Navy Wolf

Chapter 36

In the fantasy realm,

intelligence is the enchanted key that unlocks the mysteries of the wolf's spirit.

☾

"You're not going anywhere."

Anakin and I had made sure that Kaven got home safe while still being exhausted from the assault almost a week ago.
I was preparing something to eat - a soup to be quite precise - and had to listen to Anakin's rants about how important I were to Kaven and that he couldn't heal properly if he himself took care of him.
As if I wanted to leave because I didn't care about Kaven.
Anakin stood next to the kitchen isle tilting his head staring down at me. "He needs you."
"I'm not leaving, Anakin. Where the hell do you get these ideas from?" I tried not to sound too scolding but he was getting on my last nerve.
He leaned against the edge of the counter, pursing his lips. "He told me you'd leave if I stayed, so I'm trying to make sure that I can leave so you can't."
I chopped the onions into the pan. These two for god's sake.
Almost fifteen minutes he had been in the kitchen now, trying to convince me - when I was thinking about taking Kaven back home. Knowing him, he wouldn't want to be a burden to anybody. So we came to the penthouse. Anakin had to go back to uni and Nathan visited for a short while then returned when he found out I was going to take care of Kaven. Not that he needed much. They just exaggerated when it came to his condition.

Well, Anakin did.
I also had caught Nathan suppress a micro-smirk so I knew they were just pretending.
I sighed.
"I'm staying," I stated, putting the knife down. „But I'll need you to be there if shit goes down. How am I going to carry him, if he needs medical attention?"
Anakin shrugged. „The docs going to come here."
The reason I wanted Anakin to stay wasn't because I didn't want to take care of Kaven. The reason was more than that.
The night of the assault at the restaurant something had changed. In Kaven's eyes there hadn't been that kind, admiring grey-green gaze. There had been thirst for blood. Eagerness for murder. A joy in slaughter.
And I didn't know what I'd do if that creeped back up in him and I had to stare death in it's eye again.
I took a deep breath. "Can you at least bring this to him?"
He took the cup of porridge with strawberries out of my hands and walked to the master bedroom not saying a single word.

Just before I followed with a couple of napkins, fresh towels, a jug of water and Kaven's painkillers I turned the stove on low heat, put the knife away and wiped the surface clean. The soup can simmer away for a couple of minutes, I thought to myself.

I should have brought Riley here. She'd keep me company while Kaven recovered and maybe then I could have convinced Anakin to stay. Just maybe.
I heard the brothers muffled conversation through the door gap. As I stepped closer I heard my name.
"I was scared for River."
"Well, you shouldn't have picked the full moon's night to go on a romantic dinner date with her."
"I completely forgot about that."
"Yeah, bro, like you did an epic job. I bet that's the reason she doesn't want to be alone with you."
"She-...she's scared?"
"Yeah, I can sense it. But don't make it too obvious that you know."
A silent pause.
"I thought I had everything under control."
"Are you two finally together now?"
"Why would I tell you that, you little shit?"
"I don't know. Maybe the scent you marked her with is noticeable a mile away!" Anakin hissed his last words and I stepped inside making both of them jump.
"River," Kaven mumbled softly sitting up in his ginormous bed.
I kept quiet and walked around the bed to the other side where there was a desk and put the towels and napkins on it. "It's time for you to take your medicine," I commented realizing I had interrupted their conversation.
"Yeah, I should get going." Anakin got up and silently bowed toward me in a way of saying good-bye before slapping Kaven's cheek in a playful way and walking out the door. "Bye, River."
"Let me walk you to the door," I called stepping forward when Anakin just waved me indicating that it was okay.
And then the front door clicked closed and Kaven and I were alone.