Episode 72: Dog Tired

Genre: Supernatural/Drama
Characters: Kaya, Caleb, Connor, Charlie, Vaughn, Amanda, Karri, Eli, Sophie, Xander, Brooke, Nicolette, Miles
Word Count: 3,204
Rating: R
Type: Series
Summary: The pack throws Kaya a baby announcement party but not everything is as happy as it seems. Kaya's having doubts about the birth of her child(ren) and Caleb continues working behind the scenes to bring their hunter problems to a close. Meanwhile Karri is reminded of her past by an unwelcomed visitor and Connor finds a reason to smile.
Warnings: Language, suggestive material, violence, strong sexual content, adult content, adult situations, nudity

“So is this where we keep the extra booze?” Connor asked, stepping up behind Kaya as she gazed off out the window. Charlie, Caleb, Sophie and the others were all in the backyard celebrating the news of the pregnancy while she hid away in Caleb’s study. “You left about fifteen minutes ago to grab more liquor and no one’s seen you since.” Kaya turned to face him and tried to paste a smile on her face but failed. “Why so glum chum? This is a celebration.”

“Maybe for some, but not me.”

“What? Peaches, you’re having a baby!”

“Or babies, according to Mandy. She thinks I’m carrying an entire soccer team in my belly.”

“Well, I wasn’t gonna say anything but, you are looking kinda chunky.”

“Ass! I am not, take that back!”

“And if I don’t?”

“If you think for one second I’m too big to take you on, you got another thing coming!” Connor did a few quick moves, ducking around her phony punches and she giggled at the goofy look on his face. But her laughter soon turned to sadness.

“Hey?”

“I don’t know what I’m doing, Frogger. Things are just so crazy right now. We’re standing on the edge of war! How can I bring a baby into that?”

“Easy. You just let us handle the rough stuff. Your only concern should be whether the nursery will be pink or blue.”

“Hey there you are!” Caleb’s voice announced his arrival into the room behind them and he hurried over, noticing Kaya quickly trying to wipe her tears away. “Baby, what’s going on?”

“Nothing, I…”

“She’s worried,” Connor replied for her and took a step back as his Alpha moved in to check on his mate.

“Worried? Worried about what? The other night? The hunters? Kaya there’s no reason to be worried. Anyone who dares come this way looking to harm you or anyone else here will get a belly full of blood, I promise you that. I won’t let anything happen to you or my babies. You believe me right?”

She nodded again as his hand reached out to caress her belly. “I don’t mean to be a damper on the party. I was just scared after what happened, that’s all.”

“And it’s completely understandable. But you’ll stay out of the line of fire from here on out. That is what family’s for. You have hundreds of men and women out there ready to lay down their lives for you, for our children. They will be what win this thing for our side.” Gently he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Kaya sniffled once more and smiled as he looked at her. “Now come on, be happy…for me. We have reasons to smile, three I’m guessing from the crazy increase in your appetite these days.”

“Ok,” Kaya laughed and Caleb took her hand to guide her towards the others. “Can I just have another minute please? I’ll be out shortly, I promise.”

“Ok. Five minutes. Keep me waiting any longer and I’ll come drag you out there.” The smile on his face warmed her heart and she pulled him against her and kissed him passionately, tasting traces of the rum he’d been drinking on his lips.

“Five minutes.” Caleb shut the door and Kaya reached for Connor before he too excused himself from the room. 

He turned to face her and noticed the same expression cross her eyes again and sighed. “That wasn’t your concern was it?” Kaya shook her head no and Connor moved closer. “Why didn’t you talk to Caleb about what’s really on your mind?”

“Because it’s a party, a celebration of life and it will only make things…I didn’t want to be the reason he stopped smiling; not today.”

“What’s bothering you, Luna?”

“I’m starting a family Connor, a family that my own family may not be a part of. My Dad can’t come here without wanting to take a swipe at Caleb which is completely within his rights and I can’t travel too often with a litter of pups to see him every week.”

“Kaya that’s no reason for concern. Trust me if there is a way you or Lobo will find it. He’ll know his grandchildren; hell he’ll even be here for their birth I guarantee it. Now seriously, Peaches, turn that frown upside down and take your pregnant ass out there with the others. I think Alpha was serious about dragging you kicking and screaming.” Kaya laughed again and took Connor’s hand as he led her out the door.

“Oh hey! I was beginning to wonder if you’d planned to make an appearance again or not. I saw Connor disappear to the back room and assumed his cologne got the better of you,” Amanda smiled as Kaya came to stand beside her.

“No, just…new mother worry. How’s it going?”

“Well everyone seems to be having a good time. Like I told you, we’ve been waiting on pups for a little while now. Rosette is already making plans for their first year out of the womb. Their first hunt, their first shift, their first run with the pack.”

“Wow. Will I have a say in any of this?” Amanda shook her head no and handed Kaya a drink from the table beside her. “Who’s that?” Kaya asked, noticing Connor standing beside a brunette near the gazebo.

“I don’t know actually, I’ve never seen her before,” she shrugged before looking across the faces in the area for one in particular. Spotting him near the house, she sighed disappointedly seeing Brooke hanging off his arm and bitterly turned away. “How serious are they?”

Kaya glanced in the direction the blonde pointed and hid a smile as she took a sip from the glass in her hand. “Well Brooke was Eli’s first…everything and they seem to have a lot in common; music, surfing, skateboarding and other extreme sports. And for the most part they make each other happy or at least appear to. But to be honest with you, I really couldn’t tell you how serious they are.”

“She’s cute…for a human.”

“Yeah. And that’s the one reason I don’t think those two will last.”

“You mean unless he chooses to turn her.”

“Nope. I mean period. Brooke can’t tolerate the change. She nearly died when he accidentally scratched her.”

“Oh! Well that’s too bad,” Amanda grinned widely before taking a celebratory gulp of her champagne. 

“Kaya,” Vaughn smiled as he approached her beside the refreshments table. “Can we talk?” he gave Amanda a brief glance and she quickly excused herself.

Kaya started to speak and stop the girl but realized it was Vaughn’s ‘persuasion’ that caused her to leave, not an act of her own will. “You really need to stop doing that,” she chastised the elder wolf with a scowl she quickly banished seeing Caleb look over in their direction.

Vaughn chuckled mildly showing Kaya how much her words meant to him and yet bowed his apology. She started to walk away but the Savage stepped into her path, stopping her from getting far. “I would like that chat now.”

“I don’t remember telling you I’d talk to you.”

“Come now, my dearest Luna, you wouldn’t want to make a scene now would you?” 

Again her eyes fell on Caleb. She watched him glance towards another mystery guest before giving Charlie the reins to the grill and walking off. Kaya sighed with a short nod at Vaughn, “Fine, but make it quick.”

Vaughn led her inside the manor and she stopped just in the doorway of the den. Kaya fiddled with the hem of her shirt as Vaughn moved deeper inside the room. “You don’t like me very much, do you?”

“It’s not a matter of like, Vaughn. I like you just fine. Hell, you’re practically my father-in-law.”

“Then what is it a matter of? Trust? Do you distrust me, Kaya?”

She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she did everything she could to avoid the answer—and his gaze. Turning her back to him, she eyed the group of wolves milling about in the backyard and smiled. It was a nice scene, watching those she’d come to know as friends enjoying themselves. Even more than that, it was great seeing Caleb so happy. Since he’d learned the news, he was all smiles all the time. It took everything she had to keep his paws off her belly for more than a few minutes. Vaughn cleared his throat behind her and Kaya sighed as she turned to address him. He’d taken a seat on one of the sofas beside the wall and was waiting for her to join him. 

Slowly she dragged herself across the room, and took a deep breath before dropping heavily onto the couch beside him. “Yes, Vaughn, I do. You’ve done absolutely nothing to earn my trust. You are constantly moving people around here like pieces on a chessboard when you want something. And that creepy vibe I told you about? Still there!”

“Well that’s no good. I want us to be friends. More than that, I’d like for us to have a good relationship. So please, tell me, what can I do to earn your trust?”

“For starters? Stop manipulating everyone’s thoughts and ask for things when you want them!”

“Done. From this moment on I shall never again use my gifts on the members of this pack.” It wasn’t exactly what she’d asked for, but it was a start. “Anything else?”

“I’ll get back to you on that. What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Your pregnancy. I understand that you’ve recently lost your pack doctor due to some unfortunate circumstances.”

“You mean the fact that she attacked me at my Emergence ceremony and I ripped her fucking head off. Yeah. I can see how someone could call that ‘unfortunate’.” 

“Right. Well, I was hoping to suggest a friend of mine as a replacement.”

“A friend?”

“Yes, Kaya, I do have them,” he smiled and leaned forward in his seat. “She’s a wonderful woman, great sense of humor, smart, good with children and has a mother’s touch. Roberta’s been a practicing physician since…well since as long as I’ve known her; at least a century. She’s been awarded several honors for her continued breakthroughs to advance the health of our kind.”

“Well if she’s so good, why hasn’t any other pack snatched her up?”

“She’s…shy. She prefers the company of her own kind.”

“She’s wild?”

“No. She’s like you.”

“But she hates the idea of pack life?” Vaughn nodded and Kaya’s face wrinkled in confusion. “And you think she’d suddenly change that to join us?”

“I think if I asked her to, she’d be willing to give it a try.”

“Why?”

“Why what, Kaya?”

“Why do you want her here? What’s in it for you?”

“The health and safety of my family and future grandkids. I’m really quite excited about the prospect of furthering my legacy,” he smiled briefly and leaned closer. “Kaya, I don’t always have a hidden agenda, believe it or not. I’d never do anything that I thought would cause you or my sons any distress. As far as everyone else goes…well they’ll have to work to earn my trust,” he grinned wickedly as he spoke the last part. Vaughn stood and straightened his coat jacket. “Think about it. Let me know what you want to do.” Extending his hand, he helped Kaya to her feet and softly kissed the back of her hand. “Enjoy the rest of the festivities.”

“Vaughn,” Kaya called to his back. He turned and glanced into her eyes, slowly moving back in front of her.

“Yes, Kaya?”

“I just thought of something else you could do for me.”

“Name it, my dear, and it is yours.” Kaya’s lips fashioned into a smile as a plan took form.

“Enjoying the party?” Connor gave Karri a fleeting look as he continued poring over the spread on the snack table. Jamming a handful of mini chocolate éclairs into his mouth, he noisily licked his fingers before nodding and wiping his lips clean. “I see you brought a date.”

“Her name’s Nicolette. She’s French,” Connor smiled, wiggling his eyebrows and mowed down a row of deviled eggs before plating a couple for his new friend.

“Well I guess that means you two have something to talk about for five minutes.”

Connor caught the resentment in her tone and sighed heavily as he dropped the plate back to the table. “Can I help you with something, Karri? Wait, don’t tell me. The fiancé left to take a shit and you needed someone to keep you company until he got back. Been there, done that. No thanks.”

“Geez, could you be any more childish?”

“I don’t know could you be any more selfish?”

“Selfish?”

“It’s not a complicated word, Karri.”

“Tell me, what have I done that was so selfish?”

“You mean besides using me to get over your loneliness?”

“You mean like you’re using her to get back at me? What was it? Couldn’t have the real thing so you go and find yourself a carbon copy? And she’s not even that pretty!”

“Careful, Karri, your green-eyed monster is showing.”

“You really are a jerk, you know that?”

“And you really are a bitch! Here’s a little free advice, the next time a guy is showing interest in you and you don’t return the feelings, do the poor bastard a favor and be honest with him instead of stringing him along until your fiancé gets back to town.”

A wounded expression crossed Karri’s face and she wrapped her arms around herself protectively. “I never strung you along,” she half whispered.

“No, of course not. You were completely open about being in a relationship. So much so that it made me back off and leave you alone. Oh wait, no, that’s not what happened at all, silly me,” he growled and snatched two glasses from the table. “Oh and one more thing, when the guy does move on, don’t compare yourself to the new woman in his life; it’s just tacky. But just for the record, Nicolette is smart, funny, HONEST and REAL. The only thing the two of you have in common is the color of your hair!” Connor looked up and noticed Xander heading their way and sighed. “Heads up, I think lover boy is looking for you; probably wants to make sure he gets your ring size right,” he remarked before turning to take Nicolette her drink.

“What was that all about?” Xander asked, inhaling the contents of the glass in his hand.

“Nothing.” Karri watched Connor and Nicolette laughing before angrily turning away and throwing her back against a wall.

“Nothing that appears to have pissed you off?” Xander questioned as he followed her. “Who is that guy to you exactly? You seem to tense up every time he’s around.” She turned her head, ignoring the inquisition, growing angrier the longer Xander stood in her face. “Were you fucking him?”

“Like it’s any of your business,” she scoffed, keeping her eyes on anything but him.

“You’re damn right it is. You’re mine, Karri, your father promised me your hand!”

“My father has no right to promise you anything. You don’t own me, Xander, and neither does he! I can do what I want and WHO I want when I want!”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Sweetheart! I don’t own you YET and to be frank with you, I’m not a man that cares to share so even though you don’t have my stamp on your ass just yet, you do belong to me!” he growled, roughly turning her head towards him. Karri’s hand slipped up to his wrist, trying to pull it away without making too much of a scene but Xander’s grip tightened. “You will be my mate. You will love me, you will respect me but most importantly, you WILL obey me.” he rasped harshly in her ear. “Now let’s go, Karri. We’re getting the hell out of this place.”

“You are free to leave whenever you want, Xander, no one invited you.”

“You know I’m not going anywhere without you. I just don’t understand why you’re being such a…”

“Such a what? Go ahead and say it. But you better be prepared to gum your food for the rest of your life.”

Xander sighed and backed away slightly, straightening his shirt to ease the sense that several wild wolf eyes were on his back. He smiled and nodded to a few passing by and waited for Karri to calm herself. “You know, you talk a big game with your little barbaric friends around. But you and I both know you’re just a scared little girl, running away from the mess she made back home. You killed someone, Karri. And not just any someone, a wolf. No amount of penance could ever atone for what you did.”

“It’s no wonder you ran out here to hide with these beasts,” he mocked, glancing around at the Savages as they continued celebrating. “You were hoping to find a kindred spirit that understands carnage the way you do; the way you crave it. What normal man would want you after knowing where you came from? You should count your lucky stars you have someone like me willing to see pass all that.”

“Read my lips, Xander, I don’t want anything from you! Nothing. You like to think yourself king of the hill but just like you know my history, I know yours. You’re right, I have killed before. Accidental or not I took a man’s life and that is something I have to live with. And since you never have, I’m sure standing here in this backyard, you’re in a party of one with that. Something you should remember,” she lowered her tone to a growl as she stepped closer, “And just so we’re clear, if you ever so much as think of putting your hands on me like that again, I will rip your fucking arms off and beat you to death with them,” she roughly blew by him, leaving him standing by the gazebo alone.

“Is this everything?” Caleb asked motioning towards the manila envelope on his desk.

“No. I could only find information going back one century. These people are…crafty. I had to get creative with a lot of the material in that package. Nothing that will blow back on the pack,” he added to answer Caleb’s expression. “What do you want me to do about the other one? The wolf?” the man asked, moving closer to where Caleb stood. 

“Byron? I’m not sure where he is at the moment. He ran to get that fucking hunter bitch as far away from me as possible…” he growled, his eyes briefly flickering.

“I could track him.” Caleb glanced up at the man in front of him, the scowl on his face slowly diminishing. “Just say the word and I’ll take care of them both.”

“No. I want the pleasure of watching the lights die in his cowardice eyes myself. Find them. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Alpha,” he bowed, shutting the door as he exited.

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