Chapter 51 - Monterey
Cat and Trey left for Monterey early in the morning. In the past week, they'd found a plot to have Cat's mother buried on the outskirts of Sacramento. The area was beautiful, and Cat would be able to plant a lilac bush close to her burial site.
Trey worked out the details to have Emma brought to Sacramento and buried in her new resting place. By the time they return to Sacramento, she will be there, and Cat will be able to visit her.
They had packed up everything in Cat's apartment and put it in storage for the time being. She didn't want to stay there after her address was released online, even if Leo was locked up.
The sun was coming up over the mountains behind them as they headed to the central coast in Trey's truck. Cat looked at the beautiful colors that seemed to reach into her soul, making her light up from the inside out. She marveled at every site she saw. Everything was new to her like she had been reborn.
Trey told her that because it was her first time out of Sacramento, he would take the scenic route so they could drive along Highway One down the coast from San Francisco to Monterey. Cat looked at him in confusion when they were getting ready to go over the Golden Gate Bridge.
"I've seen pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge, but I always thought they got the coloring wrong. Why is it called golden if it's orange?"
"It was named after the trade between the Orient and the United States. They considered this area the golden gate. Many people think the bridge is made of gold, but it's just steel and painted the orangish-red color." He answered her.
Trey smiled as he watched Cat looking around in amazement seeing the ocean for the first time. He pointed to where Alcatraz was and told her they could take a boat to tour the old prison island when she was more comfortable around water.
It was slightly foggy in San Francisco, but Cat didn't mind; it was still beautiful. She could see the city skyline in the distance, which was massive compared to any city she'd ever been to.
As they drove down the coast through different coastal towns, Cat became more and more amazed at the views. She had her window down so she could smell the fresh sea air, which was refreshingly cool.
When they were close to Half Moon Bay, they stopped to buy fresh fruit and pastries from a farmer's market. Trey had never seen Cat smile so much. She was laughing and engaging with the people they spoke to, something he knew she wasn't used to doing with strangers.
As they passed a few sand dunes and went down a hill, Trey told her they had arrived in Monterey. She looked around the small tourist area with a smile. She could only imagine how wonderful it would have been to grow up in a place so near the ocean.
"Trey, it's beautiful here. It's not too big or crowded. It's perfect for a getaway. Did you grow up close to this area?" Cat looked around as they passed Fisherman's Wharf, where she could see a bunch of little shops and restaurants.
"Not far from here. We lived in Carmel, which is still in Monterey County, but just down the road a piece. The house I rented for us is in Carmel, and it has its own private beach area. Are you ready to see it?"
Trey had picked the beach house because it didn't have any close neighbors. The beach was also secluded, with only private owners allowed and no public access. While Cat was going through the beginning stages of transforming into a werelion, he wanted to be as alone as possible.
"Yes, let's go. I can already feel myself relaxing being away from everything that has taken place in the past couple of months. I know we're here, so we can have some privacy after you mark me, but will I be okay to do some touring after I'm marked?" They were passing the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Cat thought she would like to go there.
"We'll get to do whatever you want. We can stay here as long as you want to. There are some places that I'd like to take you to that tourists don't know about. Today we'll relax, and we can walk around some. Tomorrow I'll mark you so we can get you started on turning into my lioness." Cat smiled up at Trey as she leaned against him.
"I've always been your lioness; this is just making it official. This may be a strange question, but will sex be different once I've changed?" Cat didn't know how it would feel to hear her lioness in her head while they were making love. It seemed like it would be more of an intrusion.
"After you've been marked, the sex between us will be even more intense. Each touch will be more electrifying than it already is. Once we're marked, it's like we have become one, and we'll feel each other's emotions and pain." Cat looked up at him in awe.
"Wow, then we should have done this a long time ago. Will my lioness be in my head while we're making love? I can only imagine her watching through my eyes, being like a cheerleader with pom poms. That might be a little distracting." He burst out laughing at the look on her face.
"She'll be there, but not in the way you think. Atlas is with me when I make love to you, but he stays quiet. Our lions know it's our time and can feel what we feel, so they enjoy it too." Cat let out the breath she was holding in relief. They drove through a small area called Pacific Grove, and Trey told Cat they were almost to the beach house.
When they arrived in the small quaint area of Carmel, Cat could practically smell the money. The houses were beautiful and seemed to be straight out of a fairy tale. Each house was unique and made of stone with small details that made them charming. The area was like a hidden gem that was old-fashioned yet classy.
Trey drove them a little further down the coast, where the houses were spread out. He pulled into a driveway, and the garage was by the road, but you had to walk down stone steps to the house. They grabbed their luggage and made their way down the steps.
Cat was speechless as they got to the house. It sat on the beach, so all they had to do was open the back door and walk to the ocean. There seemed to be more windows than walls. You could see the immaculate white beach from every room.
The inside was all done in white and blue. It had a very beachy feel, with many of the decorations made of seashells. The bedroom was on the second floor and had a large deck overlooking the ocean. The weather in Monterey tends to stay cool this time of year, so even though it was sunny, the cool breeze made Cat shiver.
"This place is breathtaking. You found the perfect spot, although I may never want to leave." She turned toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist as they stood on the deck.
Trey held her to him, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. He agreed with her; this place was perfect. He wanted to show her all around, but first, he wanted to start with something simple.
"Let's go take a walk on the beach." Cat nodded as she dug a light jacket out of one of her suitcases and took her shoes off. She knew the sand would be cold, but there was no way she would pass up the opportunity to walk barefoot on the beach.
They didn't walk too far, but Cat wanted to go down to the water to feel the water cover her feet. When the wave hit the beach and the water came up to her, she laughed in delight. The water was icy cold, but it felt good.
Trey couldn't take his eyes off Cat as she started picking up seashells and putting them in her pockets. He was glad he had chosen this place on one of the only white sand beaches in the area; most of the others had darker sand and weren't as clean.
As they walked around, staying close to their house, he noticed someone in the distance watching them. Trey immediately got ready to pick Cat up and leave, but when he recognized the people, he groaned. He'd hoped they would be able to spend some time alone before anyone in his family knew they were there, but that didn't seem to be the case.
Cat watched as a tall, beautiful blonde woman and a handsome man with black hair walked toward them, smiling. At first, she thought they were just friendly neighbors until she heard Trey groan under his breath. She looked up at him, and it was evident that he knew the couple but wasn't happy about them seeing him.
"Well, look who it is. The prodigal son has returned. To what do we owe this honor?" The blonde woman looked Cat up and down, making her feel uncomfortable, and she squeezed Trey's hand. She noticed that the woman shared some of Trey's facial features, making her think she must be a relative.
"Hello, Sonya and Derrick. Let me introduce you to my mate, Caterina. Cat, this is my sister and her mate." Cat looked from Trey to the couple and was about to reach her hand out to them in greeting, but when Sonya spoke, Cat took a step back.
"Why the hell would you mate with an insignificant human? Just wait until the rest of the family hears about this."
