Chapter Three #3
Rowan had returned to the quiz, and Thomas took the opportunity to watch him.
He hadn’t exactly been afraid of Rowan initially, but he’d definitely been wary, and he didn’t feel like that anymore.
No, when he was with Rowan now, he was relaxed, and he could see that the same went for Rowan.
It felt like they were on their way to becoming friends, and for some reason, that made Thomas’s heart race.
Could he be friends with Rowan? Could he be friends with someone he wanted to kiss?
Because now that he wasn’t trying to keep Rowan at arm’s length, he definitely wished he could lean over the table and kiss his cheek.
He wondered what Rowan would do if he did just that.
Would he lean back and ask Thomas what he was doing?
Or would he lean closer and ask for a second kiss, maybe on the lips?
Thomas’s phone vibrated on the table, distracting him from his daydreams. It was a little ironic that he was the one who couldn’t focus now after Rowan had done it during the day, so he was glad for the distraction, at least until he saw who it was.
He grimaced. He didn’t want to lie to Seth, but his brother was asking where he was, and Thomas needed to tell him something. Telling him he was at the diner studying for his GED wasn’t on the table, which meant that Thomas had to come up with another excuse.
He eyed Rowan, who still wasn’t looking at him.
Thomas was studying, but he wasn’t doing it alone.
He was doing it with someone he could maybe call a friend, which wasn’t something that ever happened to him.
All of his friends had ended up becoming close enough to him that he felt they were more like siblings than friends now.
Even though he and Seth weren’t related, he still felt like Seth was his brother.
He couldn’t say the same about Rowan.
The feelings he had for Rowan definitely weren’t brotherly.
It freaked him out a bit, but that was mostly because he didn’t know what he was doing.
He didn’t have a lot of experience when it came to relationships.
Actually, he would say he didn’t have any kind of experience.
He hadn’t been in a place to have a relationship when he’d lived on the street, and he’d been so young.
He still was. He didn’t feel he was old enough to be in a relationship, but at the same time, he was nineteen, and he wanted one.
He wanted to see what the fuss was about.
He wanted to find out what it was like to be in Rowan’s arms.
The thought freaked him out a little. He had no idea what he was doing, but he supposed that was the case for anyone in his position.
Some people started dating in their early teens, while others waited a little longer.
It didn’t matter why Thomas had waited. He had, and he was glad.
Now, he felt safe enough that he could relax and think about being with someone.
He wasn’t only focused on surviving, not anymore.
His phone vibrated in his hand. Seth had sent him a question mark, clearly still wondering what Thomas was up to. He knew Thomas was done with work, so he probably expected him to come home.
I’m out with a friend, Thomas texted.
He watched as the little dots danced on his screen.
Seth was curious and knew that Thomas was up to something.
Thomas suspected that his brother felt like he was getting in trouble, which kind of offended him.
He’d never gotten in trouble, not on purpose, anyway.
He understood where Seth was coming from, though.
When they’d lived on the street, they’d all looked out for each other.
Thomas was the youngest, so of course everyone focused on him, including Josie, who was only one year older.
It was a part of what being a family was for them, and Thomas didn’t want to lose that, but at the same time, sometimes, he wished his siblings didn’t have as many questions as they did.
It was especially bad with Seth because he and Thomas lived together.
Thankfully, Seth was mostly distracted by his boyfriend these days.
It meant he hadn’t pushed, even though he’d had questions about what Thomas was up to after work, but that wouldn’t last forever.
Thomas couldn’t help but wonder what would happen when Seth reached the end of his patience.
Would he try talking to him himself, or would he ask the rest of the family to help?
They were used to dealing with trouble as a group.
It was always a lot, and it wasn’t necessary now, but of course, Seth didn’t know that.
Are you safe? Seth asked.
Thomas rolled his eyes, but he was also pleased. This was a sign that his brother cared. I promise I’m safe. You don’t have to worry about me.
I’ll always worry about you. As long as you promise that you’re okay, though, I’ll leave you be.
I’m okay, and that’s not going to change. Stop worrying about me and go back to your boyfriend. I’m sure you have something planned with him.
You’d know that I don’t if you came home more often.
Thomas grimaced. I would if the two of you would stop kissing in the kitchen.
Seth sent him back a laughing emoji. Thomas wasn’t amused. He’d walked in on Seth and Ryan making out way too often already, and the two of them had just gotten together.
“Everything okay?” Rowan asked, distracting Thomas.
Thomas locked his phone and put it down. “Just my brother being my brother. His boyfriend moved in with us, and I like him, but I like seeing the two of them make out on the couch a little less.”
Rowan laughed. “Well, that explains why you’re not studying at home.”
“I just don’t want to bother them. They haven’t been together long, and they need their space.
” And Thomas still hadn’t told Seth that he was studying for his GED.
He was going to have to, though. He didn’t like lying to any of his siblings, but especially Seth.
It was getting harder to do so since they lived together.
But for now, it felt nice to have someone not from his family to share this with. Maybe it was enough. It wouldn’t be forever, but it didn’t have to be.
* * * *
ROWAN AND THOMAS HAD both left their cars at the sanctuary’s parking lot.
It was easier than moving them to the diner, especially when it was so close to the sanctuary.
Thomas was carrying a heavy bag containing his books and notebooks, and Rowan was tempted to ask if he needed help, but he wasn’t sure how Thomas would take it, and he didn’t dare.
Things were pretty good between them. He didn’t want to ruin that.
He enjoyed the time he was spending with Thomas, both at work and outside of it. He wanted more, but he wasn’t sure he should ask or if it was his place. He didn’t even know if Thomas was spending time with him just because he was helping him to study or if he thought they could be friends.
To be fair, Rowan wasn’t only thinking about them being friends.
He wanted them to be more, and that was something else he wasn’t sure Thomas wanted.
Maybe Rowan should ask him out on a date?
That way, Thomas would know how he felt about him, and he could decide what he wanted.
The problem was that Rowan was pretty sure that Thomas would say no, if anything, because there was no way he’d be able to focus on anything until he passed his GED.
Rowan didn’t want to distract him from that, so maybe it was better he kept his mouth shut, at least for now.
They were walking in silence, but it wasn’t awkward, not the way it had been at the beginning. Thomas had been wary of Rowan then, but Rowan didn’t think he was anymore. He wouldn’t say that they were best friends, but then, he didn’t want to be Thomas’s best friend. He wanted to be more.
He wanted to keep the conversation going, but it wasn’t easy when it had stopped when they left the diner.
He didn’t have a lot of time left. Soon, he and Thomas would be climbing into their cars and driving home, and they wouldn’t see each other until tomorrow.
When they did, they’d be at work, which wasn’t the best place for Rowan to gently poke at Thomas and find out what he thought of him.
He was a little scared to do that, to be honest. He couldn’t read Thomas, and while Thomas seemed fairly relaxed around him now, it could only be because of the help he was giving him.
He really hoped that wouldn’t be the case.
Rowan was sure that if Shane had to choose between him and Thomas, he’d choose Thomas every time.
Thomas had been working there longer, but he was also a pack member, just like Shane. Most people in town were pack members.
But not all of them, which was one of the reasons Rowan had chosen Mayport.
He knew about the pack, but also that it was diverse.
He knew that no one was forced to become a pack member, but also that it was fairly easy to become one, no matter what kind of animal one could shift into.
Apparently, the alpha also welcomed humans.
That was so starkly different from Rowan’s birth pack that Rowan had known this was where he needed to be.
And now, he was, and he liked it, but he wasn’t sure what his next step should be.
He cleared his throat. “I’ve been enjoying living in town,” he said, desperately trying to come up with something. “Everyone is nice.”
Thomas nodded. “They are. It would’ve been easy for most of them to hate me and my family, but instead, they welcomed us.
Well, we had a few problems when my brother started dating the alpha, but that was mostly because a lot of people didn’t know Theo.
Now that they do, they can’t deny that he’s a good alpha mate. ”
Rowan blinked. “Your brother is dating the Mayport alpha?” he asked.
“Yeah. I haven’t told you that yet?”
“I think I’d remember it if you had.”
Thomas shrugged as if this wasn’t anything important. Maybe to him, it wasn’t, but it was to Rowan. He was still thinking about possibly becoming a pack member, so he felt he should know who the alpha was dating.
He’d done his research before coming to Mayport.
He knew that the alpha, Chance, was fairly young.
He’d taken over the pack after his father had retired, and while the old alpha was still around to help, he wasn’t in charge anymore.
The decisions Chance had made of letting more people in, no matter the species, were entirely his, and it made sense that some people weren’t happy with it, especially when he was dating an outsider.
“It’s nothing special,” Thomas said. “Theo was our alpha when we lived on the street. It made sense for him to be the alpha mate.”
That was another piece of information Rowan hadn’t had before. “You were homeless?”
Thomas’s cheeks flushed, and he looked away. He clearly hadn’t realized that he was revealing something that Rowan didn’t know, but Rowan didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable. He wasn’t sure how to get out of this conversation, though, especially because he wanted to know more.
“Yeah, I was. That’s where I met my family. I’m not actually related to any of them, but they’re brothers and sisters to me, and Theo was our leader until we moved to Mayport. I guess he still is, although he’s the alpha mate now. He and Chance live together.”
“And you live with Seth, right?”
“Yeah. He’s Theo’s biological brother. It doesn’t make a difference, though. We still treat each other as family.”
“That sounds great.”
“You mentioned a sister earlier. What happened to her? Did she have her baby?”
Rowan smiled as he talked about her. “She did. She left the pack after that, though. It felt restrictive, and I understand why. The alpha was pushing for her to get married since she’d had a baby. He didn’t want a single mother as a pack member.”
“No offense, but your alpha sounds like an asshole.”
Rowan laughed. “I’m not offended because I agree.
He is an asshole. He’s a control freak, and he didn’t like that my sister went against that.
He didn’t kick her out, but she knew she wouldn’t have a future with the pack.
The alpha wanted her to get married and become a stay-at-home mom, probably pop out another kid or two. Instead, she became a nurse.”
“Is she in Mayport?”
“No. She’s living in Seattle now, with my nephew.
I saw them before I moved here.” They’d been happy, which was all he’d ever wanted for his sister.
He’d been sad when she’d left, but also impressed.
It had taken him a few more years to do what she’d done, but now, they were both free.
He wished his parents would follow them, but they wouldn’t.
The pack had been their lives for much longer, and it truly was everything they’d ever known.
His mother had encouraged him and his sister to leave, but she also mentioned that she was too old to do the same.
Rowan wasn’t sure that was true, but it wasn’t like he could force her.
They reached the sanctuary parking lot. Like he had last time, Rowan walked Thomas to his car. He didn’t have a lot of time left, and while he wasn’t ready to let Thomas go just yet, he knew he had to. “When are we doing this again?” he asked.
Thomas dumped his backpack into the passenger seat and turned to face Rowan. “I don’t want to monopolize your free time. You should go home and get some rest after work, not babysit me.”
“I’m not babysitting you. I’m helping you.”
“You’ve already done enough of that, don’t you think?”
“It’s fine if you don’t want to continue, but if you feel that way for my benefit, there’s no reason to.
I promise that if I want to stop helping you, I’ll tell you.
You’re not forcing me to do it. I’m doing it willingly.
” And he was enjoying himself. This wasn’t the kind of relationship he wanted with Thomas, but it was thanks to it that they were becoming friends.
They weren’t quite at the more than friends stage just yet, but Rowan had hope.
Thomas was sweet. He cared about animals and put all of his love into his work.
It was clear that he loved his family, even though he was keeping this secret from them.
Rowan had a lot of fun with him when they weren’t dealing with animals at work, and even when they were sometimes.
He also liked that Thomas was teaching him a lot.
The man was incredibly competent, and Rowan hadn’t realized how much of a turn on that would be for him.
It didn’t matter that Thomas didn’t have his high school diploma. Having one wouldn’t change the person he was.
It wouldn’t change the person Rowan had a crush on.