Chapter Three
Seth had been thinkingabout Ryan.He’d been thinking about Ryan more than was necessary and probably healthy.It was as if now that he’d talked to the man, he couldn’t stop obsessing over him, and he wasn’t sure what that said about him.
He couldn’t have a relationship with Ryan.How was he supposed to trust anyone, let alone a mage who, just a few weeks ago, wouldn’t have hesitated to attack him?Seth knew that Ryan would have only done so if he’d been ordered to, but that didn’t take away from the fact that Ryan would’ve done it.How was Seth supposed to ignore that?
Part of him could, apparently.When he thought about Ryan, he didn’t think about the fact that Ryan could have attacked him if the circumstances had been different.He didn’t think about the fact that Ryan was a mage and had belonged to a coven that didn’t think anything of hurting people.The few times they’d talked, Seth had been able to see the truth.Ryan was here with his family because he cared about them and because he didn’t want to hurt people.
If even knowing that Ryan was a mage and dangerous couldn’t keep Seth away from him, Seth wasn’t sure if anything could.It scared him.He didn’t know what that meant about him.It was almost like he didn’t know himself anymore.
Would that be enough to keep him away from Ryan?He didn’t think so.So far, he hadn’t talked to the mage again, but he was planning to.He just had to decide when and where.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Theo said.His voice cut straight through Seth’s thoughts, startling him.For a second, he wondered what was happening, but one look at his brother’s face told him all he needed to know.
“You’ve been distracted,” Theo accused.
“Is it a crime?”Seth asked, hoping to keep the situation light and avoid his brother digging into it.
Theo glanced at the TV screen.They were watching the latest episode of their favorite show, and Seth hadn’t even noticed that Theo had paused it.He could understand why Theo was annoyed since he’d asked Theo to wait to watch the episode until they could do so together.
“I’m sorry,” he quickly said.
“The show doesn’t matter.I’m worried about you.”
“You have nothing to worry about.I’m fine.”
“Sure you are.That’s why you’ve been staring at the screen without seeing it for the past half-hour.”Theo hesitated.“You know you can talk to me, right?If I ever did something that made you feel like you couldn’t, I’m sorry.”
Seth grimaced.He didn’t want Theo to feel guilty about anything, especially when he hadn’t done anything to feel sorry for.“You didn’t do anything,” he said, reassuring his brother.
“Are you sure?Because you used to tell me everything.”
“When I was a teenager, sure.”
Theo’s lips quirked.“Are you telling me that you’re not a teenager anymore?”
“I’m twenty-one, Theo.”
“Oh?I thought you were twenty, or at least, that’s what you said the other day.”
“You’re not as funny as you think you are,” Seth grumbled.
“I’m hilarious,” Theo said with a smile before hesitating again.
Seth hated that this was how things had been between them lately.It was as if Theo was afraid to ask questions.Seth didn’t think he’d done anything to make his brother feel that way, but maybe he was wrong.
They’d been so close before that Seth had never expected that to change.In hindsight, he should have.Of course they’d been close when they’d only had each other.They’d always been close, even before the mess with their parents, but their bond had strengthened over the years.Even after their pack had grown, they’d always been each other’s ride-or-die.
Until Theo had met Chance.
