**BOOK FOUR**
Reuben is running. Running from a life he never wanted; one he never fit into.
Eli is chasing. Chasing a future he is desperate to call reality.
After Reuben's rejection, Eli thought he'd never see his mate again. However, when repo...
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A common misconception in the werewolf community was that mate bonds were quick and easy. The Moon Goddess had created this person specifically for you, so why would it be hard to fall in love? For a long time, I believed this—until I met Reuben. If I was the sun, he was the moon. We were polar opposites and yet, I found myself liking that.
"So, he met his mate?"
"Yeah," Reuben replied. "It was some human guy. He didn't stay around for long so I don't know much about him yet."
"Hopefully everything goes well between them. Arlo deserves that. He's a good person," I said and Reuben laughed quietly.
"You barely know Arlo."
"I don't need to know him. You and Cronan like him and that's enough to tell me."
"Your bar is low," Reuben retorted. "Do you still talk to Cronan?"
"My bar is not low and yeah I do. He also found his mate recently."
"Arlo told me. Do you know who it is?"
"No, why?"
Reuben hummed to himself. "No reason. I was just curious to know who was the poor soul stuck dealing with Cronan for the rest of their life."
I rolled my eyes at his dramatics. "Cronan's not that bad."
"I beg to differ."
"Why do you two even hate each other?" I asked. "Where did it start?"
There was a pause and I could hear the sound of shuffling through the phone. "It was after I met Arlo. He decided to introduce me to his friends and Cronan was one of them. The first day I met him, we immediately got to arguing. I can't even remember what it was over, but I knew then and there that we'd never get along. Arlo kept trying to get us to be friends, but with each attempt, it only became worse until he finally accepted that Cronan and I wouldn't get along." I fell quiet upon hearing that. "Eli? You okay?"
"I'm fine," I said. "Your story just reminded me of some people, that's all."
"D...Do you want to talk about it?" He asked hesitantly.
That surprised me. I knew that feelings weren't Reuben's strong suit, but knowing that he was trying still brought a smile to my face.
"You remember Fen, right?"
"He's not exactly easy to forget," Reuben muttered.
"Well, before...everything, he used to be one of my best friends, but he wasn't the only one. I have this other friend named Nixon and they're a lot like you and Cronan. They fought like cats and dogs all day when we were younger. It was annoying as hell sometimes, but it was also...nice."
"Nice is not the word I'd use to describe it," Reuben said and I laughed.
"You say that like you're speaking from experience. Is Fen still in Oakwood?"
