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"Can you stop being this annoying?" Harlan asked sprawled on his bed while scrolling distractingly over his phone. He was supposed to be at the gym and actually he had been just about to leave when his sister decided it was a good moment to torment him with her no sense.
"Can you considering for just one second my point of view and stop being a childish spoilt brat?" replied back Luna exasperatedly throwing his hands in the air. Seriously, why couldn't she have had a rational normal brother?
"I'm very much not a spoilt brat, you daddy's princess. And besides I already said yes, so I can't ditch anyone at the last second"
"Harlan, it's the full-moon and your temper is even worse than normal, so how can you think that going to a stupid date with your boyfriend is a good idea? Please, tell me". She was acting like an overprotective mother, but she couldn't help it when she knew her twin's tendency to get in troubles. The full-moon would have just made everything even harder.
"First of all he's not my boyfriend. Yet at least" Harlan replied standing up "Second, weren't you just so eager for me to stop fooling around and start seeing someone seriously?"
"Off course, I were... I am actually... but tonight you really should stay here with me and the rest of the pack" she begged "Please Harlan, it's for Cyrus' own security..."
"It's so nice to hear that my own sister trusts me so much that she thinks I can tear to shreds the person I'm seeing". He huffed reaching for his gym bag. he had had enough of that conversation.
"It's not that and you know it" she came closer.
"Do I?"
"Harlan, none of us is truly in control of their actions and emotions whit the full-moon. What if you and Cyrus were having dinner and the waiter or waitress started to flirt with him" she paused looking at her brother. "Tell me honestly that the wolf inside you can handle that it and you have everything under control"
If it was honesty that she wanted, Harlan should have said that his whole being was boiling just at the mare thought of that. Yet he definitely wasn't admitting it to her. "Jealousy is more Cyrus' zone than mine. Plus we barely know each other, so I think that what you are describing it's purely an exaggeration: I would never go that far"
Oh yes, he would and they both knew it. He had nearly killed Garrett when he found out he had given Cyrus to the police: he wouldn't have done that for everyone and definitely not for an almost-stranger. He never said that obliviously. "Now, would you just stop blocking my way to the door and let me cool of a bit of this said incontrollable rage of mine at the gym?"
"Harlan please"
"Luna stop it" he was pissed off now. He wasn't a fucking child and he definitely didn't need a babysitter. He could take care of himself and definitely take his own decisions without consulting other people.
W
He went for the door not so gently moving Luna aside. Now it wasn't the moon to anger him, it was her. He was about to exit, his hand was on the handle, when something blocked him. "We need you" it was spoken silently.
"What do you mean? Who's we?"
"Us. The pack." she came closer again "We stay together when there is the full-moon and we support each other, we protect each other. And with Baron somewhere outside there who's killing everyone we have a connection, more than ever we need to keep compact" she put her hand on his shoulder "Please Harlan, just this time. Please"
He looked over at her. Since this whole pack thing started he grew a sort of protectiveness toward the others. He couldn't explain it, but he got why Baron killed that policeman or the rest of the victims. He didn't understand where it had come from, yet he would have never allow anything bad to be done to any of them. He might have just avoided to reach his brother's levels, but that was the concept. That was weird considering most of the times he didn't even stand Everett and Blake.
He sighed and focused back on Luna. "Cyrus won't like it"
"No, I'm telling you there was this problem with Garrett. He got bitten by some sort of weird animal and now he can't walk while he was patrolling somewhere searching for wounded animals or whatever he does while working. He shouldn't be left alone and Luna is sick at school for a project or some bullshit of hers" Harlan was nervously walking around his room for the tenth time in five minutes. "I can't make it tonight"
"Harlan" it was clear that the boy at the other end was way more that annoyed "If you thought it was too much..."
"It's not and I definitely don't need you to go over what we agreed" the blond interrupted "I really want to go on a date with you, but my father and my sister had the worst timing ever. I'm not dumping you, I'm just asking to postpone the date of one day or two. It's not like I plan to leave for another country and disappear tonight"
Harlan knew what Cyrus would have thought at him calling the night off, that's why I would have rather avoided it. However, his request wasn't so troubling: they could wait another night for a good reason.
The raven sighed. "Is your father really hurt?"
"I'm not lying if that is the question, I really want to do thing properly and I promise you that I wouldn't esitate a second to go out with you tonight if I could" the older closed his eyes "I swear that tomorrow I'll take wherever you want, just not today. Please Cyrus"
"Fine, ok." he agreed still not without sighing again "But tomorrow.."
"Yes, whatever you want" the blond exclaimed.
"Whatever you said?" now the tone of the raven was flirtatious.
"Oh yes, baby. Whatever" Harlan kept up. He couldn't play this game with the full-moon. His mind was already spiralling like he did that time with Cody, He needed to cool off.
"I'm looking forward for that then". After that the conversation continued normally and they kept chatting for a while. It was easy between them. Since Cody's return they had tried spent as much time together as they could. They liked each other and were very comfortable with one another. It surprised Harlan how easy it was to welcome Cyrus and let him adjust in his life. It was almost like he have always belonged there.
"Ehi" Cyrus said eventually "I'm glad that you are working through your relationship with Garrett. He is a good one and obliviously cares about you."
"Yeah, I supposed that when he doesn't send the person you are seeing in jail he cooks decent meals". He had also made some bullets with the mare intent to kill him and Luna if things got out of control, but he didn't say that.
Cyrus on the other hand was laughing and Harlan swore that his hears had never heard anything that beautiful. He wanted to keep replying that sound forever.
"So, do we have everything we need?" Everett asked "Water, food, chains if it gets too much..."
"Those won't be needed and yes Everett, we told you other three hundred times that we already have everything we might possible need for at least five fool-moon"
"Calm down Briggs, I was just checking"
"Yeah, again" Harlan moved closer to the kitchen counter. They were at their's because it was the safest place to spend the night with no one asking questions, especially annoying parents like Everett's or children like Blake's brother. "When is Garrett supposed to be home"
"Not until tomorrow morning" Luna replied opening a bag of crisps
"A forestal agent doing a night shift? Maybe he has met someone" Blake stole a couple of chips.
"It would be time" Harlan bit back "It might be the right time he sticks out that pale he always had upper his ass so that he can stop bothering me"
Blake bursted out a laugh and started coughing with the food still in his mouth while Luna made a disgusted face. "He isn't with anyone outside the detective. They are still working at that case in the hope they would find the real arsonist" she thew a few chips at her brother "That's why he isn't here, you asshole"
"Wait, wait, wait" Everett started looking rather anxious "So you are all telling me that we are going to spent the night of the full-moon without Garrett's supervision"
"that's normally what happened when someone's children reach a certain age. Happy fourteenth birthday Everett"
"Fuck off, Harlan" he pushed him slightly "How can be that a good idea? Do you know how dangerous can it be? he's the only one who seems to know what to do in these situations." The twins rolled their eyes, Harlan more dramatically than Luna. "Don't do that you two, he must be here. You now I'm right"
Blake reached for his arm "Ehy you, why don't we choose something proper to eat tonight?" She was indicating toward the pantry.
"Yeah take him before he pushed his anxiety onto us" replied Luna "it would be the last thing we needed"
"No children-making process"
Blake winked at him while Everett just glared. Five seconds after the door of the food storage was closed leaving the Briggs twins alone in the kitchen.
"You don't have to be a dick all the time, you know?"
"Why not?" he asked innocently "You seem to like that on certain person"
"I don't want to talk about Austin" Harlan was about to speak again at that, but she continued "It'd just anger all of us and maybe even Baron"
"Not that the little shit didn't deserve that"
"Harlan stop"
He threw his hands in the air as a giving-up sign. His protectiveness was coming back again as a certain fury and the instinct to reduce that boy into tiny pieces. It wasn't just about the way he treated Luna, but also for the stab he threw at his brother when he hadn't been asked to. He barely knew what was going on, for fuck sake. He was nearly boiling.
"Harlan calm down" her tone was alarming enough to get his full attention. "Yeah, sorry Luna. You are right, we need to wait at least until Baron is healed. Then we will take care of him"
"I've never said that"
"It wasn't necessary"
She smiled. "So, how are things with Cyrus?"
Harlan smiled "You want to know, don't you?"
"Come on, Harlan. I'm your sister, so I'm obligated to know"
He rolled his eyes "Is that so?"
"Would you stop doing that? It's annoying."
"Doing what exactly?"
"Harlan" she sound exasperated and he recognised she was entirely wrong: he had always shut down everything regarded his private life at her and his father. He had simply wanted to keep everything for himself because he didn't need their comments, or worse judgements. Plus, for a long time he had wanted them to fell shut dow just like the way he felt they were doing with him when it came to their family dynamic. Now, things were different. He still couldn't stand Briggs, but he had started to really see Luna and he was trying to let her in as much as he was able to. It wasn't easy, yet he really wanted that for them. With Baron in his wolf-form, she was his only family.
"They are great actually" he confessed eventually "He was just a bit pissed off at me cancelling our plans for tonight, but that reasonable I think"
"Why do you say that?"
"I'm the one with commitment issues and the whole dating part has come from him. Not that I didn't appreciate it, nor it suffocated for one bit, but still he is still learning at trusting me under this aspect. You can hardly blame him knowing what my past is"
"I mean, if we consider your whole history, it makes sense that he's scared you will run away when things get too serious." she paused "But still if you said you wanted to do this properly and he agreed in return that should mean that he trusts you"
"He does. I can sense it" Harlan leaned his head against the cupboard behind him "still, I don't want to disappoint him."
"Then don't"
"How can I be so sure?"
"Acting maturely" she smiled at him "Just live what you have calmly and let things adjust themselves at their places. If it works fantastic, otherwise just call it off. Don't run away nor cheat on him or whatever, but talk to him and be clear. It wouldn't be anyone' fault if things just shouldn't work out if there is respect for one another. He wouldn't hold it against you. I think he just don't want to get played, that's all"
"Yeah, he said as much"
"See?" her smile grew "I can read men and I'd be a great relationship advisor"
"Oh fuck off, or do you want me to remember who you have a crush on?"
"That's playing dirty Briggs, other than rather ungrateful"
Harlan laughed briefly and came closer. "Thank you by the way"
She waved at him smiling, then she passed the bag of crisps she was eating from. Harlan took it and they fell in a comfortable silence. Neither of us was aware what Blake and Everett were doing in the cupboard, but they couldn't care less unless they left any evidences. Harlan was reconsidering his relationship with his sister when she spoke again
"Harlan" she said "You are very capable of loving, even if you do it you way. Even more than that you serve to be loved, properly, not just for the night"
And that was all he needed to hear.