Get your booty down here, lover girl
I sighed and peeled myself away from Caspien explaining that Cali needed me. He reluctantly let me go running his hands down his face.
“I should get back to life too,” He sat up and stretched, his muscles rippled and stretched. His motion almost made me crawl back into bed with him.
He raised an eyebrow at me, a question.
“I can’t.” I shook my head bit my lip and dashed to the bathroom to take a cold shower before my l.ust could overcome the sliver of logic that I had knowing Cali needed something.
If I slipped back into bed we wouldn’t leave. All day. And unfortunately, reality did call, there was a lot of s.hit we had to figure out still regarding Alpha Jasper’s pack and the looming Camilla problem.
I slipped under the cool water and squeezed shampoo into my hands, waiting for the water to help me make sense of things.
I tried to wrap my mind around her actions and what to do with her. I didn’t understand her hatred of me, it seemed to only stem because of her love for Nolan. But she went out of her way to try to harm my mate, her Prince, and that seemed like a personal attack against me.
After I wrapped myself in a fluffy towel and started to air-dry my hair I still had no further insight on how to deal with her in a way that was rational and fair.
End her, she might still pose a threat – Iris growled
She had a point, who was to say that if we let her go she wouldn’t retaliate again? I wouldn’t put it past her to be even angrier that she was imprisoned instead of seeing it as a huge favor we were doing.
But what would happen to her son? My stomach clenched thinking about what Emmett would do without me.
Griffen was right, there was no easy choice and I didn’t think I could keep emotion out of it. I tried to remove anger but now I just felt so guilty for what I could take away from her son.
Caspien’s arms wrapped around me and I gently pulled the brush from my hand setting it by the mirror.
“What’s wrong?” He murmured into my shoulder and I leaned back into him.
“I’m just not sure what to do with Camilla. No matter what I choose I’m terrified that there will be repercussions,” I let out a long breath, “What if we let Camilla go and she still holds that anger?” I met his eyes in the mirror, “What if we sentence her to death or to live her life in a cell, and then Nolan comes after us?”
I shook my head and closed my eyes, a familiar sinking feeling settled over me. I didn’t want to live on edge, I didn’t want to have anything looming over me.
“Don’t worry about that,” Caspien kissed my shoulder, “Don’t think about the potential consequences, we don’t have control over everyone else and you’ll drive yourself crazy if you try to map our every possible reaction.”
He was right, of course, he was right. He had years of training, years of experience, he was quite literally bred for this role.
“We will deal with any potential consequences that may come our way. No matter what you choose, what we choose there will be something that arises from it, good or bad. Usually both,” I didn’t look away from his gaze in the mirror.
“So leave consequences out of it, or try to. The only factor in what you think is the right decision.”
“How do you know?” My voice was small.
“You never do, not fully,” He shook his head barely, “It’s something you have to live with.”
“You sound like Griffen,” I smiled at him, and he returned it.
“I knew I chose a good Beta,” He kissed my neck and I tried to keep my logic despite the butterflies erupting at his touch, “But the Moon Goddess chose you as Luna. Twice,” He raised an eyebrow, “You were meant to be in a leadership role, trust your instincts, if something feels wrong, really wrong, there’s usually a reason for that.”
I tried to wrap my mind around that.
At the moment, everything felt like the wrong choice, but there was something that was gnawing at me, eating away more than anything else. I had time though to revisit it and see if it was my instincts instead of some misplaced anxiety. “Thanks, that was honestly really helpful.”
“Don’t act so surprised,” He stood to his full height behind me before turning me around and wrapping me in his arms again, “That’s what I’m here for, My Luna,” He murmured into my hair.
The sound of that coming from his lips sent a bolt of tingles through me. Through it all, even if it was only a few months, we made it this far and we would make it much further. Together.
Cali was waiting her arms crossed looking me up and down.
“You look fresh,” I noted.
“Sit,” She motioned to Caspien’s dining table, my dining table now.
I looked over the array of bright notecards and piles of books, neatly stacked blank pages and pens.
“What is this?” I asked her, not taking a seat yet.
“We have finals. Final finals.” She said, her hazel gaze piercing.
“Cali l-“
“Sit,” She commanded and I pulled out the chair across from her.
I vaguely remembered turning in some papers and doing online quizzes in between all the b.ullshit. This past week I didn’t even open a book. It was something I did to make me try to feel normal when Emmett was sick. I would sit next to him and go through notes and textbooks and re-watch recorded classes, but I wasn’t fully there.
There has been so much going on it fell to the back of my mind and there was no way I could even pass.
“I emailed your professors explaining the situation that a family member was gravelly ill,” She pushed a cup of coffee toward me and I gladly accepted, “You have time to re-take the quizzes and a paper you missed, but the finals still stand.”
I swallowed, “I don’t even want to know what grades I have,” I muttered, accidentally out loud.
“You’re not doing so well,” She gave me a slightly sympathetic smile and a shrug, “But if you don’t do too bad on your finals then you might just make it.”
“You’re really selling it,” I smiled at her, “Fine, what do I have to do.”
Cali grinned and leaned forward, running me through it all.
Caspien came in with Emmett and Loreli later on, they brought us doughnuts from Goddess knew where.
“I’m taking our parents to the game tonight, I skipped out on my promise last time,” Caspien frowned.
“I think being on your deathbed is a warranted excuse,” I tried to smile but chills ran through me at the words.
“Either way, we’re all going, get out of your way for a bit.” Caspien placed a kiss on my forehead.
I was begging for any distraction from the meaningless words swimming in front of me. I went through my chemistry this morning and was able to work through most of it before even re-watching the classes I missed. These terms and phrases and LIFO vs FIFO were getting to me. Maybe I didn’t see the merit of it, but I knew that wasn’t true. It made more sense for me to understand business than chemistry as a Luna.
“I’ll bring you back a hot dog,” Emmett promised bouncing up and down next to me.
“Thanks, honey. Have a good time.” I ruffled his hair and he grabbed Loreli’s hand and dragged her behind Emmett.
I sighed slumping back in my chair and staring longingly after them.
“Those terms aren’t going to memorize themselves.” Cali gave me a playful smile but it promised death if I didn’t get back to my flashcards.
I shot her a glare and flipped my page noisily.
“Isn’t this nice?” Cali said looking around ignoring me, “It’s like the good old days. But instead of us cramming at your rickety dining room table were in a penthouse looking down at where we used to live.”
“It is, but still weird,” I admitted thinking of how completely our lives changed.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.