Casper stood behind the closed door of the small cottage he shared with Sebastian, his back pressed against the cool wood.
The voices from the main cottage had carried through the morning air—Shane's teasing, Elijah's laughter, Zachary's flustered protests, and Aida's knowing, playful observations.
He had heard everything.
A small smirk played on his lips, unbidden and unwanted. He tried to suppress it, but it refused to fade.
There was something oddly endearing about Zachary's complete inability to hide his feelings. The way his voice cracked.
The way he stammered. The way he fled the porch like a pup caught with his paw in the honey jar.
He has a crush on me. That's cute.
The thought was... unexpected.
Casper had spent so long being the observer, the quiet one, the brother who stayed in the background.
He wasn't used to being noticed.
He certainly wasn't used to being the subject of someone's obvious, undeniable, completely flustered affection.
He pushed off from the door, running a hand through his dark hair. His grey eyes drifted to the small window, where he could see the main cottage in the distance.
Somewhere inside, Zachary was probably still red-faced, still stammering, still trying to deny the very obvious truth.
Casper's smirk faded, replaced by something heavier.
His mind drifted to Alliah.
Her quiet smile.
The way she had looked at him with such certainty, such quiet acceptance. The way she had told him, not long ago, that their future together was uncertain.
"You're not the settling type, Casper. And I'm not the type to hold someone back. If the bond calls you somewhere else, you have to go. You have to follow it."
He had thought she was being dramatic.
He had thought she was testing him.
But now, standing in this small cottage in a village full of wolves and witches, he wondered if she had seen something he hadn't.
No wonder Alliah told me my future is uncertain if I stay with her.
Casper let out a heavy sigh, the sound echoing in the quiet room.
He pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes, willing the thoughts to still.
This is ridiculous. I barely know Zachary. He barely knows me. It's just a crush. Nothing more. It will fade.
But even as he thought it, he knew it wasn't true.
There was something about Zachary's earnestness, his nervous energy, the way he tried so hard to be composed and failed spectacularly.
It was... endearing.
No. I have Alliah. I made a commitment. I don't abandon commitments.
He straightened his shoulders, forcing his expression back to its usual neutral mask. He would go to the main cottage. He would sit at the table. He would eat breakfast and make polite conversation and ignore the way Zachary's eyes kept darting toward him.
I can do this.
Casper opened the door and stepped out into the morning sun, his face carefully blank.
When he arrived at the main cottage, the scene was exactly as he'd expected. Shane was at the table, already halfway through a plate of food.
Timothy sat nearby, his expression patient.
Elijah and Mara were side by side, their heads bent together in quiet conversation. Aida was lounging by the window, her eyes sharp and knowing.
And Zachary was at the far end of the table, his face still faintly pink, his eyes fixed on his plate like it held all the secrets of the universe.
Casper took a seat at the opposite end of the table, as far from Zachary as possible. He didn't look at him.
He didn't acknowledge him. He simply reached for a cup of blood tea, courtesy of Mara, and took a slow sip.
But he felt Zachary's gaze on him. Brief. Fleeting. Gone as quickly as it came.
Shane, ever oblivious, broke the silence. "Casper! There you are! We were just talking about you."
Casper's eyebrow rose. "I'm sure you were."
"Zachary was defending your honor," Shane continued, his grin wide. "Very passionately, I might add."
Zachary's head snapped up. "No, please don't listen to them. We were just joking."
"You were just being very loud about how much you don't have a crush on him," Shane said, his voice dripping with false innocence.
"Shut it already, Shane. I don't—"
Zachary stopped himself, his face now the color of a ripe tomato. He took a deep breath, clearly trying to compose himself.
"I don't have a crush on him," he said, his voice strained but controlled. "I barely know him."
Casper set down his cup, his expression unreadable. "I know you barely know me. We've spoken maybe three times."
Zachary's eyes widened, clearly surprised that Casper had acknowledged him. "Exactly, yes. That's what I said. Three times. That's not a lot."
"It's enough to know someone," Casper said quietly, his grey eyes fixed on Zachary with an intensity that made the wolf shrink back slightly.
"Sometimes it only takes one conversation to know if someone is worth knowing."
The room fell silent. A few people exchanged glances. Shane's grin flickered with uncertainty.
Zachary stared at him, his mouth slightly open.
Something like hope flickered in his eyes, a fragile, tentative hope that maybe, just maybe, Casper was saying what he thought he was saying.
Then Casper's expression shifted.
The faint warmth in his gaze vanished, replaced by something cold and distant. He leaned back in his chair, his arms crossing over his chest.
"But in this case," Casper continued, his voice flat, "it's also enough to know that I'm not interested."
The words landed like a slap.
Zachary's face remained still. Too still.
His expression didn't crumble the way everyone expected. Instead, it smoothed over, like a mask sliding into place.
He blinked once, then twice, and then a small, controlled smile curved his lips. Casper could see him heaving a deep sigh before speaking.
"I see," he said, his voice surprisingly steady.
"Well, good for you. I hope she makes you happy."
The room went very, very quiet.
Casper's eyes narrowed slightly, clearly thrown off by Zachary's composure. He was not sure if Zachary had actually heard him or he was pretending not to.
"Zach—"
"I said I understand," Zachary interrupted, his tone light, almost dismissive.
"You have someone. You're committed. That's great. Really. I am happy for you."
He shrugged, a casual, careless gesture. "I wasn't looking for anything anyway. I was just being friendly. Apparently, that got misinterpreted."
He let out a short, humorless laugh.
"My bad, I guess."
Elijah's brow furrowed. "Zach—"
Zachary held up a hand, cutting him off.
"It's fine, Eli. Really. No harm done."
He turned to Casper, his smile still in place, perfectly pleasant. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. That wasn't my intention. You seem like a decent guy, and I hope things work out with your... partner."
His voice didn't waver. His expression didn't crack.
Casper stared at him for a long moment, something flickering in his grey eyes, uncertainty, maybe, or confusion. "I—thank you."
"No problem."
Zachary rose from his seat, brushing off his clothes with practiced ease.
"I should probably go check on the young pups from earlier. Elijah, I'll catch up with you later."
He walked toward the door, his steps unhurried, his posture relaxed. He paused at the threshold and glanced back, his smile still in place.
"Oh, and Shane? Don't worry about the teasing. It's fine. I'm not some fragile pup who can't handle a joke."
He winked, a surprisingly smooth gesture. "You'll have to try harder to get under my skin."
Then he was gone, the door clicking softly behind him.
The silence he left behind was deafening.
Shane stared at the closed door, his mouth slightly open.
"Okay... that was weird, right? That was definitely weird."
Elijah's expression was rather relaxed. It was not something to be worried of, Casper noted that.
Timothy looked toward the door, his brow furrowed. "Is he okay?"
Elijah let out a slow breath.
"Yeah, don't worry about him. That's just Zach."
Aida, who had been uncharacteristically silent, finally spoke. "That boy has higher walls than I thought of. Sebastian should take note."
Casper's jaw tightened. He said nothing, but his hands, resting on the table, had curled into fists.