Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Millan's wolf’s giddiness contrasts with Millan's anxiousness making him toss and turn, unable to find sleep.

He is grateful not to be alone out there again, to still have a place in the Blayne Pack. Actually, his wolf is ecstatic, it would execute a series of embarrassing dance movements if Millan gave in. But he can’t.

Weston’s words reverberate in his head. He’d praised so confidently Millan's alleged strengths, even saying he’d make a great mate and leader.

Either Weston got his head in the sand due to this bonding phenomena or he is totally blind.

Or… maybe… Weston is right.

Maybe Millan is a better person than he’d thought. Maybe he is worthy of Weston.

Maybe he is worthy to belong in this pack. Maybe, he is worthy.

Millan wants to believe it. But then again, nobody else ever saw that in him, not even himself.

Doesn’t that say something too?

All this ruminating gives him a headache and keeps him wide awake while his wolf is just screaming at him to stop overthinking everything. Sighing in frustration, Millan turns on his back again, getting the sheets tangled up on his legs.

He is staring at the ceiling when he hears a hesitant knock at his door.

As he turns his head towards the sound, Weston pops his head in the room, uncertain golden eyes adjusting to the dark.

“Mill? Are you okay?”

Weston’s whisper makes him smile slightly. Of course Weston would know about Millan's turmoil and come check on him.

“I’m fine. M’ just thinking, I guess.”

Weston enters, closing the door behind him and is now approaching the bed. Millan hates that he is so hesitant.

“Honestly, Weston, stop treating me like a scared deer. I’m fine.”

Weston laughs breathily, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.

“Sorry. To be fair though, you do have a habit of running away… so…”

Millan bites his lip. Weston has a point.

Gosh! The trouble he’s caused for Weston already. He doesn’t realize he’s hiding his face in his hands until Weston pulls them away.

“Hey, it’s all right, Mill. You don’t have to feel guilty.”

How did Weston know exactly how I felt? Oh right, he realized after a second.

“This whole soul bond thing is freaky.”

Weston snorts. “Yeah, tell me about it.”

Weston is still hovering over Millan and hasn’t removed his hands from Millan's. There’s a silent moment where time sets still. Both unsure of where to go from there.

Millan laughs nervously and shifts to one side of the bed, leaving space for Weston to hop in. Weston stares for a moment, blinking, still unsure.

“Well… Are we going to cuddle or what?”

Weston smiles, dimples out and Millan's heart skips a beat.

It’s fascinating and scary how much being in Weston’s arms has an instant calming effect on Millan's mind. The memory of what kept him awake in the first place already a distant thought.

“What were you thinking about?”

“Nothing you don’t know already.”

Weston’s arms tighten around Millan slightly.

“Mmh.”

Although Millan is exhausted, he has no desire to fall asleep. Looking up at Weston whose eyes stare at the ceiling above him, the sentiment seems reciprocated.

“Westy?”

Weston rolls his eyes at the nickname and turns his head towards Millan's face. They’re only inches apart and Millan's eyes keep going back to Weston’s lips.

“Yeah?”

Weston’s deep voice is distracting and Millan as he forgets what he was going to say.

“I don’t want to sleep.”

Weston smirks crookedly.

“Me neither.”

Just as Millan's about to close his eyes for some rest despite not being sleepy, Weston speaks again.

“Let’s play twenty questions.”

Millan scrunches his eyebrows and looks at Weston with wide eyes, trying to get a good look at the alpha.

Weston has this shit eating grin on his face, clearly aware of what he’s just done. Millan smiles and adjusts his position in a comfortable one, laying his head on Weston’s chest. Weston did the same and kissed Millan’s head.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“So you’ve said.”

Millan can feel Weston’s chest vibrate underneath him as he speaks. He’d much prefer to be sleeping without any nightmares, but this is nice enough.

“What’s twenty questions then?”

“It’s simple. We both ask twenty questions to the other. You can pass on two of the questions if you don’t want to answer them.”

Millan tenses. Yeah. He’d much prefer to sleep now. Sleeping with or without dreams seems way more fun than having to answer questions.

But he gets it. Weston is right. They haven’t really taken the time to get to know each other yet. And they should.

Weston should know Millan better. He should know what he’s getting himself into.

As much as Millan doesn’t want Weston’s pink glasses to come off, as much as he doesn’t want him to look at Millan differently, Weston should know.

Although the thought is terrifying.

Of course, Weston senses Millan's fear.

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to. And if you want to pass on more than two questions, of course, you can. I don’t want to force you to do anything.” Weston’s little ramble makes Millan laugh and he nods.

“Okay, Westy. Let’s play your questions game.”

Weston’s smile lights up the dark room. Millan could never deny this boy anything. Besides, there’s something Millan has been wondering for a while now.

“Can I start?”

“Sure.”

“How did you become Head Alpha at a young age? What happened to your parents?”

Weston inhales sharply and lets out a breathy laugh.

“Fuck, Mill. You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”

“Sorry. Should have eased into it, huh?”

“It’s what people usually do, yeah,” Weston laughs again but it’s strained and Millan feels bad. He’s always been a bit too straight forward.

“Okay well… you can choose between that question and… umm… what’s your favorite colour?”

Weston laughs more genuinely this time.

“So I can choose between favorite colour and parents’ deaths?”

Millan bites his lip. He’s so bad at this game already.

“Yeah…”

There’s a moment of silence where Millan thinks he has ruined the game but Weston’s chest vibrates again and Weston’s voice comes out low, barely a whisper.

“I was sixteen. My parents had taken in a rog- a werewolf. He was hurt and they offered him shelter and food until he got back on his feet. I was sleeping in my room when I heard someone scream. When she screamed again, I realized it was my mother and I ran as fast as I could. I heard her scream again but then it stopped suddenly. When I entered their room- my room now- the window was opened and my parents were… laying on the bed. There was so much blood. They weren’t moving and I tried to… but there was nothing I could do.”

Millan doesn’t dare to move. He can feel Weston’s deep sadness in their bond. All he wants is to sooth his pain away, but there really isn’t much he can say.

So he settles for drawing circles on Weston’s side with his thumb. An infinitely small gesture that somehow elicits a deep sigh from Weston.

“So it was a Rogue who killed them?”

Weston nods. That explains Weston’s resistance to Andy’s pleads when Millan first entered Headquarters.

“But why? Why would he do that?”

“He broke into my parent’s safe and stole every valuable item they had. I’m guessing my parents woke up and tried to stop him.”

“That’s horrible. I’m so sorry, Weston.”

“It’s okay. It’s been almost ten years now. Actually, it’ll be ten years on the 21st.”

Millan hums. Then his head snaps up as the information sets in. The sudden movement startles Weston.

“Wha-“

“The 21st of March? Ten years ago?”

“Yeah… what’s-“

“I was banished on March 21st ten years ago.”

“Oh, that’s… we both had a rough time on that day I guess… It’s…”

“A weird coincidence?”

Millan lays his head back on Weston’s chest.

“Yeah.”

They both ponder in comfortable silence until Weston speaks again.

“You know… I think you’ve pretty much burnt through like half of your questions.”

Millan laughs.

“Yeah, I think I might have. I’m not very good at this game.”

“My turn then.”

Millan swallows, hoping it wasn’t too audible in the silent room.