“I guess we’ll find out”
“Yeah, I guess we will. I should fix her something to eat before I go back up”
“Yeah, you better butter her up before you drop the bomb on her.”
“Just shut up Mike, God! How is that you can make any problem that much bigger?”
“What! I just tell you how it is. You don’t want a second in command who sugar coats things do ya?”
“No, No, but I wish you weren’t such a pain in the butt about it. Now, help me find something for her to eat.”
47
CAMILLE & ALEX
The shower felt wonderful. This was the first time I felt like myself in a month. I can’t believe it took passing out to end up in Devin’s arms. I don’t know why I have been avoiding him. It felt so good for him to hold me, like he had held me for years instead of for the first time.
“Alex, can I come in?” Camille asked as she cracked open the bathroom door.
“Just a sec, I’m almost done” Alex told her as she shut the water off and grabbed a towel.
“Come on in”, Alex told Camille. “I need your help any way. I need to make myself look half way decent.”
“Ok, how are you feeling?” Camille asked
“A lot better now”
“I want to know what was going on up here” Camille asked Alex with a sheepish grin.
“Sleep”
“Are you sure?”
“Look at me Camille, the bags are gone from under my eyes. What do you think I was doing?”
“I know, I just wanted to tease you. You do look better.” Camille said
“Do you know what’s going on? I thought I heard Devin say that he had an idea about what’s going on.”
“Yeah, but I’m going to let him tell you. He practically growled at me and told me he would bite my head off if I said a word” Camille answered Alex with a teasing hint.
“You’re such a drama queen Camille. Help me fix my hair so I can get back to Devin.”
“What’s up with the sudden change. One minute you don’t want to be any where near him, and the next you can’t get close enough.”
“I don’t know what changed. Once he held me in his arms, I don’t know everything just changed. It felt like that he had held me like that for years and that’s where I was supposed to be. I felt safe and comfortable and loved. I know how stupid it sounds so don’t roll your eyes at me.”
“It’s animal attraction” Camille said
“What?”
“It’s like you’re a dog in heat” Camille said with a snicker this time.
“Just shut up and help me”
“Ok, Ok”. Camille surrendered. Camille had dried Alex’s hair and was now putting the flat iron through it.
“I told Mike that I love him.” Camille blurted out.
“Oh my gosh! Did he say it back?”
“Of course he did. He’s crazy about me.” Camille said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Well, I’m happy for the both of you.”
“Thanks, I think I have to go get a booster on my tetanus shot though” Camille mumbled under her breath.
“What?” Alex asked
“Oh nothing.”
God, what was Camille’s problem Alex thought. I would have told her to leave me alone except for the fact that she can make me look like a million bucks, and I really wanted to impress Devin when I saw him again. I couldn’t think about anything that had to do with the dreams or what was going on. Only about seeing Devin. Would he kiss me when he came back? Or would he act like a jerk again? Well, I’m not falling all over him until he falls all over me. I won’t be made a fool of. A rap at the door pulled me back to now. Of course it was Devin, and Mike came in behind him. Devin was carrying a tray of food.
“Hey” Devin said in a low reserved voice.
“Hey” was all I could say back.
“Come on Camille, lets go down stairs and let them talk” Mike said.
“Sure” Camille said as she took Mike’s hand and they headed out the door. “I don’t want to hear any howling up here” Camille shouted back over her shoulder giving Alex a sly grin. Alex and Devin both ignored her. Their focus was on each other.
48
DEVIN & ALEX
“You hungry?” Devin asked.
“Starved”
Devin walked over to where Alex was setting on the bed and placed the tray beside her. Alex gaped at the huge pile of sandwiches and at least three different drinks and an array of condiments.
“I don’t know what you like so I made up a bunch of things.” Devin explained.
“Thanks, I really appreciate it. Do you want something?”
“Sure, but you pick what you want first.”
“I don’t think we’re in danger of not having enough to eat,” Alex giggled. Devin lowered his head and flushed a little. Not necessarily from what Alex said, but because they were alone in her bedroom. This time both of them fully awake and aware of each other. Devin could smell the freshness of her skin and the faint smell of Jasmine, probably from her shampoo.
Alex took a sandwich and a coke and Devin grabbed one too. Devin chose to take a seat in the floor leaning on the edge of the bed. They both ate in silence. Neither knew exactly what to say. When Alex finished her sandwich, she laid down on the bed and bent her head over the edge to look at Devin.
“Sooo, do you know what’s going on?” Alex asked
“Yeah” Devin answered
“Are you going to tell me?”
“Yeah”
Alex waited patiently, but Devin never said anything. He just finished eating his sandwich.
“Today?” Alex said with more anger than she meant to, but it did get Devin’s attention.
“Ok, but you’re not going to like it.”
“Well, I figured that much already. I mean with how willing you are to spill the beans.” Alex said sarcastically.
“Please, give me a minute Alex. This is not going to be easy.” Devin pleaded.
“Does Camille know?”
“Yeah, Mike told her while you were asleep.”
“It couldn’t be too bad. She told him that she loved him.”
“Oh, I don’t think you will have the same reaction to the news.”
Silence. Alex was trying to give Devin time to explain things but she really was loosing patience.
“Alex?” Devin asked in almost a whisper. He turned to face her at last. “Tell me what you think is going on. Look at me and look inside and tell me what your spirit feels.” It was a peculiar question, but Alex understood what Devin meant. Alex stared into Devin’s big brown eyes. She saw kindness there. She had seen the same kindness somewhere else. But where? Devin reached up and stroked his thumb across her cheek and twined his fingers around the back of her neck. When Devin touched Alex she forgot everything else. All she could think about was getting closer to him. Devin rose to his feet, and gently rolled Alex over onto her back, his hand still around her the back of her neck. He came up on the bed next to her. He leaned closer to her. She could feel his breath on her face and smell that wonderful smell that only belonged to him. She drew in a deep breath to savor that smell. “Alex?” Devin whispered along her chin. “What do you want? What do you feel?”
Alex couldn’t hardly breath. Her body trembled. She didn’t know if she could get the words out. So instead of saying anything she hooked her fingers in his hair and drew him to her. Their lips met. It was a gentle kiss, soft and caring. Devin drew back to look into her eyes again. Alex ran her fingers through the soft curls that tipped the ends of his hair. When her eyes met his again, it came to her where she knew them from. Her wild dog out in the back yard. She looked at Devin with puzzlement.
“Say exactly what you are thinking Alex. No matter how strange.”
“I’m thinking that you have the same eyes as my wild dog out back.”
Devin smiled at that. “Your dog huh?”
“Well, it’s
not exactly my dog, but it comes to see me.”
“That’s because he’s worried about you, and he wants to be near you.”
“How would you know that?” Alex asked, but she had a feeling she already knew. She began setting up on the bed. Devin rolled away to sit up too. He knew it was too good to be true. Alex stared at him with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open.
“Your…my…dog?” Alex whispered. “But…. how?” Alex was sitting on her knee’s shaking her head back and forth in disbelief. “The stories…..can’t……my grandfathers legends……..be true”, she whispered. Alex raised her eyes to meet Devin’s and saw the truth there in his eyes. It was all true.
“I’m your………mate? You’re my dog?” I dreamed about you for months before I ever saw you. Alex was just rattling off everything that was going through her mind. I guess trying to make sense of some of this.
“Alex, I know it’s a lot to take in, but please understand that I never meant to hurt you. It’s my natural instinct to protect you. That’s why Stephen and I were always going at each other.”
“He’s a part of this?” Alex asked
“Yeah, he’s the son of the other tribes chief.”
“Oh. Does he know all this stuff?”
“It’s the same for his tribe as it is mine. He’s looking for a mate as well.” Devin explained.
“So, he asked me out to get back at you?”
Devin didn’t want to tell her the truth, he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. “He knew who you were before I did, and he thought he could steal you away and disrupt the call. Then he could have you all to his self and our tribe would be weakened in the process. If the next generation Alpha doesn’t find a Calusa descendant then the power of the wolf will be returned to the earth.” Devin explained.
Alex sat in silence for a moment. “No more dog?” She whispered
“No more wolf Alex, we are wolves.” Devin replied with sorrow deep within.
“Wolves? Oh, that must be hard for you to think about. It’s hard for me to think about and I’ve only known the, Alex hesitated with her choice of words, wolf for a few weeks.”
“Yeah, you have no idea how much fun it is.” A big smile came across his face. Alex could see how much it meant to him. A twinge of doubt rose up in her at that moment. Would he even have noticed me if I didn’t have that Indian blood coursing through my veins? Of course he wouldn’t have. It has to be someone with that Indian blood. But he didn’t choose me. My ancestory chose me. He only wants me so he can stay a wolf. Tears spilled over and down her cheek.
“Hey, Alex, Hey, please don’t cry. I’m sorry I had to spring all this on you at once.”
“It’s not that. I don’t care that you’re my dog.”
“Then what’s the matter?”
“It just seems that you have no choice.”
“No choice?” A crease formed in Devin’s forehead, “No choice in what? Being a wolf? No I guess I don’t have a choice, but I don’t mind it, really, I wouldn’t want I any other way.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Alex snapped.
“No? Then what do you mean?”
“I mean about me!” More tears came spilling out even though Alex was trying hard to hold them back. This is ridiculous. He tells me he’s a wolf, and I’m worried about why he wants to date me.
Devin looked at Alex with understanding. He knew what she meant now. He could see the hurt in her face. Even though she was trying to hide it. He had to be careful how he explained it. I guess now that he thought about it, he really didn’t have a choice, but it didn’t matter. Devin scooted off the bed and came around into the floor in front of where Alex was sitting. He wrapped her hands in his.
“Alex, it’s not like you think. The bonding is the most wonderful thing that could happen. When a pair is bonded it’s for life, and it’s a good life. My parents still act like two teenagers.”
“You didn’t even notice me before though. How can I be your mate if you didn’t even see me before?”
“I was an idiot before. Mike kindly pointed that out. My 18th birthday is approaching and in the past the mate has came to us by then. I was in a panic thinking no one was coming. Usually the girl makes it real obvious who she is.” He smiled as he remembered the story of his mom and dad. “My mom walked up to my dad without saying a word and kissed him, and I don’t mean a little kiss. Dad told me it was so passionate that his knee’s went weak. I thought if it was you that you wouldn’t be able to stay away from me. Then you went out with Stephen.”
“Don’t remind me,” Alex moaned.
“My dad told me that the blood line was getting weaker, and that was the reason that I hadn’t found you yet. How did you do it?” Devin asked Alex with a puzzled look on his face.
Alex blushed and ducked her head. “It wasn’t as easy as you might think. The first day I met you do you remember me bolting from the lunch room?”
“Yeah.”
“I was fighting not touching you the whole time and I couldn’t resist any more. I either had to touch you or leave. Touching is not me. That’s Camille.” Alex laughed. “And… I have fainted twice because of you.”
“What?”
“Did you think I had a drinking problem or something?” Alex joked
“No, I ……….I didn’t really know.”
“Well, when I was around you I would get dizzy headed and sometimes I would forget to breath. Your smell drives me crazy.” Alex was really red now.
“Really?” Devin was grinning from ear to ear now.
Alex threw a pillow at him and said, “ Don’t get the big head now”
“Sorry, It’s just nice to know that you weren’t completely immune to my charms.”
“Charms?” Alex laughed. “You were far from charming most of the time, but I still couldn’t resist. Hey, will the dreams stop now?” Alex asked Devin
“Well, we have a problem in that department. The dreams would stop if it was just the call. But I’m afraid that Stephen has been interfering with your dreams.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, even though we have modern practices, we still have our very spiritual elders among the tribe. They keep us up to date on all the old rituals and beliefs. It keeps us grounded in the old ways. We think that Stephen has been meddling in your dreams. My dad thinks that their medicine man has taught him an old ritual of dream walking.”
“What do mean?”
“I think that while you dream, Stephen is meditating on your sleep plain and when you dream of me he’s coming into the dream to cause trouble. He’s trying to come between us.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s a very bad person. Always has been. The animosity between me and him goes way back. He’s always tried to pick a fight with me. I think it’s because our tribe is dominant to his, and technically I’m alpha over him too. He doesn’t like that.”
“So, what do we do?” Alex asked. Devin was rubbing his thumb along her hand making it very hard for her to concentrate.
“Hummm?” Devin said. Devin was having a bit of trouble concentrating with Alex so close. “I’m going to take you to my house. My dad has some ideas about what to do.”
“Okay, does he know about me?” Alex asked
“Yeah, he can’t wait to meet you. Neither can the rest of the town. I’m sorry but when I bring you there, everyone will be trying to get a look at you. They will know who you are.”
“How will they know? Haven’t you ever had a date before?”
“No.”
“No?” Alex asked in disbelief. “How is that possible?”
“Well, being the alpha, things are different for me.”
“How so?”
“I wait for my mate.” Devin raised his eyes to meet hers. “I was waiting for you.” He told her.
Alex melted. She could feel the truth in his words. Maybe that’s why she never dated either. Maybe she was waiting on him. Devin rose up on his knee’s stretching his l
ong lean body up to meet Alex as he pulled her closer to him. Alex slid down the bed till she was close to Devin. She slid her hands up his arms as they came around her waist, and she continued to glide along Devin’s arms till she came to his shoulders. She could feel the muscle lying under his shirt and imagined what he would look like with it off. She twined her fingers in his hair. Those soft curls at the ends that drove her crazy. Devin’s hands slid up to the center of her back and then he pulled till Alex was pressed to him. Their eyes met and nothing else in the world existed but them and now.
Devin touched her lips with his. Alex felt the tingle go all through her body. The kiss started soft and slow, but soon grew. Alex parted her lips to allow Devin’s tongue to come into her mouth. They pulled each other closer and explored each others mouths. Devin released the kiss from her lips to slide down to her neck. Alex couldn’t hardly breath at this point. She had never felt these things before. It was both exciting and frightening at the same time. She wanted to be with Devin but she wasn’t ready for all this yet. Devin’s mouth met hers again. A low noise somewhere between a moan and a growl vibrated through Devin's chest. Alex could feel the vibration pass through to her body. She sucked in a deep breath and Devin pressed her closer to him. She noticed his breathing was shallow too. So it wasn’t just her. Alex placed both her hands on Devin’s cheeks and pulled back from the kiss. Giving him small kisses instead. She needed to get control of herself.
“Wow,” Devin breathed out
“Wow,” Alex echoed.
Their moment was interrupted with a knock on the door. They both scrambled to right themselves as the door swung open. Camille came in with a stunned look on her face as she realized that she had interrupted.
“Oh, sorry!” She stammered out. “Mike sent me up here to see if you were ready to go.”
Devin looked at Alex and then back to Camille and said. “Yeah, we need to get to my dad’s so we can see if we can get rid of these dreams.”
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