They were only allowed a few short days together before the weekend was over and Eivind needed to return back to work.<i>The honeymoon will come soon, I promise</i>, the wolf had whispered, his voice low and husky in the chilly evening air, stars beginning to dot the horizon as they lay together in the grass.<i>I just need to tie up a few loose ends. </i><br/><br/>A few loose ends. Just business talk for Eivind but for Blue it meant something more. One of Blue's "loose ends" was running around somewhere, terrorizing wolves, probably raping someone, or ripping out a throat. Tying up that end wouldn't be so simple, but Blue tried to push those thoughts away, instead focusing on how wonderful the warm sand would feel between his toes, or how much he would enjoy dipping his sore body into the ocean after a round of vigorous lovemaking in a private beach bungalow.<br/><br/>It was becoming routine for Blue to be caught up in a whirlwind of contradicting emotions. Stepping back into their camper again, their tiny little home away from home, left the young human feeling simultaneous relief and dread. He loved the camper. He loved the work Eivind had put into it, how he had slowly been replacing the remaining old appliances with brand new stainless steel, how he spent his free hours staining the new cupboards and fixing up any tiny imperfection he could find. Lounging in the comfort of their little haven, surrounded by fresh air and towering evergreens, was better than any single moment spent in the dingy motel. They could be themselves here.<br/><br/>And yet... something felt off. Blue sat curled up on the sofa, knees tucked up with a sketchpad in his lap. The pencil hesitantly hovered over the paper as he stared out the camper window at the trees outside. So. Damn. Green.<br/><br/>His head snapped as the door lock clicked and Sig and Stellan entered, returned from their own brief couples' retreat, it seemed. Blue smiled, setting his sketchpad aside as he stood to take both men into his arms. "You made it back," he chided. "Eivind and I were worried you both had finally gotten sick of all the mushy shit and made a run for it."<br/><br/>"I thought about it," Stellan joked, smirking slightly as he sat down, sinking into the sofa where Blue had sat only moments prior. "Sig convinced me to stay. Even with a motorcycle, gas prices are ridiculous."<br/><br/>Blue grinned, wrapping standing behind Sig and wrapping his arms affectionately around the little wolf's shoulders. "Well, I'm honored you've decided to grace me with your presence. With school out, it gets pretty boring around here when Eivind's working. I was thinking of going for a hike, though. You two interested?"<br/><br/>Stellan's eyes nervously latched onto his mate, lips taking on the shape of a reluctant frown beneath his dark mustache. "Blue, we gotta tell you something'," he began, voice low. He looked down at the floor, bringing his hands together and squeezing his fingers. There was a drawn out moment of silence as Blue untangled himself from his friend, gray eyes wide and curious.<br/><br/>"What is it?"<br/><br/>"I, uh... The reason Sig and me left, y'know, is 'cause, well, Lof called me back."<br/><br/>"Oh..." He frowned, thick eyebrows knitting together.<br/><br/>"He wants to make a move on your pack. I... I managed to stall 'im. Temporarily."<br/><br/>Blue exhaled slowly, weaving his arms together over his torso and hugging his limbs tightly against himself. "How did you manage that?"<br/><br/>Stellan sighed, shaking his head as he looked to Sig, eyes pleading for help. Telling Blue what he had done was even more painful than he anticipated, and watching as a heavy weight sunk onto his young friend's shoulders left his mouth dry, his heart racing. Blue didn't deserve any of this. But they had gone too far.<i>He</i>had gone too far.<br/><br/>"Blue, I'm... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."