Published: June 26th 2023, 2:00:06 pm
Caleb’s lying in bed on his computer when I wake up, the screen dimmed so it doesn’t wake me as he scrolls through countless emails. There’s an alarming amount, but I’m coming to learn that’s nothing new.
I wonder how long he’s been up, but I fear the answer.
“Go back to sleep,” I mumble, hooking my leg around his waist. “You need to rest.”
Instead of answering me, Caleb reaches around his computer and squeezes my thigh over the comforter. I know he’s been stressed, and he’s been working more than I’ve ever seen him do so before, but he can’t keep up like this.
He can’t spend every waking minute of his day working, even if he wants to. It’s unhealthy, and I’m not the only one who’s been telling him so.
Just yesterday, I overheard Cole telling him he looks like shit and needs to take a break, and even Adam has been sending him concerned glances. If Adam’s feeling bad for you, you know it’s serious.
“The wolves intercepted a truck of explosives heading toward my pack last night,” Caleb says. “It’s the third one this month, and we’re only ten days in.”
I sigh, wiggling closer.
“But none have gotten through,” I point out. “The furthest HPAW’s gotten is a few miles past the border. Your warriors are capable, Caleb, and they’ll manage for a few hours while you sleep. I’m sure they find you more useful when you’re rested, anyway.”
Caleb shoots me a playful glare.
Ignoring it, I slip my hand out of the blankets and reach for his laptop. I move slowly, giving him ample time to stop me, before shutting the lid. Caleb wordlessly turns and sets the device on his bedside table, and I practically latch onto him when he finally lays back in bed.
“How are things going with the humans?” Caleb asks, pulling me into his arms.
My body breaks out in tingles as we touch, and I take a selfish moment to enjoy it before answering.
“Better than expected,” I say. “No human news organization is willing to speak to them, not after Jack’s interview, and they’re pissed.”
They’ve been quite vocal about it, too. I try not to bother them too much at the apartments, wanting them to have their space, but in the few times I’ve gone back to visit since last week’s interview, they’ve been full of angry complaints about HPAW.
At first, they thought we somehow blocked the connection, but the blonde human’s warrior convinced them we weren’t. I’m not sure what magic he’s performing over there, but the humans have genuinely taken a liking to him.
I think it’s because they enjoy seeing him doting on his mate. To them, it’s comedic to watch a wolf bend over backward for a human, especially after all the nasty lies they’ve heard over the years.
“Three of the humans have even agreed to meetings with their mate,” I continue.
There was silence for two long days after I handed out all the personalized files, but slowly, the humans have been coming forward with requests for a meeting. One of them was Jack, which I’m pleasantly surprised about.
Caleb hums and runs his hand down the back of my head, playing with my hair. He’s careful not to accidentally pull any strands as he sifts his fingers through them and slowly untangles any of my knots.
I always have a few when I wake up in the morning.
“We’ve identified an HPAW training facility a few miles outside of our border, and I’m sending a unit of wolves there tomorrow to dismantle it,” Caleb says.
I’ve heard about that. Caleb already dismantled one training facility, a small one just beyond the border. We’ve gotten intel that HPAW doesn’t actually train their soldiers there, but instead, it’s a front for their armory.
The wolves sent to the first training facility confirmed it. They found hundreds of weapons and even a small manufacturing building on the outskirts of the property. Most everything was stored and moved underground, unsurprising for HPAW, and the wolves managed to destroy almost all the materials and weapons.
There were a few guards stationed inside, but most of the humans present were factory workers and technical weapon engineers.
Caleb was very proud to report that no wolves were injured, and only three humans were killed. The way his chest puffed up as he told me that made my heart fucking soar.
This man has experienced nothing but hate from the humans, but he still goes out of his way to keep them safe. He’s a good man, and it’s no wonder his people respect him so fiercely.
“Sash has been monitoring the human news outlets,” I whisper into his skin. “She says the humans are angry with HPAW, and they’re demanding the government seize all their communications for investigation. They want to know if there’s any truth to what Jack said.”
I’m sure the government knows all about HPAW’s testing, but it’ll be a cold day before they admit it. If things worsen and they’re forced to take action against HPAW, they’ll do everything they can to wash their hands of any potential connections.
They’ll happily pin everything on HPAW, and while it’s not ideal, it’s better than nothing.
The human government itself has never given us many issues. They let HPAW handle all communication and action taken toward the wolves, and that’s the organization we need to take down.
Caleb slides further into the sheets, and his calves brush against my toes as he wiggles his body closer to mine. I’m sure not complaining, and I happily press the front of my body against his.
“How do you think this ends?” I ask.
I know we want HPAW dismantled, but what else?
Caleb sucks in a deep breath, and the hair on top of my head moves as he slowly lets it out. “When we separated from the humans, we didn’t make it clear we were no longer part of their government. Humans treat us like some pesky rebellion they need to eliminate, but we want to be treated as an independent entity.
“Our lands aren’t theirs to take back, and our people aren’t animals to be put down,” Caleb continues. “Actions have consequences, and I intend for HPAW to be dismantled and new rules to be established and followed among the human governments.
“All this fighting—it’s a last resort.” Caleb cups the back of my head and tilts my neck back, urging me to look him in the eye. “I never wanted to hurt the humans, but it’s become clear they won’t respect us if we don’t. I hope if we fight them now and establish our boundaries, we won’t have to do it again.”
The space between Caleb’s eyebrows crinkles, and I smooth the skin before inching closer and bringing my lips to his.
It’s no secret Caleb’s done everything he can to avoid a fight, and I don’t blame him for resorting to these measures. He realized he’d have no choice but to do so a while before I was taken, but it was Adam and my’s kidnapping that launched everything into motion.
The wolves have the strength and numbers to do serious damage to the humans, and they’ve probably been in a position to do so for a long time, and I wonder if this is the route Caleb would’ve taken had Adam and I been killed.
Cole mentioned in passing that most of the wolves have been on board with Caleb avoiding a fight. They’ve all had hardships with the humans, and it’s safe to say they aren’t our biggest fans, but it’s hard to want to kill somebody when you know most of them are only acting out of fear.
Still, I wonder if they’d have spoken out against Caleb if he had decided to truly attack the humans. If he decided HPAW wasn’t enough.
Caleb’s lips are soft against mine, and his hands fall to my waist. He slides his fingers underneath my shirt until they’re resting against my bare skin, and a second later, they travel higher to my ribcage.
I want him to continue to my breasts, but when he grunts and disconnects his lips from mine, I know it won’t happen.
Now that I know he’s been avoiding having sex with me, I’m picking up on all the subtle hints.
Before, I’d have thought he was pulling away because he was tired, but now I know it’s likely because his wolf is screaming inside his head. I chew at the inside of my cheek, doing my best to hide my disappointment as I press my forehead against his bare chest.
“I love you, Ev,” Caleb whispers.
I look up and offer him a weak smile. I know he does.
“Tell me some drama,” I say.
Caleb always has the inside scoop on everything in the pack, a perk that comes with being the Alpha, and it always cheers me up. It’s something to keep my mind busy.
“Some drama?” Caleb laughs.
I nod, refusing to be embarrassed about my request.
He can tease me all he wants, but I know he loves telling me just as much as I love hearing it. Caleb spends all day putting on this calm facade, but when we get into bed at night, I see how wide his smile grows as he chatters with me like a nosey old man.
“Well?” I pry.
Caleb’s smile grows, and he rolls onto his back as he thinks. I prop myself up on my elbow and peer down at him, eagerly waiting.
“The blonde human has asked Greg to give her birth control,” he eventually admits.
I slap a hand over my mouth with a dramatic gasp. I knew she was getting close to her warrior, but I had no idea they were getting that close. Have they already had sex, or is she just planning ahead? I’ll have to watch them extra closely the next time I visit the apartment building.
Male wolves aren’t exactly sly, and I think I’ll be able to figure it out by his body language.
Caleb rolls his head to the side to look at me, and a broad smile spreads over his lips as he watches my reaction to his juicy information. He always does.
“What else?” I ask.
I live for these moments with Caleb. We spend most of our time talking or thinking about HPAW, and I miss what it feels like to relax and joke around with one another. We used to do it all the time, but now it’s rare.
“There is something I’ve been keeping from you,” Caleb says. “But it truly is private. You can’t mention it to anybody, not even Adam.”
I never share the secrets Caleb tells me, even those I desperately wish to discuss with Adam. Caleb is the only person I gossip with, and he knows that.
Which tells me this secret is a really good one.
“I promise,” I say.
My voice squeaks, and I clear my throat as my cheeks turn red. Caleb quickly darts forward to kiss me, but his inability to stop laughing at me during it ruins the intimacy.
He holds eye contact as he pulls away.
“Sash is pregnant,” Caleb rushes to say. “My wolf can pick up on the hormone changes before most others, and I don’t even think Cole knows yet. She’s only a few weeks along, and she probably hasn’t even had a missed period yet.”
Caleb excitedly taps his fingers against my waist, and I ignore the sharp pang of jealousy that shoots through me as I force my lips into a smile.
“Are you serious?” I ask. “That’s so exciting!”
Caleb nods, his head bobbing quickly up and down.
“My wolf is quite excited to be an uncle,” he continues. “Although, Sash has been avoiding me these past few days. I was surprised to smell the change the last time we were together, and I think I got too aggressive in sniffing her. She’s scared I’m going to ruin the surprise, and she told me to stay away until she tells Cole.”
I try my absolute best not to laugh at Caleb, but a chuckle emerges anyway. I can just imagine him stalking up to her and sticking his nose in her personal space to confirm his suspicions. He’s not exactly the most discreet.
“I’m sad I wasn’t there to see that,” I say.
Caleb shrugs. “There wasn’t much to see.”
I highly doubt that. Sash is never subtle when she’s angry with Caleb, and it’s pretty entertaining to watch them bicker. It’s taken a while for things to return to normal between them, but I think we’re finally starting to get there.
My heart doesn’t pound when Sash is near anymore, and Caleb’s wolf doesn’t go into protective mode whenever we’re alone. Those two things make her presence much more comforting, and I think she’s also noticed a change.
“If you don’t have any objections, I’d like to start looking at houses,” I blurt out. “I know we already have a lot going on, but it’d be nice to have an actual home to come home to at the end of the day.”
To say Caleb looks excited is an understatement, and I suck in a slow breath before continuing.
I’ve put a lot of thought into this, and Caleb’s made it clear since we returned to the pack that he’s willing to be an equal partner. Whenever Chunks begins to cry or needs a change, Caleb is the first to offer to do it. He makes sure to watch the time and put him down for his naps, and I’ve seen him lead more than a few meetings with Chunks tucked under one arm and a bottle in his other.
Caleb’s a natural with babies, and he’s eager to do it. I still have so much to learn, but I know Caleb won’t leave me stranded.
I can learn, and I won’t be expected to handle all the day-to-day care as I initially feared.
“Besides…” I say, nervous to see Caleb’s reaction. “We’ll need a spare bedroom if Chunks is going to live with—”