Chapter 6 Seeing is Believing
Josh
Bane is still worked up over our confrontation with Dante.
“Puppy? Puppy? I’m not a damn puppy,” he mutters, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he drives. “Asshole. Should have shown him.”
I file away the insult for future reference. It certainly seems to get under his skin.
“Puppy,” he scoffs. “You’re more of a puppy, not me.”
“Hey, I helped.”
“You shined a flashlight. I grabbed him and kept him from going anywhere. You tell me who the MVP is.”
“Me,” I insist. “You’d still be growling and running after him like a dog chasing a tennis ball if I hadn’t stunned him for you.”
“Oh, you’re so—” he keeps arguing automatically, then stops himself. “Dammit, you’re right… the idea that worked was yours. You created the opening for me. You... weren’t totally useless.”
Whoa. Wasn’t expecting him to actually admit I was right. I cover my shock with a laugh. “You are a puppy.”
“You’re the puppy!” he hollers.
Our debate is cut short as we reach our destination. We didn’t travel as far as I expected. He stopped in one of the few suburban areas on the edge of the city where people have actual homes instead of apartments.
“Wynn doesn’t live with the rest of the pack?”
“No.” Bane twists his key and turns off the engine, making no move to get out of the vehicle. He stares at the bungalow-style home ahead of us. “Our pack is pretty… strict. That’s never really been Wynn’s style, so he rents a room from a witch.”
He drums his fingers on the steering wheel as he talks, almost like he’s searching for an excuse to stall a little longer. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he’s hesitating to break the news.
“Our mission was to get answers for Elias. We did that. Maybe he should be the one to tell Wynn.”
“No chance,” he snorts. “My father will never admit it, but he’s probably grateful this happened. We get to be the bearers of bad news instead.”
From where I’d been sitting, Elias had no trouble whatsoever saying difficult things. However, he didn’t strike me as particularly touchy feely. What is it like having him as a father?
Why do I care? Before I can answer this question, Bane clears his throat.
“Let’s go.” He hasn’t even taken off his seatbelt yet.
“Are you and Wynn close?”
“Maybe we are, maybe we aren’t.” Jeez, he’s almost as bad as Dante at giving a straight answer.
“Are you worried about Wynn’s judgment like your father was?”
“What? Fuck no. A mistake or two isn’t the worst thing in the world, not if you learn from them.”
Clearly a story there. That wisdom isn’t something I expect from him. I find myself wanting to know more.
He sighs. “Wynn’s trusting. I’d hate for him to change, but it sucks when his optimism ends up hurting him. He’s the last guy who deserves this.”
Before I can respond, Bane shakes his head and hurries out of the car, leaving me behind.
I hurry up the flagstone path to catch up, noticing that a proud witch lives here. A wreath of dried herbs hangs on the door, and a carved wooden cat statue watches over the entrance. Crystals line the porch ledge.
The door swings open, and there’s Wynn. About as tall as Bane, he’s leaner with an open face, curly brown hair, and bright blue eyes.
“Bane!” His face lights up, and without hesitation, he throws his arms around his cousin in a warm embrace. “There he is. Finally get a break from your righteous quest?”
“Uh, no,” Bane says. “Not exactly.”
Righteous quest? He’s a macho, modern werewolf, not a medieval knight. What righteous quest?
Wynn finally registers the stranger on his porch.
“Uh, what’s going on? Why is he here?”
“Long story.”
“Uh, hey, Wynn,” I mumble. “I’m Josh. Don’t think we’ve ever met before.”
Holding out my hand, the other man stares at it and then at me for long enough that I fidget. Wynn’s smile falters, the easy-going friendliness fading into a blank mask.
“This isn’t a friendly visit, is it?”
Bane and I exchange glances, unsure how to break the news. It’s almost like we’re breaking up with Wynn for Dante. Except we also need to explain that the vampire is a scumbag who had his own agenda.
We end up talking at the same time.
“Look man, there’s no easy way to say this.”
“Uh, I know this is going to sound really strange coming from a virtual stranger…”
Then we realize the other one is talking and stop. I’m not totally sure how to keep going anyway, so I let him take over.
“Go ahead—”
“No, you can—”
“Well, I’m not sure…”
“Like I know what the hell to say?”
This is not going great.
“Hold on,” Wynn says. “Let’s sit down.” He flips on the porch lights and shuts the front door, gesturing for us to take a seat on the cozy little porch.
Bane stalks over to the porch swing and drops down, totally hogging he whole seat. The small porch offers limited seating, just a few decorative plants and what looks like a little altar tucked in the corner.
I gesture for him to scoot over. He scowls and gestures back at Wynn, like he’s telling me to go first. That’s not what I meant. I motion toward him and the swing again. He raises an eyebrow and shrugs, completely lost. Christ. How did we survive the drive here if we can’t even coordinate seating?
I point more emphatically, and he throws one of the embroidered pillows from the swing at me. Printed on the pillow is ‘I’m a good witch until the wine is gone.’
“Make room for me,” I spell out.
Bane rolls his eyes and finally shifts over. I sit down as far from him as possible, but there isn’t much room and the swing forces us together.
Maybe I should have stood. The swing bucks and jerks as we struggle to maintain some distance, but our sides end up pressed together anyway.
Ugh, even the swing—and possibly the universe—conspires against me.
Why can’t I escape Bane Blackwood? His thigh rests against mine.
My shoulder grazes his arm. I’m hyperaware of everywhere our bodies touch.
When our knees brush, my heart flutters at the contact.
That stupid lust potion must still be coursing through my veins.
Wynn clears his throat. He’s relocated some crystals and perched on the porch ledge, watching us with growing concern. I’d almost forgotten he was there. How did something as simple as finding a seat derail me from our actual purpose?
Apparently, our fumbling gave him time to think, and judging by his expression, he’s drawn his own conclusions. “Is this about Dante?”
Both of us go still where we’re trying to get comfortable on the swing.
“Um…”
“How did you know?”
“He’s gone, isn’t he?” Wynn asks like he already knows the answer.
I glance at Bane, and we both wear the same dumbfounded expression.
“Guess it’s not a huge surprise,” he continues. “You’re both acting weird, you aren’t sure how to tell me something, and I know Elias never trusted Dante. A few days ago, he told me he was going to prove that I was being a fool. Looks like he was right, huh?”
Bane and I don’t need to say anything after all. We just nod.
Wynn’s shoulders slump as he stares at the ground. “Sure, Dante was kinda over the top, but he made me laugh. I thought…”
Bane, ever the master of tact, chimes in, “Well, there are plenty of fish in the sea, right? You’re better off without him.”
I shoot Bane a glare and elbow him. How can he be so clueless? Bane elbows me back. I sigh and try to scoot away from him.
“Wynn, I’m really sorry. I know it’s tough. I mean, I don’t know you, but it must be tough.” The words tumble out, and I wince at my own awkwardness. “This, uh, this really sucks. You deserve so much better.”
“You don’t even know me.”
True. I crane my head toward the wolf who does know him. Bane shifts uncomfortably beside me and shrugs helplessly.
“Thanks for telling me the truth about Dante,” Wynn murmurs. “Uh, can we call it a night? I need some time alone.”
His slumped shoulders and crushed expression remind me of a sad puppy. I want to help him feel better, but I don’t know him well enough to even know where to begin. And his cousin, well, he has the same emotional range as the cold crystals decorating the porch.
I look at Bane for guidance, who shrugs and starts getting up. “Alright, I’ll drive you home in a minute. Will you give us a moment?”
With a quick goodbye, I head off the porch and start down the driveway. Then I stop, too curious about whether Bane can pull this off on his own.
Bane clears his throat, shuffling his feet. “Look, man. You’ll be fine,” he says stiffly.
“Yeah,” Wynn agrees with a forced chuckle. “It was just a quick fling, I guess. Nothing serious. I’ll snap out of it.”
Bane sees right through the act. “Don’t put on a brave face for my sake.”
“You were just telling me I was fine,” Wynn retorts dryly.
“No, I said you will be fine. In time. I’m not surprised you care right now.
Of course you do. But eventually, you know.
..” Bane struggles, searching for the right words.
He glances back over his shoulder like he’s checking to see if I’m listening.
I pretend to inspect a pentagram-shaped wind chime in a nearby tree.
“Dante... he was too full of himself to appreciate anyone else. It’s his loss, man. He doesn’t see how awesome you are.”
“You have to say that,” Wynn laughs and gives his cousin a light shove. “You’re my best friend.”
“No, being your best friend is how I know you’re awesome.
” He sounds sincere. Maybe he isn’t so bad at this after all.
Is it just my presence that made him self-conscious about opening up?
“Spending five minutes with that bloodsucking douche is how I knew he wasn’t good enough for you.
Come on, he’d suck the life out of you.”
“Uh, pretty sure that’s species-ist.”
“No, not because he’s a vampire. You care about people, and he only cares about himself. That’s not a good dynamic. He’d take and take from you until there was nothing left.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“It hurts now, but it wasn’t love, you know?
Love isn’t a one-way street.” Bane throws an arm over his cousin’s shoulders as they walk to the edge of the porch and start wrapping up their conversation.
“So not today or tomorrow, but eventually, you’ll be okay.
You’ll dust yourself off and try again. And you’ll find someone who’s crazy about you and not even an Alpha werewolf will be able to scare them away. ”
“Elias still might try,” Wynn muses.
“But it won’t work. That’s how you’ll know it’s real.”
Wynn considers this. “I hear you, but I really don’t want Elias taking an interest in my love life ever again.”
“Yeah, that’s smart.”
They share a laugh and then Wynn wraps his cousin in a hug. Bane pats him on the back. Aw. I’ve already eavesdropped enough and turn away to finally give them some privacy.
Whenever I think I have Bane Blackwood figured out, he changes.
At the bar he acted like a hot-headed wolf who solved all problems with his fists and claws. Now I wonder if he only lost his cool around Dante because the vampire was stringing along his best friend.
Unable to help myself, I steal one last glimpse at a softer side of Bane Blackwood.
It happens then.
Just like when the potion broke, all the warmth and affection hiding under the cocky Alpha’s son persona appears before my eyes.
I dismissed this sight when the potion broke. Thought it had to be a lust potion or a trick. It showed me a picture I didn’t understand because I couldn’t reconcile it with my own harsh impressions of the arrogant wolf.
But what I’m seeing isn’t so hard to believe this time.
Forget the potion, this is exactly how fate is supposed to work. Catching him in a genuine moment, I see beyond appearances and personas and glimpse who he really is.
There’s more to Bane Blackwood than meets the eye. And perhaps the most incredible part lurking there under the surface?
I Recognize him. Bane Blackwood is my true mate.