Chapter 8 Darius
Chapter eight
Darius
Kaleb gasps. He’s studying the photo like it holds all the answers to the world. “That’s my blanket,” he whispers, the pad of his index finger lightly touching the image where his name is embroidered on the material. “It’s sitting on my bed back home.”
Suddenly, it clicks into place. “The blanket is how you know your full name.”
Kaleb nods, glancing at me briefly before returning to the photo.
“Elizabeth helped me figure out how to legally change my name when I turned eighteen. She was convinced that the blanket was proof that I was loved. We thought something had happened to my parents. Elizabeth would always say, ‘Parents don’t just make a blanket this beautiful and give up on their baby.’ It was a touching thought and made me happy that I kept it all these years. ”
Kaleb continues to stand there, just tracing his finger over the paper. He looks so vulnerable and lost. I can feel the deep sorrow he’s projecting through the bond. He wants this so badly. He wants this to be true.
The suckers on my tentacle tattoos flex, and my kraken encourages me forward, telling me to be vulnerable with our mate. To reassure him by giving him a little piece of our history. I reach out and rub the small of Kaleb’s back. “They didn’t give up on you,” I tell him.
He nods, glancing up until our gazes cling and hold.
“Not the way my parents gave up on me,” I whisper.
Clearing my throat, I continue. “My father never wanted a child. He didn’t even know he could get my mother pregnant.
And when I was old enough to go out on my own, my mother confessed that she never wanted me.
She told me I didn’t fit in with the rest of her family.
She wished me luck and asked me to leave.
It used to hurt so much, and sometimes the wound is still raw.
I would have killed to know at least one family member who cares about me. ”
Kaleb’s pretty blue eyes widen with shock.
More emotions travel through our bond, but he has no idea he is sending them my way.
He turns to fully face me now, but I don’t want his pity.
Except, I don’t feel pity radiating from him.
Instead, it’s… trust I feel. He’s thankful that I’m sharing something so personal.
Gods. I knew the fated mate bond would start working quickly, especially now that all our shared dreams and memories are starting to make sense, but I have to remind myself that some witches are closer to human. They don’t understand what a fated mate means to a shifter.
He might be wildly attracted to me, or at least I hope so, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to fall in love with me quickly. Feelings always develop over time, even if we are soulmates. There are still a million ways I can screw this up before it’s even started.
“Will you take me to meet my parents?”
I glance over at Kaleb. “Of course. It’s why I’m here. We can head that way tomorrow. They live in a town called Heart’s Hollow, about two hours away from—”
“Why did you approach me in the club?” he asks suddenly, placing Cleo on the sidewalk so he can face me head-on.
Worry and anger are still present. I reach for him, but he steps back. The move causes me to wince, and I can tell he instantly feels bad.
I stare at him for a long moment. His mental walls start to go up, and I know I need to say something before I lose his trust. “Do you want the entire truth? Because it might sound crazy.”
Kaleb gives a determined nod, looking all kinds of stubborn and adorable. “Yes. Just tell me the truth. Tell me everything that went through your mind when you saw me.”
“If I tell you everything, we’ll be here for quite a long time.” I chuckle. “Thousands of thoughts and feelings slammed into me the moment I saw you.”
He narrows his eyes, still waiting for a real answer.
Sighing, I decide to lay it all out there for him to pick through. I nod my head toward the street, indicating we can walk in the direction of our cars. “I told you that I used to be a tracker for the Elite Guard. I used to help protect humans and other paranormals from rogues.”
I glance his way and he nods, understanding. Even if he doesn’t know what a rogue is, Kaleb is giving me his full attention. Cleo is listening too.
“My specialty is tracking. Your parents were able to cast a spell that picked up on your magical signature,” I explain. “The magic led me to Rubinsville, and then to Club Sip. Your magic was hidden and suppressed for years, thanks to a spell. But now, that spell is wearing off.”
“Wearing off? What does that mean for me?”
“It means that all that suppressed magic that has been shoved down deep inside of you is finally boiling over. It flickers in and out before bursting from your body.”
He gasps. “Oh gods, like the way it erupted from my fingertips and slammed you against the wall.”
I nod. “It’s not your fault. I was a little…distracted when you accidentally did that.” I grin. “Plus, I know you didn’t mean to do it.” We walk past a little boutique, and the need to show Kaleb my new home is strong. What would he think of Heart’s Hollow?
“I would kiss you all over again if I had a redo,” I admit.
“And you kissed me to help drain some of my magic that was trying to boil over,” he says, straight to the point. My kraken preens in my chest. We have a smart mate.
“Yes,” I reply, not wanting to explain that we are fated mates just yet—and how that means I’m the only one who can help him like that. If it weren’t for my ocean magic twining with his, I’m not entirely sure I would have been able to.
Kaleb frowns. His disappointment is clear through our connection. “So, you only kissed me because you had to.”
Ah. Understanding washes over me. I tug on his hand, pulling him into a nearby alcove where no one can see us.
I push him against the brick wall. Once my body is pressed against his, I tip his chin up.
“The moment I saw you, you took my breath away. That’s why I wanted to kiss you.
” My voice is husky. I run the pad of my thumb over his bottom lip. “Your magic was just the catalyst.”
Kaleb shivers, and his eyes darken.
“The moment I saw you, my mission flew out the window. Your magic might have guided me toward you, pointing me in the right direction, but I had no idea who you were. By the time I saw you, your magic had flickered out. I thought you were human, and I didn’t care.
All I knew was that I needed to have you. ” I lower my head and kiss his jaw.
He sucks in a deep breath, leaning closer. My kisses slowly trail up to his ear in a seductive sweep. “I saw you in that pretty mer costume, and I swear you’d picked out that outfit for me.”
“Wh-what do you mean?” His fingers grip my biceps.
I chuckle at how dazed he is already. “Your lithe little body dancing on the floor, teasing me and making me hard. The way your gorgeous blond hair was swaying. Those sexy leggings and that tight top. Your beautiful ocean-blue eyes. You looked like a fucking offering from King Poseidon himself.”
My kraken was convinced he was doing a mating dance, for fuck’s sake. A mating dance!
Unable to help myself, I suck on his earlobe, wishing it were the suckers from my tentacles marking him instead.
Kaleb’s eyes flutter before closing with a shaky sigh.
“I couldn’t breathe, or think, or concentrate until you were in my arms,” I explain. “You don’t understand, Kaleb. I don’t get distracted. I don’t abandon my mission. I pride myself on being one of the best trackers out there. Then, I saw you, and you were all that fucking mattered.”
My words wrap around him like praise. Kaleb whimpers, unconsciously sending lust through our bond. I growl.
I’m so fucking hard and turned on, I’m about to say screw the consequences and drop to my knees, when Cleo urgently brushes against my leg. The whole world seems to whoosh back, along with the blood to my head. Voices can be heard in the distance.
Fuck. What the hell was I thinking?
Slowly, I pull away from the hard press of Kaleb’s tempting body.
He’s turned on like me, equally thick in his jeans.
As soon as I see people walking by our little alcove, I use my body to shield Kaleb from them.
If I had it my way, I would be the only person who ever sees Kaleb horny and lust-drunk again.
“So, to answer your question, love, I might have kissed you to help pull some of that chaotic magic from your body. But before I even knew your name was Kaleb, I was willing to risk practically everything just to hold you.”
It takes several minutes for us to compose ourselves enough to walk back to our cars.
Lust still thrums through my blood, and my kraken revels in it.
We’ve never felt so alive before. Unfortunately for me, if I’m not careful, I’ll end up shifting in front of Kaleb—full tentacles and all—before either of us is ready.
As if understanding, Cleo brushes against my leg, head-butting me.
Soon, girl. I’ll tell Kaleb what kind of shifter I am soon.
A part of me is terrified that he’ll see my tentacles and run.
With all the insecurities my mother and others drilled into me throughout my life, I’m scared that I’m not good enough for my beautiful mate. I’m terrified his parents will convince him to marry into the bloodline of another powerful witch, as is the custom of witches.
I must have been unconsciously sending worry through our bond, because Kaleb gives me a questioning look before reaching for my hand and lacing our fingers together. He feels so warm and comforting.
“What’s on your mind?” Kaleb asks as soon as we make it into my car.
He’s too tired to drive, probably thanks to all his magic and the emotions taking a toll on his body.
We decide to take my car to his place, Kaleb insisting that this neighborhood is safe and busy enough for him to stay parked overnight.
“I’m just a little nervous,” I reply, remembering how much he appreciated my vulnerability. A trait I’ve never shown anyone before.
Kaleb leans across the center console, fingers tracing along my chin before he gently turns my head so I’m looking into his eyes. “Tell me what’s wrong, Darius.”
I sigh, leaning my head against the headrest and closing my eyes.
I need to tell him the truth. My kraken nudges against my ribcage.
He’s just as scared as I am, but he’s also eager to show off.
“I’m nervous that this world is all so new to you.
What if I show you what I am, and you’re disgusted with me? ”
Kaleb blinks. “What?” he whispers. “That’s not even possible.”
“Trust me. A lot of people have rejected me. And they were all paranormal creatures themselves.”
“I don’t understand. Are you a vampire or something?” Kaleb’s brow creases with confusion.
I bark out a surprised laugh, which causes Kaleb to blush. “No, I’m not. But why did you jump to that conclusion?”
Kaleb’s blush deepens. “I don’t know. You said I might be disgusted. My brain went immediately to drinking blood.”
I grin when Kaleb accidentally projects an image of me sucking on his neck into my mind. “And does that disgust you?” I tease. “Me drinking your blood.”
He squirms in his seat, subtly trying to readjust himself. Fuck, he’s adorable. Kaleb swallows hard, the Adam’s apple in his throat bobbing. “Not entirely. It sounds kind of hot.”
Biting back a grin, I study my mate. “What if I told you I’m a shifter?”
His head snaps up. “Like a werewolf? Or a were-panther?”
I laugh at his eager tone. “Neither of those.”
“Can you shift into a bat? Or maybe a lion? Oh! What about a rat?”
Rat? My kraken rages against my ribcage, flexing his tentacles and wanting to prove just how majestic he thinks we are. “Not a rat.” I laugh, turning on the car and flipping the heater on. “I can’t actually shift into my beast. I can only partially shift.”
“A beast?” Kaleb’s eyes widen.
“No, nothing like that. It’s what we shifters call the creature that lives inside of us.
Like a wolf shifter usually has a wolf spirit inside of them.
Or, like you mentioned, a were-panther, might have a panther spirit.
Beast is just a general term.” I hand Kaleb my phone and point at the map app.
He plugs in his address as I pull out of our parking spot.
Cleo is in the back, happily purring in the cat seat Kaleb grabbed from his car.
She is such an interesting little familiar.
“So, you can’t shift into your beast?” he asks once we’re on the road.
“Nope. Never could.” I chew my bottom lip nervously. “Would it be okay with you if I kept my shifter side to myself for another day or two? I want to give you some time to get used to all of this. Or hell, maybe I just want to give myself enough time to be brave,” I admit.
My hand is resting on the console between us. Kaleb holds his hand out, and I grab it easily. He squeezes my hand, and I smile. It dawns on me that this has been a mutual practice since we met, offering each other comfort and reassurance. The thought fills my heart with hope.
“It’s been a crazy day for both of us,” Kaleb says. “Take your time, okay? I only want you to tell me when you’re ready.”
Lifting his knuckles to my lips, I press a tender kiss to his skin. “Thank you, love. Now, let’s get you home so we can form a plan for the next week.”