Michael P.O.V

Around noon, I hop in my truck and drive over to Charlie's house. His mother has already left and he is expecting me. I also want to make sure he's okay. His injuries were far more severe than mine. I feel I am partially to blame for that.

After what Charlie has been through because of me, I believe he deserves to know. I'm sure he has plenty of questions after what happened. After all, he saw me shift. It would be almost impossible to lie to him.

My phone buzzes as soon as I park my truck in the driveway.

Charlie, 12:15 P.M.
The door is unlocked, go ahead and let yourself in.

I figure that Charlie must have heard me pull up. With his injuries, I'm sure his movement is limited. Unfortunately, I'm not aware of the full extent of his injuries. I'm hoping they aren't too severe, but he did have to go through a blood transfusion. Considering that, I'm assuming he's in pretty rough shape.

I open the front door and enter quietly. Charlie is sitting on the couch in the living room. He has my leather jacket draped around his shoulders. I knew I left it here a while back and figured Charlie must still have it, not that I mind.

"Hey," he says softly, gesturing to the other side of the couch.

I sit down next to him and begin to examine him. He has bandages littering his body and plenty of visible bruises and scratches. Not to mention the crutches leaning against the couch.

"Jesus, Charlie," I mumble softly.

"It's not that bad," he reassures me.

"Not that bad?" I ask in disbelief. "You are covered in bruises and bandages, you had to have a blood transfusion, and to top it off, you're on crutches."

"It could be worse."

I sigh softly to myself. "I know."

Charlie runs his fingers through my hair, barely grazing the bandage on my head.

"You've seen better days yourself," he comments.

I laugh softly. "Yeah, I have."

After a moment, Charlie clears his throat. "So, I guess that is what you were talking about when you said you couldn't tell me the truth, huh?"

"Yeah, it is. You're the only human I know who knows about what we are," I tell him, although I probably shouldn't.

"You didn't make it easy," he reminds me.

"I've grown up being taught to make it as hard as possible. No one is supposed to know what we really are. It puts us all in danger," I explain to him.

Charlie takes my hand and looks up at me with his soft green eyes. He looks broken thanks to all his injuries. It's a cruel reminder of how fragile he is.

"I can keep a secret," he says softly.

"I know that," I start, "but my pack doesn't. If they ever found out that you knew anything, it would put you in serious danger. You know what James can do, and he's considered one of the weakest in our pack," I tell him.

Charlie's eyes show panic for a moment. It's as if he's trying to imagine how much worse it could be for him if another wolf were to attack. I don't want to ever have to find out.

"Jesus," he mumbles softly.

"You understand why I was being so secretive now, don't you?"

"Of course I do. You had every right to be cautious, and I was just being stupid. I wanted to be nosy. I wanted to know what you couldn't talk about with me because I never thought it could be anything like this," he responds.

"Now you know the truth."

Charlie remains quiet for a few moments. The truth is obviously sinking in. I understand that even if it's been several days, it's going to take some getting used to.

"You were the wolf that always came around my property, weren't you?" he asks after a minute.

I remain quiet for a few seconds. My face flushes with embarrassment. I let out a soft exhale and nod.

"That was me," I admit.

Charlie cracks a small smile as he crosses his arms.

"You wanted to spend even more time with me, so much so that you disguised yourself as a wolf."

"That is true."

"That also explains how you knew about my leg, why you felt terrible about it, and how you got me to the hospital. You are one clever boy, Michael," Charlie compliments.

"Do you forgive me?" I ask, scooting closer to him.

Charlie hums softly and nods after a moment.

"It was an accident. Plus, you got me to the hospital. You also continued to visit me, even if you hid behind your facade."

I pull him close to me and our lips close the remaining gap between us. Charlie smiles into the kiss and tangles his fingers in my hair. I hug his waist gently and lift him onto my lap. I feel the heat beginning to radiate from his cheeks.

"You're cute when you're embarrassed," I tell him.

"Shut up," he mumbles as he kisses me again.

I growl softly into his ear. "Is it really smart to tell a werewolf to shut up~?"

"You wouldn't hurt me~," he says with a smirk.

"Are you sure you want to take that chance~?" I ask, moving down his neck and biting softly.

"Maybe I do~," he purrs with confidence.

"What about your leg?" I ask softly, running my hand over his thigh.

Charlie wraps his arms around my neck and rests his forehead against mine. "Just be careful with that, okay?"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," he whispers before kissing me again. "As long as you carry me upstairs."

"Of course, Love."

Carefully, I pick Charlie up, making sure to support his legs in a comfortable manner. He keeps his arms locked around my neck and smiles. I carry him up the stairs and into his bedroom before kicking the door shut.

"I love you," he says softly.

"I love you too."