•Callie's POV•
Unfortunately I got stuck in a pack meeting on Saturday morning, but I was determined to find Jarrod.
It was ten o'clock in the morning and the school fundraiser I had to take photos at started at twelve. That gave me a good two hours to track him down and talk to him.
The snow from the other night had cleared up now but it was still cold.
I still feel guilty that Cason doesn't know what happened, I really do hate keeping secrets from him, but this is something I need to sort out by myself. If I tell him he's just going to get worked up and probably do something stupid.
I also didn't want to tell Abby, because I knew that she would freak out since it is her mate that we're talking about.
I make my way to his house, conscious of the people around me.
It had been almost two days since he saw me shift that night, and before that Ric said that he was having complications with him.
There is something about Ric that I just don't like. He has an aura around him that puts me off.
I get to the house that Jarrod is staying at and am just about to knock on the door when someone's voice behind me makes me jump.
"Callie. How good to see you again."
Speak of the Devil and he will appear.
I turn around and see Ric at the bottom of the porch steps.
"Hello Ric." I reply.
I think one of the things that put me off about him was how wild he looked. He had a small messy, bristly beard that continued down his jaw and down his neck. As though he doesn't trim it to be presentable.
His eyes glance to the door behind me, "Visiting someone?"
"I was worried about Jarrod, has he come back?" I ask.
Ric leans against the railing of the stairs, "Yes he did, not quite himself though."
I give him a suspicious look, "How do you mean?"
He shrugs, "Rambling nonsense, staying indoors, looking up old articles."
I have to break eye contact, now I really have to speak to him.
"It's just all very mysterious. He's fine one day, and then just like that, bam, he's acting very strange." I notice Ric walking closer, and I watch him with cautious eyes. If only I could tell him that I could rip his head off in a heartbeat.
"You intrigue me Callie." He says, "You and this strange town."
Before I can reply the door opens behind me and I turn around to see Jarrod standing in the doorway.
"Jarrod." I say instantly, begging him with my eyes to give me a chance.
"We need to talk." He replies, opening the door wider to invite me in.
I turn back to Ric, "I don't know why you're so intrigued, Crescent Falls isn't the place for much excitement."
He gives me sleek smile, "I don't know, there's just something about it. Goodbye Callie, I'm sure we'll see each other soon." He's about to walk away when he stops, "And talk some sense into him, I need him back on the field."
He then walks off with that and I look back to Jarrod.
Except he's not there anymore, it's just an open door. I sigh and walk through, closing it on the way, and find him in the living room, leaning against the wall.
"Is anyone else here?" I ask
He shakes his head, "They're out surveying the area."
I don't know whether to sit or not, the whole situation was a little awkward, I didn't know where to begin.
I think he knew that too, because he started the talking.
"I hope you understand that this is something that has taken me quite a while to come to terms with. It's not everyday you find out that someone can shift into a wolf." He pauses, "Or a tiger for that matter."
I sigh and decided to sit down on an armchair, I don't know if I could stand for this, "We were trying to ease you into it, we didn't want to shock you with too many things at once."
"Why me?" He asks in a quiet voice.
"I really wish I could tell you Jarrod, I do. But it's too soon, after seeing how you're coping with all the other information I don't know how you'll react." I reply.
His voice suddenly rises in volume, "I don't know what to do Callie! I hunt wolves, my job is to hunt wolves! Don't you understand that I can never look at one the same again?"
I can't tell him that's want we want, not for Abby's sake. He's not going to be able to be a hunter again if he accepts Abby.
I stand up again and start moving towards him, "Look, I'm sorry Jarrod, I really am."
I stop moving when I realise he's looking at me in fear, the same as look he gave me the night that I tackled him to the ground.
"That footage." He begins again, this time looking at the ground, "That wasn't really of you and your boyfriend was it? It was of you in your tiger form."
I purse my lips, "Yes, it was. I had to for my sake, if the hunters find out that there is a tiger around here they'll never leave, and I'll be in even more danger."
His head snaps up at this, "Is that why you're telling me this?"
I frown, "What?"
"You want me to know all this so that we'll leave, are you trying to make me persuade them to leave?" He asks.
I shake my head, "No Jarrod, I'm not using you."
"Then what is it?" He shouts, it takes me aback.
He composes himself before he speaks again, but this time the words that come out of his mouth were the words I was hoping he would never say.
"Tell me why you're doing this to me or I'll tell them the truth."
•Cason's POV•
"And that is basically what a mate is." Callie finishes.
We were in the house that Jarrod was staying at, Callie was in an armchair facing Jarrod who was sitting in one of his own too.
I was standing behind Callie, my arms crossed over my chest and staring at Jarrod.
I didn't like this idea. At first I was quite annoyed when Callie told me about the incident with Jarrod, but when she told me he threatened her to expose us if we didn't tell him information, I had to come and be with her to explain it all.
"Okay, but I still don't understand." He says.
I groan, "It's not that hard."
He gives me a glare, which I don't appreciate. Does he not remember that I can rip his head off in two seconds?
"Cason." Callie warns, she looks back to Jarrod, "What don't you understand?"
"What this has to do with me." He replies.
And just like that, as though she knew she had to come at this time, there's a knock on the door and I pick up Abby's scent.
"I'll get it." Callie says, standing up and moving to the door.
"What's going on here?" He asks me.
I supposed I better give the guy a break for now.
"Look, Callie is the best thing that has happened to me in a very long time. I know that you won't be able to feel the bond as strong as I can, but let me tell you that this girl can. So anything you do to make her hurt will be ten time harder for her, got that?" I say as quickly as I can before they come back.
He only has time to give me a confused look before Callie enters with Abby.
"Jarrod, you remember my friend Abby right?" She asks.
He stands up, "Right yes, but why is she here?"
Abby looks extremely nervous, it must be hard for her I'm sure. I don't know how I'd feel if Callie didn't understand or feel the things I felt.
Callie's about to speak but Abby butts in.
"I got this." She assures Callie.
Callie nods and comes around to my side. Even she looks nervous, I grab her hand and intertwine our fingers together for support. She looks up and gives me a smile.
"Everything's going to be okay." I reassure her through mind-link.
"I hope so." She replies.
Abby approaches Jarrod slowly, "I heard that they've explained the mate process to you."
He nods, looking at her cautiously, "Wait, are you one of them too?"
"A werewolf? Yes." She replies confidently.
He just takes in a deep breath and she continues.
"And they've explained how our mates aren't our choice, they're chosen for us. And I know that we're in the most unfortunate circumstances here, but I really hope that you'll understand and give this a good shot. For me." She says.
He gives her a questioning look, "Wait, are you saying that..."
Abby nods, "You and I? We're mates."
Jarrod looks back up to Callie and I, it seems like there are a million different things running through his mind right now.
I catch his eye and give him a small nod, trying to remind him non-verbally about what I said before.
He exhales a large breath and sinks back down into the chair, obviously trying to take all the information in.
"This is why we wanted to wait to tell you Jarrod. But now you have to step up, because Abby is an amazing person and she needs you." Callie speaks up.
He looks to Abby, it seems like he's really taking her in.
She fiddle with her fingers, "I know this must be very overwhelming for you." She then sinks down to his level, and reaches out her hand slowly to his.
He doesn't move, watching her hand. She studies his body language before placing it over his, trying to provide comfort.
"But I hope that you can give this a go, see my world. We're going to have to take it very slowly but I just know that we can be something great together." She says.
Callie glances at her watch and then back to them, "How about we leave you both to talk, there's a school fundraiser on which I need to take photos of, maybe you can come take a look later on?" She smiles.
Abby nods, "Thanks Callie."
Callie nods back and then leads me out by my hand, we exit the house and Callie takes a large breath of fresh air.
"Oh my gosh, we did it." She says.
"Now lets just hope that it all goes smoothly from here." I reply.
She looks at me, "I'm really sorry I didn't tell you Cason."
I stop us and look at her too, "I've got to admit, it hurt a little. But I'm glad you told me anyway, even if it was in a panic mode." I add with a smile.
She smiles too and steps forward to wrap her arms around me in a loving embrace.
"Is there anything I can do to make you forgive me?" She asks.
I pull back a little so that we're nose to nose, and lower my voice, "There is maybe one thing."
With that she meets my lips in a tender kiss, my hands wind tighter around her waist, pulling her even closer to me, while hers travel up and into my hair.
The kiss was gentle, but held so much emotion. It was as though she was saying that she loved me but in a kiss.
I knew that we weren't at the stage to confess anything to each other yet, but I was easily falling madly in love with her each day.
And I hope she was doing the same with me too.
•Callie's POV•
"Okay, smile now!" I say enthusiastically as I snap a shot of some young girls with cotton candy.
I look back at the picture and then back to them, "That was a great shot! Thank you."
They all smile at me before wandering off into the crowd.
The town square was set up beautifully, with the colours of our school hanging around the trees and the stalls in streamers, lanterns, and fairy lights.
It wasn't very dark yet, but the fundraiser ran into the night and that's when everything started looking amazing.
Cason was drifting around with me, I noticed him watching me intently whenever I had to take a photo.
"Why do you keep staring at me when I'm taking photos?" I ask him as we float from stall to stall.
He smirks cheekily at me, "I don't know, you just look so comfortable, so in the moment when you take photos. All the people that you're photographing look so relaxed as well, you're doing a great job."
I can't help but smile at the comment, "Thank you. But my main passion is shooting landscapes."
He tilts his head, "Like the one's on your board in your room?"
I nod, "Yeah, I actually took those photos."
"Wait really?" He asks, "Did you used to go to the beach often?"
I knew he was asking me that because that's what the majority of the photos on my board were of, since I loved the ocean so much.
I shrug, "Not really, it was just whenever we could, I always made sure to get some good shots in."
"Well they're beautiful." He replies.
I'm about to respond to the compliment when I catch a glimpse of a certain someone.
Ric moves along the stalls with a watchful eye, it was as though he was alert at all times. He looks up and locks eyes with me.
I automatically avoid his stare and subconsciously move closer to Cason.
He looks down at me, "Are you okay?"
I nod and glance back up to see he had disappeared.
"I just don't like the look of the lead hunter." I say.
"Where is he?" Cason asks, putting a protective arm around me and glancing around.
"He's gone now." I reply.
Cason looks back down at me and kisses the top of my head.
"I'll never let anything happen to you." He says sincerely, "I promise."
It was in that moment that I knew that I was falling so very, very hard for Cason Rivers.
________________________________________________________________________
Hello!
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!
As I mentioned before, I am trying to update more regularly so I'll do my best to continue that.
If you're a reader of 'Elevator 13' that will be updated soon as well, so make sure to keep a look out for that!
Also I'm really trying to get into Twitter so go follow me at "1eternity_xx" or the link is below my bio. I am also FOLLOWING BACK my first 100 followers so make sure to get in on that!
Hope you all have a great week!
Thanks! xx