‘Stay the hell away from me!’ I ranted, but then paced up and down, hating the thought. ‘But don’t do that actually, because it makes me ache so badly that I want to curl up and die! That’s what you’ve done to me! You’ve broken me completely so now I can’t even cope without you! Stupid, damn wolf.’

  ‘Callie, please…’

  ‘I tell you what you can do, actually,’ I raged. ‘You have to stay close right now, but you can shut your goddamn mouth. Keep it schtum, alright? I don’t want to talk to you and hear the things coming out of your mouth. They just make me miserable.’

  She shook her head, seemingly in disbelief that we found ourselves in this situation. ‘Callie, I…’

  ‘No,’ I muttered. ‘Don’t even bother trying to talk to me.’

  ‘We’re going to have to live together, for fuck’s sake!’ she exploded. ‘We can’t ignore each other completely!’

  I gave her a look which was pure ice. ‘Watch me,’ I said, and after grabbing her jumper for scent, marched off to the bathroom.

  In the small space of the bathroom, I paced the short distance for several minutes, trying to will myself to calm down. My heart was pounding, and my stomach was twisting in knots. My head began to pound so I placed the jumper to my nose, breathing in her scent and willing myself to calm. Turning my back to the glass of the shower wall, I sank to the floor and drew my knees up to my chest. Crying into the soft fabric of the jumper, I tried to muffle my sobs, but several escaped without me being able to stop them.

  Kash found me there moments later, bending beside me soundlessly and gathering me into her arms. With strength beyond explanation, she lifted me bodily and carried me bridal style back to the bedroom and lay me down, stretching out beside me before hauling me closer, keeping me tight in her embrace whilst stroking my hair repeatedly.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. ‘Callie, I’m so sorry…I don’t want to argue with you. Please let’s not fight.’

  I wept rivers of tears. I didn’t know what to do, say or think and I felt so unbelievably overwhelmed that I couldn’t even reply.

  ‘Shush, baby, it’s alright,’ she said, soothing me with her voice; her scent. ‘It’s okay…we’ll figure this out. It’s all going to be okay, sweetie.’

  I just kept crying. I couldn’t hold it in. Where there were no more tears left to shed, I just lay there against her, locked in a stupor where I didn’t know what on earth life was going to present me with next.

  After some time, we both went silent and still. The tension had eased with my outburst, and I felt more relaxed. Confused, but relaxed. Kash, to her credit, didn’t push me to talk, she just lay with me and stroked my hair, easing me into submission and a calmer state where I didn’t feel as upset anymore.

  It was me who broke the silence, needing to speak and needing to have some reassurance about the situation we found ourselves in. ‘I don’t know what to do,’ I told her in a small voice.

  ‘I know,’ she said, quietly.

  ‘I don’t know how to deal with this…how to deal with you.’

  ‘Callie; I don’t know either.’

  ‘It hurts when you move too far away right now,’ I told her, needing her to know how she was affecting me.

  ‘I understand. I can stay close.’

  ‘But I don’t want anything from you,’ I warned her, not looking at her, just lying against her shoulder. ‘I don’t want you to push me for anything I don’t want to do.’

  ‘I wouldn’t,’ she told me, softly. ‘Callie; I wouldn’t do that.’

  ‘But the moon…’ I murmured.

  She sighed. ‘More than a week away,’ she said, softly.

  ‘Still; I won’t be ready then, either. You can’t go forcing me into doing something just because we fucked up and let this happen,’ I warned her.

  ‘I won’t. We’ll find a way,’ she promised.

  ‘You’ll want to take everything from me,’ I murmured.

  ‘So will you, Callie.’

  ‘I’ve never been through heat before,’ I added. ‘I don’t know what to expect or how to keep myself safe from you.’

  ‘Callie; you’ll always be safe from me. I promise you; we’ll find a way.’

  I sighed. ‘How the hell are we going to do this?’ I asked. ‘How do I even get through the first day with you?’ I said, speaking aloud.

  She went quiet for a moment. Thoughtful. ‘I could order pizza…we could do a movie marathon?’ she suggested.

  I lifted my head, meeting her eyes at last. ‘What?’

  ‘You heard me,’ she murmured. ‘It solves the issue of having to talk and we can be close but not intimate. Also, I’m hungry so I bet you are too.’

  ‘I, uh…yeah…yeah, okay,’ I replied, knowing it was the last thing I’d ever expected her to offer. I’d assumed a day of difficult heart to heart conversations were due, but it seemed they could be avoided.

  ‘Okay. I’ll get my phone…do you, uh…do you want to come with me to get it? It’s in the room downstairs.’

  I moved as she did. ‘I’ll come.’

  ‘We stick together for now?’

  I nodded. ‘It seems to be a temporary necessity.’

  ‘Not a problem,’ she assured me.

  Kash and I went downstairs, and she retrieved her phone. Heading back up to the bedroom together, she asked me my toppings of choice and then ordered a hell of a lot more than we really needed, adding sides, puddings and drinks to the order.

  When she was done, we went to sit against the headboard and Kash put the TV on. Scrolling through Netflix, we found a film which interested us both and she started it without preamble. Twenty minutes into it, we hadn’t spoken and when the pizza arrived, we calmly collected it together and then returned to the room and sat on the bed in companionable silence. Calm had returned, and I felt safe and secure now that I had realised, she wasn’t going to push this with me. Neither of us had been ready for the events which had rocked our world, so some normality doing simple, quiet things was much appreciated.

  With the pizza discarded and the film ending, Kash finally looked over at me. ‘Another?’ she asked.

  ‘Yeah,’ I nodded. ‘If that’s okay with you?’

  ‘It’s more than okay. I’m actually feeling a bit better now we’re not talking about…well, now we’re just chilling.’

  ‘Me too,’ I agreed.

  ‘Okay, well, your choice now,’ she said, handing me the remote.

  I reached out, our hands touching as she passed it to me. Instant electricity passed through me and my eyes flew to hers, startled.

  ‘Don’t overthink it,’ she murmured. ‘Film…’ she indicated, pointing to the TV.

  ‘Yeah,’ I replied quietly, turning away. ‘Yeah.’

  We started watching another film of my choice and I sat back against the pile of pillows, getting comfortable. After a while, Kash did the same, lying back comfortably, but not touching me at all, staying on her side of the bed so that we were close but not in contact.

  It was me who moved gradually closer, unable to resist the subtle movements towards her. Her body was radiating warmth, and I was drawn to it like a moth to the flame. Kash’s soft sigh as I finally let my head drop on her shoulder was heartfelt and almost made me pull away. It was too good to move though, and I gave into the need to be in contact with her and let my curl into her side.

  Kash didn’t move a muscle, and the only clue to how much this affected her was the brief intake of breath initially and then her increased heartrate, thudding away in her chest. It told me she wasn’t as immune as she appeared, and that I did make her feel things-even if she didn’t want to.

  Towards the end of the film, Kash moved slightly, her first movement since we’d edged closer. I felt the shift in her tension levels and looked up to see what she was thinking. Meeting her eyes, a wave of desire hit me unexpectedly and washed over me, flooding my body with instant heat. My loins started throbbing and my nipples hardened beneath my clothing.

  ‘Callie…’ she murmured, her voice husky and low.

  I opened my mouth to ask for something I shouldn’t when we were abruptly interrupted by a pounding noise from downstairs.

  ‘What the…?’ Kash exclaimed, pulling away from me instantly.

  ‘Is that someone at the door?’ I asked, getting to my feet.

  ‘Yeah, listen! Whoever it is, they’re insistent!’ Kash commented, the moment clearly over.

  With a sigh, I left the room with her, heading for the stairs. ‘Probably my goddamn mother! She won’t be able to rest until you’re out of the picture and the bond is broken. Trust me, she’s not going to let this one slide.’

  ‘Great,’ she muttered, heading down the steps.

  At the door, we both paused, glancing at each other. We instantly knew that it was indeed my mother, as her scent was there and clear to recognise.

  ‘Don’t take any of her shit,’ Kash warned me, before opening the door.

  ‘I don’t plan to,’ I replied, glancing at her. ‘Besides; what can she do? The elders and high priestess outrank her by eons of wisdom and knowledge.’

  ‘Yeah…doesn’t stop her being a bitch though!’ she said, surprising me with a sudden smile.

  I laughed, briefly, making her eyes light with pleasure and in that flash of unity, everything temporarily felt okay again.

  ‘Better let her in! She’s going nuts out there!’ she murmured, reaching for the handle.

  I nodded.

  My mother’s arrival was like a whirlwind greeting us.

  ‘How long does it take a person to answer the door?’ she demanded, sounding annoyed and frustrated.

  ‘We were upstairs,’ Kash told her, without inviting her in, and blocking the doorway from her entry too.

  ‘Upstairs?’ she sniffed in disgust. ‘I seriously hope you two are not considering sealing this disaster of a union!’ she exclaimed. ‘I’d be horrified if you entertained the idea.’

  ‘Mum, what do you want?’ I asked, long-sufferingly. ‘The high priestess made her decision…what do you expect us to do?’ I questioned, shaking my head, wearily.

  ‘Fight it!’ she cried. ‘I respect the high priestess of course, but she’s got it wrong this time. This,’ she said, indicating me and then Kash, ‘Is not going to happen. You’re all wrong for each other, and for goodness’s sake, you’re both female! Quite frankly, that’s all I can think about! My daughter, claimed by an unnatural. It’s disgusting,’ she said, shaking her head.

  ‘Mother!’ I cried.

  ‘It is not disgusting,’ Kash interjected. ‘Your thought processes are, and your treatment of you daughter too,’ she told her. ‘Yes, perhaps we shouldn’t have bonded by the claim, but you have no right to stand there and tell me that I’m unnatural or disgusting. Callie doesn’t think like that-even though we’re struggling with this. I can’t believe you’d be so unsupportive of your daughter.’

  ‘I’ll support her when she makes some decent decisions!’ she exclaimed. ‘And you have no right to be speaking to me in such a way. Do you have any idea of who I am?’ she demanded.

  Kash scoffed. ‘Who you are?’ Kash cried. ‘Do you know who I am?’ she retorted. ‘If you’re talking social standing, I match and exceed yours,’ she told her, bluntly.

  ‘I am an Alpha, of the highest degree,’ my mother told her, haughtily.

  ‘And I am an Alpha, once head of my pack,’ Kash responded. ‘And as your daughter and I are now bonded, I take over,’ she told her, clearly. ‘You no longer take charge of Callie; I do. I am her Alpha now. You can go,’ she said, dismissing her.

  ‘Why, you…!’ she blustered.

  ‘Goodbye,’ Kash told her, and slammed the door shut in her face.

  I gasped at the sudden event, and turned to look at Kash, alarmed.

  ‘I don’t really think I’m taking charge of you or all that hierarchal crap, Callie,’ she told me softly, ‘I just need her to know that she can no longer control you.’

  ‘I…oh my God, Kash! You just dismissed my mother!’

  ‘Damn straight! She can be part of our life is she’s not a rude bitch, but as it stands, I think we need some space from that negative influence,’ she said, shaking her head.

  I stared at her, pretty much gaping at her in shock.

  ‘You can’t like being spoken to like that?’

  ‘I don’t!’ I spluttered.

  ‘Then let me help you keep her away for now. I’m not saying walk away from your family, I’m saying take a break.’

  ‘I…I…yeah,’ I decided, nodding slowly.

  ‘Yes?’ she questioned.

  I nodded. ‘I think she’s ruled my life for too long. It’s about time I stood on my own two feet…learned how to stand up to her.’

  ‘Exactly. So…the film?’ she suggested.

  I shook my head, giving myself a little shake. ‘I’m too restless. I need to do something.’

  ‘Okay…do you want to run?’ she asked.

  ‘No,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘I don’t want to be or see anyone but you at the moment.’

  She cocked her head at me, considering this. ‘Yeah…I mean, this is now the fortnight when we’re meant to honeymoon, as it were…we’re meant to stay together and bond.’

  ‘Yeah; I didn’t mean I want to do that,’ I said, wryly.

  She stared at me. ‘But upstairs…that moment…’

  ‘Don’t,’ I warned. ‘It’s the effect of the bond…the scent…I thought we were trying to distract from that.’

  ‘We are,’ she nodded, sighing heavily.

  ‘So, what do we do?’ I asked, feeling a little lost.

  ‘Well; distraction is good, right?’

  I nodded.

  ‘And you’re restless,’ she continued.

  ‘I am.’

  ‘How about we work on house stuff,’ she offered. ‘I mean, we’re holed up here for the foreseeable future, so we might as well make it hospitable.’

  ‘How do we do that?’ I asked, frowning. ‘We’re meant to stay here.’

  ‘We will,’ she said, smiling at me widely. ‘Come on! Let’s go!’

  I followed Kash to the stairs and up to the bedroom. There she went to a black bag and withdrew two laptop computers-one small and one larger.

  ‘What are we doing?’ I asked, baffled.

  ‘House stuff,’ she replied, going to her smaller bag and withdrawing a wallet. ‘It’ll be a great distraction from this-for you as well as me!’ she commented.

  I watched her, mouth slightly ajar, as she flipped through a bunch of what looked like credit cards and then tossed a couple on the bed. ‘That should do it.’

  ‘What should?’

  ‘Money…get ordering,’ she said, smiling as she sat down and turned on one of the laptops.

  ‘What are you talking about?’

  She gave me a look. ‘We need distraction, right?’

  I nodded, agreeing.

  ‘We’re stuck in this house together, right?’

  I nodded.

  ‘So, let’s get renovating. We can stick together because we’ll be busy with the house stuff. It’s a good solution while we both come to terms with what’s happened with all of this.’

  ‘I, uh…yeah…yeah, okay,’ I said, liking the suggestion that we did something to keep our minds off the claiming situation.

  ‘So, grab a card and order what you like.’

  ‘You’re kidding, right?’ I frowned, toying with one of the cards with confusion.

  ‘Nope. Like I said, I’ve got more money that I know what to do with. Let’s put some of it towards setting this house up well,’ she smiled.

  ‘But…but…what’s the budget?’ I asked, not used to being given things without earning them.

  ‘They’re unlimited,’ she told me, with a shrug. ‘Buy what you need.’

  This time I did gape at her. ‘Buy what I need?’ I exclaimed. ‘Buy what I need!’ I cried, growing shrill. ‘Kash!’

  ‘Don’t get all uppity. This house needs work and items to make it habitable, right?’

  ‘Yes, but it’s yours!’ I exclaimed.

  ‘And yours…’

  ‘No,’ I frowned. ‘It’s yours, so you decide what shit to buy!’

  ‘But you do this for a living, right?’ she questioned. ‘You do all the housing stuff around here, I was told.’

  ‘I do, but I don’t get given a customers credit card and then go buying all the shit I fancy on amazon!’

  She chuckled at that. ‘You’re welcome to,’ she grinned. ‘It’d save me the hassle.’

  I shook my head. ‘I don’t feel comfortable with that, I’m afraid. Do your own buying,’ I told her, pushing the laptop away.

  She looked like she was about to argue with me, but then she stopped. ‘Fine…what about something else? I’ve got a few boxes of flat pack furniture which need building? They arrived the other day.’

  I wrinkled my nose.

  ‘It’d be a great distraction, right?’

  ‘Fine,’ I muttered, getting to my feet and following to her to the landing.

  ‘There’s these two…a cabinet and a dresser. Flat pack builds,’ she said, heaving one along the floor.

  ‘Which do you want to do? We could do one each.’

  ‘Whatever,’ I told her. ‘Just give me one of them.’

  She dragged one into the room and sat down on the floor, undoing the box and muttering to myself as I pulled out piece after piece, laying it all out and then reaching for the instructions.

  ‘What the absolute pile of garbage is this?’ I muttered to myself, frowning at the instructions before me, scanning them with confusion.

  ‘Everything good?’ Kash asked.

  ‘Stupid, idiotic, senseless crap,’ I said, talking to myself.

  ‘You good, Callie?’ she asked, effortlessly crafting the flat pack furniture into shape, adding piece after piece as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

  ‘Everything’s…frigging…peachy,’ I replied, scowling at her in annoyance. How did she make it look so easy?

  Kash just chuckled, watching me struggle.

  ‘Don’t laugh at me,’ I warned. ‘I hate this stuff.’

  ‘What? Why? I thought you were in the building trade?’

  ‘I don’t do any actual building! I’m just the organiser behind it all. I do the desk job, the arrangements and everything else that’s needed. What I don’t do, is build stuff. I hate flat pack furniture. It just makes no goddamn sense!’ I ranted.

 

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