Chapter Four

Kyle

I didn’t get any reply, so I ended up walking back to school. The campus felt almost deserted now that the sun was going down, the hallways echoing with every step I took.

I finally gave up after nearly an hour of searching. My legs felt heavy as I walked to the front gate, ready to just go home and try again later. But as I stepped outside, I spotted Jade coming up the path. She was carrying a white pharmacy bag and looked like she was on her way back home.

“Hey,” she called out when she saw me.

I turned to face her and managed a tired greeting. “Hi. Have you seen my brother?”

“Yes,” she said, sounding a little hesitant.

“Please, where is he? I really need to talk to him.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “I’ll take you to him. He’s at my place right now, actually, and the thing is… he’s sick.” She lifted the bag a little. “I just went to the pharmacy to get these for him.”

I felt my heart sink. It figured that of all days, he’d end up sick on top of everything else. I followed her in silence, guilt pressing down on me with every step.

We finally reached her apartment building. She paused near the entrance and glanced up toward the floors above. “I’ll stay downstairs,” she said. “You two can talk and sort it out.” Without waiting for me to protest, she sat down on a bench under a tree, handing the bag to me.

“Thank you, Jade,” I whispered, taking the bag from her hands.

She gave me a small, tired smile as I walked inside. The building was warm and smelled faintly of detergent. I rode the elevator up to her floor, feeling my nerves churn. When I reached the door, I hesitated for a moment before knocking.

A few seconds later, it swung open, and my breath caught in my throat.

Hayden stood there looking worse than I’d ever seen him. His skin was pale, almost as white as snow, and his lips were so dry they looked cracked. Even the way he leaned against the doorframe told me how much strength it was costing him just to stand.

“Hayden?” I rushed inside as soon as he opened the door, shutting it behind me before he could try to push me out.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he demanded. His voice sounded rough and thin, but the glare he fixed on me was as sharp as ever. “How did you even know I was here?”

“This isn’t the time for you to start with that,” I said, trying to keep my tone calm. “Anyway, I ran into Jade on the way, and she told me. She gave me this.” I lifted the pharmacy bag and set it down on the table. I reached for his arm and carefully led him over to the bed. “Please, just come back home. You look like you’re about to collapse.”

“I’m not coming to that damn house,” he spat, though his voice cracked in the middle. “I’d rather sleep in the streets.”

“Fine, but for now, take your medicine.” I wasn’t going to argue about that. He tried to push my hand away when I opened the box, but I ignored it and eventually managed to get him to swallow the pills. He glared at me the whole time like he was planning a thousand different ways to make me regret it.

Afterward, he lay back against the pillows, the covers pulled up over his shoulders. I sat on the edge of the bed, watching the way his breathing gradually steadied.

“Stop staring at me like that,” he snapped, his eyes narrowing.

“Geez. I’m just worried about you,” I muttered, rubbing a hand over my face. I stood up, needing to move around before I lost my patience. “Anyway… do you feel any better now?”

“I just want you to leave,” he said. His voice sounded quieter, almost tired again. “That’s all.”

“Fine,” I said after a moment. “I’ll go. But can we talk first?”

“Talk about what?” He shifted on the bed, his expression turning hard again. “That ugly old woman you call a mother? No, thank you very much. Just get out of this room before I say or do something worse.”

“Hayden…” I took a slow breath, trying not to raise my voice.

“Now,” Hayden growled, his voice dropping low enough that it sent a chill down my spine.

I watched the color flash behind his eyes, that glint that meant his wolf was close to breaking through. For a second, I actually wondered if he’d shift just to throw me out himself. He really did hate me that much now, didn’t he?

“Fine,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. My hand closed around the doorknob. “I’m leaving. We can talk later.”

I had just started to open the door when he spoke again, his tone sharp enough to cut. “By the way, what’s so special about you? You don’t even have a damn wolf.”

I turned, frowning. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

He shifted against the pillows, his jaw tightening. “On my way here, some guy stopped me outside. He asked if Kyle was really my brother.”

“Oh. So—”

“And then he handed me something,” Hayden went on, his mouth twisting into a humorless smile. “You want to know what it was? A love letter. Can you believe that? You’ve only been out as gay for one damn day, and someone is already throwing themselves at you.”

I didn’t say anything. I just stood there, staring back at him while something in my chest went tight and heavy.

Hayden finally lifted his gaze to meet mine, and for a second, he didn’t look sick at all. He looked like he was studying me, sizing me up from head to toe. His stare made something uneasy twist in my stomach.

“Let’s see what’s so special about you,” he said, voice low. “The thing that makes me keep thinking about what you said back then at school.”

I blinked. “Pardon?”

“You heard me well, Kyle,” he said, his eyes locked on me without flinching. “Let’s see what’s so special in you, Kyle. Why was I upset when he gave me that letter, and also when you mentioned not looking my way?”

My brows drew together. “What are you even talking about?”

“You should strip.”

My mouth fell open. “What?”

“Strip,” Hayden said again, and this time there was no trace of weakness in his voice. He sounded steady, almost cold, and his stare didn’t waver for a second.