Caine

We had different sleeping arrangements in our house that night. Liam and I didn’t move from the living room, not that either us of would’ve been able to go anywhere. Caine first busied himself by staying away. When he realized that it was getting late and Liam and I didn’t seem to be going anywhere, he went to bring us blankets and plenty of pillows. I even saw a sleeping bag in the things Caine had dumped in front of us.

Liam sat on the couch for a minute or two while I prepared a makeshift bed on the floor. The coffee table was shoved to the side, and I’d placed a backpack that Liam had with him, over it.

Liam and I were both lying down in the ground, with pillows surrounding us. I imagined that Caine really wanted us to be comfortable because there were about ten pillows. Liam and I only used two, but we surrounded ourselves with them.

I went to sleep after I noticed that Liam was breathing deeply and his face had relaxed. His cheeks were tinted a light pink, and the area around his eyes was a purplish color. I ran my hands under his eyes, and that made Liam sigh. He and I must’ve gone to sleep around one or two in the morning.

Caine was somewhere in the house. I could feel him, awake, doing something. I woke up about an hour later and found him sitting down in the couch across from us. He was awake, watching me. I smiled at him, and waved him over. Caine simply shook his head. I figured he didn’t want to sleep in the ground with me because Liam was on the other side.

‘I can’t sleep without you,’ Caine told me through our mind link.

‘What did you do last night?’ I asked, because he’d been away.

‘I didn’t sleep.’ His gaze was concentrated on me. His eyes were fierce, even with no danger around.

‘Sleep, Charlotte. You’ll need to deal with Liam when he wakes up tomorrow. We don’t know in what condition he’ll be in.’

That was the last thing I remembered until I woke up the following morning.

“Charlotte,” Adam called, shaking my shoulders.

I groggily opened my eyes to find Adam kneeling on the floor, next to me, his face only inches away from mine

“Seriously, Adam,” I croaked out, pushing him away.

I turned to my side and noticed that Liam was still asleep right beside me. Caine was gone. I didn’t feel him anywhere in the house. I imagined he’d had an early start. I felt like I’d just shut my eyes and Adam was already waking me up.

“It’s almost midday,” Adam told me. “I made coffee.”

I smelled the scent of coffee in room. It was strong. It took me a second to notice the tray with three mugs sitting on the coffee table, right next to Liam’s things.

“At what time did you wake up?” I asked, sluggishly sitting up, resting my back against the couch.

“I’ve been up for a while. Your mate woke me up before he took off today.

“Caine left,” I sighed. “No wonder I didn’t feel him around.”

“He wants you to take care of Liam. You can take the day off,” Adam told me, his eyes roaming over Liam’s sleeping form.

I was surprised that Liam hadn’t woken up yet. He’d slept throughout the night, only shuffling to his side once.

“He said I could take the day off?” I asked, laughing. “You talk like if I do anything important with my day.”

“I’m not the one who said that, Charlotte. The Alpha just told me to tell you,” Adam replied, smiling at me.

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, waving him off.

Adam brought me my laptop before taking off with Caine. I was enjoying how easily Adam was settling into the pack. It made me forget that one day not too long ago, Adam had been a Rogue.

It made sense for him to be fitting into the pack. Adam was used to following orders. Even when he’d been a Rogue, Adam had always done as he was told, usually taking orders from Liam. Now that he’d joined the pack, he was following pack rules. I still liked that Liam was his priority, though.

I’d only settled down with my laptop for about twenty minutes before Liam woke up. He was quiet for a long while, simply staring up at the ceiling. I left him alone. I didn’t want to disturb the silence, and he seemed thoughtful.

“Last night…” Liam mumbled, closing his eyes.

“We don’t have to talk about what happened if you don’t want to,” I told him. I set the laptop aside, and sat with my legs crossed, facing him.

“You’re right,” he finally said after minutes of silence.

“I am?” I wasn’t really sure what he was talking about. I was trying not to push him, but he was taking his time explaining himself.

“I’m leaving,” he quietly said, speaking so low, I was barely able to hear his words.

“I’m right and you’re leaving. What are you talking about?” I asked. Liam must’ve heard the crack in my voice. My heart was already fluttering nervously. “You’re going back to Midnight Moon…” I said more than asked.

Liam shook his head. I was frowning down at him. Even though I was trying to keep myself in check, it was hard. I wanted to throw a bunch of questions his way.

“Then what do you mean?”

“I’m leaving—going away. I am going to talk to Dylan and Leila, on the phone, preferably. I’m taking off right after that.”

“Where?”

“Don’t look at me like that, Charlie. You’re not coming with me.” I wasn’t sure if he sounded in pain or if he was angry. Either way, Liam looked upset.

“Why not? Where are you going? You can’t just drop that on me and expect me to be okay!” The composure I was faking disappeared, quickly.

“Look, when I left before, it was for Leila’s sake. I needed to go back to Midnight Moon and fix all the problems I caused. But you and Caine also needed a break from me. I haven’t been gone long enough. You two need to get your relationship or whatever, going,” Liam said, waving his hands in front of me.

“Caine and I are just fine. Don’t pretend like you’re doing this for me, Liam, because you’re not. You’re running away and I want to know why!”

Liam got up from the floor, and he started pacing the room. He was thinking about something, I could tell.

“Talk to me,” I begged, getting up and standing directly in front of him, making him stop.

“I don’t need you to take care of me, Charlie. I shouldn’t need that, and I’m not gonna put all my shit on you. You don’t need that kind of crap slowing you down, especially right now. You need to concentrate on your Wolf, and on your mate.”

Liam was trying to be harsh, but he was failing miserably. I sighed, and walked over to the couch, slumping myself on the seat.

“You’re only trying to guilt me into letting you go. You’re horrible,” I said, sighing again, and letting my back rest heavily on the couch.

“I don’t want to fight with you. I want to leave, but I won’t be able to go unless I know you’re cool with this.” Liam slowly walked towards me. Once he was standing directly in front of me, he kneeled on the floor, his hands on either side of my legs, encasing me in with his body.

“So you won’t let me go until I agree?” I playfully asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Being around you cheers me up, Charlie. But having me around will be a huge bummer for you. Trust me, you don’t need that kind of shit right now,” Liam said, smiling at me.

I could see in his hazel eyes something that bothered me. He was hurting, and it was killing me because I didn’t know what to do to help. Liam was my rock. I wanted to be his, too, but I didn’t know how.

“Don’t leave because of me. I don’t want that, Liam. If you need to chill, stay here. If you want to do a bunch of fun things to get over this, we can do them together. Caine loves that you’re here.”

“No he doesn’t,” Liam quickly said, but he was grinning. “I want to leave, Charlie. I need this. I need to get away, get my shit together. I can’t do that here or in Midnight Moon.”

After talking to Caine and working things out with him, Liam was gone. It happened so fast. I’d held on to him tightly when we were saying goodbye. I knew he felt bad when I started crying, although I was trying my hardest not to break down in front of him. He had enough things on his mind to worry about. I didn’t need to add anything else.

His departure, though, was very sudden. I felt like one minute he was there, and then he was just gone. I was missing him after just minutes of him taking off and that was making me feel miserable.

“I’m fine.”

“Do you want me to take the rest of the day off?” Caine asked. He had been looking at me worriedly for the past hour. The questions hadn’t topped coming, most of them about Liam and what we’d talked about before he left.

“Liam needs to take a break. He’s fine now,” I assured him.

Liam had made me promise I wouldn’t tell anybody what had happened to him the previous night. He wanted me to convince Caine not to tell anyone either. Liam was mainly concerned that Caine would share what had happened with Alpha Dylan, who would then tell Leila. He already knew that Adam would keep quiet. I’d promised I wouldn’t say a word. That left him more at ease.

“Where is he going?” Caine asked.

Liam and Caine had barely shared a few words before he took off. Liam had mainly made Caine swear that he would take care of me. Other than that, Liam focused most of his attention on Adam and me when he was leaving.

“We have a house three states away. It’s far enough from any pack. That’s what Liam wants—some distance.”

“We?” Caine asked, walking over to me. I’d been lounging in the bed, with my back against the headboard.

“You know what I mean. Liam has, I have, we have,” I told him, rolling my eyes.

“You have what I give you. Liam’s things are his, and you don’t need them anymore,” Caine said, his voice smooth but serious.

“Whatever,” I sighed, shaking my head at him.

“Why are you so calm with this? I’m surprised you’re letting him go so easily.”

“I’m not calm. But Liam needs this. It’s what he wants, and I’m not going to argue with him. If I need anything, all I have to do is call him. It’s not like Liam is disconnecting himself from me. He just wants a little vacation, what with Alpha Layton being a sadistic jerk.”

Caine hovered over me, one of his hands sliding over my stomach. “I take the afternoon off?” He was pushing my shirt up, exposing my midriff and slowly going higher.

“No.” I grabbed his hand, pushing him away easily because he hadn’t been expecting that I’d stop him. “Go, I’m okay.”

Caine growled, and nestled his head in my neck, nuzzling his nose against my skin. “I want to stay,” he said, his voice husky. He placed his hands on my hips, and easily maneuvered me over his lap, his hands sliding down to my butt.

“I think I’ll stay,” Caine said, chuckling when I pushed on his shoulder.

“You’re so unfair,” I said, but I couldn’t help but laugh with him. His good mood was helping mine, and I could feel his Wolf calling out to me. Mine felt the same—she was hungry for his touch.

We’d been lying down in bed, under the sheets, when Victor mind linked Caine. He and Macon had been waiting for Caine to go back to the pack building after Liam left but he never showed up. Caine was grinning while he got ready.

“After the unpleasant trip to Knight Pack, and a night watching you but not being able to have you—this was a nice change,” Caine said, walking back to the bed after he’d slipped on a pair of jeans. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and his bare chest was really tempting. He smirked when he caught me staring.

“I will be gone for two hours at most. Rest, and wait for me. I would not mind coming home to this picture of you,” he said, leaning down and pressing his lips hard against mine.

I was still naked under the sheets. Caine took advantage of that. He brushed his fingers over my inner thighs, teasing me.

“You think I’ll stay here the entire time you’re gone?” I asked, giggling. He was tickling my stomach in the most sexual way, and he knew it. I had no doubt my eyes were a deep dark color. I wanted him again.

“We’ll see.” He brushed his lips over my cheek, before pulling away, leaving me feeling needy for him.

I expected Adam, Macon, or Lesley to show up after Caine took off, but no one arrived. I ended up taking a shower and going downstairs to watch TV while I waited for Caine to return. I was tempted to call Liam, but I stopped myself. He’d only been gone for a few hours. I doubted that he had arrived anywhere yet.

When I got too restless, and I grew tired of watching TV, I left back upstairs and got dressed. I was planning a trip into town. Being on my own for a little while was a nice change.

I slipped on a pair of jeans, some strappy sandals and a fitted, black shirt. I did my long, brown hair in a braid while I walked downstairs. Caine had given me enough money throughout the time I was there, and he’d already ordered brand new credit and debit cards with my name.

I’d had them for a while, but I had never used them. Any time I went into town, I was either with Caine, Adam, or Macon. They always paid. It made me wonder if the money was coming out of their pocket, or if Caine gave them money in case I wanted to buy something. I knew that whatever Adam bought me came straight from one of Liam’s bank accounts. I made sure to never share that little secret with Caine. He always got mad when he found out I used anything that didn’t come from him.

I opted for taking my car. I hadn’t decided how far I was going. Getting out of the pack without being noticed was the tricky part. While it wasn’t a long drive into town, it took me some time to get out without being noticed. It was easier now that the pack was no longer in lockdown. Not as many Wolves were doing rounds, and it was easier to hide from those that were.

My first stop was a burger joint in town. When I parked the car and got out, I couldn’t keep the grin from my face as I made my way to the front door. The last time I’d been there, Lesley and some other members from Locus Pack had been chasing me.

If it hadn’t been for them capturing and torturing me, I didn’t think I would’ve met Caine. They had unintentionally taken me straight to him. It had been during my first days in town. Thinking back to those months, I couldn’t even picture myself clearly without Caine. I was already too used to him.

Unlike the last time I’d been there, it was the middle of the day and the place was fairly empty. I put my order and took a booth towards the back of the place.

I grabbed my phone while I waited for my order to be ready. I was still thinking about calling Liam. Even talking to Leila would have made me feel better. I wanted to know what Liam had told her, and how Alpha Dylan had reacted to Liam not returning to Midnight Moon.

I was brought out of my thoughts when some guy brought my order. He had a tray with two burgers, fries, and drinks. I had only ordered one of each. I frowned when he slid in the seat across from me, and started putting the food on the table.

“What are you doing?” My tone was hostile, aggressive. Although I was confused, it was mainly my Wolf reacting to the guy in front of me. When I took a deep breath, I realized why she was so on edge.

I wasn’t as good as the rest of the pack in picking up scents—those of other Wolves especially. The guy in front of me—he had to be in his twenties—was a Wolf, and a strong one. He was radiating power, and my Wolf kept wanting to growl at him.

“This is your order,” he told me, nodding at the food he’d set in front of me.

His clothes were clean and neat. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans, a dark blue shirt and boots. His black hair was cropped, messy, but it seemed on purpose. He seemed calm, his deep blue eyes focusing more on fixing the food than on me.

“You’re a Wolf,” I stated.

“So are you,” he calmly said, his voice low. He looked around the area, before his eyes focused back on me. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be saying that so loudly. Someone might overhear.”

“What do you want?” My voice was steady, that was good. I feared that my nerves would be visible with how my Wolf was reacting to the stranger.

My food smelled good and I was hungry, but I found I couldn’t even pick up my burger with that guy sitting there.

“I didn’t expect the Luna of Locus Pack to be out on her own. This is a welcome surprise,” he said, his eyes roaming over my face and then down to my body.

He wasn’t smiling, but he wasn’t frowning. The poker face he was wearing did nothing but worry me more. He knew who I was—that I was mated to Caine. Rogues knew the Alphas, who they were and how much power they had. The fact that this guy was calmly dining with me, without worrying that Caine might try to hurt him for even approaching me, was not a good thing.

“You haven’t answered my question. What is that you want? You’re trespassing on Locus Territory. Do you have any idea what can happen to you if Caine finds out?” I asked, practically growling.

“Will he find out?”

“Yes, he will. One message from me through our link and he will have Wolves surrounding this place,” I threatened.

He had the nerve to smirk at me. “I’ve been sitting here for almost five minutes. Where’s your army?” he asked, outstretching his arms, before chuckling. “Don’t make threats you can’t keep, little girl. I’m not here to hurt you.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. I wanted to punch him for making that comment, but as reckless as my Wolf felt like being, I knew where I stood.

The good thing about getting my Wolf so late was how aware I was of my strength. I knew exactly where I stood in a fight, and I was well aware that I didn’t stand a chance against the guy in front of me. He was keeping his Wolf at bay, I could feel it—that was how strong his Wolf must’ve been.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Charlotte,” he said. I snatched my hand away when he tried to hold it.

“Don’t touch me!” I snapped. He only grinned at me, and shrugged.

“I was just trying to reassure you.”

He was a good looking guy. I could imagine his smile working to his advantage in other situations. If I hadn’t found Caine, I might’ve also fallen for the way he seemed to be trying to charm me. But the only thing on my mind was that this shifter was dangerous and he hadn’t gotten scared when I brought Caine’s name up.

“My car’s outside. You can reassure me by talking to my mate. He’s the Alpha of the pack,” I said, harshly.

“You can’t take care of yourself without your mate?” he asked. I wasn’t sure whether to be surprised or offended that he was frowning at me. “I thought you used to be a Rogue.”

“I was human.”

“You’re part of Liam’s crew. I already know. You were a human, but you were living with Rogues. So now that you’re a Luna, you need your mate to look after you?” He was taunting me.

“I don’t!”

The way my Wolf was reacting to his words was shocking. I didn’t take kindly to being mocked, but my Wolf downright hated it. Ever since I’d gotten my Wolf, I had never been disrespected. I had spent most of my time in the pack, and everyone there knew who I was. They would never risk getting Caine angry by upsetting me. Not only that, I’d been trying to include myself with the pack. I wanted to be a true Luna, and not just in title.

But this Wolf didn’t seem to care whether he made me angry.

“You haven’t called your mate. That’s a good sign,” he shrugged.

“Who are you?”

“Valco, that’s my name,” he nodded.

“What do you want with me? How do you know those things about me?” I asked, defensively. The last thing I wanted to know was his name. I wanted to know who he was and how he knew about Liam and me. He seemed unwilling to share his information. He only stared at me blankly.

“If you want to know who I really am and how I know about you, you have to prove to me that I can trust you.”

Again he reached for my hand. This time, I didn’t pull away. His eyes were fixated on me, I felt like he was trying to read my thoughts. He wouldn’t have been able to get into my mind. He must’ve been a Rogue and I was part of Locus Pack.

“Leave, right now. If you go quietly, I won’t tell anybody that you were in our territory.”

“I’m not scared of your mate, or your pack,” he casually said.

I narrowed my eyes at him. He must’ve heard how hard my heart was pounding in my chest. I was ashamed to admit that I was slightly scared of him.

“I’m calling Caine.”

“You won’t if you want to know who I am and what I want.”

“Then tell me. Why all the secrecy?”

“You’re not ready to hear what I have to say. If I don’t have a pack Wolf following me by the time I leave, I’ll know I can trust you.” Valco had been eating throughout our conversation. He’d finished his burger and most of his fries.

“I have no reason to trust you, and I don’t care if you trust me.”

I could feel my Wolf wanting to reach out to Caine, but I was stopping her. I didn’t even know why. Liam came to my mind. He’d been a Rogue. Pack Wolves never would have trusted him, and within reason. He had tormented packs for years—dropping in unannounced and causing trouble. A part of me wanted to mind link Caine and tell him about the Wolf sitting across from me, calmly enjoying his meal. But the curious side, the one that wanted to find out how this guy knew so much about me, was holding me back.

He seemed so sure of himself. The way he carried himself, how he spoke, and the fearlessness he showed. He wasn’t cowering away from me, and that said something. I could hardly blame him for not fearing me, but few would go up against an Alpha.

“I’ll be around. If you don’t rat on me with your mate, I’ll see you the next time you come out of hiding,” he said.

I could hardly breathe when he picked up my hand and placed a gentle kiss on my wrist. I was staring at him, but I couldn’t find it in me to even speak. His gesture had left me stunned.

I tried to follow him when I finally got my thoughts together. He’d only been gone for a few minutes. I left my food untouched, and I didn’t feel hungry anymore. When I ran out of the diner, he was nowhere to be seen. I caught his scent, but my senses weren’t too focused yet. Even though I knew the direction he’d taken, I wasn’t sure I would be able to track him down.

Realizing that I’d lost him was a huge blow to my ego. I had begged Caine to let me join the trackers. I wasn’t nearly as strong as most of the male Wolves, but I was fast. The best thing about the trackers wasn’t only their speed and agility, but their superiority in catching and tracking scents. It seemed like I was also lacking in that department.

I should’ve known that I’d been gone too long. I had several Wolves trying to barge into my thoughts. Caine was the main one. His orders were trying to enter my mind. He was trying to bring down the walls I had that were blocking him.

I was still at the burger place. I had gone back in right after my failed attempt at finding Valco. I felt conflicted, that was certain. I was lost in my thoughts, so I didn’t notice all the Wolves that suddenly started pouring into the place.

Caine was leading the group. As soon as I looked up, I saw that his eyes were zeroed in on me. He looked furious, and the waves of power he was shooting my way only confirmed his anger.

“Let’s go,” he said once he was right next to me. He didn’t wait for me to speak or even move. Caine grabbed my wrist, the one Valco had kissed, in a tight hold and stood me up.

“Don’t,” I said, trying but failing to get out of his hold. Caine only pulled on my hand tighter and pressed me against his chest forcefully.

He’d been shifted into his Wolf. His clothes were messy, and he was wearing a simple white t-shirt with jeans, different from what he had on earlier.

I had been checking him out as a way to distract myself. I didn’t catch that Caine was looking around the booth, taking in a deep breath. At first, I didn’t think much of it. When I felt Caine’s hands digging into my wrist, I noticed that something was really wrong.

“You weren’t alone,” Caine stated, his voice husky—his Wolf threatening to come out.

I swallowed hard. I hadn’t made up my mind yet. I wanted to know who Valco was, but I didn’t want to keep secrets from Caine. At the same time, I didn’t like the way he was treating me.

“We’re in a diner, Caine. There are plenty of people here and they’re staring at us.” They were mainly staring at him, not that Caine noticed or cared

“I can smell the stench of the male Wolf that was in here, and he must’ve been with you. You’re the only Wolf in this place.” He was speaking through gritted teeth. He seemed to be struggling to keep control.

“We’re not having this discussion here, in front of all these humans,” I whispered, only loud enough for him to hear.

I walked away, but Caine was right behind me in just seconds. He grabbed my hand again. When I looked down, I noticed his fingers and claws were imprinted in my skin. He’d hurt me, and oh did that piss me off. I snatched my hand away from him. He let it go, only until we were out the door.

When we were out in the street, I finally saw that Caine had really gotten paranoid when he didn’t find me at home. The streets were littered with Locus Pack shifters. Humans were passing by, looking intimidated by the guys. No one in Locus Pack seemed to care. One nod from Caine and they all scattered back into the woods.

“You brought all of them just to come get me? Caine, I’m right here.” He was dragging me to his car.

When I told him that I brought my car, he grunted, but ignored me otherwise. It only took me a few seconds to see that Adam was getting in my car. I didn’t have an extra set of keys, but he was turning it on and driving away.

The drive home was silent. I made no attempt at conversation. The strange meet I’d had with Valco was still playing in my head. Caine was furious. I was surprised he didn’t break the steering wheel with how tight he was holding it. He was gritting his teeth, and I could see a hint of his canines peeking out. His eyes were black. He must’ve wanted to shift really badly. I didn’t doubt that what kept him from shifting was that he wanted to scold me.

We had just stepped into the house—Adam nowhere to be seen—when Caine was on me. He didn’t even give me a second to catch my breath before he started kissing me hungrily. I was shocked for a few seconds, not sure how to respond.

I started kissing him back when he bit my lip. It hurt, and it seemed like he’d done it on purpose. I tried to wrap my arms around his neck but Caine grabbed them and slammed me against the door, which was what he had me pressed up against.

His sharp canines kept me from enjoying the kiss as much as I would’ve liked. When Caine pulled away from me, he was breathing heavily. His eyes had grown even darker, and his claws were digging into wrists. He finally released me.

“I can smell whenever any other man has touched you,” he said, his voice a lot deeper, more threatening.

“You’re being paranoid,” I told him. My voice was weak and breathy—an effect caused by his kiss.

Caine didn’t say anything. He simply looked down at my body. He was checking me out or inspecting me, I couldn’t be too sure.

“I gave you Lesley as a guard—a girl. No male stays with you alone, ever. I made that clear in the beginning.”

“You’re not doing this to me right now,” I said, shaking my head at him. I was going to walk away, but Caine wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me back in front of him.

He encased me against the door with his arms, placing a hand on each side of my head. He was so much taller and bigger than me. I felt tiny in front of him, and slightly intimidated. I was sure that was what he was aiming for. That made me angry.

“I thought we had moved on from this!” I snapped. “Are you serious right now?”

Caine remained quiet. He didn’t have to say anything. That was his usual behavior. He left me talking, so that I’d complain and at the same time, share everything that had happened. I usually ended up explaining myself and telling him the truth, while all he did was stare at me and stay quiet.

I told myself I wouldn’t give in. I stared up at him defiantly. I crossed my arms against my chest, and pressed my back more against the door, to give me more space.

“Who were you with? You were supposed to stay here, waiting for me,” Caine said, one of his hands sliding around my waist, gripping it strongly.

“I told you I wouldn’t be waiting around for you. The pack isn’t on lockdown anymore. I went into town,” I replied, and I was happy that nothing I’d said had been a lie.

“A Wolf from the pack saw you dining with a Rogue,” Caine growled at me loudly.

“I’m allowed to have friends,” I said, but my voice sounded significantly weaker than it had before.

“I asked Adam. He said that none of Liam’s men are in town. Everyone is staying away from packs—Liam’s orders. Who was the Wolf?” Caine said. His voice was low, and that somehow made it sound more threatening.

When I didn’t reply, Caine slightly leaned down, cupped my butt and picked me up from the ground. The ease in which he did it made a shiver run through my body. He was looking at me with murderous eyes.

I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. He never had, and I was sure he wouldn’t start now. That didn’t mean my Wolf didn’t want to bow down and cower to her mate. I was heavily feeling the effects of Caine’s Alpha Wolf, and it was hitting me hard.

With inhuman speed, Caine carried me from the front door up to our room. I closed my eyes. He was moving too fast, and everything in my surroundings was a blur. I was still getting used to running at a speed where everything around me became blurry.

He dumped me in our bed as soon as we made it there. I landed ungracefully. I was just about to sit up, when Caine’s hand came down the hem of my shirt. I didn’t even have a moment to protest before he ripped it off me. He did the same with the rest of my clothing.

Not a minute later, he had me naked in front of him. I hadn’t expected for him to want to mate. When that thought crossed my mind, I realized that I wanted the same thing. I was still mad at him, but that didn’t stop me from wanting him. Not when I had his full attention.

When I tried to pull his shirt off, Caine held my hands, stopping me.

He laid down over me, his weight mostly resting over my body, pinning me to the bed. He kissed me, forcefully. I tried and struggled to keep up with him.

I could feel one of his hands messing with the zipper in his jeans. When I moved my hands towards it, he moved it away. I ended up with him holding both of my hands over my head. It left me in a very vulnerable position. While I was fully undressed, he still had all of his clothes on. All thoughts left my mind when Caine brushed his lips against mine, this time softer, slower than they’d been before. The kiss was just as demanding, but at least now he wasn’t biting me.

Caine was off my body as soon as we finished mating. I moaned in complain, and he must’ve felt my Wolf whining for him to come back to my side. He had kept all of his clothes on. As soon as he finished, he stood up and zipped himself up.

I was a mess. My hair was all over the place, I had red hickies and bite-marks all over my body, and I was exhausted. I felt like he’d really worn me out, and he’d been rougher than usual.

“You look beautiful like this,” Caine said, his voice sounding like his usual self.

I turned up to face him. I couldn’t keep the smile from my face after hearing his compliment. He’d been watching me carefully.

“Come back to bed,” I told him, patting the empty space beside me. The argument from earlier was long forgotten. I was happy and satiated. I was grinning stupidly, happy that Caine was there and he wasn’t overreacting anymore. “We can watch TV and eat something. I’m starved,” I said, remembering that I hadn’t eaten since the morning.

“I left the pack building in the middle of something to chase after you. I have work to do,” Caine said, sounding very detached, to a point where my Wolf started feeling alert. She caught on to Caine’s tone a lot quicker than I did.

“Caine, we just mated. I’m sure whatever you have to do can wait until tomorrow,” I said, frowning at him.

Caine shook his head, and he started walking towards the door. He opened it, but before leaving, he turned back to me. “I simply wanted to remind you that you’re mine. Lesley, Macon, and Adam are here to make sure you do as you’re told. I’ll be home late,” he said, before walking out and closing the door after him.

I couldn’t begin to describe how angry I felt at him in that moment.