Episode 84: Good Dog

Genre: Supernatural/Drama
Characters: Kaya, Caleb, Vaughn, Dominick, Joseph, Kaeleigh, Rollo, Lexi
Word Count: 2,444
Rating: R
Type: Series
Summary: Vaughn has flashes of his lost love Chandria that forces him to speed up his time table. Vaughn takes Kaya to meet someone who can help them find and trap Lexi but things don’t go as planned.
Warnings: Language, suggestive material, violence, strong sexual content, adult content, adult situations, nudity.

Vaughn, I need you. It’s time. You must come now. I don’t know how much longer I can hold on. “Chandria!” Vaughn awakened with a start, his heart was pounding furiously in his chest and his breathing was ragged. Looking around the room, he gained a sense of where he was before pulling his legs to the side of the bed. Slowly, he felt his heart return to a normal pace as he took in deep breaths to steady himself.

Chandria hadn’t been able to do that before. He wondered briefly what it could mean; were her powers growing? Was she getting weaker? And if so, would he be able to call upon her magics as he needed in order to find her? Dammit! Why hadn’t she given him a location or anything to go on? Lexi was proving more powerful than he could have hoped but, with Kaya’s help he would be able to get the last ingredient he’d need: her blood. It would be useful when the time came.

Closing his eyes, he saw her face again. A face he hadn’t seen in over two centuries and still she could make the butterflies flutter in his stomach. She was still as beautiful as he remembered, though her hair, the dark brown tresses he’d loved so much, had turned pure white. Was that a sign of her waning magic or was it maturity? Similar to wolves, she aged slower but, it didn’t mean she was immune from the ravages of time.

Pulling up from his bed, he paced his room for a moment before finally grabbing a robe and heading downstairs. He needed air. He needed to feel his wolf out and alive under the night’s sky. The sudden feeling of drowning was overwhelming and he had to get himself under control. “Dad?” Vaughn looked up as he made it to the patio doors and saw Caleb heading in from the kitchen. “Is everything ok?”

“Everything is fine, Caleb,” he said, not wanting to let on to his distress. Taking a few calming breaths, Vaughn moved into the living room, following his son’s lead and took a seat on the sofa with him. “What are you doing up so late?”

“The pups. Kaya’s upstairs with them, they were hungry so I came to prepare a few bottles. Midway through, she figured out a different method.”

“Different method?” Vaughn asked, slightly confused.

“She transitioned. And now she’s feeding all three at the same time, no bottles.”

“Ah. Smart. That mate of yours is something else.” Caleb smiled, feeling a burst of pride swell within. “Are you heading back to bed then?” he asked, hoping to steal a moment with the Luna.

“In a minute. I don’t want to sleep before I know Kaya’s done. I don’t want her to think she has to do everything for our babies herself. Lately, I’ve been so busy with these outside threats I don’t think I’ve been here enough for her.”

“I understand what you mean but, you and she are pack leaders. Kaya knows what that entails and I’m sure she sympathizes. As for the pups, they have the support of an entire pack, Caleb. They will never want for anything. In fact, I’ll head up and be with her and the babies now.”

“Dad, I don’t want you to have to do that. They’re my kids. It’s my responsibility.”

“And you have duties of your own to think about. Trust me, Kaya will understand if you got a few extra minutes of sleep. Go on. It’s fine. I was having a little trouble sleeping anyway. I don’t mind staying up with my grandbabies,” Vaughn smiled and stood, forcing Caleb to follow suit.

“Ok. Tell her I left the bottles out since they were warmed. I’ll stick them back in the fridge once they cool down a bit.”

“Will do. Get some rest.” Vaughn watched as Caleb retreated to his room before heading upstairs. The soft murmurs of the pups suckling could be heard through the door before he approached. Knocking twice, he let himself in and Kaya growled before her eyes settled on the man standing in the doorway. He soothed her as he entered and slowly moved around her towards the small sofa. “Ravenous little ones aren’t they?” Now that he was inside the room, the sounds of their voracious slurping was even louder.

Kaya groaned as one-by-one the pups fell from her teats and Vaughn helped return them to their cribs. Grabbing the robe from the back of the door, Kaya shifted and took Kaeleigh to bed. “Thank you,” she said with a smile. “Caleb pass out?”

“He’s gone to bed, yes. He was looking a bit worn out so I tagged myself in, I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, of course not. This thing with the hunters has been keeping him out a lot. He could use the sleep. In speaking of, what’s got you out of bed so late at night?”

“Ah, I was actually hoping to speak to you about something.”

“Ok. Yeah, sure.” Turning out the light in the babies’ room, Kaya led Vaughn into the study for privacy. Since Vaughn had returned, there were few things she saw that riled him. Actually, as she thought about it, nothing ever seemed to rattle the former Alpha. Seeing him a little ragged piqued her curiosity. She gave him a smile and patted the cushion beside her. Vaughn shut the door as he started towards the couch. “Is everything ok?”

“Everything—how do I put this delicately?” he sighed as he thought over his word choice while taking a seat beside her. “Kaya, everything is about to change.”

“What do you mean?”

“I saw Chandria tonight. She appeared in my dreams though she was not an hallucination. I fear we may need to speed up our time table.”

“Which means…”

“Yes. I think it’s time I took you to meet him.”

“But the pups? Who’s going to…oh, Vaughn. I don’t know if I’m ready.”

“We knew this day was coming. And I expressed my desire to wait until the pups were born but, I could not have anticipated it would be quite so soon after their births.”

“And Caleb? When can I tell him about all of this? He has a right to know.”

“Soon, I promise.”

The room grew silent a moment as Kaya let Vaughn’s words settle. He was right. After tonight, everything would change. Whether that was a good thing or not was yet to be seen. “We can go tomorrow. Caleb will be with Miles for most of the day so I’ll ask Rosette to look after the babies and tell Caleb…” she paused and her eyes widened. “What do I tell I Caleb?”

“Nothing. I’ll handle my son. I know how uncomfortable this whole ordeal has been for you, Kaya; having to keep this secret from Caleb and again I’m very sorry. Please understand how much I deeply appreciate everything you’re doing for me. My sons will be grateful as well.” 

“Of course. I’ve always been a big supporter of family,” she said standing. “Well, I guess I better go pack a bag? Is it a long trip?”

“It’s about a day’s journey.”

“Right.”

“See you in the morning, Vaughn.”

“Sweet dreams, dear Luna.”

Vaughn drove them from the airport down winding roads and dirt paths lined with thick forests. It had been on the forefront of Kaya’s mind to ask him how he’d found him all the way out here but, the elder Alpha enjoyed his secrets. The truck rolled over steep hills and inclines through the desert town, the heat of the exhaust only adding to the already humid feeling and Kaya found herself grateful for the air conditioner.

“Here, drink this,” Vaughn said, handing her a bottle of pink liquid.

“What is it?” she asked, swirling it a moment before removing the cap to smell it. Tentatively, she took a sip and instantly regretted it. “Ugh! It tastes like crap!”

“Drink, Kaya. It’ll help keep you safe,” he replied, keeping his eyes on the road. Moments later, a small camp came into view as did the fragments of some ancient architecture. “Château Cromwell,” Vaughn announced as he pulled the truck to a stop beside a lake and hopped out. “This was once a great fortress, impenetrable by most accounts. It stood a force to be reckoned with.”

“I guess someone figured out how to penetrate it,” Kaya commented, looking up at the ruins of the large building.

“Actually,” Vaughn started, tugging Kaya by the arm to stop her in place. “The night the castle fell, the Alpha opened the doors and welcomed the invaders.”

“And why would he do that?”

“He was yearning for a cure for his broken heart.” Vaughn waited for Kaya to figure out his meaning before leading the way up the wall. A dry heat rolled off the crudely erected tents constructed around the skeleton of the structure. As the wind blew, dirt swirled around her feet and Kaya pulled her hat lower onto her face to keep the sand out of her eyes as she and Vaughn continued forward.

The eyes of the men and women they passed all turned, taking them in as they were after all strangers in a strange land. The higher they climbed up the side of the mountain, the cleaner and crisper the air seemed. Kaya inhaled with a smile as the sounds of children playing faded behind them. A cool mist of dew splashed on her face from the man-made fountain and was quickly dried by the warmth of the sun.

By the time they made it in front of the entrance to the place, Kaya was a bundle of nerves. She did her best to mask her anxiety but, Vaughn had already sensed her fear. Closing an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her closer to his side and smiled down at her as she took another deep breath. She had no idea what to expect of a man she had never met before.

Hesitantly, she stood in front of the tepee in the center of the ruins, unsure of what to do. Smoke wafted through the opening at the top and she heard the man’s voice as he pulled apart the thick hide and stepped out into the circle. Her heart pounded against her ribs and she placed a calming hand over her chest. 

The man looked up at Kaya with a brilliant smile plastered on his face. His hair was dark brown, aside from one long streak of silver right down the center of his head and Kaya found herself wondering what his wolf must look like. He had her mother’s eyes, something Kaya noticed instantly, hazel green and warm. “Is that my Kae?” he asked. His hand slid over Kaya’s pulling her closer until he could peer into her eyes. His face fell noticing they weren’t the hazel gems of his eldest daughter and he regretfully backed away. “I’m sorry. I lost myself in reverie a moment, my Dear. You are not who I thought.”

“Rollo Cromwell?” Kaya’s voice stopped the man in his tracks as he started towards the well. He turned to face her, slowly lifting his eyes to meet hers.

“I’m afraid the man you’re looking for no longer exists. Sorry you made the trip.” 

“Wait, you are Rollo Cromwell, are you not?”

“Who are you?”

With an encouraging nod from Vaughn, Kaya took a deep breath before responding. “My name is Kaya Villalobos. Kaelani Cromwell was my mother.”

“No. You must be mistaken. The only child my daughter had died in childbirth. She was stillborn,” he said, inhaling a deep breath to stop the bout of tears that threatened to break free at the memory. “I remember listening to the heartbreak in her voice the day she told me. After that, she never successful conceived again.”

“What? None of that is true. Who told you that? Yes. Kaelani had ONE child. Me. I’m your granddaughter and I can prove it.” Kaya stepped forward, reaching out her hand for his. She waited for the elder wolf to meet hers. Once they connected, using the technique she and Vaughn had been working on, she gently pushed visions of her memories with Kaelani into his mind. 

The ex-Alpha stumbled back, clutching at his head as he saw with his own eyes the truth behind Kaya’s words. “I—I don’t believe it. That can’t be. All this time…”

“I don’t know who told you I was dead, Rollo, but, I guess now I understand why I’ve never met you. That lie has kept us apart for nearly three centuries.”

“Oh, Kaya, but you do. You do know. You know very well who told me about your death. It was, after all, foretold.” Rollo’s face turned up in a wicked grin and his warm hazel eyes became a cold, sharp blue.

Vaughn felt the change in the air but, before he could warn Kaya, the man she had just met as her grandfather transformed into the woman they sought. And, just as quickly, her hand dashed out and a long slender object impaled Kaya through the stomach. “NO!” Vaughn yelled as he rushed towards his daughter-in-law. Reaching out, Kaya’s nails dug into her aunt’s arm, scoring down her skin as she tried to right herself. 

Lexi pushed up and away and Kaya crumbled into Vaughn’s arms and he gently laid her on the ground in his lap. “Lexi?” she groaned, her voice weakening as she felt the sting of the wound in her belly. She stared up at the witch as she wiped the blade of her weapon on the flap of the tent and concealed it in her cape.

“Did you really think I’d let you get to the old man? I’m a seer. I knew what you were planning before it was even a thought in that tiny, mongrel mind of yours, Vaughn.” Her eyes shifted from the Alpha’s to Kaya and the sneer on her face grew wider. “I’m sorry things worked out like this, Kaya, really I am but, there’s no escaping destiny. Truesilver,” she said, referring to the blade she’d used. “And not just any Truesilver. It’s been blessed by the First Witch’s blood. You will bleed out slowly and painfully. And just when you think it’s over, the agony will anew until your last ounce of hope is gone. Now, be a good dog and die.” And with that, she vanished, leaving Kaya bleeding out in the sand and Vaughn to lick his wounds.

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