"And I can't tell you what it is but, it's the best thing that I've found. The butterflies in my stomach, and my feet off the ground."
~Dave Barnes, 'Butterflies'

~~~

*Pete's POV*

My blood is boiling as I storm out of the locker room. Well, not I'm not really storming. More like... I'm walking normally with a slight frown on my face.

How could Tin say such a thing? It's not even just the fact that he was mean to Ae, which I am upset about. But it's the fact that he used that word, without giving a single thought to our parents.

When my dads adopted me, I had already been rejected by countless families when they found out I'm an Omega. The first person to stay interested in adopting me was my dad, Tar. I think it's because he's a human, and he's also shy like me. My other dad, Tum, is really outgoing and fun. He's the Beta of our pack; always caring for the other wolves. I have the best dads in the world, and hearing Tin use a word that would hurt them sent a sharp pain through my chest.

I've stuck with Tin because he said we're both the outcasts of our pack. With him being a hybrid and me being an Omega, we're the lowest of the low. Well, according to him. My dads have always told me that being an Omega doesn't make me any less. Every pack has an Omega, and wouldn't be complete without one.

I've also stuck with Tin because... well, I feel sad for him. I can tell that he wants friends, but something is holding him back. Even if he won't admit it, I know he misses Can. If I left his side, he would have no one.

"Pete," Ae's soft voice stops me in my tracks. I look at him with wide eyes, feeling the butterflies in my stomach going crazy.

"A-Ae," I stutter shyly. "A-Are you okay?"

He tilts his head. "Me? I'm okay. I'm more worried about you. I'm sorry you had to see all of that. You looked terrified."

I smile weakly. Of course, the Omega looked terrified as the Alphas went against a powerful hybrid. Goddess, I must've looked so weak in front of him.

"I'm okay," I murmur, my cheeks turning pink. "I'm sorry about what Tin said to you."

Ae grin, and my tummy does a hundred backflips. "Don't worry about it," he says, reaching out to pet my hair. "I'm not going to let Tin make me feel ashamed of who I am."

"S-So...!" I shout a little too loudly. "You are? Gay, I mean."

He pauses, and my nerves start to claw at my throat. Crap, I should not have asked that; that was too invasive.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" I quickly apologize. "It's none of my business. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, no, that's okay," Ae assures me. "But... it's kinda pointless, isn't it? Defining our sexuality before we find our mate?"

"But, you would still know who you're attracted to, right?" I point out. "You would know if you're attracted to men or women."

Ae thinks about that for a moment before smiling softly. "I guess you're right."

His eyes lock with mine for a few seconds, and the blush in my cheeks spread down to my neck. His gaze is so intense that I begin to squirm, not understanding why he's looking at me like that.

"Anyway," Ae finally breaks eye contact before my soul can leave my body. "I still don't think wolves should define their sexualities before finding their mates. It could make things awkward. Like, imagine if Tin's mate is a guy. That would actually be pretty funny."

I crack a smile, shuffling my feet. "That would be quite the twist."

"Ae!" Can shouts from the opposite side of the gym. "Come on, you're on my team!"

Ae throws me a wink before jogging over to where Can is. My heart briefly stops before jumping into overdrive when I realize what just happened. The problem with Tin has been completely pushed out of my mind as I smile while watching the kind Alpha across the room.

***

The final bell rings, and I weave through the hall to get to my locker without bumping into anyone. I breathe a sigh of relief when I get to my locker unscathed and work on putting in my combination.

I yelp when an arm falls around my shoulders. Looking up with wide, surprised eyes, I pout when I see Pond staring down at me with a goofy grin.

"You scared me," I whine, pushing his arm off my shoulders.

"Sorry," Pond apologizes, but the smirk on his face tells me that he's not really that sorry. "Are you free right now?"

"Now? Um... I think so," I say slowly. Besides doing homework, I don't really have anything else to do.

"Let's go out," Pond proposes, and I nearly choke.

"W-What?"

"Not go out," Pond quickly corrects. "I mean, let's go get some food and talk."

I purse my lips in contemplation. He's saying it's not a date, but... it still sounds like a date.

"Come on, I'll let you pick the place," Pond pushes with a wide grin. "What sounds good to you?"

"Milkshakes," I answer, and Pond's smile widens.

"I know just the place. Follow me!"

I barely have time to grab the stuff from my locker before Pond grabs my wrist and drags me towards the school exit. Not giving me a chance to protest, Pond stuffs me into his car and speeds away from the school. He drives towards a diner in a neutral part of town; one that is known for having the best milkshakes.

My eyes light up when he parks in front of the diner. I scramble out of the car, trying not to appear overexcited about milkshakes. Even though, you know, I am.

Pond picks a booth in the back for us to sit, far away from the other patrons. He must want to talk about something serious if we're this far from others.

"Get whatever you want," Pond offers with an easy grin. "I'm paying. But just this once. I'm not made of money."

"Okay," I smile and look down at the milkshake selection on the menu. I've hardly had a chance to glance at the options before a waitress strolls up.

"Hello!" She chirps with a bright smile. She has red hair pulled into a high ponytail and a uniform that hugs her slender figure. Pond looks her up and down, biting his lower lip. The inappropriate action makes my cheeks light up like a Christmas tree. "What can I get you boys?"

"I was thinking the strawberry milkshake looks really good," Pond purrs suggestively, making the girl blush as red as her hair. "Nice and sweet."

The waitress giggles and jots down his order before turning to me. "And for you?"

"C-Chocolate is fine," I awkwardly trip over the word, and the girl giggles again.

"Coming right up!" She sings before spinning on her heel and walking away. Pond's eyes trail after her body, drifting down lower to her backside.

"Pond!" I hiss, feeling overly embarrassed. His eyes slide back to mine, and he smirks.

"What?" He asks innocently, running his hand through his dark hair. "Am I not allowed to appreciate a beautiful woman?"

"You make it sound more innocent than it was," I mumble, and Pond chuckles.

"Pete, we're teenage guys. Plus, we're fucking wolves. It's in our nature to want sex."

Oh my goddess, if my cheeks get any more red, someone might end up calling an ambulance for me.

"Does that make you shy?" Pond props his elbows on the table and leans in. "Talking about sex?"

His voice drops low as he asks the question; the huskiness in his tone making my mind go blank for a moment. I've never talked to anyone about... intercourse before. Not even my dads. They said they would give me the talk when I turned eighteen and would be old enough to find my mate.

"I don't want to talk about that," I say, squirming uncomfortably.

Pond raises his hands and leans back. "Okay. We don't have to. Besides, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about anyway."

I open my mouth to ask for elaboration, but I'm cut off when the waitress returns.

"Okay! One strawberry milkshake and one chocolate milkshake! Can I get you anything else?" She questions, looking at Pond with a flirty smile. But to both of our surprises, he's not even glancing her way. His eyes stay locked on mine, completely ignoring the pretty girl standing next to him.

"We're fine," I tell her quietly, and she nods with a disappointed pout before walking away. Once she's gone, I wrap my lips around my straw and start slowly drinking the milkshake. The cold cream slides down my throat, making me hum contentedly.

Pond's eyes stay trained on my every movement, and my tummy begins to feel funny. Why is he looking at me like that?

"Do you like Ae?" Pond blurts, and I choke on my milkshake.

"What?" I squeak, covering my mouth as I cough.

"You like him, right? I'm pretty sure you do."

"That's, um..."

"Don't worry. I'm pretty positive that Ae likes you too," Pond reveals, and my jaw drops. "You two are just too shy to admit it. That's where I come in."

I eye him suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"I can help you get with Ae!" He smiles, as if he didn't just propose the most impossible thing in the world.

"I-I don't want to date," I say while shaking my head. "Not before finding my mate. It's not fair to anyone."

"Oh, come on," Pond rolls his eyes. "What if Ae isn't your mate, and you miss your chance to be with him?"

My eyes drop to the table. "If Ae isn't my mate, then it's better that we don't date. It would hurt more to date and break up."

Pond sighs, resting his chin in his hand. "I guess that's smart. Damn, I really wanted to help my friend out. You sure you don't want to give it a shot?"

I shake my head again, and Pond juts his lip out in a pout.

"Fine," he grumbles, sipping his milkshake. "Mm, no. I don't like this. Can I have some of yours?"

Without waiting for my answer, he snatches my milkshake and takes a long sip. My heart jumps as Pond drinks from the same straw I used, humming at the delicious taste.

What is wrong with me?

~~~

So.... I fucked up 😂

Pond should realistically be a year younger than everyone else, since Jade got pregnant (extra #4 from IOTH) right before Type and Tharn adopted Can

I realized this too late and the story is already in progress soooooo too late to change it now 😂
Do author-nim a favor and pretend it's okay for Pond to be their same age sksjfjsnd

Since I did an uh-oh, here's a picture of my baby (she's getting so big!!)

Thoughts??

See you next time!
-Gumbie