“That’s not…Oh my god.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “Where’s Logan?”
Logan was doing me a solid by hanging back and pretending to discuss something urgent with Finn. “I’m glad you’re letting us guard you.”
“Them.” He raised his chin. “They’re guarding me.”
I kept the hurt off my face. I wasn’t angry with him, nor did I blame him for wanting to keep me at a distance. “Aye. That’s what I meant.”
“I’m not…” He shuffled his feet, gnawing at his lip. “I don’t want to be mad at you, Evan. Logically, I know there was nothing you could have done to save me.”
“You should be mad at me.” Suddenly, I couldn’t look at him, so I stared at the floor instead. “I’m mad at me, and I’m not the one who had to live through it.”
Reid sighed. “I don’t want that either, Evan. I know I’ve been pissed at you, but I wasn’t expecting you to just show up in my life again. And now you have…I guess I don’t know how to handle it.”
“I don’t blame you.” No, the only person I blamed was myself.
Reid wrung his hands together. “Look, I know it might seem harsh, but the only way I can deal with this is if we don’t spend any time together. I can’t…I don’t know how to behave around you, Ev. I don’t want to live with this toxic anger all the time. It’s not me, and you don’t deserve that.”
“I do.”
“No,” he said quietly. “You don’t. I can see that now, but I can’t make my brain accept it. I think it would be better for me if our paths didn’t cross again. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Aye,” I replied. “I do. Don’t worry, Reid, ye won’t see me unless there’s an emergency.”
I braced myself for him to say that even an emergency wouldn’t be a good enough reason to disturb his life again, but he didn’t. “Thank you, Evan.”
I nodded curtly, retreating towards the tree line. “Stay safe, Reid.”
I waited just long enough for Logan to appear, then I was shifting.
Running.
I ran until the moon was high. Until I’d circled the perimeter several times.
Only then did I creep towards where the woodland encroached on the town. To where a small block of flats could be glimpsed from the trees.
Hidden from view, I began my watch.
I wouldn’t break my promise to Reid. My path wouldn’t cross his. He wouldn’t learn of my presence here.
But I’d be keeping him safe.
Later that night, I was still there when I was jumped by not one, but two wolves. I heard them coming and just waited.
There was no point trying to outrun them. I knew better. They wouldn’t back off until they got what they wanted.
Fucking marvellous.
Didn’t mean I was going to make it easy on them though.
The grey wolf hit me first, the white following a second later. We went flying through the trees, a tangle of fur, limbs, and playfully snapping teeth.
I sighed internally, even as I pushed to get the upper hand. If I didn’t know Logan was in Reid’s flat with him right now, I’d be extremely pissed about this. As it was, I knew Reid would be fine for a bit.
Which meant I had no choice but to deal with my so-called friends.
One-on-one, I’d have no issues pinning either Hamishor Brodie…which was probably why the fuckers were ganging up on me like this.
It still took them a solid five minutes to pin me.
