Proven Heart

Twenty-two: Bread and Circuses

Nathaniel persisted in dragging the wolf further from their room. His wolf protested, not wanting to leave his mate behind the wolf that hurt her.

In many ways, he wanted to follow the words his wolf howled for, but couldn’t. Selena wanted him to leave and needed privacy. Then again, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t hurt by her casting him out.

“Let go, asshole.” Francis grumbled.

In his troubled mind, Nathaniel had forgotten about the wolf in his grasp. He loosens his grip and steps from the wolf who glared him them.

Francis dusts himself up, creasing his shirt and sending deathly daggers through his eyes in Nathaniel’s direction.

“You understand that sometimes Selena has a poo-poo brain, right?” He raised a brow.

Nathaniel cocked his head, the words of the wolf derailing his thoughts.

“Are you calling my mate stupid?” He growled.

The wolf rolls his eyes.

“You know what she’s going to do in there? She’s going to ask questions, questions that she doesn’t like the answers to. And when that happens, she’s going to go fidgety and weird, which means she’s going to act odd like a small pup. Therefore, poo-poo brain. She asks stupid questions, which leads to stupid answers.”

He bit his cheek, just staring at the wolf with an incredulous stare. It saddened Nathaniel that even he couldn’t say something back at the wolf.

There was no doubt that Francis knew more about Selena than he did. They grew up as pups together and were friends, furthermore, cousins.

Still, Nathaniel didn’t like the term 'poo-poo brain’ to be put on his mate’s head.

“Look.” he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Selena wanted privacy, and I trust her. Whatever she’s doing there, she’s safe. Besides, there really isn’t any harm in asking questions.”

Francis groaned.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Nathaniel. Have you never heard of curiosity killed the fucking idiot? Or whatever that human saying is.”

“The cat. Curiosity killed the cat. Still, there are times when you should push or let your partner be and move herself. Trust me, as much as I am peeved at leaving her there, she needs to have her own wiggle room.”

The wolf seemed to have gotten his message, or at least that was he hoped to. Francis had finally clammed his mouth and instead settled with a frustrated sigh.

He was nervous above all else, shackling his wolf in order to follow heed to his own uttered words. His only regret was not asking again if her mate was sure.

Even if there was a law about spilling blood inside the packhouse, that did not mean wolves never broke it.

Now he had no choice but to skulk around the halls and listen carefully to any signs of a scuffle. But not even a minute later, he suddenly felt anxious. He tapped the tip of his shoe furiously on the floor as a sudden tsunami of panic courses through his veins.

Whatever was happening to Selena’s wolf, its unpredictable nature was a risk to everyone, including to herself.

“You’re slipping, Nathaniel. I told you last night to sleep, but you wouldn’t listen.” Francis stared at him.

The wolf had an all-knowing look spread all over his face, and Nathaniel understood why.

Nights weren’t as easy as they used to be. The hurtful sobs and pleas for release uttered by Selena in her slumber made it difficult for him to keep his eyes closed. Every waking moment of her nightmare, he was only there, trying to comfort her the best he could.