Chapter 14: Chapter Fourteen

Tyler Trip

My hand was plunged into a bowl of ice water, the throbbing in my knuckles so intense that it was hard to concentrate on anything else.

My jaw was sore, a welcome distraction from the pain in my hand. The cut on my forehead stung, too, drawing my attention away from my aching jaw.

Caroline pulled up a chair to sit right in front of me, a cloth in her hand. She frowned as she gently wiped the blood from my face, careful not to touch the cut directly.

I wished she would press the cloth into it, causing it to burn and sting and sear.

“It’s not that bad,” she whispered.

I closed my eyes, feeling the impact all over again. Ryan Stellar, my childhood best friend, my beta, the one who had pulled me back from the edge after Del died, had betrayed me.

I winced as Caroline pressed her fingers directly against the wound. “I don’t think you need stitches.”

I didn’t respond, just watched as she examined the injury, her head tilted slightly to the side, her teeth biting into her lower lip.

I leaned forward and kissed her, surprising her enough to make her drop the cold cloth onto my thigh.

She pulled back, her eyes slightly unfocused as she frowned. “Trip—”

I smiled, cutting her off before she could say something that would hurt me. Before she could reject me or tell me we weren’t mates or that things were moving too fast.

I wasn’t sure if I could handle another blow tonight.

“No stitches,” I mused. “That’s good.”

Caroline hesitated before letting the subject drop. Carefully, she wrapped her fingers around my wrist and lifted my throbbing hand.

My knuckles were bruised and swollen, three times their normal size.

If I moved my fingers, a hot, sharp pain shot down my hand and wrist, leading me to believe that at least a few bones were broken, if not all of them.

I watched Caroline’s face, waiting for her judgment.

I didn’t find any, only understanding.

“What are you thinking?” I asked her, eager to know.

She lifted one corner of her mouth into a smile that left me feeling cheated. “I’m thinking that the milk must have gone bad after sitting out in the heat for so long.”

I took her hand with my good one, leaving the other submerged in ice. “Please—”

“Ryan got what he deserved,” she said stiffly. “We’ll be better off without him.”

I frowned at the worry she tried to hide in her eyes. “You know it will be worse next time,” I reminded her.

“Today was nothing. I had Sarah there to intervene. Next time, it’ll be just me and him. Just us, until one of us gives in or—”

“Dies,” she said, her voice hollow.

I nodded.

She turned away stiffly, moving to the sink to rinse out the bloodied cloth. The water kept running as she gripped the sink, bending over slightly.

I stood and went to her, standing just behind her as I placed my good hand on her waist. “Caroline,” I murmured, “it will be okay. I’ll win.”

Her face was dry when she turned to look at me. “I know.” Caroline lowered her eyes. “I know you promised my brother that he could be your third when—if…

“But can you do me a favor and tell him you changed your mind? Let him study with Neil, become a healer. Hell, he can work at the market if he wants.

“I just… I don’t want him mixed up in any of… He’s already too aggressive. I just don’t think—”

“I agree,” I said softly, watching with satisfaction as her shoulders relaxed. “Should we make something to eat?”

“You’re hungry?” she asked, a hint of lightness creeping into her voice.

I shrugged. “I could eat.”

A small smile appeared on her face but it vanished a moment later, making my stomach drop. Her skin was warm against my hand, her scent suddenly overwhelming as we stood closer.

She hesitated, her hand stopping midair before she rested it on my face.

I saw honey blonde hair and smiling eyes until I blinked and forced myself to see the red curls and freckles and fire in front of me.

If Del was a songbird, then Caroline was a phoenix, and I knew that if I wanted to live my life again, I had to face my rebirth and let the old songs fade away.

“I won’t be able to stand by and watch you die,” she admitted quietly, her hand resting on my face while her eyes avoided mine.

“I’ll intervene… I’ll jump in and fight…” she took a deep breath. “I know your inner pack will too, Trip. Even if it means exile.”

“Caroline—”

“You’ve given me a second chance, Tyler. It might not be perfect but it’s more than I ever thought I would have again. I won’t let it all slip away.”

Not trusting my voice, I leaned forward and kissed her forehead softly before sliding my hand to her chin and tilting her lips to mine. Her lips were full and soft, if slightly chapped.

She kissed me with a kind of tenderness, a kind of sadness, that mirrored my own feelings.

Caroline pulled back slowly, giving my mouth a few more pecks before she patted my chest and turned.

She used the back of her hand to wipe her eyes before she started to rummage through the groceries.

I felt a deep echo of pain as I watched her, torn between past and present.

Del, in a lilac dress with an apron covered in flour and egg yolk. Caroline, balancing vegetables in her arms as she reached for the fridge.

Del, her long blonde hair falling into a pot of soup and the burst of laughter that followed. Caroline, frowning at a recipe book and looking lost as she tried to decipher the instructions.

It took me a few minutes to separate the memories of Del from the present moment. Her laugh was the last to go; the sound of her voice blending with Caroline’s raspy chuckle.

There was nothing similar between my old mate and my new one; nothing, except for the feeling of love and comfort they could stir within me.

“Onions?” Caroline asked, holding up one red and one white.

I shrugged, my hand full of pasta as I tried to measure it. “I don’t mind either kind.”

“Liam liked red,” she murmured to herself, setting the white onion down. “He used to eat them raw.”

“I can’t say I’m that adventurous,” I said, dropping a handful of pasta into the boiling water.

Caroline was giving the onion a stern look. “It’s just so weird to think he’ll never eat these again. He’ll never help me cook or pretend to enjoy the result. Isn’t that a strange thought?”

I nodded, adjusting the stove’s heat. “Yeah,” I said, letting out a deep sigh.

“Sometimes, I think of her death like a bad dream; like it happened in some other world. It’s hard to believe she’ll never do any of the things she loved.”

Caroline was deep in thought as she chopped the vegetables, her face flushed from the kitchen’s heat and the lingering sunburn. “Was she a good cook?”

I nodded. “The best.” I paused before adding, “There wasn’t much she wasn’t good at. She was creative and talented.

“If she didn’t know something naturally, she could learn it in an afternoon. She loved to paint and bake and sing.”

“She sounds like the perfect woman,” Caroline said thoughtfully.

I shrugged. “That’s just how she was.”

“It’s surprising you chose me then,” Caroline said, poking fun at herself. She tried to sound light-hearted, but her underlying insecurity was clear.

I didn’t know how to respond without sounding insincere or over the top.

“You should start simmering the vegetables,” I said quietly, starting to feel a throb of pain in my jaw.

Caroline did as I suggested, turning the stove on low and fussing over her dish. I watched her bite her thumbnail as she adjusted the heat and stirred the vegetables.

I helped her pour in the tomatoes, and we both burst into laughter as we missed the pot and splattered not only ourselves but also the kitchen floor with tomato juice.

“You should have let me do it,” she said, wiping away tears of laughter from her eyes as she grabbed a roll of paper towels.

“I was pouring first,” I argued. “You’re the one who put your hands where they didn’t belong.”

She laughed as we got on our hands and knees, trying to clean up as much of the mess as we could. Caroline started to push most of the tomatoes my way in a not-so-subtle attempt to avoid the work.

“Hey!” I cried as she picked up a chunk and threw it at me.

She stuck her tongue out and sent another tomato flying. I dodged and splashed her with the sauce, soaking the front of her shirt. “Trip!” she exclaimed, pulling the material away from her chest.

I wiggled my eyebrows.

The pot above us started to bubble and boil, water and tomatoes spilling over the top and onto the burner below.

Caroline shrieked and grabbed a spoon, only making the situation worse. I turned down the heat, but the damage was done.

Caroline sighed and put her hands on her hips, giving me a scathing look. “You can’t blame this on me,” I insisted. “I was in charge of the noodles.”

“You distracted me,” she countered.

“You threw the first tomato,” I reminded her.

We ended up eating plain noodles with butter for dinner, sitting on the porch steps as we watched the sun start to set behind the mountain.

The heat had faded, bringing in a cool breeze that made us huddle together.

I was starting to worry about the lack of rain we’d had since I’d come back. Droughts didn’t do anyone any favors.

“What was Ryan like before you left?” Caroline asked, twirling her noodles around her fork. Del used to just stab them and hope for the best.

I set my empty bowl down and stretched back on my good hand. “He was a great friend. He was always more serious than me, but that’s only because I hardly took anything seriously back then.”

“You guys grew up together, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah, we did everything together. We used to ride our bikes through the forest trails; I was always trying to do tricks. We chased girls before I met Del.

“There was one summer where he practically lived at my house; his dad wasn’t always the nicest guy.”

Caroline swallowed hard. “I’ve never asked you about your parents.”

“They died when I was really young,” I said. “I don’t remember them. A rival pack was trying to take me out as I was set to be the alpha after Vex. They gave their lives to save mine.” I shrugged.

Caroline frowned. “So, who took care of you growing up?”

“Vex mostly,” I told her. “When I was around twelve or thirteen, he set me up with my own house and…” I felt my throat start to tighten and cleared it. “I lived on my own.”

“That young?” she asked.

I nodded as the memories of empty rooms and quiet spaces came back to me. “My friends would come over all the time. It was definitely a party house.”

“And after they left?”

“It was just me.”

“Until Del,” she said softly.

I stared at the burning skyline. “Until Del.”

I felt her warm fingers touch mine and wrapped my hand over hers.

The setting sun lit her features on fire, her hair suddenly a mosaic of orange, rust, and gold. Freckles of all sizes and shapes dotted her pale skin, flushed with peach and scarlet.

She was beautiful in a way I had never seen; in a way that was far from traditional. So different from Del.

“I can’t imagine,” Caroline murmured. “I’ve always lived in a loud, busy house—”

“You’re lucky,” I said quietly.

She shrugged. “This last week with you has been a welcome break. It’s easy for your voice to get lost in a home like mine.”

“What did you and your dad fight about?” I asked.

Immediately, I realized that I shouldn’t have asked.

“I’ll take the bowls inside,” Caroline said quickly, reaching for mine.

I grabbed her wrist. “I’m sorry if I—”

She shook her head. “I just need to work it out in my own head before I tell you, okay?”

“Sure,” I said, trying to swallow back some of the bitterness that rose fast and sharp.

I had to remind myself that she didn’t fully trust me yet. That we had to work on our relationship and that I was lucky to have gotten this far.

Caroline disappeared inside, and I leaned forward on my knees, cradling my bruised and swollen hand in my good one. I felt Ryan’s punch to my stomach again and winced.

The thought of my fist connecting with his face and the resulting spray of blood sent a wave of pain through my head.

“Alpha.”

I glanced up as Mick Ryder approached, his shoulder hunched in a cautious manner.

I had no doubt that the pack was already buzzing with rumors about the fight between Ryan and me. It wasn’t common for alphas to kick out members of their inner pack.

I glanced over my shoulder, checking if Caroline had returned. She hadn’t.

“Mick,” I acknowledged, “good to see you up and about so soon.”

Mick’s smile was timid. “Where’s Caroline?”

“Inside,” I replied.

Mick nodded, taking another cautious step closer. “She won’t like it…but I-I need to ask you.”

His breath was shaky. “I want to go back to the human territory… I want to talk to the locals and understand their perspective of us.”

“I think we already know their perspective,” I said, pointing to the healing wound on his arm.

Mick shook his head. “That was just a few stubborn guys. The rest were nice; normal, even. I want this job, Alpha. I want a second chance.”

Mick lowered his voice. “Caroline can’t know. She’ll stop it.”

I rubbed my neck. “I can’t go behind your sister’s back.”

Mick’s eyes darted between me and the house. “You know how crucial it is that we establish and maintain peace with the humans, Trip.

“You need to let me do this. I think there’s something more happening on Mt. Oaks.”

“Like what?” I asked.

He shifted on his feet. “Let me find out.”

I let out a sigh. “Fine,” I said, “but don’t go until you’re fully healed.”

Mick grinned. “Thanks, Alpha.”

I watched Caroline’s brother walk away and sighed again, rubbing my face.

It was funny how I used to think being an alpha was all about fun and freedom. I was quickly realizing how wrong I had been.

***

Caroline was curled up on her makeshift bed when I finally went inside.

I didn’t say anything; just pulled on my pajama pants and took off my t-shirt before I made my way over to my pile of sheets and pillows to lie down.

She had her knees pulled into her chest and was resting her chin on top, staring out the window as the last hints of pink were chased away by the night.

I stared up at the ceiling, trying to ignore her in my peripheral vision but the longer she stayed upright, the more she began to irritate me.

“Can you lie down?” I snapped.

Caroline sighed, and for one terrible moment, I thought she had overheard my conversation with Mick. But she only lay down, stretching out her legs and pulling her thin sheets over her body.

I turned on my side, putting my back to her as I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the crickets chirping in the woods.

Sleep was playing a tug-of-war with my consciousness, pulling me in for a few minutes and then pushing me away.

Caroline’s breath was too fast for her to be asleep and the thought of her staying awake made me restless.

I tossed and turned, trying to find comfort on the hard wooden floors. Maybe Caroline was right and it was time for a bed.

“Do you think we can learn to love each other?” she whispered, her voice thick and shaky.

I froze at her words, my mind suddenly racing as my heart pounded.

She inhaled sharply. “I just keep thinking that this won’t work and I’ll go back to my family and you’ll try again with some other girl and—”

“Caroline,” I murmured, turning to face her, my heart lodged in my throat.

Her eyes were wide as she stared up at the ceiling.

“What if it’s impossible for us to fully love each other? What if our hearts will always belong to Liam and Del and there’s just nothing left for us to give to each other? What if—?”

“Caroline,” I called again, “slow down.”

“I keep trying to trust you, to let you in, but it’s so… I just…” She closed her eyes. “When I was with Liam, I was always eager to tell him something, anything, everything.

“With you, I have to choose my words, and sometimes, they don’t come out at all. What if that means that this will never work?”

“We have time,” I reminded her. “So much time to make it work. We don’t have to figure everything out in one week. In one night.”

“What if the love never comes?” she asked quietly. I felt my stomach drop as that same pain echoed in my chest.

I didn’t know how to tell her that she had stirred that very emotion in me this week. That I had started to care for her, that I could see myself loving her one day.

I didn’t tell her that because her question made it seem as though she didn’t feel the same.

“Then we’ll be partners,” I murmured. “Love isn’t essential to trust.”

Slowly, she nodded. “You’re right.”

“I offered you this position, Caroline, I’ll never offer it to anyone else. Don’t think that anything you do or anything you… I won’t take it away from you.”

I could see the weight lifting from her shoulders. “Thank you,” she murmured.

I remained frozen as Caroline moved forward, reaching for me hesitantly as her leg slipped between mine and her forehead rested on my chest.

My body reacted immediately. I draped my arms over her waist and pressed my fingers against her back, then rested my chin on her head.

~“I’ll never love anyone else as much as I do you,” I whispered into her honey-colored hair, her body nestled against mine.~

~Del’s hands traced my bare chest with her featherlight touch. “You have my entire heart; every beat. It’s yours, Luna, and yours only.”~

~“Liar,” she hissed, lifting her smiling eyes to mine.~

~I raised an eyebrow. “You think I love someone else?”~

~“I know you will,” she mused. “One day.”~

~“Impossible,” I scoffed.~

~Del laughed. “You’ll love your daughter more,” she said. “Your son.”~

~I shivered. “Only two?”~

~“We’ll have as many as we want,” she whispered, her lips brushing against my jawline. “Once all this is over, we’ll have so many kids, your heart won’t be able to handle it.”~

~She placed her hand over my heart, her gaze meeting mine. “It’s not your heart that loves me, Tyler. It’s your soul that yearns for mine.”~

~“Then it’s all yours,” I assured her, “only yours.”~

***

“Trip!” a voice called out. “Alpha!”

I woke up with a start, my face and chest slick with sweat.

Caroline stirred beside me, her eyes fluttering open. A blush crept up her cheeks as she realized we were still tangled together.

“Trip,” Aaron repeated, with Rowan standing beside him, “we’ve got intruders.”

“Shit,” I muttered, sitting up and wincing at the ache in my muscles and the throbbing in my hand. Rowan tossed me a shirt and shot Caroline a smile, who was already up and firing off questions.

“How many?” she demanded.

Aaron paused for a moment. “Three.”

“Where?” she pressed.

“They came from the south,” Aaron reported. “Sarah’s team has them. I came to get you, Trip, and ran into Rowan on the way.”

Once I was dressed, Caroline and I headed out the door towards the enforcer camp, specifically to Sarah’s tent, which doubled as her office and living quarters.

Sarah was a stickler for cleanliness, so the only signs of her living there were a neatly folded blanket and a bare cot tucked away in a corner. I had tried to offer her better accommodations, but she had declined.

As we walked, Aaron filled us in on how they’d found the intruders and how one of them had been particularly aggressive. I listened, still half-asleep as the sun began to peek over the trees.

“Alpha,” Sarah greeted, bowing her head as we gathered outside her tent.

Two of her enforcers stood guard at the entrance, their expressions serious. The one on the right was Wallace, the enforcer who had punched Caroline’s brother during my ~welcome home~ party.

“What’s happening?” I asked, feeling a knot of anticipation in my stomach.

“Three trespassers: two males, one female. The older male is extremely aggressive, making threats. The other two are… Well, Alpha, I’m not exactly sure how to…”

Suddenly, I was wide awake. I placed a hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “They’re guests, not trespassers.” Aaron ran a hand over his freshly shaved head.

I continued. “I must have forgotten to tell you guys. I invited some of my old war buddies to help us with the Mt. Oaks situation.”

Just then, my old friend burst out of Sarah’s tent, snarling at the enforcers who tried to stop him.

“What the fuck, Trip?” he bellowed. “You beg me to come to this godforsaken mountain and then your goons detain me?”

“Sorry, Grant,” I said, chuckling and extending my hand. “Miscommunication.”

Grant shook my hand roughly, his large frame and icy eyes both intimidating and striking. He growled under his breath.

“You know, I’ve got my own problems, Trip,” he grumbled. “You’d better have some solid proof that this guy is a Sun Warrior.”

“How about a straight-up confession?” I suggested.

“That’ll do,” another voice chimed in. I turned to see Lux Freeman walking forward, her long, white hair pulled back into a gleaming ponytail.

Beside her was her mate, Keegan Stone. They looked just as I remembered them.

“Good to see you again, Trip,” Keegan said, shaking my hand.

“Thanks for coming,” I said to all three of them.

I turned to my pack and frowned, noticing for the first time how pale and quiet Caroline had become. “This is my luna, Caroline Ry—”

“Nice to meet you,” Caroline cut in, her voice unusually high and strained.

I frowned but moved on. “My beta, Rowan Moss. My head lookout, Aaron Yang. My head enforcer, Sarah Miller.”

I turned to my guests. “This is Grant, a White Wolf I met during the war. And of course, you all remember Lux and Keegan Stone.” I made sure to use Lux’s new last name.

Lux was the first to smile. “Nice to meet you all. Keegan, my brother, and I now work independently to eradicate any remaining factions of the Sun Warrior movement.”

Keegan’s smile was warm. “We’re looking forward to working with you.”

Grant’s eyes narrowed when he looked at Caroline. I followed his gaze, noting that she suddenly looked ill.

I tried to take her hand but she pulled away, crossing her arms over her stomach and turning her face away.

“I didn’t know you had a new luna, Trip,” Grant mused, his icy eyes still studying Caroline. “I don’t think I caught your name.”

Caroline spat out her first name through gritted teeth. That’s when I noticed Lux’s furrowed brow and deep frown. She was looking at her brother and Caroline with renewed interest.

There was a time when I thought Han and Grant looked alike, but now that I saw him next to Lux, it was clear they were siblings.

But there was something in Grant’s face, something in his stance, that reminded me of…

“Caroline,” Grant repeated, “you look familiar. Do you have any cousins?”

She lifted her gaze to his, almost defiantly. “I have two brothers.”

Grant’s eyes hardened. “Mick and Kyle,” he guessed.

Caroline was glaring. “Kyle goes by Han now.”

Grant laughed, a sound that sent chills down my spine. “Another sister,” he mused, his voice echoing. “Fucking bastard.”

Suddenly, it all clicked. The look on Grant’s face reminded me of Caroline, the similarity between his features and Han’s, the fight Caroline had with her father.

Lux was frowning. “What’s going on?”

Grant grinned. “I’m Caroline’s brother.”