Embracing the Wolves

[49] Alphas, Betas, Omegas

"Colin—" I tried to interrupt to begin as reassurance, but it came out as a laugh instead.

"It's fine, it's fine," he sighed. "I don't know what y'all are gonna do for entertainment or for your personal, at-school escort service after I graduate this winter, but it's fine..."

I know he was being dramatic on purpose and we were all amused, but that just reminded me. "What are you gonna do after you graduate?" I asked him. I had assumed him flunking his original senior year was due to his absences and claims to "help the pack," but I recently learned from him that it was framed that way to protect not only his plethora of absences (that escalated during the spring semester for whatever reason) but also Preston's insinuation that the pack would need a little muscle and Zander-loyalists to stick around. I guess, much to Preston's dismay, the latter did serve the pack regardless of Preston's unsuccessful coup because I couldn't imagine anybody else filling in the Beta role other than Colin at this point.

"Uh..." he stammered and then glanced at Ryder while briefly trying to form his words. "I'm gonna stick around, take some online classes and see what this guy needs in the meantime while I figure out my life," his gaze returned to me. "On a serious note though, I...have invited my dad to come back to Tyriette. I'm even gonna have Thanksgiving with him in Vegas this year and then help him move back."

I couldn't explain how much adrenaline coursed through me at the excitement for him, but it was enough to startle Ryder into coiling his arm back to his side. "What brought that on?" I inquired even though I really didn't care about the answer especially when prefaced with the fact that he'll be staying around post-graduation. After his past and Tank and Dakota and the Beta-situation, I just didn't want him to be alone anymore. He didn't deserve the loneliness.

"You and your mom, actually. I no longer want to be a hypocrite about what I told you about forgiving her from before and he's not technically in any danger more than anyone else by staying here. I think I can control myself and at least he knows about us enough not to put himself in the same position my brother was in," he revealed with a sigh. Oh. His vulnerability faltered for a second in the very Colin way it was used to conforming in order to make room for his tough-guy façade. "Plus, I figured I should rub it in Trevor's face that my dad's coming back after he's complained the whole day about having to postpone his parents' return."

"Why's he doing that by the way?" I asked, looking between him and Ryder both. "Stella thinks it's his way of trying to break up with her but she also said he got spooked after something that Andrew did this weekend." I looked at Ryder, trying to figure out if he knew anything about what I alluded to. But he was unreadable and pursed his lips after drinking his drink.

"Maybe he is trying to break up with her," he shrugged without looking at me. "Good for her."

I rolled my eyes at his immaturity because even though he had no tells of dishonesty, I knew he must've known something.

"Well, seems like he's a good person to ask if it's something with Andrew," Colin suddenly said and I followed his nod to Aaron, who was dressed in some jeans with a black t-shirt with the pizza parlor's logo on the front pocket and carrying a bucket with cleaning materials for the tables. I knew Rod worked here but didn't know Aaron did. He originally headed to clean the immediately dirty tables that were emptied, but after halfway cleaning a booth, his gaze found ours. He picked up his bucket and made his way over here. Colin frowned. "If I'm mistaken, werewolves have better hearing and I'm pretty sure we—or at least I—didn't invite him over here so why is he headed this way?"

I shushed him even though there was no way Aaron didn't hear the purposeful insult. He set the bucket of cleaning materials onto the end of our table, more to Colin's side than mine and Ryder's. Of course Colin scoffed.