“Have some coffee,” Sam said. He pushed a mug toward me, and I stared down at it, feeling sad. I was too ashamed to look up even when he called my name again. “Look at me, Greg.”
I finally glanced up and saw the look in his eyes. He smiled at me, and I noticed how pretty his eyes looked. I’d always loved them. He slung an arm over my shoulder and pulled me close, leaning up to kiss me on the cheek. I was a lot taller than Sam, at least six inches. I bent so he could reach me better, loving how soft his lips felt on my cheek. He tightened his grip on me as I squeezed my eyes shut, still unable to look into his eyes.
Sam turned me to face him, and when I finally opened my eyes, he was standing so close, I could smell the toothpaste on his breath. He smiled again and reached up, circling my neck with both arms and pulling my head down so he could lean his forehead against mine.
“We’re gonna be okay, Greg, and I need you to know that.” His eyes looked like they were pleading with me. They weren’t sad at all. The skin at the corners of his eyes crinkled like it did when he smiled at me. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Greg.” He seemed to stop for a second, and I wondered whether he’d changed his mind about what he’d just said. “Do you believe you did something wrong, or do you believe that Floyd is a bully, and he should have never been made alpha to begin with? I need to know.”
Sam’s forehead felt warm against my skin. The way his arms held my neck, and his fingers rubbed the back of my neck felt so good, I wanted to…what did I want? For it to never end? That was it. I wanted the feeling of Sam touching me to never end.
“Greg? Are you listening to me?”
I looked into his beautiful eyes again, and then nodded. “Yeah.”
“Okay, you know that Floyd is a bad guy, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And that he’s been hurting females for weeks, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And that he’s the one who’s at fault for what happened last night, not you, right?”
I leaned back and right away, I missed the way his forehead felt so warm. “I didn’t think it through,” I said, looking down at my big feet. “I’m the one who made you talk to Vincent the vampire. You didn’t want to sit with them. That’s my fault because I made you.”
“I know we needed peace in the pack, and there’s only one way to do that. We can’t fight the vampire. He didn’t do anything wrong. That’s what I know. You were right last night. I was the one who was wrong, Greg…”
My eyes snapped up to meet his. “No!” I shook my head, reaching out and grabbing him by both shoulders. “You weren’t the one who was supposed to be kicked out. I should have been. It should have been me, Sam! You didn’t do anything wrong.” I felt tears burning behind my eyes and was so afraid I’d start crying and make an idiot out of myself. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It was all me because I just jump in headfirst as always, and this time, I got you all messed up with Floyd. Now he hates both of us, and he thinks we’re traitors to the pack.”
“He’s the one who’s a traitor,” Sam said, arguing with me. He always was good at that. “Listen, I’ve been wanting to leave the pack for a long time, Greg.”
“What?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“Greg, it’s been on my mind for a long time, leaving the pack, getting away from Floyd. You understand?”
His eyes were so pretty. “No. Why? You have so many friends there.”
Sam shook his head. “I only have you, Greg. The only reason I stayed in the Frederick pack was because I was born into it and I couldn’t leave unless you went with me. No one else in the pack is a real friend to me or to you. Besides, the way they all treat you…do you really think I could be friends with anyone who would treat you badly? That’s why I’ve been thinking of leaving the pack for a long time. That’s why, Greg.”
“What? You’re the first one to tell me that wolves are pack animals. The worst punishment we can have is being kicked out. I should have just stood up and taken your punishment for disobeying Floyd,” I said. “I should have grown some balls and explained that you eating with the vampire was only because I told you to do it. If I was a real friend to you, I would have done that.” I looked away. I was too ashamed and everything I said was true. I didn’t want to see Sam go through the scourging. He might not survive it.
“Look, Greg, I was little when Floyd became alpha but some of the older pack members said we’ve had better alphas over the years…alphas that have good businesses instead of stealing scraps from poor pack families and drinking all day while the men are away at work.”
“So, you could leave now that you’re free.” I felt a big lump in my throat.
“No. Neither one of us are leaving, Greg. We’re both going to do whatever we have to in order to help our pack get free of Floyd and his asshole enforcers,” Sam said. He squeezed my arms. “Do you understand me? We’re gonna do whatever it takes even if it means using the unicorn, and the vampire, and the witch, to help us save our pack.”
My heart
