Joshua

Holding Wren had to be one of my new favorite things. The feel of his small frame against mine made me feel so... whole. The sparks that traveled throughout my body, along with the sweet smell of blueberries and something uniquely Wren, were addicting. I didn't want to pull away - why would I? - but I eventually had to.

Wren smiled at me, his beautiful, dark eyes glancing away for a moment. "I think we should get back on the road. We were already behind the others, so they might worry if we're too late."

I nodded, getting one last look at him before settling back into my seat. My chest felt warm and fuzzy and it was definitely better than the pain I'd been feeling lately. Since deciding to stay in Wren's pack for a little, the daily visits to his cafe have helped with my rejection symptoms, but the pain hasn't lessened much.

Admittedly, I almost told him the whole truth just now. I was so close. I don't know why I suddenly felt so impatient. Maybe it was the constant pain, or because Erin would be on this trip with us, so I worried they'd get back together. It was a selfish thought and I decided against telling him the truth when I realized how selfish I was being. Now wasn't the time. Not yet. I had to tell him soon, of course. I couldn't wait forever, and he didn't deserve to feel betrayed if I did tell him a while from now.

I hoped that this chat we had would make him hope again; just a small spark was enough for me. I knew I could make him happy if only he would believe in it.

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When we arrived at the campsite, the others had already started unpacking and setting up tents. The three of us - I forgot Aaron was even in the car with us if I was being honest - quickly joined them. I kept glancing over at Wren to make sure he didn't need any help, but he seemed fine for now. I did notice him steal glances at Erin, but I tried not to let it bother me. He was my mate, but until I told him that, I had no right to feel jealous.

"Joshua."

I quickly looked up when I heard that voice call my name. I hadn't heard it many times before, so I was confused when I saw Aaron standing before me, a cool look on his face. "Help me set up this tent," he said.

"Sure."

I walked away with him, glancing over at Wren one last time, who was also looking at us with a slightly puzzled look on his adorable face. I turned back to face forward as Aaron went to a spot in the clearing and dropped a bag holding tent equipment. We silently got to work and I tried to stay out of his way while we did. I didn't know Aaron well - I mean, I didn't know any of them really well - but from what I'd seen, he wasn't someone I wanted to mess with. We were silent the entire time until he suddenly spoke up.

"I know."

I paused, looking up from my crouching position in front of the semi-assembled tent. "What?"

"I know that Wren's your mate."

My heart stopped for a split second as my eyes widened. Quickly scrambling up, I glanced around, trying to make sure no one else was around. "What are you talking about?"

Aaron rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "It's so obvious. For one, you've hung around us all way too much, when you should be with your mate. I know you have issues with them. Also, you're not very careful with how much you stare at Wren. I'm surprised no one else has caught on. You're at his cafe every morning and whenever I pass by, I see you practically shadowing Wren."

"But-"

"And also, you made it very obvious with that whole talk in the car."

I didn't think my eyes could get any wider. "You were awake the wh-"

"Stop interrupting," he snapped with a huff.

That shut me up. Even if we were the same rank, this guy was kind of intimidating. Besides, he had me caught. He knew. I needed to let him finish.

"As I was saying, you made it super obvious. What I don't understand is why you haven't told Wren yet. In fact, why have you taken this long to say anything about the matter?"

"I don't know how to break it to him. Wren doesn't believe he'll find his mate, or that his mate will even want him. When I first found out, he was with Erin and I didn't want to ruin that either, not when he was so happy."

"But they're not together anymore. You shouldn't keep lying to him like this," Aaron pointed out.

"I know," I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I know I shouldn't keep this from him anymore but I just... I don't know how he'll react."

Aaron rolled his eyes again, taking a step back. "You're being unfair to both of you. Just grow a pair and tell him. You said he deserved a mate right? So give him his damn mate." He then narrowed his eyes. "Or I will have to tell him myself."

"What?"

"I'll tell Wren. I don't care how, nor when, but he has a right to know. Wren's one of my best friends and I want him to be happy with his real mate."

"What about Erin?" I wondered aloud.

Aaron shrugged. "Erin's also one of my best friends. He's awesome, of course, but they're not mates. Erin will find someone he's meant to be with soon, I'm sure, but you're right here for Wren. And if you don't tell him soon, I will."

Before any anger could form, I realized Aaron was right. I needed to man up and tell him asap. Still, I didn't appreciate him threatening me, so I settled with my own narrowed gaze. "No need. I'll tell my mate about our bond myself."

"Good," he stated with a satisfied look on his face. "And for pushing you so hard, I'll help you if you need it. Like I said, I just want my friends to be happy."

"You're a good friend," I admitted, looking at him carefully.

Aaron cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing away. He was definitely surprised by my compliment, as was I when I gave it. It was true though. He was doing this for Wren and Erin. Even if I didn't like his approach, he was right.

"Okay, so when do you think I should tell him?" I asked the other, crossing my arms casually.

"I don't know. Whenever you find the right time, I guess. Just don't do it on the ride back to the pack. I can't fake being asleep the whole time again."

"Right..." I trailed off, not sure what to say now.

Aaron decided he would leave now, but not before saying, "Don't forget what I said."

I don't think I can.

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By the time the campsite was finished the sun was already slowly starting to set. It was nice to be in more familiar woods; my pack was a few miles from here. I figured I could maybe check in on them tomorrow, and hopefully figure out how to tell Wren about us being mates. When I'd walked back to the others, Wren had given me this odd look, like he was trying to process something. I found it so cute when his eyes squinted ever so slightly and his lips pursed.

I'd caught Aaron sending me looks as well, but those weren't cute. They just made me constantly aware of his ultimatum. I still couldn't really process the fact that Aaron knew. I mean, I hadn't been very subtle, but I wasn't that obvious either, right? No one else had noticed. At least, I didn't think anyone else suspected anything. The prospect still set me on edge, though, and I found myself glancing around warily.

We all decided to make a campfire and go for a quick hunt. I was excited to let my wolf out for a bit, but again, I realized I couldn't let him take control just yet. He was getting desperate, just like I had been, and I didn't want him doing anything we'd both regret later. While I waited for everyone else to get ready to leave, I sat down on one of the logs we'd positioned around the fire. The glow of the fire was comforting, and I found myself getting lost in my thoughts as I stared into the flames.

"Joshua?"

I turned my head to look at my beautiful mate, who had a slightly nervous expression on his face. "What's up?" I asked casually, but my hands itched to pull him down into my lap and hold him as closely as possible.

"I wanted to ask you something," he said, sitting down next to me.

He folded his hands up into his lap, biting his lip in hesitance. I had to remind myself not to stare at his lips and instead focus on his eyes, but it was hard. He finally let his lip go and decided to speak up again. "So, I know you have a mate from my pack, and I know you're having trouble with them, right?"

"Yeah," I agreed, nodding my head as I wondered where this was heading.

"Well, I was doing some thinking, and I wanted to ask about who this mate is."

"Oh."

Wren looked at me closely, before turning to look at the flames. "We've known each other for a little while now, so I was just curious. I never asked you because I felt like it was private, and if it's still too private, you don't have to say anything but I-"

His rambling was so adorable that I couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped me. "It's okay, Wren. I get it."

Wren sighed, laughing along with me as his cheeks darkened a bit. So cute. "I guess I should stop beating around the bush now," he said.

"Whatever you want to ask me, just ask. I don't bite," I encouraged teasingly.

"Right, okay," Wren said softly, letting out a breath. "Your mate..."

I looked at him carefully, trying to guess what he would say next. Somewhere in my head, I desperately hoped that he would ask me if I was his mate. I hoped that he'd figured it out on his own and that I wouldn't have to tell him. I knew it was wishful thinking, but it still made my pulse quicken in anticipation. What if it did happen? What if he had figured it out? Would things be easier now? Harder? Would he accept me? All of these thoughts swirled around in my head and made me even more anxious to hear what he had to say. It also didn't help that my wolf was extremely present in my head, desperate for any attention from his mate. Maybe this was it, then. Maybe all of our issues would be solved and we could finally be toge-

"Is it Aaron?"

Nevermind.

~~~

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