Page 7 of Christopher

He wasn’t looking forward to it. For some reason, he expected Drake to jump out from behind the couch or something and surprise him. He didn’t know why Drake would do that or how he’d be at the pride house, but when he thought about it, he started freaking out all over again, and there was only one way to deal with that.

Burying deeper in his bed.

It wasn’t like anyone would notice, anyway. No one had realized he wasn’t at dinner yesterday or at breakfast this morning. Kyle was focused on Dennis and their new relationship, while Jennifer had made a bunch of friends and barely even thought of Chris at this point. Their grandfather might have noticed that Chris wasn’t around, but he was busy relaxing and finally not feeling like he was responsible for his grandkids’ well-being, and Chris didn’t want to take that away from him.

He pushed the blankets away from his face and stared at the ceiling. Why was he hiding? Why did he feel so panicked at the thought of being with his mate? It wasn’t like Drake had done anything to him. They barely knew each other, but they were mates, which meant they were supposed to work well together. Chris had a hard time believing it, but he’d seen bonded couplestogether, and he knew that was true. They really did belong together.

Like he belonged with Drake.

He sucked in a breath and squeezed his eyes shut. Why was he so afraid of this? Just yesterday, he’d been bemoaning the fact that he was the only one who felt like he didn’t belong here. He was the only one who didn’t have a mate, new friends, or an entire library to read.

Well, he had a mate now. He just needed to find Drake, talk to him, and see where they both stood. Surely he could do that.

He wasn’t sure.

When he thought about doing it, he panicked all over again. He might not understand why he felt that way, but he did feel like the only way out of this would be to run away, and he couldn’t ignore that.

A knock on his door startled him. He listened for a moment, trying to figure out who it was, but he couldn’t. He wasn’t sure he wanted to find out, but at the same time, they might worry about him and go to the alpha. Chris still wasn’t sure what he thought of Gal, and he’d rather avoid annoying the bear shifter.

He crawled out of bed and went to open. There was a second knock before he could reach the door, and he rolled his eyes. “I’m coming,” he yelled. He looked around the room, but it was too messy for him to be able to do anything about it now. Besides, it was probably someone from his family, and they were used to him being messy.

Sure enough, he found Jennifer standing in the hallway. She looked him up and down and cocked her head, silently asking a question.

Chris ignored her. “What?”

“Is that a way to greet your favorite sister?”

“You’re my only sister, and yet you’re still not my favorite.”

She pushed Chris, and he stumbled back, which gave her enough space to walk into the bedroom. She closed the door and leaned against it as if she was afraid that Chris would run away if she didn’t.

He might.

“What?” he asked again.

“You weren’t at dinner yesterday.”

“I’m surprised you managed to look away from Annabelle long enough to notice that.”

Jennifer blinked. “What are you talking about?”

“Nothing.” Chris didn’t want Jennifer to feel guilty or like she shouldn’t be having fun with her friends. This was Chris’s problem, not hers. It wasn’t her fault that he was an introvert who would rather have his teeth pulled than casually talk to people. It made making friends almost impossible, and that was when he didn’t isolate himself.

“You also weren’t at breakfast this morning,” Jennifer pushed. “It’s weird, because you’re always the first in line when it comes to eating. Unless you were out?”

Chris opened his arms, gesturing to himself. “Does it look like I’ve been out?” He was wearing a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt with holes at the neckline.

“With you, I’m never sure. It looks like you’re in your pajamas, but it could also be something you’d wear to the grocery store.”

“Why did I let you in again?”

“You didn’t. I came in because I was worried about you.” Her expression softened. “What is it? I know we’re not spending as much time together as we used to, but it doesn’t mean I don’t care. You know that if there’s anything I can do, I want to help you. You just need to talk to me.”

For a moment, Chris thought about telling her everything. What would she say if he did? She’d be happy for him, and she wouldn’t understand why he was so hesitant. He didn’tunderstand it himself. He wanted to belong, and having a mate in town would help with that, yet thinking of Drake made him panic. What was it about him that made Chris simultaneously want him and want to run away from him?

“Chris?” Jennifer asked softly.

Chris shook his head. “I’m fine. I don’t need to talk to you or to anyone else.”

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