Call of the Wild -

Part III

Chapter 24

Kaylie groaned as she lowered herself onto Kal. He spread her open, forcing her walls apart around him. She kissed him, her tongue dancing with his as she sank further onto him. He filled her. This was where he was meant to be. Inside her. Connected.

Kaylie whimpered softly as he pressed against her cervix. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled him. Her body ached pleasantly as she adjusted to his size. Her muscles spasmed, her tunnel contracting over him as his teeth raked her tender neck.

Every breath made her chest heave against his, dragging her sensitive nipples along his bare chest. His hands roamed her back, sending tingles up and down where he touched. Even without moving, a knot of need grew within her, building a delicious pressure that needed release.

"I love you, Kal," she whispered into his ear. He throbbed gently inside her to the beat of his heart.

"I love you, Kaylie. We'll always be together."

"Yes, Kal. Forever."

The tension built higher as he nuzzled her neck and his lips traveled down to her chest. They played over her breasts, circling her areola before brushing against her nipple. She shivered at the contact, her tunnel tightening around him with every pass.

"Don't... don't tease me, Kal. Please. I need you."

Kaylie cried out softly as his lips drew her sensitive bud into them, his tongue lapping at it as his hips rolled against her. The small motions struck her most sensitive parts, filling the ball of pressure within her to the bursting point. She buried her face in his hair, clenching her eyes as he sucked and ground into her.

"I'm cumming, Kal."

His only response was to run his nails down her back as he continued licking her.

The dam burst. Kaylie clamped wetly around him as her entire body went rigid. Her back arched and she warbled a little cry. Her hips twitched and wiggled against him, building more tension even as it was released.

His hands grabbed her hips, swirling them and pressing them down as he thrust up into her. Even as she was wracked with pleasure, that tension grew again. She gasped for breath as her hips pressed down hard. He reached her deepest parts. The parts that sent shocks straight to her brain. The parts that desperately drew him in as he pressed harder.

Kal's teeth latched onto her neck. Kaylie's eyes widened, her mouth hanging open as that massive ball of pressure released again. Waves of warmth covered her as her body shook uncontrollably on him. They crashed, over and over, even as she was spread impossibly wide by his inflating knot. Hot liquids splashed within her, pumping her fuller and fuller, expanding her belly until a small bump formed.

Kaylie fell against Kal, resting her head on his shoulder as she panted. She quivered as his rough tongue lapped at her neck. He still throbbed within her, that heat warming her. She moaned as he wrapped his arms around her protectively, holding her tight to his chest.

"I love you, Kaylie." Kal rubbed his cheek against hers, breathing in her scent.

Kaylie snuggled into his embrace, burying her face in his neck, taking in his smell.

Another warmth spread on her back, two soft globes pressing gently against her as another set of arms wrapped around her. Hana nuzzled Kaylie's neck and settled behind her.

"That was beautiful," Hana said quietly. One hand stroked Kaylie's bulging belly gently. "I'm so lucky to be with you."

Kal kissed Hana, cradling Kaylie between them.

"Mmm, I hope I get pregnant soon," Kaylie moaned as Hana and Kal kissed her. Two sets of hands now stroked her bloated belly. "I want them, Kal. I want to meet our babies."

"Won't that be lovely?" Hana asked as she rested her head on Kaylie's shoulder. "Our own little family. They'll never be alone. They'll only know love, and warmth."

Kal placed a soft kiss on Kaylie's temple. "I can't wait to meet them."

***

Kaylie's knuckles rapped gently against Melissa's door in the morning.

"Melissa? Sweety? Are you up? We didn't hear you come back yesterday."

Kaylie waited for a response.

Nothing. Not even the shuffling of sheets or light grumbling.

"Melissa? Were you out with your friends? It's fine if you're a little hung over, I won't tell Hana."

Still nothing.

Surely, she wasn't that hung over.

Kaylie cracked the door open, peeking inside. Melissa's bed was empty, the sheets a mess. Her purse was gone, too.

She must be feeling better if she was already up and around at this hour.

Kaylie shut the door with a shrug and joined Kal and Hana downstairs for breakfast. The smell of fresh eggs and bacon accompanied Hana's giggles as Kaylie rounded the corner to the kitchen.

"Stop it," Hana tittered as Kal nuzzled her neck, "I'm trying to cook."

"Just showing my appreciation to my cute little mate."

Kaylie bounced up, not wanting to be left out. She snuggled Hana from the other side.

"Ah, wait wait," Hana squealed as she tried to keep her balance. "Food. Still cooking."

Kaylie grinned and gave her a peck on the cheek before letting her go. Kal did the same, but not before grabbing a handful of her behind, making her squeak again.

"No Melissa?" Kal asked as he wrapped Kaylie in a hug.

Kaylie snuggled into his embrace, enjoying his smell.

It always smelled best in the mornings.

"No, I think she already took off. I guess therapy is really helping her. She's so much better these days."

They took their seats with Hana joining them; three plates piled high with bacon and eggs in her hands.

"Kaylie, was this how you felt when you became Kal's mate?" Hana asked between nibbles of her bacon. "Even though I can't really remember anything about this 'wandering realm', I feel so... connected? To both of you. Like this was normal, like it had always been this way."

Kaylie took Hana's hand with a smile, squeezing it gently.

"At first, I didn't remember anything, but the feelings were so intense, and they just continued to grow. It was like I instinctively knew who I was, even if I had no memory of it. It just felt right. As does this. We're a family, and always have been."

"When did my little Kaylie become such a smooth talker?"

Kaylie leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Who knows? Doesn't change the fact that it's true."

A comfortable silence descended as they finished eating and cleaned up.

"Where are we going today? For this meeting with your friend?" Hana asked.

"I wouldn't say 'friend'. More like... a talent scout?" Kal pulled on his jacket and tied his shoelaces. "He wants us to join his family, so we probably shouldn't take everything he says at face value."

"Will Elina be there?" Kaylie asked.

"Yes. I don't know how much we can believe her either. She likely has a vested interest in getting us to join."

***

Kal hadn't been kidding when he had said how fancy the place was. The penthouse was probably bigger than their entire house, and then some. Fine velvety curtains hung everywhere with finer lace curtains underneath. Gold sparkled on every surface and crystals hung from the chandeliers. Even the staff were fancy. They moved around with a fluid and precise elegance that was more at home at a king's palace than a hotel. Their clothes probably cost more than a year's tuition.

Two of the finely dressed staff swung open the double doors into a parlor where two silver-haired people stood, resplendent in fine clothes and jewelry. The man, likely Niko, wore a crisp button shirt with slacks and shoes that gleamed like they'd just been polished. Two golden rings adorned his fingers with a fine necklace hanging around his neck. Sophisticated and refined, but also pompous.

She recognized his scent. They'd chased him off once in the wandering realm.

The woman dressed in a similarly fancy fashion, though perhaps not as garish. Pants so tight they could have been painted on, with a buttoned blouse just as snug. The buttons lay open from just above her bosoms, showing off the creamy tops. A tight collar bound her elegant neck. A listless smile and sad, defeated eyes marred her otherwise beautiful face.

Elina. The collared one.

Kaylie had thought that when they finally met, something would trigger in her. That she would feel anger or dominance toward her, that her wolf aspect would emerge and take over. But it didn't. Elina hurt. She was broken. Offered up to Kal like a prize. Like she meant nothing. At that moment, only pity and sadness flooded her.

"Kal! It is good to see you. I'm glad you've found your way back. Elina here has been anxious to see you again. Hasn't she?"

Elina bowed deeply, her bust threatening to spill out. "Thank you for coming, Kal. Please, have a seat."

Elina bowed her head deferentially to Hana and Kaylie who stood beside him. "Welcome esteemed mates. Please, make yourselves at home."

They seated themselves, Hana and Kaylie beside Kal, and Niko opposite them. Elina sat on another couch, nearest Kaylie. She sat perfectly straight, her hands folded on her lap.

"Kal, I'm excited to have this conversation. Truly. Elina has already filled me in on some, so I must congratulate you on making another mate. This must be Hana. And the lady on your other side would be Kaylie."

"Thanks, Niko," Kal said. "I guess we still have a lot of questions about Freiji, so I'm hoping you'll help explain it. I'm sure Elina could have done the same in the wandering realm, but our memories are still a touch foggy when coming back."

"Of course, of course. We're all Freiji here, so we can speak directly. What can I start with?"

"Well, I've been curious about something," Kaylie said. "How exactly are Freiji made? I just woke up one day as one."

"An excellent question. Usually, Freiji are born from existing families. There are all sorts of rules for when and how, that I won't bore you with. Some are born outside of the families, usually because they have a trace of Freiji blood in them from some distant ancestor. These are rare and they tend to be on the weaker side."

"Is that us?" Hana asked.

"Oh no, not at all. There are two answers here, so bear with me. First, you and Kaylie were made by Kal. He shared his essence, you shared yours, he poured his will and desire into you, and you eventually changed. Time can vary between mates."

"Does it only work on humans?" Kal asked.

Niko's jaw twitched. Kaylie wasn't sure why.

"Yes. Human blood is more receptive, though not very. We can raise another generation of Freiji through them, though the odds are low, and they are generally weaker, depending on the strength of the original. It is not the preferred way of expanding our families, which would be through pairings of existing families and bloodlines. The Hyalti and Vahemma do not respond as they are already distantly related."

"The werewolves and non-Freiji descendants of the families," Elina explained.

"Some children aren't Freiji?" Hana asked.

"Yes, it's a bit of a shame, but some children simply aren't born with the ability to wander. It might resurface a few generations later, or not at all. Those family branches are broken off and serve the Freiji. All of the staff here are Vahemma."

"And that," he continued, "brings us to you, Kal. My father only cares that you join the family, but I would like to know how you awakened and why your blood is so strong. While you may in fact just be a powerful awakening from a distant bloodline, I'm fairly certain it has to do with Mount Waris, but my searches have been fruitless. I'm hoping that once you've fully regained your memories, that you'll be able to help me discover the method."

"Back to the werewolves. We do affect them though, don't we?"

A slight sigh escaped Niko that he tried to cover by clearing his throat.

"Not that I'm aware of. The Hyalti are generally not welcome in our territories. They are uncontrollable, kill and terrorize the populace, and spread like a disease."

Kal's hand twitched in Kaylie's. She squeezed back.

This guy was beginning to rub her the wrong way.

"That's not to say that we don't," Elina interjected, giving Niko a sideways glance. "There aren't many documented instances of werewolves mingling with us. Everything I've ever read has been around our history, where they feature as a footnote, if at all."

That didn't match with what Kal had told her and Hana.

"Let's change the topic to something more productive," Niko said. "Kal, we would like to invite you into the Vasiliev family. As I've stated before, feral, or free roaming Freiji are generally not tolerated. Our family can protect you, not only here, but in the wandering realm too. As your strength grows, it will become easier to find you, and you will face off against other families that aren't nearly as accommodating as us. We can teach you how to protect your territory and can even provide help should you need it. And as for the help here, we can offer you enough to get you set up on a nice sprawling estate somewhere, free from your everyday concerns. Whatever you want, we can provide."

"And in exchange?" Kaylie asked.

This was far too good of an offer to be true.

"You support our father, the patriarch, with whatever he asks of you. Don't worry, it won't be anything crazy. If he calls, you must come. If the family is threatened, you must aid. And let's not forget, you'll be a direct branch of the main family as you'll take his daughter as your mate. That will put you above all others."

Kaylie's eyes darted to Elina face, the slightest tremble of her lips and moisture in her eyes the only crack in her facade. It was only for a moment. Then Elina caught her eye, smiled politely, and nodded.

"Except you."

"Except me."

Kal seemed to be mulling it over.

"Kal, would it be alright if I spoke with Elina for a moment?" Kaylie asked. "It will only take a minute."

"Sure. I have a few more things to discuss here. Hana?"

Kaylie shook her head slightly to Hana, who declined to join her.

Elina rose smoothly, bowing to Kal again before leading Kaylie to another room. A well-dressed man opened the single door to a giant bedroom, complete with another set of couches and little tables.

It was good to be rich.

"Please, have a seat. How may I help you, matriarch?"

"Uh, just call me Kaylie. You don't have to... talk... like this. It's just us."

"Of course, Kaylie."

If anything, Elina seemed even more tense.

Kaylie scooted a little closer, her knees almost touching Elina's as they sat side-by-side.

"Elina, are you alright?"

"Of course, Kaylie. This is my purpose, after all."

Despair, that was all Kaylie could smell from her. Behind that mask, behind the smile, she was broken.

Kaylie placed a hand on Elina's. She flinched slightly, dropping her gaze.

"I'm sorry, Elina. About this. All of this. You don't have to do this. You can stay with your family."

Elina's hands trembled beneath Kaylie's.

"Thank you, Kaylie. But it won't matter. I'm still his. I can't go back."

"We can release you. I don't know if Kal has figured out how, yet, but we'll let you go. You can go."

A hot tear fell onto Kaylie's hand.

"You don't understand. I don't have a family. I never did. I was just a bargaining chip. Something to be thrown away when it suited them."

Kaylie pulled the quietly crying Elina into her arms, letting her hot tears fall onto her shoulders. She stroked her back as it was racked with sobs. They began to calm as Kaylie gently held her. Kaylie rocked her, letting her get it all out.

Memories of them in the den surfaced, of Kaylie licking at Elina's raw neck to soothe it as she whimpered, of lying beside her to keep her warm as they slept. She had been an invader. Kaylie should hate her. Despise her. But she didn't. All she felt was pity. She recalled well what it had been like to lose Kal. The heartache of losing a loved one. How much worse it must be to realize there hadn't been any love in the first place.

###

Chapter 25

Allison stepped into the pitch-black room, having not gotten a response to her knock. Heavy curtains blocked the sunlight from the single window of the motel room, with only the light from the doorway illuminating the place.

No, that wasn't true. There was one more source of light, the phone in Melissa's hand. They had taken hers so that it couldn't be traced and given her a burner unit. Melissa stared listlessly at the screen, the sounds of moaning and someone crying Kal's name coming from the speakers.

This couldn't be good for her.

"Melissa? Have you eaten yet?"

Allison glanced at the small table in the room, still covered with unopened bags of take-out, cold grease staining the paper.

"I guess not."

Allison flipped the switch, bathing the room in depressing yellowish light.

They couldn't let her continue wallowing like this. They had to do something.

Allison grabbed one of the cheap chairs and placed it in front of Melissa, who barely seemed to notice. She only looked up and acknowledged her presence when Allison's hand covered the screen.

"Listen, I'm not a therapist, but this can't be good for you to keep watching it. You know that it's not Kal, not anymore. There's no need to torture yourself."

The phone slipped from Melissa's grasp as Allison pulled it from her, setting it down on the nightstand.

"Does this... happen often?" Melissa asked quietly.

"Not exactly like this, but we've been around for a while, and seen a lot of paranormal things. Spirits, ghosts, monsters. There's a lot of bad things out there."

Far more things than any of them had ever known or wanted to know. But they kept coming, and someone had to stop them.

"Have you ever lost someone? Family?"

"Um, yeah. Recently. My dad. He, uh, well, he got bit by a werewolf. We thought we had managed to stop the infection. But, ah, we didn't. He got out. I... I killed him. Before he could hurt anyone else."

It still stung like an open wound, pulling that trigger, and watching him go down, and it always would.

"He... he was a good man. Wanted to help people." Allison wiped the corner of her eye. "Wanted to believe in the best of people. Always jumping into the fire. He saved a lot of people over the years."

"How do you live with it? Losing them. Knowing that you're alone."

How many times had she asked herself that same question? She'd lost a lot of people, and each one broke her a bit more.

"You fight. That's the only thing I've ever known. The only thing that's kept me going. Fight for those who remain, fight for your friends, fight for the innocent. Your brother may be gone, but your sisters might not be. You fight for them. You're not alone. Not yet. And we're here. We'll fight for you, too."

This was all she could offer Melissa. She would have to find that will to fight on her own. Bethany and Allison could only do so much. Sometimes it just wasn't enough. More than a few couldn't find the strength to go on, not after losing everything.

The silence endured, Melissa staring at the floor, lost in her own head.

Allison pulled out a small kit from behind her, clicking open the metal lock.

"Melissa, I'd like to take a few blood samples, if that's alright. We can't do a lot here without a lab, but we can run some rudimentary tests to make sure you aren't infected with anything."

Melissa nodded, offering her arm. Allison tied off an elastic tube and proceeded to take several vials of blood before applying a bandage to the site.

"Do you know what happened to him? To my brother?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out. We could use your help. We know he disappeared in Finland, only to show up six months later. Did he ever talk about it? Give some kind of clue as to what happened?"

Melissa shook her head. "Said he didn't remember any of it. He was really weak and tired when he came back. Kaylie doted on him. She would sleep.... Oh god. Was that what he was doing? Was he... feeding on her?"