Oskar Dahl called up the stairs to his son, “Andie! Jake’s in the driveway.”

Andie yelled down the hall, “Tell him to come in.”

“He said he wants you to come out.”

“Alright, alright.” Andie threw on a pair of shorts, some flip-flops, and his beet-red 'Schrute’s Farm' t-shirt and came down the stairs. What in the hell was Jake doing sitting in the driveway? Was he still mad about their most recent argument over staying at the ranch instead of coming to UT? That was days ago. It hadn’t even been a bad one– just a squabble. Jake hadn’t seemed mad about it after…

When Andie went out the front door, he saw Jake’s battered old Chevy idling in the driveway, with Jake sitting behind the wheel, staring straight ahead. Weird. He went over to the truck, but he wasn’t even sure Jake had noticed him walking up. Sure enough, when Andie tapped on the driver’s side window, Jake jumped about a foot. Puzzled, Andie tilted his head. What in the hell is going on with him tonight? Jake cranked the window down. He spoke to Andie without meeting his eyes. “Can we ride down to the park to talk?”

Andie’s eyebrows drew together. “Sure, I guess? What’s going on?” Jake didn’t speak; he just shook his head no. Like that was an answer to the question Andie had just asked him. Something was definitely up. Jake smelled wrong. Riled up and sad and just… wrong. Andie’s palms started to get sweaty. Had something happened at work? Had something happened to his mom?

Andie ran back to the front door and told his dad where he was headed, then hurried back and climbed into the truck, surprised that Jake hadn’t gotten out to open the door for him. That’s a first, he thought, and buckled up for the mile-long ride to the park.

Jake drove in silence and Andie sat in silence, brows furrowed, pulse picking up speed every second. Usually, Jake couldn’t stand awkward silences. He’d chat anyone’s ear off, given half a chance. What in the hell was wrong?

It was Andie who tried to fill the silence this time, eager to root out the source of the weirdness. “Jake, are you ok? Is your mom ok? Is Amy ok? Did you get in a fight with your mom? Something bad happened at work? What’s going on?”

Jake didn’t answer. Just drove until they got to the park and pulled into a spot. He put the truck in first gear, yanked up the parking brake with unnecessary force, and then killed the engine. He turned and looked at Andie, and Andie’s case of nerves was abruptly converted into genuine fear. Something was really wrong.

“You remember when we first met? Right over there?” Jake said, pointing to the area where the Easter Egg hunt had taken place on every non-rainy Easter of their lives.

“Yes, Jake, I remember,” said Andie slowly. Obviously, he remembered.

“That day, I knew. I knew right then and there that you were the only Omega for me,” Jake said in a strange voice, followed by a short, bitter laugh.

“Right, and you’re the only Alpha for me…” It wasn’t like Andie didn’t know their meet-cute story. He’d been there, too.

“Is that right?” said Jake, with withering sarcasm.

“Yeah, that’s right,” replied Andie with some irritation. Enough with the long, dramatic lead-in.

“Jake, what is going on?! Why are you talking like that? Why are you bringing this up? Why are we in this truck at this park, and why do you smell so angry? Whatever it is, spit it out and get it over with. Is this about going to UT? Or me going to UT?”

“Andie, were you practically sitting in Clay Lee’s lap, hugging his neck outside the H.E.B. yesterday? With his face all up in your neck, scenting you?”

Andie looked back, mouth hanging open in shock. Blood was pounding in his ears. Clay? That’s what this is all about? “Whoa. Now hold on. Yes, I was sitting with Clay, and yes, I was hugging him, but I was not on his lap, and he was not scenting me. It was just becau—”

“That’s all I needed to know. I wanted to hear it from you.”

“Like hell, that’s all you need to know! I can’t tell you why he was upset, but he was upset for a good reason. I was just comforting him. He’s my friend. We’ve known each other since the third grade.”

“He’s another Alpha, Andie. Another Alpha touching you all over! Scenting you. Holding you. I wasn’t asking for the moon from you; I just wanted some basic respect. You couldn’t even get to UT before you got started finding my replacement?”

What in the fuck was happening? Why was Jake doing this? “Respect?!” Andie fired back. “This isn’t about respect, and it sure isn’t about me ‘replacing’ you. This is about control and trust. You have no right to tell me who I can and can’t spend my time with. Nothing is going on with me and Clay, and nothing ever will be. We’re friends, and sometimes, friends hug. Especially when one of them is having a hard time, which Clay is right now. That’s the end of it. You're my mate. I’m your mate. He's a friend. As my mate, you either trust me when I tell you something, or you don’t.”

“I don’t.” Jake’s words rang out like a slap in the cab of the truck. “I tried to, believe me, I tried to. I didn’t believe it at first. But it’s true, and this whole shitty town is laughing at me. That I thought I could have Mr. Homecoming Royalty. Mr. Valedictorian. Mr. Full-Ride Scholarship. Meridian High’s favorite son. I thought I could crawl out of that trailer park, and you’d follow me. You’re probably better off with him anyway. He’s going to college at UT. He’s rich. His daddy can buy you two a nice house and a couple of nice cars that run. Does Clay know about the claim, though? Is he gonna pay for you to get rid of it?”

Andie felt his face turning red with hurt and fury. Tears were welling up in his eyes. He tried to blink them back. “Jake! Stop this. Stop it right now! You are saying things you can’t take back. I did not cheat on you with Clay or anybody else. I don’t want anyone else. I have never been scented by anybody but you. I have never wanted anybody but you. You are hurting me so badly right now, and for what? A hug? I don’t care what you think you know or what people think they saw. I did not do anything wrong. I would never cheat on you. I would never hurt you that way.”

“Oh, I guess what I’m feeling right now is happiness and fulfillment, then. Guess you even know how I feel better than I do,” said Jake with a sneer in his voice.

The tears escaped. Andie tried to take refuge in logic. He tried to de-escalate. “That’s a straw man, Jake! I did not say that! I can tell you’re really upset. I just don’t understand why. Something else is going on, or you wouldn’t act like this. What is wrong, Jake? Listen to me: Clay needed a friend yesterday. He called me. I went by to see him on his break. We talked for a while. Yes, he put his head on my shoulder for a short while. Yes, I gave him a hug. That’s it, though. He does not feel that way about me, and I do not feel that way about him! I am your claimed mate!”

“I know what I saw, Andie. All those math tutoring sessions? Were y’all studying multiplication or what?”

“Jake, what the actual fuck? Did you cook up that line on the way here? Well, I guess we can rule out majoring in screenwriting.” Andie stopped and tamped down his temper before continuing. “You are my mate. I let you claim me not even two months ago. That’s how I feel about you. That’s how committed I am to you. We are supposed to spend our lives together, but I’m telling you now that I’m not gonna live like this. I’m not going to let you dictate how I spend my time or with whom. I’m not going to be talked to like trash! I had no idea that you were even capable of acting like this.”

Jake flushed at the critique of his behavior, but, arriving at the crossroads between 'time to apologize' and 'time to go on the offensive,' he chose to go on the offensive. “That makes two of us. I had no idea I would ever need to. The claim was a mistake. Another of my many fuck-ups.”

“A mistake? You’re saying this is a mistake? It was a mistake you were pretty fucking eager to make, then, Jake!” Andie yanked the collar of his shirt to the side, exposing the still-pink claim bite where his neck met his left shoulder. Jake looked, blushed an angry red, and looked away.

“You’re saying giving myself to you was a mistake. That you don’t want me anymore. Because I was helping a friend. Right out in public, I might add. Not hiding a thing. Because I have nothing to hide.”

Jake stared out the driver’s side window and said nothing, his jaw and his mind both tightly locked.