Chapter 31

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There were just so many things to do, and Eli found himself dragging Ari from one place to another clinging to him the whole time.

It was just so interesting to see people live a different life than the way Eli was used to. His whole life was spent in small towns with small communities that knew everyone's secrets and private affairs. The types of people he saw were very similar, too, and they all went by certain rules due to their werewolf traditions and way of life.

It was so different in cities, though.

Maybe it was because it was filled with humans who didn't abide by certain rules or had ranks that controlled the way they lived. They just lived however they wanted and were free to be their own individual which made them a lot more diverse than their small communities. The way they lived seemed a lot more free and less restrained than how Eli was used to, and he kind of wished he lived among them instead of his kind.

Even their stores were a lot more interesting.

It wasn't like they didn't have a variety of stores in the towns he's been to. Sure he was a bit too excited about everything, but there's just more of everything. It was all bigger, better, and new to him. It was safe to say that he loved it.

He even tipped a little bit too much to some guy playing the guitar on the streets just because he was that excited.

All the while, Ari was watching him with an endearing look, and their day ended in them sitting on the grass in one of the parks nearby with a large pizza shared between them while they watched people as they passed them by. Their tastes might've clashed a bit, but at least they agreed to have meat on their pizza.

With their day filled with all that sightseeing, Eli forgot that this was a rare chance for them to just sit and talk, but Ari did not.

"About what you said the other day about Alec, what happened?"

Eli found himself slowly lowering his pizza slice as the atmosphere suddenly dampened around them, and he sighed putting his piece back into the box not feeling hungry anymore.

"There's a chance I am overreacting, but he almost lost control when we were alone." He gulped remembering how scared he felt that day. Every time he thought about it, he felt stressed. "Things got a little bit, um, intense and all we did was just kiss. Then he started going further and just wouldn't stop. Even after I told him to."

The worried look that appeared on Ari's face was expected, but he just sat there listening intently to what Eli had to say. So Eli continued even though it was hard for him to talk about it. There were feelings he never voiced out loud to anyone, but he wanted to tell Ari all about them as he continued.

"I tried to push him away, and you can guess how effective that was. It made me scared. The idea of me being alone with him makes me uncomfortable. He doesn't even realize that he lost control..."

He trailed off already feeling like something was lifted off of his chest. These thoughts plagued his mind and he couldn't really trust anyone enough to tell them about it, not when Alec was their future alpha. All Eli needed was someone to talk to, someone who would understand.

And he felt that Ari did.

"How far did he go?"

"A bit far for what I'm comfortable with but I was lucky that someone came and interrupted."

Ari's hand clasped his as they sat there next to each other and the warmth of that touch was comforting. It was like he knew what Eli needed at that moment as he sat there and processed everything which was said. Alphas were always known to be too much of everything.

They were too violent, too instinctual, and too powerful. Most had no chance but to go along with an alpha's urges because they had no hope of winning a fight against one. Especially not an omega who could not even overpower a beta. It was unfair, but that was just how things were.

Still, alphas were all different and not all were awful.

"I'm glad something stopped him, and I am glad you're okay." He told Eli who looked up at him with a grateful smile for putting his well-being first. "Alec isn't a bad person and I am actually glad he's your mate. He'd never hurt you intentionally. Not like that."

Eli nodded his head speaking quietly. "I know."

"But that's just how alphas are, Eli. They lose control, and even more so around omegas. It doesn't make it okay, and you should really talk about it with him, but there's no shame in not being ready yet." His hands tightened around Eli's as he spoke to him in a way that made everything okay. "It's normal to be scared after that. At least now you know to be careful until you're ready."

The smile that appeared on Eli's face was genuine as he looked at their interlocked hands feeling a lot better than he did before. The words he heard were what he needed and they made his hopeless situation feel a little less hopeless.

"I really do love you, Ari."

Ari went taut for a minute at hearing those words, but then the softest and warmest of smiles appeared on his face as he looked at Eli with genuine fondness in his eyes. "I love you, too."

"Sometimes I think of silly things." Eli said looking at the beautiful boy sitting right next to him letting go of his hand and immediately missing the warmth they offered. "Things like what it would feel like to be kissing you instead."

Taken aback, the smile on Ari's face slowly disappeared and was replaced by a momentary frown. It wasn't because he was repulsed by the idea, but because it surprised him. It was something he had never thought of doing, and he had to agree, it was actually a very silly thought.

He looked at Eli in a moment of consideration, a moment where he was about to let it happen just to see what would happen, but the vivid feeling of a different pair of lips on his made him quickly forget about that idea.

"It wouldn't feel the same as kissing Alec." He told him with absolute certainty because he had no doubts in his head that it would be the case for him. Any feelings beyond friendship towards Eli did not exist in his heart, those feelings just didn't belong there. "You don't love me like that."

"I don't." Eli laughed, and while it did sound a bit strained, it seemed genuine. "I do admit that I might have fallen for you a little when we first met."

That memory made Ari smile.

"You called me pretty."

"You still are." Eli told him bumping into him playfully. "And then you took me on a coffee date, baked me a cake, and then helped me with my first heat. It was hard not to fall in love with you."

Ari was silent for a moment. "Maybe Alec's jealousy towards me isn't entirely unfounded."

That made Eli laugh even more as he shook his head. "No, no. I swear it is. I don't actually plan on dating you or anything." He told Ari honestly, but Ari still looked at him with feigned suspicion as Eli leaned teasingly towards him. "Well, if Alec wasn't in the picture, then maybe..."

"Oh, stop it."

"You're just too pretty, okay?" Eli laughed.

It was clearly a joke, and Ari was enjoying how happy and carefree Eli seemed to be while joking like that, but sadly Cassie called soon after informing them that their time together was nearing its end. It was time to head back.

As they bid their goodbyes, they couldn't help but hug each other tightly knowing that they couldn't be around each other like that back at home.

It was time to go back to reality.

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