Chapter 10: The Camping
At first, Marina did not know what to do. She has never been the one that was being kissed as she was the one that usually initiated the kiss. But right now, with Caleb's fingers inside her hair, she can hardly think of anything else.
She moaned before she was gripping his shirt. She pulled him closer as an invitation to be in her bed but right then, Caleb broke the kiss as he was smirking at her before she was blinking her eyes at him.
"I would love to, my love, but not until you recover completely. We cannot risk anything happening to you now that you are definitely going to be my mate," Caleb said before he kissed her forehead. Marina obliged before Caleb got out of the room, smiling at her.
"I will get some supplies and you have to rest, madam," he said before disappearing from the room. Marina leaned back as she can still feel the kiss on her lips. She smiled before she was waiting for Caleb to join her bed later.
And of course, Caleb did not.
He just comes in here to check on her and gave her some food before making sure that she was too tired to do anything but rest. It has been going on for 3 days now and Marina was having enough.
"Well, if you don't want to come to my invitation, then I supposed I don't have to listen to you then," Marina mumbled before she was packing her stuff up into the backpack that she will be carrying with her during her camping.
Marina wanted some fresh air so perhaps camping would do some good to her.
Caleb was not at home at the moment so she took this advantage to leave no tracks to where she was heading. Maybe he will get frustrated and then come looking after her.
Marina smiled as she was walking out of the cottage before sliding up her hood and went into the forest during the night.
*****
"So, I heard that you have finally found your mate, son. When we can meet her?" his father was asking Caleb when he was about to make an excuse to go to bed early from the family dinner. Everyone was here.
Xavier, Diana, Sebastian, Samantha, Damien, and Caleb, mostly the new line of rulers that will be taking their place later.
Caleb was sipping on his wine before he faced his father. He can see that the Alpha was having more wrinkles in his forehead after Caleb told him about the treason that has been caused by his Beta.
Xavier and Diana's father has been buried with the rest of the warriors that followed him. Arthur has been sweeping the warriors and all the wolves to make sure that they will not stray from the path and make sure their allegiance with the Alpha.
Caleb cleared his throat before he was staring at Diana, his supposed fiancée that will be marrying him later. Diana nodded at him before Caleb took a deep breath and he turned to look at his father, who was expecting an answer from him.
"Well?" his father asked him while he was arching his eyebrow at Caleb. He took a deep breath before he answered.
"Yes. I did found her during the Folk Festival so it is the truth, Alpha. I have my true mate and I think the arranged marriage between me and Diana can be put a stop to it," he said before his mother was smiling at him.
"That's wonderful, honey. When can we meet her? it is due time for your mate to come and meet us," she said before Caleb shifted uncomfortably. Diana caught his eyes before he shook his head.
"Well, that's the issue. She just shifted for the first time 5 days ago and I think she needs to have a lot of rest before meeting with you guys. I know you wanted to get to know her as quickly as possible but I can assure you she will be meeting you as soon as she was able to move again," Caleb said before he was smiling. Then he sipped his wine.
"Oh, dear. I hope she did not injure herself," his mother said before Caleb chuckled lowly.
"More like she's the one that took down the Beta. By herself," he said before some murmurs and gasps were heard around the table.
"I think this is a great opportunity for us to get to know our future Luna. I hope you will bring her soon to us, Caleb, or we might track her down ourselves," Damien, the Delta of the Pack, was winking at him before he snorted.
"If you can find her that is," Caleb said before his father was clearing his throat.
"Enough. Caleb will bring her when she's ready and I think we should prepare to welcome her into the family then," his father said before he turned to Xavier and Diana. His eyes were sad.
"And I am sorry for your loss. I know how much he means to you guys," his father said before his best friend and his supposed fiancée said thanks to him.
"Well, shall we dine in then? I am starving," his father said before everyone was eating and Caleb was feeling agitated to get out of here so that he can be with his mate now.
"Relax, will you? No one will come to your mate. And if anything, you should be scare of her, she got some skills," Xavier whispered to him before his Beta was smirking at him.
"I would like to see when you found your mate, will you able to calm down," Caleb mumbled before Xavier chuckled as he sipped on the wine again.
Later, Caleb was running on all four before he shifted near the neutral territory and put on some clothes before went inside the cottage. He noticed that the cottage was unlocked but no one dared to come here.
Except for him, of course.
"Marina? Are you there?" he asked loudly before he remembered that his mate probably sleeping in her bed. Caleb put some leftovers that his mother insisted for him to get to his mate before he stored it in the fridge. Then, he went upstairs to check up on her.
"Marina?" he knocked on the door but when it was silent from the inside, he opened it. He scanned the room and there was no one in the bed.
"Shit," he cursed before he was looking around the room for any kind of attack. There was none. Then, he sniffed around. Her scent was still there although it was not strong. She just in the room a few hours ago so she might be around here.
"Where are you, my love?" he asked himself before Caleb spotted something on the bed. It was a note that said 'Catch me if you can, Andino,'
Caleb smiled before he was getting out of the cottage.
"You will be in big trouble later, Marina," he said as he shifted and went to catch his prize.
*****
"Son of a bitch. Fuck!" Marina shouted when she was trying to catch some dinner for her camping as she was setting up the traps for rabbits. Her grandfather used to teach her when she was younger but now, it was obvious that she sucked at it.
"Damn it," she said as she was tying the rope for the nth time but it did not bend like she wanted to. Instead, they snapped.
"That's it, I give up. I give up!" she yelled before she was looking at the dark clouds above her. she heard the thunder before out of the blue, the rain started pouring like cats and dogs.
"Yeah, this is exactly why I wanted to come and camp outside, for the rain to wet my clothes," she said as she was kicking the trap before it stuck to her feet. Marina yelped before she was trapped in the rope that she set for her prey.
But now, she was the prey.
"Well, I could have gone and done that to catch you but it would seem that your work did it for me," a voice was coming from behind her before she turned to look who was it. Caleb was leaning against the tree trunk with a smirk on his face.
The raindrops were dripping from his hair before it ran down the hard chest of his and went lower. Marina was tracing the droplet before she realized that she was staring at him. She turned away immediately before she heard a chuckle from Caleb.
"You know, you can just ask for it," he said before Marina was trying to ignore him. I did but of course, you did not answer it the way I wanted you to, she mused before she was biting her lower lips. Then, she heard the footsteps that were coming toward her, and suddenly, she was out of the trap and dropped into the warmth of Caleb.
"What are you doing out here by yourself?" he asked before Marina was pushing to get out of his arms. He let her before she turned to get away from him.
"Marina, what's wrong?" he asked before she turned to glare at him, then marched forward.
"Nothing's wrong. Everything's peachy." She shouted as she was walking in the heavy rain. Caleb ran to her before she was standing in front of him. She clicked her tongue before she tried to get away.
It did not go as planned.
"Tell me what's wrong and I try to fix it. Please, Marina, talk to me," he said before Marina was glaring at him. Then, she took a deep breath.
"You know I invite you to my bed 3 days ago but you did not have a clue and you still trying to avoid me like I am a fragile thing. I am not and for once, I want to kiss you so hard that I can hardly stare at you. And you promised me that we go camping so I took the liberty to do it myself. Ugh!" she said before she was throwing her hands up before turning her back to him.
She took a deep breath before she sighed.
"It's fine. I know you don't want me and—"
"Who said I don't?" she turned around to see that his eyes were trained on her body and it was flaring. For the first time, Marina stepped back from him as Caleb was staring at her like a predator.
And she was the prey.