Chapter 19

“When did this happen?”

Tao screwed his eyes shut and let Suho answer for the both of them. The alpha sounded a little stunned by the sudden interruption when he spoke.

“Um… not long ago, at the beach house.”

“Oh.”

Tao dared to peek over Suho's shoulder and saw that Kris was more surprised than anything. He found it a little unsettling that he hadn't started shouting at them.

“Are… are you mad?” he managed to ask.

“Mad? Why would I be mad?”

Tao looked back and forth between the two alphas feeling a little offended. “B-because I didn't tell you about us.”

Kris rolled his eyes. He seemed to have started to adjust to the shock of what he had just seen. “Tao you two have been crazy about each other for months. We've all just been waitng for you to realise it.”

“Really?”

He laughed. “Of course. I think Kai and Sehun had some sort of bet going.”

Tao straightened up with a pout. He hadn't realised that everyone had been talking about them behind their backs. They could have at least told him that Suho liked him too. That would have been helpful.

“I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier,” Suho told him. “We weren't trying to be secretive, we just wanted to work this out for ourselves first.”

Kris waved his words away casually. “It's no problem. We're one pack, right? I have no right to be mad at you about it. Actually that's what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“About what?”

“It doesn't matter right now. It was just about how the pack is mixing together, or rather how they're not. Although you two are doing a good job of it.” He threw them a wink and a cheeky smile that had Tao blushing exactly how he thought it would.

“I've noticed the same thing,” Suho said seriously, ignoring his last words. “We can talk about it now if you want.”

He shuffled forward out of Tao's grip but Kris stopped him with a quick motion of his hand.

“Don't worry. It'll save until tomorrow.”

“Are you sure?”

Kris nodded and said his goodbyes, leaving his packmates alone. His worries about how badly the pack was mixing together and how many arguments it was causing were growing bigger every day but he could wait one more night to talk about it. He knew Tao had been lonely and pining over the other alpha for far too long. He wasn't going to interrupt them now.

The next day Chen returned home to find the dorm quiet. He had walked home from school with Sehun and Kai and after their chatter about Tao and Suho confessing that they were in some sort of relationship he was glad of the quiet.

Baekhyun sat in the kitchen eating a bowl of noodles and looking at his phone. He looked up with a smile. “You want something to eat?”

Chen felt a little hungry but he shook his head. He hadn't eaten much lately, he realised, but it felt like more effort than he could be bothered with right then.

“Where is everyone?”

“Kris and Chanyeol went to talk to Suho. Some alpha thing, I dunno.” He shrugged.

Chen sat down with a frown. He wondered what that was all about.

“Are you and Chanyeol, okay?”

“Of course,” said Baekhyun. He grinned at his friend. “I was just being stupid. Like he would want you.” He stuck his tongue out jokingly but when he caught Chen's eye the other wolf looked away, his frown deepening.

“Hey, I'm just joking. You okay?”

Chen just shrugged. Unable to look his friend in the eye. “It's fine. You're probably right.”

He knew Baekhyun was right. As guilty as he felt admitting it, even just to himself, Chen had liked the idea of Chanyeol wanting him. The knowledge that he thought about him as being desirable, even in his subconscious, had his ego just when he needed it. Of course he had picked Baekhyun though. Who wouldn't?

Baekhyun was cute and funny and he had pretty eyes and such a sweet, adorable smile. Chen knew that he couldn't compare but it had been nice to pretend for a minute that Chanyeol might want him. It was just confusion over their scents mixing, though. That made more sense.

“Chen, what's wrong?”

“Nothing.” He pushed away his chair and stood up. Baekhyun was his best friend but he wouldn't understand. He didn't feel like talking about it anyway. What was left of his appetite disappeared in second.

“I'm going to have a shower.”

Baekhyun watched him go with an unhappy twist to his mouth wishing he could think of something to say.

Sorry this isn't a very long chapter but I'm still feeling a bit unwell. I'll probably update over the weekend because I need ChangXiu drama