The stars that night were for them, Kaia felt. The whole world was for them. "Where are we going?" Kaia asked, still holding Kaleb's hand.
He looked over his shoulder at her. "Outside."
"Outside?" Kaia squeaked, "Is this part of the ceremony?" Kaleb nodded and stared at her for a second. Kaia could practically see the thoughts churning in his head. She raised an eyebrow but wasn't given a chance to ask her question before he stopped walking.
They spun around a corner, and he tugged her in front of him, pushing her against the wall. He didn't waste a second before crushing his lips to hers. Kaia accepted it, pulling his head down so that she could get a better angle. She didn't know how to kiss; she'd never done it before. But something about it just came naturally, like kissing Kaleb was programmed into her. She wasn't afraid to do it because this was Kaleb and something about him made her brave.
Kaleb had two sides. He was rugged and invincible and at the same time gentle and vulnerable. He was amazing. And Kaia felt like she had to live up to it. She could, she believed. So she did.
She pushed herself against Kaleb and wrapped her hands around his waist, tugging at his jacket. She tasted him even deeper. Kaleb had been slow, tentative like he didn't want to overstep and shatter this delicate beginning. But Kaia wasn't afraid of that. And when she let him know that with her tongue, he didn't hesitate.
He reached down and swept her off of her feet, keeping her pinned against the wall and letting her wrap her legs around him. Kaleb chuckled when Kaia pulled away and kissed his nose. And his revenge was meeting his mark with his lips--the same spot that periodically sent random tingles throughout Kaia with no warning. Kaia gasped. It felt like lightning striking and leaving a fire in its wake.
"Sorry," Kaleb said, "I had to do that."
Kaia laughed, touching his face. Her feet still weren't touching the ground so that she could look down at him. "I wonder if I can find it in my heart to forgive you," Kaia teased.
"Mhm," Kaleb said, letting her down and kissing her again. His face darkened. Darkened? That didn't seem right. This day was supposed to be blissful, right? "Come on."
Kaia watched him like a hawk, wondering if she should try and see into Kaleb to figure out what that little spot of darkness was. But he seemed alright as they walked in silence, hand in hand, so Kaia tried not to pry.
Soon enough, they were outside. Kaia had braced for the cold, but it hadn't come. It was like falling into a dream and waking up before you hit the ground; Kaia was hit with whiplash realization and a strong sense that something was just off.
"It's snowing," Kaia said, confused and holding out her hand, watching the snowflakes dissolve on her skin. Kaleb looked at her, so clearly asking and? "Why aren't I cold?"
Kaleb looked relieved, "Good. I was worried it wouldn't work since you're human."
"What wouldn't work?"
Kaleb smiled and pulled her against him. They continued to walk deeper into the forest outside the Prowler Mansion. "When mates are together, they can't feel the cold," Kaleb explained, "We don't actually know why or how."
"That's..." Kaia breathed, looking over at Kaleb. His eyes were still bright even in the dark. The stars shone above them, and the moon illuminated his features. He'd left his coat behind, so his white shirt reflected the moon's light, looking almost blue in it. He was handsome, dark yet brilliant. "Sweet, I think."
"Sweet?" Kaleb asked.
"Yeah," Kaia said, "It's like no matter how cold the world around us is, we'll always be there to keep each other warm." It sounded different than Kaia had meant it to, and she was blushing before she could calm down. Kaleb probably knew what she'd intended, but something sparked in his eyes and Kaia couldn't take it back. Not that she wanted to.
"Kaia," Kaleb said quietly. He met her eyes, "I'm not afraid of a lot of things."
Kaia reached up and wrapped her hands around his neck. He leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. He looked conflicted. "But I'm afraid of this. And I'm afraid of you."
What? "Of me?"
Kaleb smiled a sad smile, touching her face, "The next part of the Lunar Ceremony is...not as..."
Kaleb was struggling for words. It was making Kaia nervous, but she didn't know why. "Tell me," Kaia said quietly.
Kaleb took a deep breath, "We don't have much time."
"Kaleb, what are you-" But Kaleb kissed her, keeping her quiet. He was trying to calm her down. It was an overwhelming kiss, the kind that's almost desperate. It made Kaia weak as new worries bloomed within her.
"When we met," Kaleb said, his voice rushed. He stepped away from Kaia, not letting go of her hand until the distance between them forced him to. He stared at his feet, not meeting her eyes. "Well, that was my first time."
Kaia struggled to comprehend what he was saying, but it clicked soon enough. And when she realized what he was saying, that darkness from before was suddenly identifiable. It was fear. "Your first time as a wolf?"
Kaleb nodded, slowly reaching up and unbuttoning his shirt. "Lycanthrope don't turn until they've found their mate." Kaia watched, entranced. One by one, second by second, Kaia got to see more of him. And when the white fabric fell away, Kaia's lips parted. Everything in her wanted to run to him and kiss him, curl up beside him, give him everything. "There are specific points in a lycanthrope's life where we automatically transform: the first contact and the first kiss."
Kaleb's hands were clenched into fists. He was breathing hard and there was a sheen of sweat on his skin. "This is the rest of the ceremony," Kaleb said. His voice was already a growl. "Normally, you'd do it, too. But you're human, so..."
"Kaleb," Kaia squeaked. She was suddenly deathly afraid of what was about to happen.
"Kaia, I need you to stay with me," he said sternly, meeting her eyes. They were so bright that they would have fit in perfectly among the stars. "The first time, I was alone. I can't do it alone again."
Pain swelled inside of Kaia. It was the toxic combination of chest aches and stinging eyes that Kaia always felt when she thought of Kaleb suffering. But even when he was shot, he hadn't acted like he was in pain. He must have been, but he'd clenched his jaw and ignored it. This time, though, was different.
Kaleb lowered himself to his knees, his voice a desperate whisper, "I promise once this is over, I'll kiss you until you fall asleep."
"Kaleb," Kaia whimpered again, approaching him. She kneeled in front of him, putting her hand on his face, "Can I do anything?"
Kaleb shook his head, "Stay. And don't let this change anything." That was it. That was his real fear. Not the pain he was about to go through, but coming out of it and realizing that Kaia saw him differently somehow. To be honest, she probably would. There would be a more profound understanding between them. But Kaia would still love him. That wouldn't change.
She was going to tell him that. She was. She was going to give him her heart just like she'd done in front of the whole Pack. She'd give it again and again until he realized that it belonged to him and always would. She would give her heart until he realized that it wasn't covered in ice any longer only because of his warmth. But then...
Kaia knew. She knew that the world wasn't as pretty as she wanted it to be, as her mother had said it was. It wasn't just finding your mate and falling in love. A field of flowers has its wasps and its wasps sting. The world was darker than she'd ever thought, an innocent girl going to her Neighborhood hot chocolate sessions.
But it wasn't just the world that was dark. It was this. Kaia hadn't realized what a curse it was, being a lycanthrope, not until that moment. Not until Kaleb doubled over until his body broke into a thousand pieces in front of her eyes.
It was like watching a nightmare come to life without the soft edges sleep granted you and without the gift of forgetting. No, this was real, this was vivid. Kaleb was in agony. Kaia couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't even cry. All she could do was watch Kaleb's body twist and snap, watch the wispy black fur appear, watch the claws come out. She listened to the cracks, one after the other or lots at once, flinching every time. They echoed in her head.
She was helpless. She could do nothing. Stay. And don't let this change anything.
And then Kaleb looked at her, his eyes bright and tormented as the world went dark around him. No, Kaia realized. There was something she could do.
So she reached out, slowly, and touched him. She rested her hand on his shoulder, wincing each time a new bone snapped, each time he let out a howl of pain. But she stayed strong. Kaleb needed her here, to be with him in his suffering. She wanted to be there for him, to be strong for him.
Kaia realized too late that she shouldn't have thought that. She should have known better; she didn't have control of this mind reading thing yet. But it had been too late.
This time, it was different. It was like yanking open Kaleb's mind and dipping her hand into acid. Pain coursed through her, his pain. It was a bone-breaking, mind-numbing pain. Kaia screamed, and Kaleb shot away from her instantly.
Kaia was shaking, staring at her hand. So much pain. She couldn't speak, could only look up at Kaleb. He was still changing, but his fur was longer now. He was starting to look like a wolf, growing until his muscles were sizably bigger, an animal's.
But his eyes were human, and he was still Kaleb. So Kaia reached out again. She needed to comfort him, do everything she could. But Kaleb growled at her. Don't touch me, Kaia.
"Kaleb," Kaia said, seething. Hadn't he asked her to stay with him? Staying by his side was all she could do.
Don't touch me, he growled again. His eyes went to her hand. Not if it hurts you. "Kaleb," Kaia said quietly, inching closer, "This is a part of you." She reached out, but he flinched away again. "Let me see it."
This time, Kaia was careful not to open her mind to his. She didn't need to feel that pain again. When she touched her hand to his face again, he accepted it, leaning into her touch like it was the only thing that could take away his pain. His face had already changed. He looked more like a wolf now than he did a human.
She willed his pain to disappear. Maybe she could do more than open her mind to others'. She focused, feeling the soft fur on Kaleb's face, and imagined his pain fading gradually. She should have been surprised when Kaleb slowly stopped shaking but wasn't shocked at all. It scared her a little bit that she didn't understand herself, what she was or what she could do. But, if the truth could help others who were in pain, it couldn't be all bad.
Heat radiated off of him like an oven. "It's ok, Kaleb," Kaia said quietly. She instinctively stroked his head, feeling the new fur between her fingers. She looked up at the stars as Kaleb finished changing. They were so bright, far from human lights. The longer she stared at the stars, the quieter it got.
And when she finally looked down, Kaleb was still, his head in her lap. He was breathing hard, his eyes closed. "Kaleb?"
He weakly tried to raise his head but let it fall back against her lap. "Are you alright?"
He answered by snuggling his head closer to Kaia's body. Kaia smiled, "You lived."
He looked at her. Because of you. Kaia traced his ears with her fingertips, leaning down and kissing his fur. He smelled just like he did as a human. "How long will you be like this?" Kaia asked.
Kaleb took a deep breath and raised his head steadily, a look of extreme concentration in his eyes. Kaia watched as he slowly got to his feet, shakily rising into a sitting position. Kaleb still had to lean against her, though. She strained to keep him upright; he was so big as a wolf that there wasn't much she could do to help him. "Right...you can't answer me." Kaia frowned, petting Kaleb's chest where his fur became ten times softer, "But I'm glad it's over. Will it be as bad going back?"
Kaleb shook his head, leaning forward and resting his head on her shoulder. Kaia laughed, "Good."
They stayed there in silence for a while, staring at the stars together, cloaked in warmth. "You know," Kaia said finally, "I like this version of you, too. You're very handsome."
Kaleb snorted. He was laughing at her. "What?" Kaia protested, "You really are."
Kaleb lifted his head from her shoulder and looked down at her, his eyes amused. Then he leaned forward and licked her cheek. Kaia smiled and kissed him back. She ran her hands over his legs, feeling the rippling muscle underneath his fur. He was impressive in this form, stronger than anything.
Knowing he was alright, exhaustion crept into Kaia's muscles. Her shoulders fell, "Kaleb, can I sleep on you?"
He stared at her, his eyes widening. Excuse me? Kaia shook her head, "I'm tired, and I've wanted to for a long time. Basically, ever since I first saw you like this."
Kaleb shifted uncomfortably, but he conceded soon enough. He wanted to get closer to her as well. So he lay down, staring at Kaia. She smiled and leaned into him, wrapping an arm around him and curling up close to his side. She could feel him breathing beneath her, could hear his heart beating. Kaia sighed, "I love you, Kaleb." Kaleb lifted his head and rested it on Kaia's legs, sighing.
It was strange how quickly the words came to her now where before they had seemed impossible. It was like they were a part of her now, that she could give them to Kaleb again and again and again. Forever.
Hope you liked the chapter. The next one will be a bit different, so look forward to it. Leave a vote or comment if you've got the time. :)