He smells him before sees him.

One minute he's talking well listening to Tracy whine about hiding her Kamina tail in gym class. The next he's frantically sniffing the air, two fragrances, entertwining, infecting his brain. The first smell, a nice one, Mason. The second smell, blood. "It hurts sometimes...you know, when it comes out and it's fucking embarrassing. Teacher Mr Moreno, was looking at me like..."

"Jackson, you know, call him, I've...gotta go"

"What? Theo we're gonna see a movie!" Tracy protests.

"Have fun, and don't tweet me the ending okay?" Theo warns as he gets up and walks, and sniffs like a bloodhound. Walking past the new mothers in oversized buggies. Past the teenagers in denim shorts carrying sneaker bags. Irritated by the hot dog stand, he walks around the food stalls until he bumps into him in at the Ice cream stall. "Hey, come here!" He grabs Mason and jerks him around.

"What the fuc-"

"I can ask you the same thing" Theo agrees. Mason is looking cute, as usual. Wearing Green jeans with a Red and Black flannel shirt. A huge double ice-cream in his hand that Theo cringed at until he reaches him. He slowly turns Mason's face with his index finger and thumb. His pale fingers a seductive contrast to the human's smooth black skin.

"What are you?...I'm fine!"

"Really? Do you wanna tell me what fucker scratched your face?"

"It was an accident!"

"I didn't ask how, I asked whom?" Before Theo could finish the "M" Liam's best friend was running. He gets out some cash and goes to the Ice cream guy. Then pauses in confusion, Theo swore under his breath before slowing down, letting him leave the mall, before meeting him at one of the many exits. He held the door open by the diamond shaped silver handle.

"Allow me Sir"

"Thee I'm A okay!" Mason pleads, walking towards the local park. By the time the teen's taken a lick of ice cream Theo is waving him over to a cosy secluded bench. Reluctantly he walks over. Taking out a pack of serviettes, Raeken leans over and applies them to the scratches.

"You don't have to-"

"Shut up, I want to" Theo says surprising himself with how much he meant it. Mason pressed the serviettes also and took over, as Theo dropped his hand away. "I'll stay here all day if I have to, I've got nowhere to be"

"Uhhh...Tracy?"

"She's cute, I'm sure she's got a ton of guys buying her popcorn. So?"

"Yeah?"

"Face?"

"Sean" Mason admits.

"Wendigo boy, where is he now?"

"Like I said it was an accident, he tried to kiss me, and his fangs came out" Mason said with a shrug. Theo nods, relived that he is actually telling the truth and not faking a story, just to calm him down.

"I can punch him the next time I see him...you know, just cause!"

"No, save the knight in shining armour act for Tracy, not for me"

He's pouting, or did Theo imagine a pout?

"I thought you liked Tracy? I thought you liked everyone?"

"I do!" Mason whines taking a extremely firm lick of his strawberry scoop. Theo squints and sniffs the air again. Now without the smells of blood, and nerves, he starting to smell something else. A signal that makes his palms even sweatier and his throat dryer than sand, But he has to be sure.

"I better go"

"What?" Mason's head jolts up with concern.

"Yeah gotta be a gent. Check up on Trace, buy her an Ice cream. Walk her home hand in hand before I tap that ass..."

"What?!"

"That's...that's jealousy!" Theo announced, pointing at him with a victorious index finger. "Shit...are you bi now?"

Mason laughs, well starts to, until they both sense the pain in his cheek. Mason takes a lick of the second scoop and stares at it, sliding his tongue over his bottom lip. "You know, for a guy that's got straight A's right now, you can be a little dense!"

"Me?"

"I'm not jealous of you for dating Tracy"

"I'm not"

With those words a silent smile creeps along Mason's mouth.

"Which pack member is it? Do you have the hots for Josh? Didn't you visit Halwyn at his site one night?"

"Thee it's you! I can't believe you haven't smelt it! I like you!" Mason confesses dropping the ice cream to the floor in frustration. "Oh crap!"

"Bull-fucking-shit!" Theo gasps, his hazel eyes moon sized in wonder.

"You honestly didn't know?"

"How could I? I mean you talk about Brett all the time and you stink of McCall! You can't blame me for getting...C...confused!" Theo stutters.

"This is my fault, I shouldn't have even come" Mason said, shoving the tissues in his pockets he starts to get up.

"Wait a-...is that why you came to mall in the first place? To spy on me and Tracy?" Theo guessed.

"I can't even lie to save face, well what's left of my face!" He chuckles.

"Look I'm flattered as fuck..."

"Thee let's not. I'm not a A star student, to my dad's horror. But I know rejections, when I see it and I'm not stupid okay? I know that you'd rather get paralysed by a Kanima than be seen in public with me" Mason nods, though there's nothing to agree with. The chimera stays silent. "You're hot, I'm not, and I'm not even sure if you're into guys this way! I can't kid myself, you'd be making out with dudes like Li, or Brett, not some loser like me, who's idea of fun is Bestiaries and druid research!"

"Mason it's not..."

"You don't have to make any excuses Theo. I'm in the wrong here. I got waaaay too jealous for my own good. The original plan was to come here with Sean. Meet up with you and Tracy and do a double date thing. How sad is that? Watching you date someone else is better than not seeing you at all..."

"It's not sad"

"Theo you don't have to be nice. I don't deserve it, not this time" Mason said getting up from the bench. He checks his pockets. Guility stares at the broken Ice cream on floor, before running out of the park in gut wrenching embarrasment.