Episode 48: When Nature Calls

Genre: Horror
Characters: Kaya, Rafe, Charlie, Connor, Caleb, Gina
Word Count: 3,365
Rating: R
Type: Series
Summary: Charlie finds Kaya knocked out in her bedroom and Rafe nowhere in sight drawing Connor to action. Connor hunts down the missing Alpha only to find someone else has taken his place...someone he's never before encountered.
Warnings: Language, suggestive material, violence, adult content, adult situations, nudity

“Luna? Luna can you hear me? Kaya? Kaya wake up!” Charlie entered the bedroom against the warnings he felt of the others in the pack. They were all fully aware of what their Alpha was doing within the closed boundaries of his quarters and no one dared to interrupt the act even hearing the obvious signs of a struggle. Upon entering Charlie discovered the bedroom window shattered and glass covering the floor and part of the dresser. The headboard had been smashed to pieces and there were holes in the plaster around the bed.

Rafe was nowhere in sight and Kaya’s prone body lie on the floor naked and bleeding. “Alex get the doctor!” he yelled as he lifted her into his arms and rushed her out of the room. “Hurry!” Running as quickly as he could down the stairs, Charlie laid her on a table in the clinic and tried again to revive her.

“Ky?!” Connor yelled worriedly as he entered the house. He’d heard her cry for help and ran as quickly as he could to get to her. “KAYA!” rushing forward he held his friend’s head within his hands and shook her. “Kaya! No, no, no, don’t do this!” Glancing towards the wolves occupying the doorway his eyes darkened with anger and he growled ferociously in their direction. “What happened? Who did this?!”

“Excuse me, watch out, coming through,” a petite blonde spoke as she pushed her way into the room. “Back away please,” she instructed both Connor and Charlie so she could get a better look at the wolf in need of her attention. Examining her quickly, she analyzed the bite mark on her neck and sighed. “Where’s the Alpha?”

Charlie shrugged and everything became clearer for Connor. “That son of a bitch!” 

He ran from the room and picked up Rafe’s scent. Shifting he started out to the woods in search of the wolf responsible for the condition in which his best friend was left. Every nerve in his body drove him forward, powered by anger. He knew Rafe was older but at this point that didn’t matter. Kaya’s life was hanging in the balance and it was his fault for leaving her behind with her mate. She trusted him to take care of her and he betrayed her; left her in the hands of someone that should have been looking out for her. And instead Rafe left her for dead on the cold floor of their bedroom naked and in need of medical help.

Rain fell on his fur, soaking him to the bone but he couldn’t stop to care. Hearing a slight rustling to his right, Connor turned in the direction and followed the sound until he came upon the clearing and the trail of blood; he was close. The sight of the nude man came into focus as he stepped out of the bushes behind him. He growled alerting Rafe of his presence and waited for him to turn. With the way he felt he wasn’t above attacking him while his back was turned but he wasn’t the type to take a cheapshot. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before,” he spoke ignoring Connor’s growls behind him.

Finally standing and turning to face the wolf he smiled as he shifted back and looked at him in shock. “What? Am I not who you expected?” Caleb smirked and moved forward. Connor remained locked in his position watching the man as he circled him. He could smell Kaya on his flesh and sensed Rafe close as well but everything about the dark haired stranger standing before him demanded his attention. “From the look on your face I can surmise Kaya never told you; surprising considering you’re supposedly her best friend. Though I do suppose keeping this a secret was for the best; I should be proud she did. Exposing the truth could have been much more dangerous for all involved.”

“Who the fuck are you?”

“Oh right that’s very rude of me isn’t it Connor? My apologies. We were never ‘properly’ introduced.” Stepping back in front of him again Caleb extended his hand and waited for it to be met by the redhead. “My name is Caleb. Though you’re probably more suited to call me Rafe he’s currently…gone. Well not really, we are the same.”

Connor ignored the gesture and took a step back. Looking the man over with contempt and confusion he tried analyzing the situation as best as possible. “The shit that’s been happening with Rafe lately…it was you?” Caleb nodded his head and smiled. He felt the wolf’s anger as he rushed through the woods but that all seemed distorted now as they stood face-to-face. Connor took one step back and tried to put things together. The name he’d heard a few times from both Kaya and Lobo. But neither mentioned that upon taking the name the man he knew as Rafe became someone else completely. Caleb seemed to relish in Connor’s anguish and watched as he tried to make sense of what was happening. He looked up and noticed the cocky smirk on the man’s face.

His hands balled into fists at his side and he dug his feet into the dirt. Kaya’s face flashed in front of him and he saw her lying naked on the table in the clinic just beyond the dirt trail he followed to get here. All at once his anger reignited and he dove at the man tackling him to the ground. Instinctively he swung at his face with rage bouncing his fist into his jaw until he heard a pop.

Caleb rolled Connor to his back and met him with a round of fists of his own. Connor blocked the last and was able to kick free of the dark haired stranger and get to his feet. The two stood mere steps away both growling and breathing heavily waiting on the other to make a move. It was again Connor who charged the man throwing another set of fists towards his face and midsection. Caleb caught him around the shoulders and slammed him hard against a tree and watched the leaves fall aimlessly from their branches and drift slowly to the ground. “I’m going to fucking kill you!” Connor roared still swinging furiously. One of his fists connected, knocking Caleb away. He landed just a few feet in front of the redhead and smiled.

“You’re welcomed to try,” Caleb laughed and jumped to his feet meeting Connor midway in the clearing. They tangled once more and both men rolled over the cold, wet ground trading blows as the wind howled around them. Small drops of water pelted over their hot flesh and they became a blur of skin and mud as the rain beat down on them.

Their hair swung furiously as each man did his best to dominate the other. A frenzy of kicks and fists flew from both competitors with Caleb working very little to subdue the younger man. With one fist after another he teased the redhead; hitting harder only when the mood suited him. Connor on the other hand packed his hardest punch into Caleb’s jaw. A mouthful of blood splattered the ground at his feet and his neck snapped with the impact of the blow.

Caleb’s eyes grew darker and suddenly the fun and games had stopped. Connor was playing for keeps and Caleb grew serious about the redhead. If the wolf was out for blood, that’s exactly what he’d give him. Unsheathing his claws, he moved forward and swiped at Connor’s chest. A set of gash marks appeared in his flesh and dripped blood profusely. Connor took a step back and looked at the newly sliced wound on his right pec. Seeing how the Alpha wanted to play, his claws extended and he rushed forward for another attack.

The two locked up again but this time it was Connor who gained the upper hand. Smashing his foot into the man’s knee he toppled Caleb and once down kicked his ribs with force. Caleb rolled to his back as Connor’s foot was coming down again on his chest. He caught him mid stomp and pushed him backwards. Wobbling on his feet, Connor stumbled backwards into a tree after a quick right from Caleb. The rain pounded harder against the men as they once again sized up their opponent. Connor’s breathing was labored as he circled the area and Caleb’s smirk grew wider; he’d only just begun. 

“STOP!” the voice echoed in the trees around them. Ignoring the faint cry for reprieve Connor’s mind fixed on slaughtering the tattooed terror where he stood. Moving in again the same voice yelled once more and very quickly Charlie rushed between the two men before they could collide again. He held the wolves at bay and gave each a hard push to the chest. “Get back to the pack house! Kaya could awaken at any moment and I’m sure she’ll want to see a familiar face when she does,” he spoke to Connor ignoring the snarling of his brother just over his shoulder. Connor’s gaze remained locked on Caleb’s and he shifted his weight back and forth over both feet waiting for him to jump. “Connor, please. Go see about your friend.”

Tearing himself away from the scene Connor rushed back down the path towards the house. He hoped by the time he arrived Kaya would be alert and ready to get the hell back to Willow Reed. Watching the wolf disappear through the woods, Charlie finally turned to look at his brother. A smile formed on his lips as he saw him for the man he used to be. He reached out and caught him in an embrace and the two held one another for a moment reflecting on times long since passed and what they once shared. “It’s good to see you again Brother!”

“Yeah well I can tell you now Charlie, you haven’t changed a bit! Always the moderator.” Pulling back he ruffled the wet locks of Charlie’s mane and gripped him around the neck pulling him close once more. “How’s everyone holding up?”

“I took care of them in your absence but they’re all anxious to see you again.” He thumped the red mark on his neck causing Caleb to hiss in pain. Running his hand over the spot he sighed realizing he’d taken his mate and they’d shared their bond. “It’s about time you made shit official.”

“Someone had to and I gotta tell you Bro, I’ve never felt so empowered before in all my life! She was truly the missing link and now, it’s time to get down to business.” He closed his eyes and tried finding his mate with their newly shared link. Instantly they shot open and he looked at his baby brother. “What happened to her?”

“You…” before he could finish his sentence Caleb went charging through the underbrush towards the pack house. He darted into the doors and straight for the clinic where several members of the pack stood watch over their injured and unconscious Luna. 

Pushing them out of his way he stepped beside the hospital bed and took her hand into his. “What’s wrong? Why is she still out?” Charlie handed him a pair of pants that he quickly slipped into as he stood above his unconscious mate.

“I’m not sure Alpha. I’ve done everything I could think of to revive her but she’s not pulling out. What exactly happened up there?” 

Angrily his eyes locked on the doctor’s at the insistence of her question. She shrunk back in fear and bowed her eyes in respect. Caleb moved over Kaya and instantly Connor pulled her away protectively. Caleb growled; his eyes cold and yellow beamed down on the wolf as he dared to touch his mate again. “Let her go!”

“No. I trusted you with her and this is what happened. If you want to kill me go right on ahead but she stays with me!” The other wolves at the door all dropped in defense of their Alpha. Their eyes locked on Connor and snarls and rumbles mimicked and echoed throughout the house as everyone in the pack immediately worked as one unit against a common threat. Connor eyed the men and women hissing and howling at him. His arm locked tighter around Kaya and he held her against his chest waiting for one or all of the beasts to pounce.

Caleb waved a hand and dismissed the pack from the room and Charlie shut the door as he retreated with the others. Caleb moved to the bed beside Kaya’s feet but Connor’s grip never loosened on his friend. “I never intended to hurt her Connor. She’s my mate and it’s MY job to protect her and keep her safe and right now you are SEVERELY testing the bounds of my temper. In the woods I gave pause to doing any serious harm to you because of her but that can all change VERY quickly. Back off now before you make me break her heart.”

Kaya stirred in his arms. Her head bobbed and her eyes fluttered as they slowly opened to the sights in the room. She looked up feeling the arms wrapped around her and smiled. “Cocobear; I thought you were gone. I thought I’d run you away.”

“No; I could never abandon you Peaches. How do you feel?”

“Like a blood donor who forgot to eat before going in. I’m woozy and my head is pounding.” She pulled away and all at once a dissonance of thoughts filled her mind. Swimming around her head in a flurry as she gradually regained her senses, she felt an immediate sense of anger towards the redhead behind her and shot a frown in his direction as she pushed away from him. “What is this?”

“Kaya?” She turned at the sound of her name and for the first time saw the man from her dreams standing in the flesh in front of her eyes. She faltered at his outstretched hand and he smiled encouragingly before she slipped hers into his palm allowing him to guide her to her feet. His hands explored her body; running through her hair, examining the features of her face, her eyes, lips, nose. He licked his lips and slowly sucked on his bottom lip as he leaned forward to inhale her scent.

With a comforting sigh he took in the fragrance he’d first encountered so many years ago and smiled contentedly. “It’s been so long. I feel as if I’ve just awakened from a very long slumber where time fast forwarded.” I’d ask how you felt but I can sense it, he stroked a hand over her cheek and raised her gaze to his. There’s no need to be afraid, Baby, I won’t hurt you. Your eyes are just as gorgeous as I remember. Can you hear me? Feel me? Sense the emotions coursing through my veins?

She nodded her head and tried to reply to him with thoughts of her own but it felt as though someone else was controlling her brain flashing through clips of her memories, desires, emotions and ideas. She shook her head to try and clear the low hum beating against her skull but to no avail. More thoughts zipped freely through her mind – blurry and out of focus and she did everything she could to get a handle on them. “STOP!” she yelled and pushed away. 

Turning her back to him, Kaya’s hands covered her ears and she hung her head as she tried to make sense of it all. Her mother’s face was the last thing she saw before she felt his hands slip around her waist and pull her back into his chest. “I’m sorry I got a little excited. There’s so much I missed with you. I just want to know everything…Kaya.” He kissed her shoulder and held her tighter against his body.

She flinched at his touch and again pulled away. A soft groan rolled off her tongue as she jerked her head to look at him. Her neck was sore and tender and she moved her hand over the spot he’d bit her to try and massage the pain away. Their minds were now connected and she could feel him inside her head again as he tried understanding what she was feeling at this moment. Kaya tried clearing her mind to leave him in the dark but nothing worked. He took a step forward and she mimicked the action taking one back.

Caleb dropped his head. A look of hurt touched his handsome features and he licked his tongue over his lips wetting his mouth as he tried to form words for her. “A-are you mad?”

“You killed my mother!” she replied angrily watching his eyes comb over her face. He nodded as though answering a question she never asked. His fingers laced between each other and they stood in silence as she explored his mind this time looking for an explanation why.

“You want to leave?” he asked solemnly but the question sounded more like a statement of facts and he looked up until their eyes met. Refusing to enter her mind again out of fear of what her answer would be he waited for her to tell him one way or the other.

She glanced at Connor. The anger she felt was now better controlled since realizing it wasn’t her own emotion. He drew from the bed and grabbed a night shirt sitting on one of the shelves near her head for her to wear. Quietly she thanked him and he stood like a pillar of unwavering devotion behind her as she gave her answer. “I couldn’t now even if I wanted to. We’re bonded and that’s eternal.”

A sudden feeling of remorse washed over Caleb as he recalled the events of the previous hours where their bodies lay tangled against one another taking in the pleasure of their carnal desires. She was there with him, he was sure of it. But now he was wondering if perhaps he’d forced their bond into her flesh. He closed his eyes and relived the moment his canines sank into the soft flesh of her neck and the taste of the blood that poured from the pounding vein. She wanted it; her body begged him for it. She moaned and encouraged the bite and even took his bond as he fed from her. He did nothing wrong. So why is the look in her eyes killing him? Why does she look as though he’d betrayed her in the worst way possible? “They tried to keep…” he paused mid-sentence and again dropped his head.

Nothing he could say at this point would be enough to settle the intense feelings of anger and hatred he felt from her over his actions and he knew it. They’d bonded and now she could see and feel everything he had that day. The pleasure he took in causing the chaos around Greymane. The sheer amount of joy he derived in executing the wolves she knew and called friend. The remorselessness of his actions as he made the floors run red with their blood and the game he played hunting a few of them down. “She only wanted to keep me safe…from you!” Tears streamed down her eyes and she was overcome with emotion. 

The pang hit Caleb’s chest and tightened around his heart as he listened to her cry. His wolf fought to stay in control as every nerve in his body wanted to move in and swoop her into his arms to comfort her even against the overwhelming thoughts she had of keeping her distance. “I won’t make excuses, it’s not who I am. But I never meant for…I did what I had to in order to have you.”

“And now that you do, what’s next?” she pushed by him hurrying from the room with Connor quickly behind her. The sound of the upstairs bedroom door slamming shook him and he stood alone and defeated in the empty room with his thoughts.

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