CAROLINE

Will and I were back on the bottom floor, surrounded by beady eyes and howling beasts. I was still nervous, but not exactly frightened like I was before.

The half-turned wolf was still in the same cage but he now had clothes on and a soft chair to sit at. There was a coffee cup near the door, so I supposed he had a warm drink sometime as well.

William started getting updates from Ryan, so I stepped up to the wolf's door and looked in. "Hi," I said timidly.

He stood from the chair and came to the front of the cell, wrapping his furry hands around the bars. He nodded once in greeting. Hello.

I turned back to William and smiled, then back to the wolf. "I'm Caroline, or Kara. I've been known as both. Are you okay?"

He took a deep nod. Yes.

I pointed to the cup. "Have a good coffee?"

He shrugged. Jerks never heard of sugar?

I giggled. You could have just asked for it to be sweeter.

He looked up, yellowed eyes spearing on me. You can hear me?

Yes. I smiled warmly. It's called a mind link. It's okay, I just learned myself.

His face tilted and a huff like sound came from him. I know what linking is. He motioned with his chin to the others behind me. They can't hear me.

I turned back around wide eyed at everyone. "You can't understand him?"

Ryan asked confused, "Why? Can you?"

"Yes."

Their shocked eyes met mine too. "You can understand it?"

"That's rude. Him." I looked back to the creature. "And yes. He's upset there wasn't more sugar in his coffee."

William walked over warily and turned to it. "Sorry wolf."

He looked to me. My name is Evan.

I smiled and held my hand out through the bars to shake.

William gasped and grabbed my hand back. "Don't!"

I yanked my arm from William's grasp. "Evan is nice. Give me a break."

"Evan?" His eyes trailed back to the creature. "Uh, hello Evan."

Evan snorted.

I put my hand back between the bars. Nice to meet you Evan.

He examined his own hand, covered in fur and razor wolf nails, but ultimately human. He put his hand in mine, careful of his nails against my skin.

The guards looking on gasped.

I did too and all my senses cleared.

My gaze focused in on Evan and his eyes brightened to gold, holding my gaze.

I pressed my other hand in the cage and he stepped forward so his nose was between the bars. I curled my hand to his cheek and let the energy start flowing through.

My mind started fading, but I was still more aware of myself than I had been before. The world around me and him losing its form.

Evan's features started shifting, the skin rippling as muscles tightened or lengthened. Our eyes stayed dead on each other. His breathing started getting deep and ragged. His teeth pulling in humanized and clenched in pain.

It was like a man's first shift. Pain flowed through him. I pressed stronger energy, slowing his burn. I didn't want him hurting.

He softened like a balm was caressed over his wounds, and still he watched me, eyes glowing golden.

The nails barely touching my skin began to retract and his grip tightened around mine.

The bridge of his nose flattened out human. His ears, the pointed tips rounding and pulling further into his head until natural. The ridge around his jaw slackened and wolf hair pulled into skin.

Another few moments of transformation, and then he was completely human.

I slackened my hold, head tilting into the bars, eyes closing. William grabbed me up into his arms.

"I'm okay," I told him, but I still drooped into his shoulder.

"You're Evan?" William asked.

I opened my eyes realizing everything was blurred back to normal and looked to the cell.

A tall, late teenage boy, stood there. Hair dark brown and wavy against his ears, wide nose and large smile. He touched at his face. "I'm me?"

"Yes," William answered.

Ryan was ready with the key and opened the cell door. "What do you remember Evan? How did you get here?"

He stepped out of the cell like he was sure the ground would break below him. "I'm not sure."

"Try to remember," William urged.

Evan's face scrunched as he desperately tried. "I was fishing? At Fish Lake? I felt pain on my neck? A bite?" He reached up and massaged a hand over the area. He paused and I held my breath hoping he knew something. He shook his head. "That's it."

"What day do you remember?"

"Uh," he held onto the cage bars, dizzily. "March. March nineteenth?"

William sighed, squeezing me against him. I was already starting to feel better. "It's June now. You've been stuck as that creature for three months."

His eyes went wide. "Carla!"

"Your mate?" William guessed.

"Yes! I have to get back to her." He looked around wildly.

William balanced me in one arm and held out his cell phone. "Go ahead. You can call her."

"Thanks," his fingers hovered over the buttons, but he stared at the phone and huffed in air.

I chimed in. "Let him sit down. He's in shock."

William gave a silent order to Ryan and Ryan pulled out the soft chair from the cell. Evan sat down and took some deep breaths.

"You'll remember her number in a moment. Just calm down and breathe. Think of her face."

He stared at the phone, humped over in the chair and then he started to smile. "She has the most amazing eyes."

"What color?" I prompted.

"Hazel," he said with a deep loving sigh.

"And what was her hair like?"

His eyes closed in wonder, "blonde. Lightest blonde, almost white. She had hair of an angel."

"She sounds beautiful."

He was quiet a few moments, the smile still present and then he began to type numbers.

William gave the command. "Let's step away. Give him some privacy."

I squeezed around William's neck. "I can't walk away if I'm still in your arms."

He grinned down at me and walked us all to the far corner. "I'm not going to put you down while you're allowing me to carry you."

I bit my lip playfully. "So I should be yelling that I want down this instant?"

He laughed. "Yes. Only then will you be allowed down."

My eyes took on the puppiest expression I could imagine. "And what if I do this?"

He grinned. "I'd say you look adorable, but not getting down."

I leaned back into his shoulder and closed my eyes. "Fine. You win."

His arms tightened and happiness flooded through me. I realized it wasn't my emotions, it was coming in through the bond from him. It made me smile knowing he was so content with holding me, or I guess me allowing him to hold me.

The other guards must have spread back to their stations because their presences were gone around us.

"Your arms will get tired carrying me for so long," I stated, eyes closed.

He snorted a laugh. "You're part wolf remember? You know we won't get tired."

"Fine. But let me know if you want me down."

"Not likely," his voice was a smirk.

I just melted into his warmth. I knew that was something else that was uniquely werewolf, warmth. I always ran a temperature, but it wasn't nearly as high as the body heat that radiated off him.

I was almost asleep against his chest when Evan bounded over to us. "Hey where am I? Oh sorry Kara!" He spoke sheepish when I startled awake against William.

William became his beta personality. "You are in Hightop pack. About four miles out of Fish Lake. Thirty miles from Fremont pack, if you go by car."

Evan spoke it into the phone and stepped away.

"Can I get down now? I'm feeling better."

"Not likely," he taunted.

I grinned with my own tease, "but I can't hold your hand like this."

"Want to bet?" I was again balanced in one arm, his fingers skimming down my bare arm delicately showing me he did not indeed need both hands to carry me. The sparks from his fingertips caused my stomach to burn.

I couldn't say anything, my reaction to his touch scorching my thoughts. I tried not to link, but then I immediately linked. I'm not thinking those thoughts! I'm not thinking those thoughts!

He laughed and set me down.

I almost didn't catch my balance which would have been bad for my appearance that I could actually walk on my own.

He held his hand out and I placed mine in his.

I checked the time on my phone and showed William. It was nearing time to leave.

He started walking us over to Ryan. "Get Evan anything he needs. A room, a ride, whatever. Let Eric know he's awake if Eric has any questions for him, but it doesn't seem like any of them know anything about being turned."

I waved bye to Evan and he spoke into the phone where I could hear, "Carla baby, I've got to go, but I'll see you soon okay? I love you so much.... Yeah, bye." He ran over and hugged me clear out of William's grasp. "Thank you Kara."

William growled a soft warning.

I giggled and hugged Evan back. "William stop flaunting your badge. I'm glad I could help, Evan."

He sat me down and I put my hand back in William's.

"Carla is so happy that I'm okay. She thought I was dead!"

I gave a gloomy face. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

"She's coming to get me right now. She just has to talk to Alpha David first."

"That's great Evan. I'm glad you're going home to her."

William nodded his agreement and took back the cellphone when Evan held it out. "I hope all is well for you two. Well, excuse us Evan. We are going to head out. Let Ryan know if you have any needs. He will be available for anything you ask."

I cut in, "even sugary coffee!"

Evan turned and smiled to me. "I will do that. Thanks Beta. Thanks Kara." He held his hand out to me. "It was good to meet you."

"Yes, very good." I shook his hand and slightly cringed at his tight hold.

"Oh, sorry!" He loosened and grinned. "I'm just so happy to be back."

"Go on," I pressured. "Go sit down and relax before Carla comes."

He beamed. "I will. Bye Kara!" He then stepped back over to Ryan and started talking.

William squeezed my hand. "You ready?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go get our things."

I followed beside him up the stairs until we hit my room.

As we passed the closet doors, it sprang an embarrassed smile to my face thinking about the second time I'd ever seen him.

"Sorry about jumping you that day." I spoke softly, walking away from the closet.

He grinned and grabbed his suitcase from the next room. "Sorry about trespassing while you were asleep."

I grabbed my case. "Huh. I never thought about it from your side. Yeah, I guess trespassing's pretty bad too." I snickered. "You're forgiven."

His hand reached for my suitcase and tightened around my fingers. "You are too. Though I still don't think you need to apologize about that. I liked it."

I buried my face into his muscular shoulder. "Don't. I'm already embarrassed."

He pulled my suitcase away and set it back on the bed, his free hand sliding over my hair and back with a caress. "Don't be embarrassed. You acted on true feelings when you thought there were no consequences. Hopefully soon you'll be willing to act on those feelings again." He felt me stiffen against him. "Someday Love. I'll wait until you're ready."

"Sorry," I pulled from my hiding spot and leaned my cheek against his bicep.

A few hours later we were on the plane, tucked into first class seats, but they were still cramped for William's extra height and build.

I grabbed his hand as his head rested back against the seat and he was looking rather pale. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just never been on a plane before. I'm kind of nervous."

"Is the big bad wolf afraid of heights?" I snickered.

He turned his head to me, incredulous. "No."

I pouted fakely. "But you didn't come save me in that big scary tree either. You made poor Eric do it."

He put his head back, closing his eyes with a half grin. "Eric had history with you in that tree. I was letting him take over and was ready for you on the ground when you needed me. It wasn't that I was scared of going up there Caroline."

"Sure, sure," I challenged.

He just smiled as the hostess started the safety video and sat up to watch.

After the video, while still having anxious eyes on the screen, he linked me. Alright. I'm not scared of heights, but I am scared of not being able to protect you at 35,000 feet.

Being in a plane crash is less likely than a car crash.

Yes, but I can wrap myself around you in a car crash. If something happens here it's out of my control. It's making me uneasy.

Well then we can hope we both get blown up together.

His wide eyes turned quick to me. "Don't say things like that."

"You'd rather it just be one of us?"

"It should be neither," he grumbled.

I softened and leaned over the wide arm rest, touching against his side. I stroked his bicep as the plane started its bumpy track down the runway. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make light of your feelings." But isn't that part of the absolute submission? That we can't live without the other? So we don't need to worry about living on alone.

He grimaced. But you could get very hurt, and I wouldn't be able to watch that.

Maybe my healer side would fix me?

Maybe. He consented and kissed my forehead.

I leaned against his shoulder. "Let's not worry about that and watch a movie." My hand moved up to start swiping through movies on the seatback screen. "What do you feel like?"

He watched the titles pass by. "I'll be happy with whatever you choose."

I leaned off of him with a tempting smile. "Oh, you'll be sorry about that." I started looking under romance titles. "What about a grade A chick flick?" I stopped on a horrifyingly sappy possibility.

He laughed. "Sounds great."

"Really?" I said skeptically and looked back to the selection that I surely didn't want to watch. I mean I dug rom-coms but that one was just too far.

We're meant to be perfect for each other my sweet mate. I would happily watch whatever romance you'd enjoy because I'm just happy to spend any time with you together. However, I don't think you want that one with how our bond feels right now.

Not going to let me tease you then? I snickered out loud and then started swiping to the science fiction category. When I found one I was interested in I looked over for approval.

He nodded and then connected the two sets of earphones, placing his in and handing me the other set.

Luckily he was impressed with the choice because I fell asleep barely ten minutes in.

It was two in the morning by the time we got back to my apartment. I was dragging, but William still looked alert enough, eyes darting around the simple living room and attached kitchen. I pointed with a yawn. "Bathroom. My room. Catherine's. You can stay in there, just don't touch her my little pony collection. She might not be a werewolf, but she'll tear you apart." I had told him I'd take Catherine's room on the taxi over, but he insisted he didn't want to force me out of my own bed.

He let a small chuckle fly. "Why don't you go to sleep. You look exhausted."

I looked up through heavy eyes. "Okay. Goodnight. I'll fix waffles in the morning."

"Sounds great. Goodnight Caroline."

"Night." I stumbled to my bedroom and almost had the door shut before I decided against it and went back to William's side.

"Yes?"

"Nothing. Just goodnight." I moved my arms around his waist and hugged tight into his chest.

I could hear the snap of his lips as he smiled, and it brought a soft one to my lips as well. He reciprocated the embrace, arms warm around my back. "Goodnight Beautiful."

When I was pudding on my feet, I pulled away and went to my room, quickly changing to pajamas and falling onto bed.

When I heard the shower start in the bathroom, I smiled into my pillow feeling like that was the final stamp that this weekend had actually been real.

William Merris, the werewolf, was staying in my apartment.

What a funny world.