Forgive any grammar errors.

I was sitting in Bryce's office with him, waiting as he answered an important phone call. I was still pretty uncomfortable from the scene I saw in the basement with Eli, but I knew it was something I was going to have to get used to.

Much like everything else in my life now.

"I don't care what you have to do Jeremiah. Find out where Tyrion and Marcus are and report back to me." Bryce said with impatience before ending the call and throwing his phone on his desk.

"Still can't find them?" I asked and he ran his hands down his face and groaned in frustration.

"No. That fucker is sneakier than Marcus was. And the fact that Marcus was seen in town is not a good thing." He had a point. If Marcus was here, that means he was scoping something out. That or create a distraction so that way they could kidnap Charlie. I frowned as I thought back on everything. The poor guy can't catch a break, can he? Already kidnapped by King and now he's being threatened again.

"We're gonna keep him safe Drake. I swear on my life." Bryce's words surprised me and made me wonder if he could read my mind, but judging by his sudden laughter, my face was just very easy to read. We were silent for a while as I tried to build up the courage to actually say I was sorry, but my stubbornness just wasn't making it easy

"Uhm-anyway. I wanted to apologize for the other day with everything I said." I finally said and Bryce just stared at me in response. What is up with everyone just staring at me when I apologize? Nixon did the same thing earlier. "I feel like no one is understanding my side of everything and where I'm coming from. I was human. We were best friends—practically brothers. I knew something's about the life of a werewolf but I didn't know much. So to be suddenly thrown into the world and having to treat someone I saw as an equal like royalty is difficult." The amount of times I had to keep repeating myself on how hard this transition is was becoming tiring.

"I am also at fault Drake," Bryce admitted with a sigh. "I should've realized that you were not meaning to be intentionally disrespectful and paid attention to your actions as a member of this Pack and not as what your ranking is." Well, that was good to know. I won't lie and say him calling me an Omega didn't sting a little. It still did. While we sat there in silence again--albeit a more comfortable silence--I started wondering if Bryce could offer me some help in overcoming my newfound sexuality.

"When you found out you were going to mate with Allister...what--well, how did you feel about it?" I asked after gathering the courage and Bryce cocked his head to the side in question. "Okay, like. Ugh, why is this so difficult! You slept with nothing but chicks before and after your mate died. So how did you go from strictly chicks to dicks and not have any problems with it?"

"Well, there were some problems. But none had to do with my sexuality. I will admit, it was really strange to get used to the thought of being with another man, but there was just something about Allister that made it all disappear and after everything we went through, all I wanted to do was make him happy and be with him." Clearly Bryce's goal in telling me this was to erase the doubt I had in my head, but it wasn't working. Instead, it was making me more frustrated because I've been trying to do what he did. I want to make Nixon happy and I could get high off the love that fills me up when he's around, but there is still that voice that tells me I'm wrong and it isn't right.

"Just give it some more time Drake." Bryce brought me out of my turmoil and I looked up to see him giving me a hopeful smile. "I know you dude. You were the strongest human I knew and you still are. You got through a break up from a three-year relationship at the same time you were dealing with your mother's death. Try opening up to Nixon and see if that might help some. It helped Allister and me." I nodded at his advice but didn't respond. Him mentioning my mom brought up a deep sorrow I hoped to never feel again and I can't be mad at him for doing it because talking about her after all these years might be the building block for my relationship. We left each other and I pondered going to my room and just crawling in my bed, but decided against it. I couldn't be depressed when I told Nixon tonight and I definitely couldn't be depressed when I finally asked him about his life.

So, to keep myself from falling down a rabbit hole of despair, I decided to visit Kadian and Isabelle. While I was a lot closer to Bryce growing up since we are the same age, his half-brothers were only twelve when I met them. We were friends, but just not as close as Bryce and Kit. I stopped by their room first to see if they were there and when the room turned up empty, I figured I could try the Pack link to contact Kaidan. The more I used it, the more I'd get used to it, right?

Hello? Please tell me I've connected with Kaidan. I'd learned through trial and error, that if I didn't focus on who I wanted to connect with, my thoughts and words would just be floating around for everyone in the Pack to hear.

Well if it isn't mother fucking Drake. Whats up man? I sighed in relief when Kaidan answered.

Just bored. Wanted to chill with you and catch up maybe. I knew he was most likely going to be with Isabella, which is completely fine. They were still newly mated and inseparable, just like how I was trying not to be with Nixon.

For sure! Izzy and I are in the game room on the third floor. She's trying to beat me at Mario Kart. He snorted and ended the link when I said I was heading their way. I walked into the room just as Kadian lost and Isabella started cheering in victory.

"Suck on that you piece of shit!" She yelled and thumped him in the chest. I was probably one of the very few people who never played Mario Kart in their life, but I didn't want to mention it so I just took a seat on one of the couches and watched while they fought with each other, trying to make the other mess up. We chatted back and forth after each round and while I was with them for almost two hours I noticed something that made me very hopeful.

I wasn't jealous of them at all.

I was half expecting to feel some kind of resentment at their relationship, complaining in my head about why I couldn't have a female as a mate. But as I continued to listen to their banter and watch their small smiles and blushes, it made me realize I felt nothing for that. All it did was make me want to see Nixon more. So that's what I did. After saying goodbye, I headed to my room. It was already seven in the evening so I knew Nixon would be showering after coming from training. And my suspicions were correct because the Nixon was standing in the center of the room in his boxers drying his hair with a towel. He looked up when I entered the room and smiled, causing my heart to do a fucking somersault.

"Look at you. Looking like a snack." I said flirtatiously and he let out a loud laugh.

"If I'm a snack, you must be a whole damn meal." I gave him a cheesy smile because this tiny amount of talking we were doing was something I missed. Before I found out I was Nixon's mate, I used to joke around with him and his brother whenever I saw them—something we lost when the drama began. But slowly and surely it was coming back and I knew after the conversation we had tonight, we might be on the right track finally.

"Uhm, so...I talked with Bryce." I said and Nixon saw that this might be serious, so he quickly threw on a shirt and some sweats before grabbing my hands and pulling me to the bed. "He told me that I should open up to you about my past and maybe that would help with the constant doubts in my head that I shouldn't be with you. It's not like it's my wolf that is making me feel this way, so I can't just talk to him and make him understand. He suggested that if we got to know each other better we could possibly grow closer."

Nixon silently nodded his head in understanding. "Seems reasonable. Bryce has always been good at helping diffuse situations, it's what makes him a great Alpha." He smiled kindly as he spoke of his friend before looking at me. "Shall I start or would you like to?" A part of me really wanted him to start, but I was afraid I wouldn't want to open up to him after I found out the truth with his ex.

"I'll go first, but you have to promise that you will answer a question I have for you about your past."

"Julian said something didn't he?" Nixon asked with a sigh and I pursed my lips to keep any sign of what I knew locked away. "Okay, go ahead and talk." He decided to drop it for now, but the bad feeling just kept getting worse. This is going to be a shit idea.

"In my first year of college, my mom was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. We came together as a family and fought through all her treatments together and she beat it. During that time, I hadn't been taken good care of myself so Bryce and Kit were there to help me through a lot. After she was cleared of her cancer, I decided life was too short to be worried about stupid things like if my hair looked good or if the cute girl in the class liked me. I became more outgoing and outspoken than I was before and ended up getting a girlfriend. We dated through the rest of my college career and I finally felt like I had it all. My family was okay and stronger than ever, I had great friends who cared about me and I had someone by my side who loved me more than the sun itself. Two years later, during finals, I get a call from my dad." The tears started to well up and fall over as I felt myself reliving the nightmare. The pain and pure anguish I had felt all flooded inside. "My mom's cancer came back ten times worse than before and there was no chance of survival. Even though the doctors said they would do everything they could to beat it, my parents didn't see the use. I was the only one who wanted her to keep fighting but she was so exhausted. They gave her three weeks to say goodbye to everyone before they pulled the plug and I couldn't afford to stay in school and stay with her, so I dropped out and basically lived in the hospital with her until it was time."

"Bryce and his family along with Kit came to the funeral. They were there to support me because I was only a shell of my former self. After the funeral, they helped me go to the college and get my things from my dorm. While we were there I bumped into my girlfriend who, not only me but Bryce and Kit as well, were expecting her to be consoling towards me. Instead, she was furious that I had ignored her and dropped out of school. She claimed I was a disappointment and refused to be dragged down with me."

"You just lost your mother!" Nixon yelled and I looked at him with a sad smile. It was touching that he was getting so upset over how my ex treated me. "Please tell me you didn't try to win her back or anything?"

"Hell no. I was still too numb to react, but Kit told her not to kindly that she should fuck off and go get an STD. Obviously, I think the insult was a lot more intense than that seeing as she ran away sobbing, but it was something along those lines I'm sure." I chuckled and wanted Nixon to laugh a little as well, trying to lighten the mood, but he just looked really...heartbroken.

"I am so sorry you had to go through that in such a small amount of time." I let him pull me into a hug and kiss the top of my head before he pulled away. Now was the time for me to get my answers.

"Well, you should know how this sort of feels. Which brings me to the deal we made. I was told your parents died in an attack on your Pack in Romania, but Julian let it slip that your parents most likely weren't dead and that's why you guys left for all those years. What were you doing?" And what did your ex have to do with it? Is what I wanted to add, but I felt like he would most likely mention it along with the story. I got the impression from Julian that she was somehow in the mix with this whole situation.

"Are you sure this is the question you want to be answered?" Nixon asked carefully and for some reason that made me think there were more things being hidden. But I had to find them out one at a time, and this was a good start.