My Childhood Friend is a Werewolf

Chapter Sixteen

Dren instructed someone at the packhouse to bring him a syringe of heat suppressant while they talked over coffee. Emma had been nervous that perhaps the two of them had changed too much over the years, but she was relieved to find that regardless of any differences incurred over the last decade, she and Dren still fit like two peas in a pod.

"I can't believe you made an actual bed for your balcony so you could nap outside." Emma laughed as she held her cup to her lips. "I will never question your love for daytime naps ever again."

"The things I've loved since high school have never changed," he said, making her blush a little. Dren was leaning back in his chair, his cup sitting on the table in front of him and his fingers wrapped loosely around the handle. "But I'm sure you've realised that by now." His tone was cheeky, eyes playful even as Emma darted her eyes to the side in a shy manner.

"I... really missed you," she said, the tears building in the corners of her eyes as she avoided looking at him, too embarrassed about crying in front of him. "When you left, it always felt like something was missing. I hope you know that..." Emma built up her courage and looked at Dren's dark smouldering gaze, "I regret ever pushing you away that day."

Dren leaned on the table, smiling softly at her. "I regret being a dumb kid who let my fear get the better of me," he said to her. "I should have realised sooner that I dumped too many bombshells on you and that I needed to give you time to process everything. Instead, I overreacted and ran away like a coward." His hands came forward to place themselves over her hands, the love in his eyes melting her heart. "And even though I really want to beat the shit out of your ex-boyfriend, I also can't blame him for loving you when I was too much of a coward to."

Emma laughed through her tears. The mention of Emil still caused a pang of heartache, the betrayal still fresh. "So... vampires?" she asked when her laughter died off.

Dren nodded, wiping her tears away with his thumb. A scowl came over his lips. "Us werewolves don't like them, and they don't like us, but we coexist in order to preserve our species. That's how it is for most of the supernatural races."

Emma brightened, her ears perking up. "There are more supernatural creatures that are real?" The thought sent her heart pumping excitedly in her chest. Dren smirked.

"Yeah. We have a whole treaty to make sure we don't kill each other. It doesn't work great," he chuckled, "but it's there." He knew the look in her eyes, that look of pure curiosity that never failed to make him smile. Emma had always been eager to learn more, a consequence of her love for gossip. Where there was drama, her ear was always close by.

"Wow," she murmured, "I had no idea there were more than just werewolves." Dren could see her brain working, trying to rifle through her memories to possibly pinpoint another person she'd met who was supernatural and what kind of creature they were. He had an idea just then, grabbing her attention by brushing a strand of her gorgeous blonde hair behind her ear, his hand lingering as long as he could next to her chin.

"If you're curious," he said with a mischievous grin, "there's an annual ball of supernaturals in a few weeks."

Just as he guessed, Emma lit up with unrestrained glee. "Really?!" she exclaimed, her entire body at attention. Dren loved how focused she was on him, even if it wasn't really him that she was focused on.

"The supernatural community has to have the ball every year, to reaffirm the treaty and make sure we aren't breaking any of the treaty's laws. I don't usually have to attend, but if you'd like to go, I can take you as my date." He saw the excitement in her shoulders, how they scrunched upwards as her eyes sparkled.

"I can go even though I'm human?" she asked. He nodded to her delight.

"You're my soulmate, so you can attend."