Chapter 105: Twenty-seven.

Calum laughed off Colt's question with a shake of his head, "Just a dare gone wrong when I was younger, nothing to worry about, Love."

"Hmmm," Colt began speaking, until she seen where exactly it was along the pontoons they were headed. "Wait, this is, it's yours? This makes so much sense, now," she said smiling broadly, as they approached her favourite yellow boat.

"It is, I bought it from a chap up on the north coast, Craig Rigby, his name was, he built it up from a bare hull. Good job he did too, she'sgot a superb engine." Calum responded enthusiastic about his mate's interest in his boat. "But wait, what on earth are you on about? What makes sense now?" Calum asked, unaware he was now smiling, despite his bewilderment.

"I've seen you fishing out on the loch, behind the house. I have watched you moving about on this boat numerous times," Colt explained, nostalgia making her smile, "I was always transfixed whenever I saw you, and i never knew why. But then, whenever I came down to the harbour to enquire about buying something from your catch, I was always told the owner was away in Ireland. The catch you were gathering remained elusive." She shrugged playfully, "In fact, the last time I seen you was over a month ago, before that damn ceilidh, Iona dragged me to."

Calum suddenly went silent and withdrawn, his body on autopilot as he reached out to steady Colt while she climbed in the boat. He then jumped back out and started moving his creel pots along side the starboard side of the boat that was tied to the jetty. He did this all will keeping his mouth shut and his shoulders tense.

Colt watched him quietly move things about, before asking, "Can I help?" She wasn't sure what shifted his jovial mood, but the change was definitely not one she liked.

"No, Love, you've done enough," he sighed, his voice laced with irritation.

Colt frowned in confusion, not understanding what it is she was supposed to have done. All of a sudden her highlander seemed very grumpy and Colt couldn't place why. What's more, she was here at his insistence, and now he was showing signs that caused her irrational mind to jump back to her experiences with Elijah.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Colt asked, becoming more offended by his behaviour, and using it to conceal her own upset.

Calum sighed, pulling the last heavy parlour creel onto the deck, before adding it to the stack at the stern of the boat, below the cat catcher.

"It's not," he huffed out, standing straight again and trying to find the right words to convey his emotions. "Damn it, Colt, I'm just annoyed at life. It's not you, okay?" He snapped at her, "I'm just, you were here all this time, and I wasn't. I was off chasing fucking shadows, and being asked to identify random drowned women, on the off chance one was my mate. And you, you were here waiting to buy some fucking shellfish from me all this time!" His voice became raised as his temper grew, annoyed at the time they had missed out on together, "I'm just, I'm an idiot alright, an idiot who was too busy chasing his tail, and retracing his same steps over and over, steps that you never even happened to take, to realise what was right in front of me." His rant continued as he opened up the wheelhouse door, slamming it around against the hauler, just to flip the battery isolator switch on.

He then turned key bringing the John Deere engine to life a few minutes later. He walked back onto the deck to see his mate looking a bit startled, and sighed again at the sight. He was now annoyed at himself as much as at fate, for fucking things up. But, before he could apologise, Colt spoke up.

"I'm sorry," She whispered back.

"No. Please," he called out to her, "Don't be. I am not blaming you, Love." He said reaching out for her, and pulling her close, "Colt, it's not your fault. It's nobody's fault. Just a shit twist of fate. Like the fact that I was at that 'damn ceilidh' as you called it," he smirked, "In fact, I may even have watched your truck drive away, and I couldn't smell a bloody thing, because I had spent too much time around fish, and the van I was in, was well, a bit pungent. Then, I even gave all those twats I call friends, permission to chase you. Made a show of how I wasn't interested, and it was you. You!" He held her tighter, shaking his head in disbelief, at the thought she could have ended up the wife of someone like Paul or Logan.

"Calum?" Colt began quietly.

"Yeah?" he asked, breathing in her scent, in an effort to calm himself.

"I can't," she tried to speak, "I can't breathe," she managed to force out, the second time around.

"Shit!" Calum said, jumping back and releasing her, "I'm sorry, are you okay?" He asked in a mild panic.

Colt took a deep breath, "I'm good," she smiled to reassure him, rubbing his arm.

Calum sighed again, but less worked up this time, and pulling Colt forwards he placed a kiss on top of her head, "You aren't, but I guess I will have to wait for you to tell me about that, when you're good and ready."

With that, he turned and released the ropes attaching them to the jetty and stepped into the wheelhouse to drive out of the small harbour.

Colt stood on the deck of the boat, with one hand on the steel railing, internally reeling from what Calum had said, for the duration of the journey. He was right, she was far from good, there were no doubts on that in her mind. But, what bothered her more, was how it had not occurred to her, what he may have endured in his search for her. He seen her jump into the sea and disappear. Why would he not think she had drowned?

The most alarming thing was that he had mentioned identifying "women's bodies". Plural.

Facing not just one dead woman that could have been his soul mate, but multiple. How many times, she wondered had he had to steel himself with the potential of finding her again, but in the lifeless version that she would have been, laying on a cold slab in a mortuary. How many times, did he walk into that position, ready to face the worst, only to be left back exactly where he started.

Her heart silently broke for him in that moment, as the full impact of the pain he had endured hit her. But, more than that, by simply finding her, he hadn't ended his torment, but had actually opened that can of worms in an entirely new way. How could she tell him that fate's cruel game hadn't even started with them yet. That he had found his mate at last, but another had claimed her first. That, if she were to give herself fully to him, it would destroy a part of her very soul. That, despite what he had already went through, "fate's shitty twist," as he called it hadn't even progressed past the first loop.

After about fifteen minutes of sailing westward and away from land, Calum came back out of the wheelhouse with two fishing rods in his hands. He approached Colt, who was still stood in the same spot, leaning against the railing as the boat swayed over the light swell beneath them.

"You have good sea legs, Love," he stated, opting to pretend his earlier outburst hadn't happened.

Colt sighed, turning away from her view of the distant coastline, and unintentionally revealing the dried streaks from the tears on her face to Calum as she did so.

Calum's heart didn't fall at the sight, it downright plummeted into depths he previously wasn't aware he had.

"Balance of a cat, I guess," she shrugged, trying to seem unaffected. "Is that for me?" Colt asked, pointing at one of the rods he was carrying.

Calum nodded, unsure of what to say to kill the fast growing tension, as he approached her.

"I set it up inside," he answered calmly. "Be careful there are five hooks under the feathers," he said giving the short rod to her.

The feathers he mentioned were brightly coloured and all tied onto the main line, with a lead weight at the bottom.

"Okay, but what do I do?" Colt smiled confused by the rig she'd been given. "I've only ever really went trout fishing at the lake with my Dad, and this is not like the gear we used at all." Colt stated, offering a small smile.

Calum smiled back, finding his mate's clueless expression incredibly adorable. He put his own rod down on the deck, before coming and standing behind her. He wasn't one to miss an opportunity to get close to his mate, and this was the perfect excuse to wrap his arms around her, regardless of the previous tension.

"Okay," he began, placing his right hand around onto the rod and crossing his left around Colt's front to unwind the line from the reel where it was held in place securely. Then he swung the loose hooks over the side and above the water. "When we release the bale arm on the reel here, the weight on the end of the line will pull the hooks down to the bottom," Calum instructed as he showed Colt where to find the arm and how to control the speed of the descent.

The line dropped down into the water till there was a gentle thud when it hit the sea bed, about ninety feet below them.

"Then wind in just a touch," he said, sliding the arm back to a locked position, "and gently lift then lower your rod, till you catch something." He instructed stepping back to gather his own rod up.

"How will I know when I've..." Colt began asking, wanting to make sure she did it right, when her rod suddenly started vibrating in her hand. The tip in the air at the end was bouncing around like mad.

Calum laughed, "I'd reel back in now, Love. Hopefully we've found some mackerel," he suggested. "The sounder is great at picking up fish, but we will only know what it is, when you bring it on board."

Colt began reeling in, watching where the line hit the sea intently, as the rod continued to vibrate in her arms with the struggle of the fish below. It didn't take long before Colt began to see the bright shimmering silhouettes of three fish being pulled upwards from the murky depths. Once they were out of the water, Colt swung the rod in and over the side of the boat.

"That was so fast!" She stated in shock, her face lit up by her smile, and the enjoyment of catching something successfully.

Calum moved forward and removed each fish with practiced ease from the hooks, before looking to Colt with a grin, "Its a good start, but we are far from done," he said, while moving Colt's line back over the edge, "Again, please."

Colt followed his instructions, giving the bluish striped fish on the deck a side glance before looking to Calum, who was back at his own rod now.

"So, I don't know what these particular fish are, but I'm pretty sure they aren't lobsters," Colt questioned noticing Calum's lips pull up at her question.

"These are mackerel. A fantastic bait fish, though they're also good on toast," he laughed, "But, we need these ones to get the lobsters, Love," he winked, beginning to reel in his own line as Colt's hit the sea bed below again.

It wasn't long, before they had filled up a white fish box full of the mackerel, and Calum decided that would likely be enough to bait the creels he had with him.

"Let's go set some creels," he said reeling up for the last time, with a shake of his head at Colt doing the same, only with five hooks full of fish. Including a rather large gurnard, which looked remarkably like a little pink spiked sea monster from old Norse legends.

"I swear it's beginner's luck," Colt laughed.

"Nah, they just prefer women. I don't blame them, I only saw you from the back and have been dangling on your hook ever since," he stated, noticing Colt stiffen, "Relax, Love, it's a joke, well a compliment at the very least." He smiled warmly at her.

Colt relaxed a little, pulling the last fish off, and throwing it back. The gurnard was safe for another day, as Calum went inside to drive them onward.

She shivered slightly, under the spray from the sea as a small wave splashed up the side of the hull, and the cool salt air continued seeping through her jacket, while the boat picked up it's pace, closing in on more familiar territory, and Colt began to recognise her own little beach in off the distance.

"Colt," Calum called back, seeing her shiver.

"Hmmm?" She turned to face him, realising he was suddenly stood beside her, a small frown etched across his face.

"Come inside, out the wind," he instructed in his thick Scottish brogue, it should have sounded gruff, but somehow on Calum while he was taking her hand before she could refuse, and leading her into the wheelhouse, it sounded thoughtful and caring.

Calum pulled Colt inside the wheel house, it wasn't huge, in fact it was rather cosy. But it did reduce the chilled feeling somewhat, especially when Calum's large hand clasped both of hers, sending his own heat straight to her soul, while his other steered the boat in land and up the sea loch. After a few minutes he let go and lifted up the flask he had brought aboard, and handed it to Colt, while he pulled out some baked savory pastries. He handed Colt a steak slice, that he had wrapped in foil to retain some of it's heat. She took it gladly, enjoying the succulent meat in the rich brown gravy, while Calum opened up the flask and to her surprise handed her a cup of peppermint tea.

"How?" She asked.

"I may not have a sense of smell as strong as a wolf, but even I can smell the amount of peppermint tea you're constantly drinking," he teased her playfully.

Colt tilted her head, "Thank you," she responded warmly beginning to devour her small meal, contentment warming her slightly. "But for the record, Raspberry is my favourite. Sweet tooth." She amended, raising her eyebrows in fun.

"You're welcome, Love, and I'll remember that." He winked, "Next time though, I'll treat you to something a bit fancier," he smiled.

"I don't need fancy," Colt answered honestly with a shrug, "Your thoughtfulness means way more, Calum," she added, resting her head on his shoulder.

Calum couldn't help himself, his arm shifted around Colt's waist, and he kissed the top of her head. They stood companionably, as the boat sailed on to the lobster grounds that Calum favoured.

When they arrived there Calum was still concerned about the slight shiver his mate was displaying.

"Wait here," he instructed when they reached their destination, "You're still too cold."

Colt nodded, unsure of why she was so cold. The feeling had gradually crept up on her since they began their voyage, and now she just felt bone weary and chilled. She watched through the window as Calum quickly baited up his creel pots, throwing the first one over before walking to the wheelhouse and moving the boat forward. Before he went back out though, he looked to his mate with an idea.

"Colt, will you steer us along the line of the shore, Love? It will be quicker that way," He asked, wanting to get his mate home and warm as soon as possible.

Colt nodded and followed his instructions, smiling when they passed her little house on the shore, it looked so very picturesque from this angle.

It wasn't long till, all twenty pots were deployed, their ropes attached to floating buoys on the surface, and Calum was making his way back inside. He came in the wheelhouse from the now empty deck, and shrugged his jacket off, draping it over Colt's shoulders as an extra layer, and pulling her towards himself.

"Let's get you home, Love," he stated as he took over driving and turned the boat around.

The engine purred all the way, but Colt began to feel claustrophobic, Calum's overwhelming scent was doing funny things to her insides, and the constabt conflicting emotions it forced her to endure, were becoming too much in the small cabin. Excusing herself, she went back out on the deck and sat up next to the empty boxes and keep cages on the cat catcher.

Calum set the boat in the direction of home at a steady pace, and came to join her. There was nothing it would run into here, so he decided he would use the opportunity to go and pay his mate some attention, whether she wanted him to or not.

"Talk to me, please?" He asked, "I want to help," he explained sitting beside her.

Colt looked at Calum, her eyes brimming with tears again. She wasn't exactly sure where to start, or why she was having such trouble controlling her emotions today.

"I'm sorry," she eventually said, "I had no idea what you went through. I have been so consumed with surviving my own pain, that I didn't even think to ask about yours. I'm ashamed of it, of myself."

"You don't have anything to apologise for, Colt." Calum sighed, pulling her into himself again, he would never tire of holding her in his arms. "Fates a bitch."

"You have no idea." Colt mumbled under her breath.

"But, I have you now, I'm good, I swear," Calum tried to reassure her, "Though, I am concerned about your pain?" He asked her gently, "Will you tell me about it?"

Colt sighed looking deep into Calum's eyes, and she decided she would opt for as much honesty as she possibly could, "Calum, I carry a corrupted mate bond within me." She began, "Elijah cheated on me, repeatedly," she sniffled softly, "and it still really, really hurts."

Author's Note.... Hope you like it, B x.