Sweet Caroline

Caroline was now at home since Andrew had dropped her off on his way to his training camp. The dust had barely settled in her driveway, and she missed him already. She’d gone inside and explained to her dad what had happened while silent tears fell.

Dad, of course, decided to try and cheer her up, to try and keep her from missing Andrew too much. So, since it was Sunday, he took her to lunch and to see a movie. After the movie, he took her for ice cream. Then he spent the whole afternoon and evening with her, dragging her from place to place until after dark.

When they finally made it home, Caroline went straight to bed. Her cold and lonely bed with no Andrew. That’s when she cried.

Andrew left Caroline and went to the training camp as he was told to do by his Alpha. He left his cell phone at home as he was told to do by his parents.

When he arrived, they had him running, lifting weights, and boxing. He did all three of those things until he could barely move. Then he ran some more when thoughts of Caroline slipped in. That night he lay exhausted on his bed, hoping for sleep to take him away.

At two in the morning, he was still unable to sleep because his mate wasn’t next to him. So, crawling out of bed, he went running again. He could tell it was going to be a very long week.

“Girl, what did you do all weekend? You look like something the cat dragged in, and her kittens wouldn’t touch,” Rebecca said Monday morning teasingly.

Caroline groaned. “I know how bad I look, don’t rub it in. Andrew had to leave town for a week on a family emergency.”

“So, he kept you up all night before he left?” Rebecca asked.

“Something like that,” Caroline muttered, unable to tell her friend the truth.

“Well, you need to be getting some sleep tonight,” Rebecca informed her as the bell rang, calling them to class.

“Girl, I believe you look even worse today than you did yesterday,” Rebecca commented as she sat down to eat lunch Tuesday.

“Ugh, Becca, I feel worse too. I think I’m coming down with something. Maybe I should just go home,” Caroline said as she lay her head down on the table.

Rebecca scooted over away from Caroline to the end of the bench. “If it’s something I can catch, I don’t want it!”

“Go home, Caroline. I’ll tell the boss you won’t be in tonight,” Dale encouraged from where he sat next to her as he rubbed her back gently.

Caroline looked up and smiled at him. “Thanks, Dale.”

“I’ll bring your homework by before work and check on you,” Dale added.

“Thanks, I owe you,” Caroline mumbled. Then she stumbled her way to the office to check herself out.

Once she’d finished in the office, she grabbed her things from her locker and set off for home.

“Ben, did you get it done?” She asked.

“Yes. It’s already taking effect. Caroline looks like death warmed over already,” Ben answered.

“Good.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Ben asked.

“Yes, I’m sure. Caroline deserves to die, but I want to watch her writhe in pain until then. She should have never tried to take what is mine.” She laughed maniacally.

“You know he isn’t truly your mate,” Ben reminded her. “That label belongs to me, not that I want it.”

She snorted. “I wouldn’t have you, and besides, I helped you get the woman you want.”

Ben had nothing to say, so he remained silent.

“How did you slip it to her?” She asked next.

“I put it in her toothpaste. She brushes twice a day, so I knew it wouldn’t take long,” Ben answered.

“Good, keep an eye on her. I want to know when it breaks her. I want to see her die,” she told him before hanging up the phone.

When Caroline made it home, she flung herself face-first on the bed and cried. She missed Andrew so much that it had become physical pain. She didn’t know why she was feeling this way; it was weird and unnatural.

She did manage to get a bit of a nap, crying herself to sleep. However, it was filled with strange dreams of Reva taking Andrew from her and manically laughing while she lay writhing in pain on the ground.

When she awakened, she jerked up in her bed. She was sweating and felt clammy, plus her stomach was cramping, causing her to feel a bit nauseous.

“Huh, maybe I had a fever. That would explain the weird dreams,” Caroline muttered to herself as she crawled out of bed. “Wish I could explain these stomach cramps away that easily.”

No more than ten minutes later, after she had finished her shower, the doorbell rang. When she opened the door, she found Dale on the other side.

“How are you feeling?” Dale asked as she moved back for him to come in.

“Okay, I guess. Although my stomach still hurts. I did manage to sleep a bit but had these weird dreams before waking up in a puddle of sweat,” Caroline replied as they headed to the kitchen.

Grabbing them both a can of cola, she went about making herself a sandwich as Dale sat down.

“Well, it sounds like maybe you had a fever, and with your stomach hurting, perhaps it’s a stomach virus,” Dale suggested as he opened his drink.

“Maybe.”

Dale took her hand, stopping her movements. “I think you have something besides being sick on your mind, though. Do you want to tell me about it?”

“Yeah, I do, but….”

“But what? You know you can tell me anything, Caroline. I’ll never tell anyone, not even Rebecca,” Dale promised.

Caroline turned to look at him. “I know, and I love you for that, but it isn’t my secret to tell.”

“Ah… Andrew,” Dale murmured knowingly.

“Yeah, Andrew,” Caroline agreed. “All I’ve wanted for so long was to be with him. Now that I finally am, it’s like… it’s like we’ve always been. Does that make sense?”

Dale smiled. “Yeah, it’s called love, but not just any love. It’s the soulmate kind of love.”

Caroline huffed softly. Oh, Dale, if only you knew the truth of it. But since she couldn’t tell him Andrew was her soulmate, she instead asked, “Is that how you feel about Rebecca?”

Dale shrugged as he wiped the sweat from his can. “No, not really. I mean, yeah, I like her, and I love kissing her. Can I see myself still with her in forty years?” He let out a heavy sigh. “No, not really. You and Andrew, though? Yeah, I can see you still with him in forty years.”

She grinned. “Yeah, me too, Dale, me too.”

Swallowing the last of his drink, he stood and gave her a big hug. “Gotta get those hugs in when the big guy isn’t around. He’d probably squash me like a bug for touching you.”

Caroline laughed. “We talked about that, and Andrew is cool with you now, Dale.”

“So, he says, but I’m not taking chances that he’ll change his mind. I like my pretty face just the way it is,” Dale said with a slight laugh as he headed toward the door. “Anyway, I need to go. You get better soon, alright.”

“I will,” Caroline said. “Thank you, Dale.”

Dale gave her a slight wave and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

Caroline ate her sandwich and then headed for the couch and the TV.

Andrew groaned as he rolled over, punching his pillow. He was almost sick from lack of sleep, or maybe from being away from his mate, or both. He was doing good if he could get a couple of hours before his wolf woke him whining for their mate. He kept telling his wolf it would only be a few more days.

Okay, it will be five days, but still, not that long. We will survive.

His wolf disagreed and continued to whine.

So, crawling from the bed, Andrew went running… again.