The Mating Games

Chapter 31- Home Sweet Home

There was a pregnant pause while Blake ran his fingers through his muddy brown hair; the air crackled with anticipation. My legs groaned with aches, forcing me to find refuge on the couch further in the room. Blake mimicked my movement, sitting down opposite me and playing with the hem of his shirt anxiously.

"So?" I let the question linger in the air, hoping he would pick up my slack. Blake shifted, rubbing his sweaty palms across the material of his jeans and sighed.

"So?"

I wanted to slap him, out of frustration mostly, mostly. But my body was so physically exhausted I wasn't even sure I could make it around the coffee table in order to get to him, let alone actually force my arm to hit him with force. The night had drained me so physically, drained me entirely of energy that it was starting to affect my metal state as well; like a life sucking leach I could feel my brain slowly start to fizzle away.

"What are you doing here, Blake?" I cut to the point, shifting slightly to relieve the ache in my lower back, my fingers so tempted to reach out and massage the sore tissue. He sighed again, taking in a deep breath and expelling the air through his flared nostrils.

"I'm sorry, Summer, you have no idea how bad I feel for the way I spoke to you at the games," he paused, a frown pulling at his eyebrows like heavy anchors, "I didn't know he was going to do that, I had no idea you have to believe me." He rambled on, his eyes searching mine desperately like a lost child. It was my turn to sigh, expel the frustration from those awful memories;

"I know you didn't. Greyson did this all on his own." I didn't want to explain further, I wanted Blake to fill in what he knew before I revealed all my cards. Doubt tickled at the back of my mind, questioning his motives, his allegiance. There was no way I could fight off someone of his statue right now and I was beginning to doubt if I could fight him even if I wasn't a walking band aid. Blake's form towered over everything in the room, even struggling to sit comfortably on the couch seemed to be a mission by the way he hunched his back and rested his forearms on the length of his thighs.

"I feel so stupid," Blake scrunched his face up, his eyes glassy with moisture and I almost felt sorry for him, almost. The past few months had hardened me and made me angry with the world, with how unfair it all seemed. Blake paused to wipe his eyes; "we were best friends you know, since we could first talk and I thought you had killed him- well not you but Theo," he hastily retracted, frowning to himself and tried to start over. "At the games, I found him. He was barely breathing and I assumed he lost the fight for you," his eyes darted over my face, searching for something, maybe acceptance? I remained stoic, guarding my emotions like a tightly kept secret.

"When I saw you and Theo I guess I just lost it. I'm not proud of what I said but I had never been so scared in my life; people aren't supposed to die at the games," he rubbed his palms over his knees, pushing his legs together uncomfortably, a nervous tick maybe. He visibly shifted, casting his eyes down. "I've never had someone close to me die before," my eyes watered, a tickling sensation bit at my lower lip but I held the tears back.

"I don't blame you, you know," he needed to hear it, needed to understand we were both on the same team now. "Greyson, he- he has some issues and isn't in his right mind," I put it as nicely as I could. Blake nodded his head, leaning back until his body slumped into the couch and a defeated look crossed his face.

"I don't even know who he is anymore," he started, running his fingers through his tousled hair, "when he woke up, he was like a manic. He wouldn't stop talking about you, about Isabel and how he needed to get you back. I'd never seen anyone act so, so, crazy?" my mind whirled, surging like a tide pulling at the water and swimming with the new information. Who was Isabel? "His eyes were bleeding black blood? I don't know what the hell he's gotten into but I couldn't let him go off by himself and fuck up your life anymore. He basically abandoned the pack; wouldn't do anything anymore, I was trying to pick up the slack but what I need is my alpha back!" he was becoming visibly frustrated and rose to his feet. "That's why I followed him; three months ago he just packed his bags, told me to take over and left. I wasn't just going to let him leave like that! His family have no idea where he is; Jake was going crazy looking for him," he paced around the room, throwing his arms around and glancing at me every now and again. "He went to her, you know, Isabel. He ran straight to her. I've been watching them for months, conspiring and plotting like some villains and I can't take it anymore!" he finally stopped pacing, his body crumbling like a house of cards and falling to the ground. I heaved my body up, regretting it almost immediately as my legs bowed and strained but I collapsed down next to him, wrapping my arms around his shaking figure and holding him close.