Episode 49: In the Dog House

Genre: Horror
Characters: Kaya, Rafe, Caleb, Charlie, Connor
Word Count: 8,213
Rating: R
Type: Series
Summary: Caleb broods as Kaya continues to ignore him and learn more about the Alpha and his old ways from the pack. Deciding to give in to the burning questions, Kaya wants a chat and Caleb takes her to his favorite places in the Shadowlands. On the way home the two meet with trouble and Kaya is seriously injured.
Warnings: Language, suggestive material, violence, strong sexual content, adult content, adult situations, nudity

“Still wallowing?” Charlie sighed as he entered the darkened room of Caleb’s study. The Alpha was lying on the sofa near the fireplace watching his mate outside with her best friend. Over the last week or so she hadn’t spoken a word to him and had blocked him from her thoughts as well. She had, in not so few words, demanded he give her space to clear her thoughts and figure out what she wanted to do.

Afraid of poking her and causing her to unravel any further he complied and had been in a state of depression ever since. She smiled on occasion but never to him. She met with several members of the pack and learned what she could about their Alpha from their points of view. Even asked Charlie for advice a few times and went through old journals and books finding anything she could possibly use to better grasp her situation.

And through it all Caleb could sense her uneasiness of being in his home around his wolves and near him. She longed for the solace she once held; a peaceful existence where everything made sense and everyone understood one another’s actions. At night he’d heard her crying herself to sleep; long, long hours into the night she sobbed. He wanted to go to her and hold her, tell her everything would be alright. But deep down he was beginning to really doubt that it would. He had placed the status of their future together in such dire straits there was no telling whether or not the situation would improve or if Kaya would leave him completely and utterly alone forever. “What else is there to do? Kaya has made it perfectly clear she’d rather be anywhere but here and certainly doesn’t want me around!”

“Yeah well sometimes you have to go against your better judgment and do what’s necessary for survival. Sometimes when a girl says ‘no’ she really means ‘yes’.”

“I may have been out of it for a while but I’m still fairly certain that’s called rape baby brother. And there’s no way I could go against what she wants at this point. I’m doing what she’s asked and giving her time I don’t want to run her any farther away.” He sat up as she moved towards the gazebo in the back so he could get a better view and his brother stepped in front of him distracting him momentarily. “What’s this?” Caleb asked motioning towards the box Charlie dropped on the table beside his drink.

“Why don’t you open it and see I’m sure it’ll all come back to you when you do.” Charlie fixed himself a drink and walked towards the far windows. Leaning against it he watched Connor and Kaya near the Koi pond talking about the pack of savages they found themselves housed with. He chuckled to himself and sipped his drink. “That friend of hers is odd.”

“Odd how?”

“I don’t know. He talks about us like we’re just a bunch of lawless, wild animals and yet he has the same feral instincts that we do. I’ve seen the look of rage in his eyes especially where her safety was concerned. It’s like he’s afraid of being that person. I can’t be sure what he’s saying is helping your situation though. That’s why you need to get off your ass and do something about it.”

Caleb blew away a layer of dust that had settled on the lid and opened the box. Inside was a large plastic bag that contained the old, stuffed teddy he’d met the same day he’d found his mate. “Beary Bear? How did you get this?”

“What do you mean how? I took him the day we went to Willow Reed. I wasn’t sure how well everything was going so I decided we may need to take some assurances that we could find her again if we were unsuccessful. It still very much retains her scent; not that it helped any. After her home pack got back on their feet neither myself nor anyone else here could pick her scent up again. I’m pretty sure her Alpha whisked her away somewhere.” He watched the two pace the back bridge and turned to meet the sorrowful gaze of his big brother. “Dude seriously, get the fuck up! Your behavior is unbecoming of an Alpha!”

“What the fuck would you even know about it? You have your mate!” Caleb stood from his seat but only long enough to pour himself another glass of whiskey. Downing the drink in one shot he blew out a breath to ease the slow burn of the alcohol as it slipped down his throat. He stared at the empty glass he held for a moment in his hand before dropping it onto the counter.

“I have a mate. But Kaya’s your true mate. There’s a big difference,” Charlie corrected. Gazing out at his mate again, Caleb smiled watching her and Connor share a joke. Her laughter lit a fire within him; he wanted to be the one that produced that sound from her. With a determined sneer he moved closer to the door and opened it. Glancing woefully in Charlie’s direction, the nod from his kid brother pushed him forward and he inched himself out to the back patio.

Connor saw the dark haired Alpha making his way towards them and immediately rushed forward to stop him. “I don’t think so.”

“Get out of my way, Connor. What I have to say to Kaya, my mate, has NOTHING to do with you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. I told you I’m not giving you another chance to hurt her and I meant it.”

“It’s ok, Connor, I have something I want to ask him,” Kaya spoke softly watching as the two squared off. She couldn’t watch them fight again. The last time she witnessed it scared her and she wasn’t even bonded to Caleb at the time. He could quite possibly do more harm to her friend than he had before and she wasn’t going to let that happen.

Caleb smirked and took a step towards her but was stopped once again by Connor’s hand on his chest. “I’d like a word in private first please.” Sighing Caleb back pedaled towards the study doors content with giving the redhead what he’d requested in hopes it would work in his favor. Closing the door, Connor waved to Kaya to give them a moment and she moved over the water to watch the fish below her. 

“Think you can make this quick? This is the first time in over a week Kaya has even acknowledged my existence. I’d like to speak to her before she changes her mind.” He moved towards the conservatory and picked a fresh rose from a pot that sat beside the wall. Inhaling the scent produced a smile on his face and he hoped she would like it just as much.

“What are your intentions with Kaya?”

“Excuse me? My intentions?”

“You and I both know there was a reason you wanted her so badly though you haven’t outwardly admitted to anything. I want to know straight up from you, what are you planning to do to her?”

“I’m not planning to do anything to her besides love her and protect her as is my job as her mate and Alpha. You seem to have the wrong impression of me, Connor. I’m not some wild, psychotic murderer out for blood from every person or wolf I meet. Though that is the reputation of our kind there is so much more to us than that. We’re just like every other wolf in existence. Sure we may have more power when it comes to fighting, more speed when we’re hunting and more cunning than many others but that’s what makes a wild wolf feared.”

“And should she fear you? Any of you?”

“Anyone thinking of harming her or any member of my pack should be the ones in fear of me. I don’t take lightly threats made against me or my family. Anyone that has ever placed her in danger should be the ones afraid!”

Connor glanced at Charlie very briefly and refocused his attention to the Alpha. His eyes were cold and emotionless as he spoke of murdering those that would do Kaya harm and Connor believed him when he said his intentions were not dangerous towards his best friend. He nodded his head and moved towards the man, looking at the flower he held in his palm. “Kaya hates roses,” he replied plucking the red petals from Caleb’s hand.

“Seriously? What woman hates roses?”

“Kaya,” Connor repeated dragging out her name slowly as if the Alpha had a hard time understanding. “It’s because of this thing with Bane and…” the moment the name slipped from his tongue Caleb became visibly frayed. His jaw clenched tighter and he pressed his nails hard enough into his palms the tips pinched into his flesh. “So judging by your reaction I take it you remember him?”

Drops of crimson fluid fell from his fist and to the ground at his feet. “He’s on the list,” he growled and released a breath to settle the cry of his inner wolf.

“The list?” Connor’s gaze darted from Caleb’s to Charlie again and he shook his head. “Whatever, look if you want to get on Kaya’s good side try Lilies, Irises, Orchids, anything purple, flavored peach or strawberry; you can’t fail.”

“Thanks, Connor,” Caleb replied confusedly and moved towards the potted plants near the conservatory door again. Popping a fresh white lily from the vine growing beneath the window he turned to face the redhead once more after ensuring Kaya was still out near the gazebo. “Why are you helping me anyway? I thought you hated me.”

Connor dropped onto the loveseat in front of the fireplace and across from Charlie. Crossing a leg over the other he sighed and leaned back. “I don’t hate you, I’m protective of her. I’ve known Kaya since we were teenagers. We’ve been through so much shit together including our first transition and her first heat cycle. I’ve protected her since as far as I can remember and always stuck by her side as she’s done the same for me.”

Leaning up on his elbows his face took on a graver appearance and he looked towards the Alpha. Standing and moving closer he ensured his words were met with the serious tone he meant them. “I love Kaya. She’s my best friend in the world and I’d die to defend her. She’s your mate and now that you’re bonded she can no longer remain in her home pack of Greymane. What that means is I’ll be packing up my bags and following her fluffy brown tail wherever it lands.” Caleb chuckled lightly at Connor’s words and his eyes moved to find Kaya as he thought about her wolf form and Connor continued. “I’m as loyal as they come and if I am to call you Alpha one day, you and I have to be on the same page.” Falling to one knee he bowed his head in respect of Caleb’s position as he continued speaking. “If you are to be my Alpha my first duty is to you.” 

“Thank you, Connor, I appreciate that. You know your actions towards me, though disrespectful of my position, are understandable. I can see how much you care about Kaya and I am grateful to you for your concern. But she is MY mate and I will take care of her when she needs not you. That is no longer your responsibility.”

“It will ALWAYS be my responsibility.” He smiled in her direction and watched her dip a hand into the small fountain near the pond. “She was my friend before she was your mate. And as her friend and subordinate I will always be there to take care of her.” Caleb nodded his understanding and started again for the door. 

He watched Kaya upon exiting the study and blew out a breath as nervous tension settled within his gut. “Um, hey,” Caleb spoke softly as he made his approach. Kaya didn’t make any motion to look at him or acknowledge his presence. She continued gazing off in the direction of the nature trail just a few yards in the distance. Caleb moved closer – enough to really relish in the aroma wafting over her skin. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again Kaya was looking at him. Her arms were folded against her chest and she stared at the smile that had formed on his lips. “I brought you a um…”

“I hate Lilies,” she turned back towards the end of the bridge and started pacing down the wooden slats to the stairs. 

Caleb tossed a scowl over his shoulder at Connor’s advice before following her down the path that led into the woods. “How far does your property line run?”

“Our; this is all yours now too.” He swallowed hard when she turned to him and frowned and did his best to offer his reply. “I’d say we own the majority of the northern sector of town. We’ve had several offers to purchase blocks of the land near the reservoir but we’d never sell it. Um, there are a few trails we’ve marked off for recreational purposes, a small spring where we host some pack celebrations and an area merely for hunting purposes; small game animals or whatever. Still with so much property there was bound to be a few issues. Traps, for instance; we have to keep constant patrols to make sure the land stays clear of them.”

“Hunters know you’re in the area?”

“Not just hunters of our kind but human sports hunters as well as other packs that wish to see us harmed or dead. I’ve lost track of the number of enemies we’ve made since moving here; and not just here. Through the years we’ve encountered tons of packs we’ve…” he paused as he saw Kaya’s mind flash to the day her mother died and sighed mournfully. “Kaya, I…”

“Why her? Why any of them? Was it really so important that we be together you’d risk me hating you for eternity just to have me? Or did you not think that far ahead? Did you really believe I would WANT to be with the man that destroyed my happy home and murdered my mother in cold blood?” she chewed her bottom lip freezing it between her teeth to stop it from quivering. She didn’t want to show her weakness in front of him though she was certain he already knew it. Turning her back to him once more she wiped a few errant tears from her eyes and balanced herself against the tree to keep from falling over.

“I’ve had so many horrible nightmares because of that night. Fears of never being good enough to please her because for the longest time I thought she died because of me! I’ve been lied to and betrayed by everyone that was supposed to be taking care of me and now…” She turned to face him meeting his gaze, “I’m the bonded mate of a psychopathic monster. And what’s worse is you don’t even have an inkling of remorse over what you did to me!”

“Kaya, that’s not true! I hurt because of the pain I caused you. I can’t apologize for what I did because yes I intended to have you all to myself and any apology about that would be a lie. But I do feel remorse over what you’re going through because of me! If I could I would have spared you those nightmares and that pain. Had I been a bit more prepared it would have happened very differently and I wish so badly that it did but…” she started by him and he caught her in his arms to prevent her from storming off. “I’m very sorry, Kaya, even if you don’t believe that right now, I am. Tell me what I can do to earn your trust and love in return and I’ll do it. Anything, I will do anything for you.”

“Drop dead?” she pulled away and dropped to the grass in front of a row of rose bushes. Caleb walked towards the bridge, undressed, folded his clothes and placed them neatly on one of the railings. Trotting back to her in form he nuzzled her with his muzzle, hopped in front of her and rolled over to his back playing dead.

In spite of the anger she felt while speaking to him moments earlier, Kaya couldn’t help the smile that formed by watching the Alpha lie perfectly still in the grass in front of her. His paws were up in the air moving only with the simple breeze that blew over his thick black fur. His tail didn’t budge to wag through his feelings and his tongue flopped out of the corner of his mouth. “Caleb?” Even at the sound of his name he didn’t move or dart his gaze in her direction. 

Kaya pulled up from her spot near the tree and slowly moved closer. She loomed above him and closed her eyes. Carefully she listened to hear his thoughts and the one chain that played on repeat within his head: don’t blink. She giggled, reached for him and let her hand meet with the softest patch of fur just above his belly; still he didn’t move.

“Rafe’s wolf is brown; he has such a beautiful coat. It matches his personality; warm, loving, sweet and gentle. You on the other hand, you look just as intimidating in wolf form as you do in human.” She withdrew her hand and pulled to her feet. She turned to find Charlie walking towards them with Caleb’s clothes clutched in his hand.

“Hey I don’t mean to interrupt but patrols found a few traps near the eastern quadrant. Thought maybe you wanted to join us?” he kicked Caleb’s hind leg but the Alpha still remained where he lay.

“He’s dead,” Kaya sighed. “But to answer your question, no he won’t join you. I still have unanswered questions and I’m not ready to let him go yet.” Charlie nodded, dropped the clothes near her foot and walked back towards the pack house. “It’s going to rain soon.”

Caleb shifted back and pulled his pants on as Kaya stood against the tree. He stepped behind her with a solemn look on his face and wrapped an arm around her waist. “I don’t know what to do, Kaya, to make this better but I’ll spend my eternity trying.”

She turned to look at him and he gently grazed his lips over her cheek and kissed away her tears. “Where’s my flower?”

“Your…? I thought you said you hated lilies?”

“I lied,” she shrugged and started towards one of the outer paths. 

He smirked and hurried after her, letting her keep the lead enough to watch the sway in her hips. “You know it’s never a good idea to lie to your Alpha. That can have terrible consequences.”

“Yeah? And besides staring at my ass all day, what are you going to do about it?” she asked folding her arms and staring defiantly into his eyes.

Caleb laughed nervously as his gaze darted up the path and he thought about the waterfall near the reservoir. A wicked grin spread across his lips and he pulled her hard into his chest. “Show you my favorite place.”

“And if I refuse?”

“I have my ways,” his hand stroked over her cheek before slipping down her side and locking with the other at the small of her back. “I can be rather convincing when I have to.”

Kaya pulled back and placed her hands on her hips. He seemed content with himself and excited with the idea of showing her “their” territory and it was slightly encouraging. Yet a part of her held on to the discomfort and unease knowing the hands that touched her were the very ones used to take her mother’s life. She shuddered at the thought of his skin against hers and angry thoughts turned to her father. Had he been more forthcoming with the truth before she and Rafe mated she wouldn’t be standing here with the willies dancing down her spine.

And even with those same thoughts her wolf clawed at her insides to touch him every time he looked at her. She wanted to talk to him and be in his arms; kiss him when he smiled and laugh at his jokes. She was conflicted. Repulsed by herself because of her feral desires and saddened by it all. The simple fact of the matter was they needed each other now more than ever. After bonding their lives became one single unit; a well oiled machine working in conjunction with the different cogs and wheels to get the job done. And in the back of her mind she knew that if they were unable to reach an accord and break the bond they shared, death would not be too far behind.

The sky opened up and rain poured heavily on the two and they became instantly drenched. “Come on; we better move before you melt!” Caleb shouted over the pounding water. Rushing forward, he led Kaya through the wilderness that occupied the far end of the property. They passed over a fallen log lying across a small brook and hurried deeper near the mountains. He ran ahead taking glances over his shoulders at random intervals to ensure she was keeping up behind him. The smell of hydrangeas and lilac tickled her nose as she pushed through the underbrush right on his heels. 

Kaya smiled to herself thinking about discovering these woods in human form, it wasn’t something she’d planned. But seeing the country side dripping with water and the perfect pink and orange hues peeking through the branches in the dawn sky enhanced the beauty of the area. She distracted herself with their natural habitat and thought how wonderful it would be to see this all again in form. Caleb took her hand and pulled her closer as the sound of falling water approached. “We’re almost there.”

Entering a small cavern just to the left of the waterfall, Caleb gathered a few items near the door and laid them in the center of the room. Kaya stumbled a moment in the darkness as her eyes adjusted. She found a small log and dropped down on it as Caleb continued fumbling with twigs and flint to get some light going in the area. “Your favorite place is a dank, dark cave? Why does that not surprise me?”

Caleb detected the disdain in her voice and shrugged it off. It tore at his heart knowing that his soul mate was physically repulsed by him to the point of mockery still he understood the defense mechanism; he’d caused it. “Actually I care for what’s deeper in the cavern and the falls outside. In autumn everything looks incredible. The colors that brighten this ‘dank, dark cave’ are beyond compare, Kaya. Hopefully it can become something you cherish as well.”

She rubbed her hands over her arms feeling her skin cool as the rain soaked shirt clung to her body like a second skin. Kaya inched closer to the flames watching them cast shadows on the wall behind him she imagined the small mobile that hung in her room as a child. When the moon was at its highest the shapes of fairies and angels floated around her head and always put her to sleep. “Is this ok?” he asked poking at the flames stirring the fire and making it rise higher.

“I’m fine, Rafe…Caleb.” She sighed at the error and watched her hands as her thumb twiddled the other.

“You can call me whatever you want, Kaya. If it makes you more comfortable seeing him I can do that for you as well.” He dropped to the log near her and listened intently as she started speaking.

“What does that mean exactly? I thought Rafe’s image was some form of magic.”

“Well in a way it is but that wouldn’t stop me from producing it again if it would make you more comfortable.”

“Would it be weird to tell you that’s who I care about? Rafe is the man I fell for; he’s the one I mated.”

“Yes but your bond was with me. I suppose it’s not weird considering our situation. You met me as Rafe; you connected to me in the same way though beneath it all I was still here. Maybe you don’t remember clearly but once you bit me everything changed.” He looked at the way she toyed with her hands to try and warm herself and contemplated wrapping his own around them. “Kaya, we’re the same person, you know that don’t you? All of his thoughts, memories, ideas and traits are mine. I was wrapped in a different package but it was me the whole time.”

“Yeah well the other package isn’t the one that haunts my dreams. It’s you I see standing over my mother’s body.” She again turned to the shadows on the cave wall and bit back the urge to cry as she thought about that night. “Charlie…Charlie said you didn’t know I was a child when you came for me.” 

“That’s right; I mean I felt you out of nowhere one night and the connection was – enlivening. Your father never mentioned it when he found us and neither did Angie. Smelling you on your mother didn’t help either. When I turned and saw you standing there I wanted to kick myself. I understood then why your father tried to keep you from me.”

“And yet even after realizing who I was you still killed her; you still stood above her and…why?” She started crying once more and did nothing this time to stop the flow of tears from falling from her eyes. “Why did you take her from me even after you knew I was a child? Didn’t you think I would need her? Didn’t you care how much it would hurt?”

“At the time no, I didn’t.” She shuddered visibly at his words as she slid away a little and he blew out a deep breath. Caleb slumped down and placed his back against the log as she curled into herself.  “I’m just being honest, Kaya. I thought that if I’d turned at that point and left you, let you remain in the care of your parents that you would grow to hate me. I thought that as you got older you would break our bond and mate some other wolf. I didn’t want that to happen, I couldn’t let that happen. So I decided to take you but I knew that if I left your parents alive they’d come looking for you. I couldn’t risk them finding us and taking you some place I could never reach you again.”

“So you were going to kill my father too?” He nodded his head and she rocked in her seat as another flurry of tears rained down her cheeks when she put the facts together. “You killed her first to weaken him. You didn’t want him to fight back…it was to improve your odds against him. God!” She pulled up from her seat and paced around the fire.

Caleb watched her as a fresh set of tears pooled at the bottoms of his eyes. Her pain was so real and he hurt just as much as she did and not because they shared their emotions. His pain was as real as hers and coming from a place he thought was dead inside of him. Sorrow and regret filled him as he watched his mate mourn for her loss; a loss he’d caused her to suffer. “Kaya, I…”

“Say your plan was successful, if you had taken me that night, how would you have explained my coming to live with you? How would you have explained to a five year old little girl that her parents were killed? Would you have lied to me? Or would you have told me honestly what you did?”

“No, Kaya, I couldn’t have lied to you; I wouldn’t. Knowing someday we’d be right here where we are; bonded, sharing emotions and thoughts, I knew there was no way I would want you to learn the truth in such a terrible way. Of course I would have told you, everything! I may have said some things to you as a kid but I only wanted to make you feel safe around me until we could get back to Shadowvale. But please believe me, listen to my words, hear my thoughts I swear to you nothing would have been kept from you.”

“You would have told me you murdered my parents? Wouldn’t that take you back to square one and the fear you had of me growing to hate you?”

“It is possible but if you would have asked I would have told you. I didn’t fully think through what I was doing and that’s caused you a type of grief I hate knowing you live with. I hate what I did to you, Kaya. But you’re so important to me. The thought of losing you is a pain I cannot bear.”

Kaya returned to her seat near the fire and cleared her mind. Slowly she peeled through a layer of memories within Caleb’s and analyzed his level of anxiety. His emotions and pulse seemed to correlate with his words; he felt remorse for hurting her. Though she was still unsure what that meant as far as his actions that day and whether or not he would repeat them. “I had nightmares about your death too,” she confessed and opened up that part of her mind to him. “My father was soaked in blood after he popped your head from your shoulders. I witnessed three very gruesome murders that night. No wonder I became a mute the following year.”

“A mute?”

“My Dad said that I couldn’t or wouldn’t speak after Mom’s funeral. I had night terrors, horrible nightmares but showed no emotions during my waking moments. It’s why my aunt erased my memories; doing as she said my Mother wanted and getting rid of all traces of you from my life. Having them back though, everything I went through now makes more sense you know. Like the reason I spent a better part of my teen years in France.”

“France?” 

Kaya nodded and continued. “It’s where I met Connor. We went to school together.”

“Why France?” Caleb asked as he moved closer to where she sat.

“Honestly I didn’t know why when I was sent away. It wasn’t until recently my father told me that you and your pack caused him to scour the manor of my scent. He feared that you’d come back for me, or send one of your wolves, and make me their Luna.  So he sent me to a country where I knew no one and no one knew me. I lived with a family that had very weak connections to Greymane to keep from being discovered. Claire and James DeVilliers; they’ve become an integral part of my life and the pack. I couldn’t tell anyone who I was so that it didn’t get out. Connor was the only one that I told. We became really close. He’s been there through it all.”

“Beary Bear,” Caleb chuckled quietly to himself.

“What?”

“Oh it’s something Charlie…he thought ahead that night. He figured that if we didn’t get you that you’d be moved somewhere and we would lose your scent. He snagged your favorite childhood toy; do you remember him?”

“I remember a white eyed, tattooed wolf talking to me using him as a puppet.”

They laughed lightly together and he shook his head. “And I told you my eyes are gray.” 

“Yes but you also told me your home had a chocolate milk moat and was a huge castle with a lifetime supply of animal crackers! Where are my crackers, Caleb, huh? I feel I should be compensated for the false advertisement!”

He laughed again and moved closer. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t know what else to say to you that would have made you come willingly and I didn’t want to just grab you and run. You’d have been so very afraid of me had I done that. But I would have made good on those promises. I’d have purchased a…castle starter kit and raised the pitch of our roofs. I’d have dug a huge trench around the property and built a drawbridge to make you happy. And not to mention I’d have bought, stolen or baked all the animal crackers in the world for you. The chocolate milk would have been a might bit trickier considering the only chocolate in existence during that time was in Spain and it was a bit expensive. But I’d have tried.”

She smiled again and thought about the teddy bear and how Caleb calmed her nerves when he howled for her or when she saw her best friend warming up to the intruding wolf. “Beary Bear thought you were nice and he’d never lied to me. He’s the one that told me I should run when I saw Charlie in my bedroom. So when he told me that you would be my friend I believed him.”

“You know that was me right? That bear wasn’t really talking,” he laughed poking a finger into her belly and watching her squirm.

“Yeah of course I know that! But no one else believed that he talked to me so when you got him to talk I don’t know it was like wow Beary Bear is real and he does like the same things I do! It was just nice to see someone else share in my fantasy is all.”

“Well you know I’d share in your fantasies anytime. And, I’ll let you in on a little secret: your friend is inside. Beary Bear has been apparently living in a box in our attic waiting for you to come home.”

“Oh no! He wasn’t waiting for me, he was waiting for you! Beary told me YOU were his best friend! After all the secrets I told him, after making him feel safe at night when the thunder made him cry, he picked you over me!”

“Well what can I say? I have a way with plush animals,” he smiled and watched the flames light up her face as they slowly flickered beside her. He found himself staring, analyzing every inch of her face down to the shape of her lips and the tip of her nose. My God she is so beautiful. He thought as he continued watching the growing shades lick over her skin.

“Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself.” His eyes widened as he realized what he did and she smiled. Instinctively Kaya’s hand stroked across his cheek and he licked his tongue over his lips and sighed as he leaned into her touch. She pulled back once becoming aware of what she was doing and sat up straight on her log. “Uh c-can I see him? Beary Bear.”

“Yes; I’m sure he’d love that,” he replied standing, preparing to put out the fire.

“How far down does that tattoo go?” she asked watching the flames lick up and down his nude torso. Caleb stepped in front of her and smiled watching her eyes dance along his chest and down the left side of his body.

“If you really want to know, I could always show you,” he replied in a deep, sultry tone as his hands slowly moved to his fly. Her eyes shot to his and the smile he wore quickly caused one to form on her face as well.

“No, thank you.” She blushed and moved away slightly. Caleb reached down and put his hand on her shoulders stopping her. The tips of his fingers slid up her jaw and he guided her gaze towards his again as he continued working on his zipper. Kaya licked her tongue over her lips, her breathing growing rapidly as she watched her mate undo the button, hook his thumbs into the waistband and slowly begin to slip his pants down his thighs. “Caleb…”

“Yes?” he asked innocently.

“Do you have to be nude for this?”

“You do want to see it, don’t you? Plus, there’s nothing wrong with allowing your eyes to appreciate what’s yours. I know I never tire of seeing what you have to offer,” he smirked, kicked off his pants and stepped out of his boxers. Folding them neatly, he stacked the pile of clothing beside her on the log and took one step back so she could clearly make out the full detail of the dragon that ended on his thigh.

“Charlie once asked me what type of animal I saw myself as. After answering with the obvious, a wolf, I told him that I respect the idea of dragons. And following a short, heated debate on the authenticity of this creature he asked me why. My response: dragons are symbolic of free will, fearlessness, power, protection and wisdom; everything a respected Alpha should possess. He in turn has a lion on his arm for courage, strength and dignity. It’s nothing as large scale though as you’ve seen but I did tell him it was quite strange for a wolf, that of a feral hound breed, to tattoo a pussy on his arm; he didn’t like that very much.” Kaya laughed at the idea bringing a smile to Caleb’s lips. “And what about you? I’ve seen the one on your arm but…” he motioned with his head towards the tattoo on her lower back.

Leaning forward he took her hand in his and gently tugged. Kaya climbed to her feet until she was standing at eye level with him and he hooked her arms over his shoulder. As she dangled around his neck, he helped himself to the button on her jean shorts and she exhaled a ragged breath as his gaze remained focused on hers. Feeling the tops of her white lace panties, he took a moment to enjoy the way the material felt against her skin and a slight moan of delight encouraged his caress. He traced the curve of her hips, ass and thighs as he slid her shorts down over the delicate cloth and off her body. Kaya backed off of him but only moved enough to allow him access to her shirt. Caleb took the hint, and latched his hands beneath her cotton top and pulled it over her head quickly.

“Mmm,” he moaned as she stood in front of him lit only by the flickering glow of the fire pit. “Very beautiful.” He pulled her into his arms and traced the lines of the tattoo on her shoulder. Tenderly planting kisses along her neck, collarbone and arm, he made his way to her side and tickled the fine hairs on her body as he looked at the two paw prints etched into her flesh. “What does it mean?” he asked still peppering kisses on the back of her neck until goosebumps appeared.

“The top is for my Dad and the bottom is my Mom. If you look closely you’ll see their initials and birthdates written within them. My Dad and I got them together. He has a set for me and Mom. It was a ‘graduation’ present sorta. The date between the two paw prints is the day of my transition. He wanted to do something celebratory. Plus I think he kind of wanted to make up for locking me in a cell beneath the manor and leaving me there.” She felt Caleb tense up and his emotions shift to anger. Hearing his thoughts brought a smile to her face and she quickly backed him down. “As much as he wanted to be at my side when I first shifted the pain was too much for him to bear. He asked Ulrick to attend to me and told me later how much he regretted doing that.”

“When we get a chance, I’d love to hear more about your first time…transitioning that is,” he smirked feeling her warm to the thought, her posture more demure; she was blushing. Kissing her neck once more Caleb continued his way down the curve of her hip and traced the outline of her panties again. “Don’t worry about that, Kaya. It would have been a very strong-willed woman to keep her virtue intact for as long as we’ve lived. I’d have not expected you to. But when I find that asshole ex of yours, I’m going to make him pay for hurting you. You are much too amazing a person to ever be used in such a way.” Her breath caught in her throat as he pressed his erection against her as he leaned forward. “Turn around,” he whispered against her ear.

He leaned down until he was eye level with the tattoo on her lower back; it was a bonus that her ass laid perfectly within reach of his mouth and hands as well. He lowered the waistband of her panties a little more and with his index finger drew along the outer edge of the flower imprinted above her backside. “What about this one? What does it mean?”

“The large flower is a Camellia which is…”

“Considered a symbol of passion, desire, grace, and elegance; a bit modest are we?” Caleb remarked and watched her ass jiggle from her laugh as he continued examining the design. “Nice choice. And did you personally match it with the other parts?”

“The butterfly yes; it’s a symbol of rebirth which represented my upcoming transition. I had it cocoon from the Lily which is my favorite flower,” Caleb smiled inwardly at his gesture earlier and silently thanked Connor again. “And the lily, a symbol of intelligence, leadership and union, that was Connor’s addition to the design. Technically the entire idea was Connor’s. It was my 24^th birthday present from him. Before we transitioned we took a trip to Egypt and in order for him to ‘show me’ how the pain ‘might feel’ he decided we should stab ourselves repeatedly with a fine tooth pin crafted from animal bones.”

Caleb laughed lightly as she continued, her obvious frustrations over the situation becoming more apparent as she spoke. “And to make sure I didn’t back down, he made me go first and then laughed and told me he was only kidding, that it looked too painful and he’d pass. He ended up getting a guardian Angel with my initials on it.”

“You two are pretty close,” he replied dryly as he thought about seeing her laying in his lap the way lovers would. “It’s hard to come by someone you can feel completely platonic about and still love enough to defend as I’ve seen the two of you do.”

Kaya smiled to herself hearing the Alpha stretch the word ‘platonic’ and decided to reassure him but have a little fun with it as well. “We came close once...but realized neither of us wanted to test the bounds of our friendship in that way. Yes, we’re ‘completely platonic,’ Caleb; you never have to worry about him in that way. And as I told you before he’s been the only one in my life that hasn’t let me down in one way or another. Connor is the only one I’ve been able to depend on no matter what. He’s more than a friend, he’s the brother I never had and we will always take care of each other until our last breaths are drawn.”

“Then I owe him a debt of gratitude...and an apology.” Caleb stood and as he did Kaya’s hand bumped against his cock and she gasped. He smiled to himself as she tried to move away from him and slipped a hand around her waist to keep her from doing so. Turning her to face him he noticed the color had again filled her cheeks and her eyes were closed to keep from looking at him. “Kaya, my body is at your disposal whenever you want. You don’t have to be so bashful from an accidental touch. Or are you trying to deny yourself the pleasure?”

Her eyes opened and he looked at her in surprise and his lips slowly formed a silent ‘oh’. “You know, holding in all that pressure from every touch,” he spoke and slid his hand along her hips again, “every whisper, every look and every kiss will eventually be too much for your beautiful body to contain. You’ll buckle beneath the strain and when you do,” he leaned forward until she could again feel his cock press against her and whispered, “I’ll be sure you land in my lap where you belong.”

“Caleb!” He seized her mouth before she could protest and locked her lips into a passionate embrace. With his hands firmly squeezing her ass and pulling her as tight as possible against him, moaned into her mouth and felt her teeth graze his bottom lip. Kaya fell forward more, her arms drawn like magnets to his neck and she locked them securely around it. Slowly she dragged her body up and down his in delight just feeling her mate against her. He was as great a kisser as Rafe and she found herself giggling at the thought. He IS Rafe, why wouldn’t they kiss the same? Or have the same sized…

“I understand you don’t want to rush into this and I will respect your wishes. But anytime you want my dick, Kaya, don’t be afraid to take it.” She realized he had been seeing her thoughts and let her in on one of his own, his lips kissing and licking her most intimate areas. Caleb lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his back as their kiss deepened. His hands rubbed over her thighs and he could smell the headiness of her scent as he made her rose petals drip from his touch. But all too soon the fire in her motions turned cold and Kaya’s hands fell from his hair and she pushed at his shoulders indicating she wanted down.

Kaya pulled away and Caleb pressed a tiny kiss into her bottom lip before she moved too far from reach and sighed. “We should get back before it’s too dark. I don’t want you out here past a certain hour if the territory is as I remember. In the morning we can see more of our land and I’ll show you exactly why this cave is my favorite of all places.” Dousing the flames Caleb led her towards the front of the cave. The rain had died down to a light drizzle but the sky still held its dark overcast as night quickly approached.

Moving in sync with one another they started up the path for the house. Kaya smiled over her shoulder at Caleb hearing him humming inside his head. He laughed realizing she heard him and rubbed a hand through his hair to relieve the embarrassed tension. She shook it off and noticed a patch of irises blooming in the field across from the falls. Delighted at the sheer amount of flowers she rushed towards the area. Caleb turned and followed her with his eyes and watched her dance through the weeds. 

Kaya moved faster and faster until she was near the head of the garden dancing in the mud with her barefeet she looked back again at Caleb who held his position on the trail. His smile grew wider and he waved to her as he inched down the path she blazed but stopped suddenly in his tracks. Whipping his head around he sniffed furiously picking up an unfamiliar scent.

The pupils of his eyes dilated as his wolf fell into defense mode. Caleb glanced around the surrounding woods watching the trees for any sign of movement. Kaya’s laughter pulled his attention towards her and it wasn’t until she was inches away from it that he saw the object glinting in the grass at her barefeet. “KAYA, STOP!”

His warning came too late! Kaya’s foot came down on the trap and instantly she fell to the ground howling in pain. Caleb rushed forward carefully, watching the grass for more rig lines as he moved. “Caleb!”

“Hold on, Baby, I’ll get you out.” Dropping down beside her he heard the clicking of a gun. The trees rustled in front of them and the fear on her face became evident as to the presence approaching behind him. 

He turned in the direction she looked and watched the man in camouflage move closer. Caleb inched to his feet preparing himself for an attack. “I wouldn’t go do that if I were you. That is iffen you wan’ tah stay attached tah that head ah yers boy.”

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