away. Even though Anton was a hard worker - he was as lazy as a sloth when it came to exercises. For the most part, Seth had to drag her friend to the gym and fake that a gorgeous man was passing by to force Anton into lifting weights.

Anton just shrugged his shoulders and turned around, slowly heading for the apartment door.

Seth watched how he slid on his shoes in silence and quickly jumped off the couch, running towards her best friend. She didn't need the answers, but she wouldn't let him go if he didn't bother to hug her.

As expected, Anton grinned and opened his arms for her: “Gosh, don't get your panties on fire, woman.”

“And there he is, the sarcastic asshole I love and adore. But, for real, since when do you do camping and hikes? You hate bugs and nature.”

Seth didn't dare to hold her friend too long. She didn't want to seem too clingy, nor give him a reason to stay around for longer than he's supposed - getting in trouble. She leaned against the nearest wall, crossing her arms in front of her chest, attempting to appear calm and collected, even when she was not close to being okay inside.

“Since I met this amazing wolf shifter who is so drawn to nature, I had to swallow my pride and give up on manicure to follow him into the woods. Now, it's like a tradition - picnics, camping, hikes, fishing, and all that manly bullshit. He does the hard work while I follow and look pretty by his side. A week ago, we went on this boat trip to an island near the shores - that was the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for me. I guess that man taught me how to appreciate everything, especially things someone could do for me even when I'm a brat. Seth, I think I'm in love.” His eyes burned in passion as soon as the mysterious man became the topic of their conversation.

Seth took her time to think back to every other relationship Anton had, to every one-night stand, and every man that had caught his attention. Was it really possible that her best friend had fallen in love while she was chased by Alphas?

Up to this day, there wasn't even one man who would bring out so many emotions, not to mention the inability to keep things a secret. If Seth had to come up with that one time when Anton couldn't shut up about a man - there wouldn't be one, except for today.

Seth cleared her throat and smiled at him: “I'm pretty sure you're not the only one who might be in love,” she added, proud to be there when the miracle happened.

But, as always, like any other best friend, she had to add a little extra to get rid of their overly sweet conversation and lead it towards a little rude direction: “At least now I know who's the bitch in the relationship.”

“Oh, fuck you. I will call you tomorrow. Now, get some rest; you need it.” Anton rolled his eyes and kissed the top of her head again before opening the door.

Seth could notice the inner battle in his eyes - too worried to leave and too afraid to stay around for any longer. It wasn't like she didn't understand what was happening inside his head.

Anton would fight the need to stay around until he broke down and decided to stay with Seth.

No matter how many times they promised or threatened each other to leave - that never happened. Finally, he started to build his own life without Seth directly around.

She nodded her head and smiled, encouraging him to leave. He would return tomorrow. He had to.

Watching how Anton closed the door behind him made Seth both sad and happy.

She couldn't take all those times when Anton had to leave - the boy was once forced out of her life, and since then, each time hurt. But then again, he was happy now, going back home to the man he loved.

Her best friend would be okay, and so would she.

It might take Seth a little more time; adjusting to new things and making important decisions never seemed easy, but shen was ready to challenge herself. She stood by the door for a couple minutes, making sure that Anton wouldn't come back - if he tried, she would have to throw him out.

The new boyfriend wouldn't think highly of Seth if she stole his man for a night.

Since the man was that important to Anton - Seth had to be the best person she could become. There was no way in hell she would ever let Anton break off the relationship if the new boyfriend didn't like Seth. For that, she had to be the best woman she could be.

As soon as she thought it might be safe to leave, Seth headed for the kitchen. Shifting into her puma took a lot of energy, and now, she would get some of that back by stuffing herself with unhealthy amounts of food.

Ice cream seemed to be the most popular go-to choice, so she grabbed the box bucket she could find in the freezer and placed it on the kitchen counter. She opened the lid slowly, pretending that she had found the holy grail and had to build up suspense as others watched.

Seth had a habit of acting like she was the host of TV shows whenever she cooked, so lots of times, she would speak out to an imaginary public; this time was no exception.

She gasped as the lid finally fell, revealing multiple layers of different ice creams. As always, Anton managed to get the one she loved the most - mix of all. Looking for a bowl became challenging, but after a couple of hisses and some louder, not-so-friendly words, she finally got it. All Seth needed was some fruits, berries, and a TV remote.

Settling on the couch was easy - all of her food was lined in front of her, on top of a coffee table. Seth pulled the tiny furniture closer, so she wouldn't need to move around. Talking about being lazy, at this point, she broke all known records set by Anton.

She chuckled and grabbed the bucket of ice-cream, turning the TV on. This would be her time - just her, Clara, if she turned up, and their food. Nothing else.

Seth knew that nobody could ruin her mood or evening, especially when she finally felt so comfortable. When she noticed that there was no more ice-cream, she looked at her phone screen.

“Holy hell, Seth, it's midnight, woman! Stop stuffing your gut and get some sleep before you pass out and turn this place into a rainbow factory,” Seth hissed under her breath, pretending to be a responsible adult.

There was no best friend to scold her about her bad habits. As she got rid of the evidence, Seth hummed a melody of a thriller movie, giving herself an image of a criminal that tried to get out before the cops arrived.

Running back and forth between the kitchen and living room, at one point, she started laughing like a maniac. She had the whole apartment to herself and nobody to share her happiness with.

Slowing down, she focused her attention on the front door, staring at the metal as if she had noticed something unusual. Deep down, she hoped that someone would visit her, take away the loneliness, and hold her until she fell asleep.

While Seth had Anton, she never thought of sharing intimate moments, except sex, with men. They were her toys, a way to make her forget or feel better - a stress relief, nothing more or less.

Perhaps the recent adventure was the proof she needed to admit to herself that there was so much more to relationships than she thought?

Avoiding closeness and genuine feelings saved her from heartbreak, but was that all she wanted? The fear of trusting someone that could betray her seemed too big to step over in just one moment of loneliness.

Unknowingly, she thought of Alpha s- how the men made her feel, how they provided the feeling of safety, and worried about every move she took. All of them were amazing, each in their own way, but together they made a man of dreams.

If only Seth could get the little things all of them had in one man - perhaps then, she wouldn't be as terrified to commit to a relationship.

Bringing herself out of the deep state of thoughts wouldn't be possible if someone wouldn't start banging on her apartment door.

That had to be Anton - he felt it, Seth was sad, and ran back like the little bitch he was.

Angered, Seth stomped towards the door and forcefully pulled it open, yelling: “I told you to leave!” As the words left her parted lips, she faced her guest, who wasn't the best friend she expected.

Surprised, she closed her mouth with a palm and forcefully growled. “You? What the hell are you doing here? Go away!”