Chapter 6
Asher
Calum was comfort. He was security. He was somewhere to feel safe. He made me tingle in ways that weren’t sexual but relaxing. So much so I felt my body growing heavy with sleep, and I knew I needed to move, or I would fall asleep in his lap.
I sat up, and Calum seemed reluctant to let me go. But he had things to do, and I didn’t wish to be the reason he didn’t finish his work. I wanted to have that time with him that he’d mentioned. There was nothing wrong with that, was there?
“What’s wrong?” Calum asked.
“I’m just moving. You’re warm and comfortable, and if I stay there much longer, I’m going to fall asleep.”
“Are you tired? Would you like to lie down and take a nap? The bedroom is just through that door right there,” he said, pointing to the door that was open. I had figured it was a bedroom or washroom.
“No. I just…you’re my mate, and when you’re holding me, the tingles in my body smooth out and aren’t as intense.”
“Are they causing you pain?”
I walked right into that one and smiled nervously. “When you kissed me, they started to intensify. But when you were holding me, they calmed down. It’ll be all right. I have several days before they become unbearable. I’m not too worried about it.”
“What does unbearable mean? What it implies?”
I nodded. “Yes. It will become too painful to function. A lot of times, if a mate is rejected, the rejected mate will need to be ended. Sometimes the one doing the rejecting as well. It’s not pretty. But I’ve just met you. We have days yet.”
Calum shook his head. “It won’t get to that. I’m not waiting to claim you. Not because of that, but because I’ve been waiting for you for a very long time. I am ready to commit now, if that’s what you want.”
I did. I was absolutely ready now. But he’d mentioned he had some things to take care of, and I didn’t want that to be bugging me in the background.
Because despite my inexperienced status, even I knew what would happen if and when we finally claimed each other.
We’d spend days in bed. It was simply what happened.
And if he had work to do, it might not be finished in time.
I didn’t wish to start our mating like that.
“You do your work first. The stuff you mentioned? That way, it’s out of the way, and we can spend all the time together after.
I’m not really going anywhere unless you tell me to,” I said.
I moved to the side, sliding off Calum’s lap.
My legs were still on his, and he wrapped a hand around them while staring at me.
“Are you sure?”
“I am. What if we claim each other, and then shortly after, I go into my fertile period? I have no idea how it’s going to go. What if I’m one that has super-long ones?”
“Wait, you haven’t had a fertile period yet? That’s the equivalent of a heat, yes?”
I nodded. “It is. And no, I haven’t had one yet.”
“Is that normal?”
I shrugged. “I think so. None of my friends have had one that I’m aware of. Except those that are mated.”
Calum seemed to think about that for a moment before he, too, nodded.
“All right. You bring up a very valid point.” He patted my legs, then handed me the book.
“You read about the Nile River, and I’ll finish my work so it’s not subconsciously hanging around in the back of my mind.
I’ll finish that all up, send my parents an email letting them know I’ll message them in a few days, and then it’ll be nothing but us until we’re ready to leave this room. ”
Calum lifted my legs, sliding out from under them once I pulled them up close to me. He stood and offered a smile that I eagerly returned.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“You may always ask anything. What is it?” Calum knelt down to where he was closer to my level. Even with me on the couch and him down on one knee, he was still taller than I was, but not much.
“I’m not complaining, so don’t feel that I am. But how much longer do you have here? You mentioned that you didn’t live here and it was temporary?”
Calum nodded. “My contract here is finished. The only reason I’m still here is because of the storms that are incoming.
I’ve chosen to not fly out ahead of them.
We weren’t finished with our dig, but we were incredibly close, and I’d already decided I was most likely going to go to Montana while out there.
When we first got back yesterday, I talked to Dr. White, the director of the museum, and he already had someone to replace me.
I’m not required to do more than submit my final notes and findings.
The dig will resume next week without me and with my replacement in place. ”
“Just like that?”
“Yes. I’m not sure what happened,” Calum said.
He sat down on the floor, crossing his legs in front of him, and moved closer to the couch.
“When I was out there this last time, I just felt incomplete. Of course, part of that was not having my mate, but honestly, it was more than that. It has been months since I’ve visited my parents and brother.
I miss them, and after messaging with my dad, I’d seriously considered moving to that area.
It will be quite a bit different, but I was willing to experience different in order to be around my family. ”
“What about your other brother? You said he lives in France too?”
Calum nodded. “Yes. Pierre is…” Calum sighed. “How to describe my oldest brother. He’s a bit cranky, he doesn’t really like people, and he can and often goes months without ever leaving his house.”
“How? Doesn’t he need things?”
Calum chuckled. “He’s a warlock. And sure he needs things, but he just uses magic, and poof, there they are.”
“That makes sense.” I nodded as I thought about it more.
It really did. If I’d been working on something or searching for a particular book I couldn’t find, I would do the same.
Magic had been given to me, so why not use it?
Sure, I could do everything without it, but why?
Once I hit puberty and started coming into my magic, I’d used it at every opportunity that I could.
“You go work,” I told Calum. “If you don’t, I’ll just keep chatting with you, and then you’ll never get your things accomplished. I’ll still be here, reading.”
Calum smiled before he stood and went the short distance to the table.
He sat down and quickly started typing on his computer.
We didn’t have computers in our realm, but we didn’t need them either.
We didn’t have cell phones—again, something that we didn’t really need.
We all knew what they were, but there wasn’t a reason for us to need those things.
One could say our realm lived in times past, and they’d be correct.
I watched Calum for a moment before I opened the book again to the section I had been in before.
This time though, I started reading about the river and the seas, finding both fascinating.
I had always loved reading about new things.
I already knew there would be many things to learn about here, things that hadn’t been in the books that we had in our realm.
I was thankful that we at least were taught about the basics and we weren’t just dropped here without any knowledge at all.
I heard Calum typing on his computer while I continued to read about the history of not only the Nile River but Egypt in general.
I wondered if I’d be able to go see the pyramids at some point.
Calum had mentioned traveling and showing me and our children the world, so I had to think that yes, at some point, he’d take me to see all of these fascinating places.
I wasn’t sure how long we’d spent with him typing on his computer and me reading, but the room suddenly became dimmer, and the wind outside could be heard hissing.
I looked up from the book at Calum. “The storm is here.” He stood and went to the wall, flipping the switch to turn on the lights.
The room was suddenly brighter, but I was too curious to not get up and go look.
I set the book aside and walked over to the door that we’d gone out earlier.
Gone was the blue sky. In its place was nothing but brownish-orange everything.
“That’s the sandstorm?”
“It is. They are normally unpredictable and just pop up, but this one has been tracked moving across the desert. It subsided, then grew again. The air currents are what causes them, and right now, they are favorable for this,” Calum said, pointing at the darkness that was outside.
“It doesn’t look nice,” I told him.
Calum wrapped an arm around my chest and pulled me back into his.
I stood there with him behind me as we stared out at the ugliness that was outside.
“It’s not nice. It’s difficult to breathe during them, and if you’re exposed to them for prolonged periods, they can cause lasting negative effects.
I’m not sure how that would impact us, to be honest. We heal different than humans, but there are nasty things in the sand. ”
I shook my head. “No, thanks. Can I just have the snow in Montana instead?”
Calum chuckled, and when he did, my head bounced a little because it was leaning against his chest. “Yes, you can. I messaged my dad. He’s still asleep, most likely, and the storm will make connections difficult, but I asked him to send me some places to live.
I’m looking to purchase, so I don’t necessarily want something that is on pack or den lands. ”
“Can you do that?” I asked. I tilted my head and looked up at Calum. He moved enough to where he could kiss my nose and did. I couldn’t help but smile at that.
“I can. Did you wish to live with the pack or the den?”
I shrugged. “I don’t have much of an opinion on it either way, to be honest. I’ll live wherever you are most comfortable. You’re the shifter, so where you want to live so you can shift is good with me.”