The Shadow of Stars

Thirty Five

"No. Freaking. Way." Henry shoves sour gummies into his mouth despite his sickness. "That's insane. And she really is opposed to it?"

I nod before shrugging, shaking my head. "It looks that way, Micah and just about everyone else at the pack house thinks it will blow over but who knows? If anyone can evade the all powerful bond then it's her."

He shakes his head. "And you of course, I am surprised he even let you see her considering your position. I mean he has been going on about destiny and fate and that you just don't get it because your human and now it looks like that wasn't true."

I bite down on my lower lip, flicking my attention to the plush blue blanket he has wrapped around him as he sits on my bed. "Yeah."

"Athena," he warns and I glance at the gummy bowl next to him, now free from his hands. He's serious. "You are still trying to evade this bond, aren't you? Has he done something else? Made a deal? Because remember what Gabe said, its downhill after you make a deal with the devil."

My face constricts. "He's not a devil." If I were a wolf, my hackles would be raised.

"You get what I mean. What happened this weekend to completely change your perspective from the last one. Have you forgotten how he made you feel? Please Thea. You don't... you don't actually like him, do you?" I feel repulsed with myself and I can't place why.

I don't know if its over what we did, if it's because I'm not fighting against it as hard as everyone wants me to be or if its because despite everything, I consider Micah a friend and maybe that makes me a naive idiot.

"You promise you won't be mad at me?" I pick at my nails so hard that I draw blood and he pulls a pillow to his lap, hugging it — a nervous habit of his own. "It was... I don't want you to judge me anymore than you are Henry. I value your opinion but I just... promise me, please."

His nod is solid, assured. "Thea I won't be mad at you, I promise. And I would never judge you, if I can see you pee your pants in front of our entire playgroup and not care then I doubt whatever happened will shake me."

I cringe at the childhood memory and focus on the small dragon figures lining my windowsill behind him. I can't look him in those sad eyes.

"Okay, well it was overall a good trip I would say. And we only argued a bit, I mean one was due to the whole Gabe situation but I don't know... they both fizzled out. We don't really talk much about our arguments once we have had them and never really come to a mutual understanding, its just... swept under the rug."

I realise I am not setting my confession up well at all. I can't try to gently tip toe around this. "That's not good, Thea," he tells me and I give him my attention once more.

"I know... I know. But we had a lot of good moments too and he's actually funny and kind of a nice guy when you get to know him. And, well we were in the same room and we may have kind of like done stuff." I tear my eyes back to my plants before I can register his expression.

"Stuff? What kind of stuff, Thea what do you mean?" I groan into my hands, relaxing my frustration. I don't want to tell him but I put myself in this position, it's my actions that have got me here. Maybe it will help make him lay off Micah, give him some slack and see that I trust him as a friend — enough to do that.

"We sort of made out." I blurt, clenching my eyes shut as I turn to face him.

"What?" I have never heard Henry speak in such a low tone, with such shock and concealed rage.

"Yeah, I mean we were just talking things through on a couch and then one thing led to another and I don't know it kind of just happened. A few times. So I don't really know where that leaves us, he's not my boyfriend — that we had another argument on. But... yeah."