Chapter 11
"A Truth covered in fur"
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Meadow
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We drove for almost an hour before he slowed down. The sight was peaceful, but he has been quiet and that made me uncomfortable. He took my hand most of the way, and I was happy with that, he just felt tense and as if a million things were running in his head. I saw the green grass and tall trees that ruled my view through the window, and we finally started to turn on a dirt road that lead us to a residence.
"I bought this land years ago, but I haven't been here in months, it should still be decent though."
"How many properties do you buy a week?" I tried to tease and he chuckled. That made me smile, I wanted to help him relax.
"This land in particular, it was one of the first lands I acquired when I became... the 'boss'. It belonged to my family a long time ago, then it was taken from them. So when I finally could afford it, I made it my top priority to buy it."
"That makes sense... I am proud of you, I think you did an honorable thing. Were your parents able to see it?" I asked, realizing he never spoke about them before. I was afraid to touch a sensitive subject but he smiled and nodded.
"They were, yes. Ma was proud and so happy." He didn't said more, and I didn't push it either. I wanted him to trust me and tell me as much as he wanted.
"There it is, just as I left it." He said and I looked ahead. Tall rusty iron gates and a sign that read 'Ma's Haven'. I melted right there.
He stopped the car and walked out, pulling a set of keys from his pocket. He stood in front of the gate while he unlocked the big chains and then he pushed each side wide open. There was a long road of dirt but wheat and grass grew up together everywhere else; as he got back into the car, I felt a peace had filled him. Not far down the road, there was a very humble, white two story house made of wood. Even the years and nature could not corrupt the beauty of its simplicity; I loved how a small tree grew right next to the entrance and there was ivy hanging from the roof's edges. This was a time capsule and it belong to him. He parked near the house, but not too close. I unbuckled my security seat belt and by the time I finished he was already opening the door for me, a huge grin on his face.
I had a long summer dress and sandals, the weather was beautiful and I felt like wearing them. The dress was one of my mother's gifts last year, she said it screamed my name. I felt a hint of nostalgia when I put it on this morning, the pale long skirt had swirls of soft pink tulle flowers around it; she called it the 'Meadow dress'.
He took a basket, some blankets and two small but puffy pillows from the back seat. Taking my hand he pulled me with him, I decided to leave my purse and phone at the car. We walked around the house and behind it at a distance, I saw a cliff and the ocean. It wasn't too far and we kept walking towards it, he was patient with me as the tall grass made it hard for me to walk. I smiled as he put me behind him, shielding me from the untamed nature.
When we were reaching the cliff, he stopped and looked around. "Hold this for me please." He said as he gave me the basket, pillows and blankets. He then gave a few steps looking for something while I stood there still struck by the view. He came back holding a large straight branch and easily laid it on the ground; he pushed it a few times as he spoke with childlike enthusiasm. "My father taught me to do this. Pick a large branch and roll it a few times over the wild wheat and you got yourself a nice comfortable mattress."
I grinned; he took one of the blankets from me and extended it over the compressed grass, then he put the two pillows one next to the other. He finally took the basket from me and holding my hand, guided me next to him on our beautiful space. As soon as sat down he squeezed my hand and as we laid back he looked up to the sky. "I haven't been here for a long time since she passed. For months I thought I was a lost soul and I refused to come back, the memories would hurt me more. But when Alex finally convinced me, I realized this would always be my haven."
"What happened to her and your dad?" I asked, a little unsure if he would like to talk about it. But he didn't seem to mind, he just took a deep breath and continued. "Someone wanted revenge on my father's business actions, and took it on her. For a long time I was mad at him for this, but finally realized it was not his fault. I didn't talk to him for five years, then we got together when we had leads about the responsable for her death, and we wanted revenge. That brought us closer, and I apologized to him many times. Once it was all over, he told me how proud he was of me and he put me in charge of the family business. A few days later he was found dead on his bed. He simply let himself die, no pain, no suffering. I just knew he wanted to leave this world to reunite with ma." He said with a little sadness but nothing more than that, he came to accept it a long time ago and I felt he was in peace with himself towards this, which caused a great relief in me. He then tilted his head to me and smiled. "How did your mother go?"
I sighed and tried to find the words to describe it. I never shared this story but I felt safe to cry with him if it reached that point, he had seen me at my worst already. "She had cancer. It was detected 4 years ago and we went through a lot while she was on therapy. We were very close, but that brought us even closer. The treatment was painful for both of us but she was a fighter; she never complained, and she never shed a tear.She was always smiling, in great mood, energetic even when weak, and friendly to the core. She was my rock. Last year, after a long battle, she finally went in peace. The doctors gave her enough medicine to keep her without pain. So she died with a smile." I felt a few tears damping my skin and he leaned close to kiss my eyes and brush his lips on them.
"She must be at peace now, and happy and proud of you." He said as he caressed my arm. He had his head rested on an arm and was looking at me from the side while I was telling him my story. I took a deep breath and sighed, smiling at him. "I know. I still go to visit her twice a month, it has been like a ritual."
He nodded and then kissed my forehead. "I will take you to visit her next weekend." He promised and I smiled.
We remained there together for some time, finally we sat and he pulled out from the basket a few salty things to eat he had stocked from his hotel's restaurant. I giggled when he told me the manager's face as he requested sandwiches and pastries to take. He brought two bottles of my favorite and only wine. We both drank slowly, delighting us in the sweet taste. I was convinced he really enjoyed it.
We took a small walk after eating, holding hands as we talked about nothing in particular or just held silent. Conversation seemed to flow easy for the both of us; we would both talk a little and then just remain quiet without worrying. I felt the breeze move my hair and caress my cheeks making me smile, this place was truly something else.
When we returned to our blanket, I sat and he looked at the cliff absent minded. I pretended to put the things back inside the basket while I allowed him to gather his thoughts. After I finished, he looked at me with a sad smile and kneeled in front of me. "I brought you here to share some of my past with you Meadow, but also some of who I really am. Last night I didn't know where we would go today but this morning it seemed clear. This was the place."
I looked at him a little nervous due to the seriousness on his eyes, but strangely I wasn't afraid nor scared.
"I will share with you something that is very intimate and I want you to promise me, no matter what, you won't run away. When I finish to show you, I will take you back if you ask me, but please, don't run away." He said pleading, and that plead started to make me realize how serious this was. "Do you believe in destiny?" He asked out of the blue.
I was taken by surprise and held silent while I processed his question, destiny? I never thought of it much, I felt it was cruel sometimes, if not most. "I really don't know... I want to I guess..." I admitted as I blushed "lately I've thought more than once it was destiny who put you into my life." He smiled.
"I believe in destiny and fate, and if you want to believe, it will make things easier." He kissed my hand and then released it, standing up and giving one step behind. "I am going to show you part of what I really am, but please remember, no matter what, I won't hurt you."
Hurt me? The possibility scared me. He took another step back and then removed his shirt slowly, revealing his chiseled shape to me. I've had dreams of discovering his body, and now he was revealing it to me as he kept his eyes closed. I was confused and felt my heart pace faster. In another situation I would have been wet and heated too but from the start my body and mind felt his actions were related to something else.
"Meadow, I am what our ancestors called a shapeshifter, specifically a werewolf. And although many ideas and conceptions are popular, not all of them are true." He started to unbutton his dark jeans and I was entranced. A werewolf? a mythological creature? I knew he was not joking, by the looks of his face and the way he spoke. The possibility of him being crazy faintly crossed my mind, but everything in me felt in peace and relaxed. How was it possible that my body was not attuned to my mind? I was having a million thoughts and doubts and I saw him walk a few steps back more before he finally removed his underwear, standing naked. He looked at me and his eyes were pleading. He was serious and I felt it. I could not part my eyes from his as his body started to tremble. "Remember, I won't hurt you... please Meadow, don't run..." were his last words as he bent over and started to shake. I gasped and tensed, a tight grip on the blanket as I heard him grunt.
"Caleb...?" I asked while his body kept shaking and I started to see through the wheat and grass some darkness covering him. My heart was beating at a million per hour; my mind surpassed it. He was at a safe distance from me but I couldn't move. He growled in a mix of human and animal voice, but it was almost a duet. I shivered and closed my eyes, remaining still.
