41 | COMING CLEAN

After the quick study session with Darine yesterday, where I could sort of hint at the kind of stuff I’ve been dealing with lately, my friend made me a study guide. I barely had time to review it last night before getting back into the reports and other spy news going around the Coven compound. Still, by the time I get to class the next morning I’m feeling a little more confident about the material in Calculous.

Blue and Yuri are notably absent during Homeroom, but when Darine and I get to PE, the two Wolven are waiting for us in the main area of the gym. Both are now close enough to fully healed that it’s like the two were never in a skirmish the day before.

“Mornin’, gorgeous.” Yuri grins at me when we join them, after changing into our normal PE uniform. I blink at the Wolven, surprised - and for once - delighted to see him acting so normally. I pass a look at Blue who just shrugs, a tight smile on his face.

“Right back at ya, big guy.” I grin at Yuri, evading the usual bone-crushing hug he greets me with by wrapping my arms around Blue’s shoulders from behind. I lean my head on his shoulder to look up at him as he raising an eyebrow at me. Yuri says something to Darine in greeting, the two muttering pleasantries and getting into a conversation I don’t bother listening to.

“You two talked?” I ask Blue softly, my words meant only for his ears.

“Yeah,” Blue’s tight expression smooths out, silvery-grey eyes soft as he looks back at me and shrugs out of my grip. I half-expect him to put a little distance between us, but he just pulls me into a forward-facing embrace, his arms encircling my waist and pressing me to his chest. I tilt my head to keep our eyes locked, an easy smile on his face letting me know the two’ve worked out whatever it was they had been fighting about. “Good morning.”

“Good morning.” I grin back at him, an unexpected lightness filling me at his greeting.

“Hey, Azure, Holland,” Coach Lyle snaps at us from the side of the room. “No PDA in gym.” Blue rolls his eyes and flicks an annoyed look at our PE teacher before reluctantly releasing me and putting a laughable inch of space between our bodies. “That’s better.” Lyle seems to miss the sarcastic salute Blue makes as he turns to the class and gives the usual options for the class period’s exercise. When he dismisses us, I start towards Yuri and Darine, but Blue grabs my hand and allows the two to get a few yards ahead.

“Darine’s got the green light.” Blue tells me quietly. “Yuri’s going to tell her.” I freeze and feel my eyes widen at him in a mix of relief and surprise, my chest tightening as his words hit me.

“Seriously?” I ask him, my voice thin and soft. I can’t tell if I’m afraid or excited about Darine finding out the Azures are Wolven. It’s more than I expected from Blue. Way more than I thought the Pack would allow - let alone the Alpha, Blue’s dad - after he made it perfectly clear they he wouldn’t allow just anyone to know about the Wolven in Kiwina. “How’d you get your dad to allow it?” I find myself voicing the question before I can stop myself. Blue’s lips press into a grim line and he shrugs, turning his eyes away from mine to look after Yuri and Darine as they disappear out the back door and onto the path through the woods that signals the ‘track’.

“The Alpha’s been making some changes lately.” Blue shrugs, pulling me towards the path to follow the other students to the track. Finally, a small smile rises to my face and a tension I hadn’t realized I was carrying leaves my body.

“Does that mean I get to know things, too?” I half-joke, practically skipping alongside Blue as we walk outside and under the canopy of colorful fall leaves. Fall’s in full swing now, being that we’re in the later part of September. Firey red and orange have bloomed in the normally green tree tops, the reminder that I’ve been in this town for a little over a year, warming some part of me and widening my smile.

“Would you be willing to join the Pack?” Blue asks instead of answering me. I feel my smile fade a bit, but tighten my hold on his hand as I think that over.

“I’m not sure I’m ready to take that leap just yet.” I admit to him. “Don’t get me wrong, I know your dad extended the invitation to join and that I can take it whenever, but,” I shrug, chewing on my bottom lip. “After everything that happened with the Reiniers… I don’t want to stay with the Coven forever, but it’s kind of nice to have some silence in my head after so long, you know? I know nothing’s influencing me to make any decision or anyone else’s. The vamps may not be as warm and open as Wolven, but I think that what I need right now.” I take a deep breath and look up at Blue. “Just until we can stabilize the apocalypse.” I offer the flimsy excuse because I’m not sure exactly when things will really be ‘stable’. It gives me time to make my decision.

“It’s technically stable right now, isn’t it?” Blue points out dryly, narrowing his eyes at me in suspicion. An icy tendril of fear slips down my spine as his very valid point pokes holes in my argument to barter more time. I quickly search for another something - anything - to pull me from the loop hole he’s just pointed out. I’m not sure why part of me is terrified at the idea of being forever-bound to someone I barely know when the connection we have is so strong.

“You know we still haven’t been on a date yet.” I point out rather than address his words. Blue smirks, quirking an eyebrow and pulling us to a stop. Whats left of the class filters past us, and he waits until they’re out of ear shot again before speaking.

“Is that all that’s stopping you?” He asks me seriously, but the light of mischief in his silvery grey eyes keeps the tension from suffocating me. I swallow, hesitating as his grip on my hand tightens - just a little. “Red?”

“Yes?” I squeak out, because it is. Sort of. I want to know the person I’m going to be forever-bound to. *One day I may even out live him*. That thought spikes an unholy agony in my chest and I absently massage the spot over my shirt as my eyes move to a flicker of movement on the other side of the path. Yuri and Darine are running up from some dip out of sight a few yards away. Darine’s face an angry red, blue-green eyes alight with a ferocity I’ve never seen before as she marches towards us - Yuri struggling to catch up to her.

“You!” Darine points at Blue as she gets closer, a vein pulsing dangerously in her forehead as she struggles to speak around the rising volume of her own voice. “You, son of a-” I jump between my mate and my human friend before she can complete that sentence. She’s shaking, eyes wild and blood thirsty - but I’m not afraid she’s going to hurt my mate - more I’m afraid if she looses her temper she’ll say something she’ll regret.

“Darine, please-” I begin, raising my hands to try to calm my friend before she explodes.

“And *you*-” Darine suddenly yells at me, a look of hurt briefly muddling the anger on her face. “Dammit, Scar, I *trusted* you!” I wince, but take the accusation as it is.

“It wasn’t my secret to tell,” I mutter to her, glancing around the area to make sure the four of us are actually alone. I have just enough time to extend my senses and confirm that we are before Darine seems to hear me.

“You stupid dogs and your secrets!” Darine screams out, running her hands through her pale blond hair and practically destroying the perfect pony tail it had been in seconds ago. I wince at her words, the other Wolven cringing at the insult.

“Wolves.” I correct her under my breath and she glares at me, but some of the bright red starts to fade from her face as she stares at me. Her eyes dart from me to Blue and back, the gears in her head almost visible as she seems to understand. Her nose wrinkles and her glare becomes chilling as her eyes finally rest on Blue.

“You’d better not be some abusive shit,” Darine growls at my mate and I cringe.

“He’s not-”

“He beat up Yuri, his own cousin, Scar,” Darine’s glare turns back on me and I shake my head, the dregs of a headache twinging the back of my head. “Who’s to say he won’t hurt you, too?”

“He’s never-”I catch myself before I accidentally tell my friend another lie. “Well, I mean he did shoot me once-”

“He fucking *shot* you-” Darine’s eyes widen, the fury returning to her face just as Yuri reaches us and pulls her away from me and Blue. like he’s afraid Blue will lash out at her or that I will. I frown at the over-protective hovering the Beta’s doing - even as Darine scowls at him and pulls out of his grasp.

“Remember that I’m a hybrid, I kind of lost it and tried to kill him-” I start to explain the complicated circumstances that led to Blue shooting me out of self-defence.

“Nope-” Darine stops me, her eyes widening and understanding hitting her. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

“The point is, it was justified, but it’s not like that. Wolven are just…different. Our punishments are different and-” I run a hand through my hair, my fingers snagging on some of the bright red curls and focusing my thoughts. I let out a frustrated sigh and look between Blue and Yuri - as if the two can explain things better.

“Yuri will be explaining things to you now, Darine. Assuming you’ve accepted his terms?” Blue looks pointedly from Darine to Yuri. Darine’s face pales a little and her temper seems to wane a bit.

“She did.” Yuri confirms, a little too chiperly, a smug smile settling over his mouth. I quirk an eyebrow at Darine, but she’s now avoiding eye contact. I frown and look to Blue - who gives me a ‘we’ll-talk-about-it-later’ look.

“Whatever,” Darine huffs after a second, smoothing her blonde ponytail as she seems to collect herself. “Just know I’m very protective about the people I care about,” She tells Blue, narrowing her eyes at him for effect. I try not to roll my eyes as she delivers the threat. “If you hurt them…” Darine seems to trail off with the effort of thinking up something she could do to my mate that would actually hurt him.

“As long as Yuri doesn’t defy Pack hierarchy again, that shouldn’t be an issue.” Blue replies, taking her threat rather well. We may all be friends, but I know even my wolf is unsettled at the threatening words of my human friend. It’s like a bunny threatening a wolf, a little offensive and laughable. Yuri nods to his cousin once, a more solemn expression on his face than usual, but the seriousness fades after a moment.

“So, now that the wolf’s out of the bag,” Yuri grins at Darine and nudges her lightly with his shoulder. “You’re going to have to make a more serious effort out here.” He nods at the track’s worn dirt path. Darine follows his line of sight and grimaces, her cheeks flaring with color. She opens her mouth to say something - or several something if the flare in her eyes is any indication - but I lurch forward to stop her.

“Be nice, Yuri.” I laugh and pull my friend away from the large Wolven, all but dragging her into a light jogging pace that she should be able to keep up with. “He’s joking,” I add to Darine. “And if he’s not, then I’ll stay with you.” I continue under my breath. She laughs and the tension is completely dispelled from the last few minutes. A lightness over having one less secret seems to put a spring in my step as we all start the laps for class.