Chapter 24 ~ I Am Your Safe Haven

Kieran’s POV ~

What just happened? Is she pissed at me? Did I make her feel excluded? Why do I keep screwing up!? I should find her and apologize. That’s what I should do! Axel walks back in and says “Whoa Bro? Who pissed in your Cheerios?”

I sighed “I think I upset Calista. Now I’m trying to decide whether I should apologize or let it ride. I don’t know, dude! I seem to be tasting shoe leather a lot these days!” He laughed and said “Whoa Whoa Whoa! Tell me what happened.. Two heads are better than one!”

I growled and replied “And that’s the problem! Cole acted upset about our dueling with Troy so I told him that that’s how you and I work.. and I wanted his focus on Calista. SHE said she would have liked to know what we were doing, too.. then dragged him out of here to get Cecil’s file. I don’t know if they’re coming back.. going to his office.. or what!”

Axel shrugged “Of course they went to his office! That’s where the fax machine is! But, what’s the big deal? We always bounce off each other when we interrogate. Cole hasn’t ever been bothered by it, before. So what’s changed?”

Exasperated, I responded “He has a Luna to protect now! He takes that very seriously and was offended! He felt out of the loop! How do I know? I have been skating on thin ice since I accepted Calista and every time I turn around something.. or someone.. else pops up! Throwing roadblocks in my way!”

Axel laughs “Calm down, brother! Let’s just go find them and see what that file says! Apologize, if you need to.. just be sure you know exactly what you’re apologizing for!” I shrug.. he’s right! Was it really that big of a deal? I keep tripping over my own feet with her.. and I know it’s my own fault!

I walk into Cole’s office, asking if they had found anything helpful in the file.. only to find Calista not there. “Where’s Calista?” Cole shrugs and tells us “I don’t know.. we were reading over Cecil’s paperwork and she read something.. I’m still trying to find what it might have been.. she jumped up, said “That motherfucker” and stormed out. I’m surprised you didn’t pass her in the hall!

Now, I’m confused. “Cole, if she stormed out.. shouldn’t you have gone with her? Make sure she’s okay?” He shook his head “Nah, dude! That look on her face? Yeah! That’s scary! People get hurt when she wears that face. I’m good! Gamma protects Luna.. In that mood? More like Gamma protects public From Luna! Not about all that, bro!”

I start to turn.. to go looking for her when one of the guards link me 🐺 Alpha, we might need you in the cells 🐺 You need me? Or you might need me?🐺 No.. No.. we definitely need you! And I take off running.. yelling “Let’s go, guys!”

Reaching the cells we hear Valerie screaming stop.. and I skidded to a halt, just as I was passing Cecil’s cell. He’s still hanging, but he’s a bloody mess! I arch a brow at the guard. He holds his hands up in a surrendering motion and whispers “Luna”.. I walk towards Valerie’s cell and I hear Calista “Just some rogue!?” Slap “Don’t know what he wants!?” Punch “Already have a mate?” Kick “Still trying after mine!?” Slap.

I wrap my arms around her from behind.. and whisper “Talk to me, baby. Tell me!” She’s wriggling and squirming.. yelling “LET ME GO!” I am doing my best to hold onto her, but it’s like holding a jellyfish!

Troy yells “Somebody needs to put that bitch down! She’s crazy!” And she lunges for him. Axel laughs and said “Best shut your mouth, TroyBoy.. looks like you’re next!” Cole rests his hand on Calista’s forearm and says “Tell us what you read, Callie”

She huffs and stops wriggling “Fine! Cecil is Cecil Ronald Cassius… sound familiar!? It fucking should! He is Valerie’s cousin.. how about that? Know what else? Troy here? Oh! He just happens to be Her Fucking Mate! It’s one big happy assed family reunion up in here, today! Now! Can I kill them!?”

Axel leans over to Cole and whispers “Yep! Big Scary!” Cole nods and says “Told ya!” I sigh.. I am speechless.. I just hold her and breathe in her scent.. she reeks of anger.. and doesn’t look like it’s going to calm down anytime soon.

I look at Axel and say “Hose that guy off.. and have someone bring Valerie a change of clothes. Calista and I are going for a run!” I lead her out of the cells and link patrol to stay away from the waterfall area. We strip and I tie her leggings and tee shirt around my calf.. we shift and Onyx lays his scent down on Lenore’s fur.. nuzzling her head and licking her muzzle.

We take off on a dead run. Damn! She’s fast.. she ducks under fallen trees and leaps over shrubs. I let her have her head.. she needs to exhaust that negative energy before she spontaneously combusts. I herd her in the direction of the waterfall.. hoping a few quiet moments will help her calm down. I know she’s struggling with inner turmoil right now. The healer in her wants to correct what the warrior did to Cecil and Valerie. And she just won’t let that happen.. which results in her feeling conflicted.

We reach the waterfall, and she immediately shifts, diving into the freezing water. Yeah! Not joining her for that! That whole shrinkage factor might be part old wives tale.. but I’m not chancing it! I slipped on a pair of shorts.. sat on the rocks, just waiting for her. I placed her clothes beside me.. so she could put them on when she gets out.

But she didn’t. She climbed up the rocks from the water and crawled directly into my lap. Her face buried into my neck and she sobbed. Ugly crying.. gasping for air.. slobber and snot! Not pretty, at all! But I held her as tightly as I could.. and thought of anything to tame my raging hard on! Baseball, limburger cheese.. demons.. okra.. Nope! Not working!

Then the wind started howling.. lightning popping and drenching rain. I lifted her and ran for the little cave behind the waterfall. All with her in my arms.

Holding her, rubbing her back.. I whispered “I can’t fix it, if I don’t know what’s wrong. Talk to me, baby! Let me help you figure it out.” She croaked out “Wood. Firewood.” I’m like what?? Ohh! I said “Yeah. Um babe? Onyx doesn’t have pockets. We don’t carry matches..” She leans back and snaps her fingers. Fire! Oh right! I sit her down and rummage up a little firewood inside the cave. Once it’s lit, the weather outside calms down.

I ask “Was that all you?” She nods.. in a small voice, says “I’m sorry. After the anger, always comes sadness. And with tears.. the rains come.” I pulled her back into my lap and lay her head on my shoulder. “I will always be Your soft spot to fall, my love.. I am your safe haven!”