start we got off to. You know, with me trying to blackmail him and all. He seems to have gotten over that. Or at least I hope he will get over it soon.”
“I think he knows it wasn’t your fault. You were pretty desperate at the time.”
“Yeah, I just can’t help but think that it still stands between us, though. Sometimes when he doesn’t think I’m looking, he gives me these funny stares like he doesn’t know whether to trust me or not.”
“I heard they let all your buddies go. That has to say something.”
“They were nothing more than harmless strays anyway, so that’s no big deal. They would never harm anybody. The reason why they were kicked out of their packs in the first place was because they refused to prey on humans,” Kallen pointed out.
Baxley, a small, dark-haired Spider shifter came over and took a seat next to Kallen. “Hi, guys. What are you doing here?”
“I was trying to find a spot that was hidden, but I guess I’m not doing a good job of it,” Kallen said with a smile.
“Well, the window is kind of big,” Baxley pointed out. “If you really want some good hiding spots, I could show them to you.”
“No offense, but I probably couldn’t fit into most of them,” Kallen said.
Baxley looked down at his tiny frame before he replied, “You’re probably right. Especially since I was in my Spider form when I was in most of them. What are you hiding from anyway?”
“Come on, Baxley, you have to know that most everybody hates me here,” Kallen said, his breath hitching just a bit.
Baxley frowned. “Only because they’re idiots who haven’t taken the time to really get to know you. If they did, they’d realize what a sweet guy you really are.”
Ash snorted. “Plus, I don’t see too many of them turning away your help in the infirmary when they’re injured. You’re a damn good medic, and they all know it. They’re just too stubborn to admit it aloud.”
Baxley nodded in agreement. “Some of the people here can be real assholes at times. Don’t let them get you down, Kallen. Besides, you have us. We’ll always be your friends, no matter what.”
Baxley reached out and gave Kallen a small hug. Kallen stiffened at first, not used to displays of affection. Lord knows he never got any from his parents or his old pack members. After a moment, he relaxed and let himself enjoy it. It was nice to have somebody he cared about touch him, even if it was only a friend.
“Thanks, Baxley,” Kallen said.
He was lucky to have his small group of friends. While he might have a whole lot of hate coming his way, he did have some love, too. He just needed to learn how to focus on the good and block the bad.
A couple of Hawks walked by, both of them throwing looks of hate Kallen’s way.
“Stupid Hyena hybrid, they should have culled him a long time ago,” one of them said.
Ash sprang to his feet. “And they should have culled you for being ugly and stupid, yet you’re still here.”
He then gave the two Hawks a one finger salute. Kallen held his breath, waiting to see if they were going to come back and fight, but, to his surprise, they kept on walking. Maybe it was because Ash had developed a reputation of being a scrappy fighter. Lately, he’d been putting in a lot of hours in the training facility, and it was beginning to pay off.
“God, Hawks can be such assholes at times,” Ash said as he sat back down.
“But, Ash, you’re a Hawk,” Kallen reminded him.
“I wasn’t talking about me. I was talking about the other ones,” Ash replied.
“What about Tatum?” Baxley demanded.
“He’s not too bad, either. Even if he’s a bit bent mentally.”
Baxley sighed happily. “Yes, he is.”
Ash and Kallen exchanged is-he-serious looks. But, then again, that was Baxley. In his eyes, his mate could do no wrong. Tatum could be standing over a dead body and Baxley would just blink, smile at his mate, and tell him what a good job he’d done.
“Riley’s great,
“I think he knows it wasn’t your fault. You were pretty desperate at the time.”
“Yeah, I just can’t help but think that it still stands between us, though. Sometimes when he doesn’t think I’m looking, he gives me these funny stares like he doesn’t know whether to trust me or not.”
“I heard they let all your buddies go. That has to say something.”
“They were nothing more than harmless strays anyway, so that’s no big deal. They would never harm anybody. The reason why they were kicked out of their packs in the first place was because they refused to prey on humans,” Kallen pointed out.
Baxley, a small, dark-haired Spider shifter came over and took a seat next to Kallen. “Hi, guys. What are you doing here?”
“I was trying to find a spot that was hidden, but I guess I’m not doing a good job of it,” Kallen said with a smile.
“Well, the window is kind of big,” Baxley pointed out. “If you really want some good hiding spots, I could show them to you.”
“No offense, but I probably couldn’t fit into most of them,” Kallen said.
Baxley looked down at his tiny frame before he replied, “You’re probably right. Especially since I was in my Spider form when I was in most of them. What are you hiding from anyway?”
“Come on, Baxley, you have to know that most everybody hates me here,” Kallen said, his breath hitching just a bit.
Baxley frowned. “Only because they’re idiots who haven’t taken the time to really get to know you. If they did, they’d realize what a sweet guy you really are.”
Ash snorted. “Plus, I don’t see too many of them turning away your help in the infirmary when they’re injured. You’re a damn good medic, and they all know it. They’re just too stubborn to admit it aloud.”
Baxley nodded in agreement. “Some of the people here can be real assholes at times. Don’t let them get you down, Kallen. Besides, you have us. We’ll always be your friends, no matter what.”
Baxley reached out and gave Kallen a small hug. Kallen stiffened at first, not used to displays of affection. Lord knows he never got any from his parents or his old pack members. After a moment, he relaxed and let himself enjoy it. It was nice to have somebody he cared about touch him, even if it was only a friend.
“Thanks, Baxley,” Kallen said.
He was lucky to have his small group of friends. While he might have a whole lot of hate coming his way, he did have some love, too. He just needed to learn how to focus on the good and block the bad.
A couple of Hawks walked by, both of them throwing looks of hate Kallen’s way.
“Stupid Hyena hybrid, they should have culled him a long time ago,” one of them said.
Ash sprang to his feet. “And they should have culled you for being ugly and stupid, yet you’re still here.”
He then gave the two Hawks a one finger salute. Kallen held his breath, waiting to see if they were going to come back and fight, but, to his surprise, they kept on walking. Maybe it was because Ash had developed a reputation of being a scrappy fighter. Lately, he’d been putting in a lot of hours in the training facility, and it was beginning to pay off.
“God, Hawks can be such assholes at times,” Ash said as he sat back down.
“But, Ash, you’re a Hawk,” Kallen reminded him.
“I wasn’t talking about me. I was talking about the other ones,” Ash replied.
“What about Tatum?” Baxley demanded.
“He’s not too bad, either. Even if he’s a bit bent mentally.”
Baxley sighed happily. “Yes, he is.”
Ash and Kallen exchanged is-he-serious looks. But, then again, that was Baxley. In his eyes, his mate could do no wrong. Tatum could be standing over a dead body and Baxley would just blink, smile at his mate, and tell him what a good job he’d done.
“Riley’s great,
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