Youth ✿ Paul Lahote [1]

xiii. a few problems

   "Stop looking at him like that, it's making me sick."

   "That's a lie—you're a werewolf, you don't get sick."

   Embry could only glare at his best friend then. Alex had moved to stare back at him, a shit-eating grin on her face. "You gazing at your boyfriend with heart-eyes would break the immunity I have gained."

   Alex rolled her eyes at the boy, while picking up another grape from the tray in front of her. Embry grabbed one not long after. "He's my soulmate, Em. Not just my boyfriend."

   An audible groan left Embry's mouth and his head dramatically came to rest on the table they both sat at in their school cafeteria. Alex only giggled in return. Embry had been complaining for the past week about Paul and Alex—any little thing the couple did seemed to anger the boy. Alex knew he was kidding however, and that was why she continued to play up the act of being totally infatuated with Paul Lahote.

   It would be a lie for Alex to say she wasn't in all honesty. Ever since the admission of them being imprints and their first kiss, the brunette hadn't felt closer to Paul. In fact it wasn't very often that she left his side—not because she couldn't, but because the brunette didn't want to.

   "This is getting out of hand," Embry only smiled at his best friend, done with the act of trying not to enjoy how happy Alex had been lately. She was slowly but surely coming out of her shell, and nothing made Embry happier than seeing her comfortable. Paul wasn't the only reason, but Embry still felt that he had the biggest impact. "I though Jared and Kim were bad, but I was oh so wrong. You're worse."

   "Okay, that's a bit far, Em," Alex dramatically clutched at her heart as if his words actually hurt her. "Nobody is worse than Jared and Kim—at least Paul and I don't make out right in front of your face when you're trying to eat. We have morals."

   Paul wasn't sitting with the pair at that point in time, but rather speaking to someone on the phone. He had moved over to a quieter spot in the cafeteria, standing against a wall in the corner. Alex couldn't help but glance over at him every so often—which Embry had just called her out on. She had no clue who he was talking to and the boy didn't exactly look happy, his eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth seemed to close in a frown.

    Embry watched Alex again and had to fight the roll of his eyes. "Like I told you fifteen times already, I can listen into the conversation if you want. You look awfully concerned."

   Alex shook her head at this, moving her eyes away from Paul—albeit reluctantly. "And like I told you fifteen times already, I don't want to spy on my boyfriend. I'm just worried. Please don't listen in."

   Embry of course wouldn't have dreamed of going against Alex's words, so he refrained from using his wolf hearing. Although he was curious, since most things that had to do with Paul had to do with him these days.

   "Do you miss the others?" Alex wondered out loud. Her thoughts had swung towards Jacob and Quil when she looked at Embry, she had this theory that his eyes had not only become gaunt and tired looking from patrolling every night but also from missing his best friends.

   It didn't take long for Embry to figure out who Alex meant. Jacob and Quil had been on his mind already anyway—they often were. Oddly enough, the pair weren't sitting in there usual spot in the cafeteria. Embry couldn't help the guilty pull in his stomach. "Obviously—but I have you, and the pack. Maybe I'll even have Jacob and Quil back if they end up shifting. I'm fine, Lexi."

   "Just checking in," Alex explained briefly. She cared a lot about Embry and knew he was hurting more than he let on—but there wasn't much else she could do for the boy.