13 | Talk

*Warning this chapter contains some sexual themes and some very dirty talk* [18+]

I had agreed to meet with Callum for a late breakfast after I got a few hours of sleep and check in on Mary-Beth. She had told me she was ready to go to school when she woke up but I had told her to stay home. There was something not right about the calmness with which she was dealing with what had happened last night. I suspected that it was shock but there was a haunted look in her eyes that made me feel as though it was something more, something she hadn't said.

The room at the bar seemed surprisingly full for a week day when I entered but it was close to lunch time. It didn't take me long to find Callum, my awareness of him was like a sonar radar. I moved across the room with steady steps, moving to take my place in the booth he was waiting in. I feel a slight nervousness about spending more time alone with him but there were things that we needed to discuss about the changes to our association.

"You're late. I wasn't sure you were going to show up." Callum remarked as I took a seat at the booth. There was already a plateful of hot cakes, eggs, and bacon waiting for me. I felt a little surprised but my stomach growled low, letting me know it was thankful for Cal's high handedness at the moment.

I eyed his plate of half eaten food, "I wasn't sure I wanted to leave Mary-Beth alone in her current state..."

His brows drew together, a look of concern flashing through his eyes, "Has something more happened? Is she ill?" I pulled back at the sudden intensity of his rapid-fire question. I hadn't known that he would respond so strongly to my statement. It's not like he truly knew either of us, but the sentiment caused a warmth to blossom in my chest.

"She is okay, Cal. Just in shock, I think..." I replied in a calming tone, which seemed to take away some of the urgency in his body, "I told her to stay home from school for the rest of the week and just rest. I don't want her to have some kind of mental break over this..."

Callum searched my face, before looking away, "If I had been faster last night, perhaps I could have kept her from seeing such an awful thing...Damn." The last word seemed more of a curse at himself, as if he held himself responsible for the events that had taken place.

"What are you saying..." I tensed as I mused over what he had just said, "Were you the one who saved Mary-Beth?" He remained silent at my question, hands fisted on the table as he stared off at nothing. I could only imagine what darkness was running through his thoughts at the moment.

"Cal." He turned his gaze to me when I called to him, reaching my hand out between us to touch his hand. My cheeks burned at the feeling of contact, "Please answer my question. Last night, when you got shot you said that was because you were tracking the one that did this...you saved my sister didn't you?"

"Let's not make a ceremony about it." He snipped at me, pulling his hand away from me, "It's not like I was out there to save her. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time." His shoulders shrugged, trying to dismiss any gratitude that I would have felt. I wasn't sure why he was uncomfortable with the fact that he could be seen as someone's hero, undoubtedly, Mary-Beth would see him as such. She had been extremely worried about her hero, had basically said as much to me last night on the drive home.

"Thank you..." I whispered softly, emotion clogging up my throat. I quickly looked away from him, grabbing my wrapped silverware. He would never know how much it meant to me that he had protected her, even if it was an accident on his part. We ate in a comfortable silence for a while, neither of us venturing to say anything though there was more than enough to talk about. I began to notice after a while that people seemed to be glancing in our direction an uncomfortably abnormal amount. It caused my skin to crawl with agitation. I tensed up in my seat, chewing my food with a little more fervor.

"Ignore them, Lucinda." Cal remarked, having noticed my behavior.

"How can I? They are looking at us as though we're lepers or worse..." I hissed at him, before sending a glare to an older gentleman sitting at the bar. He turned away quickly.

"I warned you..." He replied in a flat tone. I opened my mouth to speak but quickly snapped it shut. He had warned me that people would talk if we associated with one another. I had known that a lot of the people in town believed that he had murdered someone, but it felt maddening to be under the same scrutiny. I wanted to make a scene about it, I didn't have the patience to be the entertainment.

At that moment, the deputy and one of the officer from the night before entered the bar, greeting people with solemn expressions. When the caught sight of Callum they moved in our direction with purpose.

"Well, speak of the devil and he shall appear..." The deputy said as he took a seat in the booth across from ours. Callum stiffened but pretended as though he hadn't heard the remark. I narrowed my eyes as I looked to their table, feeling a strong surge of protectiveness rear up—a protectiveness over Callum. I wanted to shield him from there ugly looks and thoughts.

"You wouldn't have gone for a moonlight run last night, would've ya, Cal?" The deputy poked. The crowd in the room, seemed to turn at the question. They were watching the interaction between the two males, enjoying themselves.

"Didn't get your fill off the Redford girl? Needed to get your teeth into another one? You might be even more sick than you ol' man, Cal." The comment had Callum flinching. It was the first time I had ever seen any real vulnerability in the man.

I ground my teeth together, "Are you accusing, Cal of something, Deputy?" I flipped my eyes to the man, watching him stiffen at my sudden interjection. He remained silent as I pushed up from my seat, "Because if you are, I'll have you know the Callum Wolfe was with me last night while that poor man, rest his soul, was murdered. All night."

I stood with my fists resting on my hips as I stared down the deputy and the officer he had with him, "They only time we were separated was when I picked up my sister. So, sorry to break it to you Officer but the only thing Cal murdered that night was my lady parts. And I can assure you that they were a willing victim." I could feel the heat of Cal's gaze on the side of my face but I ignored him. I knew it was a lie and so did he. There was nothing intimate between the two of us, though I couldn't deny a part of me would definitely be a willing victim if ever the situation did a rise. The silence stretched through the bar, you could have heard a pin drop.

There was something burning in my veins. I was practically vibrating with the urge to tear into someone. It had been a long time since I had felt such a feeling. The last time I could remember was when I was younger, back when I suffered with from the crippling attacks of panic. I turned slowly to survey the rest of the faces in the room, giving anyone a chance to say anything else or to make any wild accusations. A strong hand wrapped around my wrist, and I barred my teeth in reflex as I turned my face. When I met the hardened familiar green eyed gaze, my lips fell and my muscles relaxed slightly, "I think they got the message." He spoke in a low voice.

I felt my cheeks heat a little as I looked away from him to the crowd, finding Paige smirking behind the bar. I cleared my throat, "Good. Now maybe we can enjoy our food in peace." I snipped as I pulled away from his touch, sitting myself down in the booth across from him. The silence hung for a moment longer before the chatter picked back up again, the show was obviously over.

Cal was staring at me with an unreadable expression, one that made my heart beat a little bit harder in my chest. It was hard to tell what the man was thinking, and in this moment, I felt nervous about what it could be. It had been a long time since I had been so wound up over a man, not since Marcus, my college boyfriend. After him, there had been a couple of men who had scratched my itch when needed but mostly it had been about all about my career.

I needed to keep control of the situation, there was no way I was going to lose my head over Callum Wolfe. I couldn't let that happen. I flicked my tongue over my lips, leaning forward, "Do you think they bought it?" I questioned in a soft whisper.

I watched his lips twitch, finally his gaze left me, sweeping over the room, "Oh, yes...you were very convincing, Lucinda. Perhaps you should consider going into acting..." His green eyes met mine, the familiar smugness returned. This was a much easier version of him to deal with, I knew exactly how to handle this Callum.

I gave him a small smirk, "You have no idea how convincing I can be...my ex-boyfriend thought he was a sex god..." I enjoyed the darkening look on his face at my words, lips turning down into a frown.

"Enough, talking...eat." He growled low. I let out a silent snicker as I watched him angrily dig into his plateful of food.

Callum, 0.

Lucinda, 1

~~~~~~~~

I sat silently in the passenger seat of Cal's truck, feeling my stomach flutter with the close proximity of our bodies. It was hard to not be aware of his every movement, like there was some invisible web wrapped around us, "So how is this supposed to work?"

"What do you mean?" His voice rumbled as he cast a quick look in my direction.

I shifted on the seat, swiveling my hips so that I was turned towards him, "I mean how does this thing between us work? You being Alpha and all that..." I amended at the end, feeling a familiar heat creeping up my neck toward my face.

"Ah." I watched as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel, wringing the leather. He kept his eyes focused out the window, watching the people walking by on the sidewalk, "It is complicated to explain. We can discuss it later." I was not born yesterday. I was the guardian of a teenager girl. I knew deflection when I heard it.

I narrowed my eyes slightly, "Or we could discuss it now." I was not going to cow like he wished. I had made a deal with the devil and I wanted to know what the fine print was. I wasn't going to go back on our deal. I simply wanted to know exactly what I had signed up for. I was someone who needed to be in control, not knowing things, made it very hard to plan for what was to come.

I watched the muscle in his jaw clench, cutting the engine of his truck as he twisted in the seat, meeting my curious gaze head on. God, he was a handsome man. It was just not right that a supposed murderer should make my body burn like it did. I wiggled uncomfortably on the seat, perhaps now was not the right time to have this talk. Not in such a small enclosed space, not now that I know what he looks like naked. My mind was wandering to dirty places.

I watched his nostrils flare and his eyes become hooded, "Lucinda..." he spoke my name as if in warning, but it still sounded so sinful coming from his mouth. It made me think about how my name would sound coming from him if we were lost in a moment of passion. My cheeks burned. I needed to get myself under control but it was so hard when it looked like he was going to leap across the car and devour me.

"Stop looking at me like that..." I hissed between my teeth.

"Then stop thinking about me what would feel like to have me buried deep inside of you." My face burned. This was the equivalent to the feeling of being caught with my hand in the cookie jar.

"Don't be disgusting. I was not." I lied through my teeth. There was no way that I was ever going to admit that I had thought about him in anyway other than an annoyance, "You're trying to change the topic, and I'm not going to let that happen."

Callum moved quickly, reaching across the bench seat and grabbing hold of my arm. I let out a small sound of surprise as he pulled me to him, crushing me to his hard body. I had to hold back the urge to whimper as my heavy breast pressed into his chest. The hand gripping me, relaxed sliding up my arm and over my shoulder. The feeling of his warm hand and long fingers moving over my skin had me arching into him. Nothing had ever felt so intoxicating. It didn't matter that it was daylight, or that we were parked in a public place where anyone could see us. All I knew was that I didn't want him to stop touching me, ever.

He pinched my chin between his fingers, tilting my head back, "You were thinking about it, Lucinda... and you've been thinking about it since the moment we met. So, let me tell you what you are so eager to know... how it would feel, how I would feel..." He leaned forward, bringing his lips inches from my own. I could feel his hot breath on my skin, smell the bitterness of the coffee he had been drinking. I felt my eyes flutter close as I sank into him, anticipation for more, working through my body and settling into my bones.

"My flesh would be hot and hard against your moistened lips." He whispered in a gravel, the vibration of his speech moving through me where we were pressed together, "I would sink into you slowly, inch by inch. Slowly spreading you wider as I filled you." I shivered as the heat in my stomach moved lower, my mind conjuring up the images he was creating for me. I should have pulled away, told him to stop. His vulgar talk should have made me embarrassed but it only seemed to make me hotter. No man had ever talked like this to me.

"I would sink into you, and you would take all of me wouldn't you, Luce?" He questioned in a low voice.

I found myself digging my fingers into his chest, "Oh, god yes..." I moaned as if he were already inside of me. I wiggled my hips. I could almost feel him there, feel him stretching me as he described. It was a maddening sensation, "Callum...please"

There was a bated pause, "Never lie to me again, Lucinda or I will punish you worse than this." His words were like a bucket of ice water. My eyes fluttered open as my mouth fell into a deep frown. I met his gaze, realizing that he had done all of the on purpose. He had proven his point, much to my humiliation. I pushed away from him, face burning. I wanted to throttle him for playing with me like he had, he was such an asshole. Even in my growing anger my body still vibrated with a hunger for him.

"You're such pig." The weak insult fell from my lips. I was still reeling from the unexpected heat of what had happened between us. It bothered me more that he looked completely unaffected, as if what he had been saying or how he had been touching was nothing.

His lips twitched, "Actually I'm a wolf, sweetheart." He was clearly enjoying himself more than he should be. I barred my teeth at him in anger as I reached for the door handle. I couldn't stand another moment alone in this truck with him. I was going to kill or kiss him; my emotions and desires were at war with one another. All I knew was that he had successfully evade the conversation I had been trying to have with him.

"Where do you think, you're going?" He questioned.

"Anywhere you aren't." I hissed at him, popping the door open.

He moved forward, reaching around me to grab hold of my hand, "You can't be that mad."

I sucked in a breath at how it stoked the flame he had started inside of me, "Yes I can. Let go."

He pulled the door closed, turning his face to meet my gaze, "We're not done talking, yet."

I forced myself, with difficulty, to focus on my anger and not the nearness of his body, "You might not be done, but I am. Now, let me go." I snapped at him, happy that my demand came out firm and not breathless, which is how I felt at the moment. Cal's eyes narrowed but he released his grip on me, slinking back to his side of the truck.

I stared him down, trying to understand why I hadn't already leapt from the truck. I could—should leave him after how he had purposefully humiliated me but I lingered, "Well..." I prompted, "you said you had more to say..."

He seemed to relax slightly when he realized I would be staying, turning away from me to start of his truck again, "I do, but not here. I've got to talk to my cousin about the murder...it reminded me of something..." His eyes shifted to me, then to the seat belt. "Safety first, Lucinda."

I glowered at him but reached for the seat belt, "After that we'll discuss your being my Alpha..." I would not be waylaid again.

"Fine." I felt a wave of victory, but kept my gloating internal.

Callum, 1

Lucinda, 2