The only sound that filled the room was the sound of the two men's heavy breathing.
The boy across from the blond was the first to break the deafening silence. "Niall... Please, say something."
Niall shook his head, not being able to do anything but collapse back on to the couch as his knees felt weak.
Liam sat beside him, staring with large, apologetic eyes. "Please."
Niall simply scoffed, shaking his head again. "What do you want me to say Liam? That I'm happy for you? 'Congratulations' on your engagement? I just..." Niall trailed off, not knowing what to say. The weight on his chest was too heavy, and it was getting hard to form proper words.
Liam was going to be married.
His crush - who Niall thought he actually might be with - was getting married in 3 months.
"I'm sorry Niall, I really am. Look, I don't even want to marry her. I really don't. I agreed to this arranged mating when I was 16... Well, I didn't even agree. My dad told me about it when I was 16 and I just didn't try and fight it. I went with it. I was naïve, wanting to please my father more than I wanted to please myself. I didn't know what I was doing. I don't want to do it anymore... I want to fall in love and get married the proper way. I've only met Sophia a few times and I don't like her at all, not even as a friend." Liam explain quietly, sighing and running his fingers through his hair.
"Why? Why are you even doing it then? Can't you call it off?" Niall asked hopefully. It wasn't like Liam didn't have any power, right? Surely he could do something about this.
"I can't... My father will be so angry with me. Like I said, they're doing this to unite my pack and Sophia's pack into one large one. If we back out, we don't know how the other pack would react. It could start an all-out war." Liam muttered, shaking his head in defeat.
"Why couldn't you tell me this before you kissed me?! Why did you have to go and make things even worse?!" Now Niall was angry. He felt betrayed and hurt and mad at Liam. This would've been a lot easier if they hadn't of kissed.
"I'm sorry. I just, I don't know okay! You were the one who was fucking teasing me! How could I not kiss you?" The brunet snapped, and Niall huffed, turning to glare at him.
"It's called fucking self-control Liam! You should probably get some of it!" Niall spat back, crossing his arms over his chest. Niall didn't want to argue with him again but it seemed like they were going to. Deep down, he partially knew it was his fault for teasing him like that, but that didn't lessen his anger.
What Liam said next surprised the blond.
"I don't regret kissing you, I, if that's what you're trying to get me to say. I'm sorry that I kissed you before I told you about this, but I'm not sorry for the actual kiss." Liam said calmly, making his head snap up to look at him. "Believe me when I say I hate this as much as you do, because I really do. I'm just upset as you are about all this. I don't want to marry some girl I hardly know. Can you imagine how horrible that is? Wasting your life, your first marriage, your first children, first home on some person you don't even like? I always tried to convince myself that maybe I could learn to love her.... But then I met you and everything changed. It may be hard for you but please remember it's hard for me too."
That made the human calm down, letting out a deep breath. Liam was right, this wasn't any easier for him either. Plus, hearing his crush confess he liked the kiss doesn't really hurt to hear either. "I-I know.... I know... I'm sorry it's just- This is so messed up." Niall sighed, burying his face in his hands, his elbows on his thighs.
"If I could change the way things were, you know I'd do it in a heartbeat." Liam said quietly, his voice soft and small.
It was quiet again until Niall spoke.
"So now what?" What were they going to do? If Liam calls off the wedding, bad things could happen, but it was clear they both had feelings for each other. "I mean, we both like each other but... Ugh this is such a cliché, forbidden love. I feel like I'm in a book or something." Niall sighed, laying his head on his shoulder gently.
"I... I'm not sure, Niall... I like you but I don't want to hurt you when the time comes for me to mate with Sophia.." Liam murmured quietly, and at his words Niall chuckled bitterly, forcing the tears pricking in his eyes to not spill over.
"Can't you see? You've already hurt me."
"Niall-"
Niall stopped him before he could continue. "Liam, please, just... Just take me home."
His body stiffened, and Niall knew he was going to protest, but he had already made up his mind. "Wait, no, please don't let this ruin our day!" The brunet protested immediately.
"How could this not ruin our day?! Just take me home Liam, I'm asking nicely. I just need to be alone for a bit and think." For now, everything Niall had learned in the past 12 hours was too overwhelming. He still needed time for his brain to process and understand everything he had seen and learned. His brain was already pulsing with a headache, actually.
"Okay." Liam murmured sadly after a few seconds, causing Niall's heart to crack, though it wasn't enough to change his decision of leaving.
Both of them stood up without another word, and Niall made his way to the bedroom to gather his clothes from the night before, as well as his still dead cell phone. Niall was secretly praying that nothing important had happened since it died, important being something to deal with Louis. Knowing him, if Niall didn't answer his text within 20 minutes, he'd send a flurry of them to try and get his attention.
As Niall was about to close the door to get dressed back into his clothes from yesterday, Liam stopped the door with his hand. "Wait. You can keep the clothes, it doesn't really matter. It's just a sweatshirt."
Niall stared at him for a moment before nodding slowly, opening the door again.
"Let me get you a bag for your clothes." He said quietly, and Niall stepped aside to let him into the room.
The tall brunet went into the closet for a moment and came back out (A/N: haha get it he 'came out of the closet' bc he just said he's bi? sorry ill shut up) with a backpack, handing it to the blond.
Without a word Niall took it, placing his clothes inside of it as well as any other belongings Niall had brought, and slid the backpack on to his shoulders.
"Niall, I'm still really sorry-"
"Just take me home, Liam." (A/N:*badum tss*) was all Niall responded with, and he heard the werewolf sigh as they walked back out to the living room and out of the small cabin.
It was fun while it lasted, no doubt.
But even the sun sets in paradise.
"Are you gonna, uh, y'know... Go Wolf?" Niall asked, making a reference to one of his favorite TV shows as a child; Danny Phantom.
"Y-Yeah... I guess? I'm gonna 'Go wolf'." Liam replied his voice laced with confusion, and Niall mentally face-palmed at the fact that he didn't get his reference.
Niall stood a few feet back, the leaves crunching underneath his shoes that he had worn last night, and he hoped no one was around to hear. Niall didn't want to be involved with another life-or-death werewolf chase.
Liam stood with his back facing the blond, and the sound of him taking a deep breath filled Niall's eardrums. Soon enough, Liam's body began to contract and stretch and shift, fur bursting through his skin, his face lengthening into a snout, and he went from standing on two feet to standing on four paws.
After just a few moments, a large, brown wolf stood before the blond. It was still so surreal, that this was all happening, that werewolves actually existed.
'Get on.' Niall heard Liam's voice in his mind again, still baffled how that even managed to work considering he said it's impossible for a human and a werewolf to converse by thoughts, but Niall obeyed him anyway, climbing on to his back and gripping on to the fur on his neck for a better grip.
Once Niall was settled comfortably on his back, Liam stood up, and they began their trek to Niall's home, away from their little paradise.
~ * ∞ • ∞ * ~
When they reached his house, it was most likely after noon already, considering how the sun was high up in the air, burning brightly. The two stopped at the edge of the forest behind his house, and as soon as Liam lowered himself on to the ground, Niall hopped off his back.
It only took a second before the wolf in front of the blond was replaced with Liam once more.
"Thanks for everything? I guess? For the saving my life part I mean..." Niall started, trailing off awkwardly as they just stared at each other.
"Uh, yeah.. Anytime... Look, Niall-"
"Liam, please, just save it okay? I don't wanna hear your excuses or whatever. I have a right to be angry at you right now. I need time for myself."
"I know, I know, that's not what I was going to say. I get it, you're mad, and like you said, you have every right to be. I should've told you the situation I was in before... initiating things with you."
"No shit sherlock." Niall grumbled to himself, rolling his eyes. The more Niall was with him, the more angry he got and the more his heart ached. He didn't know if it was aching because of what happened earlier or because he was just aching for Liam's warm, comforting touch. Either way, Niall wanted to get away as quick as possible, because despite being hurt and furious at Liam, Niall didn't want to say or do something he'd most likely regret later on. "Look could you speed this up? I really don't want to be around you, okay?"
Liam's face fell at his words, and Niall almost apologized, but he beat the blond to it. "Oh... Yeah, um, I was just going to say, uh... You can't tell anyone, yeah? I know that's a given but absolutely no one can know about me and everyone else being a werewolf... Not even Louis."
Niall's eyes widened at that.
Niall had never kept a secret from Louis. They were practically blood-related, he always told the blond everything, and vice versa. They trusted each other 100%, to keep a secret from Louis was to sin. "But don't you think Louis deserves to know?! I mean, I don't know if you have eyes but Louis' obviously crushing on Harry, who, may I remind you, is a werewolf! I don't want him to go through what I'm going through right now."
"Niall! Keep your voice down while using the 'w' word!" Liam huffed, and Niall simply rolled his eyes. "He won't, Harry isn't the heir to the pack, I am. There's no need for an arranged marriage for him, an omega can't bring two packs together. But, Harry said he wants to tell Louis in his own time. I don't think you understand how personal this is to us. Like, this is a huge deal and Harry wants to be the one to tell Louis. You know how he is. I know you two are really close and it'll probably be really hard but still... Please? If not for me, then for Harry?" The brunet trailed off with a sheepish look.
Niall sighed deeply, contemplating for a moment before finally agreeing. "Fine. But if he doesn't tell Louis soon I'll do it myself. As I said, I don't want Louis getting hurt. It's you who's not understanding how this is a huge deal for us."
"I'll make sure to send his thoughts on this to Harry immediately." Liam quickly said, and Niall nodded before he began to walk to his house. "I really am sorry Niall..." Liam called out which made the blond stop in his tracks.
Though Niall had nothing to say to him anymore.
Instead, Niall shook his head, not wanting to hear anything else, and continued walking until he walked around the corner and went up to his front door. As Niall unlocked the white door, his eyes brimmed with tears.
For once in his life Niall thought things would go his way, but the world proved him wrong yet again.
Niall wasn't allowed to be happy, apparently.
Not romantically at least.
But Niall didn't want to let Liam see him cry, so he swallowed the lump in his throat until he was seated on the couch, a tub of Butter Pecan icecream in his lap with a spoon, a blanket wrapped around the blond and his phone tucked between his cheek and his shoulder as the ringer rang. He had charged it a bit as he was getting his icecream.
"Niall? You're alive! Oh thank god, what the hell is wrong with you? I was about to file a police report! I came by your house and you weren't there! Not to mention I was calling and texting like crazy. Where have you been?! You had me worried sick!" Louis shouted over the phone, which made the blond flinch, a sob escaping him.
"L-Louis..." Niall felt even worse now, Niall had worried his best friend so much.
".... Are you crying?! I'm sorry for yelling, I was just worried and-"
"Just- Please c-come over... I-I really need s-some cuddles... I'll explain everything w-when you come, j-just h-hurry." Niall managed to croak out, and he heard shuffling on the other side of the phone.
"I'm on my way right now, babe, with some Impractical Jokers DVD's, yeah? Season 1 and 2. Are you hurt?" Louis asked frantically, and Niall shook his head, causing the tears to finally start cascading down his cheeks.
"N-No... Well, does my heart c-count?"
It was quiet for a moment - Niall assumed Louis was starting his car - before he answered. "I'm going to fucking murder that asshole. What did he do?! Actually, nevermind, tell me everything when I get there. I'm on my way, do you want me to stay on the line?"
"P-Please?" Niall whimpered softly, cuddling into the blanket. Maybe if he cuddled far enough into the soft fabric he could avoid the outside world for the rest of his life and live in the safety of the blanket burrito.
"Of course. Don't worry Ni, with me around, nobody can drag you down. Not without harsh consequences."
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
{Edited: 3/30/16}
Hi guys!!
So sorry this took a while to be published, I went away for a vacation suddenly for the last few days of spring break. Which is also why I haven't updated Kalon yet (one will come out this week).
I didn't Change anything this chapter
I'm back at school, break is over *sigh* I went back Monday.
My Beyoncé concert is in 28 days from today!! I can't wait! I'm going to the Miami show :)
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{This is an old author's note}
WOOOOOOOO
I FINALLY FUCKING UPDATED
Im SO SO SO SO SO SO sorry I took so long :(
School started and well it's been pretty hectic and as I said in my last author's note I was out of the US so no signal/barely any wifi and then I went to NY for my cousin's wedding! I was the veil holder!
As I just said, school started so I won't be able to update as frequently, I'll try once a week or maybe once every 10 days but no promises honestly :/
Ummmmm hmmmm what else.
Did you like the chapter? It kinda sucks tbh and I would've made it wayyyy longer but I just really wanted to get an update out.
I tried to incorporate every idea i got sent into this chapter + the next chapter, so thank you to everyone :) It really helped a lot.
The Drag Me Down Music Video is super hot mkay.
Shout out time!:
@Sweet654321
@DJ_MusicElf
ziallaway your comment on what i should do made me laugh haha i wish i could do that
brandonkel HOLLLLLYYYYYY SHITTT??/? YOURE READING THIS?!?1 I LOVE YOUR BOOKS SO FUCKING MUCH IM SO HONORED YOU HAVE NO IDEA :')
That's kinda it really. Character Ask shall be coming soon!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 30K READS AND 2K VOTES LIKE FUCKING HELL THAT SSO MUCH I LOVE YOU ALL YOURE ALL SO AMAZING AND LOVELY AND IDK MAN IM OSO SO HAPPY
Bye for now my lovelies!
Fun Fact: Wolves in the Americas are less likely to attack humans than elsewhere in the world. There are very few records of wolf attacks in the US and Canada, but in Europe and Asia, wolves are far super super mean :( . Apparently around 3,000 people were killed in France between 1580-1830 by wolves.