53. Cade
Cade
I watched her go and went to find my seat. I took a deep breath. I knew where Kaya was coming from. No one should be touched if they don't want to be. I had been guilty of stealing a kiss from a few unexpected girls as a teenager. They didn't ask to be kissed, but I wanted to kiss them, so I did. But that was a foreign thing to Kaya and all of the North. It was something they would never even think of. Not to mention this guy had to grab Kimi's butt too.
I understood why Kaya did what she did. She felt like her friend had been attacked. My directive should be enough. I knew this would get back to Nieva, and she would be upset and feel like I failed her again to protect her wolves. I knew I could not control other pack members. None of my pack would have done that. I had given them a directive when Kaya's friends came not to touch them unless they wanted to be touched because I knew how they lived.
But, it was out of my hands regarding other packs. The only thing I could do was control where people were while they were here. So, telling the guy he could not be where Kimi was was the best I could do. I thought about what Kaya said: that she would raise our kids to be like the northers. I didn't hate the idea, but I also knew it made a difference, and I didn't want them to have prejudice from the pack or other packs. I sat down and watched.
People left when it came to dinner time. There were people I had stationed and others from other packs to watch the runners who were testing their endurance. I wondered how long they would be running. I looked at Saka, who was running without shoes. He seemed to be at his leisure; he was not even sweating. I worried then that the northers may win every challenge. If that was the case, the other packs may start to see them as a threat.
I went to where we set up the food. Most people had grabbed a plate and were eating and drinking. I looked for Kaya, but she was not there. Mark approached me. "Dawn Pack is pissed." "I figured they would be Kaya beat the shit out of someone." "Oh, I heard the news spread like wildfire, not to mention everyone saw it. How is Kimi?" "She thought her mate would hate her." "That is ridiculous." I just nodded.
"They are so different than us. Did you see Saka? It is like running for hours is just a leisurely stroll." "Oh, I saw." "What do you think about the challenge tomorrow?" "I don't know. I mean, Kaya has the best nose, but she is not competing, so I don't know if others can also track the scent." Helen came and joined us as we ate. "So much drama." Both Mark and I nodded. "But that guy deserved to have the shit beaten out of him. Guys are pigs." I knew Helen would agree with Kaya, and I did, too. I just hated that it had even happened.
The drinking continued late into the night. I stayed and socialized, trying to make connections. I was tired of hearing from other Alphas and Lunas that Kaya was wild. She was, she was as wild as the environment she came from. Charlie was on her side and said I was lucky to be blessed with such a Luna. Some of the sentiments were the same. Jack had come up to me and said that Kaya was a marvel. Something was up with him; I didn't know what it was.
He had to have some sort of plan. I tried to separate Howi from Annelise, but they seemed to like each other's company. I knew Kaya had reservations about the match. Though she had not gone into detail about why. I needed to find out what Howie had said to her. He looked so much like the men in the North; it was weird. His hair was not long like the men in the North, but his appearance beside that screamed North. I knew that to be impossible. I decided it would be good to get to bed. I had engaged with lots of people tonight.
Walking back to the packhouse, I caught sight of huge flames. I walked toward it. When I arrived, I saw Kaya, Kimi, Len, Helen, and Mark. They were all sitting in the dirt, passing a pipe back and forth. They were smoking, sheesh. Just hanging out. I walked over. Kaya was no longer mad; she seemed relaxed. She mind Linked me. "Cade, come join us." I went and sat down next to her. She handed me the pipe, and I smoked some. I looked at Mark and Helen, who looked completely at ease.
Kaya mind linked me again. "You know what surprise Kimi, Len, and Saka brought me?" "When did they give you a gift." "The day we went to the city. They said they had a gift for me. Do you want to know what it was?" "I think you want to tell me." "They planted some Sheesh seeds. They have to germinate during the winter, but come spring, they will sprout, and we can have our own stash of Sheesh." I smiled. I know she liked to smoke the stuff in the evenings. Hell, I liked it too.
Helen began to speak. "Did I tell you, Cade, that some of the alphas are calling for a challenge to see what Kaya can do?" "What?" "Yep, they want to see what she can do." "That is not part of the tournament." "Does it matter if enough want it? You will have to accommodate." I looked at my little mate. She laid back in the dirt to look up at the stars. She came to my mind. "We are so small compared to the night sky."
Yeah, she was gone. She had more than an average amount of sheesh. I laid back to look up at the sky with her. Kaya looked at me. She looked so peaceful, unlike before. "How is Kimi?" "Much better." "Good." "Tomorrow will be fun to see. I wish I was competing. I would kill that challenge." "I know you have the best nose." "But both Len and Kimi have pretty decent noses." "Are you rooting for them or our pack?" "Both." "But if you had to pick." "Cade, I don't want to have to pick." This worried me.
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