Embracing the Wolves

[49] Alphas, Betas, Omegas

I sat on one side of the booth with Ryder's arm thrown around my shoulders while Colin sat across from us. In this moment, sure we were dealing with Colin's hilarious melodramatic jealousy, but it was a fun moment where we had no real worries going on. We were just enjoying some snacks after school at the parlor like normal teenagers.

"What-the-f*ck-ever. I care about you too okay," Colin scoffed towards me after I told them about what Evan said me at lunch before we were interrupted by Meena. I added how, after school, Evan and I were able to have another conversation during the entire hour and a half of Ryder's football practice that I was originally planning to sit and watch with Colin (since he had to wait up for Ryder for a ride due to declining my offers). But Colin's declines didn't matter because obviously we three found our way to the diner after school. But now, me remarking about Evan's intentions to prove his allegiance to me and our pack and revamp the meaning of the Great Everton Pack was making Colin feel a joking sense of competitiveness. Ryder was busting up laughing as Colin listed all of the fun moments he and I had in the last few months despite our rocky start. I was just amused because he had it in his head that I ranked Evan above him in an imaginary Beta Olympics when that wasn't even the case. Ryder and I couldn't breathe from our laughing by the time Colin was offering me anything I wanted from him (from a week in his secluded trailer with just Ryder to him carrying me to my classes for the rest of the semester) so I would admit he was the best Beta ever...not best in town—best ever. I constantly pled the fifth with reasons to not only prolong the joke but also because of my loyalty to the Everton pack, but when he asked Ryder (who raised his hands defensively to say he was staying out of it), I could tell he didn't want to hear his own words audibly admit that Colin was a better Beta than his own best friend Preston ever was or could've been. I knew the latter as much as Colin, which is why I think Colin played up the comedy of it all.

"Dude, shut up," Ryder laughed while throwing a fry at Colin's ridiculousness. Colin finally broke character from his pedestal of ever-proving-Beta, which turned into a mockery of how he interpreted Evan to be. He dipped the assault fry into his milkshake and ate it as our laughs calmed down.

"Seriously though, Ash," Colin tried to transition. His eyes flashed up to mine. "If I haven't been able to prove it to you in the last two months that I'm sorry for how we started, I just want to say that I'm still sorry for saying that something bad happens every time an Everton is in town. From the leadership changes to the fire to the tragedies that happened here before we were even born, none of that was your fault so I shouldn't have taken it out on you." I smiled weakly at him because I appreciated the sentiment almost as much as it stimulated my curiosity on factors surrounding the inevitable mystery about my family; first the female Everton comments throughout the day and now allusions to past tragedies. But I focused on the appreciation for now considering the great, closed-off Colin Bourne was getting sentimental for once. His eyes shifted to Ryder at my side. "She's a hell of a girl for you and for our pack. Thanks for giving me to privilege to redeem myself. I should've just agreed with Kelvan that day when he said he liked you two together." Colin's eyes returned to mine and I saw the mischief return. "I hope you forgive me, but at this point I don't care if you do or not because you're still stuck with me."

I laughed as he wiggled his eyebrows and Ryder chuckled too and nudged my arm. "See, this is why I said Dakota was the only one nice enough for you to be around," Ryder reminded me in a false whisper-laugh.

"Listen, I stand by what I said that day too," Colin said while looking at Ryder before gesturing between me and himself. "We still have so much in common just by our mutual enjoyment of riling you up." I busted out laughing at the memory and him bringing it up to inherently rile up Ryder. Ryder balled up the nearest object (a used napkin) to throw at him. "Don't be jealous," Colin teased and I was amused with Ryder acting like he was narrowing his eyes to challenge Colin's claims. He lunged, causing Colin to stand up and lunge back as a false recovery while the fake-out caused Ryder to relax and laugh at his expected dominance that allowed him to scare Colin, even for a second. "Punk," Colin mumbled and then gestured between me and him once more. "Me and your girl are tight," he kept taunting to be true to himself and continue to rile up Ryder. But he knew his limits and shifted back into his jovial, dramatic side. "...although apparently not as tight as her and Evan."