Chapter 10

Milo's POV:

"So how's school going, Milo?" Liam's mom asked politely, setting a plate down in front of me. I gulped at the size of the portions and wondered how I could get out of eating most of it. The question seemed half-hearted; she seemed to have a genuine interest in getting to know me but it was one of the most basic questions she could've asked while dancing around the topic of Liam and I being mates.

"School's good," I whispered, clenching my hands together in my lap.

"And what classes are you taking?" she followed up.

"History, Spanish, Psychology, Forensics..." I trailed off.

"Liam didn't tell me you were both in Forensics," his mom said, fixing Liam with a disapproving stare.

"What, is that a fun fact of the day?" he asked. "I don't know, do you want to see my class lists or something?"

His mother sighed, her eyes closing briefly, and I knew why she was surprised at not knowing. It was because Liam and I were mates, and mates are supposed to know everything about each other. We weren't at that point yet, and some part of me wondered... would we ever get there?

"Thanks be to the Moon Goddess," the alpha said, clasping his hands in front of him in a loose prayer-like motion and thankfully moving the topic of conversation away from me.

"Thanks be to the Moon Goddess," we all said in our normal tones. Which was, for them, rather loud, and for me, barely a mumble.

His younger sister, Paisley, started talking about her day and what she and Sage's younger brother did. "And then we went to the park, and he pushed me and then I pushed him in circles, but then someone else wanted a turn on the swing so then we went to his house," she rambled, her parents smiling and nodding.

Liam caught my eye in my peripheral vision and cocked his head to the side by half an inch or so. I smiled a bit, my smile wavering on my lips, and I felt a gentle kick, more like a nudge, really, from under the table. It was coming from his direction, so I kicked back.

'You okay?' he whispered in my head through our link. I swallowed.

'Yeah,' I replied. 'I don't feel the best,' I continued truthfully. My stomach couldn't seem to handle the sight of the portions sitting in front of me.

I caught sight of Liam nodding slowly next to me, as if putting some pieces together. Pieces of my puzzle, pieces I held close to my heart, pieces I wouldn't give away. The picture would go uncompleted without them, and would that really be such a bad thing?

I hesitantly picked up my fork and started brushing the sausage in the spaghetti off to the side, as though I was cleaning, a mindless job. Once I had a sufficiently meatless portion of the pasta, I scooped some up, leaned forward to place it in my mouth, and set the fork down, everything just as it had been a moment before. Trying to create as few ripples in the water as possible.

"The pack training session this morning went well," Liam's father, the alpha, said, nodding as he spooned a bite of spaghetti into his mouth. "Good progress. The ones who just started training this year are making good progress."

"I beat Sammy, and Kate, and Xander," Paisley said excitedly before frowning. "Jacob still beat me, though."

"That's pretty good, Paisie," Liam praised his younger sister, and I heard him nudging her foot with his under the table. She beamed.

"Were you at the session, Milo?" their mother asked in what I assumed was a desperate attempt to bring me into the conversation. Instead, I just wilted even more against the back of my chair.

"No," I whispered.

"Probably a good thing," she laughed, placing a hand on top of her mate's arm. "It did get a bit wet at the end and we had to call it off early. We were all soaked by the time we got back."

I appreciated that she didn't say something like, "You should come next time!" While unavoidably positive on the surface, it would just make me feel guilty by the time next week came along. So I nodded.

"Oh! And I transformed into my wolf form for the first time last month, Milo, did Liam tell you?" At my slight head shake, she grinned and continued. "I'm really small, like half the size of Liam but I feel so fast! It's so much fun being in wolf form, don't you think?" She didn't wait for an answer before continuing; I got the feeling she liked talking just to hear herself. "Dad took me out hunting but I didn't want to hurt any of the bunnies he told me to kill so then we went and practiced at the training clearing instead. And Caleb was so jealous! He hasn't gotten his wolf form yet," she said quietly and secretly, as if she was embarrassed for him. I didn't mention that I hadn't gotten my wolf form until I was sixteen.

"He's got time, Paisley, don't rush him," their mother smiled again.

"But I can't talk to him through the link until he does!" she groaned, leaning back in her chair. "And since you won't let me have a cell phone, I can't talk to him that way either!"

"Just be a kid, for Goddess sake!" Liam scolded her. She giggled.

"You used to say the same things," she teased, poking her tongue out at her brother. "You can't say anything."

"I've grown," he said wisely before they both started laughing.

"Yeah, and you and your friends have got both!"

Their interaction made my chest ache dully. Was this how Malena and I had been? It had been so long I wasn't sure. The teasing conversations, the smiles passed over food lovingly prepared, the kicks under the table like a secret shared with happy lips. Paisley would have been about the same age I had been when... well, when it all changed. But I couldn't imagine her deeply hurt, broken like me. Could Malena have seen that in me, this damaged side of me, before she was gone? Because now, this side was all that remained. Like the dark side of the moon, my old happiness, my old carefreeness, it was gone, lost to the sands of time (or perhaps more accurately, the moondust).

Someone's silverware clinked, jerking me out of my trance-like thoughts. Glancing around for a second before I planned to revert my gaze back to my plate, my heart sank. Four very similar faces, all staring at me with some mixture of curiosity and concern, some tipped more to one side of the scale than the other.

"Milo?" Liam was saying, as though he'd said it a thousand times and the message itself had lost all meaning.

"Are you alright, honey?" his mother asked, reaching across the table to rest a hand on my arm. "Do you feel faint? Dizzy? Abnormally hot?"

I could barely hear her, barely feel her. Out of all of the pairs of eyes in the room, my subconscious had chosen to lock onto one, and of course it happened to be my mate's. Liam's.

My chest grew tight and I felt my hands grow numb. Screams echoed in my ears, screams and the gurgle of blood and that awful laugh. It made me feel sick that someone was happy with what they'd done that night. Someone left that room pleased with the bodies left behind. I couldn't control my thoughts anymore; it all came rushing back and my heart beat faster.

The last thing I remember before slumping forward was how I'd never realized Liam had golden specks in his eyes. They were pretty.

They were pretty, and I was out.

-

Liam's POV:

I caught Milo before his head could hit the table.

"Oh, Goddess," Mom worried, taking him from my grasp (an action that almost caused my primal instincts- protect my mate, protect my mate, protect my mate- to growl at my own mother) and lifting him easily as though he was just a baby. "He's definitely out."

"What happened?" Paisley asked, looking confused. The adults ignored her, talking in hushed voices, so I stepped in with a slightly unsatisfactory answer.

"He seems to have passed out for some reason," I said intelligently.

She snorted, slapping my arm. "I guessed that."

"Liam, I can put him in your room for now, right?" Mom asked, drawing my attention. I nodded, so she turned and carefully maneuvered them both up the stairs.

I could tell Dad really wanted to let loose a whole stream of curses, but he restrained himself, probably for Paisley's sake. "Paisley, could you please finish eating quickly and then go up to your room? Liam, your mom, and I have some things to talk about."

Paisley considered the offer, her hazel eyes sparkling as she realized she could basically control the situation; as long as she got out, she could really go wherever she wanted. "Can I go over to Caleb's?" she asked before shoveling a bite of pasta into her mouth.

Dad thought about it before nodding. "Deal. Eva won't mind."

"Great. Done," she said, pushing her empty plate forward on the table, draining the last of her milk, and standing up. "I'll be at Caleb's if you need me."

I silently sent a prayer to Sage for having to deal with her for the night.

Mom returned downstairs without a knocked out Milo. "He's definitely out," she whispered again, quietly as though he could hear her.

"Liam, you really need to help that kid," Dad immediately almost shouted before quieting his tone. "He got lost in his thoughts and passed out? Something there doesn't add up. It could be a panic attack, it could be-"

"PTSD," Mom added quietly.

"Yes," Dad continued. "And either way, this is not going to solve itself."

"I'm so worried," Mom admitted. "He barely ate anything during dinner. And he looked sick when looking at his food. Haven't you noticed?"

"I noticed that one day at school," I replied. "I was going to say something, but Adriel- Milo's adopted brother and best friend and seemingly only confident- jumped into my head and gave a very brutal warning not to bring it up."

Actually, I was fairly sure it was a one-word deal, but exaggerating was fun. Plus, it was scary that he could tell what I was going to say before I started saying it, so I felt justified.

"Liam, Adriel and Milo are each other's anchor, but you're his mate," Mom said softly. "I understand that Adriel only wants the best for Milo, but it can't keep you from asking."

I nodded slightly.

"He needs love," Mom continued. "Just love him."

I reddened at the mention of the L-word and my father was also silently blushing next to her. "I'll try," I said when I felt I could speak again. "Do you think I should take Milo home?"

"Are you going to stay with him?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I could? I feel like I should also see if Adriel wants to come over. So it's not weird." They were both smiling at me and shaking their heads.

'He's in denial,' Mom cooed through the three of our joint link. I raised an eyebrow, realizing she meant to send it to my father only.

'I'm here too, Mom,' I reminded her, and she flushed before clearing her throat.

"Yes, that's probably a good idea," she continued.

"Let us know if you need anything," Dad added.

"He's just on your bed."

Milo looked almost peaceful, laying silently and with his arms holding onto himself as if in a self-hug. "There you are," I murmured, mostly to myself, as I slid a hand behind his back and under his knees and carefully lifted him, extremely cautious to not wake him up. I didn't want to disturb him in this rested state. He seemed like he needed it.

I left the house through the kitchen door. Mom and Dad had left, so I didn't need to utter a word that could disrupt my beautiful mate's sleep.

Whoa. Okay, adjectives. Where the hell did you come from?

On the way to Milo's house, about when I entered the forest, I let Adriel know Milo had passed out and I was bringing him home and planning to stay overnight along with an open invitation for him to join us. To make it not weird.

'I'll be right over,' he swore over the link. I wondered if he'd meet me on the path or come to the house a few minutes later, but when the house came into sight, there he was, standing outside of it with his hands in his pockets.

"What happened?" he asked fiercely as I walked up to him.

I gestured to the door. "Inside. Do you have a key?"

"He carries the only one," Adriel replied, reaching deftly into Milo's back pocket and pulling out a golden key before placing it inside the doorknob and turning. The door opened, revealing a dark interior. Bubbles wasn't there to greet us, and when we ventured inwards, we found her asleep on the couch. "Take him upstairs," Adriel said as he gently picked up the chicken, stroking her in his arms. I complied, opening the door I presumed to lead upstairs (it did) and ascending the stairs, being careful to not let my mate's dark hair brush the wall for the fear his head would then bang the wall.

I laid him on the bed, wondering what else I could do while Adriel followed behind me. I moved away, giving the adopted brothers their space.

As I stood at the top of the stairs, watching, Adriel walked over to where Milo laid peacefully and carefully pulled the blankets from underneath him and laid them on top, tucking it in around his neck. "He gets cold easily," he said, not sparing me a glance as he walked past me, down the stairs.

"Are you not going to... put him in pajamas? Won't his clothes be uncomfortable?" I asked, following behind him. I perfectly understood why I wouldn't be allowed to change Milo's clothes, but he and Adriel were brothers. Legally.

"Milo doesn't like people seeing him unclothed, and I think he'd prefer to wake up fully clothed than know I invaded his privacy," Adriel said calmly as he began opening cupboards. "Hungry?"

"Sure." I hadn't gotten to eat much of my dinner, after all.

Adriel began making grilled cheese, rubbing the butter on the pan and setting a piece of bread on it to cook. He started humming, seemingly subconsciously, and I tilted my head to the side to listen better. He didn't even seem to realize he was doing it, so I was reluctant to bring it up, but eventually he turned around to place a plate in front of me and I figured it was the best possible time.

"I can see why Milo likes your singing so much."

He raised an eyebrow. "He told you about that?" I nodded. "Well yes, he has said he's enjoyed it."

I nodded again and we dissolved into silence.

I cleared my throat a few awkwardly silent minutes later. "I thought I should ask you about Milo's eating," I said, the words sounding strange in my mouth. "My mother was worried."

Adriel chewed slowly, thoughtfully. "It's not my place to tell you," was all he said. "But don't judge him. It's not his fault and it doesn't help him any to have that mindset."

"Okay."

"You're very agreeable tonight."

"Okay."

"You're an idiot."

"Okay."

He closed his eyes for a minute, breathing out in a quick breath before opening his eyes again. "I apologize if I made you feel... unwelcome to be Milo's mate."

Now it was my turn to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"I can be very protective," he explained. "Milo is my best friend and I care deeply for him. He was very scared the first night, when you turned eighteen. I instinctively felt you were a threat. But..." he sighed, "you're not actually that bad."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I nodded, taking a bite of my grilled cheese.

"I'll try to stop being so protective because I know you can take care of him. If- if you swear to never hurt him." Adriel's expression was fierce as he leaned forward on the table.

"I swear to never intentionally hurt Milo," I swore. He only raised an eyebrow. "What, do you want me to pinky-promise it to you?"

"Idiot," he muttered under his breath. "Intentionally?" he asked louder.

"Well, I mean, my dad has hurt my mom plenty of times unintentionally, and vice versa," I said. "For example, that one time he went on a dangerous mission without telling him and she threw a boot at his head."

"Well, don't do that either."

"I wasn't planning to. Boots hurt."

"You, Mr. Future Alpha," he sighed, leaning back, "are a registered imbecile."

"Thank you. I've never been registered before."

We moved into silence again, but this time it wasn't because of awkwardness. Rather, there seemed to be a sense of contentment in the air. Once he was finished eating, Adriel walked around checking the leaks and noting that they were drying nicely but he'd still have to get his father to redo some insulation. Then he grabbed some blankets from a cupboard and we headed upstairs.

"You could always sleep downstairs on a couch. It would be more comfortable than the floor," he said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I know," I nodded. "Same to you."

"I don't trust you."

"What, me?" I feigned shock.

Milo stirred on the bed and Adriel pierced me with a death gaze. Neither of us moved until he curled his head next to his arm and began breathing normally again.

'Yes, you,' he said through our link.

'Hmm. No.' Milo's scent would still be present, but it would be a lot more stale. Plus, I got the benefit of both making sure he would be safe through the night.

Okay, maybe my priorities were a little skewed. Well, he would be safe even if Adriel was the only one up here.

'Fine,' he replied to me after a minute. 'Are you ready to go to bed, or should I not turn the light off yet?'

'I'll lay down,' I replied, choosing the bedding to the left of me and sitting on the covers. Adriel reached up to turn the light off and the room was plunged into darkness. However, he retrieved a flashlight from his pocket and turned it on, pulling a book from a bookshelf before sitting down on his own bed.

I sighed, laying down. This would be a long night.

--

friendship pog

look idk

vote, comment, all that jazz, imma go to sleep

-a tired bloom :)