The Blood Moon Twins
Chapter 31

CAULDER

\tShe was gone again. I had been waiting up to see if Remy would sneak out, and somehow she had gotten past me. She said she was searching for answers about everything yesterday, but she had never said where she was looking for them or how she had gotten them. It dawned on me today that if Remy kept searching, she could end up replaceing the trouble I was trying to keep her from. CAULDER

\tShe was gone again. I had been waiting up to see if Remy would sneak out, and somehow she had gotten past me. She said she was searching for answers about everything yesterday, but she had never said where she was looking for them or how she had gotten them. It dawned on me today that if Remy kept searching, she could end up replaceing the trouble I was trying to keep her from.

\tl waited up for her to make sure she returned safely, pacing my room by myself. I didn't want to confront her again. This time she had stuffed pillows under her blanket to try to throw me off. It was clear she planned on continuing to sneak out, whether or not it was dangerous, and if she knew I was still onto her, she would just try to hide it more. I needed to know where she was going and follow her to make sure she didn't get herself into unnecessary trouble.

\tHours passed without Remy's return, and I was starting to worry that she wouldn't come home at all. Finally, when the sun started to break the horizon, I felt Remy's presence in the pack house again, safe and sound. I peeked out of my door and watched her drag her feet to her bedroom. She looked dirty and worn out, but she had this stupid smile on her face.

\tl had never seen that smile on her before, but I was familiar with it. Wherever Remy was going at night, I knew she wasn't alone. Someone was going with her, or she was meeting up with someone, and I was determined to replace out who.

\t-

\tl dragged my feet out of the last class of the day. I had managed to take several naps throughout the day, which wasn't unusual for me. I had had plenty of late nights over the years, although last night was a particularly late one. I was ready for another nap, but there were too many things to do today, including training for alpha duties, a session with Ginger, and I wanted to make sure to spend extra time with Harper today.

\tAs I made it to my locker, Julie was waiting for me, and even the sight of her annoyed me. I went straight for my locker, trying to ignore her, but she stepped in front of me.

\t"Are you tired of the beta's daughter yet?" Julie's face was twisted into a permanent scowl. She was conventionally pretty, which was the only reason any guy gave her any attention, but she was nothing to brag about. She was more of the girl you hide in closets because you didn't want anyone to see you had stooped so low.

\t"Move." I refused to entertain her antics. I knew exactly what she was doing. She felt threatened because she had wanted to be my girlfriend. Julie had even begged, saying we would make a great power couple. I knew she didn't care about me. She only cared about my future title.

\tJulie jutted out her lower lip. "Oh, come on, Cauldy. We both know she hasn't put out yet. Why bother with her when there's someone like me willing to give you everything you ever wanted." She reached out and touched my chest, slowly dragging her hand down. \tBefore she touched my pants, I grabbed her hand and pulled it away. "You don't know what I want, because what I want is for you to never touch me again and to leave me alone. Don't talk to Harper either."

\tJulie ripped her hand away and instantly started rubbing her wrist. When she spoke, she was using baby talk, and it sounded like nails on a chalkboard. "Cauldy, that hurt. Why aren't you being reasonable?"

\tl knew she wouldn't stop until I gave her what she wanted, which would never happen. I had to show her and every other girl that Harper was the real deal, but no one would believe me for a while. Only time would prove to them that Harper wasn't going anywhere. I just hoped she didn't have to put up with too much harassment in the meantime.

\tl walked away from Julie without another word. It wasn't worth giving her the attention she wanted just to put my stuff in my locker. It was the end of the day, and I didn't need anything from my locker anyway. Julie called out after me, but I pretended not to even hear her.

\tAs I exited the school, I saw Harper waiting for me. She was holding a book in her hands, and she was looking around with her doe eyes, searching for me in the crowd. She was wearing a sundress and a sweater to keep her warm from the cool breeze in the air. It was the time of the year when the day could either be the perfect weather or a little bit chilly, and it was my favorite time of the year.

\tWhen Harper saw me, she smiled and started walking towards me. I grabbed the book out of her hands with one hand, and I grabbed her waist with the other one. I pulled her into me and kissed her like no one was watching. She melted into my touch, wrapping her hands around my neck.

\tWhen we pulled apart from each other, she looked around, and her cheeks turned bright pink. "What was that for?" she asked in a hushed tone. She wasn't angry about the kiss. Her hands even lingered on my body as she nervously looked around. I could practically smell her desire.

\t"I missed you." I kissed her again, and she leaned into it.

\t"People are staring," she said as we parted again. She was breathless and flustered, and it only made me want her more. I thought about what Julie had said about Harper not putting out, but I didn't care. I would love to go all of the way with Harper, but it was one of my last priorities. I wanted to enjoy the relationship with her and take the time to show her I had meant what I said. She would not just be another girl on my list, and I would wait for her as long as it took, no matter how much my body wanted to take her somewhere private.

\t"Let them stare. I want everyone to know who my girlfriend is." I refused to hide Harper from anyone. The girls could make all of the comments they wanted, but I didn't care. I was going to treat her the way she deserved to be treated. \tHarper lifted onto her toes, and this time when she kissed me, I knew she didn't hold back. The world seemed to disappear all around us, and for the briefest moment, nothing else mattered. Then I heard a throat clear from behind me. \t"If you give me the keys, I can just wait in the car for you two to finish your little show," Remy said, holding out her hands.

\tl rolled my eyes and grabbed Harper's hand. "No need. Let's go home."

It-

\tREMY

\tWhen we got back to the packhouse, I went straight to my dad's office. I wanted to talk to him to feel out about how he felt about vampires. If there was a potential fight coming with the Bloodfall Coven, Blade's help could make a big difference, but I didn't want to suggest it if there was any risk to him at all.

\tAs I approached his office, I slowed as I heard voices emerging from it. The door was cracked, which made it easy to hear the conversation.

\t"So our kids are dating now," Mason said casually.

\tMy dad chuckled at the statement. "Looks like it. Time to pay up."

\t"What? No way! You didn't win the bet. You said they would get together before they came of age. I said before they were out of high school. Caulder was already of age, so you lost. It's you who has to pay up." Mason was demanding, but it was all in fun. He wasn't actually upset, but he would be if my father didn't admit defeat.

\t"I was close," my father muttered. "Fine. Here's your money."

\t"You know, I love the idea of our kids getting together, but Rie's not happy about it," Mason said, his voice turning serious. "She's convinced Harper's going to get hurt."

\t"Caulder isn't the type to hurt girls, and I know he would never intentionally hurt Harper," my dad said, brushing off the concern. "Besides, Rie had always gushed about the idea of our children getting together, since it would solidify the familial bond-not that that ever mattered."

\tl was about to knock to interrupt their conversation, but the next thing Mason made me pause.

\t"Mark, it's not just that. It's everything going on. It's the fact that Caulder is going to be the alpha in just a few years, and with the threat looming over this pack, Rie is worried Harper could end up getting hurt because of how close she is to him." The mood grew heavy, and it made it difficult for me to breathe.

\tl pressed myself against the wall and forced my lungs to move more slowly. I didn't want to get caught listening to this conversation.

\t"We're going to take care of the problem and protect the entire pack. Harper isn't going to be put into any danger." My dad's alpha voice slipped into his words. He was determined to protect his pack.

\t"If that thing breaks free and goes after Remy again, Harper could be put into danger by proximity. She's always with Caulder now, and Caulder is with Remy. Or if those vampires become an issue, they could use the alpha's children or their relationships against us." Mason let out a quick sigh. "I get why she's worried. A lot could go down at any moment, and the more attention Harper is getting, the more risk she's at."

\tMy dad didn't respond right away. It was like he was debating his words carefully. "We've been through worse than this. The difference is, we have children whose lives are in danger, which makes this much more stressful. Trust me when I say that Harper is family. I don't plan on letting these vampires or any other magical creature harm my family or my pack. I will not go through what I went through with Adira again."

\tThere was a deep-seated anger in my dad's voice that I hadn't heard before, but we had lived in a time of peace for my entire life, so there was no reason for that kind of anger. The creature who attacked at my birthday party was only the beginning of a chain reaction, and my dad knew just that. It was his job to protect the pack, and the pressure of keeping everyone safe fell onto his shoulders. However, we were a pack, which meant that we were stronger together. If he would only let me help, I could take some of that pressure off him.

\tIt was clear that he knew about the vampires and the chance that they would attack this pack, but the anger in his voice made me afraid to even ask about Blade. If he held this much anger, I wasn't sure if I would be able to get him to listen to reason. Even if I could, now was not the time to ask. It would be too obvious that I had been listening in on their conversation. I would have to wait until later or ask someone else. \t"We should continue this conversation later when we have more privacy," my dad said.

\tMy heart raced. Had they heard me somehow? I couldn't get caught, so I moved down the hallway as quickly and quietly as I could. I would figure out my next steps later.