A/N: Do you want more of Alec? I haven't planned the next chapter so I could just skip the scene with him.

*****

I was supposed to be watching the movie. That's what we came for and I knew that. Instead, I was watching my mate who was sitting to my left.

Not staring - of course not; I didn't want to make Riley uncomfortable - but gazing at him from the corner of my eye.

His reactions to the film were much more entertaining than the film itself. The bright light of the screen grew softer as it reached his face, but it was enough for me to notice every smile, frown and excited, silent 'oh!'.

I'd expected him to be happy with the presence of Jack Frost, but he also seemed particularly delighted by the accents of the Easter Bunny and Santa. A feisty Santa with a Russian accent and tattoos - I had to admit, he was an amusing character.

I wondered how Riley felt about the tattoos.

A wolf howling at the moon, a paw print, our sacred tree or Silver Bullets written in a fancy script - a lot of pack members had proudly inked those into their skin.

I'd wanted to do it as well.

I would have done it if I wasn't worried about my mate's reaction to it. I'd have to ask Riley about his opinion at some point. Maybe tonight. I could ask after the movie was over.

Santa had some pretty cool ink, didn't he? What do you think about tattoos, Riley?

Yeah, that sounded conversational. It was casual enough.

Could Riley have tattoos?

My head stood still, my face toward the screen, but my eyes glided up and down Riley's profile.

I couldn't see underneath his clothes, of course. Not under the skinny jeans, nor the long-sleeved shirt.

A crease formed on my forehead. I couldn't remember ever seeing Riley without long sleeves, even when it was hot outside. Perhaps it was a fashion statement. Or perhaps, like Detective Callum who wore a coat in the summer, Riley had a medical condition.

If so, what could it be?

Was there a treatment?

Could we afford it?

What would we do if we couldn't?

What if...

I quietly sighed.

I was reading too much into this, too soon. It could be just a fashion thing. After all, Riley's hand had been warm that time at the café when he brushed the cream off my face...

I closed my eyes and trembled.

Riley's touch was not what I should be concentrating on in a movie theatre full of humans.

"You okay, bro?" Kennedy asked from my right.

"Yeah." I opened my eyes, taking in a deep breath; Riley didn't seem to notice as he laughed at what was going on on the screen.

"I'm fine," I murmured and tried to concentrate on the movie.

*****

Okay. Now would be a good time to ask. The film is over. Just open your mouth and ask. It's not that hard. It sounds completely casual and not as something you've been pondering.

My lips parted, but a voice other than my own captured Riley's attention.

"We should totally go for ice cream." We had almost reached the lobby. "Rhys' treat, right, big bro?"

"He's already paid the tickets, Kennedy..."

"I don't mind," I cut off my mate's protest with a smile. We could discuss the movie and what Riley thought of tattoos over ice cream. That way, I got to spend a bit more time with him. I should definitely thank my baby brother for that suggestion as well.

My phone vibrated and started ringing in the pocket of my jeans.

"Excuse me for a second." I reluctantly turned my back on Riley and moved away. "Hello?"

"Hey, Rhys. I... I need your help."

Whatever was bothering Everett, it had to do with his son; I could tell by his voice. A silently cussed my nephew.

"What has he done now?"
"I don't know." My older brother sounded tired. "He called me from Woodville General hospital, but he wouldn't tell me much. I don't know if he's injured, I don't know if he's hurt somebody... I just don't know, Rhys."

"And you want me to come with you to pick him up?" I guessed.

"I'm sorry. I know you are with Riley tonight, but I might lose it around Alec. I need you by my side, brother. I'd take Lisa, but..."

He didn't need to finish.

Lisa tried to make Alec feel at home in her house for Everett's sake, but the boy always made her uneasy, scared her even. To add to that, children were a painful topic in my brother's household with Lisa not managing to conceive for years while Alec was the flesh and blood of Everett, a child he'd had from another woman...

Things were tough on Lisa the way they were; it would be unfair to put her in a situation we knew nothing about when we could avoid that.

"We are leaving now and I'll come pick you up and drop Kennedy off..."

"Actually, I'm on my way to you. I'm almost at the cinema. I'll wait for you in the parking lot."

"Okay. See you in a bit."

I ended the call and went back. My brother was just letting go of the shoulder of a very surprised Riley when I reached them.

"That was Everett." I put my phone in my pocket. "He's heading this way. I guess we'll have to take a rain check on that ice cream."

I tried to hide both my disappointment and my excitement when I saw Riley wasn't pleased with the news.

"Oh, yeah, a rain check." He muttered.

Kennedy raised an eyebrow at me and I shook my head. I didn't want to explain what was going on in front of my mate. Not that there was much to explain. All I knew was that my nephew was at some hospital.

"We'll drop you off." I nodded towards the door.

"You don't have to do that..." Riley began.

"My brother wasn't asking. He wants to make sure you get home safely." Kennedy took us both by the hand and lead the way towards the exit.

"Just to make sure you won't try to run off on your own." He grinned at Riley when the older boy looked surprised at my brother's actions. "Not that we won't be able to catch you."

The three of us walked hand in hand until we heard a honk: Everett was signaling to us where he'd parked.

I'll have to come back for my car later, I thought as we reached my brother's vehicle and I opened the back door for Riley and Kennedy to climb in. I took the passenger seat.

"Hey." Everett greeted us with a washed-out smile.

"Hi, I'm Riley," my mate replied after a brief examination of my eldest sibling.

"I know." Everett started the car. "We met a few weeks ago at the parking lot. Although I didn't know your name back then; Rhys told me what it was later."

"Take a left here," I instructed so that my brother wouldn't have to go through the main road where the car crash had taken place. The traffic should be restored to usual by now, but it was better to avoid that street, just in case.

"My address is..." Riley began, but Everett cut him off:

"I know."

"You do?"

"I told him," I explained.

"Sorry about the other night." Everett glanced at my mate in the back view mirror. "About Alec, I mean. He is..."

"A manipulative, sadistic..."

"Kennedy!" I admonished. There was no way for the boy to know what was worrying our brother tonight or realize that his words would only stoke a fire of emotions inside Everett. Perhaps his ignorance was why he calmly replied:

"I was going to go easy on the boy and say 'jackass'. You should hurry up and get me other nephews, Rhys, because the one Everett provided sucks."

I flinched at what he'd said.

Kennedy was clever and sometimes even wise for his age, but moments like these reminded me he was just a kid. He might have meant it as a playful way to let me know I should speed things up with Riley, but without realizing it he stepped on Everett's toes... Twice. Once by reminding him his son was a screw-up and once by reminding him he had no other children... And he really craved those with Lisa.

"Kennedy." I warned again, but he still could not get it.

"Well, I'm sorry, Everett, but you know what your son is like."

"Yeah, I know." My older brother's voice was almost a whisper. "Maybe I shouldn't have insisted that he came to live with us; maybe he should've stayed with his mother..."

"It was decided that the community will give Alec a chance and that's what we are doing." I attempted to reassure my brother although I -like many others from our pack - regretted the day we'd allowed the half-breed to move into Everett's home. "I admit, I'm not pleased with it but the Council..."

I clamped my mouth shut when I saw Riley's reflection in the rearview mirror. He'd unsuccessfully pretended he wasn't interested in what I was saying by looking outside through the window, a flicker of fear in his eyes.

There was tension in the car now.

Everett was tense because his son had been missing and was now in a hospital.

I was tense because my nephew always got me irate, because my older brother was worried and because my mate was scared.

Riley was tensed and frightened.

Kennedy was tensed because he sensed all that.

Something had to change.

"I'm sorry, Riley." I used the most gentle tone I could muster. Our eyes met into the rearview mirror and I saw him relax a tad.

"I'm sorry." I repeated. "Alec is a family... issue and we shouldn't get you involved."

"So, how was the movie?" Everett joined my attempt at clearing the mood.

"Loved it," Riley replied through an exhale.

"Jack Frost; 'nuff said," Kennedy chimed in.

"Animated teenage boys should not be that cute," the former added.

"You are into skinny dudes? That's not good," Kennedy murmured.

"How come?" Riley asked.

My youngest sibling gazed at me and for a moment I panicked as I thought he'd say something amongst the lines of 'Well, Rhys is not skinny'.

"'Cause I'm not skinny," he replied with a wink instead and I laughed along with everyone else, relieved.

"I'll walk you to the door," I insisted when we stopped in front of Riley's apartment building and I hurried to get out of the car and hold the door open for my mate.

"Thanks," he muttered and we walked up the stair to the building door.

"So," he said, bouncing on the soles of his feat. "Got to love a Santa with a Russian accent, huh?"

This was the perfect time to add 'and with tattoos' and see his reaction. But I'd leave that for another day. A day when we had a time for a discussion and not just a yes/no answer; a day when I wasn't wondering how on Earth was I to keep Everett calm after we reached the hospital when I myself wanted to strangle my nephew for worrying my brother and cutting my time with my mate short.

A slam of a door startled me and Kennedy ran towards us.

"Can I have a hug goodbye, Riley?" He asked and my mate smiled.

"Sure."

The two of them embraced, Kennedy grinning when he stepped back, looked me straight in the eye and said 'your turn'.

"You don't have to," a very red-faced Riley told me, lowering his head and looking up at me through his eyelashes.

I wanted to.

I wanted to hug him.

I wanted to kiss him.

I wanted to take him upstairs and snuggle with him in his bed.

I couldn't.

I had to help Everett.

At least that was my excuse.

It was true, but there was another reason why I didn't embrace Riley.

I was scared to.

What if I got it wrong?

Could you even get a hug wrong?

I bet I could.

What if I got too excited and he noticed?

What if I began to shift in front of him?

"Good night, Riley," I shot out, my hand darting towards his and hurriedly squeezing it once, amazed at how even that brief contact sent my senses into overdrive.

Kennedy shook his head and slapped his palm over his forehead.

"Yeah, good night," Riley muttered and entered the building, not even looking at me as he closed the door.

*****

A/N: Rhys and/or Riley with tattoos: yay or nay?

Do you remember what Kennedy and Riley spoke about while Rhys was on the phone?

And speaking of Kennedy: he kind of messed up in the car, didn't he?

Why do YOU think Alec is in the hospital?

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