The Chosen [Wolf + MxM]

The Chosen- Chapter 22

It felt weird to admit out loud. Accepting it was one thing, but saying it was a new reality. Kenny seemed to get that and let it go. We settled with our plates and caught up. Seeming to get that it was a sore topic, she didn't bring up Nye again.

W talked about all the White Day celebrations I'd missed and the first time she'd tried a keg stand and the story of how she and an old boyfriend of hers got suspended for a week full of wild pranks all over the school.

Time went by, and we were both fed, full and warm from alcohol. The evening was chilly as it usually was on this side of the forest and it was nice to have company that I knew and felt comfortable with. I was half dozing on myself by myself even as we were laughing over the most ridiculous things.

It was probably why it took me by surprise to feel Nye's wolf approaching the house. By the time we looked up, Nye had strode into the house and spotted us. He stood there in place for a second before he broke out of it. His gaze went from mine to Kenny's and back again. Before either of us could say a word, she got to her feet and brought back another round of beers; one for each of us.

"Come. Sit. Take a load off," she settled back onto the couch. He took a gulp of his beer but didn't sit down. Instead he started off to the front room clinic. "Actually I came here to set my wrist," he said, "I need it done quick before it permanently heals out of place." Kenny was already in motion before he'd finished the sentence.

I knew how fast you had to work with dislocated joined and broken bones with Chosen. There was no time for pleasantries when you risked having your bones aligning at a wrong angle if you waited a second too long. Kenny worked fast and he was bandaged up before he came out again. The tension was ridiculous.

Though I was getting a distinct back-off vibe from him, I kind of wanted to say screw it and go closer anyway. I didn't. "How'd you hurt your wrist?" I asked instead. He glanced down at the bandages and then met my eyes with that inhuman intensity his seemed to always have. "Training with Asher," he replied voice quiet. I trusted Kenny to do her job, but I had to resist checking his wrist for myself.

Something soft and warm brushed at my cheek. It was gentle and felt like fur. It felt familiar even though I'd never touched this animal before. Before I could get used to it, it disappeared. Quickly. As if it had been dragged back by force. Reigned in. He didn't want his wolf near me either. I frowned. The animal was a separate, sentient being. It had its own, independent thoughts and emotions and could form separate relationships. The wolf and I had a past. We were friends. Close.

He had no right to take that away from the animal if that's what it wanted.

Still, Nye didn't look angry or hostile anymore. He looked…I don't know how to describe it. Scared? Vulnerable? Stripped bare. Either way, it hurt him to pull away. I could bet anything on it. My previous anger fizzled down.

"Let's play a game of cards," Kenny suggested. I shook my head and apologized for having to leave early to finish up some work. I'm not sure if my excuse held up, but she didn't question it when I drained my beer and kissed her on the cheek before saying goodbye to everyone and leaving.

It was a longer walk back to my house than I'd initially expected. I hadn't even realized that I'd walked this far earlier, distracted as I'd been.

The village was relatively small and most people knew each other by face. They may not know them all by name, but they could definitely tell if someone strange was walking around. It's why I didn't pay too much attention when a couple of them stared at me with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. It probably didn't help that their people were being attacked with growing frequency and I was a strange human walking through a not-too-busy street at night.