CAROLINE

My mind started coming to the front, sleeping pressed behind me when I heard a gentle woman's voice. "Caroline? Sweety, are you awake?"

I groaned a yawn, still feeling like I could sleep ten more hours.

The woman's voice turned demanding. "Caroline, you wake up right now." A tight squeeze at my hand.

I began to smile recognizing the voice and grumbled. "Go away Catherine."

A man's chuckle made me open my tired eyes.

I looked over Catherine and standing behind her was Blake. "Blake?" Not William.

"Hey Caroline," he gave a soft smile. "You feeling okay?"

"Where's William?"

"I'm here," his husky voice brought a smile fully over me.

I turned my head toward the sound and I realized I was back in the room that Rick and I shared again. He was waiting in the doorway between rooms.

Catherine spoke concerned. "I just wasn't sure if you'd want to see him right away."

I looked over to him and started to sit up. "I do."

He wandered to the other side of the bed and sat next to me, pressing me back down. "Don't get up yet. Rest a little more."

"Okay." I allowed him, then remembered the reason I needed to rest, "that last man!"

William grabbed my free hand. "He's fine, but still in the cages. You healed his thoughts at least. He's cooperating, but he will need more help when you're ready."

I tried to sit up again, "I'm ready."

Both sets of hands from Catherine and William pushed me back. "Not yet sweetheart. Let's give it a day or two."

I twisted to Catherine. "Aren't you supposed to be on your honeymoon?"

She smiled and grabbed Blake's hand at her shoulder. "We've still got two hours before we need to leave. When you dashed away, I was scared. I didn't know what happened to you."

Blake caressed her. "I told her the story. Hope you don't mind."

I shook my head, no.

Her eyes went excited. "We're both mates! And you used to live here, that's so whack!"

I sighed low and soft, my hand curving around William's. "I didn't know until just a little while ago."

"So what happened to Rick? How did he learn you two were mates?"

My face flushed red and she giggled catching the color.

"That bad?"

"Uh," I stumbled, looking to William for help. "I, uh went for a late night ...rendezvous... with William and Rick caught me with bite marks at my neck?" That really happened right? I looked to him for confirmation.

William grinned and nodded.

I grimaced.

Catherine was awed. "Late night rendezvous! Scandalous. I thought you were ...." She then looked between our blushes and giggled. "Oh my gosh." Are you not a virgin anymore!?

"Catherine!" I yelled appalled. Then I wondered, Can we mind link too?

Yes! She grinned wide. Anyone who's a wolf or marked! You just have to think about them. ....Okay, sooo.... How was it!? She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Catherine!" I yelled again, and then laughed. "Stop."

"Ladies," Blake chastised. "It's not polite to link when there are others in the room."

She smacked his side. "Oh shut up. It's girl talk. We can't whisper with your fancy ears, so linking it is."

I glanced to William and he just looked amused.

Congratulations on losing the V-Card! She winked and I couldn't help a full on laugh. Then I realized that really hurt my head and pulled my hands back to hold at my brow.

"You alright? Need something?" William was instantly in protector mode. It made me smile, memories of mates and possessiveness rippling to the surface.

"I'm alright. Can I sit up yet?"

"Sure, let me help you." He held a hand at my shoulders and lifted, helping me situate against the headboard.

"Thanks." I smiled shy. "You can sit by me if you want."

He pushed the other pillow out of the way and leaned back by me. I rested into his heat.

I turned to Catherine. "Would you mind if I caught a ride with you to the airport, or is that too weird?"

Catherine looked confused. "Why do you need to go to the airport?"

I looked at her like she had lost it. "What do you mean why? I've got work in the morning."

"But I thought you were quitting?"

"I... well, yeah. But I have to give my two weeks notice."

She huffed. "Eff that jerk." She then twisted and grabbed a cellphone from the nightstand. She clicked in the password and then I realized it was my phone.

"Hey, what are you..."

"Shush!" She cut me off, the phone to her ear. After a few moments, I could hear the voicemail of the reception desk at work. When the message beeped, she snarled. "Hello Wellsworth Veterinary Services, this is Caroline Peter's personal secretary Catherine," she twinkled up at Blake, "Tornto, and she will not be coming in ever again. She quits today. Right freaking now. Goodbye...oh wait. And to Mr. Rick Farce," she yelled into the phone, "Quit F..king my Aunt! A-Hole!"

She quickly pressed the end key and then glared. "Pressing end is not as fulfilling as slamming the phone down." She then looked up to me sweetly. "Problem solved," she stated in a sugar voice.

I couldn't decide if I was horrified or I needed to solute her. "Well, guess I won't ever be working in Seattle again."

She rolled her eyes and placed my phone back on the nightstand. "Oh, pah-lease! You've gotten job offers every other week for over a year." She sighed and looked to me with sadness. "Honey, I've said this before and I'll say it again, he was only into you because he didn't want you to leave the clinic."

I groaned, not that again. "He did like me." Did she have to bring it up now?

"Wait, what do you mean?" William asked her, hand squeezing mine protectively.

She looked over to him and frowned. "Caroline started getting a reputation with some of the local animal clinics that she, well, she works wonders for the animals! The Seattle Zoo gave her a good job offer that she was seriously considering when Rick suddenly asked her out. When she was asked to leave for Sea World, they got engaged. She's had plenty of job offers all over the U.S." She looked back to me, "and you could take any of the say thirty offers you've gotten last year and call them up and see if they're looking and I guarantee any would take you in a heartbeat, giving two weeks or not. And now! Knowing why you were always so good, it's an even bigger duh that you could go anywhere."

William growled a low note.

She looked to him and snickered, "I'm getting there William. I promise." She bent back and grabbed my other hand. "Honey, you could take any job anywhere, anytime, but," she slowed, "you don't need them. You need to be here, with us. With William, your mate." She slipped the hair away from my neck exposing my marks. "Okay? So don't be expecting to ever go back to Seattle. You can make your dad come visit you here." She sat straight and stated finally. "You live here now."

I laughed softly. "Yes ma'am. But I do think I need more than three outfits and two ball gowns for a wardrobe."

She rolled her eyes. "Duh! Me and Blake are hitting the apartment on the way home from the honeymoon. We'll pack your stuff and bring it with us too."

"You're going to pack all my stuff?" I asked unconvinced.

"Of course."

I grinned. "Forget it. I'm not letting you pack my things. Plus I need my car. I'll just go and pack and drive back."

"Caroline. I'm not letting you go back to that cheater. If you go there, you know he'll be parked out in front of the building waiting to get you back. His clinic is going to flop off of the top ten list without you. Do you really want him there, begging you back after finally getting busted hooking up on the side?"

My air choked out. "No. Guess not." What would I do if he came begging? And Catherine really had talked about her concerns about him before. Had he really been cheating this whole time? Did he really only ask me out to keep me in Seattle? That stung worse than the actual breakup. "Did he really only want me for what I can do?"

"No, of course not Sweetheart," William twisted around to look at me, pressing a warm hand to my cheek. "He would have loved every inch of you. You're perfect in every way. He would have loved you even if you didn't work the hardest at the job. It's just that the universe had to get you back to me, and him meeting another person was the easiest way to allow him to let you go."

A smile pressed into my face and I tucked myself into his hand. "I feel like you're lying, but it was still a good lie."

"How about this," William countered, slipping my hair back. "How about I go with you? That is a very long drive and I'd prefer you not doing it by yourself."

"You want to go?" I asked cautiously.

"Of course."

"Don't you like have lots of Beta duties?" My mind flashed to the many hours of work my grandfather did in his office.

He grinned. "I just got my mate. Someone will take over for a few days while we get acquainted. It's customary."

I felt the warmth rise over my cheeks. Acquainted. "I guess I wouldn't mind some help driving."

He nodded satisfied. "Then it's settled. I'll come with you."

I grabbed my cell and checked the time. "I'll call the airline and get the ticket transferred to you."

After an annoying amount of time, I finally got off the phone with the airline. Catherine muted the tv and looked up expectantly.

"Well," I started dejectedly, "looks like Rick already transferred his ticket earlier. So I cancelled mine and we are on the next open flight but it's a redeye."

I looked to William. "Do you just want to hang out in Salt Lake for a few hours? We can still go with Blake and Catherine."

His eyes darted to them and back. "What if we stick around here, and we drive up in my car later?"

"We'll have to abandon your car until we get back."

He shrugged. "There's long term parking. I'm more worried about the separate drive after we get back to Salt Lake."

"I think we can handle that," I smirked.

Catherine pouted. "So you don't want to go with us after all?"

"I'm sorry about taking your friend Catherine." William apologized.

She looked to Blake with a giggle. "I guess we can handle on our own."

"You know it baby," Blake leaned to her and gave her a soft slow kiss.

"Blake," William said in a warning tone.

Blake pulled away and bowed his head. "Sorry Beta."

I turned to William incredulous. "Did you just flash your badge? Let him kiss his wife."

He chuckled. "Alright Blake, you go enjoy your wife before you have to leave. We will not be traveling with you."

Blake stood and grabbed Catherine off the bed clear up into his arms. She squirmed, "no! I want to say goodbye to Caroline!"

"You'll see her in a week Cat." Blake nodded my way. "I'm glad fate got you back here Caroline. It'll be good for Catherine to have someone here to bother when I'm working."

I lit up, "you mean you two are moving here?"

"Where did you think, silly? Blake graduated." Catherine giggled. "We're not staying in Seattle."

"I don't know." I guess I really didn't know where they'd go. But it did make me smile to think I'd know someone here a bit better than Eric.

"Bye Caroline," Blake smiled and started carrying Catherine away.

Catherine waved at me speaking quick, "Caroline! We're still going to be best friends! Don't worry we'll be back soon and don't you dare talk to that cheater if he calls you!"

"Bye Beta William." Blake closed the door with Catherine still yelling out for me.