Chapter Five
Several Days Later
“You keep looking at the clock, son. Is there anywhere else you’d rather be?” Klaus asked.
They were in his father’s office, dealing with several handwritten complaints that had come from the pack. Some were petty, trivial things, like one of the kids bringing their dog to take a shit on his lawn. Others were arguing about the noise, and then there were some complaints about one of the shop owners being rude.
Again, nothing bad, just the pack acting up before the full moon. Sometimes it was like they created problems so they could take all that aggression out on the full moon.
And the strangest thing of all, a full moon was happening tonight, which was why he kept reading and not really seeing the words right in front of him. No, he knew Casey was excited about tonight. Nervous as well. She tried to deny it, but he read between the lines. This would be the sixth month she hadn’t been able to transition, if she didn’t. Dex had never been far from her during the previous months.
For the longest time, she would stand, just staring up at the full moon at a specific spot in the forest. He knew it well, as even when they were kids, it was where she would go to relax.
She would be surrounded by the forest and bushes, but it was like an opening that looked straight up to the full moon. Dex had felt its power, the rush through his body, but each month he tried to be quiet as he watched her.
While his wolf wanted to tilt back its head and howl at the full moon, he’d kept in control. Casey had simply stared up at the full moon as if she was nothing more than a human. No reaction, no lack of control, nothing. As the hours passed, she’d eventually sit and just stare up at the moon.
At first, he had thought she did it as a challenge, a way to give the moon a big fuck you, and she wasn’t budging until it turned her into a wolf. Now he saw it as something different.
This wasn’t an act of resilience or even defiance. No, this was her … giving up. She wasn’t going to turn into a wolf, so she would just sit there and admire the beauty. He had seen her cry once or twice. His father had given him orders not to approach her for fear of what his wolf would do. Knowing Klaus, his father was there, watching Casey, keeping an eye to make sure none of the pack decided to do something about her. Other than their peers, he’d not heard anyone register a complaint about her not turning. Glancing at the letters, he then frowned and looked up.
“Has anyone complained about Casey?” Dex asked.
“So that is why you’re constantly checking the clock.”
“Dad, come on, you know how important these nights are for her. If she doesn’t turn tonight, it will be six months, and all Casey has ever wanted is to be a wolf.”
Klaus sighed. “Maybe that is the problem. She is wolf, and right now she is thinking she is not a wolf.”
Again, riddles.
“Have you been hanging around Lucinda?”
“That’s not the point, and besides, you know she would come to me after going to see you and even Casey. She told me the warning she sees for the two of you.”
Dex ran his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t go looking for her. She came to me.”
“I know, which is why it was so important for her to tell me. You’re part of the pack, and Lucinda, in her own way, is part of the pack. She knows about Casey. She also knows how important it is for Casey to turn. This is a path she must take, and seeking out magic for help is not the answer.”
“Dad, Casey didn’t go looking for a quick fix, okay. What she did was go for a walk and she got distracted, that was all.”
“Distracted enough to end up near Lucinda’s property?”
“It’s not the way it sounds.”
Klaus held his hands up. “You can say and do whatever you want, Dex, but it doesn’t change the fact that she still ended up there. I get that it is completely innocent, but that is also the point. While she was distracted, she gravitated toward Lucinda, and I’ve given her strict instructions that she is not to help Casey.”
Dex sighed and he rubbed at his temples. “What would you do, Dad? If it was Mom?” he asked.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I know you think it doesn’t, and that is fine, but come on, you and I both know if it was Mom, full moon after full moon, then you wouldn’t just stand idly by and do nothing.”
Klaus sat back, flicking the pen between his fingers without losing control of it once.
“You’re right, I wouldn’t.”
Dex frowned. “Hold on, this is not what I asked you. I wanted to know if you had gotten any messed-up complaints about Casey, and you changed the subject about Lucinda. I’ve seen you do this enough times with Mom, which means you have a complaint. What is it?”
“Do I need to remind you, son, I am still the Alpha, and until I say otherwise, I’m the one in charge.”
Dex sighed.
“You’re eighteen years old, you’re not ready to take over this pack, and until you can learn to deal with things offering up a little diplomacy, you’ve got a long way to go.”
“Is this because I beat the shit out of Buddy Anderson?” he asked.
His father didn’t answer.
“Because if it is, then that is bullshit and you know it. He hurt Casey, and I know the bruises have already faded now, but that is be—”
“What did you say?” Klaus asked, interrupting him.
“Which part, I was kind of saying a lot?”
“About Casey.”
“Buddy and his friends beat her up. I was just paying him back.”
“No, about her bruises.” Klaus put his pen down on the desk.
“They’re healed and nearly all gone.”
Klaus smiled and Dex frowned.
“What?” Dex asked. “I feel like I’m missing something.”
“Think about it, son. Casey was beaten up less than a week ago. If she didn’t have any wolf in her veins, she would still be dealing with the bruises for many weeks after. Humans take a long time to heal. Even from a simple bruise.”
“So, what are you saying?” Dex asked. “That even though Casey hasn’t been able to transition, it doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen?”
“Yes.”
Dex frowned. “You’re distracting me again. You don’t want me to know who has written a complaint about Casey. Who was it?”
Klaus clicked his tongue.
“Come on, Dad, I need to know who did this. I may not be ready to take over today, but one day I will. Do you want me to find out then?”
His father still didn’t move for several seconds, and Dex truly believed he wasn’t going to.
“It was Buddy Anderson’s father,” Klaus said. “He doesn’t believe that having a non-transitioner is good for the other wolves. Also, he doesn’t think it would be ideal for his son to be around someone with such lower blood.”
“That piece of fucking shit.”
“Son, you will not respond to this. I took care of it, and some things are best left alone.”
Dex shook his head.
“Promise me.”
“Damn it, Dad.”
“Now.”
“Fine, fine. I promise I won’t go after Anderson’s father.”
“Or Buddy.”
Dex gritted his teeth as he’d hoped his father wouldn’t see through his attempt to break through the promise.
“Fine, I won’t go after any of them. Not while I’m not Alpha.”
Klaus nodded. “And understand, Casey is safe here. While I am Alpha, and while you are here, nothing bad will happen.”
Dex nodded. “Now can I go?”
“Yes.”
He got to his feet and left his father’s office. Then he left the house and started in the direction of the forest.
Dex felt like someone was watching him, and he turned, catching sight of Buddy Anderson. The other man had stopped in the middle of the street, and Dex caught sight of the anger in the other’s face.
He might have promised his father he wasn’t going to cause trouble, and he wouldn’t, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to respond if Buddy decided to take him on.
****
Casey’s parents had wished her good luck.
Did they even know she still didn’t feel different? There was no magical change within her. Plain and simply nothing.
Heading out to her favorite spot, she usually spent many hours watching the full moon, praying that something—anything—would happen. This time she had brought a blanket to lie on, as well as one to wrap around her. Even though it was still summertime, they were getting toward the end, and that meant it was getting colder, especially at night.
Once she was at her spot, she didn’t even bother to look at the full moon. Instead, she rolled out her blanket, threw it down on the ground, and then lay on her stomach so her back was to the full moon.
She reached for the book she had decided to bring with her—a romance her mother had told her was pretty good. She didn’t spend a lot of time reading anymore. Her spare time had been consumed with trying to figure out how to bring forth her wolf.
“I’m just not going to bother,” she said, opening her book.
It didn’t matter to her. She was not going to turn into a wolf. What was the point in trying?
She read one page and then the second, but none of the words registered. She didn’t understand it. And she couldn’t help but let her thoughts drift to Dex.
After they had been together in the lake, he’d helped her out, taking the towel she had brought along to dry her. Dex had taken care of her, and it had been so sweet and loving.
Now, with the full moon at her back, she couldn’t help but feel those doubts. They completely flooded her.
Dex deserved someone who could run beside him, be with him. The very thought of him doing that filled her with such sadness, and she also felt this anger. Could she give him up? Did she even want to? It would be the right thing to allow him to be with a mate who could give him children, the right kind of children.
Her eyes glistened, and that was when she realized she was crying. She didn’t want to cry. No, she wanted to be defiant, but the truth was, she felt so lost and alone.
“Don’t,” Dex said, suddenly coming out of the forest.
She gasped and turned toward him, to find he was once again naked. “Shouldn’t you be a wolf?” she asked.
“I was one, and I had to sit back and watch as you started to cry.” He shook his head. “I’m not going to let you do this.”
“Dex, don’t worry about it. It’s nothing. Just stupid monthly hormones.” Although, she wasn’t on her cycle, or even close to being there. “It’s fine. Go and run with the pack, enjoy your night.”
“No,” he said. “Every full moon, this is where I come.”
“You do?” she asked, unable to help but frown, as she’d never seen him.
“Yes.”
“I … I’ve never seen you.”
“I watch you.”
“Ah, so you’re a bit of a stalker?”
“Not even a bit, but a lot.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s incredible.”
“You’re not angry?”
“No, I’m not. I’m actually quite glad. Yeah, I’m glad.”
She got to her feet and went to brush the earth from her body, but then realized there was no point, seeing as she’d been lying on the blanket.
“I mean, I’m not glad, because you should be running with the pack, but the past few months, I’ve been thinking that someone is watching me, and I’m right.” She laughed. “You are.”
“Yeah, I am.” He reached for her waist, pulling her close, and then took possession of her lips.
Casey forgot what the tears were all about the moment his lips brushed against hers, and she couldn’t help but melt against him. At first, she kept her hands at her sides, but she just couldn’t help herself, so she began to wrap them around his body, holding onto him.
Once again, that feeling of peace and calm washed over her.
“I’ve got you,” he said.
“And I’ve got you.”
“Don’t cry,” he said.
Casey sighed. “I … I don’t think we should do this.”
“Don’t.”
“Come on, Dex. You’re going to be an Alpha one day. Do you want a mate that can’t turn into a wolf? I bet there are a lot of people in the pack who would agree I shouldn’t be your mate.”
“Then they can fuck off out of my pack. I don’t give a shit.”
She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “It’s not that simple.”
“Yeah, you know what, it is that simple. It has always been that simple.” He stroked some of her hair behind her ear. “And it can always be that simple. I don’t want anyone else, Casey. You’re my mate. You will always be my mate.”
“But—”
“No, no buts. I didn’t sign up to leave when it seemed to be getting a little harder. I signed up for life with you. You’re my mate and there is no way I am backing down from this. You’re mine, just as I am yours. Forever.”
Tears filled her eyes. “How do you do this?” she asked.
“Do what?”
“Make it seem like everything will be okay?”
“Because it will.” He took possession of her lips, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against him. “And we can do everything, as long as we have each other.”
He kissed her again, this time a little longer, and once he finished, he rested his forehead against hers.
“You’re very naked,” she said.
He laughed. “That I am.”
“Aren’t you cold?”
“No, I run just a little hotter, especially around the full moon.”
“Don’t you want to go for that run?”
“No, I want to stay with you.” He held her in his arms. “I always want to be with you.”
He cupped her hips, and then she realized they were swaying back and forth. She couldn’t help but giggle as he moved her, swaying her from side to side. He took hold of one of her hands, spinning her around, then drawing her back against him.
“We’re dancing,” she said, feeling so silly for stating the obvious.
“Yes, we’re dancing and we’re doing it together, just like we’re going to be doing everything together, and you’re never going to have to worry about anything else, ever again. I’ve got you, Casey. I will always have you.”
She sunk against him and closed her eyes.
As long as she had Dex, it was going to be okay.