A long time ago when my brothers and I were little, my parents took us to a carnival. Grandma lived in the human territory and it was our last night there before we had to return to the pack so they wanted to do something fun for us.

Carnivals were nowhere near my idea of fun, but my brothers were excited so we went anyways. That whole night was a blur. I could hardly remember the cheesy songs that played in the background and only a few of the attractions we went on, but there was one moment that stayed in my mind.

The fortune teller.

Now, I wasn't the type of person to fall for ridiculously obvious acts. My brothers on the other hand? Well, that was a different story. The whole time we were there, the only thing I wanted was to hurry up and go back home. I couldn't have cared less what the supposed fortune teller was saying. However, it was what the lady said as we were leaving that stuck with me.

"There's a difference between being alive and truly living. Live your life to the fullest. Experience everything you wish to and don't let anyone hold you back. Live your life with no regrets."

Now, to say it's foolish to take advice from an underpaid carnival worker would be an understatement, but those words stayed with me for years. My brother, Kai, embraced them completely. He lived his life proudly.

Me on the other hand?

I was never quite sure if I was following those words or running away from them. I grew up in a proud family. With the exception of my older brother, Tyson, who was too shy for his own good, the rest of my family was the embodiment of confidence and assurance. When they genuinely believed that it was the right one whereas I found myself questioning my decisions more often than not.

My mate, however, was one of the few things I'd always been sure of. Or rather, my lack of a mate was. I never wanted a mate; I knew that from the moment I was old enough to understand what they were. It wasn't for the same reasons as others. It wasn't because I despised the concept of mates or because I was in love with another, I simply didn't want one.

My family never understood this sentiment. They figured that once I grew old enough, my mind would change, but my resolve was unwavering.

Clearly, someone above didn't quite understand either.

Oakwood was supposed to be a way out. It was meant to be a way to get away from my family and to get away from Eli, so what the hell was he doing here? Why was I running into him again? Did he follow me? No, that wouldn't make sense; he didn't know I was here. He couldn't have.

"Reuben!" A voice called out in a sing-song tone before throwing the door to my room open. "How long do you plan to stay cooped up in here?"

I didn't have to look up to know who was standing there. "Go away, Arlo."

"You always so moody," the small, grey-eyed omega said and I could practically hear the pout in his voice. "It's time to get up."

"Why are you here?" I sighed, finally turning over to see him.

"Because without me, you'd be a social recluse," he deadpanned as he took a seat on my bed. "And because you and I are going to visit Cronan."

The name instantly made my mood sour and I rolled back in the other direction causing Arlo to groan.

"Reuben, come on!" Arlo whined as if that was going to change my mind.

"Go without me," I waved him off.

"It's important," Arlo retorted. "Come on, he isn't that bad."

"Just because you're sleeping with him doesn't mean I have to like him," I deadpanned.

"I thought you were over that," Arlo mumbled and I could practically hear the frown in his voice.

"I am."

I wasn't.

"It'll be quick, I promise," Arlo told me. "It's about that wolf we saw."

My ears perked up slightly when I realized what wolf he was talking about. The small brown one who lived in the woods.

"What about it?" I questioned.

"I don't know. That's what we're going to see. Callie says she found something out."

As much as I didn't want to, I let out a sigh before getting out of bed. Arlo stared at me with a smug grin.

"Shut up," I scowled as I moved to grab a change of clothes and headed toward the bathroom.

"He'll behave!" Arlo called out.

"No he won't," I responded just before I shut the door and began to strip.

As annoying as Arlo could be, I still cared about him and wanted what was best for him. Cronan wasn't that and he never would be.

Then again, I guess I didn't exactly have the right to be telling anyone else how to handle their relationship.

As the water from the shower rained down on me, I allowed my mind to drift back to the main problem at hand: Eli. I wasn't sure why he was here, but at the end of the day, that didn't matter. I couldn't get involved with him again. I wouldn't. However, I wasn't stupid enough to believe that I could hide from him for long. Oakwood was only so big and eventually, we'd run into each other. The safest option would be for me to leave, but I couldn't. I'd promised Arlo I wouldn't; not until the brown wolf was safe.

My eyes drifted back toward the counter where my phone sat atop my pile of clothes. I couldn't leave, but maybe I could get Eli to...? I shook my head. I really didn't want to deal with him again.

I quickly wrapped up my shower and dried myself off before getting dressed. I placed my phone in my back pocket before exiting the bathroom and gesturing for Arlo to get up.

"Let's get this over with. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave."

"You act like we're going on a long drive. We're just going up a few floors," Arlo teased.

"I personally avoid going up there because of him."

"You're dramatic," Arlo rolled his eyes.

"Says the one who is scared to take elevators."

"They're dangerous!" Arlo scowled as we headed toward the stairs. "One bad day is all it takes. You could get stuck on those things or they could go crashing to the ground and then what are you? That's right, dead!"

"So every time you go to visit Cronan you walk up all these stairs?"

Arlo shrugged. "Room 310 isn't that far. Besides, it's good exercise."

"You're the laziest wolf I know," I shot back.

"That means nothing. You have no wolf friends besides me," he smugly replied.

I scoffed as we headed up the flights of stairs. Arlo talked the whole way, but I mostly drowned him out—not that he cared. I was convinced that half the time he just liked to hear himself talk.

Once we reached the top, Arlo quickly bolted in the direction of Cronan's apartment while I lingered behind. The moment we stepped on the floor, I could immediately feel the shift as my wolf grew anxious. A feeling of dread overtook me, but it wasn't the usual one that overtook me whenever I had to visit Cronan. It was different.

"Reu, hurry up!" Arlo called out to me and I quickly shook my head before heading toward him.

The door was unsurprisingly already open once I rounded the corner, but the anxiousness inside of me grew stronger. I made my way toward the room, but my feet stopped and I sniffed around.

That scent...I knew that scent.

"Reuben?" Arlo called out, but I ignored him and stared at the door marked 309.

Was...was that Eli's...?

The door started to open and before the person could see me, I quickly shoved Arlo inside Cronan's apartment and stared through the door's peephole.

"Reu, what are you—"

"Be quiet," I said just as the person from next door stepped out, confirming my suspicions.

Eli stood there and he sniffed around before he turned his attention to the door. I knew he couldn't see me, but I still held my breath as I stared at him.

Eventually, he turned to leave and I let out a sigh but I was far from relaxed. Eli was here. Eli lived in the same apartment complex as me. The feeling of dread returned and I frowned.

Avoiding him just went from hard to impossible.