KARA/CAROLINE

"Do you want to talk about it?" William asked on the car ride back to downtown, hand threaded through mine, and warm air on blast to help dry our clothes.

"I don't know," I said somberly, staring into the rain trails down the window.

After a few more minutes of listening only to the windshield wipers, I finally spoke. "Do you think my grandfather really only wanted me for what I could do?"

William looked over and shook his head. "No. Of course not. I never met him officially, but I don't think any grandfather would only want their grandchild for a power."

"My dad said he wanted to make me go to another pack to learn how to use it. Maybe they wanted to get rid of me until I was useful."

"No, no sweetheart." He squeezed my hand. "I don't know for sure, but Junior Alphas have to go through a summer of training before they can work on taking over the pack. But that's not until they are nineteen years old. Maybe your grandfather meant a random comment like that. Having you go to the other pack for a summer of training after you were old enough, and your dad just took it as meaning right that moment."

"That makes sense," I relented.

"I didn't know Ralph, but I do know Samuel and I can't see Samuel banishing a child to another pack to learn something that they aren't old enough to understand. And you were Eric's best friend. He wouldn't have ruined a relationship for his son. And really, I talked to Samuel about this, he said him and Ralph weren't even sure that you healing Eric was what happened. They wouldn't have sent you away for something they didn't even know for sure."

"They didn't know?"

"They had a hunch of course, but no one saw what happened so they weren't positive. He said him and Ralph talked about you maybe being a healer, but they weren't sure. So why would they send you away if they didn't know?"

I nodded, quiet to myself.

"Having a healer would be a wonderful asset to the pack. I'm sure they were very excited for the possibility. Any pack would cherish having someone who could heal, so I'm sure they were hoping you were, just like any human would hope for someone to cure cancer. But that wouldn't have meant they didn't want you if you didn't have a power."

I looked over with a slight smile growing.

"What do you feel? What does your wolf intuition say? Do you feel like your grandfather would have only cared for you if you had healing capabilities?"

"No. I think he would have loved me either way."

"So maybe it's just your father blowing it all out of proportion because he already had prejudices against wolf life."

I sighed. "That sounds right." I stared out the window, the city lights bright around us. "I can't believe he paid off Rick to date me." And five thousand dollars a month at that? Dad surely didn't make that much at his road construction job, did he? But just the fact that he was paying off my fiancé, it was like a hole hollowed out inside me at the hurt.

Will's thumb caressed over my hand, reassuringly. "It sounded like your father paid for his silence, not to become partnered. He probably really did care for you."

We both knew he felt he was stretching the truth.

I wanted to believe that Rick cared once, but really it was like it didn't even matter. I tried to remember myself caring for him. It felt like years ago, not just days. A hint of a smile attempted to pull on my lips as I remembered why it no longer mattered. That first meeting with William, seeing him had stopped my life like an explosion. I tried to wrap my mind around that it was just days ago. My life seemed so tied to William's already that it was like he'd always been at my side. I guess now he would be there forever because when one mate died, the other would as well.

But wait. Didn't that mean my dad should have died?

"How did my dad not die?" I asked hesitantly.

"Your dad?" He turned to me a puzzled look in his eye. "It was your power. You healed him."

"No, I mean... my mom. He didn't die when she did."

"Oh," he answered, finally understanding. "They weren't submitted mates. Accepted mates love each other and care for each other deeply but it's not on the same level as submitted mates. Accepted mates are like an elderly human couple that had been married for seventy years. Some may give up and die of a broken heart after their spouse dies, but it's rare. It's like that for accepted mates. The living mate would be broken, but able to go on, maybe even be paired again. But submitted mates, they can't go on without the other. Their life force is too tied to the other."

I nodded somberly. I could feel that sensation deep in my heart that it could break the moment William was gone and on a strange level, I was glad. Even at this point feeling like I'd barely met him from the human standards, I knew I'd never want to live in a world without him. Luckily, that same something deep inside told me it wouldn't be for a long time, and maybe we could get a happily ever after.

"Where's a good ice cream place?" He asked suddenly.

"Ice cream?" I asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I think you need some." He smiled over to me; a brow raised enough to bring a flutter over my insides. "Where's a good place?"

"Uh... I guess there's a pink place in the mall. They make their own marshmallow creme. It's pretty good."

"Homemade marshmallow creme? Now I think we really need some."

"And it's close to the pizza place too."

He nodded appreciatively. "Even better."

A few minutes later, I pointed to the pizza place, but he passed it. "Oh Will, it's back..."

"We're going to ice cream first."

"Ice cream first?" I laughed. "What? Are you trying to ruin my appetite?"

He chuckled and pulled into the mall parking lot. "Remember together we're one and half werewolf. I'm sure we can still eat pizza after. And you need the pick me up. We can always take pizza leftovers home."

I spoke with a soft smile. "Okay. That sounds lovely."

"Good." He parked and leaned over the seat to hug me tight in his arms and set a kiss on my cheek. "Don't worry about what happened back there, Love. I get to be with you now."

I sunk into his embrace and took a deep relaxing breath. His comfort was the warmest blanket to my soul. I was so content.

I love you. His mind spoke to mine.

I grinned into his shoulder, the sides of my lips pulling tight. Luv you.

He pulled back to look at me and a fond smile was upon his face. His hand moved to my cheek and his thumb drew tender circles. When his glance moved to my lips, I moistened them then leaned forward to meet his kiss.

He pressed soft. Full lips over mine in a feather touch that caused every muscle of my body to instantly loosen until I was leaning against the seatback like jelly. His fingers combed into my hair as his lips pressed again, a chaste kiss that brought out a fire of devotion clear to my toes. My lips parted just enough to let a long glorified exhale out. It was bliss.

He sat back after a final gentle meaningful kiss to my forehead. He then grinned. "Your eyes are glowing.

I pulled myself from under his tide. "They are?" The complete clarity of the surroundings making it obvious he was right.

Watching his eyes, he let his gold show through, and the pit of my stomach sang some beautiful love ballad.

His hand came back to my hair as his blue took back over, but he was just pulling the bandaging from my forehead away. He discarded the gauze into a trashcan in the backseat and followed with the bandage over my arm.

I looked over my arm and there were no traces of road rash. Had I always healed myself so thoroughly? I seem to remember wounds healing quickly, usually overnight, but never within an hour.

He unwrapped his armband and smiled to the pure skin. "That's what I thought." He held his arm out. "See? Perfect."

"Is that how fast you'd usually heal from a bite?" I asked as the visual clarity lessened.

"All you, Love."

"I still don't know I do it really."

He smiled and rubbed over my hand. "You're amazing."

I bent shyly. "Thanks."

He twisted in the seat to grab the umbrella. "Now let's go get you cheered up."