"Really? He said that?" Julia smiled, embarrassed, and face-palmed herself when I mentioned how Caleb said he was scared of her. "I wasn't trying to be rude or anything, but I simply couldn't help but get mad at him because I thought he was going to… you know… claim you right there in the car."
"What does that even mean?" I laughed and brushed off the matter. "We kissed, that's all."
"Okay, I'm relieved to know that." Julia let out a sigh of relief. "And I'm happy to know that he openly called you his mate. At least the other girls won't throw themselves at him now."
"I hope so." And I also hope that Caleb won't pay any attention to such girls even if they throw themselves at him. Or else, we are going to have problems.
Julia got up from the sofa and asked as she headed for the kitchen, "So, that's all huh? You guys had dinner, and then had ice cream, and drove back?"
"Yeah." I followed her to the kitchen and sat on the chair, watching her serve dinner for herself. The whole kitchen was smelling of cheese. "He was asking if he could drive me to Roseville tomorrow, but I declined. I thought you would want to drive me back."
"Oh, yes. I couldn't meet Ms. Pride and the others yesterday." She sat at the table with her dinner–Mac and Cheese. "You want some?"
"No, I'm good."
"Right! I almost forgot you don't like cheese."
I was feeling some discomfort in my stomach since I had forced myself to eat a little too much food. So, I served myself a cup of warm water and sat down again. "When shall I move in with you then? Caleb asked me to shift here soon. I guess he will talk to the alpha about me living here."
"Is that so?" Julia beamed at the news, though I suspect she had already heard Caleb and my conversation earlier. "Then you can move in as soon as you can. Pack all your stuff and get transferred to the school here. And I will come pick you up."
"Or you can ask Caleb." She winked. "I'm sure he would love to be at your service."
"Julia!" I shyly looked down at the cup.
"What? I'm just saying. So far, he is treating you well so I don't want to come in between you two." She suddenly narrowed her voice and said in a pretend-stern voice, "But if he acts as frivolous as before, I will kick his butt."
I laughed and shook my head. I'm glad that I have someone so supportive of me.
I heard my phone ringing in the living room. So, I gulped down the water and ran to pick up the call. "Hey, Caleb!"
"Hey, beautiful! What are you doing?"
I slumped on the couch and replied in a low voice, "I was chatting with Julia. And you?"
"I was thinking about my heart. Something happened to it..."
I furrowed in worry. "Huh? What happened to your heart?"
"Well, someone stole it recently." I heard him laughing from the other side of the phone.
I bit my lower lip and closed my eyes, in loss for words. I hope Julia didn't hear what he just said. "You sure know how to make me dumbfounded."
He laughed again, I'm sure amused at his own talent. "Jokes aside, I just talked with the alpha about your college transfer. He said he will write a Letter of Recommendation for you. I will look after the rest of the process. So, I will need your Statement of Results and a Migration certificate from your current school."
"Okay. I will talk to the Administrator on Monday and… How do I send documents to you?"
"You can fax it. I will text you the number." He sighed and then asked, "And did you talk to Julia? When will you move in with her?"
I thought and replied, "I think I will come here on the same date I had originally planned–September 19. I can unpack all the stuff on Saturday and Sunday, and attend school from Monday."
"Sounds like a plan. I will free my schedule on that day then. I will come pick you up. I want to see the place where you grew up."
I don't know why but my eyes teared up a little when he said he wanted to see the orphanage. "Okay. I'm sure Ms. Pride will also be happy to meet you."
I eventually lay down on the couch as we talked more on the phone. For another two-three hours, we talked about our likes and dislikes, our hobbies, and mostly about our past. I was the one who did the most talking since Caleb wanted to know more about my past. I was glad he showed interest because I felt a sense of relief after I opened up about the tragic incidents of my life.
"You are one of the most emotionally strong person I know, Valerie. You had such a rough childhood, yet you grew up to be a wonderful lady," he said empathetically after listening to my life story.
By the time I finished talking with Caleb, Julia had already gone to sleep. I decided to sleep on the couch today as well and turned off the lights.
Sleep didn't come so easily though.
My mind played the flashbacks of all the things that had happened since yesterday–how I first made an eye contact with Caleb, how I ran from him but he chased after me, our first date, walking while holding hands, and above all… our first kiss.
Every time I recalled the touch of his lips on mine, the way he kissed me so hungrily, I felt the same emotions I was feeling as I was being devoured by him–ecstatic, nervous, aroused, and giddy. My heartbeat accelerated and I was breathless as if he was kissing me right now.
I wish he was kissing me right now. No, I wish he was doing much more than just kissing me, I wish he–
Snap out of it, Valerie!
I gently slapped my cheeks and shook my head to chase away the dirty thoughts. I swiftly got up and went to the kitchen, splashed my face with cold water, and went back to the couch. I closed my eyes, this time with the intention of falling asleep, but the moment I closed my eyes, all I could see was him. All I could think was the hot and fiery kiss he gave me, feel his burning touch on my lips and neck.
I had never imagined that a man I met a day ago would have such a strong hold on me.
The next day, Julia drove me back to Roseville after we had our breakfast.
Ms. Pride was repotting flowers in the garden when we arrived at the orphanage. "Oh my!" She dropped her garden trowel and stood with a bright smile on her face when she saw Julia stepping out of the car. "Julia! It's so good to see you, honey!"
"It's good to see you too!" Julia opened her arms and trotted to hug Ms. Pride. "Why are you working on the garden yourself? Didn't you say you were having back problems?"
Ms. Pride waved her hand and smiled. "Oh, it's alright. I need to do some light exercise too."
"Okay, if you say so." Julia put her arm around Ms. Pride's shoulder and led her inside. "I need to go back soon so, let's sit down and chat for a while."
Ms. Pride pointed towards the bathroom. "I need to wash my hands first. Wait for me in the living area." She turned to look at me and said in a rather stern tone, "And I need to talk to you too. Don't run off to your room."
"Okay." I flashed a smile, knowing that she was simply acting strict since I didn't call her after disappearing with Julia.
Julia and I sat down on the sofa. My eyes automatically fell on the photo frames and trophies that were on display. I was also in some of the pictures, receiving prizes for winning a couple of competitions in primary school.
Ah! I'm going to miss this place a lot.
Ms. Pride came back and sat down with us. Before focusing her attention on Julia, she looked at me intending to reprimand me. "Valerie, tell me why you didn't call me to inform me that you would be staying with Julia."
"I thought Julia had informed you already." I lowered my head, feeling a bit flustered. "And… something big happened while I was there."
"What? What happened?" Ms. Pride immediately held my hands and asked worriedly, "Don't tell me you got into some kind of accident. Or did you fall from somewhere?" She looked at Julia for an explanation when I didn't reply immediately. I was busy mustering up the courage to reveal the big news.
Julia simply laughed. "Don't look at me, Ms. Pride. I don't know what she's talking about." She shrugged instead of helping me.
I narrowed my eyes at her and heaved a sigh. "I found my mate, Ms. Pride."
"Ah!" Ms. Pride looked at me with her jaw wide open. She looked stunned for a few seconds, but that expression soon turned to that of excitement. "Oh, my dear child! This is such a wonderful news!" She clasped my hands and smiled widely, her eyes brimming with tears. "Congratulations, Vallie! I can't explain how happy I am for you."
"Thank you, Ms. Pride."
"Who's the lucky man? Which pack does he belong to? I hope he's not too old. Is he handsome? Tell me everything."
When Ms. Pride shot me with a barrage of questions, I looked down, feeling shy all of a sudden. I did answer all of her questions though. "He's very handsome, Ms. Pride. He is tall, probably 6 feet. He has the most charming smile. And no, he's not that old; he is just 23 years old. And…"
I took a deep breath and proudly revealed, "His name is Caleb Lockhart. He is the beta of the Helblaze pack."
"Your mate is the beta?" Ms. Pride was stunned once again. She suddenly pulled me into a hug and lovingly patted my back. "Dear child, the Moon Goddess finally shed her light upon you. Bless you, my child. I wish you all the happiness in the world."
"Thank you so much, Ms. Pride." I hugged her tightly. A few drops of tears escaped from my eyes as I took in her warmth.
While I was at it, I also thought of breaking another huge news to her. "I also have one more thing to say."
"What is it?" she pulled away from the hug and asked, looking into my eyes.
"Since he is the beta, he was worried regarding my safety. So, I will be shifting to Moonlit Valley. I will be staying at Julia's place from now on." I looked at Julia and grinned.
Everything felt more real after I told it to Ms. Pride, so I got excited at the thought of living together with Julia again.
"They are accepting you into the pack? That's even wonderful. And you get to share the room with Julia again. Ah! I can rest easy knowing that there's someone to take care of you." Ms. Pride kissed my forehead and wiped her tears.
I also wiped my moist eyes. A pang of sadness suddenly hit me. I would be close to Julia but far away from Ms. Pride. I hope I will be allowed to make frequent visits to the orphanage in the future.