Hidden Dangers of Love

Chapter Five

Astrid kept her eyes shut after she spoke. Tears ran down her face as she waited. She waited for him to be done. But he suddenly stopped. When she flashed her eyes open she met his ice blue gaze, it was filled with panic and shock. "Astrid..." He whispered, he carefully moved away, backing up. His eyes were still set on her, they were as wide as an owls. Astrid noticed that she was now bleeding, from where Damen ripped her open and where he bit her neck. "I'm so sorry." Caleb said in a whisper as he stumbled back a few more steps. His gaze clouded with pain but it soon turned to anger when Damen struggled to his paws. Astrid let out a small cry as she tried to move away. "You did this!" Caleb roared, his eyes turned a dangerous black as he strode toward Damen. Before anything could happen, Damen whimpered and sprinted as fast as he could away from them.

It wasn't until he was far enough away that Caleb walked slowly to Astrid but he paused and looked away. She was shocked when he ran toward the water and jumped in quickly before getting out and changing. Astrid watched as he howled out, the noise sounded full of pain but she didn't have much time to think before the smaller ginger wolf she saw yesterday darted through the bushes. They both quickly changed back and Astrid realized it was Memphis. The two of them exchanged some words, Caleb's gaze flashing with worry and grief before he walked to the oak tree and leaned his arms against it, placing his head there, frustration in his gaze along with pain and confusion. Like he was struggling to hold back.

"We don't have much time." Astrid flashed her gaze back to Memphis as she crouched down beside her. She was a little surprised when she realized Memphis had clothes on. And when glancing back to Caleb, she saw that he changed. "Where did he find clothes?" She wondered out loud. Memphis's gaze lit up with amusement. "He told me to come with clothes for him and for you." She said softly, "now I am going to give you something that will put you to sleep, it will stop his craving temporarily and you wont feel a thing." Memphis added, before Astrid could talk. When Astrid nodded, she felt a needle in her arm and with one last glance at Caleb, meeting his gaze, she fell asleep.

"She better be okay! Memphis I swear if you gave her the wrong medicine..."

"Look Caleb, she is waking up."

"Are you sure you can handle yourself?"

"Yes."

Astrid slowly blinked open her eyes, when she darted her eyes around, she realized she was in a house and laying in a bed. She winced as she moved her neck, just in time to watch Caleb close the door behind Memphis and Cole. He didn't mean it... He wasn't in control..." Astrid tried telling herself as he slowly walked over to her bedside. But she still tried to flinch away which made sadness visibly flash in his gaze. "Astrid... I'm so sorry." He started, his voice cracked which made her feel upset for some odd reason. "I have figured out how to control myself around you... But I wont ever touch you again if that is what you wish-" "Shh..." Astrid cut off his rambling and reached out to grab his hand but he moved it away.

Astrid watched his gaze for a moment before she sat up, expecting to feel pain course through her, but instead she felt fine. She was a little surprised when she got up and stood right in front of him. She didn't feel like she was in full control when she kissed him gently on the lips. It quickly sent a tingling feeling through her body, she was glad he didn't decline the offer. Caleb smiled gently as he leaned his forehead against hers. "It wasn't your fault. And you saved my life." Astrid whispered softly, grabbing his hands and placing them on her waist, she was starting to believe herself too. "Astrid... You don't know how hard it is for me to keep away." He whispered in her ear. His voice quiet and gentle. She didn't feel as vulnerable now that she had clothes on so she just smiled and leaned her head in his chest, closing her eyes when he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I choose you..." Astrid murmured after about a minute of silence. She made up her mind, she wanted Caleb not Damen. Her head said Damen becuase he was strong and handsome. But so was Caleb, and he was nice to her. She started to worry a little when he tensed up at her words, she moved away from him. She couldn't help but smile slightly when he let out a small whine of protest, "Are you sure?" He asked quietly, his eyes full of wonder and excitement. Astrid nodded slowly, her gaze going from his face, to her feet. Was this a bad decision? She suddenly remembered her foster parents. She shivered when she remembered the dark red flashes in Johnathan's eyes when he was angry at her, and the stone cold voice when Dawn was acting angry with her. But to Dawn's defense, she was usually nice unless Johnathan was around. She wondered what Johnathan would do to her if he found out who she was with right now. Or possibly with forever... She sighed and shook her head slightly. She felt Caleb's strong embrace when he walked to her and surrounded her with warmth and comfort. "I don't know if I can." Astrid said, her voice cracking painfully. "My foster dad would kill me. Possibly literally..." She said with a slightly amused huff as she leaned her head on his chest. "What is his name so I can keep him on the list of werewolves to beat up in that pack." He teased her gently as he moved a few inches back to look in her gaze. Astrid let out a sigh as she smiled at him teasing. "His name is Johnathan and her name is Dawn." She said, her tone slightly worried at the thought of them. But her blood ran cold when she saw Caleb's reaction.

His eyes were almost black, but not quite, they were a deep blue color. Anger shot through his gaze as well as a glint of sadness, Astrid was almost scared of him they way he suddenly changed. "Astrid. You need to get out of that house. Especially if you want to be in our pack." He said sternly, his voice was cold and distant. He must of noticed the was she looked becuase his gaze softened slightly as he grabbed her hands. "Johnathan is the Alpha of the other pack. Dawn is his mate." He said with a low voice. Astrid's jaw dropped, she felt her whole body stiffen. That explains so much... Why they wouldn't tell her anything, and why they were constantly telling her not to socialize with the other wolves... "I wont let them hurt you, but until you can get out of that house, I cant mark you. It will put you in too much danger." He said quietly. Astrid felt her heart sink inside of her, she looked down at her feet again. All of this and she would have to wait longer? And for what? So Damen could try to get her again? She felt anger flare in her as she blinked away tears. I don't want to go through that again! She cried out inside. Her heat wouldn't go away for the whole week. It is only Tuesday. She sighed and looked up to Caleb, his eyes were back to normal but worry flickered in his gaze.

"You have been asleep for two days, So it is Thursday. You will be going home tomorrow and I am coming with you. So nothing bad will happen." He said quietly, but his voice was confident. She watched him, a little surprised. How does he know what I am thinking? Is he guessing? Or am I just really easy to read? She wondered as she looked around the room for the first time. She wondered where she was, the walls were not logs like the school so she guessed that she wasn't there. "We are in my packs house." Caleb said as he walked toward the bed and sat down. Astrid ignored him as she walked around, She got to the window and gazed outside. It was getting dark which was weird for her, she really slept for two days? They were at least two stories up in the building, looking over the tree tops, and in the distance there was a large open field with only a few scattered trees around it. "It is so beautiful." She whispered quietly, more to herself than anyone. She turned around and watched Caleb for a moment before giving him a small smile, everything had been overwhelming all week and she really didn't get the chance to appreciate him. He fought for her since the day she got here, and she was very happy he was there. She took a deep breath. What would he do if I instigated? She wondered, watching as a smirk opened on his face before he laid back on the bed. She walked over to him slowly and leaned against the bed, his legs on either side of hers. He was grinning up at her, "if you do this there is a chance I wont be able to stop myself." Caleb said his smirk faded slightly, his gaze serious. Astrid just looked at him and gave a small shrug. "What if I wasn't doing anything?" She said teasingly. She trusted him enough but she wasn't sure why... After what she had been through this week she didn't know why the thought of being with him conforted her more than ever. "Please, I know exactly what you were thinking." He spoke with a slight tease in his tone as he rolled his eyes. She wasn't sure if she should take him seriously or not. "Okay then." Astrid said, unable to keep in the grin she had. She moved away and laid down on the bed, away from him.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her mind clearing more when she relaxed. She knew she could feel safe here without anyone from the other pack chasing her down. She let out a gasp of surprise when the bed moved around a little and she opened her eyes, she looked up to see the soft ice blue gaze as Caleb looked down at her. She let out a small smile when his face lit up into a grin, to her surprise he leaned down and kissed her softly. She instantly felt a tingle run through her body as she instinctively kissed him back, and let out a small whine of protest when he stopped and moved back. "What was that for?" She teased him with a smile. Astrid felt okay with him hovering over her right now and she was a little surprised that she did.

She was so focused on Caleb, that when the door opened it startled her. She felt Caleb sigh in frustration and move away. Making the, clearly amused Seth, visible at the doorway. She felt her face flush red when he watched her which made Astrid turn away. "Seth, it better be good." Caleb said, not moving from where he was, partly teasing but there was a hint of frustration in his tone. "There is a visitor here for you." He said, glancing at Astrid, his voice changed when he said visitor, like it was an un-welcomed one. Caleb nodded coldly as Seth nodded back and turned away, leaving the room. Caleb got up carefully and watched her. "If you come downstairs with me, stay beside me. I might have been able to stop myself around you, but when the other wolves without mates scent you, they might lose control." He said, kind of quickly as he glared at Seth. He gave her a small smile and left the room, looking back to see if she was going to follow.

When the two of them got downstairs, they were greeted by the hostile gaze of Damen. Astrid instantly froze and stayed behind Caleb as soon as the boy saw them. "Ah, I see you haven't marked her yet Caleb, does that mean she chose me?" Damen asked, a smirk on his face when he took a step forward, Astrid let out a very faint whimper but relaxed a little when Caleb pressed his back to her to comfort her without taking his gaze off of Damen. "No, she didn't. She chose me so you can leave my territory now." Caleb said in a low growl, but Damen just laughed and shook his head. "You cant speak for her. And if you haven't marked her yet, and she has been through her first change then there is obviously something stopping you two." Astrid held her breath as she looked at her feet, she knew that was aimed toward her more than Caleb. When she looked up she watched as Caleb nodded, motioning Cole and another boy with silver hair escort Damen out. "I will be around honey!" He laughed as they left the house.

Astrid walked away and sat down in a chair, she leaned her head back and let out a huff as she closed her eyes. "Okay, now that I chose one of you, can you tell me why he is so persistent, and why there are two of you that want me this bad?" She asked, her voice a little edgy because she already knew the answer. She watched as a few others walked in and out of the room, going too different rooms. Eventually, when it was just her and Caleb, he turned around from watching out the window and walked to the chair across from her. "No, not until I mark you." He said, his voice was calm but she knew he was hiding the frustration. Astrid just sighed and looked at him, "what am I going to do when I go back..." She asked, more to herself than anything as she changed the subject. "You will stay away from Johnathan. He will already know, but he will be furious. I really shouldn't have said you chose me." Caleb said, he cursed under his breath when he thought of what he did, looking away so he didn't have to meet her gaze. After a few minutes of silence, Astrid let out a small smile and got to her feet. She walked toward the door, knowing Caleb's gaze was on her. When she got to the door she opened it and met Caleb's gaze. I wonder if he will follow me? She asked herself, it was actually more of a question to see if Caleb could hear her. But it was also common sense you would think to follow a female, in heat, outside. She closed the door quietly behind her and took in the scents and looks of the surroundings quickly. The house was in the middle of the forest, trees surrounding it. The scent of spruce trees was very strong, as well as the crisp smell of water, the roof of the deck was blocking out the moonlight so Astrid walked down the steps. How do I change? She wondered. Was it as easy as she thought? She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment before she shifted into her wolf form.

She was a little surprised, it barely hurt at all! She looked over herself as she stood there for a moment, her pelt was jet black, with a small tint of blue in the moonlight. It was very fluffy but she had a sleek build under the thickness of fur. She wagged her tail a little before darting off into the forest. Damen would be long gone to the border by now with the other two wolves so she had no fears as she ran. Astrid flattened her ears as she jumped over a dead log, letting out a surprised yelp when she staggered on her landing, almost tumbling over into the bracken. She stopped and shook her pelt before continuing her run. I'm going to have to get used to this! She thought, blinking as she scented something unfamiliar. She slowed to a stop and took a deep breath, whatever that scent was, it smelled good. Astrid spun around when she heard a crack of a stick in the bushes, her fur fluffing out aggressively. She let out a small growl but stopped when the warm, familiar scent surrounded her. "You really think you could take me?" Caleb's teasing voice popped up as he padded out of the brambles, giving his pelt a shake.

Astrid flicked her ears as she visibly looked him up and down. "I could take you. I almost beat you the other day." She retorted playfully. Caleb just rolled his ice blue eyes and wagged his tail. "I beat you, easily. And I have more experience in my wolf form so I could easily beat you again right now." He said teasingly as he walked closer to her. Astrid wagged her tail happily, her eyes lit up with excitement. Why was she so excited all of a sudden? She playfully crouched down and crawled toward his paws, her back legs and front legs outstretched. She nipped at his paws, making him jump away. He let out a playful growl and jumped on her, but before he could pin her down, Astrid clumsily slipped away and started running again, away from him.

She perked her ears as she dodged quickly through the trees. Glancing back, she saw Caleb close to her tail with surprise lit up in his gaze. "You are the fastest newbie I have ever met." He said, by the sound of his voice he was being serious. She slowed down to a walk after she relayed the words in her head. She was panting now as she stopped and laid down on the dirt path, it was still tiring but when she looked at Caleb he didn't even look phased by the run. "I might be fast but why aren't you tired!" She exclaimed, kind of wanting to turn but she wondered if she would be naked. Caleb changed back to his human form right in front of her, he had clothes on, so Astrid tried it. When she changed her eyes filled with wonder when she had jean shorts and a yellow shirt on.

"You need to train with your wolf form and you will get faster and be able to run longer. You are actually very fast for someone who just turned."Caleb explained, commenting on her speed as he walked toward her slowly. Astrid didn't mind, she had become comfortable with is company and closeness very quickly. She set her head back and looked up at him, watching as he settled beside her in the grass. Their heads almost touching as they laid there side by side. She felt her arm tingle as he gently curled his fingers over hers. They didn't speak, they only watched the sky as the stars twinkled. Astrid smiled as she watched, her heart beating quickly, afraid he could hear it. But even if he could, he didn't knowledge it at all. They just enjoyed the feel of the soft grass, the smell of the forest in the slight, warm breeze.

"Astrid... Time to wake up, sunshine." The teasing, soft voice of Caleb made Astrid blink open her eyes. When she looked up she was nearly blinded by sunlight, she glanced over to see Caleb resting his head on his hand, his elbow digging into the soft grass. His sweet smile warmed her up quickly. Without really thinking, she shifted closer and nuzzled her face into his light blue tee shirt, she smiled when he shifted closer to him. The warmth and scent of his body surrounded her and she almost drifted back to sleep. "No sleeping, we need to go back soon." Caleb teasing voice startled her when he moved away to watch her gaze. His eyes filled with an odd excitement and happiness. "I don't want to go back." Astrid grumbled as she rolled over, closing her eyes. "Come on. You need to eat something before you leave." Caleb said, when Astrid looked back at him he had a smile on his face. Astrid let out a large sigh and sat up, she realized she hadn't eaten in over a day. Wow, now that I think about it i am kind of hungry. She thought to herself as she got to her feet and let out a yawn. The forest was much brighter with the sun up, and a lot more green than she thought it would be! Astrid looked at Caleb and smiled when he got up and stretched, she turned away and changed back to her wolf form, excited with herself when it didn't hurt this time. "Told you it would get better." Caleb let out a laugh as he changed and walked up to her, licking her cheek. Instead of leaning closer to him, Astrid gave him a small playful bark before body checking him and running off toward the scent of the pack house. Though she didn't run very fast so he could keep up, she smirked as she thought to herself. Maybe that's why they fight over me. Her eyes glowed with amusement. She glanced back, feeling her body relax when she saw Caleb watching her, his eyes filled with something that Astrid couldn't quite catch and that was when she knew she would be okay here.

"Come on, you need to hurry up so we can get you on a bus back to your foster house." Astrid rolled her eyes as Caleb tried to get her to eat her toast quicker. They had just gotten back, the pack house was fairly empty except for a few others walking through the rooms here and there. When Astrid finished her toast, she playfully poked Caleb in the ribs. "Okay lets go, since you seem to be in a hurry to get rid of me." She said, but Caleb didn't hear the tease in her voice as his eyes clouded with worry. "I don't want to get rid of you. That's the last thing I want to do, but we need to go over things so you can get out on Sunday without getting marked by Damen." He said, walking up to her and brushing the hair from her face. "I don't understand what I have to do. They wont let me out after this!" Astrid spoke with worry edging her voice. "I will be having a chat with either Damen or Johnathan. They will let you out, they don't have a choice because it is against the rules." He murmured as he turned around, walking to the door. Not another word was spoken as the two of them as they left to go back to the school.

When Caleb pulled into the driveway he stopped the car, the two of them gazed at each other for a moment before Astrid looked away. Was this a good choice if it was going to put everyone in danger? What if I just became Damen's mate... So Caleb wouldn't get hurt trying to protect me. She thought to herself, she glanced at Caleb, his face was now pale, furry flashed in his eyes mixed with sadness. Astrid could only wonder what was going on in his head. "I cant come with you, im not allowed... The only thing I need you to do is try to avoid them as much as you can, and don't talk to them about any of this. If things go bad I will come, against their territory or not." Caleb said as he glanced back at her, fear flickered in his gaze. She just nodded in agreement and reached for his hand, she gripped it for a moment as she let out a weary breath before getting out of the silver car. "I will see you on Sunday or Monday." She said quietly before closing the door of the car and walking against the wind, and into the school building.

"Astrid!" A voice popped up as she grabbed a drink from a vending machine. When she turned around, a girl her age stood there and watched her every move, the girl's eyes wide with surprise. "I'm Bailey." The girl said with a big smile. Her auburn hair was straight except for where it curved at her shoulders. "Hello." Astrid said with a polite smile, she grabbed her drink and turned fully toward Bailey. The girl's eyes were a deep yellow, which seemed to be a common color around here. "I have to go, but I will talk to you after the weekend. I saw you at the pack house yesterday so I am sure I will meet you again soon!" Bailey chirped on, but her gaze was distracted by a group of kids that were waving her over. She quickly said her goodbyes and walked to her friends quickly. Astrid let out a smirk and shook her head, she took a swig of her water and walked outside to where she noticed the buses pulling up. Letting out a deep breath, she walked up the three little steps and instantly felt all gazes land on her as she walked to the third seat from the back, sitting down. She quickly plugged in her ear buds and looked out the window, she sighed as they left the school with a jolt. Astrid wished that girl would have been here, it would have made the ride more enjoyable but instead, she just closed her eyes first.

As soon as they pulled up to the house, Astrid felt her heart thump. Dawn and Jonathan were standing on the porch, and he looked furious. His eyes were dark red, and Dawn looked like she had been crying. "Oh boy, the new girl is in so much shit." Astrid shot a cold glance at a boy with dusty brown hair, his light red eyes flickered. She shook her head as she slowly got off the bus, she pulled her sweater up higher as she stepped off. Astrid waited until the bus left before she walked to the steps, her step father didn't move but Dawn walked quickly into the house. I really hope someone is close enough to hear me scream when he tries to kill me. Astrid thought to herself as she walked up the steps. She watched Jonathan as she got to the door. He blinked coldly at her but let her in. Maybe it won't be so bad. She thought wrong, as soon as she got into the house she jumped as the door slammed behind her. Astrid let out a cry of pain as she was pushed harshly against the back wall, his hand was on her throat and the other on the wall. "I told you to stay away from them! How hard is that?" He snarled, his eyes dark red. "I know you have been told about everything. Well almost everything, I bet they didn't say anything about what you are, or why you are so special!" He was yelling now, Astrid felt his hot breath in her face. Her eyes blurred, and she struggled for breath, his fingers tightening around her throat. She began to feel dizzy and light headed, her vision blacked out but she felt her body drop to the floor and someone on top of her, there was a sweet scent flooding over her which made her relax before she screamed out in pain as someone bit down sharply right below her shoulder before the lack of oxygen made her black out.