Calamity Falls | Wattys 2019

XLI

Leopold continued running. His four legs pounded against the earth in fast procession. He was angry. He didn't get very much sleep the previous night. He couldn't sleep knowing something was wrong with Calamity. Waking up to find that Calamity was gone did not help the situation at all.

Calamity moved through the shadows, keeping her distance from Leopold, even though he had no way of knowing where she was. She was dissolved into the darkness, left alone with her thoughts. She tried not to think, just focus on the path ahead of her. She searched for any threats, almost disappointed that she couldn't find any to distract her. She just kept pushing the pace faster and faster. She had to get home as soon as possible. She was stuck in closer proximity in these woods than one would expect. She had to protect Reinard, so she couldn't just go off to get away from Leo.

No, no, no, Calamity thought. The sun was starting to go down. They would have to set up camp quickly. She would have to spend the night trying to evade Leopold. She didn't know how to act around him. Calamity made up her mind.

She jumped from the shadows in the canopy and onto the trail below in front of Reinard, who led the group. "We need to set up camp." Leopold's wolf strolled up beside Reinard, ready to approach Calamity. "I'll go gather the fire wood."

In a flash she was gone. Leopold barely caught a whiff of her scent throughout the entire journey. She was hiding her presence from him, and he wanted to know why. Luckily for him, he was an excellent tracker, and he would find his mate no matter where she was or how hard she tried to evade him.

Leopold growled before sprinting off after her, almost as fast as when she took off initially.

Reinard shook his head at their antics. They were acting like children. Why? He didn't know, but Calamity obviously seemed bothered by something. She had been sticking closer to him than she had been since she met Leopold. He rolled his eyes. They were probably in another lover's quarrel.

Leopold chased her down. There was almost no scent to trace. Finally, he found her with a stack of wood in her arms. She seemed to sense that he was there, immediately trying to zip away again. He wouldn't let that happen though. He leaped onto her form, knocking her down swiftly. She couldn't escape now. He had her pinned to the ground. She did struggle, though.

Leopold snapped his jaws at her face, his menacing growl showing that he meant business. She stopped squirming. Leo shifted right then and there, on top of her irritated body.

"Why are you avoiding me?" He shouted in her face. His deep voice sent shivers down her spine. His hands pinning her wrists sent those cursed tingles throughout her body.

"Get off of me!" She bit back.

Leopold snarled. "Answer the question, Calamity!"

Calamity kept her mouth shut tight. Her chest heaved up and down heavily, brushing against Leopold's bare, sculpted chest.

"I thought that you were going to try, Calamity," Leopold's voice was strained with emotion. His head dropped before rising again, emotion burning a hole through Calamity. "You said you wanted to learn to love me. You said that you wanted to try."

Calamity took in a quick breath. "It hurts. I don't know how to deal with it. My chest... my chest feels so tight. When you aren't around it hurts. When you are it makes me forget who I am. Leo I don't know what to do. I'm at a loss."

Leopold finally understood. This was how he acted when he realized he loved Calamity. He tried to avoid her at first. "Say it, Calamity."

She shook her head. "No."

"Just say it!"

"No! I can't say it. It isn't even possible. You don't understand." Calamity shut her eyes, as if she were trying to shut out the world, shut out Leo, shut out the truth.

"I don't understand why you can't just say it, Calamity. I love you. Is it really that hard?" His eyes were sad. Was he not enough? Was he the reason she couldn't say something so simple?

Simple to Leopold maybe, but to Calamity it was much more than that. It was extremely complex

Those three words were a submission. She would not submit to any man.

Those three words were a proclamation of weakness. She would not be weak.

And yet... she was so weak when it came to him, but at the same time so much more strong. She wanted to say it, but she was afraid. Everyone she had ever uttered those words to had abandoned her. Her mother died. Her father used, abused, and disowned her.

But she trusted Leo. She knew he wouldn't‐‐that he couldn't‐‐betray her.

Leopold could see her inner turmoil. "I will wait, my dove. I will wait for the day that you can tell me that you love me with your own lips. I would wait all of eternity for you. I love you."

Calamity wanted to say it back. Something urged her to do so, the bond she supposed. She had to think. She needed to sort her thoughts out.

"I-I need to think. I need... time, on my own," Calamity struggled to get the words out of her mouth. Her mind was moving so fast with so many different thoughts.

Leopold looked longingly into her eyes. "Whatever you wish, my love."

Calamity gazed back at him with a strange kind of admiration. Leopold leaned in slowly. His straight nose brushed against hers gently. They closed their eyes at the same time.

The tingles went off like fireworks when their lips made contact. Their kiss was so sweet and sensuous. It was a kiss of love. The kiss was a promise of sorts. A promise that he would wait. A promise that she would tell. A promise that they would love each other entirely for a long, long time.

And Calamity wouldn't have had it any other way.