Kaia had decided that it was possible for a person to own another's thoughts. She used to think that even if the entire world was working against her--as she often felt it was--at least she could keep her mind under control. It's a terrifying thing to realize that another owns even your innermost self. No matter what you're doing, you're thinking of him.

Kaia was standing in the shower. Well, more like she was leaning in it because she didn't feel strong enough to hold herself up without help from the wall. Rosy had hesitated to let Kaia do everything on her own, but Kaia had insisted. She wanted to be alone.

Well, no. Kaia didn't want to be alone; she wanted to be with Kaleb. She took in a shaky breath and stared at the spiral of red by her toes. Kaleb's blood was steadily twisting down the drain. "Kaia, dear," Rosy called, "Come on out now."

Kaia bit the inside of her cheek so hard she thought she tasted blood. It was a distraction, like the little sting of pain would be enough to win control of her mind back. But it didn't work. Kaia was still thinking about Kaleb as she squeaked the water off. She remembered his blood as she let the last few drops fall onto her face. Kaia even pictured his eyes as she stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel, slowly dressing like a zombie.

When she finally opened the door, weary, Rosy was hovering nearby, wringing her hands. "You look much better," she said, stepping forward and smoothing some of Kaia's hair from her face.

Kaia stared as Rosy fretted over her. The longer she looked, the more she understood how shaken Rosy was. Rosy's hands were slightly trembling. Her lips were pressed together like she was determined to hold back tears. "Are you ok?" Kaia asked, reaching up and taking Rosy's hand.

Rosy froze for a minute before she let out a deep sigh. It was the sort of sound that made Kaia believe that a bit of Rosy had floated up into the air, leaving her weaker than before. Rosy shook her head slowly, meeting Kaia's eyes. "I watched that boy grow up," she said, her eyes sad, "I saw him grow from just a baby to the man that he is now, saw all of the responsibilities piled onto his shoulders."

Kaia watched as Rosy's expression became fond. It was comforting, seeing that Kaleb had someone who cared so much for him. "He's had so much darkness in his life, Kaia, that it feels like a miracle to see him smile again. He's convinced that the whole world is simply bad, because how else could so many terrible things happen if it wasn't?"

Rosy sighed again and rubbed Kaia's arms, smiling sadly, "There was little I could do about it after his parents died. So I'm afraid it falls to you, dear, to help him see the truth: that there's light in the world if you look for it."

Kaia's heart ached, and she pressed a hand to her chest, nodding. "But he's...he's-"

"He won't die, lovely," Rosy interrupted as if she'd read Kaia's thoughts, "He'll fight. I've already noticed the change in him...because he's found you. He's finally found his light, and he'll do everything in his power to keep you close, even if that means telling death to go screw himself."

Kaia quickly reached up and swiped a single tear away, nodding. Rosy smiled warmly and pulled Kaia close. It was such an overwhelming hug, and for a moment it was all Kaia was thinking about, how warm she was. But when Rosy let go of her again, all of Kaia's worries came flooding back. "Where's my brother?"

"He said that he'd wait in the hall for you," Rosy replied, leading Kaia to the door, "He was quite worried."

Kaia smiled, following Rosy. As soon as the door opened and Kaia stepped outside, Cole was on her, asking her questions, "Kaia, can you tell me what the hell is happening? Why the hell do you know the Alpha of Whispers? And I swear to god I heard you say that he was your mate, but-"

"He is," Kaia interrupted, looking up at her brother. Cole fell silent, and Kaia could see how stupefied he was just by looking at his face. "Someone attacked me," Kaia explained, "That day when I hit my head."

Cole frowned, crossing his arms, "I was pretty sure that was what happened."

Kaia frowned. Cole's words were a reminder that he'd known all along about their dad's secrets. "Kaleb saved me," Kaia continued, trying to ignore the churning of her stomach, "And then again in the hospital. And uh..." This next part felt embarrassing to say like she was confessing to her brother that she'd gotten her first boyfriend; it didn't feel like something she'd normally discuss with Cole, but these were unusual circumstances. "I found out that Kaleb is my mate."

"You found out..." Cole repeated. Rosy let out a little choking sound. Kaia wasn't sure what that had been until she looked over at Rosy. She had her hand over her mouth, and her eyes were sparkling; she was silently laughing at Kaia.

Kaia did her best to ignore that, but her cheeks turned red against her will. "Y-Yeah. I found out."

"What does that even mean? How do you even know that he's your mate?" Cole asked, incredulous.

Kaia wasn't really sure how to answer that. How did she know? Kaleb had told her, yes. But why had she been so quick to agree? What had actually made her understand that this person, this man, this wolf belonged to her and she to him?

Kaia decided it wasn't any single reason; it was a thousand little things. The way he smelled. How his fur had felt when she'd first met him. How beautiful he was. How his eyes were like the sun, bathing her in warmth. How gentle he was, how fierce, how strong. How lonely.

Kaia knew because even when she was a world away, she hadn't missed her house at all. Because, finally, she'd been at home. Kaia was light when she was with Kaleb, so what else could it be?

But Kaia didn't know how to communicate that to her brother without sounding insane, so she only said, "Trust me, Cole."

Cole stayed quiet for a long moment, a tight ball of buzzing energy and questions. And then finally he unwound, his arms falling to his sides and his eyes closing. He looked almost...sad. But the look was so brief that Kaia forgot it soon after it appeared. "That's not...Are the Prowlers ok with that?"

Kaia bit her lip, "Yes and no."

Cole opened his eyes, giving her an exasperated sigh, "Figures."

"Hey, shut up," Kaia said, jabbing him with her elbow, "We'll figure it out."

"You'll win them over, lovely," Rosy said, putting a gentle hand on Kaia's back.

"But for now," Kaia said, taking a deep breath, "Where's Kaleb?"

☾

The sight was a sorry one, but though it incited a deep ache in her, it also brought on a wave of relief. Kaleb, even if he was hooked up to an unnerving machine, was alive. "What is it?" Kaia asked.

The doctor, Jaeger, frowned at her. "Does it matter?"

Kaia stopped short at that. She supposed it didn't. Whatever the machine was, the name wouldn't mean anything to her. "What does it do?"

"He has wolfsbane in his system," Jaeger explained, pushing his spectacles higher up on his nose, "So we've got to give him a series of transfusions to aid his body in excising it."

Kaia stared at the doctor for a moment. He seemed like a dignified man, utterly disinterested in the goings on around him as if he were above it all. Jaeger displayed no apparent condescension, but his height made Kaia feel like she was being looked down on. Raven black hair faded to gray by his temples to match the wrinkles he had, which could only have been formed by a tendency to concentrate hard. Altogether, he seemed like a devoted scholar with little concern for much else aside from his medicine.

So, considering her first impression of the man, it was surprising to her when his face softened a bit, "He's got quite a strong will, however. Our Alpha's making incredible progress."

Kaia smiled slightly and went to sit down beside Kaleb. Cole was hovering in the corner, leaning against the wall; he looked out of place for a reason Kaia couldn't really grasp.

Kaia reached out and took Kaleb's hand, the one without the heart monitor on it. She entwined her fingers with his and drew his hand to her chest, closing her eyes. "There's little left to do now, however," Jaeger said. Kaia looked up at him. "I'll return later."

Before he went out the door, Kaia blurted out a quick, "Thank you."

The doctor froze and turned around, his expression changed. He looked almost surprised. "I believe you would be shocked to learn how little I hear those words." And with that, he was out the door.

Kaia looked around the tasteless room. It wasn't nearly as white as her hospital room had been. The walls were a sky blue, but they had no adornment. There was little indication that this was a medical facility at all save the beeping machines. All of the supplies were probably stored away in the many cabinets about the room.

Kaia turned her attention back to Kaleb, breathing steadily now, his heart beating strong. It was almost unreal watching him now, having seen him so close to death. It felt like seconds ago that he was in danger. It was as if someone had reached down and scrubbed away the foul memories of Kaia's that contained the long road to recovery that Kaleb should have had. Kaia was struck by how fragile everything was, something she hadn't thought about when her mother had died because she'd been too young. But life, no matter how grand it was, could easily be destroyed.

One minute, you're there. And then, suddenly, you're just not.

But now, Kaleb was healing, was surviving. And Kaia was overwhelmed with relief, with gratitude to whoever was watching out for him. Kaleb's guardian angel had been doing a shit job his whole life, so it only felt right that it had come through for him this time.

"Kaia, I'm going to leave." Kaia hadn't been expecting that. She looked up at Cole, confused. "I shouldn't even be here."

"What? Why?" But Kaia already suspected the answer.

"I'm a Hunter," Cole confessed, "And under the Accords, Hunters aren't welcome in Pack territory. We exist to defend everywhere else from the lycanthrope, but they're permitted to roam on their territory without Hunters bothering them."

"You're not bothering anyone," Kaia said quietly. Actually, it was the opposite. She wanted Cole here. He was her brother, and she loved him. She wished she could keep him close. They were family. But the argument was over before it began.

"Kaia," Cole said her name with a new seriousness like he was at once scolding her and setting her straight. His warm brown eyes grew sad again, just as before, and Kaia realized why. He was a Hunter, and she was to be Luna. Under the Accords...

"What? So I can't see you?" Kaia asked, breathless. Why was it that she kept losing people one by one?

Cole shook his head, "Don't be dramatic. We'll see each other, just not...not here. You're human, which means you can leave Pack territory. Especially because it's the Prowlers; they're all over human society."

Kaia breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't losing Cole, not today. "Oh, ok."

"But I have to go. It won't be good if dad's associates find out that I breached the Accords."

Kaia nodded and slowly set Kaleb's hand down. She stood and walked over to her brother, wrapping him in a hug. Cole froze for a second and then hugged her back. "Thanks, Cole."

Cole took in a deep breath. "I owe you, so it was nothing."

Knowing that Cole felt guilty for lying to her, or at least keeping the truth from her, Kaia felt all of her lingering resentment towards him disentangle itself from her mind and dissolve into the air. Kaia didn't know if Cole had even wanted to keep her from the truth, but she had a feeling that he must have had the best intentions if he had.

Kaia had been slow to realize it, but she knew now that this secret world was more than it seemed. It wasn't like in the books, where the heroine gets drawn into the exciting world of fantasy and experiences new and splendid things. There were new and exciting things, granted, but there are always two sides to the coin, and there was plenty of darkness to go with them. Kaia couldn't blame Cole if he'd wanted to keep that darkness away from her.

It hadn't been Cole who had shot Kaleb, who was so paranoid that it had become deadly. "I'll see you later, ok?"

Cole nodded, drawing away from her, and headed for the door. Rosy had been hovering around Kaia for a while now. She'd likely still be in the hall to show Cole the way out, so Kaia quietly sat back down beside Kaleb. She was alone now with him, listening to the beeping of his intimidating machine and watching him breathe. The moment was all rhythms and steady beats.

Kaia sighed and rested her head on her palm, "Wake up now, Kaleb." She didn't hesitate to crawl into bed with him. She wanted to be close to him, so she gently eased herself down beside him and rested her head on his chest. He wasn't wearing a shirt, but a blanket was pulled up over his abs, concealing his wound.

Still, Kaia gave into her temptation and rested her hand in the groove between Kaleb's pecs, tracing the line there up to his collarbone and down along his shoulder. Then she circled back, her finger gliding along his skin, and touched the spot where his heartbeat pounded in his neck. She let her arm fall flat against him and closed her eyes, enjoying his warmth. "The doctor said that you have a strong will," Kaia whispered into Kaleb's neck. 

It was late now, and she was exhausted. Very little moonlight illuminated the world beyond Kaleb's window. 

She breathed deep and for a second she felt as though they were outside because of the perfect earthiness and smokiness of Kaleb's natural scent. For a sweet moment, they were lying together in the woods, the sun warming their skin, surrounded by dancing wildflowers; the thought seemed childish to Kaia, but it felt so real that she embraced it. And then a beep from Kaleb's machine brought her back to the Mansion.

"You know, Rosy said that you're fighting so hard so that you can...come back to me," Kaia said quietly. She flushed just saying it out loud. "And I know that it's for more than just that," Kaia quickly corrected herself, "It's for the Prowlers, too; I know how much you love them. But..."

Kaia tucked herself closer to Kaleb, letting her eyes fall shut and sleepiness flood her. "...I don't know. I guess I just like to think that you're mine."

It was a silly idea, yes. You can't belong to just one person. Kaleb would always belong to the Prowlers, too. They were such a big part of him. But, soon enough, Kaia would belong to them, also. She'd do her best. But responsibilities aside...

It was belonging, Kaia realized. Kaia finally had a home, a place she had chosen, a life she wanted. That was how she'd known she was Kaleb's mate. They belonged together.

It was as simple as that.

☾

Kaia awoke with a crawling feeling, like a tingling in the back of her neck. It was disconcerting. Danger. That's what the atmosphere was. But it was strange. She hadn't felt it when she'd met the lycanthrope in the hospital, which had been a failure on her part; so why did she sense it now?

Then it hit her. It wasn't Kaia that was in danger. Kaia bolted upright, alert despite the fact that she'd only sprung back into consciousness moments before. Her hair flew around her face as she whirled around, leaning forward so that her body was hovering over Kaleb's. He was still unconscious. Kaia had to protect him.

When Kaia realized what the threat was, she wasn't surprised. She'd thought Kaleb had done enough to shut down this possibility at first, but Kaleb himself had told her that there were still some who weren't satisfied. They hated him for choosing Kaia to be their Luna, a human. In some strange way, Kaia felt like it was her fault that Grayson was standing in front of her looking shocked that she was awake. She was going to deal with this herself.

"Grayson, you'll regret this," Kaia warned. Grayson stood in front of her, getting angrier by the second, with a syringe in his hand. It had an amber liquid in it; Kaia didn't know what it was, but she sure as hell knew that she wasn't going to let that needle get anywhere near Kaleb's veins.

"I doubt that," Grayson replied, stepping closer. A tiny growl escaped Kaia and Grayson looked almost as surprised as Kaia felt. She'd never growled before, at least not like that. But she supposed she'd never had to defend her unconscious mate, either, so maybe it was just natural.

"What is that?" Kaia hissed, her voice hostile. She glared at the syringe.

"It's Wolfsbane," Grayson admitted, "I'd planned to come in here and snuff him out just like that. The Pack would've just thought he'd succumbed to the shot." Grayson straightened, "I didn't think you'd be here, though."

Where else would I be? Don't you understand that I care about him? That humans have feelings, too? 

"The Pack? You care about what they think?" Kaia asked, trying to buy time. Someone must have been was awake. She just had to wait until someone realized something was wrong. But...would they?

"Of course, I do. I can't be Alpha without them following me," Grayson replied, "I hadn't planned on Kaleb being so effective at controlling the Prowlers. It seems that the lycanthrope that I'd convinced of his inadequacy have changed their minds. Unfortunately, this is my last resort: make it look like an accident, and I can fill his place." 

"I won't let you do that," Kaia said, "You'll have to kill me, too."

Grayson let out the cruelest laugh Kaia had ever heard. It was the sort of laughter that Kaia had thought only movie villains could pull off. "I don't think you've got any control of this situation. You're just-"

"A human?" Kaia finished for him. She willed so much hot hate into the word that it could've been a brand, searing human into Grayson's flesh.

"If you don't try and stop me, I'll just let you go. You can waltz right out of the Pack Mansion and leave the Prowlers behind. I won't come after you, and you can forget about all of this," Grayson offered. His voice was syrupy, slowly dripping over Kaia to leave a sticky, uncomfortable feeling on her skin.

Kaia wasn't even going to answer him. The offer he'd just given her was so ridiculous that she couldn't begin to wrap her head around it. Like she could leave Kaleb. No. Not even if she wanted to. So instead of gracing his outrageous proposal with an answer, Kaia just leaped at him.

Her father's paranoia had taken so much from Kaia. It had taken her freedom from her and nearly killed Kaleb. But one thing, this one precious thing, she'd gotten in return. It couldn't begin to be enough to compensate her for what she'd lost, but it was what she needed at that moment. Her dad had tried to take Kaleb from her, but by some twist of fate, he'd also given her the ability to protect her wolf.

Her dad had taught her to be fast, to analyze her attacker. He'd given her years of training. Without panic blinding her, she knew where to be and what to do when. She knew how to defend herself. So when Grayson reacted--lightning fast--to Kaia's grab, she knew that she had to angle her body just right so that his fist would fly past her head. She knew that she had to strike back at his wrist to disarm him, to send the syringe clattering to the floor.

She knew that she could withstand Grayson's blow to her shoulder, and she knew to return the damage with a jab at his neck.

What she didn't know was that quickness of mind and body were not always enough to balance the scales against a brute like Grayson. Grayson had experienced, and, worse, he was a lycanthrope. He was worlds stronger than she was, and soon enough Kaia was sprawled on the ground, watching Grayson lean down and pick up the syringe.

"You're annoying as hell," he grumbled, turning to Kaleb. A pulse went through Kaia. Grayson was ignoring her, turning to Kaleb to inject him with the wolfsbane.

No.

...

Kaia wasn't sure how it happened. There's something about these moments, Kaia realized, that leaves your memory blank. Everything transpires solely on instinct. There aren't any complicated chains of thoughts, of what ifs. There's just action, impulse. There are only truths: the truth was that Kaleb was in danger.

And Kaia's impulse was to throw herself in front of her mate. So...she did. The syringe plunged into Kaia's back, and she instantly felt dizzy. She squeaked in surprise, not having expected this to be the result of her actions. What had she been anticipating? She didn't know, but not this.

Nor the growl and the whip-fast motion that followed, the crack and the thud.

Kaia blinked, wincing when she moved her arm to try and get the syringe out of her back. "Kaia." Kaleb had woken up. He was sitting up, sweating, staring at her. Kaia stood beside his bed, leaning heavily against it because if she didn't, she was sure she'd keel over. It took her mind a moment to process, but Kaia realized that Kaleb had reached around her and snapped Grayson's neck. "Kaia," Kaleb repeated, touching her face and tilting her head up so he could see her face.

Relief washed through her, cleansing all of the dark and twisted worries that had clogged her veins. Kaleb was ok. He looked pale, and he was shaking, but he was ok.

"Can you hear me?" he asked. What? Why would he ask that? She could hear him just fine. He was right here. He was warm and awake, and everything was ok now. Kaleb wasn't in danger any longer. She'd protected him. Everything was fine.

But he didn't look ok. He looked worried. He looked like he was in pain. So Kaia nodded. She tried to speak, but her mouth had trouble forming the words in her head. I'm fine, she attempted to say, are you? But she could only manage, "I...I'm..."

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice like shattered glass. He leaned forward, letting Kaia's face fall into the crook of his neck. Kaia winced when Kaleb slowly pulled the syringe from her skin. "Turns out I'm terrible at protecting you."

"He-" Kaia was getting frustrated. Why couldn't she talk? And why did she feel so hot? "He tried-"

"I know," Kaleb said. He treated her softly, stroking her hair, but his voice was knife blades and bonfires. "Kaia, there's wolfsbane in your system." Wait, so Grayson had not only stabbed her with the syringe, he'd managed to inject her?

Wolfsbane. Wasn't it a harmless plant to humans? She had a bad feeling that it wasn't, but for some reason, she didn't feel panicked at all. 

Kaia's legs gave out, and Kaleb caught her, pulling her onto the bed with him. She rested in his lap, leaning against his bare chest. It occurred to her how intimate this was, but it was like a distant realization, an echo on a far hill. The whole world seemed far away. She was...floating.

"But you shouldn't be reacting like this..." she heard Kaleb say, far away. Kaia could feel his heart beating wicked fast against her cheek.

Kaia was tired all of a sudden. She let her eyes flutter shut. "Kaia, you promised!" Kaleb shook her. Hard. She forced her eyes open against and stared up at him.

When the meaning of his words sank in, slowly but surely, she realized that he thought she was dying, that she was leaving him. But no. Kaia wasn't dying. She couldn't explain it, but she knew that she wasn't. She wouldn't, not when Kaleb was here, awake. Kaia reached up and touched his face, tried to assuage the panic in his eyes. Everything was blurry, but Kaia could still make out the sunshine of his irises.

Her words were slow so that he could understand her; she figured she'd slur otherwise. "I'm not dying, Kaleb. It's just...fuzzy."

"Fuzzy," Kaleb repeated.

"Like clouds," Kaia said and, strangely, laughed, "And round edges."

"What are you talking about?" Kaleb demanded, hugging her tight to him. She smiled, snuggling closer to him.

"I don't..." Kaia mumbled, then she looked down, her leg feeling warm. Kaleb had bled through his bandages. "Your blood is on me again."

Kaia felt Kaleb grab her chin and force her to look at him. She fought to focus her vision on his beautiful face. "Kaia, do you feel anything burning?" Kaleb asked, his voice harsh, urgent. "Are you in pain?"

"No," Kaia said, reaching up and holding his face, "Just the clouds."

Kaleb relaxed a bit against her. "What is happening to you? It's dilated your pupils."

Kaia swiveled her head around and then reached down, sliding her hand along Kaleb's chest. She had an uncontrollable urge to trace the lines of Kaleb's abs. But before she could, Kaleb's hand shot out and he grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "Don't do that Kaia," he warned, his voice lower than usual, just a whisper.

"But I want to touch you," she whimpered, looking up at him again. "I always want to." The world blurred even more, and Kaia couldn't see his reaction. "And taste you." It was all she could think about at that moment. What did he taste like? She really wanted to know. Badly. So she leaned forward and...what did she do? She was pretty sure she didn't kiss him. But, what then?

Kaia distantly heard her name spoken again. And she felt...carefree. Her worries were still there, but it was like somehow she'd locked them in the adjacent room for safe keeping. They'd break through eventually, but for now...

For now, she was sleeping on clouds.

Thanks for reading (as always) and leave a vote or a comment if you liked it.