45. Caleb

**Caleb**

Tatiana is sitting on the sofa and looks at Red and me. A smile appears on her face, and I can't help but wonder what she want's now.
"Congratulations!" she says, making herself more comfortable on the sofa. "Finally mated and bonded!" She looks at me, "Took you long enough. I sent you to find her four months ago!"
Red sits next to Tatiana. She takes her bottom lip between her teeth. She usually does that when she thinks.
**'Or when she is about to come on our cock!'** Raven says. **'Think she will let us fuck her again tonight? Or Safia?'**
I sit on my desk chair and see a package next to my computer. Probably the things I ordered from the internet.
I think I have been paired with the world's horniest wolf. *'How can you still think of sex when we had them under us all night long? I am so sore; my dick feels like it* *will fall off*,' I joke.
Raven chuckles. *'You are such a pussy!'*
Red snaps her head in my direction. "What did you say?"
I frown. "I was just talking to Raven."
"I thought I heard you talk," she says. "Probably, I was just imagining things." Her eyes go back to Tatiana. "You told Caleb where to find me?"
Tatiana nods. "You weren't close to the pack, and you needed help. Naomi is the witch that keeps an eye on you, and she contacted me since I am stuck with Caleb."
"Who is Naomi, and why is she cheeking up on me? And how?" Red asks.
Tatiana takes Red's hands into hers and traces some vines. "Naomi is the Queen of the Light Witches, and I am the Queen of the Nature Witches. We have been watching you since you were children because you are the only ones that can fight the Demon King."
Red pulls her hand away from Tatiana, and she stands. "If you have been watching Caleb and me, as you say, why have you let the vampires hurt Caleb, and my former pack hurt me?" Tears fall down her cheeks, and I go to her. I put my palms around her face and clean her tears with my thumbs. "Did you know about this?"
"I knew only about Tatiana. I never suspected Naomi was your guardian witch."
"I know bad things had happened to both of you in the past," Tatiana speaks, and Red flinches. "Naomi and I never wanted Caleb and you to be abused or tortured for so long, but if it wouldn't happen, then the two of you would not have met. Rain, if the Crescent Moon Pack would have treated you fair and Jordan would have never rejected you, you would be their Luna now. As for Caleb, this pack would have never existed if he hadn't been a slave for the vampires."
Red turns to look at Tatiana. She fists her hands. "What are Caleb and I for you? Pawns? You let us suffer because we needed to meet?" The Crown of Fire appears on her head.
**'Red is mad. I bet she can kick Tatiana's ass!'** Raven says as he looks at the two females.
I put my hands around Red's waist. "You are so mad you are going to burn down the Pack House," I tell her. She huffs, and the Crown disappears.
"You are not pawns, but the ones that can save our world. And yes, you and Caleb needed to meet. Just like the prophecy says, Fire and Ice, two elements that should have never loved each other."
"Did you know anything about this?" Red asks me. She is angry.
"Tatiana told me about the prophecy, but I didn't know you were Fire until you showed me your mark. I know we had shitty lives before we met each other, but I will repeat what I told you before. If being a slave for the vampires was the price I had to pay for being with you, then so be it.
All the pain I went through was worth it because being with you, talking, and smiling with you is the best thing that happened to me."
**'And to me,'** Raven comments. **'And Safia is the best she-wolf! I am lucky she is mine!'**
Red looks over her shoulder. "What did you say about Safia?"
**'Can she hear me?'** Raven asks. **'This is strange.'**
"What's strange?" Red asks. I don't know how to reply because I don't have an answer. "Can someone explain what's happening?"
"It's your mating bonds," Tatiana says.
"What about them?" I ask. I am curious about our marks because I have never seen or read about something similar.
"They are special bond markings, and very few soulmates are blessed with them. These markings will not only allow you to talk telepathically, like normal marking would, but also see each other memories. Right now, the bond is weak, but as soon as you go to the Ritual Stones, the bond between you two will become very strong."
"How can we be bonded if we haven't been to the Ritual Stones?" I ask. Soulmates go to the Ritual Stones to receive their markings so that when they leave this world behind, they can find each other in the realm of the Moon Goddess.
"The trees from the magic groove blessed you. They are special trees. But you will receive the normal marks soon." Tatiana looks at Red. "We should hide the marks from your hands until after the Annual meeting of Alphas and Lunas."
Red folds her arms. "Why? Haven't you and—what's her face?"
"Naomi," I say.
"That!" Red says, looking at Tatiana. "I think Caleb and I suffered enough! It is time for us to live our lives as we like. If I received these marks, then everyone can see them!" She looks at her hands. "Besides, I kinda like them!" She grabs my hand and starts walking towards the door.
"I have to hide them because the Demon King will know who you are and will want to kill you. Talking about killing, where is Jordan? He has to be in this pack to save Rain's life! And you have to start training your magic!"
Red doesn't stop walking and drags me after her.
I can't say I don't understand why Red is upset. I was furious with Tatiana when she told me that she knew what was happening to me. But she also explained that she couldn't intervene until the time was right. She had to make Sinn and his evil mother believe I did die.
Red stops walking when we are in our room. She lets go of my hands and goes to the bathroom.
"Do you need to talk about it?" I ask her.
"I need to shower, change into my pajamas, read some smut books, and sleep. Once my head is clear, I will think about what Tatiana said," Red says from inside the bathroom.
I start changing my clothes because I still have to do things in my office and check on Sky.
"I have been in your shoes," I say to Red. "I was so mad at Tatiana that I didn't speak with her for a week. But I also know that things don't happen without reason. What happened to me in the Vampire Castle shaped me into whom I am today. I don't know what type of a male I would have been if I weren't forced to be a slave, but I try to be a good person. Did I want that to happen to me? Hell no! But it did. I learned to accept it as part of my past."
Red comes out of the bathroom and looks at me. "How can you get over what happened to you?"
I put on a pair of clean boxers before looking at Red. "I didn't get over it, but I have six years to think of what happened. I have nightmares most nights, and it is messing with my head, but I can't change the past. Besides, you should be mad at Naomi, not Tatiana. I don't know if Tatiana knew about you until Naomi told her."
Red sighs, "I suppose you are right."
I put on a pair of pants when Red comes closer to me. "Where are you going?"
"I have to see how Sky is. I still have to go over the shopping list with Blade, among other things."
"Let's shower together; then I will help you with what you have to do," Red says, reaching a hand toward me.
**'We should fuck her in the shower!'** Raven says, and I get hard.
Red tilts her head. "After last night, I am sore, so we will only shower."
"That was Raven," I say.
I go with Red, and we start showering together. I start washing her back when my fingers trace her skin. I am so focused on her marks, trying to memorize every detail that I don't realize I am slipping into Red's mind and seeing a memory of her from when she was younger.
*'My knees hurt from the long hours I have been sitting on them while I washed all the floors from the Pack House. My belly growls with hunger;* *the last time I ate was two days ago. I dip the rag in the bucket, squeeze it as hard as I can and keep cleaning. My hands bleed, but I can't stop* *because the Luna told me I won't receive any food unless I have all the floors spotless.*
*I daydream of the day I am old enough to leave this pack behind when someone kicks the bucket, and all the water ends up on the floor. I look to* *see who is the asshole who can't see a bucket when walking, only to see Jordan and his BFF, Kevin.*
*"You are bleeding all over the floors," he says while smoking. The ash falls close to me. "I guess you are not hungry!"*
*I hope you get lung cancer and die!*
*"I wouldn't bleed on your precious floors if I didn't have to work like a slave from sun up to sun down!" I snap because I am so fed up with his* *bullshit. He might be the future Alpha of this pack, but he is a jerk.*
*Jordan smokes a little more. "Who the fuck am I?"*
*"The future Alpha!" I say.*
*"And who are you?" his next question comes a heartbeat later.*
*"No one."*
*He lets some ash fall on my hand. "Exactly! Never forget it! You are and will forever be no one! Your only purpose is to serve the pack!"*
The memory ends, and I am back in the shower with Red. She is quiet. I put my hands on her shoulders. "That is how that fucker treated you, and you fell in love with him? And they starved you? What the fuck?" I growl. She shrugs as if it is nothing. "I hope that pack pays for what they did to you! When that fucker returns here, he and I will have a little chat about how females have to be treated!"
Red turns and puts her arms around my neck. "Yes, that is how my life before you has been. But now I am very happy! Let's finish washing so we can see how Katherine and Sky are doing."
"Red, you should let Tatiana hide your marks. I trust her."
"If you trust her, then I supposed I could let her hide them," she says after a few seconds.
After we dried our hair and changed, we went to my office. Fortunately, Tatiana is still in the pack, and she hides Red's marks.
When Tatiana leaves, we go look for Sky and Katherine. We find them outside, with Tristan and his knights. They are having a snowball fight.
Sarah and Viki come to us. "Rain, we are going to Bucharest in ten minutes! Katherine, you too!"
"What are you going to do in Bucharest?" I ask.
Viki smiles. I bet she planned something wicked. "Going to see Chippendales!"
Tristan starts laughing.
"What about me?" I ask.
"You are staying home and taking care of Sky!" Sarah says while dragging Red away.