Marked Love

Slowly Moving Forward

Chapter Seven

"Hey." Caleb says rubbing his hands on my behind as I look for some orange juice. "HI." I smile at him and kiss him lightly on the cheek. "I missed you this morning. What time did you wake up?" He asks taking the orange juice from me and pouring us a glass.

"Umm. Oh I don't know. Maybe six?" I say not remembering what time I was waken up by another nightmare. I look down at my knuckles, stil bruised.

"Do you want to hunt this morning?" He asks me bringing me my glass. I nod sipping the sweet drink wanting to get Jake out of my head. "We will have to bring him something back as well." Caleb says nodding down below us.

I roll my eyes. "Its only been one day." I tell him not really thinking it will be a good idea. "But since he's been feeding almost every hour he will need to eat at least once a day. And he won't like the meat we bring back." Caleb smiles at me and I shake my head.

"I don't know why we don't just kill him now. Why do we have to pre-pair him to fight?" I ask annoyed and set my juice away from me before I break the glass. "We aren't preparing him for anything Skylar. He needs to eat. We can't just let him starve and then die." Caleb shakes his head. I know he doens't understand and he's getting angry with me.

I take a deep breath adn grab his hands. "I'm sorry!" I tell him and tuck my head in his neck. I feel his warm hands around me and relax.

"Lets go." I tell him and we get up and leave the house.

We change instantly. Letting our bones crack and twist loving how it feels. I can't remember the last time we changed together, or even hunted together before we came out to the pack house. I haven't hunted in a few days. Usually I don't go this long but since Caleb has healed me I totally forgot about my hunger. 

We catch two bucks easily and take half of the other back to the house. We throw it down in the basement before anyone notices that we have fed the beast.

Caleb and I shower one last time for the day and sit on the couch waiting for the rest of the pack to join us.

Instead its just Jade. I haven't seen her in a while since we went on the scavenger hunt for Jake and it already seems as if she has gotten bigger. "You ready for that baby?" Caleb asks Jade making small talk. I can't remember the last time they talked just one on one.

I look at Jade and see how much she has matured. From being my mentor on being marked and mated to getting pregnant with the one man I always knew she would be with. I mean look at Bella, she already has a mate who would do anything to protect her. My pack is growing up so fast pretty soon they will start their own pack.

"All I'm ready for is for him to come out." Jade says rubbing her belly and I look at her. I could never have kids. I wouldn't know what to do with them, hold them and take care of them yes. But...

Does Caleb even want kids? Hopefully not. I loved seeing him play with Lily but that was enough.

"So where is everyone?" I ask her wondering what is taking everyone so long. Its almost noon. "Oh. They had to go hunting. They wanted to prepare." She mutters rubbing her belly some more and then turning back to her bulging belly.

"Preparing?" I whisper at Caleb wondering what she means. I didn't know we were going to do anything right away. I thought we were going to wait for him to starve? "I don't know what their plan is. All I know is that they have to be at their strongest. So they all went out, even Bella." Jade says looking at Caleb and I. This is serious. What are they planning to do to him?

"They aren't going to kill him are they?" I turn to Caleb knowing he has to be in on their plan. He just shakes his head. "We aren't aloud to touch him." Caleb says and I stand up. "Touch him? We don't even know what he wants yet!" I yell at him not understanding what he means or what everyone plans on doing. "You think he will just let us kill him?" I ask Caleb and he shakes his head. "Why are you getting so upset?" Caleb asks me and I look at Jade. She seems frightened of me.

I shake my head and fall to the living room floor. "I-I-I don't know." I tell them not knowing why I am getting upset. "Maybe it is for the best if they just kill him right away." I look up at the two of them. The one's I love the most.

I walk over to Caleb and sit in his lap. "So then we can finally get on with our lives." I tell him and kiss his lips wanting our life to start already. "I'm so sick of always being hunted or hunting other people." I tell them both looking at Jade and her bulging belly. "We will figure out whatever is going on." Caleb takes my head in his hands and kisses me on the forehead. I relax.

I love being in Caleb's arms, I feel safe, at home. I love this feeling he gives me. Then a cry of a howl breaks my safety. I get up but I am stopped by a small tug on my wrist. "Just leave him be." Caleb tries to pull me back to the couch but I hesitate. "He's been doing it all morning." Jade says looking at me and I look at her. Then at Caleb.

"He needs to talk to me." I tell Caleb and he shakes his head. "It will be really quick. I promise." I tell him and he lets go of my arm. I kiss his forehead and then leave the living room to go down to the basement.

When I reach the basement it wreeks of old meat and rotten milk.

"What do you need?" I ask him not being able to see him but his red beaty eyes. "I want to talk to you." He whimpers his voice ragged and not like Jake. "What is it?" I ask him and take a seat on the steps. I'm safe here, he can't touch me here. He's chained up. Which is cruel but he is dangerous.

"Why did you go away with him?" He asks his voice sounding hoarse. "Who? Caleb?" I ask him wondering what he means. Go away with him? "Jake. Caleb is my mate." I tell him wondering if he doesn't know this. "But why? You love me not him. He's the one in our way. Keeping us apart." Jake shakes his head but his words are mush. "Jake, your confused. Caleb is my mate and he keeps me safe while your out killing people." I tell him wondering if he even knows hes hurting others.

"No. You want me too. You wanted me to find you." Jake hisses and it scares me. "Jake you need help. Don't worry we are going to get you some help okay?" I tell him but he's saying something over my words. I can hear a dark growl coming from in his chest.

He yells loudly that sends goosebumps up my spine. I'm frozen. He screams one more time before raddling the chains and I instantly get up and run into Caleb's chest. He wraps his arms around me and carries me out. "Are you okay?" He asks me and I look at his hazel eyes. I nod not sure if my voice is strong enough to talk.

"What happened?" He asks me and I shake my head.

"Jake is confused." I gasp.