Behind the Lines

I wait for both of them to comment or say something or look at me with contempt, but all they do is look at me in complete and utter shock. I wait for them to say something mean; to do something that will tell me if they are like my brothers—unreliable—or if they truly are my friends.

Instead, once they break away from shock, their faces break out into huge smiles and mine follows right after them.

Blaine runs around the couch and picks me up from Caleb’s lap, much to his protest. Blaine hugs me and picks me up, spinning me in a circle.

“Oh my god, Journey!” he yells in my ear, still spinning me around. “Do you know how much I have missed you? I thought you died!”

We have attracted the attention of every single person in this room, even Gavin’s, which is saying a lot.

“I missed you too, Blaine. More than you can imagine,” I say.

Blaine puts me back on the ground, and before he can do anything else, Claire comes out from behind and pushes him out of the way—very roughly, may I add—and leeches herself onto me.

“Bitch, why haven’t you called me!?” Claire yells, hugging me so tight I can barely breathe.

“Can’t. Breathe,” I sputter out, breathless.

She lets me go quickly in realization and looks at me sheepishly with blush covering her face, making her look like a giant tomato.

“Oops, sorry,” she apologizes, looking down at her shoes. I roll my eyes and turn around to see Blaine greeting Caleb.

“Hey man, long time no see,” Caleb greets, doing the one armed man hug.

“Sup, bro,” Blaine greets back.

“Wait a second…” I start, confused. “You two know each other?”

“Yeah. I invited Blaine and Claire. They were in my old pack before they moved. I’ve known them since they were little,” Caleb answers, but in return he raises his eyebrow and asks, “How do you all know each other?”

“We moved into her pack and became best friends!” Blaine says exuberantly, raising his arms up in the air in happiness and for emphasis.

We all smile and laugh at Blaine’s childlessness and the atmosphere in the room almost feels as if you are in your favorite place with all your favorite people, away from all your problems. If I could make my own heaven, it would be this. But unfortunately, I cannot do that.

“Hey, I hate to end this love fest, but Rob is calling all of us outside for room assignments,” Violet interrupts, standing next to a girl, Cameron, who was invited by Violet. She is really nice and a little kooky, but she is much like Violet.

Everyone gets up from wherever they were sitting and get in their respective gossip groups while walking up the stairs. In all of this hustle and bustle of people, I notice a very angry Bryn storm off upstairs, frustrated. He should not be acting like that if he has found his mate. He should be jumping with joy and kissing Blaine all over.

I look over at Blaine and pray that he did not see Bryn walk off, but much to my dismay, he did and now carries an expression which looks like his heart just got stomped on and rolled over three times by a truck.

From Blaine’s morbid expression, I know that I have to talk to Bryn and what his problem is. He probably is venting in his room, but I don’t really care about that. He hurt one of my best friends, even without any words or interaction, but his storming off said it all. He does not want Blaine as a mate or just does not like the fact the he is a guy.

Without any words from Blaine and me, we go upstairs and out to the backyard where everyone is sitting with their friends and family. It is full of werewolves, and a couple humans, according to their scents. The yard is full of incomprehensive chatter.

Blaine, Caleb, Claire, and I sit near the back of the crowd, as there are no longer any seats in the front, all taken by the adults who usually sit in the front during pack meetings, but today, there literally is no space. I sit in between Blaine and Caleb and lean my side on Caleb, thinking about what to say to Bryn. While thinking, I look around the crowd the crowd to see any new and familiar faces. I see a lot if familiar faces and plenty of new ones as well.

But what shocks me is Rob staring intently at someone. I know the look on his face and smirk, following his gaze as my eyes hit on Claire who is also staring intently at Rob. I nudge Caleb and Blaine and motion my head to look at Claire. They look at her and their faces break out into huge smiles in acknowledgment and understanding.

But when Blaine turns around, I see happiness in his eyes for his sister, but also longing for his own mate.

Like Blaine, I too am happy for Claire and Rob. They could not be better for each other. The balance each other out perfectly. Claire being the spunky wild one and Rob being the calm and collected guy he is. But on the other hand, I empathize for Blaine, as I know how it feels not be loved by someone who your life is connected to, whether it may be your mate or your own family.

When everyone is out of the house and seated on the ground or on a chair in various parts of the room, Rob and Claire are still staring at each other, and Gavin notices this pause without a second thought. Gavin quickly follows Rob’s gaze and smiles a little when he spots Claire. He moves his gaze back to Rob and walks towards him, whispering something inaudible in Rob’s ear, but something that makes Rob snap out of his gaze. He looks down at his shoes and blushes a bright red, while Gavin walks back to his spot, laughing quietly to himself.

Rob clears his throat and looks up again, this time paying attention to everyone.

“Hello everyone,” he starts, briefly looking at Claire, “I’m Rob, the alpha of this pack, and I have to say I cannot be happier to see these familiar faces again and these amazing new ones.” Behind those words there is another meaning, and Claire understands as she looks down and blushes.

“I know my fellow pack mates have told you the rules of prank week, not that there are many. There is a campfire tonight starting at six, where your introductions will be made. I know there are more than three hundred of you here right now, so please keep your introductions one or two sentences long, but still creative. The more creative you are with your sentences, the more offers you get of being on a prank team. Got it?” Rob asks.

An array of yeses and yeas pass though the crowd and then it is quiet again for Rob to continue.

As he continues his speech, I send a mind message to Gavin and tell him I need to go talk to Bryn about his mate. Gavin looks up at me surprised, not knowing Bryn found his mate, but nevertheless gives me permission to leave. I walk back into the house and storm upstairs to Bryn’s room.

Without knocking, I barge into his room to see him face down on the bed, buried in his pillow.

“What the hell do you want, Journey,” he muffles.

“What I want is to know why the hell you stormed out and why the hell you’re not happy with Blaine.”

“It’s none of your business.”

“It is too. He is my best friend, and if I don’t look out for him, then I have failed my job as a friend.”

“I don’t want to tell you. Now please get out of my room,” he says bitterly, getting angry. I hear someone’s footsteps down the hall but ignore them and continue my “conversation.”

“Tell me. Now.”

“Because I don’t want to be gay and be seen with a guy! Are you happy now?” Bryn shouts out, looking at me directly in the eyes with such anger and desperation I have never seen before. I look at him with wide eyes just as I hear a gasp behind me.

Bryn looks behind me and his face falls, looking as if he had just been caught doing a crime.

I look behind me and see Blaine holding his tears.

Shit. He had just heard what his mate has said. What have I done?