Good Advice

When I return home, I'm so exhausted I don't even bother changing. I flop on my bed and sleep for twelve hours, not even waking up for dinner. I am up well before dawn and slip out of the house, intending to hit the gym before anyone wakes up.

The village in the center of our pack lands is completely still in the darkness, and I relish in knowing I'm totally alone, even if the houses around me are filled with sleeping werewolves. Not even street lamps light the wide road, but it doesn't matter; the waning gibbous light is more than enough for a wolf to see at night.

I follow the familiar path to the pack house at the end of the road. The enormous multipurpose building houses the Alpha's family, but also several orphans, elderly widows, and struggling wolves who can't live alone. Besides the permanent residents, wolves are constantly coming and going from the many auxiliary sections, including pack meeting rooms, daycare center, pack kitchens, and, of course, where I'm heading, the gym. When I skirt around to the back entrance, I'm a little surprised to see a soft glow spilling through the gym's open window. However, when I head inside I am pleased to see Taylor working the dead lift.

"Yo! Cam! You're up early!"

"You are too." I smile warmly at my friend. "Need a spotter?"

"Yeah, that'd be great actually."

We fall into an easy rhythm. Unlike David, Taylor is an excellent spotter. He pushes me to go longer and lift more than I think I can, providing me with a light assist only at the last possible second. Taylor fills the silence with his lively chatter as we exercise. I'm content to listen to him talk about the practice game tomorrow against Clearview, the girls from other packs he is hoping to see at my party on Sunday, and the history lesson I missed yesterday. I'm grateful to learn he didn't tell David about me skipping fourth period.

"Look at that ass!" Taylor whoops when I squat to pick up the barbell.

"Taylor!" I laugh, "You'll wake up the house if you holler like that. Besides, you shouldn't say stuff like that."

"Why? I can't appreciate a man's ass, just because I'm straight? I'm just saying, I see what all those human girls are fawning over."

I chuckle, enjoying his antics despite myself. "Why do you say stuff like that when you know I'm gay?"

Taylor shrugs, still smiling. "Because I think you like it. Who am I to question why a gay guy enjoys girls fawning over him? I'm not one to kink shame."

His words startle a laugh out of me. "It's not—" I wheeze, partially from laughing, partially from lifting the barbell. "it's not a kink." It's not… right? I suppose being desired by women made me feel… manly, but it isn't like I really cared. I certainly didn't desire them back.

"Sure… You tell yourself whatever helps you sleep at night," Taylor responses playfully.

"Actually…" I hesitate, setting down the barbell to face him. "Maybe it would help me if you didn't say those kind of things in front of David?"

"Oh," Taylor looks surprised for a moment before he shrugs it off again. "Sure, dude. Whatever makes you happy."

I nod and return to my lifting. As I do another set, I think, what would make me happy? Didn't he say something similar a few days ago? Even though Taylor is one of my best friends, we rarely have any serious conversations. He is usually just goofy and playful, but is he trying to imply something?

When we switch places and I'm spotting Taylor, an impulse hits me. I ask him, just as I did my sister on Wednesday, "What will you think if David is not my mate?"

Taylor bursts out laughing, dropping the enormous weight. The crashing sound mixed with his bellowing laugh nearly causes me to jump out of my skin.

"What—?" Taylor wheezes, while I stare at him, utterly confused as to what he could possibly find so funny about what I asked him. "What if David is not your mate?! What on earth do you mean? Dude, what if he is your mate?"

I'm beyond perplexed at this point. "Uh… what? What do you mean, what do I mean?!"

He calms down enough to face me fully, but a silly smile still pulls at his lips. "Cam, I know everyone else in the pack seems to think you two are 'destined' or some such nonsense, but I think it is safe to say I know you both better than most anyone else, besides maybe Ellie, and you two are so clearly wrong for each other I'm surprised you haven't gouged each other's eyes out by now."

I am so stunned my brain short circuits. But my astonishment only skyrockets at his next words, "Like seriously, bro, what are you going to do if he is your mate? You gonna reject him?"

As if he didn't just suggest the most ludicrous thing ever, Taylor picks back up the barbell, continuing his set.

"What?!" I finally manage to squeak out. "I'm not going to reject him!" Taylor just grunts in response. "That's insane! I'd be kicked out of the pack! I'd become a rogue!"

He shrugs. "It's not so bad from what I can remember."

Oops. I forgot. Taylor never talks about it, but he and his mother joined our pack when he was only nine. I never really thought about it, but I suppose they were technically rogues before that. I'd never asked why they left their old pack and Taylor had never willingly shared.

I met Taylor by the swimming hole on a hot summer day, a sun-darkened boy with ebony hair and bloodshot red eyes. Some of the other boys in the pack were picking on me, trying to throw me into the water, when he stepped out of the tree line and shoved the closest boy into the pool. He had laughed, pointing at the grumpy, wet boy when he resurfaced. "There's been a mutiny on deck, Captn'!" was the very first thing he ever said to me. "Shall I make the rest of them walk the plank?" And suddenly we were pirates. The terror I felt at being almost tossed into the water moments before evaporated as Taylor and I immersed ourselves in the role of captain and first mate.

I blink away the memory, to see the bigger boy beside me. His eyes never lost his childlike laughter and joy, but they are no longer red, having faded into a milky chocolate color long ago. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said it like that… I just mean… if David is my mate, then I trust it is for a reason. I'm not going to reject him."

Taylor sets down the bar for a moment, he doesn't look mad, but he has this serious expression on his face that I rarely see. "Just, remember what I told you, Cam. Do what makes you happy."