Chapter 36

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*Corey*

"Why would we stop when we can take a bus straight home?" Sean asked.

"Because I want Jayden to see Finn, his house is on the way anyway," I replied flatly, as if the question he was asking was stupid despite him having no way of knowing why I had suggested the stop to begin with.

It did as intended because it visibly annoyed him.

"And I suppose you'll be paying the house's rent?" Sean asked

"Yes." I looked at him.

He opened his mouth but shut it and frowned at me.

"Fine," he muttered. I smirked.

"Let's go."

"You owe me so badly for this entire trip, Corey," he hissed.

"I'll pay you with my loyalty in the future, Alpha," I replied with a wink.

"You're so damn annoying."

I laughed when he rolled his eyes.

-----

The bus ride almost drove me insane. I sat right at the back, in the centre of the worst company. It was hell listening to Jayden and Kaden argue about video games and tornadoes while Adan and Trent discussed politics because Adan could do that to people. However, Trent seemed to be very interested.

I had no idea where the argument about tornadoes had come from. Kaden and Jayden's conversations seemed to bounce between topics every few sentences and somehow return to previously mentioned points later on. The debate was heated because they both felt so passionate about tornadoes, for some reason.

When we arrived in the town where we would be switching to a different bus in the morning, I basically bolted out of the vehicle.

By the time we made it to the house, it was already dark out and everyone was completely beat, so we went straight to bed.

-----

It was still dark when I woke up and checked my phone. Twelve thirty in the morning.

I couldn't sleep again because of a heavy fear that weighed in my chest, but it wasn't my own. I sat up. Was Jayden having another nightmare? Was that where the feeling was coming from? I got out of bed with a sigh, wondering if it being woken up would bother him.

I only wore boxers as the rest of my clothes had been lost in the explosion and it was quite hot. At least this house had toothpaste, soap and towels in the bathrooms.

I followed Jayden's pull downstairs, stumbling slightly despite being able to see perfectly in the dark. I felt like I had not gotten a lick of sleep—three hours of tossing and turning.

"Jay, why are you up?" I mumbled once arriving at the living room entrance. I didn't have to let my eyes adjust to recognise him across the room, sitting in the moonlit darkness.

"I... Uh... I can't sleep," he mumbled. "You took my sleeping pills."

I scoffed at the glare he gave me. He was, of course, referring to his cigarettes.

"It's a terrible habit, you'll thank me eventually," I said. "Can't sleep... or don't want to?" I asked, taking a seat beside him.

I noticed that he was still in his jeans and long-sleeved shirt. It was summer and so hot, even at night. Come to think of it, he had not worn a short-sleeve once during the trip.

"A little bit of both... I don't want to have another nightmare... and I couldn't sleep even if I wanted to."

I chuckled and he looked at me confused.

"That's probably the first time you've ever admitted something to me," I pointed out. He smiled. "It's summer, you know. I'm burning up and I'm barely wearing anything."

His eyes seemed to run over me automatically, and he gave a nervous chuckle, quickly looking away. Was he shy because I was shirtless? How did he fail to notice that when I walked in? I smiled at his reaction.

"You should probably take off those jeans, or you won't have any blood reaching your feet," I said.

"I-I will," he mumbled.

I nodded before tilting my head.

"What was your last partner like?" I asked, despite part of me not wanting to know the answer. A larger part wanted to know what type of person he liked, and who I had to be for him to accept me. "I mean... I know what I said when I was being a jackass... I'm sorry, Jayden."

"I know," he mumbled with a small, sad smile that showed that it still hurt him.

"I..." I cleared my throat. "Tell me. The last guy you dated. What was he like? You're handsome, kind, smart and talented, so he was quite impressive too, right?"

Jayden seemed flustered, and even though he was clearly shy and couldn't look me in the eye, he said, "Flattering me isn't going to make me accept you."

"Worth a try," I teased. He chuckled. "Seriously, the last guy you dated. What was he like?"

"I... There... Um, why-why are you asking?" he stuttered.

I paused, considering that he actually had not been with anyone because what was that answer?

"No way."

Jayden narrowed his eyes at me before he sighed.

"What about you? What was the one girl you were most serious about like?"

"Non-existent."

Jayden scoffed, shooting a flat stare at me.

"Seriously, non-existent. I haven't been serious about anyone. In case you can't tell, I'm kind of a dick when it comes to relationships."

Jayden smiled.

"You can say it," I rolled my eyes, assuming I knew what he had in mind.

"I know you are," he said.

"Happy?" I asked. He chuckled with a nod, and I shook my head. "I just... I liked messing around; hooking up. None of it was serious," I said.

"Samantha was. You were going to..." he drifted.

"No, Jayden, she wasn't. Well, I was going to make her my mate, but not because it was serious," I said. "She was just a replacement. Holy shit, I sound like an asshole."

"That's because you are."

He seemed a little cautious when I looked at him, like he had spoken on impulse and was afraid of how I would react. I was upset that I had built that impression of myself with him.

"Am I going to keep hearing you take shots at me like this?" I asked, trying to show that I took his comment light-heartedly and he had no reason to be hesitant when it came to speaking to me. Not anymore.

He grinned and I was relieved.

"For as long as you're near me," he replied.

"Forever?"

Jayden sobered a little, his smile wavering as his eyes averted to the TV. It made me clench my jaw. He kept having that reaction. Something told me there was more to it than him being afraid of being with me. There was something I didn't know. It had to be related to the nightmares, to his father. There was more that he was hiding.

At the moment though, he was not going to tell me, so the best I could do was distract him.

"Do you wanna get ice cream?" I asked, sitting up.

Jayden immediately followed my lead, straightening up.

"Right now?" he asked, glancing towards the window. "It's late."

"Right now," I confirmed.

Jayden bit his lip, his brows furrowing as he stared at the curtains lit by the moon. I wanted to tell him he had nothing to worry about because I would be with him and wouldn't let him get hurt, but I also knew he hated being treated like he needed protection. So, I waited until he gave a nod.

"Um – sure."

After we got dressed, we headed out. It was a warm morning, and I hadn't bothered with a jacket while Jayden walked beside me with his hands tucked into his pockets and jacket zipped all the way up. The lamps gave the path we were on a dim yellow glow as we headed in the direction we remembered the McDonalds being in.

It was quiet as we were the only people out, and I listened to his footsteps, his light breathing and steady heartbeat. It seemed automatic, as though my brain was trying to memorise everything about him, even the way he moved. Listening to him was calming.

"If you had dated someone, what would they have been like? I mean... what would you want them to be like?" I asked.

Jayden looked at me with a mischievous smile that he was trying to hold back, and I rolled my eyes again.

"Not me, I know."

He laughed. "Honestly? I had not thought much about it... I just hoped they were... nice. It didn't matter what they were like... they would be my mate. They would be happy about me... Don't," he glanced at me. I had been about to apologise again. "It's okay. Really."

I still wanted to apologise. I needed to until he realised how sorry I was. It would make me feel better.

"Are you actually cold right now?" I asked.

"No, I just like being covered."

"Why?" I asked.

Jayden's shoulders tensed a little as he squeezed his arms against his sides, tucking his hands further into his pockets as his walk seemed to become more uncomfortable. I almost apologised for asking, because I had already tried to ask about why he was always covered earlier, and he clearly didn't want to talk about it. There was no reason he should be comfortable telling me things.

I opened my mouth to apologise but he spoke.

"I-I used to have scars and bruises everywhere... Uhm... F-from my dad a-and... It disappeared when I drank Izzy's blood," he mumbled. "I didn't want questions, so I never showed much skin. I kind of... I've gotten used to it. Wearing anything else makes me uncomfortable..."

Which was why he was always wearing hoodies or jackets in the midst of summer. I watched him for a second, running over things I was curious about. I wanted to ask him so many questions... but there was one that came back to me whenever I looked at him.

"What about the scar on your neck?" I questioned.

He had said that was not from his father. Jayden was quiet, instead taking a gulp that sounded rather struggled as I felt sharp anxiety spike in my chest. I shouldn't have asked.

"You don't have to say anything, it's okay," I whispered.

He nodded, but the feeling didn't die down. It was so bad, that even I was starting to feel smothered. Maybe I could distract him.

"You know, you were supposed to say yes, Jayden," I said.

He tilted his head, confused. The look made me chuckle. Forget a teddy bear, he looked like a puppy.

"When I asked if you were cold, I was hoping you would say yes."

He looked at me, silently asking why and I shook my head. Of course, he had never been on a date before. I lifted my arm onto his shoulders causing him to stop walking in surprise as he went rigid for a second before I pulled him along as I continued to walk. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, tugging him closer so he was tucked into my side as we walked.

"You say you're cold, I do this to warm you up. In the end, we're both happy."

Jayden laughed, seeming bashful as he nudged his arm into my side but didn't pull away. I grinned watching him look down as we walked. Progress.

My smile fell slightly when I focused on what I was feeling from him a little more. He felt content, as happy as I did but there was also an uneasiness at the pit of my chest, the anxiety was still there. I wondered what it was. Was it the scar? Was he still afraid of his father following us? The man had not been seen by anyone since we left the mountain.

Wait... If the scar didn't have anything to do with his father... Maybe the nightmares didn't either and that scar was why he had nightmares.

Had someone else attacked him? Maybe. It wasn't uncommon for some werewolves to bully the lower-ranking or less powerful wolves in their packs. Jayden was the type of person who would not tell anyone if someone was hurting him. I grit my teeth.

There was someone else I needed to take care of then.

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