Chapter Notes: Caleb's POV
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- 'We're made to run wild, live free, love strong, you & me.' -
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"What should we do?" Kane was the first to break the silence.
Both he and Chase stayed behind with me inside of the library after our urgent pack meeting ended. The rest of the pack were out patrolling the estate, while my parents prepared to see Angelie off as we really had no reason to keep her at the den any longer. Upstairs, Ava-Rain still slept.
Soundly, I had hoped for my sake more than her own.
As soon as Gray's call came in and he informed us that his alpha was willing to meet, we had to discuss how to move forward with this new information and the best course of action for us to take. Unfortunately, that meant agreeing to Gray's terms and taking Jennifer under our protection. A decision I had promised would be Ava-Rain's to make.
But from what we already learned from Gray earlier in the day, sitting idly by while there was a threat against Ava-Rain was no longer an option. And this meeting with his alpha, if we wanted it to happen at all then it had to happen as quickly as possible. Everything from this moment onwards had to be quick because time was no longer on our side.
And lack of time meant I had to decide what was best for Ava-Rain, without her input. Lack of time meant putting her in a position in which her right to choose and decide for herself would be taken away. I wasn't happy to have done so, but I no longer had any time to spend regretting my actions. Lack of time meant possibly sacrificing everything we had just built between us in order to protect it.
That's how I saw it. That's how I had to see it. Whether Ava-Rain saw it that way or not, whether she could understand it or not, she would always be the reason behind every choice that I made.
"You think there will be more to come like Gray said?" Chase asked next. "Caleb, if that happens then we need to be prepared."
"We'll need to start making alliances," Kane added. "Gather as many mixed bloods as we can. If more pure bloods come, you know they'll bring a fight and we can't fight them alone."
"And ask them to die for me? To fight a fight that's not theirs? I can't do that. I won't."
"This is all of our fight, Caleb. Someone might have it out for you, but they've been terrorizing mixed bloods for months. You don't think they'll want to fight? That they won't answer your call?"
"So, what? We start a war against the pure bloods? Against The Council? Gray said it may not even be the entire Council, but a lone wolf."
"A lone wolf with enough power to make an entire pack of pure bloods jump ship. This shit is real, Caleb, and it's going to get a whole lot more real. They've targeted Ava-Rain—"
"Exactly! And I need to find out why that is!"
This meeting with Gray's alpha was our only lead, our only shot at finding out why any of this was happening. Why there was a target on my mate's back.
"Ok, let's calm down for a second," Chase tried to reason. "Look, Gray said that this wolf is protecting you. Is it possible that he or she knows that you're an heir of the four?"
"If they do," Kane answered, "then why is that a secret they're trying to protect? I hate to say it, but why would Ava-Rain be the target and not you, Caleb? It just doesn't make any sense."
"And why make it personal?" Chase added. "It's like they don't want her to become your true mate."
"Or they don't want you to have your true mate," Kane countered. "Gray says it's protection, but what if this wolf just wants to ensure they are the one to destroy you or something?" Kane suggested. "Like Chase said, it seems too personal. You think. . .you think this somebody knows about Emmy Grace?"
The only people that knew about what happened to Emmy Grace were all currently at the den. The pack, my parents, Angelie and Ava-Rain. Emmy Grace had no family, no friends, nobody to avenge her.
I shook my head. "Emmy Grace had no ties to the supernatural world."
"Neither does Ava-Rain—"
"'Allegedly," Kane chimed in, cutting Chase off. "Her grandmother says no, yet she herself knows about wolves and hunters."
"Then if it's not about Emmy Grace and it is about Ava-Rain, that doesn't explain why they've been watching our pack for months. Before Ava-Rain even came into the picture. Watching and waiting, isn't that what Gray implied? Waiting for her as if they knew she would come, and that's impossible."
Chase was right; it was impossible. No wolf could know the will of Luna. But, as I knew all too well, possibilities were bred from impossibilities.
I didn't know who this wolf could be; what they knew or didn't know; why he or she was doing what they were doing; what their endgame was. But what I did know was that there would be a meeting in a couple of days with the only source that could provide us with some, if not all, of those answers. Answers that came at a high price, and I could only hope to Luna that everything this meeting was going to cost us would end up being worth it.
For the sake of the girl sleeping soundly in my bed, it had to be.
"There's no use speculating. We'll have our answers in a couple of days. Until then, we do everything that we can to make sure this goes down the way we want."
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Luna was cruel.
I saw that more clearer than ever as I stood by the bathroom door and watched Ava-Rain pack some of her things to take to the Hellands.
Her cruelty wasn't damning me as an heir of the four, or to live life in secrecy. It wasn't forcing me to watch my parents slaughter an entire pack when I was a pup. There was no cruelty when She dangled love in front of me, nor when She took that love away.
No, those were all lessons. Teachings. Curses, even.
Luna's cruelty laid within her blessings.
A pack that was willing to walk through fire with me. That would always give and give, even after I have stolen everything I possibly could from them. Their lives. Their family. Their chance at normalcy.
A mate in the form of a nineteen year old girl, who should have had the whole world ahead of her and dreams bigger than the wild, ebony curls that sat upon her head like a crown. A girl who should have been counting down the days until summer, not getting ready to go into hiding. A mate that loved me with everything she was, and looked at me like I was her entire world.
Family and love is what Luna cruelly chose to bless me with.
Her cruelty wasn't giving me a pack, it was giving me a family and allowing me to know—to feel—what it was like to belong. Her cruelty wasn't gifting me Ava-Rain, it was the shadow that loomed over us to remind me that love would always come at a cost. Blessings were bestowed upon those deemed worthy, and Luna's cruelty was every waking second I would spend wondering what might happen if or when I was no longer deemed worthy.
"Who's the creep now?" Catching me through the bathroom mirror, Ava-Rain smiled.
"I won't deny it," I smiled back. Pushing myself from the door frame, I entered the bathroom and made a direct line towards my mate. "You almost done?" I asked when I reached her and, from behind, I placed my hands on her waist.
"Yup," she replied while stuffing a toothbrush in her toiletry bag. "All toiletries are officially," she zipped it up, "packed."
Lowering my head, I rested my chin on her right shoulder. "That was quick."
"Most of my stuff hadn't been unpacked since..." she paused. "Wow, has it really only been a day and a half since I got back? Well, anyway, we don't have much time before the Hellands arrive."
Much to my surprise, Ava-Rain had taken the news a lot better than I had expected. I had been prepared for a silent treatment, and even had a mental list of counter arguments if Ava-Rain had decided against my choice to send her away—especially right after she just had just gotten back. But once I told her what had been decided in the pack meeting, she had agreed. I wouldn't go as far as to say that she had done so easily because, even if she had not voiced it, I could feel her sadness over this whole situation. Ava-Rain didn't want this anymore than I did, but this being the hand we were dealt our only options were to either play or fold.
"But we do still have some time before that happens." Lifting my head from her shoulder, I turned her around to face me before lifting her onto the vanity top. Her laughter brought a smile to my face, and when she tied her arms around my neck and her fingers tangled in my hair I leaned in and claimed her lips.
It wasn't long before the red took hold of us both and dragged us into the fire. Wasn't long before the touches turned into grabs, shirts were lifted and tossed aside, and every inch of bare skin became fair game.
To touch. To kiss. To claim. To mark.
The passion that had been brewing between Ava-Rain and I was born of pure hunger. A need to satiate us both and keep us full until we could be back in each other's arms. Touching, kissing, claiming and marking.
But, like always, it had not lasted. Ava-Rain's phone rang, which meant it could have only been Kasey, who had promised to call when she and the rest of the Hellands left to come to the den.
Reluctantly, we both pulled away, and, for a few short moments, we just stared into each other's eyes. The phone continued to vibrate, but Ava-Rain made no immediate actions to answer it. Perhaps it was because she knew once she did, it would have made everything much more real. Maybe it was because she desperately wanted to protect those precious moments.
How could either of us have wanted it to end? That moment, with just the two of us, the world wasn't crashing down around us, the walls weren't caving in, and we were. . .free.
I took her face in my hands and she placed her own on top of mine immediately afterwards. Still, no words had been spoken, but I made a silent promise to my mate that we would be okay. That I would stop at nothing to ensure that we came back to that very moment, our moment.
Eventually, thought, it came to end when Ava-Rain answered her phone. While she spoke, I took the opportunity to gather our discarded clothes. Within a minute, we were both fully clothed and her call had come to an end.
"That was Kasey," she looked at me. "They're on their way, so we should probably make our way down."
"Before we do, I have to tell you something."
"Uh, oh," she slid her arms around my torso. "Are you breaking up with me?"
The added height she gained from being seated on top of the vanity didn't quite put us at eye level, however, it was enough for me to see the humour in her eyes.
"How'd you know?" I played along.
"You know, wolves and mysterious gorgeous boys. . ."
"Well, just so we're clear," I leaned in until our foreheads touched, "it's not me, it's you."
"Jerk!" She laughed and playfully pushed at my chest.
The sound of her laughter satisfied both my wolf and I. He, too, wasn't at all happy about having to be apart from our mate. But the only reason why he hadn't challenged my decision was because he knew there was no other way to protect Ava-Rain given the short amount of time we had. It wasn't fair, nor was it right, but that pain that we both felt over this loss we would endure in order to prevent an even greater loss from taking place.
"Your jerk," pulling my head from hers, I pressed my lips to her forehead. "Yours," the corner of her mouth. "Always," her lips.
"Always?" She repeated. "Is that an alpha's promise?"
"On my honour as an alpha and as your mate, I'll always be yours."
"Good," she slid a hand up my chest and stopped it just above my heart. "That means nobody can take you away from me."
Nobody.
Because I live for you.
Breathe for you.
Because you decide my fate.
"Nobody," I vowed, staring her dead in the eyes to make sure that she not only saw but felt the power behind my promise.
"So, what did you really have to tell me?"
"I went to see your grandmother. It was during your stay with the Hellands at their cottage."
"What? You went to see Gladys Washington? I can't imagine she let you past the front door."
"Actually, she did."
"My grandmother?" Her disbelief was as clear as day, but it wasn't the only emotion that Ava-Rain was feeling. "Why? I mean," she looked down, her voice softer, "what could you possibly have to say to her?"
Ava-Rain hadn't talked about her grandmother much; a part of her was still hurt over how things had gone down between them all those weeks ago. Gladys may not have been the best grandmother in the world, but she was the only blood-related family that Ava-Rain had.
"It wasn't so much what I had to say, but had to ask. That night we went to the cottage, the Hellands told me something before I left. Something about your grandmother and you."
She looked up, waiting for me to continue.
"When you were younger, she asked them to teach you the ways of a hunter, so to speak."
"She what? Why would she ask them that?"
"Because she knew what they were. She even knew what I was."
Ava-Rain shook her head, and that earlier disbelief was quickly overtaken by denial.
"Caleb. . ." she slid off the vanity to her feet and took a few steps away from me. "That's not possible. There's no way, and I mean, no way that my grandmother is aware of the supernatural world. It's impossible."
Turning around so that my body faced hers, I leaned back against the vanity and crossed my arms over my chest. "That was exactly my first thought, Ava-Rain, but she does. And I had to know if it was because she was a part of it. If you were a part of it, even if you weren't aware. At most, I thought that maybe you were a born hunter, but she said that wasn't the case. She just wanted you to be able to defend yourself if the time came."
"If the time came for what?"
"For my world to spill into yours."
"Why. . .why would she even think that would happen?"
"I don't know. But, if you think about it, her prediction did come true."
The second my eyes landed on her in that stupid club, my world had undoubtedly spilled into hers, eradicating one reality and replacing it with a whole new one.
"And what do you think?"
I could see it in her eyes just how important my answer was to her. Could see her need for something—anything—to keep the rug from being pulled out under her. The need for something to keep her grounded.
"I don't think anything. I know who you are. You're Ava-Rain Noelle Tolbert. You have a best friend, who happens to be a hunter from a family that loves you. You have me and a pack full of wolves that would die and kill for you because you are their alpha female. You like chick flicks and ice cream. And you are mine."
I couldn't possibly understand what she was going through. Ava-Rain lived her entire life believing and feeling that her grandmother did not care. Now, suddenly being told that there was a high possibility that Gladys had—in her own messed up way—cared all along probably wasn't an easy thought to process. To accept.
Because now she would have to question everything. Every word. Every interaction. Every moment. Every memory. And once she started, she wouldn't be able to stop. And if the replay of her entire relationship with her grandmother wasn't enough to drive her insane, then trying to figure out the answers as to why would surely do the job. And that's not what I wanted for my mate. Because I knew all too well that some answers we truly did not want to know, and others were best left kept in the dark.
"I mean, how do I. . .what do I even do with this information?"
I walked up to her then, took her in my arms and just held her tight. "You do whatever it is that you need to do. If it's nothing, then we do nothing. If you want to pretend like you never heard, then we'll pretend. If you want to go and talk to her, then I'll drive you there myself when you get back. If you want to cry, then we'll cry."
She chuckled and tilted her head back slightly to look up at me. "You'll cry with me?"
"Why? Will it earn me brownie points?"
Her lips morphed into a smile, but she didn't respond. Instead, she buried her face in my chest, slid her arms around my waist and held onto me as tightly as I held her. Old habits were hard to break, so I was glad that Ava-Rain chose to run towards me and not away from me.
I don't know how long we stood there in silence, and I may not have known exactly what she was thinking but our connection allowed me to feel the range of emotions that Ava-Rain was experiencing. The strongest out of them all was the doubt. Doubt that would evolve into uncertainty, and force her into questioning everything. And that was a step backward that I was not going to allow her to take.
I told her, not because I wanted her to doubt everything but because I wanted her to know that, contrary to what Chase or Kane might think—whether or not she was tied to the supernatural world—I knew who she was. But none of that would have mattered if she didn't know it for herself.
"Who are you?" I demanded.
"I'm Ava-Rain Noelle Tolbert."
"Who else?"
"A girl with a best friend named Kasey."
"And what does that girl have?"
"A family, who happen to be hunters, that loves her."
"What else does she have?"
"A mate and a pack full of wolves who would die and kill for her."
"Because?"
"Because she's their alpha female."
Grabbing onto her shoulders, I pulled her back just enough so that I could look into her eyes and she could look into mine. "You are who you were always destined to be, Ava-Rain. When doubt creeps in and tries to drag you under, don't forget who you are. All you have to do is remember, and I promise that it will always keep you afloat."
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Authour's Note: FIRST, I truly hope you & your loved ones are staying safe throughout these uncertain times!
SECOND, THANK YOU all so, so, SO much for nearly 15k VOTES! To the people that ACTUALLY take the time to vote on EVERY chapter--from my ride or dies to my newer readers--THANK YOU for helping HOTF reach this milestone! :)