Caleb carried me up the rear stairs and through the back door that was missing. The basement door was gone, torn free of the hinges, broken in pieces along the floor. The hallway and front door hadn’t fared much better. Glass littered the floor, and the door itself rested against the entry to the living room.
The truck I heard was now barreling up the drive, wheels catching as the brakes were engaged. The motor sputtered as the engine was cut. The distinct click of doors opening and slamming closed blared in my ears. Footsteps were approaching the house, each step sharp in my ears as shoe soles sloshed the gravel in the driveway.
Caleb headed for the staircase and I managed to see past the hallway to the area outside. Chris ran to Aidan and bent over his body at the side of the porch. He flipped him over, checking for a pulse. Sammie came barreling through the door. Her dark hair was ratted and tangled, knotted all along her back. Her clothes were tattered, and her eyes were bloodshot, deep blue surrounded by swollen red. She had never been more beautiful to me then she was at that moment.
She rushed to us as Beverly came through the door, mouth open and eyes wide.
“Sammie.” I reached out to her and she came, wrapping her hand around mine. Her fingers were cooler than normal. I wondered if it was because she had returned in the back of the truck with Caleb or if it was due to something more.
“Oh, Emma.” She started crying. “There is so much I have to tell you.” She glanced at Caleb. “Both of you. I don’t even know where to start.”
“Come with us,” Caleb instructed and started walking in the direction of the stairs.
“Wait!” I blurted, staring past Caleb’s shoulder, looking for and finding Trent. He was standing at the door, not moving forward, unwilling to cross the threshold into the destruction he helped create.
“Will you stay?”
His gaze rose to mine. “I don’t think that is wise, Emma. Your parents and I need to leave. We are a danger to you.”
“No, you’re not. Not anymore.”
“We will always be a threat. Even against those we love most.”
“Stay,” I said aloud for everyone to hear, needing them to know I wanted him here. He narrowed his eyes before he lowered his head in a gesture of deference.
Caleb resumed his trip without asking if I was finished, maneuvering around the broken slats, and carried me up the stairs with Sammie hot on our heels.
Chapter 23—Never Let You Go
I opened my eyes but didn’t move, remaining still and silent. I was alone in the bedroom, the sun shining through the window as a new dawn colored the sky. I took a quiet breath and smelled all kinds of things I couldn’t identify, each of them unique and new, including the scents of food wafting up from the kitchen that made my stomach growl.
The splinter of wood giving way beneath solid steel pounded in my ears, along with individual voices coming through the floorboards. I closed my eyes, blocking off the vision that appeared to see all, listening. Chris was speaking to someone. I focused on what I was hearing, reaching out... Aidan. Chris was talking to Aidan. The big bastard had been shot full of some sort of tranquilizer that put him down for hours. He’d woken up around the same time Sammie had finished talking in rushed sentences and I passed out.
My eyes flew open, and I stared at the white ceiling. All of it had been planned. From the werewolves taken and used for experiments in Miami, to Sammie abducted until the prime time arrived to bring her back and unleash a well-constructed plan.
Of course, we didn’t know all the details, only the small things Sammie was able to decipher with her enhanced hearing through the thick walls of the room she was trapped inside. She had heard the terrified whispers of her captors. Apparently they weren’t comfortable with Decimus’s plan, forced to partake in something they had no desire to enter into, although Sammie hadn’t been able to figure out exactly why.
Decimus had no moral code, no remorse or sense of propriety. His decorum consisted of taking, no matter the price, regardless of the sacrifice involved. He participated in his petty skirmishes because he didn’t have anything to fear. He wasn’t playing to win.
Winning would involve having something to lose.
Things were worse than I possibly could have fathomed. There was no way around this, no peaceable solution. There would be no talking, no negotiations. A battle was no longer a dreaded concern. It was an inevitability turned reality. Things had been set into motion, a turning wheel that would change things for everyone. The chain of events perpetuated a domino effect, and now, it couldn’t be stopped.
I heard feet climbing the stairs. They stopped at the top and started heading in the direction of the bedroom. I knew who it was before he opened the door; his own unique scent intensified with each step that brought him closer. The doorknob made a scratchy sound as the latch turned and gave way.
Caleb pushed open the door, holding a tray inside his free hand filled with more food than it was created to carry. His hair was tossed about, the strands finally long enough to fall past his temples. His jeans were crinkled and dirty, but his black T-shirt was fresh and clean. Lifting his head as he walked inside and closed the door, his lips formed into a smile.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning.” My cheeks flushed as self-consciousness returned.
If he knew about my nervousness, he didn’t let on, walking across the room and motioning for me to sit up. I pushed back against the headboard and he adjusted the tray across my lap. I glanced down at the buffet before me; eggs, pancakes with butter and syrup, bacon, sausage, toast, orange juice, and of course, coffee, all present.
“Are you feeding an army?”
“Eat.” He grinned, nodding at the smorgasbord.
Pretending to be annoyed, I sighed loudly and reached for the utensils. I was thankful Caleb had the foresight to ask if I wanted a shower before he tucked me into bed the night before. The crust I cleared from my fingernails would have ruined my appetite.
The first bite of pancake proved my sense of taste had evolved as well. The butter melted on my tongue, the sweetness of syrup lingering and coating my throat. I grabbed the orange juice, took a drink, and gasped at the sharp shock of sweet layered upon sweet.
Caleb didn’t say anything, following my movements closely. I cleared my throat and wiped my mouth with a cloth napkin from the tray.
“What?”
“How do you feel?” he asked, lowering his head and forcing me to meet his watchful eyes.
I glanced away, biting my lip, knowing no single world could adequately describe it. “Different.”
He didn’t say anything so I reached for the fork and knife, prepared to dig into the sausage. The meat seemed to come to life in my mouth, and it was gone before I’d even had a decent opportunity to chew. I swallowed loudly, forcing myself to eat slowly when all I wanted to do was to shovel the food into my mouth as quickly as possible.
“How is Sammie? Is she feeling better this morning?” I asked between bites.
“She’s good.” Caleb perked up but continued paying close attention to me as I ate. “She’s still a bit shaken, but now that she’s home and she knows I’ve decided to ascend to alpha, she’s finally relaxing.”
“I’m glad, I was worried about her.”
I grabbed the orange juice and forced myself not to finish it off, taking a small swallow and returning it to the tray. I continued eating, finishing off the pancakes and the sausage. I stared down at the bacon, eggs, and toast and frowned. I was still hungry, my stomach nowhere near sated.
Caleb chuckled at my expression. “It’s normal, Emma. Finish your breakfast. I made it myself.”
“You’re not mad?” I shoved a piece of bacon into my mouth, making an effort to chew before I gulped it down.
“No.” He took a deep breath and lifted his hand, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. His deep blue eyes were calm and tranquil. “I’m not mad.”
“But I thought you didn’t want...this,” I sa
id quietly and drank the last of the orange juice.
“I didn’t think I did,” he confessed with a rueful smile.
“But now you do?” I nibbled on the toast before biting down and tasting the creamy butter.
“I do,” he said simply.
Before I knew it, the tray was clean, and nothing was left. I blinked twice when I looked down, ensuring I wasn’t seeing things.
“Thank you.” I smiled at him, eyes darting up and then back down. I couldn’t shake the anxiety and nervousness that I hadn’t experienced since our first days together.
He took the tray from my lap, lowered it to the ground, and kicked it aside. Then he returned to the bed, leaned across me, and braced his weight on the large hands he placed on either side of my body.
“It’s going to be all right, beautiful. I know everything seems overwhelming, but I’ll be here to see you through. I promise.”
His blue eyes met mine, deep and piercing as he leaned forward. I closed my eyes and relaxed into him. His lips were soft, opening as we came together. His tongue brushed my mouth while his hand came around to twine in the hair along my neck.
I groaned, shoving my hands into his hair and tugging him to me. The smell of wood and pine was so intense I couldn’t think. It slammed into me with a force I’d never experienced and I was burying my fingers into his scalp, shoving my body roughly into his.
Caleb didn’t need further invitation, pressing against me. I threaded my fingers in the silken strands, encouraging him, enticing him. An odd vibration rushed through my muscles, enveloping me in heat that made it hard to breathe. It grew and intensified, taking my body over.
A deep, vibrating hum rumbled inside my head, and Caleb responded to it, growling against my lips and using his left arm to pull me across his body. I kicked my legs free of the blanket and released his lips, shifting my body. A throaty rumble escaped my lips, and I realized the vibrating hum was coming from me.
I was growling.
I began pushing him away, alarm penetrating the heavy fog of desire. The other part of me rebelled, brushing against my skin. The wolf was primal, wanting her mate so badly she clawed under muscle and pushed against bone. I gasped at the intensity, the merging of emotions and body, the discord between two separate entities who shared one space.
“I can’t stop it...” I panted, speaking in a voice that was not mine. The vocal cords were denser, making me sound huskier. Everything in my line of sight seemed to bleed, covered in a red mist.
“Take deep breaths.” Caleb cradled my face inside his comforting hands.
At first, I couldn’t. My breathing was too heavy and the panic increased. I clawed at his hands, gripping them tightly as he held my face.
“You can do this,” Caleb said firmly. “Calm down...that’s it...calm down.”
I closed my eyes, pulling jagged breaths into my nose before releasing a steady exhale through my mouth. The wolf fought me, angry at being dissuaded, determined now more than ever to break free. The prickles that spread over my skin burned, stinging like needles. I kept my focus and listened as Caleb encouraged me to take it easy, his voice soothing and serene.
Slowly, the frustration and pent up aggression receded, fading into the background. I waited several seconds before I opened my eyes. The red haze was gone, leaving my vision clear and unhindered. I lifted my head and met Caleb’s gaze.
“See.” He leaned forward to plant a kiss on my nose. “We’ll get through this. Don’t be afraid.”
“Why does that happen?” I relaxed when my normal voice asked the question.
“You’ll have to shift soon,” he said calmly, any tension carefully constrained. “The wolf will let you run the show, but only if you respect her needs as well. If you fight this, so will she. You have to find a balance.”
Moving away from his grasp, I looked at the wall and tried to keep my composure. I had always known I would have to shift. Witnessing Caleb, Sarah, and Derek in the field had made it seem so romantic, beautiful even. They were the most graceful things I had ever seen, full of strength, vitality, and life. But it wouldn’t be the same for me, not at first. I had been bitten, not born.
“Don’t keep me out, talk to me.” Caleb’s hand wound around my neck, forcing me to look at him.
I found myself incredibly relieved that he couldn’t slip into my mind as Trent could. So far he was handling this surprisingly well. He seemed to accept that this was how things were meant to be. But if he knew about my fears, that could change.
“Talk to me,” he said again, running his fingers in a pacifying motion along the sensitive spot behind my ear, lifting his right hand to push stray strands of hair away from my face.
I gave him a weak smile. “I’m nervous, that’s all.”
He frowned for the first time, forehead creasing and mouth forming into a straight line. His hands stilled, blue eyes darkening.
“You said you wanted this before. Has that changed?”
“No,” I said firmly, shaking my head as best I could inside his hands. I twisted free and pressed a kiss into his palm before I looked into his concerned eyes. “I want this. Things have just happened so quickly. I haven’t had time to adjust.”
His face didn’t change, if anything, his frown intensified.
“You’re going to have wrinkles if you keep that up.” I reached past his arms to touch his face and brush my fingers along the lines at his mouth.
The tension around his eyes ebbed and his lips curved into the smile I loved. His face moved closer, his mouth coming forward to brush the softest of kisses across my lips, before leaning back.
I looked down at myself. “I should probably get out of bed and go downstairs. Mom and Dad must be worried sick.”
“They’re fine.” He cleared his throat before adding, “They’ve been outside with Trent all morning.”
“How is he?” I asked, carefully averting my gaze.
“I don’t know,” Caleb answered softly. “He hasn’t spoken to me.”
“I should go see him.” I pushed aside the blankets, intent on climbing from the bed.
“Emma.” Caleb’s hand came out, pressing gently against my stomach, preventing any potential progress forward.
“What?” I settled back into the mattress.
He cleared his throat before his gaze met mine. “I have never questioned what you feel for him, even though I’ve always known something was there.” I rushed to explain but he stopped me before the first word passed my lips. “Let me finish.”
He waited until I closed my mouth and linked my hands together in my lap before he said, “He cared for you when I didn’t, and he brought me back to you. I’ll never forget that, and he will always have my gratitude. But you have to stop this, Emma. It’s not fair to him. I see the way he looks at you, and I know what it means, because I look at you in the same way.”
“He knows how I feel about you,” I offered lamely, staring down at my fingers.
The bed shifted as Caleb moved closer. His hand came over mine, the tanned skin so dark against the paleness of my own, stilling the movements.
“That doesn’t change how he feels.” His voice changed, becoming hoarse. “I know if our places were reversed—if you were with him instead of me—I wouldn’t be able to stand it. I remember how I felt watching you board the plane with him, and it killed me. That memory stayed with me the entire time you were gone.” He took a deep breath and finished, “You have to do the right thing. He deserves to be happy, and he can’t be as long as he stays here. You have to let him go.”
Tears made it impossible to see, and I didn’t look up as they came. But Caleb felt them as they cascaded down my cheeks and onto our interlocked fingers.
“You’re right,” I whispered brokenly, lifting a hand to swipe at the thin rivers dripping down my cheeks. “I’ll tell him he can go.”
“Are you sure this is what you want? That I’m who you want?”
My gaze flew up and met his. His irises
were swirling, teal green strands inside deep blue indigo, and he was frowning. I brought my tear-stained hand to his face, running my fingers along the shadow of soft hair on his chin. Even now, he was the most breathtaking person I had ever seen. I knew I would never tire of touching him like this. Just as I knew I was where I always wanted to be.
Grasping his face firmly in my hand, I told him exactly that. “Never doubt that this is where I want to be, not ever. I will always want to be with you, no matter where you go, no matter what you do. I love you more than anyone or anything.”
My fingers wound around the back of his neck and I pulled him to me, leaning forward and pressing my lips to the softness of his.
I didn’t pull away, only breaking our kiss to talk. “I want you, I will always want you. That day at the airport, I felt as if I was breaking in two, leaving my heart behind. I wasn’t complete until I saw you again, Caleb,” I whispered, moving my lips along his jaw and breathing into his ear. “I am not whole without you.”
His arms came around my waist, drawing me into his arms, and I didn’t resist the bestial side of me that demanded I go to him. His strong hands hiked me across his lap and I went there willingly, wrapping my legs around his waist as my arms came around his shoulders.
“I need you so badly.” He growled against my lips, opened his mouth, and sent his tongue inside the dark cavern, until we were kissing deeply.
He flipped us over so that I rested on my back, with his body covering me like a second skin. I couldn’t think, determined to be with him after being apart for such a long time. I grasped at his shoulders, clawing at his shirt.
“Hurry,” I encouraged him, pulling at the thin cotton.
His hands fumbled at the waist of his jeans and I helped, feeling them give way and slide down. His hands came to my thighs and I unlocked my legs, allowing him to slide off the only barrier that remained between us. He threw the underwear onto the floor and moved against me, testing my readiness before joining us together in a smooth thrust that buried him within my body completely.