Growing up, Tyson and I were always together, and not just because we were similar in age. Tyson had always been the shyest of the family. He preferred to keep a small group of friends as opposed to our older brothers who were social butterflies while I was a homebody. As a result, we spent more time together whether it be just talking or doing something like watching a movie. We were close.

When the time came for us to move out, Tyson had tried to convince me to stay with him similarly to how Kai and Easton lived together, but I denied him. I wanted my own space, separate from my family and though he didn't like my answer, he still agreed to it.

The downside of not living together anymore was that our bond began to change. We were still close and we still talked to each other—he was my brother after all—but it was different and now that I was much further away, that difference was much more apparent.

I raised my hand to knock on his door and it opened, revealing a blue-eyed man who was most definitely not my omega brother.

"Who are you?" The man asked eyes narrowed in suspicion as if I were going to attack at any given moment.

"Where's Tyson?" I asked rather than respond.

"Who are—"

"Blue, calm down," I heard Tyson call out as he squeezed past the man and stared at me with bright, brown eyes. "This is my brother, Reuben."

The man, Blue, glanced between Tyson and me before disappearing back into the house, grumbling to himself. Tyson watched his retreating form before glancing back at me.

"I didn't know you were visiting," he told me.

"And I didn't know you had a mate until I heard from the others. Clearly, there's a lot we need to talk about."

Tyson's face turned a light shade of red and he nodded. "Let's go to the wishing lake like we used to."

Tyson disappeared back inside the house and I followed, shutting the door behind me. I took a seat on his couch as I waited. I could make out the faint sound of him talking to most likely Blue. I glanced around and took in the pictures he had lying around. A lot of them were from when we were younger. There was one from when we were younger and used to play soccer around the house; another of us standing in the high school gymnasium with Jenson in the middle, holding some English award he'd won; then there was one from my thirteenth birthday. Tyson and I were both in our werewolf forms, running around while Mom and Dad took the picture. Seeing the memories filled me with nostalgia.

Tyson reemerged a few moments later with a smile on his face. "Ready?"

I wordlessly nodded and followed him out of the house.

"So you and blue-eyes?" I questioned.

Tyson smiled. "His name is Blue and since I'm sure Easton had a lot to say, no he isn't mean to me, no he hasn't and won't hurt me, and no I won't reject him."

I blinked a few times. "The only thing I heard was that you had a mate. Not all that."

Tyson sighed. "Blue has...a bad reputation. It's complicated. Easton refuses to believe that there's more to the story and wants me to reject him, but he makes me happy, Reu."

"What do Mom and Dad think of him?" I asked.

"They're torn. On one hand, they want me to be with my mate, but they're also worried that he'll get me in some kind of trouble."

"You seem happier," I noted. "More confident too."

"I like him a lot," he admitted. "But you didn't come here just to talk about my relationship problems, did you?"

The wishing lake came into view and we both took a seat on the ground beside it. The wishing lake was just what it sounded like. It was a small lake not too far off in the woods where mostly teens would come and make wishes. Tyson and I would come a lot as children.

"How'd you feel when you first met Blue?" I asked.

"Terrified," he replied. "I tried to avoid him as much as possible. I mean, I'd heard all these rumors and I wasn't in any rush to find out if they were true or not."

"So what changed?"

"I couldn't avoid him. I mean, he was always there wherever I went and eventually, we started talking and I knew there had to be more to the story. There was no way the man I was speaking to was the same one who had committed all these crimes people were accusing him of. So, I started to get closer to him and before I knew it, I'd fallen for him."

"How'd you know?"

"How'd I know what?"

"That...that you liked Blue."

Tyson stared at me strangely. "I wish I could say I just immediately realized, but I didn't. It was much more gradual. I found myself wanting to be around him, always thinking of him, feeling much happier, and overall, I just enjoyed the time we spent together. At first, I tried to deny that I actually liked him and tried to stay away from him, but he wasn't having any of it. He was persistent."

A familiar, dark-eyed man came to mind. Did I like Eli? Maybe a little. I did enjoy being around him when we weren't fighting, but still...

"What's going on with you, Reu?" He asked me. "You seem off."

"I...I think, no, I know I fucked up," I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. "I hurt someone who didn't deserve it. I hurt him badly and I don't really know how to fix it, Ty. I don't even fucking understand my own feelings."

"What happened?" He questioned and I shook my head.

"I don't even know where to start."

"How about the beginning?"

So I did. But, Eli and my beginning wasn't in Oakwood, but rather it was here. It was at the wishing lake. That was the first time I'd seen him. Standing there with a large, goofy smile on his face as he talked to Alpha Aurelia. That was the first time I realized the dark-featured man was my mate. That was the start of it all.

Tyson listened to my story, but as I told it, I felt like I was reliving it, only this time I was seeing it through a different lens. Every action; every conversation was reenacted in my mind and I couldn't stop myself from feeling like shit.

"You really did mess up," Tyson muttered once I was finished. "Not even just mess up. You were a complete asshole. Wow."

"So much for a judgment-free zone."

"You deserve the judgment," he retorted. "But that's beside the point. You rejected your mate—not once, but twice, Reuben. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I've never done this before, okay?"

"You think I have? Come on, Reu."

"You've always wanted your mate though. I've gone my whole life not and then he showed up. I didn't think it'd be a big deal, but then I met him and..."

"And you like him," he finished.

"I don't know."

He stared at me as if I were dumb. "Reuben, you've not only kissed this guy multiple times, but you've also come all the way back here because you couldn't get him out of your head. I think it's safe to say you like him."

"It's not like it matters at this point. I've already let him leave."

I could still remember the anger and pain in his voice.

"If you saw him again, what would you do?"

"Apologize."

He snorted. "You're past simply apologizing, Reu. You're going to have to grovel for his forgiveness." I frowned and he continued. "Is that really all you'd do though? I mean, we established that you like this guy so why not give it a chance? And I mean an actual chance. No more of that flip-flop nonsense, but an actual relationship where you're both happy and you stop trying to self-sabotage everything."

"I think it might be a little too late for that," I said and his eyes softened.

"Maybe, but it doesn't mean you can't try. Show him the Reuben I know and love, but Reu?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't do it if you can't commit. He doesn't deserve that."

I fell quiet, resting my head on Tyson's shoulder and for a long moment, we stayed like that. My mind drifted back to the day I met Eli. I thought of the way his dark eyes seemed to lighten up and then I thought back to how excited he was when we were in Oakwood and I said I'd give him a chance. Then there was his bad habit of rambling and his laughter—all the things that made Eli himself.

My eyes dripped down to the water and I stared at my reflection as the memories replayed in my mind like a movie, the weight and realization of just how badly I fucked up fell on me like a mountain of bricks.

It was at that moment, I understood why people like Cronan didn't like me.

I didn't even like myself.