Chapter 23
"June said you couldn't bring back your fire. You're not as warm as you used to be." I whispered against his lips before pulling away.
He sighed as his grip on me tightened, "After those uglies beat me up I couldn't find it in me. It felt like the fire finally burned out and I can't rekindle it."
My eyebrows knitted in confusion, "Wait... you don't have your fire? How's that possible-"
"Ev," He pulled my eyes back to him, "relax babe."
My eyes were still staring at him in shock as I said, "Explain."
"I can't... It just sort of disappeared and I can't seem to find it in me." He shrugged.
"I'm sorry." I whispered as I placed my head on his chest, "I should have been there to protect you."
"No Everette, you shouldn't have and I'm glad you weren't because there wouldn't have been a way to leave and I... I don't know what I would have done if they said the things they did to June to you." His nose buried into my hair and I relished in the feel of being in his arms. "Promise me that if I ever disappear, just me, that you wouldn't come after me."
I immediately pulled my head back and glared at him, "No."
"Babe-"
"Would you promise me the same thing if I asked?"
His eyes hardened at the question, "You know I wouldn't."
"Then you know why I can't promise you that," I said and his eyes softened as he nodded.
"You're right. And although I didn't want you anywhere near that place, I'm glad you showed up. June... she was-"
"Nothing happened to her." I assured him, "She's safe and so is Olly."
"Where is he?" Callum asked quickly as he just remembered the kid.
"He stayed by your side for almost the entire day before June got him to eat some dinner and now he's sleeping in the room next to hers," I explained.
Sighing he scrubbed a palm down his face, "The kid is going to need us to protect him. Whatever they did to those kids was messed up. I can't even tell you how much I hated being in that place and what they were doing...saying."
"Well, one, you're not ever going anywhere near there and two, he has us now. Whenever he's ready, I'll make him a pack member and I'm sure June will take care of him." I finalized.
"You mean that Princess?" He asked with hopeful eyes.
"He's only a kid. The rogue life is nothing a child should endure. Plus he seems like he looks up to you." I smiled as I thought of Callum with a kid.
My ovaries also did some flips at the thought of Callum with our kid... well a kid far into the future.
Or not that far away seeing as the next Alpha had to be here for the next ritual. I don't think I'm ready for that type of adulting though.
"Has he said anything about what happened to him or why?" Cal asked.
"No, he hasn't spoken. He only nods or shakes his head. Whatever they did really shook him up." I growled as anger boiled within me.
"I'll try to talk to him but we need to figure out what these rouges are really after. It seems odd that they kept us alive, even though they almost killed me. But what was really off was the fact that they had a water system installed...as if they knew beforehand that I had the fire element." He mused.
"June filled me in on that. The only people who know about the Luna's power is our pack. No one outside of it knew. According to my mom, only your mom revealed that secret to your dad. Do you think she could have told a passing rogue about and word spread?" I looked up at him and saw his eyes dim and he tensed as he looked away and I knew his parents were still a sore spot.
We haven't mentioned them since I took him to his dad's grave and there was barely anything said about them.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
"You did." He admonished and I felt a painful zig to my heart, "Don't apologize for something you meant to say. They were bad people, I know that."
"But I still shouldn't have brought it up, Cal, that was stupid of me. I want you to know that we can talk about them, whenever you're ready, I hold no judgment about them. You know that or else we wouldn't be here today." I brushed some of his growing hair on his forehead.
His eyes closed briefly before he nodded and brought his green eyes back to me, "I don't think I'm ready to talk about that right now."
"I understand." I placed a kiss in the middle of his bare chest and felt his body relax.
"While I may not have known them, I don't know how a random rogue from twenty years ago would know I have fire as opposed to the other elements even if my mother did tell them." He voiced his opinion.
"That's true, but what if they had other rooms with ways to control the other elements?" I questioned.
"You have me there. But... do you think it could be someone from the pack? Inside knowledge?" He rose an eyebrow at me.
I sighed in defeat, "I keep trying to convince myself that isn't the case but I can't leave any stones unturned. Especially after what happened to you, I crave that person's head."
His body vibrated with laughter beneath me, "I know it isn't funny in any sense but your appetite for fights, blood, and vengeance really surprises me sometimes."
I looked up at him and winked, "What can I say, while the other kids my age were playing with their toys, I was outside with my dad learning how to kick ass."
"And I'd be honored to fight by your side any day Alpha." He kissed my forehead. "Do you have any clue who might be telling the rogues about you though?"
I shook my head, "No. I trust my pack... but there are hundreds of us so it's not like I could sit and have a conversation with everyone every day to know them fully. I mean, I know everyone but do I truly know everyone? Know what they think of me... of us?"
"Don't be hard on yourself. A leader doesn't have that kind of time, and you have hundreds to take care of and a pack to run." He knew exactly what to say, "Plus you have me now and as Máni, I will do my part to help with our pack."
His words brought a huge grin to my face.
"What?" He asked.
"You said our pack," I revealed. "That's the first time you didn't say it was my pack."
I saw his cheeks tinged pink, "I knew for a while that I was yours Princess, which makes me apart of the pack. I guess I just hadn't admitted it out loud yet."
I was pretty sure I was sporting a blush now but teased him anyways, "Mine huh?"
His eyes landed on my lips as I licked them in anticipation and he grinned cockily without a hint of embarrassment, "Body and soul."
Cal's lips landed on my own in a fiercely passionate exchange and I didn't miss his emphasis on body.
Both my hands twinned behind his neck as he rolled us me onto my back and settled between my thighs. And Jesus, take the wheel because I felt every delicious inch of this man pressing into me.
I let out a moan as his hands traveled down my hips and Cal took the opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth. Every moment of longing and pain, while we were away from each other, was poured into the kiss as he told me with his lips how he felt.
His possessiveness that I've only ever seen come out around Finn was currently the driving force to his kiss. As if he stopped, his oxygen would be cut off.
Teeth clashing and tongues swirling around each other, my hands raked down his back as I tried to pull him closer to me. His bare muscular back under my palms was sending me on cloud nine.
His fingers toyed with the edge of my t-shirt before his hands slip up. I raised up a bit and he took my cue before pulling back and removing my top.
As I laid my head back down, Cal's eyes roamed over me and I was partially thankful I still had on my bra but wondered what his expression would be if I didn't have one on.
I bit my lip as he grinned at me and his cool body lowered back onto mine. His hands went lower as one stopped on my waist and the other went behind my left knee and pulled my leg to wrap around his waist.
"You're so fucking gorgeous, Princess." His warm breath whispered into my ear before he started trailing kisses from behind my ear, over my face, down my jaw and neck. And finally to my chest.
What didn't help was the fact that I could feel his very hard erection through his flimsy shorts pressing into me.
My body was alive and very aware of this man's presence. Need flooded through me as his lips brushed across the top of my bra and his hand behind my leg stroked the back of my thigh.
And he said he was a virgin?
His stubble scraped against my skin and I felt like shots of electricity passes below my skin wherever his lips landed. And those soft lips felt amazing.
I couldn't help but run my fingers through his curly hair and pull at it whenever he nipped at my skin. I also couldn't stop the moans that passed my lips.
When I felt his lower body against my own in a slow trust, I knew if I didn't stop us now, I wasn't going to be able to tell him my plan.
And it was a very important plan... was it? I honestly couldn't remember as need and desire swirled in my hazy mind.
My hands grabbed his cheeks and I brought his face back to my own and he willing met my lips with his own.
The rush slowed down into a sinfully delicious, melting exchange as he trusted against me once again.
He took my bottom lip between his teeth and gently pulled before moving back to my neck.
"Cal..." I moaned, "we need to stop."
His movement immediately halted as his face lifted to look at me with concern, "Did I do anything wrong?"
I smiled at him, "No, but if you don't stop then I don't think I'll be able to tell you my plan anytime soon. Plans you'll like."
"I was rather liking this plan right now, but if you say stop, then I'm stopping." He kissed my cheek before moving off me and settling down at my side.
I turned to face him as we both catch our breath, "It's not that I wanted you to, but I really need to ask you something."
He shifted to face me with a shit-eating grin, "Glad you were enjoying yourself, I know I was."
Rolling my eyes but secretly loving what he said I went on, "Okay we need to focus."
"Ask away Princess."
I took a deep breath before saying, "While you were out, Penelope, Charlotte and I were speaking. With the rogues being unpredictable and constantly attacking us in large groups, we're losing pack members. We don't know how many there are but we need help. As hard as it was to admit, we do need back up."
His eyebrows knitted in confusion, "I agree but I don't know where you're going with this."
I hesitated before swallowing my pride, "How many hunters are there?"
The surprise on his face didn't go unnoticed, "A little under one hundred."
"Do you think they'd help us?" I finally asked.
He shook his head immediately, "I don't know Everette, but I don't think that's a good idea. They've been the pack's enemies since forever, why would they help us?"
"Because of you." I stated, "They trust you right? You were a part of them not long ago. They'll help us because of you."
"I think you're assuming my position with them was high. Sure I was a high ranked hunter but I'm with you now, they're not going to want anything to do with me, let alone listen to me." He said in exasperation.
I sat up as I grabbed my shirt and yanked it on, "You're thinking too lowly of yourself Cal. If they didn't want you then I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have sent a hunter out here to find you. Your grandpa is still with them, you can convince them."
"But I don't understand why. What can we do that your pack can't?" He questioned as he sat up beside me.
"Shoot guns!" I exclaimed. "The hunters can handle guns better than us. It usually takes us a few bites to kill a wolf but a silver bullet can take one down in an instant. Plus I'm sure you guys use snippers, which can give us a major advantage if we had eyes from the trees. Not to mention the fact that humans' scents are weaker than wolves, so the rogues wouldn't be able to pick it up from far away."
He looked as if he was measuring everything I said but didn't seem convinced, "We still have the problem of why they'd do if they aren't getting anything back. We're humans, we all want something in return."
"I'll pay them," I said simply. "I can afford it and I'm sure they wouldn't mind the cash. Pretty sure they'd like to come and see where the beast is living anyways... and if that doesn't work, I know something that might."
"What?" He asked. I didn't answer and only shook my head because no one can know of this. I trust Callum with it, but if I do this, it will be between myself and the leader of the hunters before anyone found out.
His expression hardened but he didn't push, "I swear if you put yourself in danger-"
"I'm not," I assure him and entwined our fingers together.
He sighed and I could see the hesitation on his face, "You think it would work?"
"I think we have a good sixty percentage chance." I smiled warily.
"And the other forty?" He growled.
"Is lower than the sixty." I shrugged.
He narrowed his eyes at me, "Is there no other option?"
"Not as good as the hunters."
"Fine," He sighed, "but if you think this is our only option then I'm going alone to meet them."
"Absolutely not," I shut him down immediately. "We're going together."
"They won't hurt me Ev, but they will hurt you." I saw jaw clenched.
"If that happens, and I don't think it will, then I can handle myself."
"Not in their territory where its all of them and one of you." His eyes pleaded with me but if he thinks I was sending him out there without me by his side, he was insane.
"Look, if I don't go myself to ask then they're not going to see how serious this is. The rogues wouldn't just stop with the pack. If something happens to us, the nearest place is Fairbairn. We, you and I, need to explain to them the severity of the situation and if I'm not there myself, they aren't going to take me seriously." I explain.
"I can't let you get hurt Ev..." His voice broke.
I climbed into his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck, "And I can't let you go into the forest when those rogues are out there. We do this together, okay."
My reasoning seems to be winning him over. He reluctantly sighed as his arms wrapped around me.
"Okay, together."
"We'll leave for Fairbairn in three days." I kissed his nose, "You'll get to see your grandpa again... and maybe, if you'd like, ask him to come and stay with us?"
His eyes held so much hope, "You'd let another human stay here permanently?"
"Just your grandpa, yes." I smiled. "The others will have to leave then we solve the rogue issue."
"You're incredible you know that? The fucking best thing to ever happen to me." He pulled me into him and gave me a bear hug.
"You are too Callum Cain."
A/N
Chapter Update: Do you guys still believe me here? Honestly though, after December 3rd cause exams ð
So yup, Ev's plan is to go to Fairbairn... the place riddled with hunters. Think it's a good idea?
Cal doesn't seem too sure but who knows imma right... wait, yeah I know ð
Sorry for the late update, I have no excuse except I wasn't feeling 100%... or even 10%. 20 years has been hitting hard. I haven't even felt like putting up my xmas tree and I usually have it up on 14th November... it's the 22nd and it still isn't up ð
Song: JP Saxe - The Few Things (with Charlotte Lawrence)
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-Shania. ð¾