Accidentally in Love with the Best Friend

j.u.s.t.i.n.’.s....p.o.v.

As I kissed Harp with so much passion it kind of scared me, I couldn’t help but smile along with Seth at the fact that she liked us - more than just friends! But we couldn’t just hang in this between-relationship zone forever. My coronation was this Friday, whether I liked it or not.

I knew that holding back my secret any longer would only hurt us. It wasn’t going to be the easiest thing to break to Harp, but I was going to get in more trouble if I shielded it from her. There was no way that I was going to drop the bomb on her right after I brought her to the pack house, telling her that she was stuck with me ’till death do us part.

I pulled away, and Harp followed my lips, not too pleased I had shut it down so early. She pouted adorably, as I ran a hand through my hair, placing a hand on her waist gently. She leaned into me, looking up through her lashes.

“Is something wrong, Justin?”

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

“And?” She didn’t seem impressed. To her, she felt like it was some small thing. But to me, this was a big confession.

“It’s really important.” Harp nodded, seeing that it was important to me. She peeled herself off of me, and although I missed having her so close, I was grateful she was aware of the space I needed.

“So...?”

“I guess this is going to be really hard to explain.” I said, rubbing the back of my neck uncomfortably, before she grabbed my wrist gently.

“Justin, no matter what it is, I’ll stand by you.” I smiled up at her, but she didn’t know how crazy this was going to sound.

“I - I’m a werewolf.”

She sat still, watching me, waiting for me to laugh and tell her this is all a prank and that really my father’s company was something I didn’t want to do, nor burden her with. When that didn’t come, her eyes grew wide as realization hit her hard.

“Y-you’re not kidding, are you? You actually think that you’re a werewolf?!” Harp looked at me like she thought I was crazy, which I had expected. What happened next, however, wasn’t what I had hoped for.

My cheek burned as she slapped me with all her force. “I trusted you! And you pull something like this!”

“What?!”

“You said you cared for me. Now I can see you’re just a sarcastic jerk that likes to get at peoples’ feelings!”

“No, no Harp - none of that was a lie! You’ve known me for so long, you know that’s not how I am!”

“Do I?” She asked, the first tear running down her face, followed by another. Seth whined as I sighed inwardly. This was not how I had wanted the night to go. “Justin, I haven’t been close to you lately - people do change, you know.”

“Harp, I know that we both may have changed since when we were younger, but you know me deep down, and I can assure you - I don’t lie!”

“So you’re really convinced you’re a wild animal?” She raised an eyebrow as she looked at me underneath her scrutinizing gaze. “Really, Justin?”

“I know it’s hard to believe, but if you remember back to the cave -”

“What? What happened in the cave? I thought you hadn’t known where I was while I was trapped.”

I took a deep breath. If the initial secret didn’t go down well with Harp the first time, this wouldn’t either. “I um... I was the wolf.”

She shook her head, standing up, brushing the tears away, trying to be strong. “I really thought you cared,” her voice was soft and laced with hurt. Seth clawed at my self-control, trying to cradle our mate in our secure arms.

“I do-”

“Then you wouldn’t make fun of something that scared me to death!”

I tried to pull her back to me, but she pushed herself away, walking over the dirty dishes and hurrying to the curtain that separated us from the rest of the world. Just before Harp left, she turned and gave me one last glance. “And just when I thought you liked me.”

She ran out of there in the next second, and I followed right after her. I hadn’t realized how long we had been in the tent, it was already dark. I wouldn’t have been able to follow her if she hadn’t been wearing the bright orange sundress. Luckily, the sandals slowed her down despite how high her determination was.

I slowed down and put my head in my hands. There was no way I could successfully turn this around and be with her by Friday. I needed nothing short of a miracle.

Even if I could never be with her, I knew one thing.

I at least needed to see her home safe.