Page 7 of Same One
“Your eyes are pretty bright today, kiddo.”
“I was excited about driving, and then this kid, Mario, was messing with me. My teacher took me out of class.”
“Were you popping at him?”
“No, I didn’t say anything back. I did as you asked. The teacher said it looked like I was going to eat him though, so I had to do most of my classes in the solitary room again.”
She hated this. Most of his days were spent alone now that the wolf was pushing for time so much.
“We’ll go and Change tonight, okay?”
He nodded. “My body hurts.”
Fuck, her heart hurt over it. “Aching?”
He nodded. “It’s okay though. I’ll figure it out.”
“You don’t have to do that, you know?” she said.
“Do what?” Bayen asked as he turned on his blinker and took a right at a stop sign.
“Throw away your feelings. I don’t mind talking about what you’re going through.”
He gave her a pitying smile. “Trudy, I don’t want to be mean, but you can’t understand.”
Tru pursed her lips and nodded. “I can try though.”
“Did dad call?” he asked, and the hope in his voice broke her heart as it did every day for the last year.
“No. I’m sorry.”
“I hate him,” he said, but there was a sudden growl to his voice.
“Bayen—”
“No!” His temper spiked.
“Pull over,” she directed him, pointing to the shoulder of the road. “Driving pissed is dangerous.”
He jerked the wheel, slammed on the brakes, and threw the car into park.
“Breathe,” she murmured.
His breath shook as his chest rose and fell, and his face couldn’t even pass for human right now. This was probably the look that got him sent to the solitary room again. The school would kick him out soon. They weren’t equipped to deal with werewolves. The principal had been pulling her in every Friday to talk about alternative education, but Bayen wanted to learn to be around people. He didn’t have a Pack. His asshole dad had stolen that away from him.
“He just left me,” he gritted out. “He left you!”
Tru shook her head and hated the burning sensation in her eyes. She had her own feelings on it all, but she put Bayen’sabove hers. It was right. He was just a kid who had been abandoned to the care of a stepmom he had barely known.
“What was the point of going after you so hard?” he asked. “I don’t understand. He needed you. Said you were his mate, and that his wolf needed you to stay steady. You put up with all his shit!”
“Language,” she murmured.
“You put up with all of it, and you stayed, and he just pushed me onto you and then left. And never looked back, never called. No letter, no happy birthday text, nothing. Why?”
Tru shook her head and stared at a woman walking a little dachshund on the sidewalk up ahead. “I can’t figure that part out either.”
“I know you’re trying, but you’re human,” he said, easing his grip on the steering wheel. “Werewolves aren’t supposed to be raised by humans.” He inhaled deeply and rested his head back on the seat. “What if I hurt you?”
