Cala nodded slightly. She hadn’t thought of that before. There were other options here that she hadn’t thought about. Maybe it would be worth looking into. Kelton was the type of man to inspire others to succeed and maybe she’d be able to do that in another way at the academy.
“What kind of things would you suggest?”
“You’re very smart. I’m sure Jainey Fieldman would love to have some help. Or one of the other professors. I can have a word with them if you’d like.”
“I would actually. Thanks!” Cala loved the idea of staying at the academy and would hate to sit around and do nothing, and working with one of the professors sounded like a fantastic idea. She loved to read and to learn and was sure she’d be some kind of help to them.
“What have you got planned for today?” Kayleigh asked.
“Nothing much.”
Kayleigh glanced over at her. “Why don’t you see if Ash is free after training?”
Cala didn’t know what to say. She was trying her hardest but was still struggling to put herself out there. “I’ll see.” She’d been hanging out with Ash more and more, but being with the other boys was a bit more of a challenge.
“Ash is a nice girl. I wouldn’t suggest you hang out with her if I didn’t think that.”
“I know.” Cala smiled. It was true, Ash was really sweet and it was easy to see that she was going out of her way to try to help her through this stressful time. It probably would have helped if she had been in Ash’s training group from the very start so they could have got to know one another.
Kayleigh smiled at her. It was easy to see the girl was trying but was finding it hard. With a sister like Rhian and how she had treated Cala for all those years, it was going to take some getting used to. “Go for something easy, like a coffee. She’s really easy to talk to.”
Cala nodded. She liked Ash, she did. After her hard life with her sister, it was difficult to trust anyone, especially another girl. But Kayleigh was proving to her that all females weren’t the same and she and Aisline had got on well so far. Perhaps Kayleigh was right? “I’ll see if she’s free.”
Kayleigh grinned. She didn’t want to push her too much, but Cala needed a little nudge in the right direction.
“Where’s Kelton? Is he training?”
“No. He’s had to go out for a bit.” Kayleigh knew exactly where he was, but didn’t think she should be discussing it with anyone. That wasn’t her place.
She was worried and was pleased that Cala was there to help take her mind off things. Kelton was out at the hospital. He had already told her all about what happened with Trey and what the psychologist had said to him and that essentially meant an end to any kind of medical profession for her.
It had been quite a shock when he’d told her what happened. Dixon would never have cheated on Mira. Although, she thought the same of Kelton and looked what happened there…
That was no way to think of the situation. From all they’d been able to determine from the doctors treating the woman, she was delusional and had taken her obsession with the warrior up a notch.
That wasn’t the only problem. Kelton had spent a lot of time with Marion and Trey, talking to him and trying to make him realise that what Sheila Lane had told him was wrong. It was slow going, but they hoped they were getting somewhere with him.
Apparently, Caleb had helped a lot with Trey. It was partly because Caleb thought that he should shoulder the blame, which was yet another problem for Kelton to tackle.
He hadn’t returned yet. Kayleigh was getting worried. She couldn’t help it. Patrick wouldn’t do anything, but after all that had happened with the shifters, his safety wasn’t guaranteed. She didn’t like him being out on the streets.
It was silly really. She knew he was in danger every time he went out hunting the enemies on the street, but this was different. The shifters had come into their home and killed one of their own. Their threat was different. At least when he went out on the streets, she was with a team of warriors.
Cala stood up looking nervous. “I’ll go and see if Aisline’s finished training.”
Kayleigh bit back a grin. It was clear how much effort this was taking the poor girl. “No problem. You go find her. I’ll call around and see what I can find out about helping one of the professors.”
“Thanks.” Cala had almost forgotten about that with all the worry she was feeling about going to find Aisline. She thought she’d better go while she still had the nerve. Even though she’d hung out with Ash several times, it didn’t seem to get any easier to make the first move.
Walking out of the suite after she’d kissed Elias goodbye, she headed straight down the stairs to the training area. Everything was quiet in the hallways so she knew that the trainees were still inside. She’d have preferred not to wait around, but seeing as she was already there, there was nothing else for it.
Hearing the grunts and groans coming from the training rooms, she realised she didn’t miss it. Cala still went out of her way to go to the gym and spend some time on the treadmill, but that was about as far as she pushed herself. She wasn’t a warrior and wasn’t ever going to be. As long as she kept herself in shape, she’d be satisfied.
Just as she was about to give in to her nerves and run away, the door to the gym opened and out walked the trainees. The first one out was Denver. Wasn’t that just her luck?
“Look who it is! The princess of the Sons.” He scoffed. Denver had a real problem with her being Kelton’s daughter, even though she had never played on the fact. He thought it meant she had more privileges than the rest of them, even though that wasn’t true.
She didn’t reply to him. It wasn’t that she didn’t have the confidence to think of a come-back, she didn’t want to waste her breath on him.
“Daddy’s not in there, you know.” He jibed.
Cala rolled her eyes.
“Leave her alone.” A gruff voice sounded.
She looked up to see Caleb glaring at Denver menacingly.
“What’s your problem?”
“You’re my problem. Leave Cala alone. She’s done nothing to you.”
Denver laughed and walked off with the rest of his posse. Caleb stepped closer to Cala.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She said, blushing. Caleb was ridiculously good looking. “He didn’t really say anything new. I’ve heard it all before.”
“You shouldn’t have to put up with that.”
“Thanks for sticking up for me.”
“Anytime.” Caleb flashed her a smile before walking away.
Immediately, Aisline was in front of her, smiling widely. “Hey! What are you doing down here? I thought you were giving training a miss today again.”
Cala had no idea how she knew that. “I wondered if you fancied a coffee. Or something. If you aren’t busy. Don’t worry if you are though. We can do it another time. It doesn’t matter.” She rambled on, the nerves making her talk too much.
Ash chuckled. “Let’s go grab a drink now, I’m exhausted!” And as they walked, Ash chattered away with Cala nodding at the appropriate moments. She soon wondered why she thought it was such a big deal to ask Ash to hang out. She was so easy to get on with and put her at ease, so much so that she was soon enough chatting along with her and the time flew by.
Later, Cala walked up to her room with a huge smile on her face. She and Ash had talked for hours, and she’d teased Cala mercilessly once she found out that Cala had a little crush on Caleb. It was all done well naturedly and Cala had laughed along with her.
It was good to finally make that move and she thought she could say she had really made a friend. Up until now, she’d been getting by and hiding out by herself and even when she was with the group, she was the silent partner. Now, she realised how much she was missing out on and had already agreed to meet up with Aisline again the next day.
Life was finally looking up.
Chapter Eighteen
Kayleigh knew s
he shouldn’t be doing this. Kelton would have a complete fit if he found out. But, it was something she had to do for her own peace of mind.
As the baby murmured in his car seat, she reached over to gently stroke his cheek. “Not long now, sweetie.” She crooned.
He was the perfect little baby. He slept right through the night almost from the moment he’d been born, and then especially when they’d settled him at the academy. It was like he knew where he was supposed to be. He wasn’t whiny or demanding. Elias was a content baby.
It made her smile to think of the way that Kelton was with him. When she saw him cradling the baby to his bare chest, all Kayleigh could think was that old Athena poster that was so popular in the 90’s. It was adorable, picture perfect.
She’d known that they would bond. Even through the pregnancy, there was a connection between Kelton and his unborn child that couldn’t be denied, even when they weren’t with one another. The moment Mira had placed Elias into his arms, the big badass warrior had melted.
Things were perfect for them at the moment, considering everything that had gone on lately. Thinking about all the drama that surrounded them when the twins turned up at the academy and how she had run from him, it made her shudder to think of them being apart now. With Elias, they were complete. They would have missed out on so much if they hadn’t got their relationship back on track.
Kelton hadn’t been able to take as much time off to be with them since the birth, but that was understandable. There was so much to do at the academy that she couldn’t blame him, but she knew Kelton was feeling bitter about it. But, with everything that had happened with the shifters and Master Warrior Dixon, they couldn’t spare him. Plus, the call of the warrior mark was too strong for him to ignore. He had to be there, whether he wanted to or not. The need to protect was too strong for him to turn away from.
It was hard for her to watch him being so torn between his family and his duty as a warrior. It was clear to see the internal battle that was waging within him, wanting to be with her and Elias but feeling the need to fight and protect. As much as she wanted him with them, she’d had to push him to return to work, the constant pacing was grating on her nerves. As sad as he was to be leaving them for a few hours, there was no denying the spark in his eyes.
Now that Elias was a good few weeks old, she was starting to feel restless herself. It no longer felt enough to be cooped up at the academy and as much their presence seemed to soothe Mira, it wasn’t right. It was a time when she needed to be with her immediate family. She’d had to stop calling around so much. It was like Mira was using her time with Elias to hide from reality. Kayleigh found that totally understandable, as she didn’t know how she would live without Kelton, but it wasn’t healthy.
Being at the academy was stifling. Being stuck in their suite was suffocating and the walls felt like they were closing in on her. Of course, it wasn’t like she didn’t have anyone to speak to, but Marion had her hands full in the medical suite and Aisline was tied up with her training schedule. Cala called in on them frequently, but she needed more. As much as she loved being with her new-born son, Kayleigh needed to get out.
The idea had slowly been growing in her mind, growing until she couldn’t shake it off. Over the years, she’d called to check on her human family, obviously without their knowledge, watching them grow. It was heart-breaking, especially in the beginning. Seeing them mourn for her had almost been too much to bear. But over the years, she had felt an immense sense of pride to know how well they had lived their lives.
And now it was time to tell Elias all about them.
She knew that such a tiny baby would never be able to remember this night, but that was kind of the whole point. Kayleigh wanted to tell him all about his other family, not keeping anything from him and have him know what wonderful people they had grown to be. However, she knew that she’d never be able to tell him any of this when he got older, so she wanted to do it while she still had the chance. He wouldn’t remember and that was how it was supposed to be.
Pulling up at the roadside, Kayleigh turned off the ignition and glanced over at the house where her son, Matthew, lived with his family. The large home was swathed in darkness.
“Well, baby. I’m going to tell you a little story…”
Kayleigh spent the next hour telling a sleeping Elias all about her previous life. It was cathartic, speaking of things that no one else knew about, things that she’d kept locked up tight in her heart for so long. Kelton was the love of her life and her soul-mate, but he always became uneasy when she spoke about her previous life and family. He could never understand why she wouldn’t let go of her human family and life, but it was also something he secretly respected about her. It meant that, even after all she’d been through, that her humanity remained intact. It proved to him that he had been right to spare her life and see past the monster she could have become.
Her old life wasn’t something she let herself think about too much. For the most part, she had too much going on in her present, but it was also so painful to think about all she’d missed out on. Of course, her life with Kelton was more than she had ever hoped for, but that yearning for her human family never went away.
Elias looked peaceful in his car seat and the area around them was silent and still. It was easy for Kayleigh to get lost in the thoughts of the past. Speaking out loud, her murmured conversation seemed to lull the baby into sleep.
“I was coming home from a busy day of Christmas shopping. The car was full to brimming with presents. Christmas was a really big deal for our family and I can remember smiling to myself as I thought of how much the children would love their surprises.
“They were just like you Elias. Happy, content. When Christmas comes around, I know you’ll love it just like they did. I can’t wait to see your face when we decorate the mansion. It’s going to look magnificent.
“One year, I want to celebrate in the same way I used to. You’ll love the atmosphere, and so will Cala. Christmas should be a time to celebrate, to be with family. That’s what we should do this year. It will be our first year together as a family. Kelton will probably hate the fuss, but he’ll do it for you. Food, presents, decorations and tree big enough to lay underneath. We’ll do it all.”
She smiled down at the dozing baby who was oblivious to her words.
“Anyway, I remember running through a list of all the things I needed to do when the car came out of nowhere and rammed into mine, sending me spinning off the road. I’d never been so scared. The car spun out of control and flipped over several times. The pain exploded in my body, but that was the last thing on my mind. I thought I was going to die.
“Unfortunately, my death had been planned. It wasn’t some random accident, or that I was just unlucky. The other car belonged to someone who I had once considered to be a very close friend. I didn’t find that out until afterwards, but I can tell you, it was a shock to say the least. I thought she was someone that would be there for me through thick and thin, someone to rely on. That’s why I am so careful with who I befriend now. That kind of betrayal isn’t something you easily get over.”
She knew that she wouldn’t ever be able to tell the baby this story when he got older so she wanted to get it all off her chest now. “Obviously, I found out after that most of our friendship had been a sham. All she had wanted was to get me out of the way so she could get her nasty claws into my husband, Michael.”
Kayleigh straightened herself up in the seat as she watched the house in front of her, trying to keep her tears in check. She’d lived through it before and tears of self-pity would do her no good now. This was the time to get it all off her chest while she still could. Kelton would soon enough wonder where she was and her time would be up.
“What would have been the worse night of anyone’s life didn’t end there. It got even worse. I could have died in that car, but my injuries didn’t kill me. The smell of the blood lured one of the Lamia Mortuorum to where I was and, well.
You’ll find out about them when you get older. They’re the monsters that your daddy hunts, and that you’ll grow to hunt.”
She smiled proudly down at the sleeping baby, running a finger over the tiny warrior mark on his temple. “You’re going to grow up to be big and strong, just like your father. You’re going to be a warrior and protector. I know first-hand what those monsters are capable of and you will be doing the world a great service.”
Kayleigh already worried about her son going out into the world and fighting off the enemy. No mother wanted their child to be put in that kind of danger, but she also knew that Kelton would do everything in his power to make sure Elias was prepared. It was something she was going to have to come to terms with. But seeing as he was still only a baby, there was time to worry about that in the future.
Knowing that he didn’t understand a word she was saying, Kayleigh let the words flow free. It wasn’t often that she let herself think of that night. It was too painful. But it was also the night that brought her to Kelton, so not all was lost.
“At first I thought it was someone coming to help me. After such an accident, you would have thought that I would have been knocked unconscious, but I was unlucky enough to be wide awake through it all. I saw them approaching and remembering screaming at them to call for help, to get me out before the car blew up. That was one of my greatest fears. Being burnt alive in the raging inferno that the car could become.
“They told me that everything was going to be okay as they helped me out of the car. Looking back, I should have known that no one in their right minds would have moved me without checking for injuries, but they just dragged me out of the car, laying me on the cold ground and just staring at me. And I couldn’t help but be grateful to them.
“You see, they don’t look like monsters as you would think in the books. Even if they did, my mind would have registered them as angels as they had just rescued me.
“It didn’t take long for them to lean forward and plunge their fangs into my neck. The searing pain added to that I was already feeling and my mind and body wanted to shut down. It didn’t make sense to me. I didn’t know what was going on.
End of an Era: A Sons of Satrina Novel (The Sons of Satrina Book 4) Page 20