Chapter 112 Chapter 112
Jake stuck his head in the entranceway. “A woman is coming this way.”
Calum got up quickly. He wanted it to be Shaelan, but hoped it wasn’t at the same time, not her out wandering around in the dark.
“With a pink hat on…” Jesse’s low voice said from somewhere outside the door.
Calum snorted. “Marilyn, and that’s her hair, not a hat.” He shook his head when Jesse’s head appeared in the entrance and looked at him, his eyebrows almost to his hairline. “You’ll see.” He smirked.
Marilyn didn’t disappoint when she came in. “Whew! I need to get me a horse or some damn thing...” She lifted a foot from the floor and bent her knee a few times, swinging it back and forth. “Almost broke this off in a damn hole I didn’t see soon enough…” She stopped and looked around at everyone, then smiled as if she was the hostess at a party. “Oh, good you made it. Brock told me company had arrived, so I brought food.” She held up a worn, honest-to-goodness picnic basket.
No one moved or said a word, just looked at her. Calum stepped over and took the basket. “Thanks, Marilyn.” She grabbed a hold of his chin when he would have stepped away and pulled his head down close to hers.
“You look like something the cat dragged in.” She laughed, “Ha, maybe not cat...”
He straightened up slowly, “It’s was a long day.”
“I don’t doubt it. Mine has been damn gruelling. I’m all tuckered out. I’ve talked to almost every female old enough to have boobs about what’s been going on.” She was looking everyone over from head to toe as she spoke. “Another day and we’ll have a full uprising in the works. Doesn’t matter the nature of a body, none likes choking down lies and deceit.” She smiled at Kelsey, then Rayne. “My word, your women are absolutely lovely. I mean, just gorgeous.” She glanced from one male to the next. “Who’s the royal one? Do I kneel or curtsy or something?”
Calum smiled at the horrified expression on Devin’s face. “I don’t think that’s necessary, this time.”
Marilyn’s pink head bobbed a few times. “Okay, then. Let me sit this aged ass down and I’ll fill in some details.” She walked by them and headed into the cave. “A sip of whiskey might be needed too, I’m thinking.” She waved a hand over her shoulder without looking at them. “Tell those two statues outside to come in. No male comes near to this part of the mountain, they’re all petrified the cats in heat will drag him into the depths of this cave of spirits.” She sat down and winked at anyone looking at her, which was everyone. “A little story we concocted to make sure this space was only for us women.” Her loud laugh rang out, echoing off the stone walls surrounding them.
Shaking his head, Calum held the basket out to the stunned looking Kelsey, and motioned for everyone to go in. “What did you mean another day and you’ll have a full uprising?” He walked in to sit down, and try to relax his tense muscles.
She waved a hand in the air, “Several of the women will be coming here in the morning so we can talk it out.” She shrugged, “we don’t know a damn thing about bucking the system, never mind overthrowing it.” Ruffling her bright hair with one hand she grinned, “this is the only bucking I’ve ever done.” Frowning, she looked at the floor, “Okay, I’m lying… I have Ronald smuggle magazines and stuff in with the supplies. Then pass them around the village to keep us up-to-date on world events.” Waving that off, she looked up suddenly, then bobbed her head a few times.
In the back of his mind he had to wonder if the magazines she referred to were tabloid rags… but didn’t have energy to explain to her that the news in those was less than accurate. The woman plain exhausted him, just listening to her. He started to lower his tired as hell body into one of the chairs. “How’s Shaelan?” His heart thudded in his chest when he said her name.
She glanced at every person there, but didn’t once make eye contact with him. Then began picking imaginary link off her skirt.
He froze. “What’s wrong?”
Clasping her hands in her lap, she cleared her throat. “She had a rough time today…”
“The change? Is she okay?” He stood up, “Fuck! I shouldn’t have left her there…”
“No, no. Wasn’t her change coming, well it could be in the background but…” She took a shaky breath.
When he saw her eyes tear up, he turned to run for the entrance. Before he could reach it, Jake and Jesse grabbed him. “Let me go,” he growled. He was dragging them, their boots sliding across the stone as he continued toward the entrance. Devin appeared in front of him, pushing back on his shoulders. He growled a low warning. Prince or not, that was his mate and something was wrong. “Dev, move…”
Laughter like he’d never heard filled the cave. He saw the confusion on Devin’s face as he glanced over his shoulder. It was a male’s laughter. Huffing out a breath, he shook off the men trying to hold him and turned around to see Gage almost doubled over laughing and pointing at him.
“About. Fucking. Time.” Gage gasped between bursts, “You asshole!” He straightened and tried to sober up. “How many years have you rode my ass about this mating stuff?” He chuckled, “and now it’s your turn.” He looked to the roof of the cave, “thank you,” he whispered.
Growling low and pacing away, Calum rolled his shoulders and tried to walk it off, so he wouldn’t go running back into the chains waiting for him at the village. “Bastard,” he hissed, only to hear Devin chuckle quietly.
“Whew! That was exciting!” Marilyn said loudly. “Damn, I love you guys.” He heard her sniffle and turned to see her facial expression go from smiling to distraught. She looked right at him. “Please don’t leave us here to live like this anymore.” Rayne and Kelsey were in front of her comforting her before he could reply.
He looked at Gage, then to Devin, both men’s expressions reflected what he was feeling. No way in hell they were leaving this clan to live like this.
Jake stomped over and sat down. “I’m never leaving the shop again.” He wiped a hand across his brow and scowled at the floor by his feet.
“You said something about whiskey?” Jesse said suddenly, looking to Marilyn. He pointed to the bottles, “Is that it?”
She nodded to the women to let them know she was okay, “You need to bring me a bottle there handsome. I have to get through explaining to the large, angry, green-eyed one what transpired today to upset everyone, and most especially his mate.”
Calum slid down the wall, and exhaled, trying to bring his cat under control. His whole life he’d kept to himself. Stayed out of trouble, never stirred any up. In the last few days his entire world was a mess, not just a simple one, but a fucking mess, one he couldn’t even see clear enough to fix. Not feeling any more settled, he looked at Marilyn. “Tell me.”