Running - Joshler ✓

Chapter 5

Josh pulled in the nice stone driveway, and parked the car.

Goddess, I forgot how much I missed this place.

I didn't notice Josh getting out of the car and walking over to my side until he opened my door. I looked at him and carefully got out, still looking at the house.

I looked at Josh and saw his eyes glazed over for barely a moment.

Ah, he's mind-linking. I haven't done that in years.

The door to the pack house opened and I saw my sister, Maddy, run out. She spotted me and tackled me in a hug, still careful of Arina in my arms.

However, it still woke her up.

Arina's brown eyes fluttered open, as she looked around in confusion, like she was trying to remember what year it was.

"Where are we Mommy?" She groggily asked. I set her down on her feet gently. "I told you we were going on vacation. This is where we're going to stay for a little. We won't be here long though."

I heard Josh growl at my statement, but he was cut off by a beaming Maddy.

"Hey Arina, want me to show you to your room? There's some cool toys we can play with!" Arina's face lit up and she grabbed Maddy's hand.

"Let's go lets go let's goooo!" She shrieked with excitement, and Maddy followed her inside.

"What do you mean 'we won't be here long'?" Josh questioned.

I looked at him. "What I mean when I say that, is we won't be here long. It's not like I'm staying here with you forever, Mr. Dun."

He growled. "Josh. I told you to call me Josh."

I shrugged. "I still have so much of my life three hours away. I can't just never go back."

"Most of your life is here. With me." He snapped.

"No, my life is with Arina, back home, three hours away from here. I'm not staying here." I explained, as calmly as I could.

Josh's eyes glowed and he grabbed my wrist, and he opened his mouth to say something, until I heard such an amazing voice.

"Tyler!" I turned and saw my mom walk out of the house.

I felt my eyes water as I released myself from Josh and went over to my mom, and hugged her.

"I missed you." I felt my voice crack.

Although me and my mom talk on the phone almost every other day, I still haven't seen her in person since I left. Yes, she's begged me to come back many times, but I always came up with an excuse.

My mom led me inside the house and she sat me down on the couch. "I'm going to get you some tea, just stay right there, okay?"

I pursed my lips and nodded, just noticing how hungry I actually was. I hadn't eaten anything at all today.

She nodded and left the room, to grab what I'm assuming was the tea.

Josh walked in the room, and glanced at me. "If you need me, I'll be in my office doing some work." And disappeared up the stairs.

I rolled my eyes and got up to look around the room I was in.

It was nice, to say the least. The east wall had giant windows and a sliding glass door that lead out to the back porch and the backyard, where it opened into a nice forest. I saw pups playing around outside and warriors training.

A big projector screen rested on the north wall, on top of a nice fireplace. The room was painted a nice white and the couches were gray. Photos of the pack rested on the walls, and some plants rested in some nice places to make the room have more of an outdoor vibe.

"Alright tyler, here's your tea." I snapped out of my examining and looked at my smiling mom.

I smiled as I took the tea and brought it to my lips, the warmth started to flow through my body.

I sat down with my mom on the couch again, and we took a moment just to be happy we were together again.

"I'm glad you're back." She softly told me.

I gave her a pain filled smile. "I'm not back for good. I'm only here for three weeks, and then I'm leaving."

"Why do you want to leave? You just got back." She asked, concerned.

"I came here against my will. But I told Arina we would be going on a vacation, and I don't like to break promises, especially to her." I explain.

"So that's why you never came to visit." My mom wondered, wide eyed.

"What?"

"I'm so dumb. I should have known that Josh was your mate. Arina looks so much like him." She tells me everything I already knew.

"I never came back because I can't let him take her away from me. She is my entire world and I love her more than anything. So I want to leave before he can know her and get attached."

"Tyler, some day Arina will ask who her father is. All she knows of right now is that she has an amazing mom. What will you say to her once she asks that question?" My mom gently tells me.

"That her father was a sperm donor, and nothing more. The title of a father has to be earned, it's not just given." I reply, finishing my tea.

"You never gave him a chance to prove that he can be a dad. What if Arina figures that out?"

"She won't. I have been the only one raising her so far, and I tend to keep it that way." I stand up from the couch. "I'm tired from everything that happened today. Thank you for the tea. Do you know where I can find a spare room?"

My mom smiles and stands up. "Yes, follow me."

She leads me up to the top floor and into a very nice and spacious room. It had a very modern vibe, with light gray walls, and mahogany furniture. Black sheets fit nicely on the bed, a flat screen on the opposite wall of the bed, and a connected bathroom. 

"Thank you, mom." She smiles.

"Your welcome. Get some rest, you seem exhausted." And after I nodded, she left the room.

Something about this room however, had my wolf purring. And before I noticed the familiar smell of my mate, the door opened.

I turned around and looked at a confused Josh, and I was sure I was sharing the same expression.

"I-uh, what are you doing in here?" Josh clearly was caught off guard.

"I could say the same." I responded.

"This is my room."

Oh hell no. My mom did not just set me up for this.

"Oh, I'll just find a different room then." And I moved to walk past him, but he shut the door.

"I'll move to another room later tonight, but right now, we need to talk."