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My determination to befriend Easton came to me at around eleven-fifty-two exactly. All last night, once I got home and laid in bed after feeding the little shit in the bowl, I stared at the ceiling of my room and frowned at it. I took in the dark brown color and how with only my desk lamp on, it had a blackish-brown hue to it now. 

The whole time, however, I kept tossing in my head what I could do to help Easton. I know I was probably the last person the guy wanted as a friend after I had made every attempt to make myself invisible around him, but I didn't want to be skittish around him anymore. 

I wanted to be able to walk by and nod with a smile and greet Easton like I do everyone else. 

So the whole night I pondered what I could do to get the ball rolling. 

And so now here I am on the old pack grounds where Mr. Dennison used to have a pack, and was scanning the surroundings in front of me before making my way forward. 

There were only a few Weres who resided on this pack grounds, and that included the Six---Jonah with his family as well---so I have been here only a handful of times to know which house belonged to which of the Six. Jonah's I was most familiar with because I'd tag along with Thea and Dennison when they'd come back to Blood Moon Falls for a visit. 

My sneakers crunched the gravel underneath them as I rolled my shoulders back a little, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my dark jeans. I kept my gaze on the ground, making my way up the graveled road towards Jonah's. 

I remembered that Easton's was the very last house of the row, which was lucky for me before because it meant I wouldn't ever have to pass by it. Now, though, I was actually headed for it. 

My brows furrowed as I was trying to concentrate on the number of steps it took me so far from my house, as well as listening to the song streaming through my ear phones. The girl's voice was soothing, and helped me keep count---somewhat---of my steps. It was not a likely song that I'd actually listen to before, but Alice would often stop by to introduce me to whatever new genre of music she'd discovered. 

She was a pretty neat person to hang around with, but technically she was my cousin. So I couldn't say she was a friend. Though we kinda were. 

"Hey, Kale!" 

I blinked, frowning when I stopped in my walk and tugged an ear bud out of my ear and looked over to my right to see none other than Thorton waving at me as he was making his way over. 

I raised a brow at his confidence to be walking around shirtless as he was. He was all sweaty from the sport he was playing after tossing the football to one of his friends who waved Thorton off before gesturing to the other guys to keep playing. Thorton didn't seem bothered by this since he went from walking to a light jog until right in front of me. 

I just stared at his smiling face. His green eyes bright under his brown, wet fringe and he panted out through a smile, "What a surprise to see you here! You visit often?"

I shook my head, shrugging a shoulder that it wasn't often I'd come this way, but that I actually was here for once on my own terms. Thorton raised a brow, tilting his head and grinned if I'd like to come play a few games of football. My eyes glanced at the group of muscular Weres who all looked like they could eat me, and then back to Thorton. 

Chuckling nervously, I shook my head that I wasn't really ever into sports. 

"I'm more for playing with bullets," I teased. 

Thorton raised a brow, grinning back at me and his eyes shined; hinting at something when he teased back, "At least you like to play." 

My brows rose and that had him laugh. I weakly grinned, shrugging since I didn't know how to answer that exactly. I raised a hand to the front of my hair and swiped my long fringe out of the way---only for it to fall back in place down the front of my forehead. 

"So tell me," Thorton crossed his large arms in front of him and lowered his chin. "What are you really doing here?"

I didn't really see the harm in telling the guy my reason, so I did. I explained that I actually came over to visit Easton. That I was going to go buy an accessory at the pet store and thought Easton would like to tag along. 

The moment I said it though, Thorton blinked and frowned that I should really think twice about that. 

"He's a hard nut to crack, Kale. I... I don't want to see you get hurt because of it." 

I frowned, glancing to the side before looking back at him and clarifying that I couldn't get hurt unless my interest in Easton was to be more than friends. 

"I don't think of Easton that way," Thorton's brows rose as he grinned, so I clarified, "I don't think of any guy that way."  

The guy's brows furrowed though he was still smiling and I get the feeling he thought I was full of shit. Though I don't understand why. 

Thorton shrugged a shoulder, nodding to the side that when---not if---Easton doesn't want to go into town, that for me to come back this way so that Thorton could instead tag along. 

"You?"

He nodded, smiling widely, "Well yeah. You seem like a pretty cool guy, Kale. And... well... let's not hide the fact that I think you're cute---" My eyes widened under my furrowed brows, "---so I won't! But I will be on my best behavior if we go into town."

We stared at the other, him grinning at me while I swallowed hard and stepped back a little.

"I should..." I pointed in the direction I'd been heading in earlier, and Thorton nodded, "Right. Yeah, go on. I'll catch you around though. Maybe you and I can share an ear bud and listen to more of that Billie Eilish you are listening to." 

I blinked at the way he grinned in amusement, him adding that the song 'Ocean Eyes' was pretty sick to listen to since it talked about how irresistible the eyes the singer spoke of were. He grinned that it pointed out how easily looking at someone's eyes could make such a beautiful weakness. 

Thorton then finished off saying that the song definitely knew how to set the mood enough that it always led to making out. He leaned forward, green eyes twinkling as he softly repeated, "Always." 

Gulping while taking a step back, I chuckled nervously and nodded before giving a small wave and turned on my heel as quick as I could. I placed the ear bud back into my ear and stuffed my hands back into my pockets while letting Thorton's words swim around in my head. 

I trudged along, listening to the song on repeat once more before I finally ended up on the door step to Easton's. I looked up, staring at the wooden surface of the door then pulled a hand out from my pocket to push the door bell. 

Pursing my mouth to the side, I twisted around to face the scenery in front of the house. There was only the field of Sunflowers where I figured Easton got Langley's flowers all the time. My eyes shifted to the far side of the pack grounds where the distant voices of the guys playing football reached me from. 

I turned around when the door finally opened and a groggy looking Easton was standing there. His eyes were squinting, one more closed than the other. I glanced down at the Were being in nothing but boxers and I quickly looked back up at his face. 

"Red...? What... What the hell are you doing here?"

His voice sounded groggy, like he just woke up which I wouldn't blame him since he did get wasted the night before. He stuck his head out to look from side to side before looking back to me when I assured him, "It's just me." 

He looked surprised, blinking enough to open his eyes more. 

I shrugged, mumbling to him that I was here to hang out with him. Like we agreed on the day before. 

Easton's nose scrunched, neck craning back as he stared at me. He blinked a few times before raising a hand to his head and scratched at his hair. When he dropped his hand, his hair was now standing at odd angles. 

"We did?"

God, I'm going to hell for this.

"Yes."

I nodded that when we were visiting the cemetery---his eyes narrowed a little---that I wanted to go into town to buy Little Maddox's fish another decoration for the bowl, and that Easton stated he wanted to go to (because let's be real... Easton would have not believed he'd ask to go anywhere when he'd invite himself anyway). 

Easton's scrunched face never left his face and he looked away to the side as though trying to remember this (pseudo) conversation. 

Letting out a slow breath, I shrugged, "I mean... If you changed your mind, then... Then that's fine. I'll just go by myself. I was planning to any---"

"No, it's fine." 

I raised my brows at how quickly he answered, watching the way Easton still looked puzzled and scratched at his head again. He then looked over his shoulder while I tilted my head a little to peer inside when we heard someone asking Easton who he was talking to. 

Easton quickly looked at me wide eyed and I raised a brow---wondering why the hell he'd be looking at me like I was supposed to be offended or something---just as the person made themselves visible. It was the guy that Easton had been making out with the day before, and the same guy that had disappeared with Easton shortly after. 

Looking at the brown eyes staring back at me, I immediately recognized the guy. I remembered his name being Leo, and how he was who I liked to call, "Easton's Favorite Flavor" or just "Easton's Favorite" for short. I'd seen Easton pin the guy to various walls at parties before and then later on word got through the grapevine that Easton's fuck buddy spent the night again. 

Not that I cared. It was Easton's life. 

So I wasn't sure why the Favorite Flavor was eyeballing me warily while tucking himself a little closer to Easton. Next to the blond, Leo was short and then with me standing across from him he was even shorter. That must hurt a guy's ego to be shorter than average, which he was. He was about an inch---tops---taller than Thea. 

"How's it going, Ray?" Leo greeted in a not-so-welcoming-greeting. His brow rose a bit and I frowned, wondering why the hell he was so upset all of a sudden.

"Fine... I guess. Just came to see if Easton was still tagging along with me to the pet store." 

Leo sniffed, eyeing me up and down before crossing his arms and chuckled that he doubted it when Easton had unfinished business to attend to. He gestured to himself that he and Easton were up for round two at the moment from the half hour nap they had. 

My nose scrunched, glancing at Easton who I caught staring at me. I went back to looking at Leo who smugly flicked his fingers at me in a 'go away' kind of gesture, and scoffed, "So you're gonna have to go into town on your own." 

I lowered a brow, staring at Leo for a moment while my thoughts were suddenly nit-picking me to tap into the Hunter Mode that I'd locked away years ago. Go figure. 

Leo wrapped a hand around Easton's bicep and started tugging him back into the house, urging him to follow him. I, instead, rolled my eyes and shrugged, "Whatever. I just thought you'd still want to go, but it's fine."

I backed up, muttering under my breath, "I'll just take Thorton up on tagging along with me." 

I was not, however, expecting for that part to be heard---but ya know, Werewolf hearing---and I halted, frowning over my shoulder curiously at Easton after a growl rumbled out of his chest and his blue eyes faded into gold. Lowering a brow, I blinked a few times at him before asking if he was alright. 

Easton growled again, grumbling out that for me to give him five minutes and then we'd be able to leave. 

My eyes shifted to a stunned Leo before I frowned at the blond that he really didn't have to go with me. That we could just make plans to hang out another time. I figured the time in town would give me a few more hours in thinking of another way to befriend Easton. 

I gestured to Leo as I directed to the blond that it was kind of rude to leave his guest unattended anyway. Leo shot me a look and I scrunched my nose his way before looking back to Easton who replied that Leo knew how to see himself out. 

Easton then raised a finger to point at me and spoke through grit teeth, "Five minutes. Give me five minutes and then I'll go with you." 

"You really don't have to, Easton, for my sake! I said we'd hang out another time!" I gestured a hand towards the field where the guys were playing. "Thorton said he'd tag along if you didn't want to go, so it's not that big of a de---"

"Red." 

 I clamped my mouth shut from those gold eyes pinned on me. Easton narrowed them, growling out, "I said I was going. There's no reason for Roman to go now." 

I frowned at him, sneering, "Fine!" then muttered under my breath, "Don't have to get so snippy about it." 

Easton glanced at me when he was turning away then stared at me a little longer than I liked to which I felt my face grow hot. 

"Stop it!" I snapped, which made the Were give me that ghost grin of his before turning away completely. 

Rolling my eyes, I turned away, shaking my head as I thought to myself that I was in for some shit with this plan of mine. What the hell was I thinking?

"He feels sorry for you, you know," Leo spoke, the guy all huffy because he wasn't going to get nailed for the umpteenth time. He crossed his arms, raising a brow and I narrowed my eyes, shaking my head as I shrugged that if that was supposed to make me feel bad or something. 

"It should," Leo replied, nodding. "Easton just feels sorry for you because you are the odd one out around here. War or not, you're still the enemy. And not all of us are welcome to the idea of being friendly with the likes of you..." 

Leo then sneered as he added, "Especially your fuckin' cousin." 

My lip curled at the mention of Thea, and I started forward to scoff, "You say that when she's not here to defend herself, you piece of shit!" Leo's eyes widened a little as I was closing the distance and I sneered, "But Were or not, don't forget, Leo, that Thea could have killed your former alpha if she wanted. She's that much more powerful than you'll ever be." 

The Were narrowed his eyes, growling back that perhaps that was true, but that my cousin was probably more of a bitch than I was anyway. 

It happened without hesitation. My fist came up and cracked against his nose, making him yelp as he stumbled back into the door, holding his face. I sneered at him, shaking my head that Leo could say whatever he wanted about me, but he'd stray from saying shit about Thea. I reminded him that she was the main reason why the Werewolves were able to continue to live peacefully as they were now. 

I scoffed, shaking my head as I was now too irritated to wait around for Easton. I grumbled to Leo to tell Easton that I changed my mind, that I wanted to go into town on my own. I didn't want for an answer since I stomped away from the house and back down the gravel road leading to the entry way of the pack grounds. 

"Kale! Hey, Kale, wait up! What happened!?" 

Glancing over my shoulder at Thorton shouting at me and waving for me to come back over to him, I huffed, shaking my head and turned away. I stuffed my headphones back into my ears and picked up the volume of the song I'd been listening to earlier. I was sure I'd blow my eardrums for it, but at the moment I was too irritated. 

Stuffing my hands into my pockets, I walked through the woodsy area and paid little attention to my surroundings. I didn't feel a need to since my feet seemed to memorize the pathway heading back to my house. 

This idea was stupid anyway. If I was going to have to deal with Leo twenty-four seven because he was hanging on Easton's nuts all the time, then maybe I don't want to be friends with Easton that much.  

Huffing out an annoyed breath, I shook my head at my reaction earlier. I shouldn't have hit Leo the way I did, but he was talking shit on Thea. After she'd gone through all the shit she had to save Leo's kind, the guy was just going to disrespect her!?

Ha!

The moment I made it to the clearing, I halted a moment to close my eyes and take a deep breath. Letting it out slow, I took another moment to give myself the energy to open my eyes slowly. 

Then I yelped, stumbling backwards when I caught gazes with a pair of narrowed, blue eyes. I almost fell onto my ass but managed to steady myself before frowning as I straightened and tugged my headphones out of my ears. 

"The fuck is your problem, Easton!" I snapped, shaking my head as I leaned it forward. "Don't be sneaking up on me like that! Scared the shit out of me!" 

My heart pounded wildly in my chest, making me try to ease my breathing back to normal. I rested a hand on my chest, shaking my head again as I glanced his way. Easton was still narrowing his eyes at me and I raised a brow, snapping, "What." 

When I thought I wasn't going to get a reply, Easton growled, "I told you to give me five minutes." 

Narrowing my eyes back at him, I grumbled that I didn't feel like waiting anymore when his Favorite Flavor was being a pain in the ass. I huffed, looking away for a moment before noticing the silence from his side. I glanced at him, doing a double take when I saw the way he was blinking with a strange look on his face. 

"...what? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"What the hell is a 'Favorite Flavor'?" 

I raised a brow, blinking a few times before glancing away and frowned, "I didn't say that..."

"Yes you did."

"No." I shook my head, "No, I didn't."

Easton narrowed his eyes, lowering a brow as he asked if I was referring to Leo as my Favorite Flavor because of Easton banging him. I winced at the word usage he used, shrugging that maybe I used the nickname to establish those guys that Easton liked so much. 

"It's just easier to label them okay?" I huffed, rolling my eyes. 

We stood there for a moment longer, me narrowing my eyes at him while Easton looked more amused than I liked. He raised a brow, that ghost grin on his lips again as his blue eyes---just for a moment---twinkled like they had when I first met him, as he stepped closer to me and I froze, wide eyed. 

Easton leaned forward, raising a brow that just because he slept with Leo more than other guys didn't make him Easton's favorite. I wrinkled my nose, shrugging, "Okaaaaay? Then he's not your favorite." 

"Damn right, Red." 

The Were smirked as he leaned a little closer, making me lean back a little, "But you are. 

My eyes widened, staring at his broad back after he nodded so nonchalantly, "C'mon... I know a shortcut into town." 

I opened my mouth to say something. Anything. But nothing came out. 

Swallowing, I frowned at my sneakers to try and make sense of this playful side to Easton. It came out of fucking nowhere!

"Hey, Red!" 

I jumped, blinking a few times when I looked up and found Easton scowling back at me. He raised his arms to the sides and shouted back from the ways away he stood at, "The hell are you doing!? Let's go!" 

Gulping, I nodded, "O---Okay! Hold up!" and chose to jog over to slow down in front of him. Easton raised a brow, tilting his head a little as he stared at me through squinted eyes. I felt my face grow hot from that look and muttered for him to quit it. That it made me uncomfortable when he did that. 

"Get fuckin' used to it," He said, leading the way towards his shortcut. 

I scrunched my nose, glaring at the back of his head as I mumbled under my breath that this all better be worth it. I picked up my pace again to catch up to Easton's long strides and then glanced at his profile that was back to that scowl of his as he stared forward. 

When I faced forward, I ended up looking back to him when Easton piped, "Red...?"

"Hm?"

"You like ice cream?"

I blinked, frowning at him. 

Was that a trick question?

 He waited patiently before I shook my head and offensively replied, "Who the hell doesn't?" 

Easton grinned, then nodded as he faced forward, "Then we get some after the pet store. My treat."

"What for...?"

The Were grinned again, still facing forward as he replied, "Just because I thought it was kinda hot the way you socked the shit out of Leo." 

A noise caught in my throat and it made Easton laugh. Laugh. At my expense, of course, but still....

At least I was getting somewhere.