15. Caleb

The wagons started rolling again, and darkness took her. Emmalyn was aware of a gentle warmth that cradled her while she slept. Arms held her delicately and gentle fingers moved over her when it seemed safe to change her bandages. There were murmurs, voices barely above a whisper now and then, but they were too quiet to make out words.

She lost the passage of time she slept. Her body shut down out of necessity to rest so she could heal more. Little by little, as time passed, her wounds healed, though much slower than when she was awake and rested. She would murmur in her sleep from time to time. Even his name crossed over her lips as she rested.

Several hours went by as they emerged from the woodlands into the open plains. They would reach the border by nightfall. Even from where they were, they could see the ancient forest that marked their home territory looming on the north horizon through the falling snow. The man cradling Emmalyn was not Farrel. His scent was different, but not unpleasant. More of a spiced warmth over the trademark earthiness their kind possessed.

The man was careful with her as he watched her closely through those hours she rested. Now and then, rubbing water on her lips to give her some form of nourishment. There were more murmurs when one of those gentle hands gripped her shoulder, shaking her as gently as possible to wake her.

“Wake up, little healer. You need to eat.”

She was still so tired, and there was a persistent pain in her head. She just wanted to sleep for a little while longer. Her brow creased. Something was wrong. Perhaps not wrong, but different. It wasn’t him; it wasn’t the hunter, Farrel. Someone called for her to wake. Through a force of will, she opened her eyes.

She gasped in surprise when she saw a stranger’s face looking down at her. Emmalyn moved her hands and arms weakly to push herself away from him. Her eyes grew wide as she attempted to withdraw into herself. Her teeth grit together in pain as she struggled to get away from him, hurting herself more.

The man reacted quickly and gripped both her wrists in his hand as his other arm wound around her shoulder to keep her held in place on his lap. Though he restrained her, he showed a great deal of control by not even bruising her flesh. His hands and arms were like bands of steel encased in velvet.

“Easy now. Emmalyn, right? My name’s Caleb,” he said lightly, flashing a wide smile. “Relax. We didn’t let those bloodsuckers take you. You’re still safe.”

Emmalyn simply didn’t have the energy to struggle very hard for very long. She was already spent by the time he spoke to her, her eyes fighting hard to stay open and focused on him. Her labored breathing rattled in her chest. Each time she blinked her eyes, it was a battle to open them again.

“Where…” she tried to speak, but it was difficult for her. She took a deep breath and tried again. “Where is… Farrel…?” she asked. She needed to know he was alright after what happened. It seemed so wrong for her to be there in the arms of another.

She worried. Something must have happened to him. Tears formed in her eyes and slid down from the corners of her eyes. With the pain of everything else, she could swear she felt her heart breaking.

Caleb looked alarmed when she started crying. That definitely wasn’t a reaction he usually got from women. Perhaps he was losing his touch? Maybe flashed a few too many teeth in that smile? He shook his head, getting rid of the insecurities with the motion, and reached up to wipe the salty tracks from her cheeks.

“Farrel’s upfront in the lead wagon. He told me to take care of you,” he assure her.

He shifted to sit up straighter, being extra cautious as he moved her onto his lap and reached for a covered wooden plate that had left for when she woke. A canteen of water, cooked meat, and fruits.

“I need you to eat, alright? Your body needs the nourishment.”

He was a handsome man, and she might have been more inclined to notice the day before. But, as it was, there was only one person she wanted to see, and it wasn’t him. Even then, Emmalyn felt something pull her towards the man that held her now. There was no explanation for it. Deep down, she felt she knew him. Emmalyn had to be strong though. That’s what Farrel told her. She stopped crying and tried to get a hold of herself. She was so tired and her emotions were all over the place. With much effort, she put the notion of Caleb from her mind.

She gave him a weak nod. She understood. Her body needed to keep healing and it wouldn’t do it if she wasn’t eating. But she wasn’t hungry. The pain had a way of taking hunger away from someone. She would have to force herself to eat. A part of her wanted to make a deal with him, to agree to eat if she could see the hunter, but she knew not to. That wouldn’t be something Farrel would want her to do, and it was about as childish as what she did the night before.

She took another deep breath, closing her eyes and opening them again.

“Caleb…” she said softly, “I’m thirsty,” she said as she tried to lift her hand.

She didn’t get it very far before it fell limp again. It was hard not to get upset, feeling like a child in someone’s arms, needing to be fed and have someone hold something for you to drink. Caleb visibly perked up. He didn’t want to fail his Alpha’s command; didn’t want to fail his friend. And he didn’t want this poor little human to suffer for her own good. He was glad that she would eat, or at least try to. She was so weak, he briefly wondered if he would have to help her chew.

At her request, he snatched up the canteen, biting at the cork to pull it free, then brought the opening to her lips. He was very careful when he tipped it up, not wanting to drown her, just trying to get her a drink. When she took a drink, she was careful. She felt like she had had nothing in forever, but she knew it was just the loss of blood. Emmalyn shook her head to show that she had enough. She looked up at him when she was done.

“I’ve got to hand it to you, Emmalyn. You can take a hell of a beating for a human,” he said as he chuckled at his own joke. He was trying to soothe her; to break the ice between them by being himself.

She smiled softly, shifting a bit on his lap to get comfortable. It seemed she wouldn’t be sleeping anytime soon. She didn’t still feel right being in someone else’s lap, but it was what he wanted and she would do it.

“Apparently not well enough,” she breathed.

Caleb grinned at her again when she made her bitter little joke in return. He urged her to drink a little more, softly petting her hair that was still slightly damp as she drank. Along with her change in bandage, someone had washed her entire body with freshly scented soap and she was now in a clean shirt; this one of a thicker material than Farrel’s shirts. While Caleb had been the one to wash her, there was no lust or desire in his touches to her. He merely showed her the care she deserved..

“Who are you, Caleb?” She asked him.

She had a feeling that he was one of the three that Farrel said was under him. She had a feeling he wouldn’t trust anyone else to care for her. When she asked her question he seemed to puff up a bit with pride and his grin grew wider.

“I am a hunter. A Beta. Second in command, if that makes more sense to you. Farrel’s blood brother.” He paused, considering his words for a moment. “Though not in the way humans consider blood. Our families are not related. We made an oath that required sharing our blood in a ritual that bound us together.”

She was relaxing even more as she listened to him speak. She fought hard not to chuckle lightly at the way he showed his pride. It was endearing. She didn’t think it was funny; it was just something she didn’t expect. But she could tell it meant a lot to him, so she smiled at him.

“When can I see him again?” She asked timidly.

There was no demand of him, just a question as to time. She missed Farrel dearly and even though Caleb was proving to be pleasant company; he wasn’t Farrel. Caleb’s face fell this time. He didn’t enjoy having to deny the pretty little human anything, but that was exactly what he had to do now. He hesitated for as long as he could, masking his discomfort by reaching to pick up a slice of pear from the plate. Once he brought it to her lips for her to eat, he gave her an apologetic frown.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not sure. He’s angry right now. With himself,” he added hastily before she could get the wrong assumption. “He’s denying himself contact with you as a punishment for failing you.”

Emmalyn didn’t want to eat now, but not eating would just make matters worse. A lump formed in the pit of her stomach, and it wasn’t from her injuries. She forced herself to open up and take a bite of the pear. She took a deep breath and looked up at him, trying desperately not to get any more upset.

“Doesn’t he know that he’s punishing me, too?” She asked, her brow creased.

A warm, almost understanding smile turned up one corner of Caleb’s mouth.

“I forgot how emotional humans are. I rather miss that sort of connection,” he said with a wistful sort of sigh.

He seemed pleased that she ate the fruit and reached to pick up a tender slice of venison, bringing it to her lips like before.

“He hasn’t left you. He still has an obligation to protect you, even though the promise he made is already broken. Farrel’s furious with himself for letting you almost die. He would have been mad if you even got a single scratch on you, let alone punch a hole through your organs,” he said frankly, shrugging a bit after he explained Farrel’s view on things. “And you’ll have to forgive my intimate knowledge on the subject. It’s part and parcel of being joined in blood. I hear what he is thinking. He doesn’t feel that he is punishing you. He feels he doesn’t deserve to be near you when he could not keep a rebel pack of bloodsuckers from touching you.”

Caleb pointedly left out the fact that Farrel was also angry with himself for using her as bait and blamed her injury on his greedy lust.

She wasn’t happy about it, not at all. He did the best he could do, and she wasn’t mad at him for what happened. In fact, she was grateful for what he did. He couldn’t be expected to know everything.

She didn’t voice her thoughts, only simply curled up in Caleb’s lap and ate the food that he gave her, eating it obediently and silently. When she was done, she curled up as much as she could and closed her eyes, hoping time would pass quickly so that she could see him again.

Caleb continued feeding the healer, urging her to eat as much as she could, then got her to drink a little more before he finally relented and allowed her to sleep. He pet her hair when she grew restless, humming quietly to soothe her.

With every breath, she could smell him. It was hard not to compare Caleb to Farrel. Even though they were different, Emmalyn couldn’t deny the draw each one of them stirred within her.

As they entered the forest where the trees were so old, some looked to be as wide as a house. Night fell again. They broke camp some miles past the border. The party went through the motions of clearing a space in the heavier snow for another fire and securing the horses and wagons. Farrel tended to what he could, staying as far from Emmalyn as possible; not once glancing her way. Once the camp was set, he was off with the others to hunt and left Caleb to tend to her needs.

“There’s a hot spring near here that’s good to bathe in if you’d like,” he said cheerfully, hoping to distract her from the emotional and physical pain she could be feeling.

She had rested a bit. His constant presence and gentle touch helped her sleep. Emmalyn snuggled close to him in her sleep, much as she had to Farrel. They were similar, but not the same. Farrel was rough, but gentle. Caleb was considerate and kind.