The Beast and His Tamer

Chapter 38: Baby

"I don't like them, honestly," Odin said, stretching a bit in his seat. "They seem too happy, like they're hiding something."

"Sebastian was always happy when I met him," Rhett rolled his eyes. He had been spending so much time running around and dealing with guests that he didn't really have any time to himself. The only times he could relax were at night. He still enjoyed that time of day the best. It always brought him peace having Sebastian in his arms.

"Not exactly," Odin argued. "He showed plenty of emotions. But all these people show is false smiles mixed with white lies that they cover with distractions and stories." The werebear shook his head. "I don't like them."

"You aren't the one who has to like them," Rhett sighed. He had been spending so much time with that family, trying to impress them that he swore his head was going to spin. Odin was right, they didn't really show their emotions. It was strange that Sebastian and Geoff were the only ones who seemed to show their real selves. He wondered if it just happened with age.

He would hate the thought of that. If he got Sebastian to live there with him, there was no way he was going to let him act so fake around everyone. He already seemed to put on a fake smile every time his family was around. But Rhett could see his nerves around them. Sebastian could never hide his emotions from him. He always wore it plain and clear on his face. That was one of the reasons why Rhett had fallen in love with him so quickly. Those brown eyes were his light, even when they were sad or upset.

"Good luck there," Odin huffed a laugh. "At least it seems like some progress is being made." He let the silence fall between them, the statement sinking further into their souls. After a while, Odin looked over to him. "You think we're actually going to find them?"

"I don't know," Rhett answered honestly. "That's what I hate the most about this all. I really wish that I could just wake up and this would all just be some sort of nightmare."

"You're telling me," he told him. "I'm just glad that Sebastian found me and snapped me out of that. That was the worst thing I've ever had to go through in my life."

Rhett nodded, looking out towards the trees. As much as he was angry with the werebear in the beginning of all this, he couldn't continue it. In the end, Odin was the only one who understood the horrors that was that affliction. He wasn't even sure what it was. That was another mystery that had yet to be figured out.

As much as things seemed to be moving fast, they were also moving slow. Rhett's heart longed for things to pick up already; to get some sort of answer to at least one of his questions. Instead, he just got a bunch of generic answers and words of encouragement. He liked it at first, but it was only growing tiresome now. He just wanted to find something already. Even if it was just a clue. He just needed something to keep the hope alive.

After another sigh, Rhett got up from his seat. Now wasn't the time to stop and think, it was the time to do. His pack was getting stronger with him as the Alpha, and it was already starting to show. During the short time that he had come to his senses, their borders were more secure, and their family was already starting to grow. The Chakoa Pack was known for being fertile, forever growing larger in the ever-abundant forest. Even though there were many who had left, and Rhett wasn't even going to entertain the thought of accepting any of them back, many women were starting to get pregnant. And the kids who just became adults had already started to find their mates.

That was one thing he could be happy with. The other was that he had Sebastian. He was the source of his happiness most of the time. With all that had gone on, most of the pack were still stressed and worried about it all. But Sebastian still managed to bring back the life in all of them, making them feel hopeful, just as he had always managed to do. Even with his parents there, that made him nervous all the time, he still managed to find the ones who were upset and cheer them up. He made for a great leader in that sense. Because he was great at bringing people together.