In The Beginning, Chapter 142
Daniel POV
Charlie and I were cuddled up in bed, she was lying with her head on my chest, her hand over my heart, while my fingers drew patterns on her bare back absentmindedly. Even with her impressive ability to make everything else fade away I was distracted, half of my mind consumed with running every logically reasonable scenario that could arise if I brought the pack back. The other half spun its wheels uselessly, like a car in mud, unable to see a way to protect her from the revenge Apollo was no doubt planning.
“I thought you were going to stop working for the night?” Her voice cut through my spiralling thoughts, bringing me back to the moment with a bump.
“What do you mean?” I asked, genuinely confused.
“You only go quiet like this when you’re working through a problem, and you aren’t going to find the answers tonight.” She explained, sitting up to look at me, I wanted to punch myself for ruining my own peace. “I promise they will be waiting for you tomorrow, tonight you need rest.”
“It doesn’t feel right, being so happy here with you, when the pack is out there, unable to come home.” I confessed with a sigh. It may have been for their own good, but it didn’t make it any easier.
“You have given them the option, and time to decide whether they come back or stay where they are. That’s all you can do, for now. Tomorrow you can put pressure on Robert to get Appletree reopened, and I’ve put up a barrier, if nothing else it will give us advance notice of any vampires attempting to get near the pack?” She smiled, trying to cheer me up.
“I’m so lucky to have you.” I admitted, my chest feeling like it would burst open if I didn’t. She cocked her head to the side, letting out a bark of laughter before pulling the sheets up and swinging a leg over me so she was straddling me.
“Shut up!” She giggled, pressing her lips to mine softly, it was so soft and sweet. It changed as her fingers slipped into my hair and she sucked on my bottom lip. My hands moved up her back, pulling her closer as she began moving her wetness along my rapidly hardening dick.
“Are you sure you’re not too tired?” I managed to ask, somehow, when she was sucking on my earlobe.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine, I promise.” She whispered as she lowered herself onto my erection, moaning as it filled her, and her hips met mine. She raised my arms above my head, pinning me in place as she rose off of me. “Let me take care of you.” She sighed as she dropped, sheathing me completely inside her again.
The next morning, I woke to my phone’s ringtone, after a bit of clean up, we had fallen asleep spooning, she was still pressed against my spine, one arm under her head, her cheek was pressed against the centre of my back, her legs tucked underneath mine, and stirring at the noise. It was the first time we had slept through the night, I realised, a grin spreading on my face as I tried to reach the phone without disturbing her further.
“Hello?” I asked, too bleary eyed to check the caller ID.
“I wish I didn’t have to call you at this ungodly hour, but your people are threatening to revolt if I don’t allow them to return to their homes.” Kasa replied, I could hear the exhaustion in his voice as I tried to extricate myself from Charlie’s grasp so I could talk above a whisper.
“I told you and Lander yesterday I was going to leave it up to them, whether to return, and if they chose not to, I would begin making arrangements? So, I don’t understand.” I said, my brain still figuring out we were awake at 5am.
“Yes, but neither of us expected that everyone would choose to return!” He replied exasperated, while I was dumbstruck. I had expected a few, especially the mates of the warriors, well the ones without pups, would want to return, but not everyone.
“But... the pups!” I eventually managed to splutter, thankfully Kasa seemed to understand me.
“I know, I told them it would be safer to keep the pups here at the very least. A few of them with family and friends here and in Oaktree have made arrangements, a few have already sent their pups to stay with family elsewhere. But the rest want to come back, and I have no right to hold them here, to do so without your permission would be an act of war. So here I am, in a last-ditch effort to save my soul, because allowing them to leave feels like I’m sending them to their deaths.” Kasa admitted. “The first of the buses is set to leave here at 9am.”
“I have kept these families apart, and away from their homes long enough, we can only prepare so much. In the meantime, people have to be allowed to live their lives. I’ll send your men home today, and Lander’s, and I need you to find me something, anything on the Talaria, and where it is.” I replied, experiencing the same feeling as Kasa, even if I had no other choice.
“Yeah, about that... I just heard back last night... She stopped somewhere in South America before they reported suffering some kind of system failure. It sank, no survivors have been found, and with the GPS system damaged by whatever happened... the search area for the wreckage is the entire Pacific Ocean...” Kasa informed me, his tone becoming more and more dejected each time.
“What about satellite images?” I asked, clutching at straws.
“There were none active in the area at the time.” He said quietly.
“FUCK!” I whisper yelled, frustrated that another lead had resulted in a dead end. While he remained silent for a moment.
“I’ve made some headway in finding out where she was... I should have another update for you and Lander this evening, tomorrow at the latest. I found a hacker online who once worked for a competitor of mine, and let’s just say they hold a grudge, so for the low price of a job, he is tracking her every port entry since she was built.” Kasa added, it was something, but not the actual location of anyone, which is what I needed.
“She?” I asked him sceptically, pushing aside the panic and replacing it with humour.
“I’ve been talking to a lot of boat people, and they lose it if you call them it, rather than she.” He deadpanned back to me, obviously done with the whole thing, and boat people.
“What’s happening?” Charlie yawned from behind me, lifting her head.
“Nothing baby, go back to sleep.” I murmured, shifting while I had my chance and getting up.
“It’s not nothing if you have to get out of bed this early.” She grumbled as she turned over, taking my pillow with her, and making me roll my eyes in amusement.
“You two sound better.” Kasa commented, reminding me he was there, as despite the phone in my hand, as I watched her grumpily rearrange the pillows in an effort to get comfortable.
“Getting there.” I replied, as she huffed, abandoning her attempts to find a position she was happy with, and headed for the bathroom. “How’s Astrid?” I asked as I slipped on my robe and out of the room. The house was colder and quieter without the extra bodies we had been getting used to, I thought as I jogged down the stairs.
“I dunno... she’s been different lately, more relaxed, she started talking to somebody before all this, but it’s hard to make it to therapy when your pack is...” He trailed off as I made my way into the kitchen.
“You’re there now, and I can send Hyacinth back to put protections on the pack house? And I can email you that list of therapists that aren’t human. It will help if she can say ‘I’m the Luna, my pack comes before my appointments, so I need a flexible schedule’ and she can talk about pack stuff without worrying!” I ranted as I started making us coffees.
“We umm... Astrid, I mean...” Kasa hesitantly began concerning me.
“Is she alright? Is it the pup?” I asked, lowering my voice, I have no idea why with the house deserted.
“No! No, they’re fine, great even... she had a scan done, ultrasound thing. We’ve been the go ahead to announce it to the pack.” Kasa sighed in relief, and awe.
“Congratulations! I’m happy for you... is Astrid happy?” I asked, knowing it had been a source of difficulty for them.
“She is online shopping right now for the nursery.” Kasa chuckled. “Okay, I’m going to give Lander a call, so give me ten minutes before you call him?”
“You didn’t tell him yet?” I asked confused. I knew I would have to call myself; it wouldn’t be right for me to ask Kasa to pass on the message, and Lander wouldn’t release my people from his care before he heard from me. No Alpha would.
“I... wanted to tell you first...” He replied simply.
“Oh...” Neither of us said anything, both feeling a little awkward.
“Anyway, I should let Lander know so you can tell him... are you sure you want to let them come back?” He asked one last time.
“No, but I can’t ban them from their own homes, from their land.” I replied resigned.
“I don’t envy you.” He sighed. “Talk later.”
“Yeah, thanks... for all your help with the pack.” I replied before we both hung up. I slipped the phone into my pocket and finished our drinks quickly. By the time I got back upstairs, Charlie was waiting for me in the bed.
“You gonna tell me what that was all about?” She asked with a smile as I handed her one of the cups.
“The pack is coming back today, almost all of them.” I replied, as I placed my coffee on my bedside table and slid into the bed beside her.
“You should let the warriors know, I’m sure a lot of the petty squabbles will die down once their mates are back.” She suggested, before taking her first sip.
“I hope so, I’ll talk to them later. I have to tell them they will be returning to their packs today also.” I sighed.
“Even the ones that came to train? Before the battle?” She asked surprised.
“I... I haven’t decided yet.” I replied, realising I hadn’t discussed it with Kasa. “I have to call Lander in a few, I’m going to go down to the office so I can get them both.” I decided, kissing her softly before I stood.
“Okay, but if you aren’t done by the time I finish with my coffee, I’m getting into the shower without you.” She teased.
“It’s ridiculously early, go back to sleep.” I chuckled, kissing her again before I could pull myself away from her intoxicating scent.
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