Significance

by Shelly Crane

  Peter put his hand on Caleb’s shoulder and he nodded and took a deep breath. His dad helped him remove his jacket and he wrapped it around me.

  “We better get out of here before your dad comes. Someone had to have heard something.”

  He lifted me in his arms easily and I clung to his neck as his touch took the pain. I saw Kyle’s father standing among the few around us.

  “You saved me,” I told him, remembering how he’d ‘taught’ me karate.

  “I saw that,” he said and smiled, placing a hand on my arm. “But you saved yourself. I just taught you how. Nice form by the way.”

  Despite it all I chuckled and winced at a slight pain in my stomach. Caleb’s grimace got even tighter, if possible.

  “Let’s go.”

  We all piled into the SUV, with me on Caleb’s lap still, and made our way to Kyle’s house. Even with Caleb holding me, I still felt odd. Drained and foggy, like after the echo dream but, I couldn’t get my mind to focus on that because my Caleb was right here.

  I stared up at him and wanted to just burst with happiness at the knowledge that he was ok. More than ok, he came to save me, just like he said he would. Granted he came a little late, not his fault, but if he hadn’t come, Marcus wouldn’t have run off like that and I might still be out there fighting them or worse, in his car.

  Caleb’s mind was cluttered with anger and guilt and general madness. I wasn’t touching his skin because of his heavy jacket so, even though the car was full of uncles, I reached up and touched his cheek. He startled at the contact and sighed loudly at the sudden release of anger. He looked at me and I looked back at him. He leaned over to rest his head against mine.

  “You were amazing. Even I can’t kick that high.”

  I wanted to laugh but it hurt so I smiled instead.

  “Yeah. That teaching karate into my mind thing was pretty handy.”

  I saw Kyle’s dad smile in his profile beside us.

  “Yeah. I’m so sorry, Maggie.”

  “It wasn’t your fault.”

  “But we knew he was after you, we just didn’t know why. I should have stayed or left someone with you.”

  The short ride to Kyle’s house was over and Caleb lifted me into his arms as we exited the backseat and passed through the squeaky gate. I noticed they had the same filigree lined fence with half moons set in intervals as Caleb’s house did.

  Kyle ran outside and his eyes bulged when he saw me. Great, one more person to feel guilty.

  “Gah! Maggie! What happened?”

  “Marcus,” Caleb answered and kept walking me inside.

  “Oh, man. I was just with you not a couple hours ago. He must have been watching and waited for me to leave you.”

  “You were with her?” Caleb asked and looked at me.

  “Yeah. He met me at the diner when I got off.”

  “We went for a walk in the park since you were detained,” Kyle answered and grinned slightly. If I had the strength the glare at him I would’ve. “It started to rain so we had to cut it short and I got her home.”

  “Is that why she’s running a fever and her throat’s sore? Because you took her for a walk in the freezing rain?” Caleb asked hotly as we crossed the threshold.

  He must feel that in me because I hadn’t said anything.

  “What? You sick, Maggie?”

  I did feel sick and sore and in the general vicinity of hurting all over. Not only was I sick from being soaked in the freezing rain but I had just gotten thrown around on top of it. But I didn’t answer him.

  We passed through the kitchen and I saw a few ladies in there around the table with coffee cups. Someone must have called them because they looked worried and when they saw me it wasn’t surprise on their face, it was anger.

  Rachel came up to me, forcing Caleb to stop.

  “Oh no, Maggie.” She brushed her fingers across one of the offense marks on my hand. “I’m so sorry. This isn’t how things usually are.”

  “I’m taking her upstairs, mom.”

  She nodded and everyone stood and watched as Caleb made his way up the stairs with me in his arms.

  Sixteen

  “You’re burning up, Maggie.”

  Caleb had tucked me into his bed in the guestroom after changing my clothes from my soaking wet ones to a House of Heroes t-shirt and boxers of his. I didn’t complain and he didn’t ask permission. He was my significant and he was going to take care of me. When my shirt went over my head and he saw the offense marks around my middle too, he was thinking about anything but seeing me naked. His mind raced with curses and things he wanted to do to Marcus. Bad things.

  “I’m fine,” I croaked.

  “You are not fine,” he said as he pulled the covers up to my chin. “Are you still cold?”

  I nodded. I was freezing.

  He took off his shirt and jeans, leaving him only in boxers, and climbed in beside me. We laid on our sides facing each other as he twined our legs and arms, pressing our bodies close as they could get to warm me. He rubbed my arm with his palm and blew a frustrated breath.

  “Caleb. I’m ok,” I assured him.

  “Only because you handled yourself. I wasn’t there to keep you safe.”

  I wanted him to kiss me even though I didn’t feel good, to take away his anger. I pressed my lips to his, hoping to ease some his tension away, and I felt his arm relax a little but his lips weren’t into it. I pulled back disappointed and looked at him in the lamplight.

  “But I’m ok,” I protested.

  “Yeah, no thanks to me. Or Kyle. What were you doing with him anyway?” he asked softly.

  “He came to the diner when I got off. I’d just gotten your text and he said he knew you were gone and figured he’d come keep me company.”

  Caleb nodded and pursed his lips angrily.

  “Good old Kyle.”

  “I told him no funny stuff and he was completely normal with me, like he used to be. Then it started raining and we ran home but we were soaked and it was so cold. My dad took him home and I took a shower. Then a little bit later, Marcus climbed through my window telling me his father shot you in the ambush of their house.”

  I shivered as I thought of it. He squeezed me tighter.

  “I’m not going anywhere. I’m not leaving you here without me,” he assured.

  “At first I thought I was dreaming because I dozed off for a couple minutes but he was so convincing and...” I sniffed and could feel the tears burning as my body started to relive the pain of hearing those words. “And he said...”

  “Shh. Don’t, Maggie. I told you, I’m not leaving you. Me and you, always together. From now on I’m probably gonna be some form or version of a tyrant. This is your only warning.”

  I laughed and sniffed again.

  “That’s ok. I don’t care, I just want to be with you.”

  “And you will be. First things first. We gotta figure out something to tell your father so he doesn’t freak and you can keep him in your life but out of the loop. I don’t want to ruin it with him.”

  “Me neither but what are we gonna say? I sure can’t think of anything.”

  “Well, I was thinking you could tell him- and my father can go and talk to him about it- that my family is going on vacation for a couple weeks somewhere and want to take you with us. My dad can be pretty persuasive.”

  “That might work. Are we going to stay at your house?”

  “No. We’re going away, just you and me. But your father won’t know that. The farther away you are the harder it is for the echoling to reach you. My dad is going to stay here and try to work on figuring this out while I work on keeping you safe.”

  Though I found the idea of going off alone with Caleb extremely appealing, I was worried too.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Let me worry about that.”

  “You don’t know or you won’t tell me?”

  “It’s best if you don’t know, just in case something happens until
we can leave.”

  “Ah,” I said understanding. He didn’t want Marcus or his uncle to get our location out of my dreams and follow us there. “Well, I need to figure out my work stuff before we go.”

  I snuggled closer and he grunted.

  “You’re still really hot, Maggie.”

  “Thanks.”

  He laughed and I smiled because that’s what I had wanted.

  “Yeah, you’re hot but you’re also hot. Maybe I should get Gran or someone to get you something for it.”

  I grabbed him around his stomach.

  “Please, don’t go.”

  He relented with a nod and nuzzled my nose. His fingers combed through my hair, tucked it behind my ear, traced down my cheek.

  “I was so worried about you. All the way here I was yelling at Uncle Ben to drive faster. I heard you calling in my mind and it was like nails in my head. I had already felt your anxiety but I thought you were just needing me there for the withdrawals so I told them I was leaving, but then you’re heart just stopped for a few seconds.” He laughed humorlessly. “I freaked and then you started breathing again, crazy fast. I knew something was wrong so I told them and they all jumped in the car with me. It felt like I was dying.”

  “That must’ve been when he told me you and your father were dead. They have a car just like Kyle’s father’s so when he told my Kyle waiting for me, I believed him. I’m sorry.”

  “Nuhuh,” he crooned and kissed my lips sweetly. “Not your fault. I’m just so glad you’re ok.” He kissed my lips again and I started to feel warmer and more energized. “For the future, when your significant dies. You know it. You can feel it. It’s excruciating, like you’re dying too.”

  “That sounds fun,” I said dryly.

  “You won’t ever have to worry about it. I told you, I’m not leaving you.”

  I closed the distance to kiss him and he let me for a few seconds but then pushed me back gently.

  “You know I want to but you need to rest, Maggie. You’ve been through a lot tonight and so have I, worrying like crazy about you. We have plenty of time for that later,” he said completely concerned.

  “Just give me what I want,” I said as I took his mouth again more forcefully.

  He chuckled against my lips and gave in. In no time his humor turned to passion and his hand found my side as he pulled me closer to him. Then he braced himself over me and though I felt his excitement, I could also feel his restraint, which he had claimed the other night to have none of. I mentally shook my head at him. He’d been so worried, so utterly devastated by what happened. He wanted to kiss me until I couldn’t think straight but knew I was hurt and planned to take it easy with me.

  He didn’t press me into the mattress as he had done before. He hovered above me and though his kisses were eager, they were gentle. When I moved my hand up into his hair to tug, I felt and heard his breath catch and exhale in a weird pattern.

  I bit his lip gently, he groaned and pressed me harder for just a second before pulling back and giving me a comically stern look.

  “Maggie. Sweetheart. Are you trying to kill me?”

  I just giggled and shrugged under him in innocence.

  I also thought about how much I loved it when he called me sweetheart. It zinged me in all the right ways to hear it.

  He leaned down to my ear and whispered.

  “Sweetheart.” I closed my eyes, savoring, and smiled. Then he kissed the side of my neck once, which he’s never done before and it did nothing to calm me down, and leaned back on his side before gathering me up in his arms again. “Go to sleep, Maggie. We’ll have all day tomorrow for anything you want to do.”

  “But I have work,” I protested.

  “Do you remember when I said I was going to be a tyrant?” I wrinkled my nose and he chuckled. “We’ll talk in the morning. Go to sleep. Sweetheart.”

  I smiled at his tactics and closed my eyes to block out everything but him. I fell into a peaceful, healing sleep.

  I woke several times to a light. When I peeked over Caleb I saw Gran or Rachel or Peter, someone peeking in on us every hour or so. It was annoying and sweet all at the same time. Caleb’s face was turned away so he never woke. Sometimes there would be two of them and I could hear them worrying over us. Two male voices but I couldn’t make out who.

  “I could kill them for this. How dare they go to this extreme, for someone who didn’t even grow up in this.”

  “That isn’t the way of our clan.”

  “Maybe it should be. Richard and his idiotic son are just gonna get away with this. It’s not like we can go to the police.”

  “We’ll keep her safe. We underestimated them, is all. We won’t make that mistake again. We did all we could do. He heard her call and went after her. If we hadn’t been so far away, it wouldn’t have been a problem.”

  “Yes, but now we have a new problem. How do we keep her with us and safe and not disrupt her relationship with her father?”

  “I don’t know. Gran’s family disowned her so, honestly, I’ve never thought about having to deal with the humans before this way but I won’t force her to choose. It wouldn’t be right. We’ll just have to find a way somehow.”

  “No other way about it.”

  “Yes, but I don’t see how. Her safety is paramount to anything else, and Caleb. He is adjusting remarkably well. He told me he has not only heard her heartbeat from the first second of the imprint but also has been able to read her feelings.”

  “So soon? Really? Fascinating.”

  “Yes. And apparently, she is advanced as well. She is already reading his thoughts and feelings at will and her withdrawals haven’t been as severe as I feared.”

  I paled thinking about the withdrawals being worse that they already were.

  “Well, that’s great but first things first. For her safety, Caleb has to convince her to stop working at that diner.”

  “She won’t buy it. She’ll think he’s trying to control her.”

  “No, she won’t I don’t think. She’s smart. She’ll understand the need for such an act for safety. Besides, I think she’ll probably be more prone to want Caleb’s company from now on after what happened.”

  “Did you see her? She was fantastic. That idiot went down with little effort on her part.”

  “I know. She’s pleasantly surprising us all, I think. I just hope she doesn’t feel pressured by all the attention and concern.”

  “How could she not? But she’s a remarkable young woman with a good head. Caleb is a lucky man. I’m very pleased by all this. It’ll be good for our clan.”

  There was a pause.

  “I’m sorry it wasn’t Kyle.”

  “Don’t be. Maybe it’s coming back. Maybe in a few years when he’s of age he’ll imprint. Maybe they all will. Maybe this is the catalyst for the comeback we’ve been waiting for.”

  “I hope so. I don’t know how long we can keep up the celibacy of our clan. It’s not fair and soon we’ll have to worry about carrying on our name and heritage. What’ll we do when there’s no one-”

  “Don’t even speak it. There’s nothing we can do but wait. And I think watching your son and his new mate will be just what this clan needs, to give them hope.”

  And the little sliver of light from the door closed to darkness and the voices stopped for a while. All I could do was cling to Caleb’s sleeping body and hope beyond hope that they were right about everything.

  When light was full in the window, I opened my eyes. Though I’d slept fitfully and restlessly, I still felt refreshed and tons better. My throat still hurt and my head ached a little but nothing like what I had felt like the night before. And no withdrawal pains. That was the best part. The past couple nights, sleeping with Caleb, made me feel brand new in the morning and I wasn’t sure I could go back to sleeping without him again, even if there wasn’t an echoling trying to hurt me.

  I turned my face from the window to see Caleb watching me, leaning on his elbow, with
a little concerned frown furrowing into his forehead.

  “Are you better today?” he asked as his hand coasted down my arm.

  I ran my finger over the wire filigree tattoo on his arm. He shivered making me giggle.

  “Yeah, I’m better.”

  As he looked at my face full on for the first time he winced, closing his eyes for a few seconds.

  “Oh yeah.” I palmed the black mark I knew was there. “Maybe we could see Gran now.”

  He nodded.

  “She’s already been in here but I told her you needed to sleep. She’s downstairs waiting. Everyone is.”

  “Why?” I said pulling the blanket up to my neck like that would help shield me somehow.

  “Everyone was worried sick about you and apparently peeved at me for bringing you upstairs instead of letting them check you out last night. Quite a few have been in here this morning to chew me out already.”

  He smiled crookedly.

  “Really?” I smiled bashfully. “Wow. I’ve never had anyone so concerned for me before.”

  “Welcome to the family.”

  That thought made me smile wider. He leaned closer.

  “That’s what I like to see,” he whispered and then kissed me. He let his hand coast down my upper arm to my elbow. His next words were whispered against my lips. “Your skin is so soft. And you are really…beautiful in the morning. Did I ever tell you that?”

  “No,” I breathed and felt him tap over my heart with his forefinger, feeling it beating erratically, and smile in satisfaction against my cheek.

  “Did I also mention how adorable you look in my shirt?” he said huskily as he fisted the large shirt I was wearing in his hand, pulling me closer to claim my lips.

  As soon as I wrapped my arm around his neck and Caleb deepened the kiss we were interrupted by a loud banging knock and then an exasperated sigh as someone came in without waiting.

  Kyle.

  He had the worst timing ever, always.

  “You can’t even leave her alone when she’s recovering, cuz?” he said and even I could hear the hurt and anger in his voice.