“Was he rude to you?”
“Oh, no, he just… He didn’t want to talk, and he said so. He wasn’t mean about it, Trevor.”
Mean or not, his brother would answer for it. While Kelsey was here, she’d be treated well by the pack, especially by his own family. “I’ll set him straight.”
“You can’t force people to talk to me if they don’t want to.”
“Okay, kids,” Maggie said. “Come with me.”
She led them to the living room, motioned them to sit. Kelsey took the big stuffed chair to one side of the fireplace—maybe a thoughtful gesture since Trevor hardly fit into it. Or maybe she just liked the cozy chair. He took the couch across from her, and Maggie remained standing.
“I don’t know what happened between you two because you’ve both kept it to yourselves. I thought maybe you’d mellowed about it by now, whatever it was. Maybe this could bring you together—nottogether,” she said when Kelsey drew breath to argue. “Friends again, that’s all.”
Kelsey sat away from the cushion-back, her spine stiffening, her scent mingling with a spicy dash of indignation. Not even friendship. Kelsey wanted not even that. A howl built in Trevor’s chest. Lacking the strength to release it, he had to absorb it instead. The process was old routine by now, yet it hadn’t become painless yet. He ducked his head for a few seconds until his chest and throat stopped burning.
“Maybe I made a mistake,” Maggie said. She folded her hands in front of her, and her shoulders bowed as her voice hushed. “I hope not. I didn’t set this up on purpose, if that helps at all. I…I really do need help from you both.”
Kelsey got up and went to her, set a hand on her shoulder. “If you wanted to be devious, I guess you could’ve picked something easier on you.”
Maggie gave a soft laugh. “Fact.”
“But yeah, a warning would’ve been nice.”
“I’m sorry.” Maggie looked to Trevor. “To both of you. Really.”
“We’re okay,” Trevor said.
Kelsey tilted her head, her glare frosting over.
“I mean me and Maggie,” he said. “It’s all fine, Mags.”
“If…” Maggie glanced from Kelsey back to Trevor. “If it’s unfair to—to ask you to deal with each other these next few weeks, you can say so.”
He’d never abandon Maggie, no matter who else he had to see. But he couldn’t tell her—at least not while Kelsey shot intermittent glares his way—of all the people in the world, Kelsey was the one he’d choose to see. Even if her glares didn’t thaw. Even if he had to keep burying broken howls.
He couldn’t be the first to speak on this. He might accidentally pressure Kelsey into saying she was fine with the arrangement. He pressed his lips together and waited.
For a long moment Kelsey studied him. No ice in her gaze, only a scrutinizing look. He wished he knew what she searched for; he might be able to offer it to her. Then she turned away from him and squeezed Maggie’s shoulder.
“You’re my priority right now. Nothing’s going to get in the way of that.”
Maggie patted the top of her head, and a spear of memory ran Trevor through. Kelsey, blonde hair bobbed, cutoff shorts and that T-shirt with the underwater bubbles graphic she’d thought was so cool. Cookies from the oven—the same oven that stood in Maggie’s kitchen today. And Maggie patting Kelsey’s head, then Trevor’s.
“My best kids.”
Not her only kids, not as long as she welcomed “any friend of Kelsey’s.” When Ezra discovered he was more than human after all, a full two years before Trevor’s first change, Kelsey had proved more than willing to befriend the other wolves too as Ezra found his place in the pack. But Maggie had known Kelsey’s friendship with Trevor dug in deepest. And if Trevor had to make a bet, he’d lay money on Kelsey as Maggie’s all-time favorite person. After all, Kelsey was supposed to live with her only for the summer after fourth grade. A summer that turned into seven years.
“Trevor?” Maggie said quietly. “You can be honest.”
His throat had closed around the history. He had to swallow a few times. “I’m okay with it.”
“Really?”
“We’re here for you. Like Kelsey said.” But he had to say more. Every cell of his body was demanding he say more. He waited long seconds until Kelsey noticed his silence and met his eyes. “And it’s good to see you.”
She made a small sound, not scoffing, not choking, maybe a little of both.
“It really is, Kels,” he said. “I’ve missed you.”
