16. Fiona
16
FIONA
T he moonlight cast long shadows across the sidewalk as Fiona and Caleb walked in tense silence. Her heels clicked against the concrete, matching the rapid beat of her heart. The night air held a distinct chill, but that wasn't what made her wrap her arms around herself.
Caleb hadn't said a word since they'd left Victor's mansion. His jaw remained clenched, muscles twitching beneath his skin. The quiet was starting to drive her crazy.
"So, are you going to sulk the whole way to my house?" Fiona asked, breaking the silence.
"I'm not sulking." He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "I'm processing the monumentally stupid thing you just did."
"Oh please, like storming onto his territory wasn't equally stupid?"
"That's different. I'm an alpha."
They reached her front porch, the old wood creaking beneath their feet. Fiona fumbled with her keys, hyper-aware of his presence behind her.
"My point is that you just painted a target on your back," Caleb said. "Victor doesn't take kindly to being insulted."
She turned to face him. "And I wasn't about to let him stand there acting all high and mighty after sending his goons to wreck our festival."
"Our festival?"
Her chest tightened. "The pack's festival. You know what I meant."
"You didn't need to defend me."
"Someone had to point out he was being a coward. Besides, you're the one who insisted on this little field trip despite my objections. So don't lecture me about making bad decisions."
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You really have a comeback for everything, don't you?"
She tilted her head and met his gaze. "Usually."
His eyes darkened, and for a moment, Fiona thought he might kiss her. Instead, he took a step back. "Get some rest."
"Always the alpha," she muttered, unlocking her door.
Fiona had her hand on the door when she caught Caleb's slight wince as he turned away.
"Hold it right there, tough guy." She crossed her arms. "That wound isn't healing, is it?"
"It's fine."
"Oh really? Then why are you moving like my grandmother after hip surgery?"
He shot her an irritated look. "I don't move like?—"
"If you finish that sentence, I'm calling Wade right now."
"You wouldn't."
She pulled out her phone. "Try me. I have him on speed dial now."
"Since when?"
"Since I realized I needed backup dealing with your stubborn alpha nonsense." She stepped closer, noting the slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. "Inside. Now."
He grumbled under his breath but followed her through the door.
Fiona flicked her fingers, lighting the various candles scattered around her living room. "Shirt off."
His eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"
"Oh please, don't act scandalized. I need to see the wound fully." She headed for her kitchen where she kept her medical supplies. "And don't even think about sneaking out while I'm in here."
When she returned with her first aid kit, Caleb had removed his dress shirt, revealing exactly why he'd been trying to hide the injury. The gash along his side looked angrier and redder than before, definitely not healing at the accelerated rate it should have been.
"Why didn't you say something?"
"Had more important things to worry about."
"Right, because infection is totally less important than—" The words died in her throat as she finally registered the rest of him. She'd known he was fit but seeing it was something else entirely. His chest and abs looked like they'd been carved from marble, and she had to physically stop herself from tracking the dark hair that disappeared beneath his waistband.
Focus on the wound, she told herself firmly. The extremely serious wound. On this extremely attractive man. In her living room. Shirtless.
"You're staring," he said, amusement coloring his voice.
"I'm assessing the injury," she replied primly, reaching for the antiseptic. "Now shut up and let me work."
Fiona packed away the last of her medical supplies, trying desperately to ignore how the candlelight played across Caleb's bare chest.
"Thank you," Caleb said softly. "Not just for this." He gestured to his bandaged side. "But for everything tonight. The way you helped protect the pack..."
Her hands stilled on the first aid kit. "Of course I helped. Those people matter to me now too."
"Even enough to mouth off to Victor?" His lips quirked up in that half-smile that made her stomach do backflips.
"Someone had to deflate his ego." She shrugged, hoping the dim lighting hid her blush. "Though I suppose calling him a 'common, unrefined bully' might have been a bit much."
"A bit much? Fiona, I thought his head was going to explode." Caleb chuckled, then winced at the movement. "Worth it just to see his face though."
"You're not mad then?"
"Mad? It was impressive. Stupid and reckless, but impressive." He caught her eye. "No one's ever stood up to him like that, especially not someone outside the packs."
Heat crept up her neck that had nothing to do with her fire magic. "Yes, well, I couldn't let him hurt..." The words 'you' died on her tongue. "The pack. That's why I insisted on coming. I was worried he might try something."
"Just the pack?"
Her heart hammered against her ribs. "And maybe I was a little concerned about a certain stubborn alpha rushing into danger with an untreated wound."
"Only a little?" He leaned forward, close enough that she could smell pine and rain and something uniquely him.
"Thank you for not getting yourself killed," she whispered, suddenly very aware of how alone they were in her candlelit living room. "Though next time, maybe mention the bleeding before charging off to confront rival alphas?"
"Next time?" His voice had dropped lower, sending shivers down her spine.
"Figure of speech," she managed, though they both knew it wasn't.
Fiona's breath caught as Caleb's fingers traced along her jawline, his touch feather-light against her skin. The candlelight cast shadows across his bare chest, and she fought the urge to trace the defined muscles with her fingertips. Her living room suddenly felt too small, too warm, despite the cool night air drifting through the window.
"You've got a way of surprising me," he murmured, his thumb brushing across her cheek.
She leaned into his touch, her heart thundering so loudly she was sure his wolf hearing could pick it up. "Good surprises, I hope?"
"Very good." His eyes, dark and intense, dropped to her lips.
Fiona's fingers curled into her palms, fighting the urge to grab him by the neck and close the distance between them. The air crackled with tension, and she swore the candle flames flickered higher in response to her magic going haywire.
"Your candles are getting excited," Caleb said, a smile playing at his lips.
"They're not the only ones," she whispered before she could stop herself.
He chuckled, the sound low and rich, sending shivers through her. His hand slid to cup the back of her neck, drawing her closer. Fiona's eyes fluttered shut, her lips parting slightly as?—
A phone rang, shattering the moment. Caleb growled, pulling back to fish his cell from his pocket.
"Wade," he answered, his voice rough. "This better be important."
Fiona slumped back against the couch cushions, trying to get her racing heart under control. The candles dimmed, matching her disappointment.
"I'll be right there," Caleb said, ending the call. He looked at her apologetically. "Wade needs?—"
"Go," she said, waving him off. "Your pack needs you. I get it."
He stood, wincing slightly as he pulled his shirt back on.
Fiona watched as Caleb buttoned his shirt, his fingers fumbling slightly with each button. The candlelight caught the slight tremor in his hands, and she fought the urge to help him – or maybe just unbutton them all over again.
"There's a pack meeting tomorrow," he said, tucking in his shirt. "Town square at noon. I'd like you to be there."
"A meeting about Victor?" She pulled her legs up under her on the couch, trying to look casual despite the lingering electricity in the air between them.
"Among other things." He ran a hand through his dark hair, messing it up in a way that made her fingers itch to fix it. "The pack needs to know we have a plan."
"Do we have a plan?"
"I was hoping you'd help me come up with one before the meeting." A sheepish grin crossed his face. "Your ideas tend to be better than mine."
"My ideas got us into this mess with Victor. So probably not a good idea for me to help this time around."
"No, Victor got us into this mess with Victor." He moved closer, and Fiona's breath caught. "You just happened to point out what everyone was thinking."
"That he's an unrefined bully?"
"That and other things I probably shouldn't repeat in polite company."
His phone buzzed again. Wade was nothing if not persistent. Caleb sighed, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. His lips lingered there for a moment, sending sparks of warmth through her entire body.
"Noon tomorrow then?" he murmured against her skin.
"I'll be there," she managed to say, though her brain had short-circuited somewhere between his lips touching her forehead and the woodsy scent of him surrounding her.
He pulled back, his blue eyes dark with something that made her want to grab his shirt and pull him back down. Instead, she watched him head for the door, every step away from her feeling like a physical ache.
"Caleb?" she called just as he reached for the door handle.
He turned. "Yeah?"
The words 'stay' and 'kiss me properly' and 'forget Wade' all died on her tongue. "Don't forget to change that bandage in the morning."
His knowing smile told her he heard all the things she hadn't said. "Yes, ma'am."
The door clicked shut behind him, and Fiona flopped back onto her couch with a groan. The candles around her flared dramatically.
"Oh, shut up," she told them, and they flickered in what she swore was amusement.