Chapter 43
CALEB
When the morning rolls around, I find Evan awake in the infirmary bed.
“Morning,” I say as I clear my throat.
His gaze finds mine, and despite his hours of sleep, the bags beneath his eyes are evidence of a tough night.
“Hey,” he mumbles.
“I’ve got to get back to the pack.” I stretch out in the chair. “But pack your things, say your goodbyes, and I’ll come back for you later, okay?”
Evan blinks. “You promise?”
“I promise.”
“Okay.”
I kiss him on the lips and stroke his face tenderly. As I approach the door, I glance back at him and how vulnerable he looks. It hurts to leave him, but I know I need to give him time to say goodbye privately and to collect his things.
When I leave, I pause by the kitchen to find Jaxon and Ava. “Hey, everything okay?” she asks.
“Yeah, I’m going back home for a few hours. Can you make sure Evan’s okay? I told the doctors to keep an eye on him, too, but I’ll be back later to get him.”
Ava nods eagerly. “Of course. Thank you for looking after him.”
“Only doing the bare minimum. He deserves more than that.”
Her eyes glisten. “Be good to him.”
“I wouldn’t dare be anything else.”
The journey back to my pack house is filled with overthinking and guilt for leaving him, but I trust he’s being looked after. I’ll be back before he knows it.
I step into my office and take a seat at my desk before rolling my fingers over my forehead. It doesn’t take long for Felix to barge in like I knew he would.
“Where the hell have you been?”
My eyes close for a moment before I open them and look up at him. He stands in front of my desk with his large arms crossed over his chest with a livid expression.
I get it. We’re meant to be a team, and I’ve been absent—noticeably.
“We have shit to do here, Caleb,” he says through gritted teeth.
“And I’ve been running around after you.
I didn’t think you’d be gone all night long.
The pack needs you here; they need you to be present, and I don’t think you’re taking this seriously at all.
Your father, to start with, and the pack that barely sees their Alpha. ”
My head starts to pound from the lack of sleep and my drained emotions.
“Are you gonna say anything, Caleb?”
“I found my mate,” I say, silencing him.
“Wha—” he cuts himself off. “Who?”
I drag my tongue over my top teeth as I stare back at my Beta. “Evan.”
Felix frowns. “Evan from…Jaxon’s pack?”
“Yeah.”
He blinks at me before taking a step back.
“The reason I haven’t been present is because he needs me right now, and as important as this pack is to me, he’s important to me, too.”
“Goddess,” Felix murmurs. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Couldn’t risk Ryker finding out.”
He shakes his head. “I would never tell a soul.”
“I know,” I admit. “It was easier that no one knew.”
“What do you mean he needs you?”
I take a deep breath in. “It’s personal,” I say after a few moments. “He’s coming to stay with us for the foreseeable.”
“For the foreseeable?”
“So I can look after him, and I can be with my pack. It’s the best place for him to be right now.”
Felix cups his hand over his jaw. “And what about your father when he comes sniffing around?”
I bite the inside of my cheek so hard I taste blood. “I don’t know,” I confess. “But I can’t leave Evan there. I won’t sleep. I won’t be the Alpha I want to be. I thought pushing him away would keep him safer, but I need him next to me.”
“Evan’s made a good impression on Cole’s old pack,” he states. “He has spent more time with them than we have. They’ll protect him.”
“I hope so,” I mumble. “We’ll have to keep my father in our sights at all times, and if he comes to visit, Evan stays away.”
Felix starts to pace. “You’re not going to tell the pack about the pair of you, are you?”
“No.” I twist in my chair. “I don’t know who I can trust. It stays a secret.”
“And what about when people ask why he’s here?”
“I’ll say there was a dispute at Jaxon’s, and he’s coming here to train. They’ve seen him here before; it won’t be a massive shock. It doesn’t have to be anything more than that.”
“And you think they’ll believe that?”
I shrug, my temples now aching. “They’ll have to.”
“I pray you know what you’re doing.”
Unfortunately, I don’t. But I don’t have any other choice. It’s a mess of a situation, and all I care about is the fact that Evan will be close. The thought of losing him makes me nauseous. It’s not even a possibility.
“Did anything happen last night?”
“A false alarm around the perimeter, but that’s it.”
“Any more on Ryker?”
“Carson and Aimee are doing everything they can,” he says before finally taking a seat opposite me. “I thought more about the plan after analysing where he’s been spending his time and when he’s least active.”
I lean forward, intrigued. “Yeah?”
“If we attack on his land, we can take out his men and free the women and children. That way, we can physically surround him when he least expects it, and hopefully when he’s most vulnerable, especially if we give intelligence to local packs that he might be trying to take over.” He waves a hand.
“It could backfire, they’re going to be prepared on their land."
Felix nods in agreement. “It could, but it could also work in our favour. We could double our army and our chances of taking out that motherfucker. Do you think Jaxon’s pack will help?”
“If it means he’s no longer a threat to our world, then yes,” I say. “We’ll have to call a discreet meeting and hope that they understand the severity of our situation.”
He hums. “It’s not like they don’t know what Ryker is capable of.”
“True.”
“The witches have also been helpful. They think they could come up with a spell to work against his powers, which would confuse him and weaken his strength. It’s something they’re still working on, but it could give us an advantage.”
Well, it’s definitely a step forward.
“Show me what else you’ve discovered before I need to go and collect Evan.”
Felix stands to grab a map, then rolls it out on my desk. I stare at the cross and circle marks as he presses his finger to the paper.
After packing Evan’s belongings into my car, I acknowledge Jaxon and Ava from the door as Evan climbs into the passenger seat. I know this is the right decision. I glance at him as he puts on his seatbelt.
“You okay?”
“I think so,” he says quietly. “Saying goodbye was weird.”
“It’s not forever,” I promise. “You can see them whenever you want.”
Evan nods wordlessly.
I gently take his wrist, and he tenses. “Can I see?”
He purses his lips as I slowly push up the sleeve of his hoodie to find a bandage wrapped around his wrist.
“How does it feel?”
“Normal, I guess,” he shrugs.
I frown. I don’t want it to be normal. I want him to never harm himself again. My lips press to the bandage softly as I leave a small kiss over the wound.
“But better when you touch me.”
“It’s all gonna be okay,” I whisper.
He flashes me a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.
I start the engine and begin to drive over to my pack house before taking his hand in mine to try to take away his pain. Evan remains quiet as I peek my eyes at him every so often. He’s still processing this, and I know it’s not going to be easy for him.
When we arrive at my house, we sit for a few minutes.
“Things are going to be different,” he says blankly.
“Yes, but good different.”
“Hope so.”
I lean over and take his chin between my index finger and thumb. “This will be good for you, for us.”
Evan’s eyes flick between mine before I place a soft kiss on his lips.
“Let’s get you settled in,” I say as I step out of the car.
As I grab his belongings and head into the house, I’m pleased to see the kitchen and halls empty as I instructed Felix. We head upstairs before I kick open my bedroom door.
“You want me in your room?” Evan asks curiously.
“I don’t want you anywhere else.”
“What if people see?”
“I’ve sectioned it off so no one but Felix, Zara, and my head guards are allowed up here.”
He clasps his hands together. “Okay.”
I put down his bags and walk over to my wardrobe to show him the half-empty side, along with a few drawers. “Will this be okay?”
“I don’t own that many clothes,” he laughs hesitantly.
“I want you to feel at home.”
His cheeks bloom pink. “Thank you,” he whispers. “I already kind of do.”
A soft noise falls from my lips. That’s all I’ll ever want to hear. What’s mine is his. It’s as simple as that.
“I’m not giving up on you, and you’re not giving up on you.”
Evan inhales a deep breath.
“Say it.”
“I’m not giving up.”
“No,” I say softly. “You’re not. You’re gonna live the life you deserve.”