Psychopathic (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 46

For the first time ever, Eli felt like he had friends.

After Cassie left it felt like he lost the only person he could let his guard down with, that he will now be all alone once again craving for the company of someone other than his parents. It was awful to live his life in constant fear of a sudden heat, especially when it is erratic and unpredictable, but Cassie told him it'll get better eventually.

She also somehow convinced everyone to tone it down with the caution around him.

Everyone found the presence of Ari around him as an accident waiting to happen, like he was going to slowly lure him into an isolated place so he could have his way with him.

A part of Eli wished for it to be true, and might have even thoughtlessly gone along with it at a certain point. It was an idea he toyed with until recently when he learned that Ari was already seeing someone else. It came as a shock that stabbed him in the chest, but it also made him realize just how ridiculous assumptions could be.

Especially when he's the one who was having feelings towards Ari and not the other way around. If Alec knew, it might break his heart, so he decided to keep this a secret because some things are better left unsaid.

It wasn't an easy dilemma to deal with, but the choice was clear. Wolves have an unwavering loyalty to their mates and partners, and since Eli still isn't claimed by anyone, he knew it was best to remain by Alec's side. He was both his mate and partner as opposed to anyone else who would just be a partner.

Jealousy was expected from Alec who felt like Ari was a threat, but Cassie was, and will always be, amazing because she convinced him that even if he went into heat, a third person being there would be enough to make sure that nothing would happen to him. The obvious choice was Rowan who made this surreal situation possible.

Because Eli found himself in his house's living room with other people. People who weren't family, but friends!

And Alec and his parents were completely okay with it. Even without them present.

"Rowan, how does it feel to be the third wheel in this?" Ari teased as he sat down next to her and she lightly punched him in the arm. "Hey, ow."

"I am not a third wheel here. If anything, you two are on a date with me."

"A date without drinks is boring though." Eli mumbled making Rowan raise an eyebrow at him before giving him a mischievous smile.

"I don't see why we can't make this night more fun."

Ari frowned not liking where this is going. "He shouldn't."

"Oh, come on. I wanna try just once. Just a little bit."

He looked at the two of them pleadingly, and Rowan was already about to give in, but Ari was firmly shaking his head looking at them in disapproval.

"I don't mean to ruin the fun here, but you really shouldn't in this situation." He sighed burying his face in his hands as if he couldn't believe this is actually being discussed before looking pointedly at Rowan. "You're supposed to be watching over him not get drunk with him."

Rowan looked down realizing her recklessness and Eli deflated in disappointment.

"There are plenty of things we can do other than that. We don't want anything to happen so the blame could fall on me again." Ari told them in a wry bitter tone already too accustomed to the same song that kept on repeating itself.

He was ready to break that record and prevent it from ever playing again.

Eli winced as if he was in actual physical pain from Ari's words, and he realized that he was only thinking of himself and not how his actions would affect others, particularly Ari. Rowan huffed wishing she could drink this tense atmosphere away, but she listened to reason when she heard it and Ari's words were reasonable.

At least Eli had the decency to look down in shame at his carelessness.

"You're right. I should be more careful."

"Yes, you should." Ari mumbled staring at him with a distracted face, and Eli felt like he was actually being judged by it. "We'd want Rowan sober when I attempt to attack you."

The words were said tonelessly, but both of them heard a different implication born out of their own assumptions. Eli had thought it was Ari saying he didn't want to find himself tied to Eli forever, which he knew wouldn't be ideal, but his feelings were making him irrationally hurt by that.

Rowan, however, seemed like she was taking it as him accusing everyone of thinking that he would actually do it and it made her frown.

"Nobody is saying you would attack him, this is just a precaution." She told him feeling smaller in her place because she knew that she was only there because people, namely Alec, are thinking he would. Ari, however, didn't seem too bothered by that. Instead, he looked perturbed.

"Exactly why you shouldn't be drinking on the job, Ro. Not with an unmated beta around."

Ari might know that he would be unaffected by Eli's heat since they're both omegas, but they didn't know that.

The last part of what he said wasn't exactly a lie, but an important detail that they've forgotten. Eli was the one guilty of it the most, and Rowan might have been too lax because she already knew Ari wasn't interested in Eli. Still, that wouldn't matter when Eli actually goes into heat, an unclaimed beta would lose his control and bad things will happen.

And oddly enough, Ari found himself more worried about the supposed beta than Eli himself.

"Forget all that, we're not here to talk about this." Eli interrupted scooting closer to them while resting his elbows on a pillow in his lap. "You've been away for a whole week. Where were you?"

Even Rowan turned her head towards Ari curious to what his answer might be, but he was evasively averting his eyes pretending to not have heard. Their stares were unrelenting as he chewed on a piece of chocolate in a slow guilty way just to occupy his mouth and give himself an excuse to not answer.

All they got was a shrug.

"Oh, come on. You can't disappear and say nothing." Rowan egged on bumping his shoulder before biting her lip nervously. "I, uh, I even asked your mother about it, but she said she didn't know anything."

Eli, unaware of Ari's strained relationship with his mother, smiled softly looking at Rowan with an amused glint in his eye.

"Rowan was so worried, she really thought you had died or something." That made Rowan groan and hide her face with her hand. "She looked all over for you."

"Were you that worried about me?" Ari teased, smiling at her as she rolled her eyes with a red face.

"Not really." She mumbled unconvincingly. "I would have appreciated a text at least."

The smile faded as he ran his hand distractedly on the cushion. "Sorry, I just needed some time away." He answered them softy, vaguely, but hoped it would be enough. He didn't want to explain himself to anyone, and didn't think he'd want to.

From the very beginning of him coming here as a kid, Ari had thought that everything is just temporary. That it was only a matter of time before he leaves this place and everything associated with it behind.

The moment Cassie left, he felt suffocated by everything his secret brought.

Unable to freely say what he wants to say, unable to act how he should be free to act. It was as if he recently discovered how better everything felt the moment he stopped the pretense when Cassie told him she knew. The few moments that he spent with her made him experience freedom he never knew he wanted.

If he left this town, he'd be leaving all these suffocating feelings behind.

But most importantly, he'd be leaving his mother who didn't care at all when he did leave, but seemed to care a lot when he returned back. He had never seen her so disappointed.

Even so, Ari felt like there might be a few things he didn't want to completely leave behind as he grinned up at Rowan.

"Thanks for asking about me."