"Talk to me, baby," Clayton urged, tucking a wild strand of hair behind her ear. She looked at him for a moment, considering whether she should pour her heart out to him. But fear and doubt gripped her, so she simply shook her head, squirming away from his watchful gaze and cowering against his chest. "Cam..." he whispered, kissing the top of her head gently as he wrapped his arms around her. "I wish you'd talk to me. I wish you'd let me help you," he murmured, a plea he knew she would never take him up on.Matt stepped closer, resting his hand on Clayton's shoulder as he said softly, "I think we should get out of here. We've drawn a crowd and Cam is totally out of it. It's not like we're going to be able to pick up where we left off on the exhibit." Clayton nodded in agreement. He was about to start leading Camden back to the car when the security guard appeared, blocking their path."Hold on there," he said in a Scottish brogue, his arm outstretched with his hand raised, "I'd like t
Camden wiped her eyes and grit her teeth. Her jaw was clenched firmly and she sat in silence for the rest of the drive. Whether it was in defiance or contemplation, neither Clayton nor Matt could tell. Matt continued to watch her as she wiped tears from her eyes, hopeful that she would open her mouth and say something, but she never did. Clayton stole glances of her in the rearview mirror, but she only glared out the window with anger in her eyes, not looking at either him or Matt.When Clayton pulled into the driveway of the Airbnb, he had all but given up on Camden opening up to them, her silence had stretched on too long and the moment had passed. He was worried that they had pushed it too far this time and was concerned as to what the consequences of that might be. Arriving home, she snatched up the cow plushie and the book from Matt, storming towards the front door, desperate to get away from the two men.Matt raced out of the car to follow her, worried that she would take the op
Camden took a few steps toward the couch when Clayton hurried over to her side. He took her hand and ushered her over to her usual spot, wanting her to be as comfortable as possible.Matt took the opportunity to grab a box of tissues from the kitchen, placing them down on the coffee table in front of Camden preemptively. "Do you want me to go?" he asked, watching as Clayton rubbed her back supportively. He wasn't sure whether he had any place in the conversation. With the Unbonding Ritual only hours away now, she didn't really owe him any explanation as they would likely part ways afterwards. To some degree at least. "No... You saved me. I feel like you deserve some answers..." Camden replied halfheartedly.The two men waited quietly for Camden to speak. The silence was awkward and soon enough she tried to combat it by filling it with words. "I don't know whether I should start at the beginning or just drop the bombshell first and then go backwards..." Camden mumbled to herself, consi
TRIGGER WARNING: SEXUAL ASSAULTBoth the men had suspected it, but to hear her say it made it real. They'd expected more story, but then it was like she just announced the punchline in the middle of a joke without context."It was self-defense though, Cam," Matt chimed in unexpectedly. "You had to. Anyone in your position would have done the same, right?" he asked, certain that Camden wasn't a cold, calculated killer, but hoping to get her reassurance on this. "I guess..." she whispered, unconvincingly. "Jamie tried to protect me, but then Jake killed him. It's my fault he's dead," she wailed as fresh tears overwhelmed her."Cam..." Clayton murmured, squeezing her close to him, but he didn't know what to say. The guilt she must have felt was beyond his comprehension."Jake was going to rape me," she explained, her voice soft and trembling. "But Jamie got to me just in time to stop him. Not before he smashed my face up though," she went on, sobbing now as the story reached its climax.
Clayton wasn't sure what to do. They'd worked through this before, but having it all laid bare like this once again was like ripping the old scar open and painstakingly massaging a bag of coarse salt into it. He wanted to scoop her up in his arms and run away with her, taking her somewhere quiet and green and beautiful, as if they could outrun the pain of the past that always seemed hot on their heels. He wanted to promise her the world, as if delivering it could somehow erase the mistakes he had made. He wanted to make it right, but nothing he could do now could ever undo what had been done. The reality was cold and painful and bitter, but inescapable. Had it not been for Matt sitting there, watching the exchange with wide eyes, he was certain he would have broken down completely and wept like a child.The silence stretched on until Camden finally whispered, "So now you know the truth," wiping her tearstained cheeks with a tissue before abruptly standing up, shaking the two men off o
The kiss was deep and meaningful, filled with promises and pledges that could never be put into words. Camden responded with equal intensity, her hands finding their way to his neck, pulling him closer. The bond between them was profound and Camden felt the familiar pull of the orbit she shared with Clayton as he held her in his arms. A gentle silence enveloped the room, but it was comforting rather than awkward.All that had happened, the mistakes that had been made, the hardships that had been endured, they all melted away for the moment as they held one another. The past didn't matter, nor did the future. Only the now.Clayton's whisper cut through the silence, "I promise I will never hurt you like that again. I can't change what happened, but I promise I'll try to make it up to you somehow. To show you that I'm not the man who let you down. I'm so sorry, Cam. I'll never stop being sorry," he murmured in her ear, his hand finding hers. "I know," she whispered, nodding against his c
"You know, you could have just left this shit in the car. I don't know why you brought it out," Matt complained as he picked up the bags of salt that Clayton had hauled in earlier. Clayton had followed him to the kitchen and the pair were now carting the bags back to the car. "I know. I guess I wasn't thinking straight," Clayton replied with a dejected sigh."I need to go get those vials. I'll call Cam while I'm inside, but then I think we need to get going," Matt urged, heading back into the house. "Yeah, you're probably right," Clayton agreed, looking at the darkening sky overhead and the last evidence of light from the sun blasting a vibrant pink hue over the horizon. He climbed into the front seat and waited. This was absolutely not how he wanted this day to go. Things between himself and Camden had been going so well, but now it felt like there was a ravine between them again. And the worst part was that there was no time for them to reconcile and get their
"You ready?" Clayton asked Camden, looking for her confirmation. "Absolutely not... but I never will be. Let's just get this over with," she groaned with a lingering note of defeat in her voice.Clayton took her hand firmly. The temptation to tell her to forget the whole thing and just jump on a plane together and head out on the first flight to anywhere was strong. But they'd thought this through a million times and this was the way forward. They were finally at the very last stage of their journey, and there was no space for doubt now.He couldn't imagine all the worries and thoughts that must have been swirling through Camden's mind, so he made himself a promise. He wouldn't be an extra worry for her. Clayton vowed that he would keep his shit together and he would take on as much of the burden as he could. He didn't want her to battle with trivial shit that he could take care of.With steady and determined steps the trio headed in the direction of the standing stones. They loomed u
Matt let out a sigh, wanting to be done with the conversation now. "Just make sure you keep your end of the deal. I'm doing this for Cam... and for what we used to have," he said, his gaze drifting off momentarily as if lost in memories. "You know, I considered going with you, but I know how threatened you feel by me," Matt teased, trying to keep a straight face but unable to do so. Clayton scoffed and chuckled. "I might actually miss you, Matt. Not the part where you trailed after Cam like a lost puppy, or the way you'd watch her move, or the way your hands lingered on her a little too long..." Clayton went on, leaving Matt with a sheepish expression on his face. "But I'll miss you.""God, Clayton, I'm not going to die! Well, actually, I might if they ever find out that I knew about this and never said anything... But let's hope that doesn't happen. Just figure this shit out, okay? If I can help the two of you in any way, let me know, but something tells me this journey doesn't involv
Instead of leading him to the lounge, as Clayton had anticipated, he led him back to the kitchen. The change in setting made the conversation seem more serious. More threatening.Matt took a seat, followed shortly by Clayton, who sat directly opposite him. Matt didn't beat around the bush. "You know I know," he stated. It wasn't a question. Clayton shrugged, seemingly unfazed. Matt sighed before continuing, "Where are you guys going?" he asked, his tone firm and serious. "We don't know yet. We still need to decide. I only just found out about all of this," Clayton replied, feeling a bit annoyed. It was pretty unreasonable of Matt to expect them to already have a plan when he had literally only found out all this life-changing stuff a few minutes ago. He felt like he needed a minute to reflect and to think it all through."Clayton, I'm not fucking around when I say this... If you hurt her, I will fucking end you. We might not be mates anymore, but I still feel responsible for her and p
Camden couldn't help the tiny sob that escaped her lips. To think that Clayton had wondered his whole life whether his parents had loved him broke her heart. Her pregnancy hormones were kicking into overdrive and she could feel that she would start to spiral soon if she didn't regain her focus, so she pressed on, hoping to lighten the situation with a little levity. "Also," she went on, wiping a tear from her eye, "I figured while I was getting the inside scoop on your family history, I'd ask about your real name," she explained. Clayton perked up, very interested to hear what she was about to reveal. "Well, I didn't ask about your first name. I don't know... I felt weird about it. I felt like too much would change if I had to start calling you something else now on top of all this other stuff and I know you as Clayton and it—" she was rambling on when Clayton cut her off. "What is it?" he asked, unable to disguise his curiosity. "Wolfe," she revealed with the tiniest hint of a smile.
Clayton couldn't help the smile that spread across his features. Despite everything Camden was telling him, he couldn't help but feel joy in this one, singular moment.Camden was also wearing a small smile, happy to see his happiness, but simultaneously worried about what the future held for them all."I knew it was a boy," Clayton whispered softly, gazing into Camden's eyes which looked back at him with uncertainty. She nodded. "She said we'll have a girl too. But the girl won't have this... gene, or whatever you call it," Camden replied, sounding a little relieved. Clayton's smile grew even wider and Camden's heart all but burst as she saw his eyes twinkle with excitement at the prospect. "How lucky are we?" he asked, his voice low but filled with anticipation and love. "Well, that has yet to be determined because there are so many things we need to take into consideration here, Clayton," Camden replied, grounding Clayton back in reality. "Like what?" he asked, the momentary high be
Camden followed, trailing behind him as he settled back down at the kitchen table once more. His anger and frustration were all but palpable and Camden felt guilty for having brushed him off and ignored him just now. "How much did you hear?" she asked as she settled back down in her seat. "It doesn't matter. Start from the beginning," he instructed, taking a deep breath as he tried to relax. Camden figured there was no point in trying to sugarcoat things or beat around the bush. It was his truth and he deserved to know. "I told you, I had an... experience. I don't know if it was a vision, or if it was a dream, or if it was something that really happened, just on a different plane of existence. To be honest, I don't want to get too philosophical about it, because it makes me uncomfortable. But I know it happened, and I know it was real because Matt just proved it," Camden explained, fiddling with the sleeve of her wet hoodie. Clayton said nothing, only watching her, waiting for her t
"Sorry... I'm sorry," Clayton immediately apologized, seeing how his reaction had startled Camden. He quickly got up and went to the sink, grabbing a cloth to stop the beer from dripping down onto her lap. "I'm so sorry, babe," he continued to apologize as he soaked up the spilled beer from the table, "I was frustrated. You guys aren't telling me what's going on," he tried to explain, but he knew it was a poor excuse."I need to make a call," Matt announced as he headed out of the kitchen. Light lightening, Camden was up, chasing after him desperately while she left Clayton to mop up his spilled beer and mope as he continued to be ignored."Stop!" she cried, tugging at Matt's arm as she caught up with him in the lounge. "Camden, please... this is hard enough as it is..." he said in a small voice. It was then that she noticed that his eyes were glistening as if he were on the verge of tears. Her anger and panic began to dissipate as he stood in front of her, unmoving."Please..." Camde
"So, when are we leaving?" Matt asked as he stripped off his soaked sweater and pulled a beer out of the fridge. "Want one?" he offered Clayton. "It's not even 6am!" Clayton exclaimed in disbelief. "It's been a rough night," Matt replied with a shrug as he snapped the can open. Clayton regarded him for a moment then relented. "Okay, fine," he agreed, gesturing for a beer from the fridge. Matt smiled and handed him one before taking a long drink of his own.All the while, Camden sat at the kitchen table, fiddling with a pamphlet about the Standing Stones. "You alright?" Clayton asked, resting his hand on her shoulder as he stood behind her. "I dunno..." she admitted, continuing to toy with the pamphlet. "You're soaked, why don't you go take a shower or at least get changed into some dry clothes?" Clayton suggested, brushing a drenched lock of hair behind her ear.She sighed, but made no effort to move, still pressing and folding the paper in front of her. "Baby?" Clayton murmured, brus
"Matt?" Camden whispered, shaking him lightly. He groaned and furrowed his brow, as if annoyed by the intrusion. "Matt?" she whispered again, but suddenly she heard Clayton's voice ringing through the air. "Camden?"She looked up, searching the perimeter of the circle for Clayton. Spotting him, her heart skipped a beat. He stood beside the circle, torn between rushing in and waiting for some kind of confirmation that the ritual was over.Camden wasted no time; she rushed to him as fast as her legs could carry her. Leaping over the salt circle, she jumped into his arms. He caught her eagerly, but his face suddenly fell as he exclaimed, "Babe! The circle!" worry etching his features. "It's fine," she said. "She broke it. There," Camden pointed behind them to a clear break in the salt before smothering him in kisses."I was so worried about you," Clayton murmured, holding her cheeks and looking into her eyes before pulling her to him in a fierce hug. "I'm here. I'm fine," she assured him
Camden sat quietly, contemplating everything she had just learned about her mate and what the implications were for her. She drained her glass of wine with a series of long, deep gulps, only to find that it had been refilled as soon as she moved her hand away from her lips. She let out a small incredulous laugh. "Okay, so quick recap here. Clayton is from a bloodline that dates back to the beginning days of werewolves, he can shift into a werewolf, in the traditional half-man, half-wolf sense, my son will also have this ability, and the whole world will want to kill them for this? Did I miss anything?" she asked, pursing her lips as she waited for Selene's response."Yes. The bloodline cannot die. The end of the Lupi Noctis bloodline will be the beginning of the end for all werewolves," Selene added gravely, her gaze piercing through the dim light of the stone circle. "Their existence is intricately tied to the balance of the natural and supernatural world. Without them, the balance w