The Courting

Chapter Nineteen

"I was so scared after you called," Caleb said.

We were laying in my bed, my head on his chest, his heartbeat steady in my ear. Our heartbeat.

"I know," I said, "I could feel it."

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," he said. He adjusted his grip on me, holding me just a bit tighter.

"What would happen?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me, "Would you get back with Sophie?"

"No," he said, his voice stern, "after a mate dies...most of us can't handle it." He paused for a moment before continuing, "You might be able to move on, find someone to spend the rest of your life with. That's an advantage of being human. I could never be with anyone else."

I lifted my head, resting my chin on his chest so that I could look up at him. "I don't think I could ever be with anyone else either. Nothing would ever feel as right as this."

"We won't have to worry about that for a long time," he said, rubbing his thumb over the cut on my forehead. "What were you doing in the woods today?"

"I couldn't think of a good excuse not to," I said, my eyes pleading for him not to be angry at me, "it's not like I could've told her we need to be careful of werewolves."

"But you did know that hikers were being attacked," he said, "they could know about us, it's possible you were targeted."

I sat up, rubbing my temples, "You're overthinking it, he just came at us because we were there."

"I'm not willing to take any chances," he said, getting out of the bed. Caleb walked over to my desk where a bottle of Tylenol sat, he opened the cap and shook a few pills into his hand. "I'm going to make sure that nothing like this happens again."

"What are you going to do? You can't be with me all the time," I said, taking the pills from him and washing them down with the glass of water on my night stand.

"If I can't be there I'll make sure another pack member is," he said.

"Don't you think that's a little much?"

"Do you not realize you could've died today?" He said, his voice raising, "We still don't know who these wolves are, if they're part of a pack even! We don't know anything about them, and how the fuck am I supposed to protect you if I don't know what the hell I'm up against!"

"Caleb," I said, standing and grabbing for his arm. I stumbled slightly. Caleb quickly wrapped a strong arm around me, supporting my weight. "I'm fine. I'm okay," I said.

"Please stop saying you're fine, it doesn't stop me from worrying about you," he said, setting a gentle hand on my cheek.

I began to make an attempt at a joke when my phone rang.

A chill ran down my back, knowing that the only call I'd be getting this time of night would be from the hospital.

"I'll get it," Caleb said.

"No," I said, grabbing the phone off the night stand. "Hello?"

"Miss Parker? This is the South Peninsula Hospital," the voice answered.

"This is she," I said, trying my best to make my voice steady.

"I was just calling to let you know that your grandmother is out of surgery and she's stable."

I sighed, relieved. "Thank you," I said, before hanging up. "She's okay. Can you take me back to the hospital?" I asked, Caleb.

"Birdie, I think you should rest-"