Wanted!

Chapter 12: A Big Surprise

Two Months Later:

I sit in the living room with Aiden, who is sprawled across the floor in front of the couch as some random movie plays. I couldn't even explain what's going on in it right now because my mind is on other things.

For starters, I haven't had an actual conversation with Brandon in almost two months now. He's still assigned to be my guard but with Mary still missing, Mason added Aiden on as well to make sure I'm safe. Where Aiden is Brandon's childhood best friend, he isn't completely distracted by personal issues that would affect his duties. I've tried telling Mason that I would be fine without any extra people, but he insisted. It's been two months without any news or word from Dylan and his pack. Maybe they're just going to let the issue go and leave me alone. Doubtful, but I have to hope for something.

The other reason is because I've been sick lately. It's rare for a werewolf to get sick since our immune systems work at a higher rate than humans, but apparently whatever I managed to catch surpassed even that. I haven't been able to keep hardly any food down and I've been exhausted most of the time. I didn't want to worry Mason with it, though I'm sure he's noticed, and there isn't really anyone else I would want to talk to about it besides Brandon, but he has his own problems right now. So I've been suffering in silence - for the most part - while I wait for it to pass.

"Alaina, can we please watch something else?" Aiden complains as he throws his arm over his eyes dramatically. I roll my eyes and reach over my head to grab the remotes. I haven't been paying attention anyway, so I really don't care if he changes it. Aiden quickly grabs the remote and starts flipping through the channels as I adjust on my side. A wave of nausea hits me, but I manage to fight it down. I hear someone coming down the stairs and seeing as Mason is out with the pack and the only other person in the house besides Aiden and myself is Brandon, I sit up and direct my eyes towards the doorway. He comes into the living room with his hands shoved deep into his pockets and his head down. I do my best to ignore his disheveled appearance and the hopeless look on his face as I smile at him.

"Hey, do you need anything?" I ask hopefully. I've missed him so much these past two months. Seeing him walk the hallways when he comes out of his room is like watching a ghost and I hated it! Aiden and I have gotten close over these months, but he isn't Brandon. Aiden understands thankfully and seeing as Brandon is his best friend as well, he feels the same way. I watch Brandon's shoulders rise and fall as he takes a deep breath as he finally looks up at me. His eyes are hollow. I'm not expecting him to snap out of this, not until we find Mary, but it would be nice if he would just talk to me now and again. The most I've been able to get out of him was five words at a time.

"Uh, I was just going to come watch the movie with you guys if that's okay." He rubs the back of his neck and looks down at the ground again. I smile as I stand up from the couch and make my way towards him. "I get it if you don't want me around right now. I know I've been pretty checked out of everything lately and I'm really sorry for that, Alaina," he looks up at me and the sadness in his eyes breaks my heart. I quicken my steps to get to him faster, but he keeps talking. "You've needed me these past two months and I let everything going on with me overshadow everything else in my life. I know you understand where it's all coming from, but that is no excuse to ignore my duties and my friends." I stop his talking as I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him tight.

My wolf doesn't like me hugging him, but she's also happy that our best friend seems to be finding his way to the other side of the darkness that has taken over his life. Even if it's only for a short time. She's missed his presence just about as much as I have. Aiden is great company, but we've bonded with Brandon in a way we probably never will with Aiden.

I pull out of the hug and smile up at him. "Of course you can come watch with us. Aiden was about to find something else to watch since I've been torturing him - his words - with chick movies the last two weeks. I wasn't even paying attention to this one so he has control of the remotes now," I explain as I move to sit back down on the couch. I watch his movements out of the corner of my eye, half expecting him to turn back around and disappear into his room again. I sigh in relief when he moves to sit on the other end of the couch closer to Aiden. Aiden smiles at his friend but says nothing more. I lie back down on the couch as another wave of nausea hits me. I close my eyes and focus on my breathing until it passes. When I open my eyes again, Brandon's are on me.