Navy Wolf

Chapter 43

In the moonlit silence, 

the wolves' chorus weaves a tale of ancient secrets and primal dreams beneath the starlit canopy. 

☾

"Are you guys, like...dating?"

I was just taking a sip of my black and sugar-free coffee that the house-intern barista just had prepared for me and I almost spilled everything on my white silk blouse when I heard Caleb's unexpected question.
After the weekend I had spent at Kaven's penthouse my dad had called and asked when I was coming back home.

Rightfully asked question because Kaven had recovered but I had still stayed on his insistence.
Now it seemed really awkward so on our way to my office I told Kaven that I was going back home after work.

He accepted under one condition: I had to use his car or someone had to pick me up.

So I asked Riley to come and get me with my own car to which she agreed.

I was happy and looking forward to see my sister again but my high spirit got wrenched by my work colleague.
Caleb and I just had lunch and the after coffee should be something relaxing but it wasn't. Not anymore.

„So how are the others back in Parksville doing? I wish I had asked Amber for her number to stay in contact."

„Wow," Caleb sighed and dropped his head. „You're changing the subject now."
I blinked at him with a bitter expression to which he raised his brows.
"I should have known."
"Huh?," I commented still swallowing the coffee trapped in my throat.
"You and Kaven," he rushed, creating an o-shape around his own coffee cup with his fingers. Shook his head. „Always the same with him."

„What do you mean?"

„Of course. You guys were staying at the same house. Sooner or later he'd make a move."

„Excuse me?"

My indignation finally caught his attention. Licking his lips he swang his head around, visibly irritated.

I shook my head in total disbelief. „Do you really think this is the right place to talk about this stuff? With me?"

But that question just fired the coals in his already heated oven.

He turned around to face me. „Did he tell you that I asked for your number?"

I froze. „Where the hell are you going with this?"

„He didn't."

„He did, actually," I countered.

Caleb let out a breathless laugh. „You don't have to defend him by lying."

The barriers of my boundaries had been reached. Usually my tolerance was quite high but he was really pushing it. So I took a deep breath before replying. "Why are we talking about this?"
The other colleagues were sitting at the couches which created small groups within themselves and were chatting away under the glass roof of this office building. Bright sun beams shone through and lit up the entire workspace creating a soft and comfortable ambience - which is why Caleb probably thought he could ask me anything he wanted when it came to my private life.

"Since when are you guys dating?," he asked, ignoring my question.
"I don't know," I replied dryly. "Why are we talking about this?," I asked again. This time not hiding the annoyance in my tone.
"You know, we're going to spend a lot of time together working on this project. We should get along."
"Oh, do we?," I said, loading my voice with sarcasm. "Then you should stop asking inappropriate questions. And by the way - I'm only here for a couple of months and this project is set up for two years. I do not owe you anything."
I got up from the bar we were sitting at and grabbed my blazer. „Oh," I added, pushing his buttons with my mildly aggressive way of talking. „And if you ever talk shit about Kaven again, I will rip out your fucking tongue."

Pushing myself off the counter of the coffee bar, I stalked my way to the exit when he suddenly called my name. I didn't stop. I just kept walking, my belligerent steps resounding on the parquet floor mixing with the chatter of our colleagues from the other departments.
Then he called something after me that caught me off guard: „He hasn't told you, has he?"
I stopped.

Like a rusted lever I mechanically turned around facing him, his face not smiling not grinning. He was dead serious.
My brows furrowed now. „I already told you," I snarled, my voice fierce. Despite the fact that he didn't seem to enjoy my ignorance - and me looking ready to fight this motherfucker right here right now - he seemed laid back. Too calm. Arrogant almost.

Like he knew, that whatever he had on his mind would ruin me. And I got nervous.
This motherfucker slowly but surely really got on my nerves.
"I'm talking about the whole truth," he said.
"What. Whole. Truth," I gritted through my teeth.
Caleb took a side glance at the colleagues from HR sitting in the distance and walked toward me completely unbothered. Then he leaned in and whispered something near my ear. "What he really is...?"
I backed off, frowning at him when he slowly leaned back to look at me and I suddenly despised him. He wasn't playing a game. He was indeed serious. Psychopath serious.

Was this supposed to drive a wedge between me and Kaven?
Is he out of his goddamn mind?

"What the hell are you trying to accomplish?," I asked, spitting my words in his direction. I really had enough. "Kaven isn't hiding anything from me and even if he did, that is none of your goddamn business."
Disgust boiled up in my stomach and I wanted to vomit. All over this place and especially on him. The Caleb from the bowling game in Parksville had disappeared and an obnoxious, spineless piece of shit had appeared right in my face.
This is the type of friend Kaven kept around? I really had to have a talk with him about this.

I stepped off but his firm grip spun me around. I could hear the quiet growl in his throat. „I'm not talking about him being a fucking wolf," he hissed, then abruptly let go of me and stormed out of the cafeteria leaving me behind right in the middle of it.

***

My phone was shaking in my hands as I sat on my bed, in my parents house rethinking the conversation I had with Caleb this noon, while having Kaven's number under my trembling fingers to press on.
Confusion was eating me alive and I hated myself for being so weak and susceptible. But the fact that Caleb knew that Kaven was a wolf stirred everything out of order. I thought nobody except me was privy of this familys' secret but I guess I was wrong.
Who else knew about this? Did Kaven know Caleb was aware?
And what did Caleb mean by 'I'm not talking about him being a fucking wolf'?
What else was Kaven?

I slapped a hand to my forehead. The room was spinning.
And why would he keep this from me, I thought he trusted me.
I stared at his name on my phone, tempted to press on it to initiate the call but I hesitated.

My options weren't the most pleasant to choose from.

If I asked him, I'd seem like I didn't trust him. If I didn't, I'd let it fuck me up.

So I span in this game of vicious cycle of wether calling and confronting or keeping quiet and let it fuck me up in the head.

"River, come downstairs! Your friend is here!"

My moms muffled voice was not loud but I still almost dropped my phone in shock.

When I got downstairs my skin burned all over my body, leaving chills and tickles.

Kaven was here.

*****

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