Guy
“What do you mean don’t tell Sapph anything?” I wasn’t letting that go.
Wyatt furrowed his brow, “I don’t know how else I can say it other than do not tell her. She cannot know this.”
“You’re asking me to lie to the woman I adore---hell to the woman you adore! There had better be a damn good reason behind it.”
I crossed my arms, waiting for the bullshit. For the first time since I’ve seen him, at least with just me, Wyatt looked terrified. What the hell kind of secret is he hiding?
“If I tell her, it will break her. Do you understand it now?”
“No. Not in the least.”
“Fuck!” His fists pounded against my chest, just once, in defeat. To me they were lighter than a feather. Goddess, is this what Sapph has put up with when he touches her?
“Easy. Sapph needs that big brain in one piece.” And so do I, though not when he’s flipping out like this.
But then I saw the cracks forming.
“You’re not used to people pushing back against you, are you? Not like Sapph, but just regular people.”
His breathing slowed. He slicked back his hair.
“No. No I’m not. Least of all the man serving me humiliation on a spandex covered platter.”
I snickered.
“You gave me permission. I didn’t overstep, just to remind you of course.”
Wyatt rolled his eyes and pulled out the file again, laying it out flat. He pointed toward the picture of the wolf.
“That’s not a family pet, Guy.” Were the words that came out of his mouth. My dumbass didn’t quite get it and it must have been written on my face.
“I mean, I figured that, considering how big he is. What, your folks liked to hunt big wolves?”
The smack of his hand against his forehead echoed throughout the room.
“No! Goddess, how can you be this dense?” His slender finger stabbed the picture once more but I was getting fed up with his bullshit.
“Well, maybe if you stopped being cryptic and started, I don’t know, making sense?! Just be blunt for heaven's sake!” It can’t be that hard.
“The wolf is my brother!” Wyatt’s nostrils flared, breath coming in ragged. “My family are all werewolves!”
“Were…what?” Is that a real word?
He breathed in slowly, slicked back his hair and took his glasses off, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Werewolves. People blessed by the moon goddess, able to transform into creatures of the pack. Wolves. My parents were the heads of the Saint City pack. My brother was the vigilante known as Dire Wolf, in honor of his heritage.”
He said it with no compassion, like me when I read an encyclopedia.
“Okay…odd but not impossible. Dragons, wolves, humans, it's all relative, I guess? But wait, why wasn’t there anything about you being a werewolf in your files?”
“Why do you think so?” He bit back, crossing his arms and turning away from me.
“Wyatt…” I huffed, standing by his side. This wouldn’t work unless he opened up to me.
His silence told volumes but he didn’t move away from me. I think I liked that a little more than I should have.
“Wyatt, talk to me man. I’m not a mind reader.” I pleaded softly. Give me something.
“I never told Sapph about my heritage. It was never relevant because I never got my wolf. The gene skipped me, I was just human.”
“Oh…and?” I held out my hand like there was something missing still.
“And in the back of my mind I’ve always wondered if that's why the baby was stillborn.” My mouth ran dry, throat tightened around guilt that wasn’t really mine.
“Why would that—”
“Wolves and Dragons are two different kinds of species. Even though I’m human, what if…” his voice and head lowered in shame, “what if our baby—Barnaby—got the wolf gene and his mothers dragon traits? What if his little body couldn’t handle it?”
Watching Wyatt sink down to his knees, back against the wall, the air was stolen from my lungs. He was breaking…no, he’d been broken since then. I could tell. The tears that stained his holographic shirt, the way his voice cracked when he said his son’s name.
How long had he been carrying this on his own? Would telling her make any of this better?
I didn’t have the answers to those questions so I did what I always do when thinking hurts too much: I used my body to talk for me.
I hugged him. Not a manly side hug—nah none of that bullshit. I pulled him into me, one arm across his neck and the other around his back. Just the right amount of pressure, the kind that says ‘we may not get along but I got you’.
“Why…why would you hug me?” He whispered.
“Because you need a hug. Isn’t that obvious for you, mister 500 iq man?” His chuckle against my chest made me feel better at least.
“Your observational skills could use some work…but I’ll let it slide, for now.”
The silence passed between us for far too long before I let go.
“We’re not telling her…about what just happened.” Hair and glasses back in place, so was his attitude.
I rolled my eyes. “We just had a really nice bonding moment. Why you gotta ruin it, eh?”
“I still don’t like you.” He snorted.
“Nobody asked you to. But for her sake, I’m trying to like you. Hell, maybe you should give it a shot. See how the whole friendship thing goes—it might just surprise you.”
Shaking his head, stands up and moves about the room. It was hard for me to watch him and measure it against the man I just held in my arms. Now that I think about it, what must it be like for Sapphyra? To love someone so complex, so cold and hot and vulnerable all at once. Was it as torturous to her as it was becoming for me?
“Oy! There you two are! I’ve been looking for you!” Sapph called out, stepping into the room with a grin. “Anything fun happen while I was out?”
Great. Now I’d have to get comfortable lying to the woman I love. What could possibly go wrong with that?
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