Silver Creek Get Ready

His ears flicked back as she sobbed, the different emotions playing across his face. He didn't want her to cry, he hated when females cried. He especially hated when females cried because of something he'd done. Her answer confused him, startled him even, but he fought not to let it show. His mouth opened and then closed, ready to comment on the situation but holding himself back. He didn't say anything about Spring, no, because he didn't know what to say. 

Her tail lashed and her words came out harsh. He shook his head as if to shake away the anger and took a step back, brows furrowed. His own anger bubbled up and he stared at her sternly, but he'd be damned if he'd stand here and yell at a pregnant woman. A woman he had considered a friend, even. "What, so I'm to blame?" His voice was serious, the anger was in the tone but he spoke levelly, calmly. "Amber..." He sighed, for a moment the anger fled his face and he looked at her beseechingly. "Do you expect me to mate with someone I barely know? You and I...we have fun when we're together but this is the literal third time we've spoken together. I like you Amber. I..." He shook his head and glanced away a moment, thinking of what to say. When his eyes returned to her the sternness was back, brows furrowed again. 

"I enjoyed your company, you're beautiful and your attitude suits my own. But," Here he sounded almost insulted. "I am not a wolf who takes mateship lightly. I don't partner just so I can...I can..." He bit back his cursing, attempting to stay a gentleman. "...mount a woman. I want someone I could spend a lifetime with. A friend...who I love." 

"And I don't know what you're on about with Spring, if she told you things... I don't know. But yes, I do like Spring. What will come from that I don't know. I certainly don't expect it to become anything tomorrow. I aim to see what happens, how our friendship develops. If love comes from that then I'd be happy to stand at her side as her mate. If not, I have a friend. I had the same thought for you." It wasn't all romanticism either, it was fear. He was afraid to love someone so quickly. Afraid to need someone when he'd had his life so thoroughly torn from him before. 

 Here his voice was hurt, plain and simple. "I don't think less of you, Amber. I am hurt, though. For what I thought might have happened between us. What we might have been. I liked you, and now I'm sore to see that you're..." He glanced to her belly, eyes sad. Taken. He wanted to say that if she had wanted him so bad she would have found him during her heat. He'd have had the good sense to keep her somewhere where this couldn't happen, without taking advantage. Yet here she was. But he didn't say that. He didn't need to be hurtful.

He wanted to tell her what he thought of the thing with the two males, too, that also burned him up. What a heartbreak for the younger male, to raise children and only eventually realize he couldn't be the father. He didn't comment on that either, not right now. He wanted to still be her friend, but right now he was hurt and angry. Not that she had mated, he'd never have been angry over that. He was angry that she seemed to blame him for not picking up on some signal, hurt that she would act as if he'd been ignoring her when all he had wanted was to know her better. Spring had shared some of her soul with him, it was only natural that he felt closer to the woman.