Insider (13 page)

“I love it,” I said
,
fingering its smooth surface.

“Then it’s yours
.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t,” I had said.

“Yes, you can. I want you to have it. It’s just sitting down here, never being used. Take it.”

“Are you sure?” I bit my lip.

“Of course,” she said.

“Thank you,” a huge smile had spread across my face.

“You’re welcome,” she hugged me and kissed my forehead.

Caeden sighed. “Sophie, you’ve thanked her like fifty times
,
now you want me to thank her?”

“I want her to know that I appreciate the gesture.”

Caeden grinned and bent to open
the paint
before dumping it into the pans.
“I think she knows,” he said, and began rolling paint onto the wall.

I rolled my eyes and picked up the other roller before joining him.

The room was small and between the two of us it took no time at all to paint the walls and ceiling. Caeden and I both were covered in green and white paint flecks. Caeden pulled off the look far better than I did.

He took in our
paint-splattered
appearance and said, “I think we should shower before we go.”

“You’re right,” I
touched
up a spot. “You go on ahead,” I nodded down the hallway towards the bathroom.

“Thanks,” he picked up his duffel bag and kissed the top of my head. He hadn’t bothered to unpack since we were moving my furniture around. I’d have to empty out a drawer for him later.

I touched up a few more spots before throwing the rollers and pans away and cleaning the brushes.

I had just finished putting the brushes away when Caeden came out of the bathroom. His hair was dripping and beginning to curl on the ends. He wore a pair of khaki sh
orts and a navy blue polo shirt. His l
ight blue eyes sparkled at me and he tossed his duffel bag beside my bedroom door. He padded out into the living room and a second later I heard the TV click on.

I pulled some clothes out of my dresser and headed into the bathroom. The mirror was still steamed up from Caeden’s shower.

It took longer than I anticipated
,
scrubbing
the paint from my body
,
but eventually I succeeded. I dressed in a pair of shorts and t-shirt, my traditional hot weather garb. I pulled my hair back into a wet knot on my head and smeared some gloss across my lips.

“I’m ready,” I bounced out to the living room.

Caeden sat up, dislodging Archie, and turned the TV off.

“Got everything you need?” he asked.

“Uh?” I looked around for my purse, located it, and swung it onto my arm. “Now I do,” I smiled.

“Car keys?” he asked.

I grabbed them up from beside the door.

Caeden headed out and I turned to my black and white familiar. He looked at me with big sad brown eyes. “Sorry Arch, but it’s too hot in the car to take you with me. Maybe Murphy will show up and you won’t be so alone.”

Familiars had an uncanny knack for just appearing. Murphy and Archie were becoming nearly inseparable and since Caeden spent most of his time here Murphy did too.

I started my car and backed around the beast. I may not like the thing but that didn’t mean I wanted to hurt it. Besides it would probably do more damage to my car than to it.

“So,” Caeden said, as we cruised down the highway, “do you think you’ll ever ride the bike again.”

“Don’t push your luck,” I said and he chuckled. After a minute or two of silence I shrugged and said, “Maybe.”

He grinned triumphantly.

“But not until I’m ready,” I pointed my finger at him.

“Of course,” he ran his fingers through his wavy hair. “But you will get back on it.” His tone implied it wasn’t a question.

“One day,” I answered anyway.

I pulled into the parking lot of Target. Since it was evening time it wasn’t busy.

I chuckled to myself. On that day, so many months ago, when Gram had told me I was a shifter I had gotten in my car and driven here.
To escape my life, my mate, my destiny.
Now here I was shopping for bedroom supplies with him. It was comical.

“What are you laughing about?” he asked as the sliding doors whooshed open and he took my hand.

“Oh nothing,” I said.

“Uh-huh,” he quirked a brow. When I didn’t say anything further he added, “Fine,
don’t
tell me.”
We strolled along slowly and Caeden groaned, “Ugh, how long is this going to take?”

“I don’t know,” I shrugged and turned towards the home decorating aisles.

“Please, please, please, don’t be one of those girls that takes
forever
in a store.”

“What would you know about girls and stores?” I teased.

He blushed and even his ears turned red. “Well Chris and Charlotte-”

I smacked his side. “I’m just picking on you.
I promise it won’t take me long.”

“Phew, that’s a relief. I thought I was going to be here all night.”

“
We just got here,” I snapped. “Five minutes in a store does not constitute all night.
Why don’t you go get me a shopping cart?” I prompted.

“Yeah, I can do that,” he disappeared.

I shook my head. If Caeden was this bothered by shopping for bedroom items I didn’t even want to think about him and furniture shopping. He’d drive me crazy.

I was looking at a comforter set that had the same green as my walls in it when Caeden returned. It was called
Boho
Boutique.

“Your carriage my dear,” he waved at the cart.

“Thanks,” I said. “What do you think of this?” I showed him the comforter.

“Um, I like it,” he said and scratched the back of his head. “You should get it.”

Ugh boys.

“You like it? That’s all you have to say? Really?”

“It’s pretty,” he grinned.

“Thanks you’re so helpful,” I tossed it into the cart along with some throw pillows and a green blanket. I moved down the aisle to study the sheets and settled on a light brown color. I didn’t even bother to ask Caeden what he thought of them before tossing them in the cart.

He pushed the cart along behind me. It made me sick that he even looked hot pushing a shopping cart. Did he ever look bad? The answer was no. Caeden always looked like he was about to pose for a magazine shoot. Even in the middle of Target
or covered in sweat. Oh, definitely covered in sweat.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts before I spontaneously combusted. I turned down the lights aisle and chose one for my end table and
a floor lamp. I even chose a few pictures and a mirror.

I picked up a few accessories just to add a personal touch. This made me giddy because I’d never had
accessories
before. Since we moved all the time everything had been minimalist.

“I’m done,” I turned to Caeden. “That wasn’t so bad was it?”

He rubbed his face. “I guess not.”

“What will you do when we move in together? Hmm?” I asked as we headed for the checkout.

A grin spread across his face. “Move in together? Does that mean you want to live with me?”

I smiled shyly. “I think that’s a given. We
’re already bonded, you’re my mate, and I certainly don’t plan to spend the rest of my life with someone else.”

“It’s so good to hear you say that,” he stopped pushing the cart and pulled me to him before planting a passionate kiss on my lips. A fire burned in my cheeks and someone whistled.

He pulled away and walked all the way to the checkout with a spring in his step.

* * *

The paint was dry and Caeden and I had moved all the furniture back in the room. He’d even put the bed together his mom had given me. It was pushed against the wall, like before, because there was really no other way to fit a queen size bed in such a small room.

Caeden shoved the mattress on and I pulled the clean sheets and comforter from the dryer. They smelled strongly of lavender dryer sheets.

“I feel so domestic,” I said as Caeden helped me put the sheets on the bed.

He grinned, flashing his dimple. “I could get used to this,” he winked.

Oh dear God, Caeden’s winks and his dimple! I was doomed.

We finished making the bed and then dressed in our…
Jammie
Jams.

I climbed under the covers and luxuriated in the feel of new bed covers. Caeden jumped in beside me, bouncing the bed. Archie and Murphy snoozed on an extra-large dog bed we’d found at the T.J. Maxx next to Target.

“Do you like your room?” Caeden asked, putting his arms behind his head. He wore a tank top and his boxers.

“Very much. Thanks for helping,” I kissed him.

“You’re welcome,” he said. “And one day, I’ll help again, but it’ll be our house and not Lucinda’s.

I fell asleep as the images
of
,
mine and Caeden’s future home played behind my closed lids
.

Caeden and I pulled into the school parking lot. Bryce was already there, leaning against his Jeep, with Charlotte in his arms.

Students milled around the lot, moping, the back to school blues thick in the air.

I grabbed my pale orange backpack and slung it across my shoulder.

Bryce nodded his head across the parking lot. Caeden and I both turned to look.

“Holy shit,” I said under my breath. It was rare for me to curse but right now someone needed to say it. From beside me Caeden dropped the F-bomb and angrily thrust his fingers through his hair.

Travis’ S5 Coupe was parked in the school parking lot for the first time since I had been kidnapped. The door swung open and his tall, lean body, appeared. His
blond hair glowed like a halo, giving him an angelic appearance, and we all knew he was more demon than angel.

Caeden bristled beside me, his eyes flashing from blue to gold, and growled low in his throat.

“I’m going to kill him,” he hissed under his breath, “for what he did to you.”

“Caeden no!” I grabbed his arm as he headed towards Travis. His arm easily slipped through my fingers. “Caeden! Come back! Bryce
do
something!” I snapped at Caeden’s younger brother.

Bryce laughed and shook his head. “I think not. Travis deserves whatever comes to him.”

“Are you crazy
!?
” I tapped my forehead for emphasis. “He’s going to kill Travis and end up in jail for the rest of his life!”

“No he won’t. Caeden has better control of himself than you think.”

“He’s going to go all wolf in the middle of the parking lot where everyone will see,” I hissed under my breath.

Bryce still made no move to help. Jerk.

I looked around in a panic for Bentley’s truck but it was absent. I did see Logan’s Toyota Tundra and I sprinted towards it.

“Whoa,” Logan said when I crashed into him. “Sophie? Is everything okay?” Concern flooded his pale green eyes, so much like his sisters. I was a bit surprised by his reaction. I was used to
only
surliness
from him
.

I pointed back towards the parking lot. “Caeden is going after Travis. You have to stop him. He won’t listen to me.”

Before I was finished speaking Logan was across the parking lot.

Caeden was on top of Travis and pummeling his face with his fist.

Lord
have
mercy I thought this kind of stuff only happened in movies.

Travis tried to gain the upper hand
. But despite being an Alpha now, he still couldn’t gain any ground with Caeden.

Caeden’s fury was frightening. No one had ever seen sweet Caeden act like
a
… predator. He snarled in Travis’ face, spittle flying, and his face turning red. Our classmates were too scared to even stay and watch. They quickly glanced at the two boys and darted off. Even the guys that were on the football team quickly left. Pretty soon it was only my pack and Travis in the parking lot. Bentley pulled in, Chris in the passenger seat, and jumped out to help Logan pull Caeden away.

“Caeden stop,” Bentley coaxed, pulling on his arm.

Caeden wouldn’t listen and he was too jacked up on Alpha juice for them to pull
him
away.

“You sick bastard!” Caeden screamed at Travis before punching and breaking his jaw with a loud pop. “You’re a murderer! If you ever touch or even look at her again, hell will be a welcome sight to you compared to what I will do to you, understand Travis?”

Travis spit on Caeden’s shirt leaving behind a streak of blood. “Still keeping your little human whore around?” Travis cackled.

“You. Will. Regret. That.” Caeden’s hand clenched Travis’ throat. Within seconds Travis began to turn purple.

“Caeden!” Bentley cried. “You’re killing him! Stop! You’re not like him! You’re not a murderer.”

I ran to Caeden’s side and wrapped my arms around his shoulders before sobbing into his neck.
“Please stop Caeden. This isn’t you. Stop baby, stop,” I coaxed him down from the ledge he was precariously perched on.

I felt him begin to loosen under my arms. “I won’t be like him,” Caeden said, letting go of Travis’ throat. “But he will pay,” he pulled back his arm and punched Travis hard enough to knock him out.

Caeden turned into my arms and began to sob. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I just saw him and-”

“
Shh
,” I cried too. “I know. I understand. I do.”

“He’ll be okay,” Caeden said. “I didn’t kill him. He’s just knocked out.”

“I know,” I fingered the hair that grazed the back of his neck. “I know,” I repeated to reassure him.

The warning bell rang.

“Caeden, we have to go inside now,” I said, wiping his face and then his blood covered knuckles.

“I have some shirts in a bag in the trunk,” he pointed to his Jeep.

“Okay, stay here
.”

The others were still standing around.

“Go on you guys,” I nodded my head towards the school. “There’s no reason for you to be late too.”

“We’re a pack,” Bentley said. “W
e stick together.”

“Thank you,” I said and meant it. I opened Caeden’s trunk and found a black Under
Armour
duffel bag. I unzipped it and found a few shorts and t-shirts. I pulled out a black shirt for him and a green one for me. Not glancing at the others I pulled off my blood stained shirt, folded it, and placed it in one of the bag’s pockets. I pulled Caeden’s shirt over my head and it swallowed me whole.

“Here, let me help,” Charlotte said. She pulled a hairband off her arm, pulled the shirt tight to my body, and tied the excess fabric.

“Thanks,” I tucked some stray hairs behind my ear.

“No problem,” She smiled and took Bryce’s outstretched hand.

Caeden was still kneeling beside Travis’ prone form but he had removed his shirt and was using it to wipe excess blood from his
hands.

“Here, you go,” I handed him the clean shirt and took the
soiled one from him. Thankfully there was no blood on his shorts.

Caeden pulled his shirt on and I placed his dirty shirt beside mine in his duffel bag. I closed the trunk and Caeden pulled the key from his pocket and locked it. Both our backpacks were lying on the ground he picked his up and handed me mine.

The bell rang again, signaling the start of class.

“To the office!” Bryce said and stuck his hand out in a Superman flying move.

Travis was still slumped on the ground, not moving.

We headed as a group to the attendance office. The lady working there slid the window open. “A whole group of you late? What joy,” she said in a monotone voice. Someone really liked
their
job. Not.

Bryce opened his mouth, no doubt to make a snide remark
,
but Caeden sidestepped him. His frown was instantly replaced with a charming smile. He used his dimple, his charm, and
those pool
blue to his advantage.

“Ma’am we were out in the parking when we noticed a student passed out. He must have been drunk,” Caeden’s voice dripped with sticky syrup.

“Oh dear,” she said and put a hand to her chest. Her anger was gone, replaced by concern. “That’s terrible.”

“I know ma’am.”

“I’ll call someone to head out there now. Just wait a moment and I’ll write your passes,” she held up one finger.

“Thank you ma’am, you’re so kind.”

“Oh well, I try,” she blushed. Apparently even
fifty-year-old
ladies couldn’t resist the charm that is Caeden Williams.

She came back and wrote our passes. Caeden began to walk me to class when I pulled him into a quiet corner.

“Caeden, they’ll know someone beat him up and what if one of the other students tells. You’ll be in big trouble.

“No, I won’t,” he shook his head. “First off, Travis’ external injuries have already healed. It’ll take him longer to recover from the knock I gave to his head. So, they’ll just assume th
at I’m right and he’s passed out
drunk. As to your second question
the other kids are afraid of us. They can sense that we’re different. Trust me, the humans won’t say anything.”

“They’re afraid of us?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said, “they are. They can sense that we’re a predator so they just… stay away.”

“But we’re not any different,” I choked.

Caeden put one hand beside either side of my body against the wall. “Yes,
we
are
Sophie
.
” A dangerous look glinted in those cerulean blue eyes. “We’re faster, stronger, and-” his voice turned deliciously husky. “Sexier.”

His lips brushed against mine in a tantalizing gesture. “
You’re
definitely sexier,” I breathed.

Caeden was so close to me that my hands were flat against the wall and his chest pressed right up against me. My breath stuttered.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” he said.

“Do it already,” I whispered, my voice
held a begging quality to it.

His lips quirked, “So demanding.”

“You
ain’t
seen nothing yet
,”
I said and mauled him in the middle of a school alcove. My lips, my body,
couldn’t get enough of him. He
grabbed my thighs and wrapped my legs around
his waist. My arms wound around his neck and my fingers dug into his hair. The worry about getting caught m
aking out in the school hallway
was the last thing on my mind.

I extracted my mouth from his and pressed kisses down his neck.
Caeden’s very presence seemed to make me do the craziest things. I knew I needed to stop but I just… couldn’t.

Apparently Caeden had more willpower than me, “Stop Soph. Sophie, we have to stop,” he said.

I unlocked my limbs and reluctantly dropped to the ground.

My lips felt tingly and I hesitantly brought my fingers to them. Caeden gripped my waist and put his forehead against mine. “It’s getting harder,” his breath caressed my cheek.