It's That 'I Hate You' Kind of Love

Chapter Thirty Two

"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet." Jay was saying quietly as we anxiously waited on the edge of the pack grounds. It took my eyes a moment to adjust in the approaching darkness.

"Figured out what?" I asked, wrapping my hands around my arms and wishing away the chilliness of the night. We had been standing here for hours and I was still clothed in my sleeping shorts and tank top.

Jay shook his head in disbelief."You really are stupid sometimes," He said, still keeping his voice hushed. "It's painfully obvious, human."

"I'm not- I," I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do."

"No, I don't."

Jay didn't respond, although I expected him to laugh or make a sarcastic reply.

We were silent for a long moment that stretched into minutes. A cricket chirped loudly from the brush.

"Then I'll tell you."

His voice snapped me out of my daze. I had been thinking about the awkwardness the cricket's chirping was making "Huh?"

Jay growled. "You're aggravating."

"No, I'm Charlotte." I smirked briefly. When I was younger Ben and I would constantly use this joke. We thought it was hilarious, but whenever an adult did it to us, it was annoying.

Jay was trying not to flip out, and I mentally told myself to back down a little. Human-form Jay I could deal with; scary, rabid, wolf Jay, I could not.

He blinked hard before glaring at me with his stormy blue eyes. "This is what I get for trying to help you."

I sighed, un-crossing and recrossing my arms. "Fine, what did you want to tell me?"

Jay's lips remained firmly shut, but before I could roll my eyes he reluctantly spoke.

"The secret Carson's keeping from you. As much as you annoy the shit out of me, you deserve to know." Jay heaved a deep sigh and I knew it was taking everything inside of him to disobey Carson's orders. "The truth is...Emily's mate is-"

"You don't have to tell me." I broke in, a little surprised by the whole thing.

His eyes were hard. "He shouldn't have kept this from you for so long. Trust me-"

"Trust me you don't-"

"Her mate is-"

I threw my hands up in frustration. "My brother! I know!" I scrunched my face up, closing my eyes briefly. After a few seconds passed I reluctantly cracked them open.

Jay's stormy eyes reflected his obvious shock. He had taken a step back. "What, you know?"

"Yeah." I said nonchalantly, shuffling the toe of my sneaker in the gravel. "Unfortunately."

There was a brief pause as Jay struggled to comprehend what I had said.

"Carson told you?" Jay finally spat. "When?"

"He didn't." I said, not able to meet the future beta's eyes with my own. "I figured it out on my own. Like you said, it was painfully obvious...but I didn't want to believe it."

"How long-" Jay let out a small curse, shaking his head like he still couldn't believe anything I was saying. "When did you figure it out?"

I ignored his question, instead shaking my head and mumbling. "I can't believe Carson didn't tell me..."

Jay was suddenly stalking towards me, growling low in his throat. He towered over me and bared his glinting white teeth. "Alright, spill it human. I want to know everything."