Every gathering was meant to keep the expanded pack connected, and so far it's been a brilliant idea. There were those I remembered vaguely from the pack grounds near Aunt Penny's house mingling who'd moved to Sage Circle, and they got along with the native residents.

Thea had told me once that Sage Circle had been a part of Blood Moon Falls where the wealthier families resided. Those being Supernatural, anyway. Despite living among humans, Alpha Brown still wanted to ensure that the Werewolves were still kept safe and weren't exposed to those outside us reformed Advanced Hunters. I get it, but often made me wonder whether the rest of Blood Moon Falls were ever suspicious as to why Sage Circle was so closed off to the rest of the town. I would be.

Aside from being closed off to everyone else, I get the more low-key reason why Alpha Brown has these gatherings every few months or so. In the way of the Werewolf, it was to celebrate the lives of those lost five years ago. I guess it wasn't so 'low-key' when Alpha Brown calls for our attention and welcomes us all for another gathering to atone for those we couldn't have here today with us.

My gaze immediately went to Thea who still choked up about the loss her and I had that fateful day.

Although a handful of Weres were lost that day—both from the Alliance and the Blood Moon Falls pack—it was my friend, Maddox Hollow, that made that day so painfully significant for me and Thea. But also because of Langley, who was a tied connection between Thea and Easton.

Over the years, Thea has managed to deal with Maddox's death and the guilt of blaming herself for it. Countless nights of crying sessions and one-sided screaming at Dennison about losing Maddox being her fault because she wasn't 'fast enough' or hadn't been there beside him was only the first year. Eventually, Thea had to talk to a therapist—telling a loosely truthful recount of losing her best friend in a tragic murder, alongside his girlfriend, her other best friend. It was a therapist that Aunt Penny found right outside of Blood Moon Falls and Thea spent a lot of time here with her family because of the trips she had to make for her sessions.

The days of her sessions when Uncle Jim would drive his daughter out of town was when Dennison would spend the day at my house. We'd sit on the porch, watching Connor play while Little Maddox was being bottle fed by Aunt Emeel. It was during those times that Dad would give simple words of encouragement to Dennison. They were just enough to keep Dennison's armor up for Thea whenever she'd have her meltdowns.

As two years passed, Thea stopped seeing the therapist but we all still were there to let her know that we were her support system. And it was never her fault. That was a must, I noticed, as she would stare at us, chin and lip trembling before Thea took a deep breath and nodded, "It was never my fault." though I'm not sure she believed that entirely still.

While Thea worked through what happened to Maddox and Langley; embracing our support to help her heal, Easton... was the opposite.

Easton shut everyone out since Day One. Nothing and no one could get through to Easton—not the Six, not his parents, not Alpha Brown. No one. Dad often tried to push me to go talk to Easton but I flat out refused. I understood that the guy was going through something and I was going to respect that—even if I was a bit uneasy that Easton would lash out at me too. A lot of guilt weighed on me because I knew deep down I was relieved that Easton had eased up on his attention of me. So, I let it be.

That is until some months ago that we were having a get together at Aunt Penny's house and I attempted making an apple pie from scratch—burning one already that morning—and then a second time when Dennison returned from his long trip to the Alliance. Easton had walked in and smelled 'something good' and although I had warned him not to try it because the pie wasn't good, that Moody Werewolf snagged a piece away and ate it, claiming he liked it so much. I think that might have been the first day when I noticed that Easton wasn't 'the Easton everyone remembered' but there was a glimpse of him to everyone. He'd joked around that day even if it was short-lived, but Easton had managed to stay the entire time of the get together. Everyone took it as a sign that Easton was working through his trauma of losing his twin sister.

Now that I think about it though, Thea had us since the first year that Langley and Maddox were killed and she was moving forward four years later. But what about Easton? It took him five years to show a smidgen of his old self. What about those years before? Who was helping him then? How'd he help himself... if at all?

I know that saying of 'you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped' but I don't know if that's fair for Easton when there was so much change going on already—Dennison—his former alpha—leaving to live in the Alliance with his family, his parents moving Sage Circle to be close to Alpha Brown during their grievance period losing their daughter, the Six getting on with their own lives, and then Easton... just... trying to find his place again without Langley right beside him.

Man, I'm so fucking confused as to why Easton has been such a focal point lately for me.

My point is, that the gatherings were meant for everyone but they really hit home for Easton and Thea. Just like I could see now when my cousin swallowed hard, shutting her eyes when Dennison pulled her into his side and muttered something to her.

I sighed, feeling a heaviness in my chest thinking about Maddox—Hollow, not my little cousin. That asshole was gone too soon. I often think about what he'd be up to now if him and Langley had survived that night. And whether or not I'd still be scared shit-less of Easton.

Speaking of Easton, I frowned at the others chit chatting in my circle. I tried to be discreet in scanning around the main square for the blond, flannel-wearing werewolf who'd said he'd come find me but I still hadn't seen him. Glancing at my watch then tucking my arm back underneath the other, I'd noted almost fifteen minutes of standing here with the Six and my cousin. They were discussing Little Maddie's birthday party coming up on June 2nd.

Someone was in the middle of asking about the flavor of cake Little Maddie wanted but I tuned the conversation out. You'd think it wouldn't be so hard to find a six foot something werewolf with long hair but apparently it was. My gaze narrowed, slowing my scan. Someone's faint voice carried and I didn't realize that someone was talking to me until Thea touched my arm. Startled, I faced her, raising my brows.

"You alright?" Thea asked, tilting her head. She looked my face over, trying to get a read on it.

I glanced at the others watching and probably wondering the same thing. Licking my lips, I forced a chuckle and nodded that I'm good, that I was just thinking of grabbing something from the dessert table before everything runs out. Jonah teased that the gathering was still in its early stage that there'd be plenty still. He paused, pursing his lips then mentioned that there were children here so maybe I best take a chance and head over to the table before the children's sweet tooth got the best of them.

Taking that as an out, I nodded that I'd go over then. I happen to catch Dennison watching me, those grays narrowed in that suspicious way he looked at everyone. Not wanting to be questioned by Dennison who would pry on my real reason to escape, I took off towards the dessert table.

There was still plenty of sweets to try, actually. Standing in front of the three platters of different cookies and other assortments of desserts, I pretended to be thinking of what I wanted to try while scanning around again. I had a better view here at the side of the square anyway.

"Looking for something, Red?"

"Jesus!" I frowned, turning to the left where Easton was grabbing an apple shaped like rabbits—that was pretty neat, actually—and glanced my way. I scrunched my nose, releasing a short breath then chastised the werewolf for sneaking up on me. Easton raised a brow, taking a chomp of the rabbit apple's head. He questioned if being aware of my surroundings shouldn't be something I keep up with indefinitely.

I mean, it was something I shouldn't slack on but I wasn't going to let him know that. Easton grabbed a plate of cookies with the remains of the rabbit apple clenched between his teeth. The only he'd grab were the butter cookies with frosting—but not the ones with sprinkles—and was piling so many already. Hmph. If the kids around here didn't kill the dessert table, it'd be this moody asshole instead.

I crossed my arms, frowning and asked where he'd been. With the apple still wedged in his mouth, Easton frowned back at me, scrunching his nose and muffled out why I was keeping tabs on him. My brows rose, craning my neck forward in my incredulous stare that he did a double take of. Easton finished off the apple in his mouth, raising a brow at me.

"What...?" he still kept gaze with me, a cookie now slipping into his mouth.

Narrowing my eyes, I felt my face heat up and gave it a few seconds as to whether he was fucking with me or not. But when he kept chomping cookies and reaching for other desserts to stack his plate with, I realized this asshole was being serious.

Easton side stepped closer to me, muffling a 'watch out, Red' to grab poppy seed muffins to add onto his overflowing plate. I frowned at him reaching for another muffin, deciding to smack his hand and chastise that he was going to eat everything before anyone else got a plate! The werewolf stared at his hand that I smacked then at me. He narrowed his eyes, warning me that he'd allow that smack as a freebie this time around before trying to grab the muffin again.

Sneering at the audacity of this prick, I hit his hand again, this time grabbing his plate of desserts and slammed them onto the table. I faced Easton, growling that he was hungry and I was playing a dangerous game.

"If anyone's playing a game, it's you, you Moody Asshat!" I didn't care that he looked taken back.

I snapped at Easton that I'd been waiting on him to find me like he said he was going to. That Easton claimed it would have been a few minutes which turned into fifteen. I gestured to the dessert table that I came over here to get a better viewpoint of the gathering to find Easton who obviously didn't really mean what he said about hanging out.

Why was I fretting over this? It should have been a given that this was going to happen. I should have expected this. Why did I get my hopes up? And why was I so pissed about it to begin with?

Easton stared at me, his lips parting but still hadn't said anything. His brows furrowed, jaw slanting to the side then finally said, "I didn't... take you seriously."

It was my turn to stare, lips parted. My eyes narrowed as Easton shrugged, frowning how I had never initiated wanting to hang out with Easton before and instead looked for any reason to make an escape when Easton was nearby. Easton figured that when we talked about having small talk... was the small talk because I got left alone with him and looked for a way out.

My face was hot already but now it was getting worse. The fact that he'd expect that despite it being totally something I'd do, was only annoying me further on top of being blown off by the person I normally would blow off. I guess that was a taste of my own medicine he was going for? Whatever.

I stared a few seconds more then just said, "O-kay." and turned away. Only one step of walking away and Easton grabs onto my elbow. I turn, raising a brow at where he was holding me and he quickly lets go, his features hardening in a deep frown while shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"I didn't think you were being serious," Easton reiterates and I clench my jaw. He shook his head, mentioning that he wasn't the greatest of company with even the Six, so Easton found it a little bit of stretch that I wanted to willingly be around him. "You can't say I'm wrong."

"Except you are," I corrected, brows furrowing. "I was trying to offer an olive branch after all these years but you went ahead and assumed the worst. I've standing over there in the middle of conversations that I felt awkward taking part in because it's where I was waiting. Being uncomfortable for a few minutes is nothing compared to this—" I pointed down at the space between us. "Because now I just feel fucking foolish for trying at all."

I rolled my eyes when Easton asked if we could still hang out and I scoffed, "Not a chance. I'm going home."

This time, he let me walk away.

~**~

So I didn't end up going home.

I had planned to, honest, but when I went to tell Dad that I was leaving, Aunt Emeel and Uncle Jim were asking how I was doing while Mr. Dennison pulls me into an empty seat and tells me about the copious amounts of spiked cider he's already had as a way to prove that depending on age and build of a werewolf, that getting intoxicated was fifty-fifty. Mr. Dennison hiccupped and grinned at Uncle Jim that that didn't count. Aunt Emeel argued otherwise and so I was sitting there to accompany Dad watch my aunt and Mr. Dennison hash it out—verbally.

By the time they'd cooled off, my annoyance had ebbed so now I was sitting here contemplating if maybe I should have been nicer to Easton about the misunderstanding. After all, it was a misunderstanding. Can't blame the guy for assuming the worst of me when I do the same with him. Sighing, I leaned my head back to stare up at the blue sky. Not a cloud in sight.

"Something bothering you, Son?" Dad asks, leaning back in his seat. He crosses his legs at the ankles, nursing a beer that Thatcher tossed him on the way to grab some food. He turns to me, raising a brow. "And remember not to lie to me, Kale."

I sighed, rolling my eyes. Of course. Leave it to Dad to put his parenting skills to work and pick up my habits and behaviors so easily now.

Pursing my mouth to the side, I shrugged a shoulder and picked at a hole that happening in the knee of my pants. Damn. These were my favorite too. When I shared that I'd been planning on skipping out of the rest of the gathering earlier before being pulled into a nonsensical argument between Aunt Emeel and Mr. Dennison, I added that now that I've had some time to chill out, I was feeling... well, guilty.

I looked upward, jaw clenching when Dad asked if this had to do with a certain blond, blue eyed werewolf who was looking like someone kicked his puppy a while ago.

"Why do you do that...?" I asked him, brows furrowing. "Why do you suggest what could be wrong with me when," my brows rose this time, nodding. "You know, in fact, that that suggestion is what it bothering me?"

Instead of saying anything, Dad stared at me, lifting his beer to his lips and took a sip. He swallowed, letting out a small satisfied sigh then grinned at me. "So it is about Easton."

"Argh!" I threw my hands up, muttering that my father was enjoying my slow spiral to insanity a little too much.

Dad chuckled, "So dramatic, Son." then took another drink. His brows furrowed, looking at me. "In all honesty though, whatever the problem is—or not is," he adds when I give him a look. Dad holds my gaze. "I think you might not be the only one who really needs a friend right now."

That's it. That's all his parental wisdom offers before he stands with a slow groan and pats the top of my head. I sneer at him but don't push his hand away. Dad mutters he's going to grab something to eat. He raises a hand, waving at Thatcher and Aunt Penny calling him over.

"You hungry?" Dad asks, lowering a brow.

I shook my head, muttering that I might still head home. Dad nods, telling me to be careful... and that maybe I should give it another shot of making new friends. He gestured to the crowd in the main square, reminding me that there were plenty of young persons my age who I could get to know.

"Yeah, okay..." I reply, just so he'd drop this conversation.

Dad sighed, shaking his head with a grin. "Love you, Son." and I muttered that I loved him back, watching him go.

Now that I'm sitting here, looking around at the pack running around, talking, dancing, laughing, and everything else.

I spotted Thea and Dennison by the dessert table. Little Maddie was hopping up and down with frosting on his mouth and pointing at another one. Thea was shaking her head in the middle of telling her youngest son something but then there's Dennison grabbing a cupcake and handing it to Little Maddie. Thea's wide-eyed snarl in Dennison's direction led to her going off on him.

Connor was in the middle of playing tag with Lorraine, Bella, and a group of other kids. Connor was the fastest, hopping over things and sliding out of reach from the kid that was 'it'. The twin girls squealed, running after their cousin and wanting him to 'wait for them'.

Then there was the Six having a good ol' time; even if Athena and Ophelia were tossed into that mix. Although, I could see the way Athena was eyeballing Valentine when he wasn't looking which shouldn't be surprising since they've had this on-going 'play hard to get' game for years now.

But you know who I couldn't see? Easton.

I looked upward, groaning, "You suck, Dad." and got to my feet. 

I walked around the main square, a smile gracing those who passed by with a greeting until I was looking in the direction of the gated off entrance slash exit of Sage Circle. My mind went straight to the forest behind Aunt Penny's house, and the small fenced in cemetery in the middle of it. I sighed, running my fingers through my hair and felt that guilt getting heavier. Dad's words of me not being the only one who needed a friend hitting me again. Damn, does he knows how to hit a nerve.

As I made my way through the busy main square towards the neighborhood leading to the entrance of Sage Circle, I ran into Thornton talking to a few other guys, his friends, I'm assuming. I didn't mean to catch his eye but he grinned when he looked at me. He lifted a hand, greeting me and I politely smiled, nodding a greeting back before looking at his friends who all smirked in Thornton's direction. I internally rolled my eyes, not even going to try to decipher what those smirks meant.

"Hey, have you seen Easton?" I asked Thornton, watching his smile fade a little. His brows furrowed, clearing his throat and shook his head that he'd seen Easton earlier but that the Were was downing some drinks pretty quickly. It made me think of Mr. Dennison's explanation about alcohol intake for Werewolves and wondered if Easton was a lightweight, despite his size and build.

"He's kinda wasted from what I saw." Thornton shook his head. "He might not be in the right frame emotionally right now. Best to just give him some time to cool off."

"But I need to talk to him. I should check to make sure he's okay," I urged, that knot of guilt getting heavier if Easton was off on his own and none of the Six were worried about him. Expecting this from him.

One of Thornton's friends chuckled between sipping his drink that they were pretty sure that Easton would be more than okay once he crosses paths with Leo. The others chuckled too and one of them pointed out that if Leo wasn't here, then neither was Easton. Another jumped a bit, pointing in a particular direction and told his friend that he was wrong because he spotted Leo over by the dance spot. Thornton gave them looks, telling them to shut up. They smirked, but settled, going to back to chit chatting while Thornton nodded for me to step away with him.

"Listen," Thornton sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder. I raised a brow at him but didn't say anything, otherwise. "I don't know what you're trying to do, Kale, but... but it's probably best for you to leave well enough alone. Trying to get through to Easton is like trying to crack a boulder in half. Believe me, it's been tried."

I sighed, saying that I still wanted to talk to Easton as I said something to him that wasn't fair on my part and wanted to apologize. Thornton looked at me with understanding, nodding that he gets it but that based on what vibes I gave off around Easton—my brow lowered, the other spiking as my eyes widened—it was important that Thornton give me some friendly advice.

"Whatever you're thinking, Kale... it's best not to do down that road. To save yourself from that kind of pain." His green eyes dulled, looking down between us for a moment and I got the feeling that there was a lot more meaning behind those words than he was sharing. Thornton met my gaze, light returning to his eyes when he offered a small smile. "But something tells me that you just might be more stubborn than Easy Peasy is."

In the end, I figured since Easton wasn't around here, I was right to assume he went to visit the cemetery. But as I was heading out, stopping by my house to grab my bike that Thatcher and Aunt Penny got me to get around town on my own, I kept thinking about what Thornton said regarding Easton and trying to 'get through' to him. I might not have taken his advice seriously, but I kind of wish I would have.