Chapter 69 Caleb
CALEB
Six weeks later, Evan is finally being discharged from the treatment centre. The weeks have been long, but he’s coming home today.
Home.
Ava planned a little surprise at their house with his favourite food and decorations. Nothing too over-the-top, because we don’t want to overwhelm him.
Jaxon agreed to pick him up while I finished some things with my pack as they discharged him earlier than expected, but as soon as I knew he was on the way home, I headed over to their house with Zara and Felix. Words can’t describe how badly my stomach twists in knots.
Ava organised everyone to be waiting by the stairs for him before taking him into the kitchen. I hear Ava shh everyone in the hall as a car pulls up outside.
My back leans against the wall as the handle turns, and the moment Evan steps through the door, everyone welcomes him home followed by cheers and claps.
His fresh cotton and sweet cherries scent hits me within seconds as his blue eyes drag over us with surprise. I want to melt into the floor at the sight of his beautiful face.
Blond curls as natural as ever, falling over his forehead. His shoulders look broader, and he looks bigger. His complexion is fresh with healthy rosy cheeks, and his bright blue eyes are full of life. His skin is no longer sickly pale, but vibrant and glowing.
I forget to take a breath as I drink in his appearance. Never did I think I could find him any more attractive than I already do, but this moment proves me completely wrong. He looks healthy and so fucking alive it makes my heart soar.
“Oh, Goddess,” he says, pressing a hand to his chest. “You scared me.”
“Welcome home.” Ava steps forward to wrap her arms around him.
“Thank you.”
The second he pulls away from her and his eyes lock on mine, he blinks.
“Hey, handsome.” The words slip off my lips with ease.
Evan’s mouth stretches into the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. It takes over his entire face, vibrancy shining through. My heart clenches, blood pumping around my body like I’m about to explode.
“Caleb,” he breathes out.
Everyone else leaves us for a moment alone as they head into the kitchen. I push off the wall and walk towards him. Evan meets me in the middle. When my arms wrap around his body, my skin tingles, and everything heats up. He releases a sigh into my chest and fully relaxes into me.
I pull back to hold his gorgeous face in my hands as he beams. “You have no idea how glad I am to have you home,” I whisper.
“I’m really glad to be home,” he says delicately.
I grin at him. “How are you? You look well—you look so fucking gorgeous.”
A small laugh ripples through his chest before he closes his eyes and allows my words to sink in. “Thank you. I’m good. I’m feeling better, but I’ve got to keep up with my recovery to make sure it was all worthwhile.”
“Of course.” I nod. “All I want is to see you happy.”
“Well, now we can focus on us.” He grips my arms.
“I can’t wait,” I say as I pull his face closer and leave a lingering kiss on his perfect lips.
Evan leans in, kissing me harder than expected. It leaves goosebumps all over my body, and despite there not being a matebond, there’s so much longing between us.
“Come on,” I whisper against his mouth. “You’ve got a party waiting for you.”
We head into the kitchen, where Evan’s face lights up even more when he sees the food and decorations.
“Guys, I didn’t expect this.” He laughs hesitantly.
Ava clasps her hands together. “We couldn’t wait to have you home, so that calls for a celebration.”
After eating and catching Evan up on what’s been going on over the past few weeks, I study him to make sure he’s okay.
“You feeling alright?” I ask.
He hums before glancing up at me. “Yeah,” he murmurs. “I can’t remember the last time anyone has made this much of a fuss over me.”
“Well, you should get used to it because you’re very important to a lot of people here,” I state before gripping onto his fingers, running my thumb along the back of his hand. “And you’re very important to me, which means I’m always going to make a fuss.”
Evan squeezes my fingers, and a light tingles runs up my arm. We both stare at each other.
“I’ve got a surprise for us later,” I break the silence.
He quirks a brow. “A surprise?”
“Yeah, I think it’s going to do us both some good,” I say. “Especially after not seeing you for so long.”
“Okay.” He grins. “I’m excited.”
“You should be.” I wink.
Kayleigh walks towards us, and Evan glances at her. “Evan, I have so much to tell you.”
“I wanna hear everything.”
“Sorry, I’m stealing your man,” she says to me. “But it’s important.”
“Steal him away,” I say as I remove my hand from his slowly. “But I want him back.”
Kayleigh smiles. “Of course.”
When they leave, I lean onto the counter.
Jaxon perches beside me. “How’s it going?”
I nod at his presence. “Good. I’m glad he’s home.”
“You and I both. Ava was getting a little antsy.” He laughs before folding his arms over his chest. “How have you been? It’s been a while.”
“I know. Been busy rebuilding my connection with my pack and attempting to get a hold of my powers. Trying to distract myself while Evan’s been away.”
Jaxon smiles. “Glad you’ve been keeping busy. How’s it been with your pack?”
“We’re getting there,” I confess. “Still got more to work on, but definitely heading in the right direction.”
“I’m pleased for you, Caleb,” he says wholeheartedly. “I know all of this hasn’t been easy for you, but we’re always here for you. If we can help in any way, we will.”
“You have no idea how much that means.”
“Need a little positivity and optimism right now. We’ve all gone through the worst shit, and now it’s time to fucking live,” he says deeply, and I release a laugh.
“Absolutely. I can’t wait to live a normal life.”
Jaxon smirks. “Don’t think there’s such a thing as normal.”
“True. Happy then.”
“Happy indeed.”
The rest of the day passed quickly as everyone showered Evan with the love he deserves. He floated between people before coming back to me multiple times, his smile never fading—a sight I want to see every single day.
Evan attempts to help clean away the food and the mess we’ve made, but Ava tells him she’s got it under control.
I take his hand and gesture towards the hall. “Come with me.”
“What’s happening?” he asks as he happily follows me.
“Now, that would be telling,” I say with a grin.
He lets out a soft sigh. “Fine.”
We enter the living room, and I shut the door behind us, not wanting anyone to interrupt our moment. Evan stands still and glances down at the decorative blanket in the middle of the floor with numerous candles lit around the room.
“What’s this?”
I wrap my arms around his body from behind and rest my head on top of his. “Just trust me,” I whisper before kissing his neck. “Sit down.”
Evan steps out of my embrace and slides onto the blanket as I take the position opposite him. He glances around the room again, eyes glimmering against the light of the candles.
I reach out to take his hands in mine. “While you’ve been away, I’ve been practicing a lot with my mental powers.”
“Okay,” he drawls.
“I had help from the witches in my pack. I wanted to know if I had the ability to bring our matebond back.”
His eyes widen as emotion casts over his face. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah,” I exhale. “They’ve guided me and shown me how to take control of my powers. Although they said it’s something they haven’t dealt with before, they gave me as much information as possible based on what I could show them. I’ve practiced and practiced mind and connection control.”
Evan’s lips part as he takes in my words. “So…can you go into my mind?”
“I can try,” I whisper. “Try to reconnect those wires I damaged.”
“Maybe you could have helped me in other ways,” he says lightheartedly, and I know exactly what he means.
I shake my head. “No, you did that all by yourself. You didn’t need me to do it.”
Evan’s mouth curls because he knows it, too. “So, how will it work?”
“Close your eyes,” I instruct, watching as they flutter shut.
I do the same and focus on his mind. My body lights up, a sensation of fireflies flowing through my veins. I take a slow, steady breath, channelling all of my energy into him, and opening up his mind.
Evan hums after a few moments, registering my presence. It sends tingles through my chest, straight into my heart. I’m shuddering because it’s the closest thing we’ve been to our bond in a long time.
As I focus further into his soul, searching for our deep-rooted bond that will always be there, no matter what. My nose scrunches up as I allow his mind to show me before I hear Evan whimper.
Both our hands are shaking in one another's. My heart thrashes inside me. I’m almost there. I can taste it. There’s a pressure against my head that feels like it’s about to explode into endless amounts of confetti.
“Caleb,” Evan grunts.
“Hold on for me, pups.”
One final push as I clench my eyes as tight as possible. Swirling patterns and geometrics fly through my headspace as my entire body lights up, and I’m hypersensitive.
I part my lips to let out a heavy breath as I squeeze Evan’s fingers once more. Before I have the chance to open my eyes, Evan rips his hands from mine, and the sound of his footsteps alerts me. I catch a glimpse of him dashing out of the room abruptly.
Panic laces through me. “Evan?” I call out after him as I scramble to my feet.
I follow him down the hall as he pushes his way into a room, falling onto his knees. A small amount of liquid splashes into the bowl of the toilet. He recovers quickly as he sits up on his knees, wipes his lips, and rinses his mouth with water.
“Fuck,” I rasp. “Are you okay?”
I lower myself down to his level and reach for his jaw to comfort him. The second my fingers touch his bare skin, his head snaps to mine, and his eyes dilate to the colour of the midnight sky.
My entire body is on fire from one simple touch. He presses his hand to mine, eyes closing with pleasure and satisfaction. I almost do the same, but I can’t keep my gaze off him.
“It’s back,” he says gently.
“Yeah, pups. It’s back.”
His fingers brush mine before he opens his eyes, sending shivers down my spine. He reaches for my face before his brows furrow and twist my head to the side, grazing the shell of my ear.
“Caleb, you’re bleeding,” he gasps as he continues to touch me.
Electric sparks fly between us, so powerfully you can almost see them.
“I know. It’s okay. The pressure is too much sometimes.”
“I didn’t know you had to go through pain to do it,” he whispers.
I shrug. “It wasn’t that painful. I didn’t know it was going to affect you, too. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologise,” he says instantly. “It was worth it. Anything is worth it.”
He pulls our hands together and presses them against his thundering heart, warmth spreading through me. He closes his eyes again and smiles to himself.
“I was starting to forget what this felt like,” he says sadly. “But now, I don’t think I could ever forget.”
I loosen one of my hands and run it down the back of his head gently, over and over. The need to touch him, have him even closer, starts to make it itch. Like we need to make up for all that lost time.
“You are my getaway, my life, my everything. I’d be nothing without you,” I rasp. “I’ve dreamed of this life since I can remember. Always fearful I’d never be able to experience it. But I’m not letting this go. You’re stuck with me.”
Evan sniffles softly. “I thought the Moon Goddess was punishing me, but now I know you are my biggest blessing. I know I saved myself, but you saved me, too.”
“We still need to complete the matebond,” I say as I admire his face.
“Yeah,” he says with a smile. “We need to mark each other.”
“But that doesn’t have to happen any time soon,” I reassure him. He only got out of the treatment centre today. I don’t want to rush him into anything he’s not ready for. “It’ll happen when you want it to. When you’re comfortable.”
He watches me as I kiss his knuckles tenderly. “Okay. Can you stay with me tonight?”
“You think you’re getting rid of me that easily?”
Evan flashes me a grin so bright that it’ll be etched into my memory for eternity. “Never.”