The next day around midmorning Kevin and I were sitting at my kitchen table having coffee when I heard a knock and next the sound of my door being opened. I was ready to strike until I saw it was Jared and Caleb. “You could get seriously hurt doing that.” It was a good thing I waited before attacking. “What are you doing here?”
“Checking in. You never called.” Jared said.
I had forgotten about that and if I had known he was going to show up and with Caleb I would’ve made sure to call. I introduced Kevin to Caleb and sat back down. Just because it was my house didn’t mean I had to suddenly make small talk and entertain everyone.
Caleb’s deep voice broke the silence. “Are you sure it’s wise to stay here?”
“Wise?” I shrugged. “I don’t know but it is pretty ironic. Has anyone contacted you again or lit something on fire?” I was still upset at him for not telling me the Coven was near and causing trouble, I could’ve prepared better if I had known.
“No.”
“You asked me to try your way first but it’s looking like leaving town is our best shot.” I explained. Caleb glanced at Kevin when I said ‘our’. Now no matter what I chose Kevin was along for the ride, he couldn’t go home and it was my fault.
Caleb stepped forward and took one of the empty seats to sit on. “I’m working on a deal and if it goes through they’ll be forced to leave you both alone. The whole case they built against you would be thrown out.” He said simply enough but the look in his eyes as he stared at me was laced with the intensity he always carried.
My own eyes grew wide with shock. “How? What could you do that they’d drop something this serious?” the more I stared into his eyes the clearer the picture became. “You have something they want.” I stood abruptly and took Caleb’s arm. “We’ll be back.” I told the others while dragging him as far as possible into the living room. “Whatever you’re doing you have to stop. You can’t get involved in this.” I warned him.
“I want to help you.”
“Why?” I knew he was an honorable man and because I helped him he would feel indebted to return the favor and see no harm done to me but I didn’t want him getting hurt when it wasn’t his fight to have. I told him as much now and before.
“It’s more than that; you exposed yourself and got into the whole mess trying to protect Jamie. That debt will never be repaid.”
When he said it like that again I was rendered speechless. We stared at each other for a moment both being stubborn as we both didn’t want to break the stare first. I caved. “And if you die, what will Jamie have then?”
“I’m not dying.”
“I never pegged you as cocky.”
“There’s a lot about me you don’t know but you should trust I have been around a long time and I know what I am doing. If you want to stay in Celestin without having to keep looking over your shoulder you’ll listen to me.”
I gritted my teeth and turned away from him. “I won’t submit to you.” that was my biggest fear.
“That’s not what this is; this is being smart and surviving.” What he said made a lot of sense like it normally did but again, I wasn’t ready to surrender to it.
I kept staring down at the carpet and mindlessly noted it needed a steam cleaning.
A new voice joined the conversation. “It’s better than what we came up with.” Kevin said from the opening that separated the living room and kitchen
I turned and met his hazel eyes. “It’s not that easy.”
“It is when you stop making everything bigger than it is.”
“Your friend is right.” Caleb chimed in.
I walked over to the couch and sat. “Then what do you want me to do exactly?” I asked him.
“Stay here and wait until I contact you. I know it won’t be easy to sit and wait being as hardheaded as you are but please do this.” The insult rolled off his tongue with ease.
From my seat on the couch, I glanced up at the alpha who was trying to help me while at the same time making my life more difficult. He gave nothing away about what he was planning or even thinking. His midnight blue eyes were clear and focused, even his attire of black slacks and a pressed green buttoned down shirt matched his confidence. His black hair was getting longer around the sides and he was sporting a five o’clock shadow pretty early in the morning but other than that, his confidence screamed perfection.
“Fine.” I said, my arms crossed tight over my chest. “I’ll wait to hear from you but if this doesn’t work, I want you to stay out of it and let me handle my own problems.”
“It’s not only your problem.” Caleb reminded me.
We kept staring at each other; it was like Jared and Kevin weren’t in the room. “They are targeting you to get to me; I’m the common denominator here. If I skip town they can’t make you tell something you don’t know. If we stayed out of each other’s lives they’d have to leave you alone.” I thought about Jamie and her fears. I didn’t want her to be shipped back home because her father was scared of danger that belonged to me. I didn’t want her affected by any of my mistakes again.
Caleb’s eyes grew darker with anger he wasn’t going to express. “I’ll call you later.” He turned and walked out of the house.
Jared sighed. “Always good when the boss is pissed off.” He smiled at me as a goodbye and quickly followed Caleb; they were sharing a ride after all.
“What’s the story with you and the alpha?” Kevin asked.
“I helped him protect his daughter and since he saw me shift I’m sure he wants me to submit to him. I know he’s trying to be this really stand up guy by helping me but I don’t need it.”
“Maybe you do. You stayed here in Celestin because you made a life here; running would go against everything you wanted. Maybe now you won’t have to.”
I sat there going over what Caleb said and what he could possibly offer the Coven. I did want to stay in Celestin; I wanted to keep living the life I made for myself. I wanted to stay in control of it too.