“What happened to her parents?” He questions, his kinder side breaking through now that it appears Mildred isn’t the root of Callie’s ignorance.
Wrinkles fan out from her pursed lips while she debates what to tell us. “Her mother… passed when she was a toddler. I doubt she even remembers her. And her father,” she pauses, the tick in her jaw telling me that I better never meet this man-- for his sake, “is in prison.” She touches her throat. “Please, Callie’s past is hers to tell, so I ask that you wait for her to elaborate further.”
Kaleb nods in understanding and goes back to his vigil. With gentle fingers, he brushes hair from Callie’s face.
We all continue to watch for any signs that Felix is succeeding, but it’s like living the shittiest version of Sleeping Beauty. Instead of waiting for some asshole prince to kiss her, we have to hope a ghost can lead her back without getting lost himself.
Sweat is slowly trickling down my back from all the excess body heat trapped around me, and my muscles are starting to ache from lack of movement. I flex a bit to try and get some of the blood back into my fingertips. My wolf’s whines have grown to wailing howls as we wait, the need to shift pressing harder against my skin, but still I fight him, refusing to let Callie go until she wakes up.
Whispering for her return, stroking her hair, hands, feet, face--- anything we can think of for her to feel that we’re out here-- we wait.
~*~
Exactly thirty four minutes after he left, Felix reappears, haunted and shaking. Before we can ask what happened, Callie takes a gasping breath and opens her eyes. They’re beautiful.
She looks around, taking in all of us gathered close around her, and groans, a heavy blush spreading across her now golden cheeks.
Weak with relief, a smile pulls at my lips.
“Hi,” she croaks. Her fingers shift to fidget, but one’s currently pinned against me and the other is lost in Donovan’s massive paw. “So, uh… this is awkward. I’m guessing you probably have some questions.”
Nolan chokes out a laugh. “Callie love, I don’t know if I want to kiss you or strangle you at the moment.”
She nibbles on her bottom lip. “Well, I’d hold off on either until you hear what I have to tell you.”
“I’m so happy to see you’re alright, my darling,” Mildred beams, tears glittering in her eyes. She stands from the armchair she’s kept watch from, but is unable to get to Callie since we’ve surrounded her. She offers a gentle smile and a slightly amused expression at the rest of us. “Would you like some tea?”
“Yes, please,” Callie answers, and Mildred scuffles away to the kitchen.
“Out with it,” Donovan demands, his aqua eyes focused on Callie’s clear water grey ones.
“Can I sit up first?” She huffs, squirming in my arms. “I’m melting here.”
With the major crisis passed, my human side is now very aware of the beautiful girl on my lap. I try to help unravel her from under the blanket-- her grinding into my groin helping neither of us-- but with the others so close, it’s more of an awkward flail of limbs, and of course, none of the assholes move.
She tries to push her hair out of her eyes, only to smack Kaleb in the shoulder, and when she tries to get her feet to the floor, I have to hold on tight to keep her from toppling onto the floor and into Donovan. Finally, she manages to get into a sitting up position on my lap and attempts to remove her leather jacket.
“Hold still,” I mutter, as I help slide the jacket off her shoulders so she doesn’t smack anyone again, only to find her golden skin covered in black lace.Right, the shirt.
Donovan and Nolan get the same stupid expressions that Kaleb, Felix and I were sharing earlier. Not a cocky smirk in sight, and I’m not the only one shifting awkwardly in appreciation.
She sighs heavily, splitting her hair over her shoulders and breaking their trance. When she starts twisting her fingers together, I take one of her hands and lace it with mine. She looks up into my eyes, even sitting on my lap she only comes up to my chin, and I hold her stare, letting her shadows dance with mine.You are not alone.
She nods slightly, as if she hears my thoughts through my eyes, and releases a slow careful breath. Mildred returns with a mug, peppermint scented steam wafting in lazy curls, and holds it out so Callie can take the handle with her free hand, then sits back down in her chair.
Callie takes a small sip, then lets the mug rest against her thigh. Quietly, she starts, “First, I can only tell you so much, there’s…” she falters and shivers. Nolan throws the afghan around her shoulders, and she gives him a weak smile. “A lot has happened to me, and I can’t… I’m not ready to talk about all of it.”
Donovan shakes his head like he’s about to argue, when I give him a hard glare. He purses his lips and narrows his eyes but keeps his mouth shut.
“Just tell us what you can,” Kaleb responds, ignoring both of us.
She squeezes my hand hard, and I return it with an answering pressure.
“My father abused me,” she blurts, then stiffens as if she’s terrified of the words coming from her mouth, and they’re like shards of glass to an already bleeding heart. My wolf howls with her pain, while the rest of the room sits in silence. “For years… he hurt me physically and got away with it. No one knew. No one would believe me, because… well, it’s easier if I show you.” She sniffs and takes her hand from mine, then looks at Donovan. “You’re going to want to move.”
Donovan, confused, slides away until his back hits the other side of the couch.
She leans down and places her mug of tea on the floor next to her feet, then pulls back her long lace sleeves. I expect to see marks of some kind, something that shows the abuse she suffered but in ways easy to explain, but her arms are a smooth tan like the rest of her.
