The Crimson Lake was a nice pack, it was. With the pack itself being rather large compared to the ones in the surrounding area, many believed that it meant the members weren't as close when in fact, it was the opposite.

Growing up, everyone knew everybody. If there was a problem and my parents weren't around then I knew that I could approach practically anyone and they'd help me with it. The pack was a happy place, but it was also suffocating. The Crimson Lake focused strongly on the importance of mates and family. Naturally, as a result of this, many grew and as they developed into their own people, the longing for finding one's mate seemed to increase as well.

I could remember a time when I'd walk around the pack or through the high school and all I'd hear about was teens, desperate to find someone they were able to have that supposed deep connection with. It was exhausting—not only because I heard it multiple times a day, but because I couldn't relate to it.

The idea of teens longing for love wasn't some new concept, but it always came off as strange to me how people who weren't even in their twenties were so eager to settle down with someone and start a family. I couldn't understand it.

A phrase I despised was, "You'll understand when you're older." My brothers always would say this when I mentioned my lack of interest in finding my mate. They made it sound as if it was something that'd snap into place like magic; we'd take one look at each other and that was it. We'd never want to be with anyone else.

I always disliked this idea because life wasn't some fairytale where all it took was a true love's kiss to fall in love, yet it seemed as though I was the only one who felt this way. I felt isolated in the very place where I should've felt the opposite, so it only seemed natural when my desire to leave grew. I wanted to leave the Crimson Lake and explore more. I wasn't sure where exactly I wanted to go, but I knew that if I stayed then I'd never be able to explore. I was fine being alone; I was fine not staying in a fixed place; I was fine not having a mate.

Until I met Eli.

And now, here I was, back in the place I promised myself I'd one day escape from. It was ironic how life had a way of traveling in a complete circle.

I raised my hand, knocked on the door, and waited. I knew better than to expect the door to immediately open because it was Kai and Easton. Despite having lived together for years, every day was a constant battle between the two over the same issue: who would open the door? They seemed to go back and forth and as a result, the person on the other side had to wait until one of them finally gave in.

Today that person was Kai. He came out with a pouty expression on his face, but it immediately vanished when he saw I was standing there.

"Reu?" He blinked a few times and then smiled. "Why are you here? Shit, did I forget something again?" I opened my mouth to respond, but his banshee-like scream beat me to it. "East, Reu is here!"

I could hear shuffling coming from the inside and moments later, Easton's head popped in the doorway.

"Reu? What are you doing here?" Easton asked with a grin on his face as he slipped out of the door and grinned. Before I could react or object, his arms wrapped around me, crushing me in a tight bear hug.

"I'm just visiting for a few days," I explained as I attempted to free myself from Easton's embrace. "And I didn't want to stay with Mom and Dad."

Now, I was regretting my choices. Kai's dark eyes lit up and he mirrored Easton's grin.

"I didn't think we were going to see you until the holidays," he admitted. "You missed me that bad huh?"

"Don't kid yourself," I scoffed. "I missed Ty."

"Wow, do you hear this, East?" Kai said. "Already disrespecting us, yet you want to stay here," Kai shook his head.

"Speak for yourself," Easton scoffed. "I'm loved."

I rolled my eyes at both my brothers. Easton released me and I entered the house. The place was surprisingly cleaner than I anticipated. I figured that was because of Easton. Kai was a force of nature and when it came to keeping the house clean, it was almost impossible for him. Every time I'd been to their house in the past, it was as if a clothing bomb had gone off in Kai's room.

"Why's it so clean?" I asked curiously.

"Because some of us don't like living in filth," Easton said as he shot Kai a side-eye.

"It's organized chaos," he argued.

"There's nothing 'organized' about having all your clothes sitting on the floor."

The two bickered and I shook my head. Even though they were both technically adults, you wouldn't be able to tell by the way they acted.

I took my suitcase and disappeared down the hall to where the guest bedroom was. The room was small, but I enjoyed that it was far away from Kai and Easton's rooms. It was the only bedroom on the bottom floor which meant that I didn't have to deal with the two at night.

"Have you seen Mom and Dad yet?" Easton asked me as I started to unpack. I shook my head and though I couldn't see his face, I was sure that it had morphed into some sort of grimace. "You know how they can be. You should go see them soon."

"I will," I told him.

I wasn't stupid enough to believe that I could avoid Mom and Dad while I was here—especially since Kai didn't know how to keep his mouth shut.

"How long are you staying for?"

"A few days. A week at most."

"What made you want to visit?"

"Why are you asking so many questions?" I snapped a little more aggressively than I intended.

"Because I know you," he said with raised eyebrows. "And I know that you wouldn't come here or get so defensive unless something was wrong."

"Something's wrong?" Kai joined into the conversation with a frown on his face.

"Nothing's wrong," I responded with a sigh, but neither one of them seemed to believe me.

"Alright," Easton relented. "But if you do want to talk, we can."

I could tell by the way he stared at me that he wanted to keep asking questions. That was Easton's nature; he always tried to locate the problem so he could solve it. He'd always been that way and growing up, I didn't mind as much, but that changed as we grew. It's not that I didn't appreciate his caring nature, I did, but sometimes I didn't want to have my big brother trying to solve my problems. Besides, I knew that if he got involved in this specific case then emotions would run high and I didn't want to sit through that storm.

"Where's Ty?" I asked instead.

Easton thought about it for a second. "He didn't work today so probably at home, why?"

I shook my head. "I need to go see him."

That was the reason I'd come back after all. Tyson and I were opposites in the fact that where I didn't want a mate, he longed for one and according to my brothers, now he had one. That was why I wanted to talk to him. Tyson had always been in touch with his emotions stronger than the rest of us, so maybe he could help me understand. Maybe he could help me figure out if letting Eli go was the right choice.