Caeden smiled at me and squeezed my hand before shoveling food onto his plate.
It was hysterical the amount of food my dad and Caeden had on their plates. My mom and I had more on our plates than the normal human would eat but it in no way compared to theirs.
I took a bite of chicken and sighed in pleasure. Amy and Gram were excellent cooks but when you’re away from your mother’s cooking suddenly nothing else compares. Especially when she rarely cooked when I was home.
I hadn’t believed Caeden and the others when they said that I’d eat more once I turned but they’d been right. In record time every morsel on my plate had disappeared. I didn’t even feel the need to unbutton my jeans.
“That was delicious,” I said.
My mom laughed. “Thank you. Is Gram not feeding you?”
“Oh she’s feeding me,” I said. “I used to think Gram was the best cook ever but I’m thinking that you could give her a run for her money.”
“I don’t know whether to be flattered or offended,” she laughed.
I smiled. “Maybe a bit of both.” Caeden still had a bit of chicken on his plate. “Are you gonna finish that?” I asked.
“Huh?” he said around a mouthful of roll.
Not bothering to wait for his answer I snatched his chicken.
“Hey!” he cried with a laugh.
I shrugged. “You snooze you lose.”
I quickly devoured the chicken before he could snatch it back.
Caeden shook his head and grinned. His dimple stood out and I couldn’t resist kissing it. Who cared if my parents were sitting across from us?
“Mrs. Beaumont let me help you with that,” Caeden said and began to clean up the table.
“Thank you Caeden,” she smiled and her eyes crinkled around the edges. That was new. “And please call me Christine.”
“Christine,” he said and stacked the plates on top of each other.
Mom and Caeden disappeared inside with the dishes and I was alone with my dad.
He pulled a cigar from his pocket and lit it.
“What did you and Caeden talk about?” I asked, not even bothering with subtlety.
He laughed around the smoke in his lungs. “He just needed to ask me something that’s all.”
“Well, what was it?”
“Something he needed to talk with a father about,” he said and blew out a cloud of smoke. I coughed.
I narrowed my eyes. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Just that he needed to talk to a man.”
With his vague answers I felt like I was talking to a fortuneteller. The billowy smoke from his cigar added to the mysterious aura.
“Thanks for not answering my question,” I groaned and rolled my eyes.
He laughed and stretched his legs up on the table. “I have a feeling you’re going to know the answer to your question soon.”
“Thank you oh wise one.”
“I miss your humor,” he smiled.
“Garrett!” Mom yelled from inside. “Get your feet off the table.”
“Busted,” dad smiled and slowly lifted his feet off and planted them on the floor. “Sorry honey!” he called.
Ten minutes or so later, mom and Caeden joined us again. Caeden’s hands smelled like lemon dish soap and it made me smile.
“Have you thought of any more questions?” my dad asked as he leaned forward to extinguish his stub of a cigar.
I entwined my fingers in Caeden’s before saying, “Is there anything you think we should know?”
Dad cleared his throat. “Have you heard of the binding ceremony?”
“No,” I said. “What is that?”
Dad chuckled. “Shifters have a traditional wedding just like humans but there’s an extra element to ours and it’s the binding ceremony. It’s quite beautiful and still practiced today but it has a different meaning for mates. Your souls merely recognize each other right now, they’ve chosen the other person, but the binding ceremony binds your heart, body, and soul to the other forever; even in death.”
“It sounds scary not beautiful,” I snorted.
“I’m sure at your age it does sound a bit frightening but I can assure you it’s anything but.”
Caeden cleared his throat. “So for mates it literally binds us?”
“Yes,” my dad said and looked at my mom with so much love. I would normally find it disgusting but now that I had the same with Caeden I couldn’t think that anymore. “You become even more in tune to the other person thoughts, feelings, and their emotions. When you fight you’re stronger, unstoppable, when you’re together. The things you can do become limitless.”
“Wow,” Caeden breathed. “I had no clue.”
“So you did the binding ceremony?” I asked my parents.
My mom shook her head no. “We did it ourselves,” she squeezed dad’s hand, “but in order to work properly it has to be performed by the head elder of the council. Our binding is weak.”
“Oh.”
She smiled at me. “Sophie, I know what you’re thinking and that’s not true. We could’ve never stayed there. It wouldn’t have been allowed. A Grimm and a Beaumont…” she shook her head, “It was blasphemy. You are not the cause of this my beautiful girl.”
“I’m sorry,” I said and stood up, shoving the chair back in my haste. I stormed down the porch steps into the sand.
I walked as fast as my feet would carry me. When the house was no longer in my sight I fell to my knees. I didn’t cry I just sat there and stared at the falling sun.
Sacrifices. So. Many. Sacrifices. And I knew that my parent’s sacrifices were only the beginning.
I brought my knees up to my chest and rested my chin there. The evening air was cool and goosebumps soon appeared on my skin but I didn’t move. Couldn’t move.
The sky burned a brilliant orange. Tints of lavender and pink dotted the sky. It was a beautiful sunset, one you can only see from shore. With the water receding in the distance the world looked infinite. If only that was true.
Caeden sat down beside me. I knew it was him. I didn’t even need to look. There was just a certain feeling of calm that stole over me whenever he was around.
He draped a jacket over my shoulders.
Archie and Murphy played nearby.
“I didn’t ask for this life,” I breathed.
“None of us did, Sophie, but it’s all we’ve ever known.”
“What if I can’t do this Caeden? What if I can’t be a shifter? An Alpha?”
“You can Sophie, it’s in your blood.”
“Everybody keeps saying that!” I snapped.
“It’s the truth,” he said quietly.
Tears glistened in my eyes but I dammed them back. “So many sacrifices have been made Caeden. By everyone. I don’t know if I can do the same.”
“You can, I believe in you.”
“I’m glad one of us does,” I laughed shakily and stretched my arms into his warm jacket. I then wrapped it around me. “Thanks for the jacket,” I tried to smile.
He tentatively opened his arms. I leaned into his embrace. His woodsy smell engulfed my lungs.
“This life is a blessing, Sophie, not a curse.”
“I’m sorry, I know that.”
“No, you don’t,” he said and I could feel him shake his head. I burrowed my head against his warm neck. “Ever since you found out about this world you’ve only seen the bad.”
“That’s not true,” I whispered and hated that I had caused his thoughts to wander this way.
“It is true. Between what happened to me, what Travis did to you, and hearing about Bentley’s brother you must think we’re all like that.”
“Our pack isn’t like Travis,” I said and looked up into his vibrant blue eyes. Right now they were less vibrant and more stormy colored, almost gray.
He smiled, a genuine smile, “Our pack?”
I sighed. “It’s our pack Caeden. I need to stop thinking of myself as something outside the
pack and instead as an insider.”
“You are an insider,” he said, “to the greatest pack ever.”
We both smiled. Our previous melancholy disappeared.
“It’s beautiful here,” he said. “Nothing at all like I was expecting.”
He wiggled around and fixed me between his legs so I could rest back against his chest.
“Same here. I don’t know what I thought it would like but it was definitely not this.”
The water was gray and the town was small but its simplicity only made it more beautiful.
“I’m so happy I found you,” I kissed his cheek.
He grinned. “Yeah, sorry about dropping the cupcakes on the floor.”
I laughed and it felt good. “It was cute and you certainly made an impression.”
He shook his shaggy head. “I was so embarrassed.”
“Not as much as me when I fell off the treadmill,” I added rather glumly.
Caeden hooted with laughter. “That was hilarious. Your face! Ah, that was classic. I’ll be telling our grandkids about that one day.”
“Grandkids?” I turned around and smiled at him.
“Well,” he squirmed suddenly nervous, “I like kids and I just assumed that sometime in the future there’d be little Caeden and Sophie’s running around.” He shrugged and squinted into the sunset.
I settled myself against him once more. “I like kids and I want kids but it’s just strange to think about it right now. Talk to me about it again in a few years.” First my mom and now Caeden! Jeesh, we weren’t even out of high school!
Caeden laughed. “Alright, we’ll talk about it again in a few years.” His chin rested on my head and he inhaled.
“Cookies?” I joked.
“Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies,” he said.
We sat there until the sun went down. With the stars twinkling above us, I stood. “We better get back.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” he said and stood as well, brushing sand off of his shorts. He pulled me to him and placed his hands on my cheeks. He slowly lowered his head until his lips touched mine. The kiss was slow and sweet. He then kissed me on my head and said, “I love you, Sophie, so much. Never forget that.”
“Your love would be impossible to forget.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” he grinned and kissed me again.
three.
Giggling, we opened the screened door and walked into the kitchen.
“Sophie-” mom called and I could hear her getting up from the couch.
“Sorry about running out,” I said.
“Baby girl,” she said and wrapped her arms around me. “You’ve got to stop worrying about me and your daddy. We made our decisions and there’s not a single one that I regret.”
“Sorry about running off,” I repeated. “That isn’t like me,” I pulled away from her embrace.
She patted my cheek. “You’ve been through a lot. I think you’re allowed to freak out now and then.” She took a breath and pulled away. “We’re going to bed. See you two in the morning. Night.”
“Goodnight,” Caeden said from where he was leaning against the wall.
“Nightie night mommy.”
“Nightie night Sophie,” she said.
When I was little she had always tucked me into my bed, read me a story, and before turning out the light she’d kiss me on my forehead and say, “Nightie night Sophie.” Even when I entered my teenage years she’d stop by room and say the same words.
“I’m going to shower,” Caeden said and moved away from the wall and down the hall.
“Kay,” I said.
Mom had gone upstairs but dad was in the living room stretched out in his recliner watching TV. I flopped onto the couch and sighed. Down the hallway I could hear the shower come on. I yawned.
“Sleepy?” dad asked.
“It’s been a long day,” I replied. “I better get ready for bed but I’m just too tired to move.”
Dad laughed. “I thought you might be different after being away for half a year but you’re still the same,” he shook his head.
“Should I be offended?” I asked and twisted around on the couch until my head hung off and the blood went rushing to my forehead.
“No,” he laughed. “You’re going to give yourself a headache if you hang upside down like that.”
“You suck,” I said and stuck my tongue out at him before flipping backwards off the couch.
“I’m your dad, it’s my job to suck the fun out of everything.”
“Well, you’re doing a great job,” I said and saluted him. His laughter sounded behind me as I headed down the hallway. Caeden was already out of the shower. Guys were so lucky, they didn’t have all this hair to wash.
I grabbed my pajamas and headed into the bathroom to take my own shower. A stinky Sophie was not a good thing.
My mom had about fifty bagillion different body washes, shampoos, and conditioners.
She was one of those people that bought it if she liked the scent, not caring that she had ten bottles at home.
I washed my hair and then scrubbed my body with a cookie scented wash. Caeden was going to love it. I should buy some when I get home. I committed the brand to my memory.
I dried my hair a bit with the towel and pulled on my PJs.
I turned the light off and slowly opened the door, creeping down the hallway to see if my dad had gone up to bed. Thankfully he was gone. Backing down the hallway I came to Caeden’s room. The door was closed and I eased it open.
“Sophie?”
“Shh,” I hissed.
“What are you doing?” he whispered and flicked the bedside lamp on.
I rolled my eyes. “You didn’t really think I was going to sleep across the hall by myself did you?”
“But your parents-” He protested.
“I don’t care, Caeden,” I pulled the sheets up and wiggled in beside him. “I’ve gotten so used to sleeping with you that I can’t sleep without you.”
He laughed and put his arm around me, holding me close. He sniffed my hair. “Is it just me or do you smell more like cookies than you usually do?”
I giggled and splayed my hand across his chest, watching it fall and rise as he breathed. “Yeah, mom had some cookie scented body wash.”
He pulled the sheet up over my shoulder and snuggled closer. “Your dad is so going to kill me in the morning.”
“He’ll have to go through me first,” I smiled.
“You’re so hot when you’re protective,” he breathed against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
“Go to sleep Caeden,” I said.
“I can’t now,” he said. “I just keep seeing you go all wolfy on your dad. How do you expect a guy to go to sleep with that image in his mind?”
I laughed. “Try, please? I’m tired.”
“Then you shouldn’t have gotten me all worked up,” he said but he leaned over and turned off the light. “Night babe,” he whispered but I was already asleep.
* * *
I woke up with my face pressed into Caeden’s chest. He was snoring softly and the sun was beginning to shine through the blind, lighting the blue walls. I pulled myself out of his death grip and he mumbled something in his sleep. Gosh, he was so adorable when he slept, so peaceful. I tiptoed to the door, opened it, and did a quick scan before scurrying across the hall to the room I was supposed to have slept in. I pulled the covers back and quickly covered myself when I heard steps on the stairs.
The steps came down the hallway and my door opened.
I feigned waking up. Stifling a yawn I said, “Morning mom.”
“Sophie Noelle Beaumont don’t act like I don’t know where you were sleeping last night,” she said, a coffee cup in her hand.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I stretched my arms above my head.
“Oh don’t you?” she quirked a brow.
Insider (Outsider Series) Page 3