XXXI | If you lose your heart...

"I had a feeling I would see you again."

Just looking at him, Kaleb felt a surge of fury. But then he thought of Kaia and how scared she'd been when he'd let the wolf inside of him out. Kaleb couldn't do it again and breathed deep. He stood in front of the bars and stared at Jack for a long moment; it was satisfying to see the man who'd taken so much from him in such a state.

He looked exhausted and aged, his eyes dull and his shoulders slumped. He sat on the far side of the cell he was in, leaning against the wall with his hands clasped together. "You're going to die, Jack," Kaleb said as calmly as he could manage, but the words sent a shot of satisfaction through him.

Less satisfactory, though, was the smile on Jack's face. Kaleb had wanted fear, but there was none of that in Jack. Jack slowly nodded and unclasped his hands, sitting up straighter, "I expected as much."

Kaleb wanted to hurt this man, tear apart his body and his soul. "Kaia was the one to make the decision." That was enough to get past Jack's defenses. It was almost invisible, but Jack's eye twitched. Kaleb smirked. He'd gotten what he'd come for, and he could go back to Kaia now. Was she still asleep?

"Well, I suppose I should have known better than to visit that place. For some unknown reason, I thought I would be able to stay in control. Maybe it was because for a moment there I almost felt like my daughter had faith in me," Jack said, staring at the wall.

Kaleb watched him. This man was a mess. He was falling apart. Or maybe he already had, years ago. If Kaleb had pieces missing, little divots out of his whole, Jack was shattered on the ground, resting broken and lonely. But Kaleb felt no pity.

"You killed her mother, Jack. Kaia would never have loved you," Kaleb said.

Jack's head slowly turned back towards Kaleb, and he sighed, "Perhaps...but one can hope. I am sorry for everything that's happened." For a moment, Kaleb thought he was genuine.

"You're a murderer, Jack."

Jack's eye sharpened, and he stood up, resting his hands in his pockets as he approached the bars. He stood face to face with Kaleb, stared directly into his eyes. "So are you, Alpha."

Kaleb wanted to recoil. He wanted to lash out. He wanted to scream. But that might make him look weak, and Kaleb couldn't look weak, not in front of this man, never again. He wasn't a shaking child covered in blood any longer. "I'm nothing like you," Kaleb growled.

A slow smile crept across Jack's face, and he tilted his head to the side. Kaleb couldn't breathe. Kaia tilted her head to the side just like that. He felt sick.

"Aren't you?" Jack asked, "Because I've been inside of your head, Kaleb." Jack's face had come back to life, his eyes darkening. "You'll break her. Deep down, you know that, boy. You're a wolf, a monster, and she'll snap under pressure."

Before he knew it, Kaleb had stumbled back a step. He was losing the upper hand even though his opponent was in a cell. Kaleb felt himself shrinking, like a flame under a glass, slowly choking to death. "Shut up," Kaleb growled, this time the sound was barely human.

Jack chuckled and leaned against the bars, resting his forehead against them, "I've been in Kaia's head, too. You know what's in there?"

"Shut up!" Kaleb yelled, slamming his hands against the bars. Jack didn't even flinch. He just stared. His eyes were like dark whirlpools of delight. Their faces were inches apart.

"She shares the same fears you do. Her biggest fear..." Jack said. Kaleb froze. "You."

Kaleb's hand was around Jack's throat in seconds. "I'll never be that person."

"Maybe not...on your own," Jack wheezed, his eyes shining, "But I can...help with that." Jack's hands shot out and pressed against either side of Kaleb's head. Kaleb tried to pull away, but the second he thought snapped into his mind, it vanished again. Kaleb couldn't move. He could only watch Jack's face.

"I only ever told Isobel this," Jack said, able to breathe just fine now that Kaleb was frozen, "But I can do much more than see into people's minds and memories." Kaleb was breathing hard, trying to fight whatever was happening to him, whatever Jack was doing to him. It was like Jack had forced a lock on Kaleb's mind, on his thoughts and emotions.

"So Kaleb," Jack said, "I told you that I would take something precious of yours if you interfered."

Kaleb felt dread in the pit of his stomach like acid. His head felt like it was splitting apart and his heart felt heavy. And then...blank. Something changed like a hand was dragging across a messy whiteboard. Suddenly, there was just nothing.

"So I'll take your heart," Jack hissed, "And without it, Kaia will hate you. Your Pack will despise you. And you'll break."

"She should have chosen me." Jack slowly let go of Kaleb and slipped his hands back in his pockets. "Enjoy watching your life burn." He should have known better, Kaleb thought to himself. Kaleb's heart, his love for Kaia, was the only thing keeping Jack alive.

The grinding crunch of Jack's neck breaking should have been more satisfying. It was an end to a story Jack had started years ago, written in blood. It seemed fitting that it began and ended bathed in red.

Kaleb didn't say anything or feel anything as he stared down at Jack's unseeing blue eyes. He simply left.

Maybe he'd go and find his Luna.

☾

Kaia woke up expecting to be in Kaleb's warm arms, but instead, she opened her eyes to plain white sheets. She rested her hand where Kaleb had been and frowned, sitting up. Maybe he was mad at her for not...no. Kaleb wasn't that kind of person.

Kaia sat up and stretched, sitting up in bed for a long while, taking in the morning. It was a beautiful day. The sun shone in through the window to land on Kaleb's bed, warming her body. It was nice being in Kaleb's room. Everything here somehow reminded her of him. The furniture was all dark wood, the fireplace gleaming marble. It seemed very Kaleb.

"You're awake." Kaia looked to the doorway to see Kaleb leaning against it.

"Where were you?" Kaia asked, swinging her legs around the side of the bed and sliding off of it. Kaleb was already walking towards her, and when he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I went to talk to Lion," Kaleb said. But something prickled in the back of Kaia's mind. Something was...

"I missed you," Kaleb said, leaning down and kissing her. His kiss was rough from the start, commanding and demanding more from Kaia than Kaleb ever had before. Kaleb was usually hesitant around her; he would kiss her slowly and softly like he didn't want her to break. Something was wrong.

Kaia pushed against his chest, "What are you doing? Are you ok?"

Kaleb nodded, "Just kissing my Luna."

Kaia stared into his eyes. They seemed...duller than usual. Kaleb's eyes were supposed to be spots of fire, burning Kaia's skin when she looked at them. He was her sunshine. But Kaleb seemed aloof, his eyes dangerously close to cold. Kaia reached up and touched Kaleb's face, "Are you feeling alright?"

Kaleb sighed, "Will you stop asking already?"

A lump formed in Kaia's throat. Something had happened. Kaleb leaned down to kiss her again, and it was just as rough as before. He crushed her against him, tasting her and biting her lip. For a breath, Kaia let him. Even if something was off, this was still Kaleb, her mate. It felt good to be touched by him. Like a wilted flower, it was somehow beautiful even if it was all wrong.

It felt like flames engulfed her body. Kaleb had only ever kissed his mark, that delicate spot on Kaia's shoulder. But this Kaleb was different, and he didn't hold back. He bit her there, and a shockwave pulsed through Kaia's entire body. She cried out.

Kaia lost her senses. She'd been nervous, but that side of her was gone now. She'd slipped into a trance because everything just felt right. A little voice in her was probably screaming at her to stop--stop kissing him, stop letting him kiss her--but it was too quiet and fell on deaf ears. All Kaia could do was moan and touch and taste as much of Kaleb as she could.

She was so taken over by it that it was Kaia, not Kaleb, who reached down to pull Kaleb's shirt off of her body. He pushed her back onto the bed once it was gone and pressed her back against the sheets, kissing her chest. If it were up to them, they wouldn't have stopped. But it wasn't.

The door to Kaleb's room slammed open. "Kale--OH my god!"

Kaia snapped out of her trance. Kaleb was hovering over her, breathing hard. His eyes were angry, and he was growling. Kaia was holding him, silently thanking the universe that she was still wearing her bra.

"Lion, get the hell out," Kaleb growled, turning to look at the red-faced blonde who had his hands over his eyes.

"As soon as possible," Lionel said, "But first you should know that Jack's dead. Someone killed him."

Kaleb stood up straight again, giving Kaia room to move. She sat up slowly, her hair falling back around her chest, and pulled Kaleb's shirt back on. "Lion, you can uncover your eyes now," Kaia said, still out of breath.

She was trying not to think about the fact that Jack was dead. Kaia was glad on the one hand that the monster was gone forever. But some part of her still mourned him, despite everything logic and reason told her. More than that, though, with Jack dead, she'd never be able to ask him what he knew. He'd said that they'd come from somewhere, that there was more to Kaia than met the eye. Now, she'd have to find some other way to discover who she was. And Kaia had no idea where to begin.

Lionel spread his fingers apart and peaked through. When Lionel was satisfied that he wouldn't get a bit more than he'd bargained for, he sighed and dropped his hands. "I was worried about you, buddy...what with the whole...thing. But now that I see you I guess you're fine," Lionel said, nodding and turning to leave.

"Wait," Kaia said. Lionel paused and turned back around, his eyes alert.

"What's up? Did you want me to give some orders or something? I already talked to Elias, and they're organizing a search for whoever killed Jack before his execution."

Kaia shook her head, standing up and approaching Lionel. She glanced at Kaleb as she went, but he seemed strangely disinterested in what was happening around him. Kaia approached Lionel and asked him the question that had wrapped its suffocating hand around her heart. "I thought you talked to Kaleb this morning?"

Lionel raised a brow, "No, I pretty much haven't seen him since Mizpah."

Kaia looked back at Kaleb and put a hand to her chest. Her heart was beating quickly. Kaleb had lied to her. She wasn't stupid. She could fit the pieces of the puzzle together. "Kaia, what's wrong? You look like you're about to throw up," Lionel said, touching her arm.

Kaia took a shaky breath and nodded, "I'm...you can tell Elias to cancel the search for the murderer."

Lionel looked even more confused, "What are you-"

"Kaleb did it," Kaia said quickly. She secretly hoped that if she said the words fast, they would be lost in the air before they had a chance to become true.

Kaleb stood up on the other side of the room and walked towards him, hands in his pockets and shoulders relaxed. He came to stand in front of them. "I've been thinking and I feel like we should execute the rest of Jack's Pack members, too. The ones we captured at the alley."

Kaia stared at Kaleb, stunned. And then she looked to Lionel to confirm her worries. Lionel's eyes were just as worried as Kaia's were. He stared at her and mouthed and silent, what the fu-

"Kaleb," Kaia said nervously, reaching out to him. She had to know.

And when she touched her hand to his skin, she immediately felt the truth rush into her.

Black.

Kaleb's heart was missing.

Alright! So, as usual, leave me a comment and a little shiny star, and I'll love you forever.