His Moon

XXIX | Let Me Drown

Kaia watched Lionel's face darken for a flicker of a moment. Lionel had always been good at hiding his emotions, what he was thinking. Even when Kaleb was on the verge of death, he barely showed his worry. So Kaia knew it was severe when Lionel's emotions leaked through his walls like that. "Lion, what's wrong?" Kaia asked, grabbing the wall and struggling to push herself to her feet. 

Cole helped her up, observing her to see if she'd keel over again. Kaia appreciated it. 

"He's...there are things you don't know," Lionel said, "This murderer, Jack...he-" 

But Lionel froze when a roar cut through his words. Kaia looked towards the sound and saw exactly what she feared. When she'd remembered Grayson's death, this was what scared her about it. Mercilessness.

Kaia's gentle wolf had vanished again. He was such a delicate thing, always balancing high above the darkness down below. But Kaleb had fallen. Something had dragged him down to the dark, or someone. 

"Go ahead. Maybe you'll feel better," Jack hissed. He spat out blood and grimaced. He had scarlet streaking his chin and dribbled onto his shirt. Kaleb was looming over him, holding Jack inches off the ground by his shirt. 

Kaleb wasn't Kaleb. He was beautiful and powerful as usual, and that made Kaia's heart swell, but his golden eyes were burning like fire. They were cold and angry and...Kaleb looked dangerous. 

For a brief second, Kaia was afraid. She remembered what Jack had said to her. Your second greatest fear is what you claim to love so much. 

Kaia wanted to scream, to shove Jack out of her mind and lock her skull behind him. She had to do something, to break free of this doubt and fear that plagued her. It was like she'd stood still long enough that Jack's poisonous vines had coiled around her ankles, and now she was stuck on the same horrible train of thought. 

"I should kill you now," Kaleb growled. His voice was cold. Kaia remembered the dream they'd shared when they'd been so far away from each other. Now he was here, in front of her, and yet somehow seemed even more distant. 

"You'll always be that sobbing child, Alpha of Whispers. No matter what you do, you're always going to be alone," Jack taunted. Kaleb growled. His fist collided with Jack's jaw again, knocking Jack to the ground. No one was stopping him; an Alpha could do what he wanted. Kaleb leaned down and yanked Jack up again. 

Kaia closed her eyes, clutching Cole's hand and letting it give her strength. She remembered everything Kaleb had said to her, the way he'd kissed her. Even if his hands were covered in blood now, they'd once held her gently. That's what was important. That's what mattered. 

"Kaleb!" Kaia shouted, her eyes still closed. Her pulse pounded the moment before she opened her eyes to look at Kaleb again, hope exploding out of her. If she couldn't bring Kaleb back from the dark, what good was she? Kaia was his moon and she was his light. She could do the hoping for him. 

3. Kaleb was going to be ok. 2. Even if he had darkness in him, his heart was sunshine in the summer. 1. Faith. 

Kaia opened her eyes. Kaleb was staring at her, his body turned towards her, frozen. Jack still hung from one of Kaleb's hands, but Kaleb's eyes had changed back. They were normal again. Well, not normal. They were exquisite, of course, but that was just Kaleb. Pure, perfect Kaleb. Gentle Kaleb. 

His face collapsed a moment later, and Jack fell to the ground with a thud and a grunt. Kaleb wasn't paying him a moment's notice any longer. It was like that side of Kaleb had just turned off. Kaleb reached up and slid his palm over his face, taking a deep breath. Was he about to...cry?