“Regardless of your accusations, Eira is in no way easy. She isn’t going to share a room with a man who not only doesn’t want her, but treats her like crap.”
“Right,” Caleb answered, feeling about two inches tall.
“Besides, Eira isn’t here,” Indigo informed him. His emotions went from worry to rage. What if something had happened to her and he was too busy acting like an ass to notice? What if she had finally left? He couldn’t blame her, but the lion inside him wanted their true mate and roared at the thought of her in danger or leaving them.
“Where is she?” Caleb demanded, advancing on Indigo. Owen stepped between them, and Caleb realized that he must look like he was filled with rage, for Owen to think he would hurt a woman. When Indigo didn’t say anything but simply stood there, looking at him, Caleb snarled.
“Where?” Caleb demanded again.
“I don’t know,” Indigo replied softly. Her shoulders slumped and she looked tired.
“What do you mean you don’t know? She hasn’t called you?”
“No. She hasn’t been back since she took the food. She had spent all day cooking for you in that kitchen. She had a bag with her. I don’t know where she is or what’s going on. And for the record, this is your fault! As soon as she comes back, we will both be leaving. Your clan might be really great, but you, alpha, are an asshole!”
“No!” Nico growled from behind them, drawing their attention. “If you think you are going anywhere without me, you have lost your mind. I will not have you running off like Eira. We stay together.” Nico softened his word at the end, and brought Indigo up against his body in a tender embrace. Indigo shook her head sadly. She looked up at Nico, her heartbreak showing all over her face.
“I won’t abandon her. She never let me go, and I won’t let her go. She can’t live here, being treated the way she has been. I can’t ask you to leave.” Nico turned a hard look on Caleb. Nico was usually the least intense person Caleb knew. But not right now. His face was a steel resolve.
“You better fix this. Now. Because if you don’t and they leave, I leave.” Caleb was so surprised at Nico’s comment that he was speechless for a moment.
“Why would you leave? This is your home.” Nico shook his head at Caleb.
“Unlike you, I won’t turn my back on what fate has seen fit to give me. Indi is the only home I need. We would like to stay, but I will follow her anywhere.” Nico’s words cut Caleb more than he wanted to admit. But that’s exactly what he had been doing. He was throwing away his true mate because she was human. But, she was everything he wanted in a mate. His clan respected and liked her, based on the smells, she was a good cook, and the fact that she was beautiful inside and out. And for some reason she wasn’t giving up on him. She had been everything he could ask for and he had treated her worse than he had treated anyone in his entire life.
Caleb’s lion roared inside at his stupidity and epiphany. He knew what he had to do. He turned to Indigo.
“Have you called her?”
“Yes, but she isn’t answering. She either can’t answer, or she wants to be alone.”
“I’m going to find her and bring her home.” Caleb said and started down the stairs. Everyone followed him.
“How are you going to find her? Believe me, if she doesn’t want to be found, she won’t be,” Indigo insisted. Caleb headed for the back porch and started taking off his boots and other clothes.
“A lion can always find his mate,” Caleb insisted before he dropped his pants and shifted. He was a huge lion, the biggest Caleb himself had ever seen and his coat was a beautiful, golden brown. His body immediately felt at ease in his animal form. His lion approved of the plan to bring their mate home and claim her, so he went about his mission.
“Holy shit. He’s huge,” Indigo said, from behind Caleb. Caleb sprinted off, scenting the air for his mate and following it as best he could. Owen and Nico joined him in their shifted forms. When Caleb finally found the end of the scent trail, it was at an inn on the outskirts of town. This, like many of the businesses in town, was shifter-run. He could go to the office and ask for her room key, but he would have risked any human guests seeing a naked man walking around after being a lion. He wasn’t in the mood for subtlety, so he decided the best approach was the direct one.
Caleb walked right up to the door that he scented Eira had gone through, and kicked it in. Caleb froze at the sight that greeted him.
Chapter Nine
Eira had decided to stay at an inn for the night rather than go back to the clan house. She had showered and changed into pajamas and then she sat on the bed. She was hoping for a distraction and turned on the television, but nothing was appealing. She wasn’t hungry at all, after the events of the past few hours and was feeling raw. She had tried everything to make Caleb proud and nothing worked. Eira, who had never given up on anything in her life, was out of steam. Caleb clearly didn’t want her, and there was nothing she could do about it.
That thought made Eira want to cry and she stopped holding it in. The pain of her childhood, and the pain of everything since then. But, mostly the pain of not having Caleb. She curled up in the middle of the bed and sobbed. She couldn’t control the grief pouring from her. At some point she heard a loud crash, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop sobbing. It was like the flood gates had opened and she couldn’t shut them.
“Shhh. Shhh. Baby, stop. Please. I can’t stand to hear you cry like this.” The quiet words barely penetrated Eira’s mind. The bed dipped near her and she was pulled into a warm, solid body. Eira could smell Caleb, but she couldn’t stop sobbing. She knew she was imagining Caleb. His scent. His warmth. But she couldn’t stop herself from soaking up the attention he was giving her, even if it was an illusion.
Caleb continued to rock her and her sobs quieted. She could hear his steady heartbeat against her ear and it soothed her. Eira was exhausted from all of the crying, and wanted to hold on to her imaginary Caleb as long as possible. She allowed herself to close her eyes and snuggle into the warmth of his arms.
* * * *
Caleb knew that Eira had fallen asleep when she went slack against him. He was grateful that her sobbing had stopped. He had worried she would make herself sick with heart wrenching sobs. He knew this was all because of him and he regretted his stubbornness even more.
“I called the house. Indigo is bringing your truck for you to take Eira back in,” Owen told his alpha. Caleb sat there staring at the exhausted woman in his arms. There were dark circles under her eyes and she scented of deep pain. He had caused this and wanted to kick himself for being so cruel.
“Thanks Owen,” Caleb answered, thankful that his friend was there.
“She’s a good woman. She’ll be a good mate if you can fix this.” Owen’s observations were correct, and Caleb knew it but he had to be clear so that his beta didn’t think that he was going to budge about Eira. Caleb looked into his beta’s eyes firmly.
“Eira is mine and will remain so. I thank you for being protective of her but now it ends. I will take care of her.” Owen just nodded his assent and opened the door for Caleb to carry Eira out to the truck. Caleb climbed into the passenger seat and pulled Eira as close as he could. Eira whimpered and shifted closer to him. She calmed as he held her against his chest. Caleb kissed the top of her head and settled in for the short ride home.
When Caleb arrived home many of their clan were there to see what had been going on. Caleb let out a breath and walked up the porch with his precious bundle wrapped in his arms. As he walked into the house with all of the curious stares, Kalli emerged from a group, and glared daggers at Eira curled up in his arms. Caleb tightened his arms protectively around his mate. His mate. That felt right, and he felt a piece of himself and his lion settle in. Kalli took a defensive stance and crossed her arms over her chest.
“We need to talk, Caleb,” she insisted. Caleb knew that he had to tell her of his decision, but right now Eira was his priority, and Kalli coul
d wait.
“When I’m done,” was all he said, continuing up the stairs. Indigo had followed them and walked right behind Caleb.
“I got her bed ready,” Indigo said and started towards Eira’s room. Caleb wasn’t having her sleep anywhere but where she belonged. With him. He turned the opposite way to his room and called back to Indigo.
“My room is hers from now on. She sleeps with me.” Before he could open his door, Indigo stepped between him and the door. Caleb regarded her curiously waiting for an explanation. Indi seemed to struggle with her worlds for a moment, before she straightened her spine, and looked him directly in the eye.
“If you intend to stop being a jerk, and take care of her, then you will find only friendship and loyalty from me. But, if you ever hurt her again, I will bring this house down around you and anyone else who dares hurt her.” Indigo was fierce when it came to his little mate, and he appreciated it. He also didn’t understand why he suddenly believed that this delicate, graceful shifter could do everything she claimed. Caleb nodded solemnly at his new sister.
“I will do everything in my power to make up my behavior toward her. I will care for her like she is the most treasured thing in the world, because for me she is.”
Indigo seemed to study him for a minute before she quickly nodded, apparently satisfied with his answer. Indigo still did not move away from the door.
“Can I put her in bed now?” Caleb asked, not used to having to ask anything. Indi looked a little nervous and switched from foot to foot.
“Maybe you should sleep in her room tonight,” Indi suggested.
“I would like to sleep in my own bed in my room, thank you.”
“Come on, Indi, let Cale take her inside,” Nico said, pulling a reluctant Indi aside.
When Caleb opened the door and stepped inside, the scent hit him hard, and he looked around in utter surprise. He stepped more into the room and the group that had followed him upstairs stepped in behind him. Suddenly, there was the sound of hysterical laughter. Caleb turned to see his daughter bent over laughing like he had never seen her laugh. He also noticed that his betas were trying to hold back their own laughter.
“Caleb…” Indigo started to explain, looking nervously from Eira back to him.
“What the hell happened in here?” he demanded in a low voice, as to not wake Eira.
“Well, you were being such an ass to Eira that she decided to give you a welcome home present,” Indigo said, her nervousness vanishing as she remembered the treatment Eira had suffered.
Caleb turned to regard the room again. When he had left, the room had been empty with just warm wood floors, white walls, windows without blinds, and the crown molding that ran throughout the house. Now, it was in a word, hideous. There was a huge four-poster bed centered on the wall, with a yellow velvet comforter, and pillows with pictures of gazelles in a field. The bed itself was hand-carved wood, but each post was carved with what looked like a warthog. That wasn’t even the worst of it. The bed had a huge mirror above it, on the ceiling, which was painted black. The walls matched the yellow of the comforter, and there was a huge avocado-green rug under his feet. There was also a pile of pillows on what looked like a mattress in the corner. He imagined it was something similar to what you might find in a sultan’s bedroom with concubines lounging all over it, except that the colors and designs on the pillows were the ugliest things he had ever seen. Then there was the artwork. Reproductions of Roman goddesses and queens. The topper to everything, though, was that on every visible surface there was a plant in a pot. Catnip! The woman had the nerve to cover my room in catnip! Caleb shook his head and turned back to his audience.
“I’m not even going to enter the bathroom. I think we’ll stay in Eira’s room for tonight.” He walked past them all and away from the room he would have nightmares about. He heard everyone behind him lose their battle with the situation, and started laughing.
“Is that catnip?” he heard someone ask. He knew which room was hers, because he could scent her through the door. He walked in and quietly closed the door behind him. He thanked her for the decor in this room being normal and comfortable. Then he set her gently on the bed, and was immediately thankful that it was large enough to accommodate them both comfortably. He looked down at her tired, sad face, and his heart clenched. He would make it up to her. Everything will work out, because I can’t live without her.
Chapter Ten
Eira was warm. So incredibly warm, that it surged through her entire body. She couldn’t remember ever being so warm. She tried to recall where she was and what was going on, but all she could concentrate on was the warmth. She shifted her hand slightly and came into contact with hot, hard skin. Eira held her hand still for a moment until she could catch her breath and then moved her hand over more skin. Eira stopped when she heard a purr. She lifted her head and peered at the man she was apparently lying on. She squirmed a little on top of him, at the unusual sensation of having such a hard male body pressed to her. As her gaze caught on his face, she stopped breathing. It was Caleb. How is this possible? I must be dreaming. There is no way Caleb would be in bed, cuddling with me. Caleb rumbled underneath her, making her jump.
“If you don’t stop wiggling that hot little body all over me, we’re going to be mated before you can wake up enough to give me that piece of your mind that has been building.” He hadn’t opened his eyes and she hadn’t known he was awake. He turned his head and regarded her with golden feline eyes glowing from his gorgeous face. Caleb suddenly grabbed two handfuls of her ass, and pulled her up so she lay against his body more fully.
Eira was pulled up so that their eyes met, and she could feel his straining erection along the curve of her ass.
“Caleb,” Eira started, confused beyond measure at what was going on.
“Shh,” Caleb said, and squeezed her ass in his large, callused hands. He brought his head up to meet hers and gave her a light, fleeting kiss. Eira immediately wanted more before she could think about her decision. Caleb must have read her mind because one of his hands left her ass and cupped the back of her neck. He pulled her in and gave her the most passionate kiss she could imagine. Eira had the fleeting thought that she should object, but then realized that it must be a dream and threw herself into the kiss even more. If this was her dream, then she was damn sure going to enjoy it.
Caleb groaned at her reaction to him and rolled her beneath him. They continued kissing heatedly while Eira’s hands smoothed over every inch of Caleb’s hot, hard body. He encouraged her to explore with his satisfying hands, and did some exploring of his own. Caleb broke the kiss and started kissing his way along her ear, and down the side of her heck, moving slowly towards her breasts.
Eira moaned and writhed under him as he made the journey to his destination, equal parts torture and pleasure. When he finally got to her breasts, he gently kissed one nipple and then the other.
“Please, Caleb,” Eira moaned breathlessly, begging him to continue this sweet torture.
“Always, baby, always,” Caleb said in a growl and sucked her nipple into his mouth. Eira’s back arched off the bed as she drove her nipple farther into his mouth. Caleb recognized her hunger and began sucking harder. Eira’s moans reverberated around the room as Caleb continued driving her wild. He released her nipple with a plop.
“Mmmm. You taste better than I imagined.” Caleb purred, as he nuzzled his head against her breasts, marking her with his scent. Eira ran her hands through Caleb’s hair and directed him to her other nipple. He chuckled against her skin but complied with her silent request. Drawing her nipple into his mouth, they both became less frantic, but the passion grew hotter.
Caleb’s hand moved down to the juncture of her legs and he parted her soaking-wet folds. He groaned at how wet and ready she was for him and became even harder. His hot, hard shaft pressed between their bodies and Eira could feel his desire for her in every cell of her body. Caleb shifted and pressed his finger gently into her and she
whimpered and moaned, throwing her head back in ecstasy.
Eira reached down and touched him tentatively and he stiffened, knowing that if she continued even with her feather-soft touch he would be done. Caleb put his hand over hers to stop her exploring and she froze.
Eira tried to take her hand back after making the mistake of touching Caleb but he wouldn’t allow her to take her hand back.
“No, baby. Don’t pull away. Next time you can explore all you want. I just can’t last with you touching me right now. I want to come while I’m deep inside you, not on your stomach like a horny teenager who can’t control himself.” Caleb looked down into her worried face and she met his eyes. He felt terrible that she was looking at him with such hesitation. He saw the light enter back into her eyes and she beamed him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.
“Okay,” she said quietly. He groaned at her acceptance, and kissed her again. He settled himself over her and parted her legs with his body. Eira tensed for a moment when the tip of his cock pressed against her swollen entrance slightly. Caleb broke the kiss and looked down at her. She was nervous and looked frightened and Caleb wondered what was wrong.
Caleb wanted her to be completely relaxed, so he took her mouth in a passionate kiss. He savoured the taste of her, and followed a path from her mouth to her neck, kissing and nipping along the way. He made his way to her delectable breasts and kissed the swells gently. She moaned and his cock hardened further. He laved her nipple with his tongue and she arched her body up to meet his mouth. Caleb nipped her breast and she writhed against him more.
Caleb couldn’t wait for a taste of her feminine scent that was surrounding the room. Her desire made him all the more desperate for her but he was determined to take his time with her. He slowly made his way further down her body, stopping to kiss her lightly rounded stomach. Eira moaned and whimpered under him, and he loved how he made her feel.
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