Chapter 16: Couldn't sleep

Though suspicious, Caiden nodded. He quietly left the area, observing the two of us as we made our way to the building. Although I didn't feel at ease, Caiden appeared glad to have me back, even though he would never say so.

Jessie showed me to the building's basement, where there was an abandoned mattress, and urged me to lie down. The space had a musty mold odor and it was dark. It was unbelievable to me that I could have been so stupid as to follow Jessie there.

It was obvious that Jessie would degrade me by making me stay in such a place like an animal. Also, I lacked the bravery to confront the Luna and insist on having a better sleeping area.

I thought that the quads might be in a similar or worse situation than mine as I surveyed the area. How much suffering must my kids be experiencing? I felt really guilty that I'd never had them ready for this, as I made the old mattress and lay down.

Perhaps if I had told them they were werewolves, they would have tried to defend themselves from any dangers by fighting together.

I turned to gaze out the tiny basement window and groaned. It would undoubtedly be a long and challenging night. This is no place to sleep. How could anyone be treated this way?

*****

When Jessie got home, she found Caiden tucked up in bed and appeared to be lost in thoughts. She laid down next to him, kissing and stroking his body. He pulled back, irritated.

"Did you follow my instructions?"

With a sultry stroll, she rolled her eyes and embraced him from behind.

"Kamara will sleep like an angel tonight, love, because she is in the best room in the building," she said, planting a kiss on his back.

He took her hands off him and pulled back again. Jessie took offense at it. Glaring angrily at him, she stood up and walked in front of him.

"What's going on with you, Caiden?"

Seemingly agitated, Caiden ran his palm over his face and up into his hair.

"Well, what's going on is that I had a difficult day today," he said, slipping away from her once more and reclined on the bed. "I'd very much appreciate it if you gave me a little time to relax."

"Oh please, Caiden, you have difficult days every day. You lead a pack of almost three thousand members, after all," she remarked, glancing at him. "Kamara has only caused us worry and disarray since her return."

"Jessie, the issue isn't with Kamara," he remarked irritably.

She whined, "And what is the problem, Caiden? I have a feeling that you're avoiding me because of the kids, and I don't want to believe it."

"What the fuck do you mean by that?" He stood back up, displeased. "What are you trying to imply?"

"What I mean, Caiden, is that you're trying to punish me for never having a child." She cried.

"Jessie, if I were truly punishing you, I would have rejected you as my mate long ago."

The words struck Jessie's heart like a knife. They were so brutal. Despite the tear streaming down her cheeks, Caiden didn't appear to mind.

"You seem determined not to let me rest, so I'm heading to the office," he declared.

"Please understand, Caiden," she said, holding onto his arm. "Knowing that Kamara returned with four children that she claims are yours makes me very sad."

"Do you really believe those kids aren't mine?" With a hint of mockery, he questioned.

"This could be her way of tricking you."

He shook his arm angrily and had her release it, saying, "From the things I saw today, this doesn't seem like deception and I don't want to hear anything about Kamara in this house. Is that understood?"

She went on, "You definitely will hear it on the streets Caiden. Your subordinates are already hearing whispers that the Alpha is seeing a rejected she wolf.”

Caiden squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to block out Jessie's comments. He did nothing and just turned his back on her and walked out of the room. He lay down on the couch, which barely accommodated half of his bulky body, after locking himself in the office. He also tried to fall asleep but was unable to do that.

Caiden found it difficult to explain. He had to ensure Kamara's safety. He went outside to make sure everything was alright after waiting for Jessie to go asleep. Only the city bars were permitted to be open at that hour, and the streets were deserted.

With his weighty strides, Caiden rattled the tree branches as he made his way to the main building through the darkness, sending the birds flying. The animals all cowered in fear, as if they sensed his presence. When he eventually made it to the front of the building, the chilly wind sliced into his skin, but he noticed the hunters were gone.

The men weren't present even after he made a full lap of the area. He later realized that the building's side entrance was ajar. Even though Caiden's demeanor didn't convey fear, his eyes grew wide. He hurried up the steps and into the building.

There was no sign of Kamara when he pushed open the door to the room that should have been hers. It was odd to experience fear once more. The thought of Kamara being in danger stirred his wolf. Caiden went through every room in the large building, but Kamara was nowhere to be found.

Giving anyone else control over her safety was a mistake. Even though Jessie merely showed jealousy, it was a mistake to put his trust in her. It was not the moment to let guilt consume him. He had to find Kamara right away. Her scent hit him as he went down the stairs, inhaling deeply. He heard what sounded like a scream coming from under his feet. It was Kamara. Running to the basement, Caiden kicked the door open, breaking it in two.

Already frightened, Kamara opened her eyes wide at the man in front of her, feeling the panic ignite throughout her body.

******

"Kamara, why are you in the basement?" Confused, Caiden enquired.

Breathless, I replied, "Jessie brought me here."

As Caiden furrowed his brows, he looked at me, trying to decipher Jessie's reasons, another scream from my mouth reverberated through the dark basement. I sprinted over to embrace Caiden as my entire body shook with fear.