Chapter 27
"Your house is near a lake?" Abel asked excitedly as we approached the small cabin that was illuminating light.
"You should be here in the summer, the weathers' perfect to stay in there all day." Callum smiled.
"Well it's almost the end of spring, we're close enough." Minna squealed with excitement, "I should have brought a bathing suit."
"Guys," I sighed, "We're not here to have fun, we have a long day tomorrow and who knows what will happen after. The rogues come first and then we have to get back home."
Their expressions fell as reality snapped back but this wasn't a vacation. Things went from bad to an absolute shit storm in the matter of having a conversation with Otis.
But seeing as they worked hard, I relented, "If...and that's a big if, we get time, you guys are free to do what you want."
They nodded as the smiles crept back on their faces.
As Mitch opened up his front door and my pack emptied inside, Cal wrapped his arms around my waist while standing behind me and walked us in.
"Welcome to my home, Princess."
I placed my hands on his arms, "For two guys, it's really cozy in here. I'm impressed."
"You saying you think I don't have style babe?" Callum quirked a brow as he spun me around.
"Maybe..." A total lie, the man had a great sense of style.
"Get a room." Kelly poked at us in good humor.
"Lucky for me, I have one." Cal laughed as he walked to a hallway on the other side of the living room which was an open space right as we entered the front door.
To the right was a small kitchen and I guess through the hallway was the bedrooms and bathrooms.
And I think we all really needed a good bath after running for twenty-four hours.
"There should be some cold pizza in the fridge and bread on the counter, so help yourselves to anything you want. I'll go shopping tomorrow." Mitch offered graciously.
"You've been eating pizza and bread?" Callum asked him with disappointment as he walked out of the hallway with pillows and blankets.
"Don't start on me now Callum, it's been a long day and I'm going to bed." He waved his grandson off as he walked to the hallway, "Take care of our guests and..." he hesitated before patting Cal's back, "I'll see you in the morning kid. Didn't think I'd ever been able to say that again."
The emotions that swirled on Cal's face showed how much that affected him.
"Night gramps." He called back before turning to us. "There's a spare bedroom on the first door to the right and the bathroom is right across the hall. The couch, recliner, and floor are the only other available options." He explained as he set the large pile on the couch.
They nodded before turning to me and asking what went down. I gave them a brief on what Otis and I discussed without mentioning what card I laid on the table and Otis' interest in Jane. They didn't seem assured by our presence here but it was the best we could do and hope they don't try to kill us in our sleep.
Well, at least I know if Otis tried Jane would kill him herself.
"I dibs on the couch," Ross called after I finished speaking as he immediately made himself comfortable on the couch.
Abel sighed as he looked around, "I guess the girls could have the room and-"
"And I'll take the recliner." George cut him off as he patted him on the shoulder and sat down.
"Guess Abel and I will take the floor then," Finn grumbled. "You girls will be alright?"
"We'll manage," Kelly answered as she grabbed her bag and walked to the hallway with Minna in tow. "Coming Ev?"
"She'll stay with me," Callum answered with a smirk and I noticed Finn's eyes lowered to the ground. "We're mates after all and the bed in that room would be way too small for the three of you. Right Ev?"
"Right." I nodded because it wasn't like it was an odd thing to do.
Kelly and Minna held knowing smiles as they said, "Okay, then we're turning in for the night."
"So are we," Cal said as he grabbed our bag and my hand. "Help yourselves to the kitchen and if you need anything, our room is the last on the left."
He didn't waste another second in pulling me away but Finn stopped us.
"Wait, what deal did you offer the hunters?" He asked perplexed.
"If they agree to help us, I'll make a pack announcement. I rather not say right now." I quickly answered as I made no room for them to question me.
"And you're sure they will?" George queried.
"Let's hope," I answered. "See you all in the morning and don't leave the house."
"Goodnight, Alpha." They said.
I followed Callum to his room as I looked at the picture frames hanging on the walls. Some were of Callum at different ages, others with him and Mitch and a few with another man who had a striking resemblance to them, who I assume was Jake. There was also one with Jake and a woman smiling at a camera in front of another house.
"My parents." He answered for me. So that's Abigail.
"You look just like them," I noted. No wonder my mom figured it out when she first saw Cal.
"Let's not talk about them." He whispered as he led me through the rest of the hall and inside his room.
It was very edgy. Dark painted walls, band posters and one of the walls were replaced with glass that overlooked the water of the lake. I could imagine how beautiful it must look in the morning.
"Looks like it hasn't been touched."
"Knowing gramps he probably never even came in here since I was gone. Would have been too hard."
I fidgeted with a little trinket on his desk before turning to him, "Cal?"
He had started pulling clothes out of the bag before turning to me, "Yeah, Princess?"
"How do you think your grandpa would feel coming back to the pack with us?" I waited nervously for his answer as his eyebrow scrunched together.
"You mean while the hunters come to help us?"
I shook my head and walked closer to him, "No, I mean permanently."
Something sparked alive in his eyes as he held hope, "You mean that?"
"You need each other... and I need you a whole lot more."
"You're fucking amazing." He pulled me in his arms.
Grinning I said, "You can buy me ice-cream tomorrow for it."
Chuckling he pulled back, "Between my grandpa eating pizza and you with your ice-cream addiction, I'm going to have to stage a healthy eating intervention."
I wiggled my nose at that, "There're trees around here too Cal, I'll tie you to one if you even attempt it."
"What am I going to do with you." He grinned.
"Let me go bathe." I said stepping away from him, "I'm smelly."
"There's an en-suite through that door," He pointed to the door behind me and I thanked the Moon Goddess I didn't have to wait for the others to finish up outside. "I'll join you."
The large grin on his face was tempting, but not today Satan.
"Nope, no way." I shook my head and backed away.
Laughing he walked closer, "Why not? We'll just bathe, I swear."
"Still not happening buddy. Not while there are six wolves and your grandpa under the same roof." IÂ heard his chuckle as I dashed into the bathroom.
I wanted to, boy did I want to. But some things just had to wait.
~~~
Feeling the surface under my head shift away, I immediately woke in a panic.
"What's wrong? Wrong happening?" I blinked furiously as I looked around the room.
"Calm down there wolfie." Cal chuckled. "I have to go meet Otis, remember? I was trying to give you some more sleeping time because I knew you hadn't slept that well in the cave."
"You could have still woken me up, I'll go with you." I yawned and dropped back onto his bed.
Crawling over me, he caged my head between his hands, "I like you in my bed."
I hit him upside the head. Hard.
"That's the most douche thing I've ever heard." I deadpanned.
"One, ouch," He rubbed the back of his head, "two, you're right, it is stupid... but so very true."
Rolling my eyes, I wrapped my hand around his neck, "What do you think old man Otis wants?"
"Well, the old bastard never really liked me, so if I had to guess, I'd say to rattle me around a bit about what happened, why I didn't shoot the beast when I saw it. You know, scare me a bit for not coming back."
"You wouldn't ever have to choose again, I promise you that. When Otis finally makes up his mind and agrees that my offer is the best thing he'll get from us, then you won't ever have to choose." I pulled his head down and placed a kiss on his lips.
"Still not going to tell me what this deal is?" He questioned.
I shook my head, "Not yet."
Eyeing me suspiciously, he finally nodded, "Fine, but I hope you'll tell me soon."
"I will." I brushed some of his hair off his forehead since he needed a haircut. "That's the only thing I haven't told you."
Nodding, he kissed my forehead and rolled off me before pulling us both up to sit, "If everything is going to be clear between us, as it's always been. Then I have something that's been weighing me down a bit."
"What is it?" My eyebrows drew together in concern.
"The day the rogues took June and I, I was coming to you...but I saw you with him. Finnegan." He said the incorrect name with distaste. "You were smiling and talking and I thought, what if he's who you actually want?"
"Cal-"
"No, hear me out." He cut me off. "The attraction between us is the mate bond right. It pulls us together and makes us like each other. But what if we didn't have that? Would you still like me as much? Your feelings for him aren't directed through a magical tie between you, Ev. You actually had feelings for him but for me, you don't know because we met the night you knew I was your mate. Not before to know if it was real."
My mind was reeling with this revelation. How could he think that? After I basically told him I love him, he still has insecurities and that was not alright with me.
Grabbing his hands, I entwined our fingers, "You listen to me Callum Cain, you should have told me you saw us both that day... heck you should have walked in! Because you would have known that I was talking about you. I was telling Finn how I felt about you. The mate bond doesn't make me like you, it's only heightening my emotions that I already feel for you. Emotions that is bone-deep. Permanent sharpie Cal, I told you."
He knocked me over until I was on my back and pressed his body into my own and his lips on mine. Desire shot through me as his teeth nipped at my bottom lip and I happily opened up for him. His rough hands trailed up my tighs and my sides and I ran my hand through his wavy hair.
Trailing my hands lowers, I ran my palms down his smooth back since he didn't have on a shirt. I traced the tattoo on his right peck.
As his lips trailed my neck I asked the question I've mean to ask for a while but got distracted every time, "What does your tattoo mean?"
I felt his body freeze but he kept his face buried in my neck, "It's stupid and you probably won't like it."
My curiosity peaked, "Well I definitely want to know now."
Sighing, he pulled back and looked me in the eyes, "It means two things. One it's a sort of identification and right of passage for hunters."
"And the other meaning?" I asked when he went silent.
"According to the older generations, the tattoo also symbolizes protection against evil... against the Beast." He looked as guilty as sin.
Me on the other hand, could not help the giggles that erupted out of me like a volcano.
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
He seemed perplexed by my reaction, "It is? I thought you'd be angry."
I shrugged as I wiped from laughing tears from my eyes, "Nope, you're the one who got a tattoo in hope of keeping the evil away. Ironic how you're now in bed with said evil huh. It's hilarious that you honestly followed through with it with that explanation, but hey, I'm not complaining, it makes you look even hotter."
"Hotter? I like the sound of that Princess," He groaned as I traced my finger over the tattoo again. "As for the meaning, I wouldn't have gotten it if I knew you were my mate because I like you beyond the mate bond too, you have no idea how much."
Grinning I shrugged, "It's no big deal, you didn't know who I was back then. Plus it's a part of you."
Giving me a quick peck on the lips, he sat up and headed towards his desk, "I have something to show you."
"More stupid tattoo ideas?" I grinned when he threw me an unamused look.
"Nope, it's my fire-roasted vanilla-scented candle." He brought over the jar to me.
"That's how you described my scent right? Fire-roasted vanilla?" I quirked as he opens the jar and I caught the barely-there scent. The candle was old and only had about an inch of wax left but I caught the scent.
"My grandpa said when my mom was pregnant she bought this candle because she was addicted to the scent of it. It's one of the only things that she managed to bring with her when she ran away from Fairbairn and my grandpa passed it down to me. When I a kid, I had him light it for me all the time but when he couldn't find another jar anywhere in town, I stopped lighting it because it's nearly burnt out." He explained.
My heart squeezed, "I'm sorry you didn't get to meet her Cal."
"It's not your fault, Princess." He looked down at the candle, "I think that her addiction to it was maybe because fetus me liked the scent of it knowing that was how his mate smelt. That sounded weirder than it did in my head," he laughed. "I don't need this anymore though, because I have you."
"You do." I stood up and wrapped my arms around him.
After our tight embrace, he placed a kiss on my head, "Time to go meet Otis."
"Where are we meeting him?" I asked as I walked to the bathroom.
His head popped through the door and he frowned, "About that... I think he meant me alone."
I frowned, "I don't think he will hurt you but I don't trust him either."
"Now you know how I felt when you went off on your own with him. Except I thought he was actually going to kill you."
I waved him off, "Please, that man couldn't kill me even if he tried."
He looked confused, "What do you mean?"
I stared at the wall that separated Cal's room from the guest room and even though it was pretty early, one of the girls could overhear us and I couldn't risk anyone finding out for the sake of our deal.
Walking past him and to his desk, I shuffled through and tore a page out of a notebook and fond a pen that barely worked.
Writing down my announcement; Otis is in love with Jane, I passed it over to him.
He read it and I watched as his expression turned to shock, "What-?"
I slapped my hand over his mouth and took the paper from him that wrote; don't say a word because it's a secret between him and me.
He nodded but I could tell he had questions, "I'll explain if we get some alone time." I assured him.
"That's insane. I never would have guessed."
"I suppose that was the point."
I ran the paper under the tap in the bathroom so that the ink bleed before tearing it up and throwing it away.
You couldn't be too safe.
After we both ready for the day ahead of us, we headed to the kitchen before Cal had to leave, but as we walked down the hall, I heard the faint click of the front door as it closed.
Immediately going on high alert, I rushed past Callum and stopped in the living room.
"Finn?" I questioned as he slowly turned to face us with a guilty expression. "What are you doing?"
He straightened up before clearing his throat, "I just needed a run to clear my head. Decided it would be best to do that before the hunters woke up and shot me."
"You're lying," Callum stated as if it were a fact as he walked to my side.
"Why would I lie to my Alpha?" He narrowed his eyes.
"That's what I want to know."
"Guys, stop." I cut them off before they could go any further. "Did you really go outside for a run? Choose your words carefully Finn."
"I've never lied to you," He seethed. "I did go for a run and you can scent my trail outside if you don't believe me."
That didn't put my mind at ease, "Why would you go running alone when you know there are rogues around?"
"I was being careful and you heard what the hunters said, they haven't been around this area." He shrugged as he walked to the kitchen and we followed.
"Finn that's not the point, they're around and they could be watching. You just can't go run off by yourself when you feel like it." I scolded.
Callum nudged me aside as he walked up to Finn and I thought he was going to punch him, but he simply grabbed the mug out of Finn's hands.
"That's my mug. Take another." Call said as he grabbed the pot of coffee that Finn must have made and poured it all out for himself. "Thanks for the coffee Finneas."
With a pat on Finn's back, Call turned away from him and towards me with a smirk.
Finn simply rolled his eyes as he made more coffee, but an entire pot this time.
"Look, guys, sleeping on the ground isn't the fun and the only way I could work that knot out of my back was by taking a stretch in wolf form and then I decided to take a run. It's not a big deal and if it puts your mind at ease, I won't do it again." He said sincerely but he was always a tough cookie to read.
"You believe him?" Cal elbowed me.
"Yeah, it's Finn, his nerd genes won't make him a rebel." I sighed as I grabbed the mug Finn just found from his hands and waited for the coffee to finish brew.
Cal chuckled as Finn grumbled about mug thieves.
"I'll get going. Tell gramps I'll catch him later and I'll meet you guys back at the barn with the hunters." He washed out his mug before walking back to me and placing a kiss on my head, "Love you, Princess."
I felt my flip over and did about twenty somersaults. Of course, we've practically said it but we hadn't said it.
Callum didn't seem like he even realized he said it as he left and my lack of brain function didn't give me a chance to say anything. It came so naturally to him as if we've been saying that for years, like an old married couple.
With a low whistle from Finn, I turned to face him to see him sporting a grin, "Seems like lover boy is in deep."
Rolling my eyes, I tried to hide my blush, "Shut up Finn."
A/N
Chapter Update: Tomorrow/Sunday (I usually give more updates of when I'm posting on my Instagram) The next chapter shouldn't take too long so hopefully I will type fast!
This chapter kinda just happened, wasn't planned but it happened and it's such a filler. I don't particularly like a lot of filler but heyo, more chapters right. Next time we'll meet an old familiar face.
Picture of Cal's house in the media section.
For anyone who doesn't follow me on insta, it's okay but I announced that I will most likely be doing a special one-shot chapter for Emery and Thane for Christmas so look out for that on Christmas Eve ðð
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