My Silver Mate

Awkward

[Dylan]

Samara was a wolf. She was my mate. I had infected her. I shook my head as I followed Wesley back inside the house. Her scent was stronger now that she had returned, but even though I could sense her wolf, Samara hadn’t shifted yet. Which meant she probably had no idea. Well, I wasn’t sure about that though, since she had spent the last couple of days with the Alpha of that pack. I sighed softly as I immediately spotted Samara sitting on the couch with Heather. She looked radiant and it made my heart ache. Her eyes met mine and I blushed.

“You two would make a hot couple,” Wesley remarked as he caught Samara and me looking at each other. I broke the connection and looked at Wesley.

“Dude, she is with Ben,” I reminded him. “Who happens to be your best friend,”

“Yeah, yeah…she may be with Ben, but I don’t know if that will last,” he said, and I frowned.

“What do you mean?” I asked as I hopped up onto the island counter. Wesley took out the ingredients he had purchased and set everything on the counter next to me.

“I mean…Samara pretty much kept to herself…she had Heather and her studies. When I met them, Samara was hardly around,”

“Why?”

“She would go home every weekend to see her parents. Her father used to work as some type of director or something, so he would travel a lot. She didn’t like the idea of her mother being alone…so she’d go and visit her,”

“That’s…sweet,” I admitted and while I was tempted to look at Samara, I managed to stop myself. “So…how did she meet Ben? Through you?”

“Yeah,” he said with a nod. “I had a major crush on Heather but…she wasn’t all that interested, to be honest,”

“What?!” I exclaimed in surprise. “She adores you,”

“She does now, but back then, she didn’t. I mean, I understood. She was trying to get a job at the vet, she had just entered her studies and the last thing she wanted was a boyfriend,”

“So? How then?”

“I was persistent,” he replied with a chuckle. “Thinking back on it makes me feel like a creep but I just about stalked her,”

“Ew,” I remarked sarcastically. “The horror,”

“Anyway, eventually she said yes, and it took a while for her to warm up to me. To trust me and yes, now she adores me,”

“Ahuh, and then you introduced Ben to Samara?” I took a wild guess and he nodded. “Jerk,” I then muttered, and he laughed.

“Ben wasn’t always so…distant. He used to be a lot of fun, I mean, he still is, but…after his sister moved overseas, he just…he changed,”

“Ok, I don’t really care about Ben…I’m sorry, I know he is your buddy and all, but I just want to know about him and Samara,” I said. I didn’t want to be offensive, but I didn’t want to know anything about Ben. The guy got on my nerves.

“Right…um…yeah, so I introduced them, and they hit it off. Samara was really there for him when his sister left and it kind of brought them closer together. The thing is…for the last year or so, Ben has been a bit of a…” his voice trailed off as he tried to think of an appropriate word.

“Douche? d**k? Jerk? Asshole?” I suggested, and Wesley chuckled as he started preparing the chicken.

“All of the above,” he said. “Add in cold, controlling, and disrespectful,”

“He sounds like so much fun,”

“Dude, your sarcasm is going to earn you my fist,” he warned. I nodded even though it wouldn’t change anything. I wasn’t about to change who I was for him.

“Yeah,”

“Anyway, I know they love each other but…this whole thing…with Samara…her disappearance and her just suddenly showing up…unharmed…it’s weird…right?” his teasing tone changed halfway through, and red flags started going up. I had to be careful what I said.

“It is weird, but…aren’t you glad she is unharmed?”

“Of course, no, of course, I am…but I’m not going to lie, Dylan. I thought she had been taken; you know? Taken and murdered,”

“Woah, that’s deep…and heavy…and dark,” I teased, but he didn’t smile or react. “Look, she found her way back…back from wherever she was. I’m sure in time she will tell you all the truth,”

“Oh? So, you think that whatever story she has is a lie?” he asked as he looked at me. I froze as I tried to backtrack on what I had said.

“No, I just…I mean…I have no idea…I’m just saying that…I don’t know,” I hopped off the counter and decided that I would rather sit with my mate than Wesley. He was watching me closely as I left him alone in the kitchen. “Do you mind if I join you? I kind of put my foot in it with Wes,”

“Sit, sit,” Heather encouraged. I frowned at her odd behavior as I sat down across from them. “So, Dylan…why don’t you get to know Sam while I go and check on dinner,” she didn’t wait for me to respond before she literally ran out of the living room. I gazed over at Samara and my eyes went wide when I realized she was staring at me.

“Don’t mind her,” she said, and I felt as though I was melting. Her voice was soft and sweet. “She has it in her head that we belong together,”

“Oh yeah? Funny that, so does Wesley,” I said as I leaned back. Samara blushed as she broke eye contact. “So…ah…where were you?” I knew she wouldn’t tell me the truth, but I was curious to know what lies she would tell.

“Honestly…I’m starting to think I was on another planet,” she said softly, and I frowned.

“What?”

“Sorry, I mean…I don’t remember much, and I was just lucky to have found my way to Lakeson,” she said as she tried to correct herself, but I wasn’t going to play her game.

“No, I think you know where you were, but for some reason, you don’t want anyone to know. Why?”

“That is none of your business,” she snapped.