Caleb’s [POV]
Dragging my ass inside, I wasn’t sure whether I was still pissed off or plain numb. I’d spent all afternoon thinking about Ren and her stubbornness, and you know what, fine. If she didn’t want to talk to me, that was fine. She was annoying anyway with all that bright chatter, sparkly smiles, and the sweet, kind way she took care of me.
“Shut up,” I grumbled, shutting my thoughts down when I started to moon over her again. “You’re fine. So what if you’re not friends anymore. She’s right. You’re her boss, that’s all.” I huffed, stopping at the stove when I caught a whiff of something so potent my nose tickled, and my eyes started to water.
Growling, I reached over and took the lid off the huge pot, and despite my anger and the resentment that had stewed all day, I started to laugh so hard I clutched at my gut and doubled over.
“Jesus Christ, what is that?” Cole asked, walking in without an invitation while I snickered and leaned closer to sniff the food.
Death resided in that pot, I thought, my stomach lurching with hunger even as I slammed the lid back on and took a step back.
“Chili,” I grumbled, grabbing a beer while Cole peered into the pot and chuckled.
“Or homicide.” He laughed, grabbing himself a beer before he leaned back to look at me thoughtfully. “Wanna tell me why the world’s sweetest female is trying to kill you?”
“None of your damn business,” I muttered, finishing my beer off in three swallows and grabbing another because I needed it.
Don’t miss her. Don’t.
“Aaah, but I think it is since you’re standing here looking like hell, and Ren’s cooked up certain death. What did you do now, asshole? Please tell me you’re at least trying to be nice.” Cole growled, scowling when I narrowed my eyes at him and snarled.
“I’ve been nice. It’s Ren. She’s the one who’s done a complete three-sixty and refuses to talk to me. We’re supposed to be friends, and all she’s done in the last for days is ignore me, glare at me when she thinks I’m not looking, and,” I waved at the pot. “This isn’t the first time she’s done something like this. I get it. She’s upset.”
Cole snorted, around his beer, his eyes twinkling while I fought a smile and the urge to…what? Rush over to her trailer and say what?
“The question is, what did you do? No offense, bro, but Ren’s a pretty simple female. She’s kind, helpful, caring, and giving of herself, so I don’t see her turning into a bitter witch. If she’s upset, you did something. So spill it.” He said softly, making me squirm and look away.
“It was one night, dammit. That’s all.” I muttered, my hand tightening around the bottle when a flash of Ren’s eyes invaded my mind.
Those blue, sparkling gems filled with hurt and confusion and then shame. Jesus. I made her feel ashamed, I thought, swallowing down a growl of self-hatred.
“One night of what?” Cole demanded, his eyes growing hard.
“We…she was bleeding, and she’d fainted. You know…”
“How our females suffer with blood fever. Yeah. So? What did you do, make her walk home in pain and then”
“No! Jesus. I’m not that much of an asshole. I took care of her.” I muttered, my cock throbbing when I remembered our shower together, her scent, and the way she felt as I washed the blood from her molten sheath.
I still dreamed about that night. Every dream was dirtier and more intense because instead of cleaning her, I dropped to my knees and used my mouth to soothe the ache deep inside her. As shifters, oral sex was…it was something more than orgasms and need. I just…thinking about her and having my mouth on her at that time made me so hard I had to throttle a groan of need and ground my teeth.
“Explain,” Cole grumbled, watching me closely as I sighed and related it all to him.
I glossed over the details, not willing to tell my brother how good Ren smelled or how sweet she tasted or Enough.
“Let me get this straight. You had sex with Ren, and then before you sealed the deal, you jumped off her like she has fleas?” he asked, sounding so disgusted I flushed and looked away while shame curled through my gut.
“I didn’t mean to. It startled me when I realized what I was doing.” I groaned, embarrassment encroaching through the haze of anger.
“Having sex with a beautiful woman?” Cole asked, snorting when I cursed and glared at him.
“I can’t sleep with Ren. We’re friends, and she works for me.”
“So?”
“So, afterward, things would be awkward. I’m not looking for anything serious, Cole, and you know Ren. She’s all sunshine and rainbows and dreams. That female is way too soft for uncomplicated sex.”
“And that’s all it could be?” Cole asked, his eyes so steady I had to look away as I shrugged.
“That’s all it can be. I don’t want more. I won’t ever want more.” I said, begging him to understand.
When he sighed and nodded, shrugging, I took another slug of beer and relaxed until he opened his fat mouth again.
“Well, then, I’m glad she went on a date. Ren deserves to be wanted and cared for, and if you’re not interested, I say she should go for it.”
“Date?” I growled, my ease turning into tension now at the thought of Ren out there.
With another male.
“Yeah, a date. What? She can’t date because you don’t want her?” he snarled, smirking when I cursed again and slammed my beer down. “I have news for you, Caleb, that’s bullshit. Ren deserves more than to spend her life alone and I, for one, want her to be happy. Trey too. Have to admit though, I never saw this coming. Thought they were just friends.” He said, shrugging when I grunted and then froze.
No. Absolutely-fucking-not. He couldn’t be saying what I thought he was.
“She’s on a date with Trey?” I asked slowly, something dark unfurling inside me when I thought of my suave, suit-wearing little brother with my Ren.
“What’s the problem, man? Trey’s a good guy, and I bet he’s”
I didn’t hear the rest of what Cole said because I was already moving and running for my truck. Not thinking, because I had a red haze covering my vision, I tore into town on two wheels and jumped out before the truck stopped.
“Don’t!” Cole yelled, making me turn my head even as I stormed into the Cutler. “Caleb, don’t”
But I wasn’t listening as I looked around and spotted them at a table in the corner. I could barely form a decent thought as I stalked closer and saw them. Laughing. Chatting. Happy.
Those were my smiles. My happy chatter. My daughter, I thought, a deep growl working its way up my throat when I stopped at their table.
“Bro! Hey, what are you doing here?” Trey asked, smiling so happily it took everything in me not to beat his face in.
“Me? What the hell are you doing?” I demanded, my eyes flitting over Ren.
Seeing her made me angrier because she looked nice. Beautiful. So kissable and sexy; it reminded me of the body under the short black dress.
“Uh, having dinner?” Trey laughed, still unaware of how angry I was until I faced Ren and growled.
She’d done this, I thought, my thoughts irrational and hazed with the resentment and fury I felt after days of her cold shoulder attitude. I was fine before she’d arrived on the scene, happy with my life, satisfied with being alone. She’d ripped me open and torn apart my entire world. And now she was here, with my fucking brother, smiling and laughing, as if she wasn’t in my bed, letting me feast between her legs?
Getting even angrier, to the point I couldn’t think clearly, I growled again and let every drop of my anger out.
“With her?” I demanded, my teeth grinding when Ren blinked at me innocently.
“Yes, Caleb, with me,” Ren said softly, smiling when Trey grinned and reached over to pat her hand. “We’re on a date.”
“Date? A date,” I snarled, shaking my head when it felt as if I was about to lose it. “With her? You realize this won’t win you any favors, don’t you? What do you think people will say when you run for the Beta position later this year, and Ren’s name is attached to yours? This pack hates her, Trey. You can kiss your political career goodbye if you do this.”
“You’re out of line, Caleb,” Trey growled, his anger sparking so hard his eyes started to swirl.
When Ren gasped, sounding hurt, my usually calm and easy-going little brother snarled even louder and rose, displaying a temper that shocked me to the core.
“Just saying it like it is. Ren isn’t Walker pack born, and folks around here don’t like her. That’s not good for your career, and honestly, it wouldn’t be fair to Ren. They’d tear her apart, never mind your groupies.” I huffed, turning to look at Ren.
When I didn’t see her, I turned again, bewildered.
That was until a fist slammed into my face and knocked me out.
“That’s for making Ren cry, fucker.” Trey snarled right before everything turned dark.