บท 22: Chapter 22 - Confused wolf
Río trudged home after school, his mind still spinning from the confrontation with Ezra. He tried to push the thought of Ezra's scent—how it made his wolf restless—out of his head, but it lingered, gnawing at him.
As he stepped into the house, the smell of popcorn hit him immediately. He wandered into the living room and found Lily, the pack's omega, lounging on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in her lap, eyes glued to the TV. She looked so at ease, munching away like she didn't have a care in the world. It made Río's mood lighten instantly.
Without saying a word, he plopped down beside her and swiped a handful of popcorn.
"Hey!" She smacked his hand away, her mouth still full. "Get your own bowl."
Río smirked, tossing a piece into his mouth. "What, you won't share with your future alpha?"
Lily rolled her eyes dramatically, stuffing more popcorn into her mouth. "You're not alpha yet, genius. Don't be so cocky. Go pop your own popcorn," she mumbled, chewing with the exaggerated enthusiasm of someone who knew how to be just the right amount of sassy.
Río laughed, his carefree smile spreading across his face. Lily was one of the few people he could really be himself around. No expectations, no pressure. She didn't treat him like the future alpha, didn't tiptoe around him like the others. She was real, and that made all the difference.
As the omega of the pack, Lily had always been treated as precious. Omegas were rare, valued, but that also meant her life was heavily guarded. She was stuck at home most of the time, never going to school, never playing in the parks like normal kids. It wasn't fair, and Río hated seeing her cooped up all the time.
He glanced her way, watching her giggle at something on the TV. She deserved more than this quiet, sheltered life. An idea sparked in his mind.
"Hey," he said, nudging her shoulder lightly. "What do you say we go for a ride together?"
Lily turned to him, her eyes wide and sparkling with curiosity. "A ride? Like… right now?"
Río nodded, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips. "Yeah. Come on. Let's sneak out for a bit. I know you're dying to get out of here."
She hesitated, glancing around as if the alpha might catch them even thinking about it. "But Alpha will kill us if he finds out," she whispered, her excitement barely contained.
Río just leaned back and smirked, his grin growing even wider. "Who says he has to know? Come on, let's go. Live a little."
Lily giggled, clearly tempted, but still unsure. "You're such a troublemaker," she teased, but she was already standing, brushing crumbs off her lap.
Before she could second-guess herself, Río grabbed her hand and pulled her off the couch. Giggling, she followed him as they snuck through the house, dodging anyone who might catch them. They slipped out the back door, running toward the car park like kids about to pull off the best prank of their lives.
"Where are we going?" she whispered excitedly, bouncing on her feet as they reached Río's car. "Ooh! Can we get ice cream? I want ice cream! Please?"
Río chuckled, opening the car door and gesturing for her to get in. "Of course. What kind of future alpha would I be if I didn't get my omega some ice cream?"
Lily squealed, ducking under the seat to hide as they drove off. The thrill of sneaking out made her giddy, and Río couldn't help but laugh along with her.
As they drove down the road, Lily peeked up from her hiding spot, eyes gleaming with excitement. "This is the best idea you've ever had," she said, grinning ear to ear.
Río shot her a sideways glance. "You're not wrong," he said, laughing. "Just wait until we get to the ice cream shop."
Río pulled into the parking lot of the local ice cream bar, the soft hum of the engine fading as he parked the car. He turned to Lily, a smile tugging at his lips. "Alright, you can sit up now and put your seatbelt on," he teased.
Lily popped up from under the seat, grinning from ear to ear as she clicked her seatbelt into place. "Finally! I thought I'd be stuck down there forever," she laughed, her voice full of energy.
The late-night air was cool and inviting, perfect for ice cream. But as Río glanced around the parking lot, something caught his eye—a car parked a few spaces away. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized it. Ezra's car.
For a second, Río's mind went into overdrive. Should they just leave? Was it a bad idea to go inside, especially after the heated confrontation earlier? His wolf stirred uncomfortably at the thought of seeing Ezra again. He wasn't sure if it was anger, confusion, or something else entirely that made him so tense.
Before he could even think about it further, Lily had already swung the door open and dashed out of the car, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "Ohhh! They have seasonal flavors! I want pecan nuts and passion fruit sorbet!" she squealed, already rushing toward the entrance.
Río blinked, watching her sprint away, and then she turned back, her face glowing with joy. "You okay?"
"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine," he said, forcing a smile. He could feel the tension in his body but didn't want to ruin Lily's night. It wasn't like Ezra would even notice him, right? He was probably with his friends, and Río could keep a low profile.
Sighing, he got out of the car and jogged to catch up with her. As they walked inside, the scent of freshly made waffle cones and ice cream hit them. The little shop was warm and cozy, decorated with fairy lights, and had a calm atmosphere with only a few customers scattered around.
Lily's eyes sparkled as she pressed her face against the glass display, scanning all the flavors. "Look at all of this! How am I supposed to choose?" she asked, her voice full of wonder.
Río laughed softly, his eyes drifting away from her for just a moment. Across the room, seated with a small group of people, was Ezra. Río's breath hitched as their eyes locked for a split second. Ezra's face didn't show any anger—just surprise, like he hadn't expected to see him either. The moment was brief, but it sent a weird jolt through Río's chest, and he quickly looked away.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Lily asked, pulling his attention back to her. She had her arms crossed, one eyebrow raised, clearly noticing his distraction.
"Yeah," he muttered, clearing his throat. "Just… thinking about what flavor to get."
She laughed, poking him in the arm. "Don't overthink it. You're getting vanilla. You always get vanilla."
Río chuckled, feeling some of the tension drain away. "Alright, fine. Vanilla it is."
They both ordered their ice creams—Lily happily bouncing on her toes as she got her pecan nuts and passion fruit sorbet, and Río stuck with his tried-and-true vanilla. They sat down at a booth near the window, Lily chattering about all the things she wanted to do once they got back home, from binge-watching shows to maybe sneaking out again sometime.
Río tried to focus on her words, but his mind kept drifting back to Ezra. He could feel Ezra's presence in the room like a burning sensation on his skin, even though they weren't looking at each other. Why did everything about Ezra bother him so much now? And why did his wolf stir whenever he was near?
"Río," Lily's voice broke through his thoughts. "You're zoning out again." She waved her spoon in front of his face.
"Sorry, sorry," he said, shaking his head.
She rolled her eyes, playfully exasperated. "Your birthday, dummy. It's in a week! Aren't you excited to meet your mate? Ohhh, I'm so pumped to meet our future Luna!"
Río froze for a moment, feeling a sudden wave of heat rush through him. He scooped up a large spoonful of his vanilla ice cream and stuffed it into his mouth, hoping it would cool him down. "Nah, I've got a game coming up. I'm busy. Don't really care about all that mate stuff."
Lily raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Yeah, right. As if you don't care. Don't be a dufus. Just admit it, your wolf is probably going crazy wanting to meet your mate."
Río's heart pounded as he swallowed the cold ice cream. He glanced away, feeling uneasy. "My wolf is… in a weird place right now," he mumbled, trying to dodge the conversation. His wolf was indeed anxious, but not necessarily for his mate. It was confused, restless, and Río wasn't sure what to make of it.
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