Chapter 11

"You've carried on so long, you couldn't stop if you tried it. You've built your wall so high, that no one could climb it, but I'm gonna try."

---

Everything about Nick was addicting to Kyle, every bit of him- every strength, every flaw, it stood out from the rest of the world, trapping Kyle in its beauty.

Kyle realised now that he loved Nick's laughter the most.

Laughter was an interesting thing, a gesture that could be filled with so many different emotions- joy, sadness, anger. Kyle didn't care what it was as long as he could hear his mate laugh again.

Aiden beamed at Nick, cheering as if he had just witnessed the best magic trick.

"You laughed! You finally laughed!" He turned to Kyle with the excitement of an eight-year-old. "Did you see that? Did you?"

Nick was silent, and Kyle wondered if maybe they had pushed it a little too far.

Apparently they had, for Nick just snorted and walked out to the living room.

At least he would have, but Kyle and Nick brushed shoulders for a moment and Nick jerked back again.

"Will you stop doing that?"

---

The three of them were seated on the couch, with Aiden in the middle because the accidental sparks were starting to annoy Nick.

They sat in silence, but Kyle couldn't tell if it was comfortable or awkward. He just wanted to be closer to his mate, to his scent, and hold Nick in his embrace.

Nick cleared his throat, as if preparing to say something he'd probably regret.

"What was that yesterday, with the wolves? Are they usually around here, do you know them?"

Aiden looked at Kyle, who nodded with a sigh. Aiden had told him about Greg and Henry and how they had tried to track Nick down for fear of him running into danger. Coupled with Kyle's strange habits and the sparks, Nick was starting to get suspicious. Kyle didn't want to tell him, didn't want to risk scaring him away, but he couldn't be kept in the dark forever.

"Nick, listen, I- we," Kyle began, his voice shaking with nerves and Nick turned to Kyle, curiosity in his eyes, "we are werewolves."

Kyle braced himself for the denial, for the anger, for the fear, anything. He was prepared to hear his mate scream, to see his mate run away in fright.

Nick raised an eyebrow, as if questioning Kyle's sanity, and turned to Aiden for confirmation. Aiden nodded, his face serious as he too braced himself for the possible departure of his best friend.

Nick went silent as he looked away, trying to sort out the new information, and for the first time in his life, Kyle wished he wasn't a werewolf, wished he could be a normal human, who didn't have to worry about his mate running away from him because of what he was.

Kyle and Aiden waited for the longest minutes of their lives before Nick nodded.

"And the ones in the forest, they're werewolves too?"

They nod and Nick turned to look at Aiden once again, his expression unreadable.

"Prove it." Nick dared, and Aiden nodded, standing up from the couch and taking off his shirt, which made Nick look at him confused and flustered, but Aiden just wiggled his eyebrows at his friend.

"Relax, Nicky. Wolves don't wear clothing, do they?"

Nick huffed and looked away, quickly snapping his head to the other side when he realised he had accidentally locked eyes with Kyle. Loud popping of bones could be heard as Aiden shifted into his wolf and Kyle so badly wanted to hold his mate and comfort him when Nick cringed at the sounds.

Silence returned to the room, only to be quickly broken by a playful growl as a red wolf nuzzled his face against Nick's thighs.

Nick jumped, staring down at the wolf in front of him in thought. He tentatively reached out a hand, and Aiden bumped his head against Nick's palm, making Nick smile.

Aiden did tell Kyle that Nick always had a soft spot for animals.

Nick had no sympathy whatsoever for humankind, and had built walls around himself to keep people out, but his walls had flaps for animals to enter and witness his bare emotions.

Kyle thought it was cute.

Kyle pushed down the jealousy that reared its ugly head when Nick started to pet Aiden's wolf. He instead chose to memorise Nick's smile, commit every wrinkle, every detail into his memory.

Nick was naturally beautiful, but happiness added a glow to him that Kyle just couldn't describe.

The moment ended all too soon as Aiden picked up his clothes from where they had been tossed on the floor in his mouth and ran to the nearest bedroom to shift back.

Nick snapped out of his trance, and composed himself yet again, but Kyle had seen all he needed to see. Kyle saw the Nick he wanted to bring back.

Nick suddenly frowned and sat up as if he had remembered something.

"That still doesn't explain the electrocution, or why you keep staring and sniffing at me."

It was phrased as an accusation and Kyle couldn't help scratching his head sheepishly as a flush spread across his cheeks. This was it.

Kyle wished it wasn't.

Nick was okay with them being werewolves, but how would he react to being Kyle's fated?

"Well, uh, werewolves are blessed with a mate in their lives, chosen personally by the Moon Goddess, and uh-"

Kyle cut off as Aiden walked back in, reclaiming his seat on the couch. He couldn't do this. He couldn't tell him.

Aiden seemed to sense this and picked up where Kyle left off with a smile.

"You see Nicky, when werewolves reach the age of 18, they gain the ability to detect their wonderful mates through touch or scent, and once they find their fated, they will love him or her until the end of time!"

Aiden was being dramatic to lighten the mood, but it didn't do anything to help with Kyle's anxiety.

Nick's frown deepened before his eyes widened, and Kyle knew he had figured it out.

Kyle could only hope that Nick was as accepting of this fact as he was of their wolves.