A Strong Maybe
~Liam~
As the time approached for our picnic on the mountain, Miles and Marvin had already gone ahead to help Noah and Sebastien with the preparations, leaving Oliver and me in our room. We were planning to catch up with them soon. I watched as Oliver meticulously tried on three different shirts, putting in a lot of effort to look good for Elaine. His fashion dilemma amused me, and he joined in on the laughter when he noticed me chuckling.
Out of the blue, Oliver asked, “What’s going on between you and Josephine? Did you guys have some kind of disagreement?” I was taken aback by the question.
“Not really; why do you ask?” I responded, trying to hide any unease in my tone.
“I’ve noticed that she usually keeps her distance now. She used to be friendly—giving a little hi or hello and laughing at our jokes. However, she’s been rather cold this week,” Oliver explained, expressing his observations.
I couldn’t hide the truth and told him, “She mentioned that we made fun of her two years ago at the mansion.”
Oliver’s eyes widened in surprise, “You mean she brought that up? That was in the past, and we certainly didn’t mean any harm by it. We were just casually talking.”
Realising that Oliver remembered the conversation too, I asked him, “So you do recall the conversation?”
“Yes,” He confirmed.
“ Elaine said she overheard us talking about her. But we never intended any harm by it. I think she might be taking it a bit too personally.”
His words made me feel awful. Whatever Josephine had overheard must have hurt her deeply, and she kept it to herself for so long. It became clear that her exterior toughness didn’t mean she was impervious to hurtful words. I regretted my actions and wished I had been more careful with my words back then.
After getting dressed, we made our way out to join the others. On my way, I happened to bump into Uncle Leo.
I instinctively dodged when he reached to tussle
a grown man now, huh?” he teased, and his laughter was infectious. I couldn’t help
for your girlfriend, but remember to live a little too. No matter the outcome, don’t let it weigh you down,” he advised, echoing the same wisdom I had received from various
to ask about the mate bond took over me. I felt like
an eyebrow, giving me a nod. Sensing my unease, he understood my need for privacy and
he said, offering his full attention. I swallowed nervously, wanting to inquire about the mate bond, but cautious not to reveal that it was specifically about
feel like? Can you tell me about what happened when you met Aunt Amelia?” I asked
let me tell you about Amanda instead.” It was a rare topic, as we seldom discussed her,
because that was the first time I experienced the mate bond. By the time I met Amelia, I was already filled with apprehension and resistance due to the bad luck it had brought me with Amanda. So, my experience with Amelia might not give you an accurate representation,” he
a trance, you see, and I couldn’t control myself or my wolf. The pull was powerful, almost impossible to shake off,” Uncle Leo recounted, and I nodded in acknowledgement, as I was already familiar
feel the mate bond, but Amanda couldn’t because she wasn’t yet at the mating
man, and he studied me thoughtfully before arriving at a
her I was referring to. I
“Well, it is a rare occurrence, but it has happened to a few people. Perhaps the person is close to the mating age, but the pull won’t be as strong as it would have been if she had reached the mating age. That scent would simply let you know she is the one, and she is ready. Once that person is of age, the pull will become intense; you won’t be able to tear your eyes away from her. Your wolf would go crazy, needing to complete the bond. It’s a profound feeling, especially when you’re still unmated, but it
questions, then I suspect you’ve found her,” Uncle Leo remarked, looking at me intently, and I reluctantly
exceedingly rare occurrence. You wouldn’t be asking me about it unless you’ve experienced it yourself or someone close to you has.
it to myself for now? I’m still trying to sort out my feelings,” I admitted, hoping to buy some time. Uncle
he
my feelings to her,”
it? And do you have feelings for
have any negative feelings towards her, but I don’t see her in a romantic light either. She’s unaware of
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