Kaden's Luna

I wake up in the morning to feel a heavy weight on me. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I look down to be met with a head of black tousled hair. Kaden is currently sleeping on top of me, his head resting on my chest while our legs are tangled up in a mess. I didn’t know where I ended and he began.

I smile at the sound of his soft snores, running a hand through his hair. It’s silky and soft just like I imagined it to be. I stop when he groans lowly, starting to pull away but he grabs my hand and places it back in his hair, murmuring for me to not stop.

My gaze wanders to his arm, taking in his tattoos. It’s like every tattoo is strategically placed yet they all flow so well together. His back has three designs that are bigger than the ones on his arms and I find my fingertips tracing the stem of a rose on his warm skin.

I frown when the skin feels bumpy under my touch, running my hand over the other two tattoos on his back. The skin near his right shoulder feels just the same, bumpy and like it has been damaged at some point. My heart races in dread as I trail my fingertips down his arm only to sigh in relief when soft and smooth skin greets me.

“Luna.” A husky voice makes me gasp, meeting bright blue eyes.

I had been so caught up in thinking about who could have hurt him that I didn’t notice when Kaden woke up. He’s now staring at me with seriousness, a dark glint in his eyes.

“Good morning.” I greet softly, smiling down at him.

“Morning, baby.” He mumbles, sighing and nuzzling his face into my neck. “What were you doing?”

Butterflies flutter in my tummy at the endearment and it makes me smile giddily. I can feel the tingles dancing on my skin in full effect, frenzied yet pleased at the contact. I pause for a slight moment, collecting my jumbled thoughts. “Nothing…I was just looking at your tattoos.”

Kaden stares at me for the longest time, making me incredibly nervous. Eventually, he nods and rolls off me, pulling me into his side. I rest my head on his chest, my arm wrapped around his waist. I see that it is near eight in the morning now but I still don’t want to leave the warm bed.

Eventually, we decide to get out around nine after both of us dozed off. I tell Kaden to take a shower and leave breakfast up to me. Pressing a kiss to his cheek, I go to get up but he pulls me back and starts peppering kisses all over my face and neck. I squeal in surprise, laughing and failing to push him away.

He lets me up with a pout which I kiss away, making my way into the bathroom with a set of clothes and my toiletry bag. I take a quick shower so I don’t keep Kaden waiting, drying myself with a towel before changing into my clothes. After wrapping my hair up, I exit the bathroom with my pyjamas, passing by him as he makes his way to the bathroom.

Making my way downstairs, I open the fridge to decide on what to make. I see that he is running out of supplies but there is just enough for breakfast. I decide to make French toast with coffee. Mixing the ingredients in a deep plate, I coat the bread in it before putting them in the hot frying pan. As they are cooking, I set a bowl of mixed berries and maple syrup on the table before starting on the coffee.

Kaden comes down just as I have set everything on the dining table. I take a seat and he presses a kiss to my forehead, murmuring a thank you before sitting beside me. We dig in, chatting about what we could do today. I personally didn’t mind if we stay in or go out.

“You’re also running out of food by the way, unless you want to share a strawberry yogurt with sliced bananas for lunch?” I tease, taking up our plates and carrying them to the sink.

He chuckles, following me. “We’ll go out to town in a while then.”

After I help Kaden clean up, we lounge around for a bit and watch some television. It’s around eleven in the morning when we decide to head out. I get into his car and he starts the engine, reversing onto the road and driving off.

We make our way through the countryside and I take in the scenery around us, the trees blurring into a mass of green and the sky a gorgeous shade of blue. I smile seeing the good weather, it’s not too cold nor too hot.

We arrive at the nearest supermarket after an hour, parking into an available space before I grab a shopping cart and wheel it in. I push the cart through the aisles with Kaden behind me, his hands gripping the bar beside my own as his arms cage me in. It’s only then that I noticed the stark difference between Kaden and I. His hands are larger compared to mine and he towers above me by a couple of inches, being able to rest his chin on top of my head whenever I stop.

However, we had not even travelled that far into the supermarket and I can see some people not so subtly staring at Kaden’s tattooed arms with unease before creating distance between us. He’s wearing a t-shirt that hides his back tattoos but does nothing to cover his arms.

Although adults around mine and Kaden’s age are not bothered by his ink, it’s some elders that express their displeasure and drag their kids away when some would ask why there are “pictures on that man’s arms.”

I glance up at Kaden who isn’t really paying attention, it’s almost as if he’s used to it by now. But I’m slightly annoyed at how some people are glancing at him with narrowed eyes every now and then, it made me feel protective over him. People shouldn’t judge anyone just because they have tattoos.

I’m brought out of my thoughts when Kaden nudges me to step forward once he has placed bread and burger buns into the cart. Sighing lightly, I walk on and ignore the stares just like he’s doing. We make our way throughout the store, grabbing produce from the shelves before putting them in the cart. Eventually, Kaden says we have everything he needs and I wheel the cart towards the checkout.

Once we have placed all the groceries on the belt, I lean on my arms against the cart, looking through my phone and replying to my mum’s texts. It’s a long queue and customers are moving slowly but I don’t mind.

Kaden is being very affectionate though and I think it’s because he’s restless. He had growled lowly about how the “stupid cashier” wouldn’t hurry up before playfully scowling at me when I giggled at his impatience. First, he was rubbing my back, then playing with my hair and now he has his arms wrapped around my waist with his face hidden in the crook of my neck.

I take three steps forward when the line moves, only to huff in frustration when we must wait again. Kaden looks up just as I tap my camera by mistake and smiles, thinking I was taking a picture. I chuckle, holding the phone at an angle so that him and I are in both in the picture. I take one of us smiling before he presses a kiss to my cheek and then hugs me tightly. In both the last pictures, his eyes are closed, thinking that I have only taken one picture.

Finally, our items are scanned and I help Kaden bag them before pushing the cart out of the supermarket, Kaden catching up to me after he pays. We load the bags into the boot of his car before I return the cart, getting into the passenger seat when he drives up to me. His hand curls around my thigh, warmth and tingles spreading across my skin. I welcome the sensation with a content sigh as Kaden and I chat, a popular song playing softly in the background.

We decide to go a nearby lake, taking a chance with the weather. I hope it will stay like this as it’s still Winter. It only takes us fifteen minutes before we are parking into an available space and hopping out of the car.

Kaden immediately intertwines my hand with his as soon as I reach him, pressing a kiss to my temple before we start down the path that leads us to the large lake. The water is a shade of cerulean blue, contrasting with the light grey clouds hanging in the sky. As we walk closer, I get a whiff of the familiar smell of fresh grass as the water ripple gently, different kinds of flowers scattered here and there as they grow. I feel calm, like every worry of mine has washed away with the water. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the (F)indNƟvᴇl.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Kaden and I walk along the edge of the lake, where the grass and soil is softer. He has his arm wrapped around my waist, keeping me so close that my shoulder brushes against his with every step and my dark brown strands rest on the material of his green shirt.

“It’s so nice here, so peaceful.” I sigh, my gaze on an elderly man walking his dog in the distance.

“Not many people come here, it’s slightly hidden from view.” He explains, answering my thoughts on why this place was scarce.

I nod, walking in step with him as we make our way down the length of the lake. Kaden chuckles in amusement when I fail to tuck my wild hair behind my ears, making me roll my eyes in a playful manner before just letting it be.

Sometime later, Kaden releases me from his hold but I don’t notice, my gaze on this adorable puppy making its way closer in my direction with its owner. I mentally squeal at how I want to pet and play with the dog, choosing to look on from afar instead of going up to it.

I’m so lost in staring at the puppy that when cold water splashes against my jeans and soaks my feet, I let out a short scream of surprise. Turning, I playfully glare at Kaden who stands by the water, biting his lip with an innocent shrug.

“Kaden don’t. We didn’t bring a set of clothes and the water is too cold any –” I was cut off by my own scream when he splashes water onto me again, this time soaking my entire jeans from the front and the hem of my top.

“That’s it! You’re going down, Reid.” I state, attempting to splash him with water a couple of times.

“Bring it on, Winters.” He smirks mischievously, successfully dodging every attack.

I surprise him by running forward and finally splashing water onto half of his shirt, laughing at the look on his face when he stumbles and falls into the water. He looks up at me, eyes darkening which makes me gulp and back away. But before I can put some distance between us, Kaden lunges for me making me shriek and break off into a run across the grass.

I hear him laugh as he chases me, my joyful giggles echoing in our quiet surroundings. Eventually, he catches me and picks me up bridal style, twirling us around making me smile widely as I hold on. Our laughs fade away the more we stare into each other’s eyes; brown to blue. He leans in, eyes dropping to my lips making them part in anticipation.

Until he drops me in the freezing cold water.

I shriek, sitting in the water that comes up to my waist in shock. Kaden’s laughter booms in the air as he watches me stand up and look down at my soaking wet clothes. I shake my head, smiling at his clever payback, it was only fair.

“Come on, I’ll make it up to you.” He grins, taking my hand and intertwining it with his.

“Hmm, and how exactly will you do that?” I wonder in genuine curiosity, shivering slightly because of the wind.

Kaden notices and drapes his muscled arm across my shoulders, pulling me into his side. I sigh at the warmth his body emanates, perks of being a werewolf I guess. His jet-black hair is hanging onto his forehead limply, long eyelashes wet along with the rest of his body, clothes sticking to his skin. I’m struggling to contain myself but it’s proving to be quite difficult when I see the planes and contours of his torso outlined because of the wet shirt.

He leads me to a stone wall by the parking spaces before gripping my hips and hoisting me onto it. I arch a brow at him in confusion, nodding when he tells me to wait here. I watch him walk away, my gaze on the muscles of his broad frame, flexing whenever he moved.

Snapping out of it, I look back to the lake ahead. The sky is now darker, showing the tell-tale signs of evening approaching. There are even less people now, most of them walking away to head home. I look to my right again, frowning in confusion when I hear Kaden open the boot of the car. Sighing, I rub my arm to create some warmth but it didn’t do much like Kaden’s touch did.

After a few more minutes of waiting, he sits down beside me. I turn to face Kaden, who holds out an ice lolly that we had bought from the supermarket. I grin, my eyes widening in surprise before I take it from his hands.

“Thank you so much!” I laugh, leaning closer to press a kiss to his cheek.

He nods with a smile, looking down at his ice-cream. We sit in comfortable silence, enjoying our sweet treat whilst looking out at the water. I glance down, his tattooed arm filling my field of vision. The recent memory of tracing his skin this morning comes back to me in a flashback and I find myself thinking about his tattoos again.

“What’s on your mind, Luna?” Kaden’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

“Nothing, just thinking.” I smile, hoping that it came across as a reassuring one.

“About?” He presses, a determined glint in his eyes that dared me to lie.

I sigh, biting my lip in nervousness. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to but...I was wondering why the skin on your back feels rough?”

“So, you weren’t just looking at my tattoos this morning.” He states, a smirk on his lips.

“I’m sorry.” I mumble, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “I didn’t know how to ask you...if I even should, and that’s why I lied.”

“What made you ask now?”

“I...I keep thinking that someone hurt you. I mean, why else would your skin be that damaged? It’s not a health problem.” I turn to face him after I finish my ice-cream just when Kaden finishes his too. “I just get this feeling where you are concerned; the thought of you hurt, seeing people stare at your tattoos and judging you, people actually attacking you because they weren’t notified of your arrival...it bothers me. I feel...ugh, I don’t know –”

“Protective?” He smiles gently, understanding in his eyes.

I stare into his ocean blue eyes before nodding slowly. “Yes...I feel protective.”

He pulls me onto his lap, holding me close and tight. I sigh in content, resting my head on his shoulder as he wraps his arms around me. Our clothes are drying but not as fast, hairs still wet so when my damp strands brush against his skin, he shivers.

“They are scars. I hated seeing them in the mirror every day, so I covered them up with ink. It keeps the dark memories of my past out of sight, out of mind.” He exhales a shuddering breath, his grip tightening on me. I frown, taking his hand and squeezing it, watching as he smiles at me in return. “When packs would reject me or I would be caught on their territory, I would be punished severely. Part of it has to do with how much people hated my father, so they took it out on me. Although I am of Alpha blood, I was weak back then because I was on the run constantly.”

My heart breaks over how much he’s been through and I hug him to me. He remains quiet and I don’t push him to relive the memories he’s tried so hard to lock away. So, I gently take his arm, tracing over the black ink. There is half a head of a wolf, tattooed in a geometric design on his forearm. I tap on it, looking up to see him already staring at me with a relieved yet happy glint in his eyes.

“Is there a meaning behind this?”

He nods, smiling down at the tattoo fondly. “Rico has a tattoo of a wolf on his wrist so when we put ours together, mine is geometric while his is detailed and an actual picture of what a wolf looks like. It symbolizes that no matter what happens, we will always have each other’s backs. That we are brothers.”

“Wow.” I breathe out in amazement, staring down at the fine lines of black ink.

He has many more scattered across both arms and his back, explaining the meaning behind each one of them. I love how every tattoo has a story behind it. It makes me see him in a new light, as someone who is strong and determined to get the best out of life.

“And what about the rose on your upper back?” I ask, looking up at him.

His jaw clenches and a dark look overtakes his features. His hold tightens on me and I rub my thumb in circles across the skin of his hand, attempting to calm him. He meets my gaze with stormy, dark blue eyes that are burning with something dangerous.

"That...symbolizes how a pretty face can easily stab you in the back. Some people are just born with thorns in their heart.” He growls, burying his nose into the crook of my neck to calm himself. “Rico and I befriended a she-wolf who gave us hope that we would be accepted into her pack but really, she was leading my father’s enemies to our location. When we realized, it was too late and we were attacked. I took the brunt of it, asking Rico to be let go.”

“Oh, Kaden.” I whisper sadly, kissing away the traitorous tear that slipped down his cheek.

We drove home after that, reaching his house within an hour. Even though there was tension after what he had said at the lake, that diminished when he took my hand and pressed a gentle kiss to my knuckles before curling his hand around my knee as he drove.

He didn’t reveal much but I know I must give him time, to tell me the story of his past on his own terms. Besides, there are secrets of my own that I have not told him yet.

I help him carry in the grocery bags before we both take quick showers and join each other in the kitchen to put away the produce into their respective places. Just as I am doing that, I remember something and as soon as I am finished, I rush upstairs to his bedroom, Kaden calling my name behind me. Finding my bag, I rummage in it and grab the two items before walking downstairs.

I hold them behind my back as I make my way to Kaden, who is sitting on the couch with a confused expression on his face. Taking a seat beside him, I hand him the two wrapped presents. His eyes widen in surprise before he smiles gently, taking them from my hands.

“Merry Christmas…well, a belated one.” I smile sheepishly, letting him pull me closer to him.

I watch as he opens the first one, smiling when the smart watch comes into view. His jaw drops as he stares at the device in his hands, turning it. He turns to me with wide eyes and I laugh, nodding.

“How did you –”

“I saw you looking at this on your phone and laptop many times so I thought it would be a great surprise.” I grin, biting my lip to stifle my laughter when he breathes out in amazement. “Open the next one.”

He gently puts the watch down beside him before opening his last present. He picks up the brown leather wallet, fingers running over his initials on the corner. I urge him to open it up and when he does, he chuckles at the photo of him and I at the picking farm.

He reads the card I got him last, blue eyes scanning every word. A soft smile graces his lips as he takes in the special message I have wrote before he places the presents and card on the coffee table and turns to face me. Before I can speak, he smashes his lips to mine making me whimper as tingles spread across my body, dancing in elation.

It’s sweet and slow, full of passion and like every time his lips meet mine, my body trembles slightly. I tangle my hands into his hair, trying to get as close as possible. A husky groan escapes his lips before bites down on my bottom lip, teasing before letting it go.

“I’m guessing you like them?” I say breathlessly when we pull away, caressing his cheek.

“I love them, thank you little moon.” He nuzzles his face into the crook of my neck, pressing a kiss to my flushed skin before pulling away. “Wait here.”

I smile, wondering what he’s doing when he rushes upstairs. Waiting on the couch, I perk up when he comes back downstairs, hiding something behind his back. He gingerly takes a seat beside me, icy blue eyes swimming with nervousness. Bringing two, perfectly wrapped boxes out from behind him, he shoots me a small smile.

“I got you presents too.” He bites his lip in worry, making me smile in reassurance as I take the boxes from him. “It’s not much but I hope you like it.”

I open the first box to find a perfume that I had my eye on for quite some time now but I never got around to buying it. Looking up at him in surprise, I laugh at how we had both got each other what we wanted. He winks at me, a knowing glint in his eyes which makes me blush slightly.

I move onto the other present, taking off the wrapping paper to reveal a rectangle, black box. Kaden nods at me to open it when I look up at him in confusion. I open the lid only to gasp at the piece of jewellery laying on the velvet, black cushion. Picking up the gold necklace, I trace the circle which has the letter ‘L’ engraved into it. I turn it around to see the letter ‘K’ on the other side which makes me smile brightly.

“I love it.” I breathe in awe before holding it up to him, turning so that my back was to his as I pull my hair to one side. “Put it on for me, please?”

Kaden gently clasps it around my neck to just the right fit before I turn around, my fingers tracing the chain and pendant. I grin, pressing my lips to his in a sweet kiss before pulling away and thanking him.

But before I can say anything, we hear rapid knocking on his door followed by someone unlocking it with a key. Kaden frowns in confusion before standing up, pulling me up with him. The door finally swings open to reveal Rico, who slams the door shut behind him.

“Kaden, man I need to tell you something. It’s about –” He freezes when he looks up and notices me standing beside Kaden, his arm wrapped around my waist. “L-Luna…hi! W-What are you doing here?”

“In case you forgot, she’s my mate.” Kaden replies in an amused tone before waving him to come forward.

I sense that he wants to talk to Kaden in private. Smiling, I pull away from Kaden who immediately frowns at the loss of contact, his bright eyes following every movement of mine. “Why don’t you guys talk upstairs or on the patio and I’ll make us some drinks?”

“Thanks, Luna.” Rico smiles gently and I nod in reply, completely understanding his situation. “Any hot chocolate?”

“Lots. Kaden here has an addiction.” I tease, chuckling when he growls at me playfully.

I make my way to the kitchen while the boys step outside onto the patio to have a chat. From the kitchen, I can see them take a seat on the chairs outside whilst I prepare the drinks.

I make the drinks slowly, taking my time with it. Finding the marshmallows, I top the mugs with them before putting the milk, cocoa powder and marshmallows away. As I am closing the cupboard, I hear the patio doors close, the only indication that Kaden and Rico had come back in.

I turn and hand them their mugs before we walk over to the couches. Kaden and I take a seat on one with Rico sitting opposite us. I automatically lean into Kaden’s comforting touch, taking a sip of the sweet beverage. He drapes his arm across mine, pressing a gentle kiss to my temple before bringing the mug to his lips.

Glancing up, I double take when I see that Rico is staring at us with a soft smile. I raise my brows in question to which he just shakes his head in reply before leaning back in his seat.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, referring to the talk they had outside.

Rico opens his mouth to reply but Kaden beats him to it. “Yes, everything is fine.”

I look up at him, seeing Rico frown in confusion from the corner of my eye. Kaden’s eyes are hard and I know that he is hiding something from me. He looks down to meet my curious gaze, a reassuring smile blooming on his lips. Sighing, I nod and smile back, letting it be.

For now.