One's Promised

Chapter Seven

It took about two months for Woods to accept that Tanner was his second soulmate and Alina wasn't going to let him be an ass about it. Woods could remember those two months clearly in his mind. There was one day that Woods knew he could never forget, even if he tried.

Woods was sitting out in the courtyard of Shield Core enjoying the warm weather. Ever since the conversation he had with Tanner and Alina there had been a burning sensation around his soulmate marks. The burning started when he reacted poorly to Tanner being his soulmate. He was listening to the birds and trying to de-stress after the week the company just had. As Woods was sitting there unwinding he heard a small feminine giggle coming from the door. He looked over and noticed that Alina had just walked in attached to Tanner's side. She seemed to be laughing at something that Tanner had just said, if the goofy smile on Tanner's face was anything to go by. Woods noticed that Tanner had his arm wrapped around Alina's waist, while one of Alina's arms were wrapped around Tanner's waist and she had her face laying against Tanner's chest trying to contain her giggles. Woods felt a sharp pang in his chest seeing the two of them happy without him. He was about to stand up and leave until he heard a voice call out to him.

"Oh...hi Woods.... we didn't mean to bother you," Alina replied while putting her free hand on Tanner's stomach.

Woods waved his hand and replied, "Nonsense, you two did nothing of the sort. Anyone is allowed to walk in the courtyard." Woods smiled and waved as the two walked away and sat in a different benched area.

Woods didn't want Tanner and Alina to feel bad about being together, but he was feeling lonely, hurt, and jealous. He wasn't jealous in the typical sense of another man having his woman though. Woods was jealous because he wanted to have that strong relationship with both of his soulmates that he saw between the two of them. After that thought crossed his mind he realized something that he never thought he would. Woods realized that he does have romantic feelings towards Tanner and they are the same feelings he has for Alina. He was just too stupid and bull-headed to realize it; his ego was also getting in the way if he was telling the truth. He didn't want to be labeled as a homosexual, but now as he stared at Tanner he didn't care. Tanner's blonde hair reminded Woods of the sand on a beach that his parents used to take him when he was younger, and Tanner's blue eyes reminded him of the ocean that would wash up onto that beach sand. Tanner's appearance was the perfect reminder of the happy times that Woods used to have with both his parents.

Woods didn't want to lose those memories and he wanted the pain he was feeling in his wrist to stop. So, Woods walked up to Tanner and Alina and said, "I am sorry to interrupt your moment, but when the two of you are finished I would like to have a conversation with you both in my office."

Tanner and Alina looked at one another and then Tanner replied, "Sure...give us ten minutes and we will be right up."

Woods nodded and walked off to his office to wait for them. When Alina and Tanner arrived the three of them sat at the same table that they did two months before for yet another conversation. Woods started off the conversation apologizing about his behavior and telling them about his feelings. Tanner and Alina sat and listened to what Woods had to say. Woods was pouring out his heart and the two couldn't stand to see him so broken. The two accepted Woods's apology and all three of them slowly moved into a romantic relationship.