Sweet Caroline

Caroline watched her friends leave before turning to look at Andrew and saw Rebecca was right. Giving his t-shirt a tug, which drew his gaze to hers, she said, “Andrew, if there is one person in this world besides my dad that I want you to get along with, it’s Dale. Dale is… special to me because his mom and mine were…” she stopped to hold back the emotions that had her wanting to cry.

Andrew rubbed her back, giving her encouragement to continue.

Taking a deep breath, she continued, “My mom and Dale’s were stepsisters. I’m not sure what that makes Dale and I, but it doesn’t matter to me because, in my heart, he’s family. Dale and his parents came for a visit during spring break when we were in second grade. Our moms left us with our dads to do a bit of shopping and stopped to get gas on the way home. They died together when the convenience store was robbed. That’s when we moved here. Dad wasn’t dealing well with things, and… well, Dale’s dad offered him a job here.”

Andrew took a deep breath as he took her into his arms, letting it out slowly. Directly in her ear, he whispered, “I know it doesn’t excuse my actions, but I didn’t know, and I’m sorry.”

“Okay, I forgive you, but you have to try and get along with him,” Caroline murmured. “I will admit that I don’t understand why you seem to hold so much animosity toward someone you admit to not knowing, though.”

“There are so many things I need to tell you about me, and once you know, it will explain so much. I promise, tonight I’ll explain everything to you. Just, just don’t take away my chance because of this,” he begged.

“I won’t if you promise to give him a chance too.”

“I promise,” Andrew said just as the bell rang, “and I’ll catch you later, Caroline.” He then hurried to his locker to get his books so he wouldn’t be late.

“So, are you two together now?” Rebecca asked when Caroline caught up with her.

As they quickly made their way to class, Caroline answered, “Yeah, at least I think so. I mean, he asked me to give him a chance.”

“So, are you going to?”

“Yeah, we even have a date tonight.”

Rebecca shook her head as she walked into the classroom. “Well, good luck.”

The day seemed to crawl by, and Caroline didn’t see Andrew at all until school was over.

Andrew straightened where he’d been leaning on her locker when she drew close and asked, “Are you about ready to go, Caroline?”

“Go? Go where exactly?” Caroline asked as she grabbed a notebook from her locker and looked up at him.

Andrew tilted his head with a hurt look on his face as he answered, “On our date. You agreed to go on one with me tonight.”

“Yeah, I did. However, I assumed you would come by my house later and pick me up.”

Andrew shook his head. “No, I thought I would take you home. That way, you can drop your books off, and I can take you from there.”

“Oh, okay,” she agreed as she closed her locker, and they headed for the exit. “Andrew, I’m sorry for assuming things. It’s just, I’ve never been on a date before.”

Placing his arm around her shoulders, he said, “That’s okay, Doll, neither have I.”

“You haven’t? Why? I mean, you’re popular and good-looking. I would think you’d have the girls lining up to date you.”

Andrew shrugged before clearing his throat and saying, “Maybe, but I… um… that’s part of what I need to explain to you. However, I want to do it somewhere private for us to talk.”

By that time, they had reached his truck, and he opened the door for her. Once she was in, he closed it and walked around to get in his side. Then he turned to gaze longingly at her, asking, “Can I kiss you now? I feel as if I’ve been dying all day waiting for one.”

Caroline nodded.

Andrew leaned over to cup her cheek, steadying her for his kiss. He ended it too soon with a groan, saying, “I could kiss you all afternoon and never get enough, but I can’t if I’m going to get us to our destination.”

“Then let’s go!”

Andrew cranked up his truck and turned it southward toward the country. Driving until he hit the outskirts of town, he turned off on a rough dirt road. When he came to the end of it, he pulled off to the side and stopped. Getting out, he went around the front of the truck to open her door.

“Why are we here?”

“Because I need to show you something important here,” Andrew softly answered. He then took her hand and led her down a short path to a stream. All around it was the prettiest purple flowers blooming everywhere.

“What is this place, Andrew? It’s lovely.”

“This land belongs to my family,” he informed her as he took her hands in his, facing her. “Caroline, I need to tell you something important. I’ll admit it terrifies me to tell you because I’ve never told anyone what I’m about to tell you about myself. Honestly, I’m scared that it will make you hate me, or even worse, make you fear me.”

Caroline watched the emotions as they passed over his face. The hope, the fear, the nervousness, and last, the longing. She silently waited for him to say what he needed to say.

“I am what most of the supernatural world calls a shape-shifter, or what humans call werewolves because a wolf is what I shift into. I was born this way, and those like me live in a pack with an Alpha to lead us.”

“Like a real wolf pack?” Caroline’s heart was now racing as he told her of things unknown to her.

“Yes, and we have what is called a soulmate. This person is the other half of us, and to find that person is what we long for the most. When you were hurt in the fourth grade, I spent a lot of time with you. I didn’t know it at the time, but my wolf already knew you were his mate, and because of that, my feelings for you grew extremely strong and extraordinarily fast.”

“I remember you telling me how fast your feeling grew for me and that it scared you.”

“It did scare me, and that is why I decided to put my social life, and later girls, on hold,” he explained. “I thought it was the best thing for me to do until I was of the age to find my mate.”

Remembering the hurt she had felt when he’d shunned her, she asked, “Is that why you ignored me?”

“Yes, but Caroline, if I’d known you were my mate, I wouldn’t have. I didn’t know, though, not until recently, when I had my eighteenth birthday.”

“But you said your wolf knew!” Caroline exclaimed, confused.

“Yes, but a shifter can’t communicate with his animal spirit until they’re eighteen. Then, and only then are we able to speak with them.”

“So, even though your animal spirit knew when you were ten, he couldn’t tell you until you turned eighteen?” Caroline questioned.

“Right. My wolf knew, but he had no way to tell me yet. Finding a mate that young is unheard of because it is the wolf in us that lets us know,” Andrew explained.

Caroline swallowed hard as she gazed at her feet. This is a lot to take in, but I love him. I feel as if I always have, and even though I don’t really understand all of this, I know I don’t want to lose him. However, this brings up another question. Looking back up, she asked, “Andrew, is your animal spirit the reason why my feelings seem so over the top for you? I mean, it’s almost like we’ve been together forever the way I feel about you, the way I’ve longed for you. I’ve never forgotten how it felt to snuggle into your arms when we were ten. Even now, I want you to—”

Andrew cupped her cheeks in his hands, halting her words. “It’s the bond between us that makes everything seem stronger somehow. The desire, the possessiveness, the need to touch you constantly. Somehow, even back then, we both felt it, although it is rare, especially since you’re human.”

“Oh.”

“Caroline, that’s why I was so upset with your friend Dale. As a dominant male wolf, I don’t want any male touching what I consider mine. Now that both my wolf and I understand his relationship with you, it won’t be a problem again.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” she said, relieved. “So, is your wolf massively big like in the movies?”

“No, he’s just a bit bigger than a natural wild wolf,” Andrew enlightened her. “I’ll love to show him to you, and he’d love to meet you also.”

Caroline nodded in agreement. She was, admittedly, a bit nervous but trusted that his wolf wouldn’t hurt her.

Andrew went behind a tree, and a few seconds later, a big brown wolf came out.