Black as Coal | ✓

EXTRA: Eli

Eli

The sound of Cronan's door shutting was enough to return the conversation to the tense silence it'd previously been. I glanced over at Willa and Reuben who looked just as awkward by what had taken place as I was. However, awkwardness wasn't the only emotion I saw on Reuben's face. Anger was present too.

It made sense, given how close he was with Arlo. To hear people he didn't know or like shit talk his best friend was bound to upset him.

I gripped my mate's hand underneath the table to try and calm him down before glancing at the three people sitting opposite us. Reed looked a little disappointed with Cronan's absence while his parents just seemed annoyed.

"I'm sorry you had to sit through that," their mom spoke with a sigh. "Cronan can be...difficult. Well, I'm sure you've learned that by now. He has a talent for bringing the anger out of even the most calm individuals."

"That seemed a little harsh," I said before I could consider otherwise. "Putting him down like that, I mean."

The woman seemed a little surprised by my comment but she quickly attempted to hide it behind a fake smile. It was clear she didn't like me, but that was alright because I didn't like her or her mate either.

"Elias, sweetie," she said and I cringed in my head at both my full name and the nickname. "It may have been seen that way, but Cronan has always been a child who learns better by hearing the truth no matter how hard it may be. What you all witnessed was an argument that has been years in the making. It may seem harsh now, but once he's cooled off, he'll come around and listen to our advice."

"You really don't know Cronan then," Reuben said and shook his head. "The more you push Cronan to try and behave the way you want him to, the more determined he becomes to do the exact opposite."

"I know as parents, you often want what you think is best for your children but sometimes the best thing is to support them as they are," I added, thinking back to my Dads.

I was grateful that they never cared what rank my wolf was. They just wanted me to be happy.

Reed's mom's smile tightened. "We only want him to be happy and successful. If that means tough love, then so be it."

"Tough love doesn't mean tearing someone down," I replied, unable to keep the edge out of my voice. "It means guiding them, supporting them, even when they make choices you don't agree with. Children aren't dolls for you to play with at your whim. They have their own personalities, thoughts, and desires too. It's one thing to offer different ideas and paths, but you can't force someone to do something they don't want to."

I glanced back over at Reed who'd been eerily quiet the whole time. His eyes were cast downward and he looked dejected. I started to call out to him but stopped when his dad's voice filled the room.

"Of course, you think you know best," Reed's dad said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "But Cronan needs structure and discipline, not coddling. He needs to understand the real world won't bend to his whims."

Reuben clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing. "And you think belittling him is the way to teach that lesson? Maybe the real world would be a better place if people like you didn't go around crushing other people's spirits."

Reed's mom looked taken aback, but she quickly regained her composure. "We are his parents. We know what's best for him."

"Well, you have a terrible way of showing it," Reuben muttered.

Reed finally looked up, his expression pained. "Maybe we all need to take a step back and think about what we want for Cronan. He's an adult now. He should be able to make his own choices."

His dad's eyes flashed with anger. "He doesn't know what's good for him. That boy has always been too reckless and stubborn."

"Maybe because he feels like he can't ever do anything right in your eyes," I said. "Maybe if you showed him a little more support and understanding, he'd be more inclined to listen to you. Our words might not mean much to you, but believe me when I tell you Cronan's a good guy. He cares about those he keeps around him even if he doesn't always show it. If you've ever seen him surrounded by people he actually considers his friends then you'd see what I mean."

Reed's parents looked like they were ready to argue more, but Reed's tired voice cut through the silence.

"Enough," he said, his voice barely above a whisper but carrying a weight of finality. "Let's just... try to get through this dinner without any more arguments."

No one spoke after that, the silence stretching on as everyone picked at their food. The atmosphere was heavy with unspoken words and unresolved issues, but at least for the moment, the arguing had stopped.

Willa looked mostly unbothered by the conversation that had taken place and I was sure that was mostly because she couldn't completely understand what we were arguing about. Her attention seemed focused on devouring all the food in front of her.

Reuben, on the other hand, looked much more bothered than he'd previously been. I squeezed his hand underneath the table.

"We're only here for a few days," I reminded him softly through our link. "Then we can go home."

"I know, but...I never thought there'd be a day after the whole Fen situation that I'd feel bad for Cronan. It must be hell to have people like this as his parents. It's no wonder he fled to Oakwood."

"Maybe we should visit him once this is all over," I suggested. "We can do something that doesn't involve his parents and he could relax more. Maybe with Callie and possibly Arlo too."

It'd been a while since Reuben and I went to Oakwood so it would be a good opportunity to see our friends again.

"We can talk more about it when we get home," I told him, but in the back of my mind, I was already thinking of what would be the best days to go.