Chapter 25 Caleb
CALEB
“Are you sure you have time to help out with the district?” Felix asks as he stands by my office window with his hands behind his back. “We’ve got a lot we need to do around here, and still haven’t done.”
“It’ll be good for the district to see I’m actively working with them, not against them.”
Felix’s dark eyes dart to me. “The pack needs you here, Caleb.”
“And I need to make a good impression on the community we live in,” I huff.
He doesn’t know that Jaxon is doing the same with his pack, and Evan is on the list of volunteers. It might be selfish of me, but it gives me an opportunity to speak to him without the worry of others interrupting.
It definitely gives me an alibi if my father starts digging around, but he’s been off the radar since the day after the party.
“Fine,” Felix murmurs as he walks around the edge of my desk, snapping me from my thoughts. “I’ve got everything under control. Make use of your time and don’t be a grumpy ass.”
I scoff. “Grumpy ass?”
“Yeah,” he says as he stands tall. “I meant what I said.”
My hand waves dismissively. “You’re lucky I’ve known you for years. No one would get away with saying that to my face.”
“Zara definitely has.” He cracks a smile before sobering, and he’s right. She says it the most. “I mean it, Caleb. This is an opportunity to show you’re a team player. I know you are, but make sure they know it, too. We need as much support as we can get.”
“I’m not going to start a fight,” I grumble.
“I’ll be pleased to hear it when you return.”
My eyes roll. He’s being dramatic. I’d never fight someone unless I was protecting myself or people I care about. If anything, he thinks I’m erratic, and I don’t always make the best decisions.
I can vouch for that, but I’m learning.
“It’s something I need to do, Felix,” I state seriously. “I just need to feel something real right now.”
Felix remains silent for a few moments. “What do you mean?”
I sigh and press my fingers to my forehead. “With my father and everything. I need to get out of the house for a bit. It’s eating me alive.”
His brows raise. “Sounds like you might want to talk about it.”
“Get fucked.”
Felix chuckles. “But if you do want to talk, you know where I am.”
“I know.”
When we arrive at the main town of the district, there are many volunteers to help out and show support. It’s not uncommon to get suspicious looks from people when they know exactly who my father is, but I want to do things like this to prove we have different outlooks on life.
And to see my mate.
I’ve already spotted him, but he doesn’t know I’m here.
We’re split into different groups to help with different projects, and as soon as I notice Evan is given the job of helping to paint, I step up to join him. No one dares to point me in a different direction, and I hate using my power to get what I want, but in this case, it’s harmless.
When I step inside the children’s home, I work my way through the house until my eyes fall on the head of curly blond hair. I linger by the door, watching him whistle and paint the wall a sky-blue colour.
I slowly creep towards him, listening as he starts to sing softly, words of a song I don’t know. He stands up and brushes a hand over his knee as I stop directly behind him.
“What song is that?” I ask.
Evan jumps and twists to face me, blue paint splatting me directly in the chest. He watches me with wide eyes and pants to catch his breath. “Caleb,” he exhales as he looks up at me. “W-what are you–”
When his eyes dip down to my T-shirt, his cheeks redden.
“You not happy to see me, pups?”
He swallows as he meets my eyes. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“I wanted to see you.”
“You did?”
“Yes, that’s why I’m here.”
His eyes dart to the mess he made as he runs a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, I ruined your T-shirt.”
I glance down to find paint dripping. It’s the last of my worries. But instead of making a fuss, I tug it over my head in one swift movement, leaving my torso bare.
Evan’s gaze lands on my tattooed skin. I think he’ll glance away, but he takes his time. The corners of my mouth begin to lift as my body hums at the heat of his stare. My wolf particularly enjoys that he’s shamelessly checking me out.
Before, he’d barely look at me for more than a second. Now, it’s as if he can’t get enough.
A soft chuckle bursts from me, his eyes dilating as he studies my pierced nipples. “My eyes are up here,” I rasp.
He lifts his head, and his blush darkens. “I know—”
I laugh again and cup his jaw, my thumb running over his chin. “You wanna look, look.”
Evan shudders. “You have so many tattoos.”
“Yeah.” I nod as I focus on his eyes. “Think I’ve got some you haven’t seen up close yet.”
My teeth sink into my bottom lip to stop my grin when his neck crawls with heat.
“Do you like torturing me?”
“When you look this adorable? Yes.”
He scrunches up his nose. “I am not adorable.”
I hum softly. “Yeah, you are.”
“I’m a grown man.”
“I know you are,” I say as I tilt his chin an inch and our noses almost touch. “But you’re still the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.”
He tuts and removes himself from my embrace. “That’s the worst compliment ever.”
My eyes focus on the back of his curly hair. “You want me to tell you you’re the most handsome man I’ve ever laid eyes on?”
Evan’s shoulders tense, and it takes a few seconds for him to glance back at me. “Why would you say that?”
“Because it’s true.”
“Don’t try to humiliate me.”
I frown at his answer and step forward. “Why would I lie?”
He shrugs. “Because I don’t look like you.”
“I don’t want you to look like me.”
Evan drags his tongue over his bottom lip. “I’m not strong like you.”
“What has strength got to do with this?” I ask as I fold my arms over my chest and tilt my head.
He looks away. “Strength is everything in our world.”
“Strength isn’t only physical.”
“Yeah, and I have none.” He snorts sadly.
“I promise you, Evan, you have mental strength.”
He shakes his head adamantly. “I don’t.”
I frown at the way he talks down to himself. It has my blood boiling in ways that make me want to hurt anyone who ever forced this into his head. Jaxon has filled me in a little bit about his past, but I don’t know the ins and outs of it all.
“Being pessimistic like that will lead to a weaker mentality.”
“I’m already there.”
I sigh as he looks at me.
“And as for physical strength, I’m even weaker,” he adds sadly.
“You've been training privately?” I ask.
“Yeah, with Kayden, but my progress has been plateauing."
“Maybe we should train together.”
Evan’s blue eyes light up. “What?”
“You and me.”
“Why?”
“Because I think I can help you.”
“That’s too optimistic. Nothing can help me.”
His chest trembles as I stroke his chin with my thumb. “You are capable of anything,” I whisper.
Evan’s lips part as he stares up at me.
“And don’t even think about giving me some witty response.”
He huffs dramatically. “You’d be wasting your time.”
“No such thing when I’m with you,” I say as I tug him closer, and his hand falls to my bare chest.
His eyes dilate to the point that it makes my wolf feral. He glances down at his fingers as they brush my abdomen, goosebumps rising on my skin. I try not to let the groan that’s crawling up my throat come out, but it’s nearly impossible.
“Goddess, you’re hard,” he blurts, oblivious to the beast he’s about to set off inside me.
“Fuck,” I hiss through my teeth. “Don’t say that.”
“I-I didn’t mean your…”
A dry laugh ripples from my chest. “I know what you meant, pups.”
Evan’s gaze flicks up, and the dilated darkness that stares back at me nearly knocks me over. “But you’re also soft at the same time.”
I exhale a breath through my nose. “Bet you’re just as soft.”
“But not as hard.”
A smirk covers my lips. “We can change that.”
Evan’s eyes flare. “Are we still talking about abs?”
“Whatever you want to talk about.” I chuckle softly.
“Are you teasing me again?”
“Yes.”
His cheeks begin to heat once more as his fingers finally slip from my stomach, and I miss the warmth.
“Mind if I find out for myself just how soft you are?” I rasp, barely recognising my voice.
His breathing echoes around my ears as he stares up at me for a long time, and when I least expect it, he nods.
I drop to my knees without hesitation, and a surprised gasp bounces off the walls as I grab him by the waist, and shove up the material of his hoodie.
I stare at his pale torso and the blond strokes of hair that go from his belly button down into his pants.
A groan vibrates my lips as his ribcage expands and falls. I press my mouth to the centre of his stomach, and his back leans against the unpainted wall as my lips tingle. My fingers curl into his hips as I pepper kisses across his silk-like skin.
Yeah, so soft it should be fucking illegal.
“Caleb,” he whimpers as his hand slides around the nape of my neck.
My teeth graze his skin when my kisses turn animalistic, but I tell myself to calm down when his scent enters my nose at an alarming rate.
“Oh, Goddess,” he pants as I drag my mouth along the waistband of his trousers.
It’s a dangerous game because I can’t get enough of him. I’ve tasted his lips, but I want to taste so much more.
The sound of footsteps starts building in my ears, and Evan eventually pushes me off before we’re caught together. I stand back to my height as he tugs down his hoodie and adjusts himself.
All I did was kiss his stomach, but he looks at me like I’ve just rocked his world in ways no one else has. It’s stupid and possessive, but I don’t want anyone to have him like that—past, present, future.
A figure appears in the door, and I glance over my shoulder as I reach for my T-shirt that was discarded on the floor.
Sierra, the owner, blinks at us. “Everything okay in here?”
“Yeah.” I smile. “We made a mess with the paint.”
She smiles back. “Make sure you bring clothes you don’t mind ruining.”
“I’ll remember for next time.”
“Thank you for helping. We appreciate it.”
When she leaves, I hear Evan take a breath. I spare one last glance at him, and he shakes his head.
“You need to stand on the other end of the room,” he huffs.
“Do I now?”
“Yes. Otherwise, we won’t get anything done.”
My laugh is unreserved. “Whatever you say, boss.”