The Blood Moon Twins

Chapter 4 - Unexpected Feelings

REMY

Caulder opened his mouth to argue with our dad, but our mom appeared suddenly.

“Mark,” my mother said, placing her hand on his shoulder. “I think you should go to bed. Nothing productive is going to come out of this conversation tonight.”

My dad took a deep breath, and his muscles relaxed. I had never heard my father raise his voice like that, and it had unnerved me. Between that and getting our party canceled, tonight had just been getting worse.

“You’re right,” my dad said. “We’ll talk more tomorrow. He checked his watch and then added, “Oh, and happy birthday.”

Normally, those words made my heart sore, but now they only made it ache. This was the worst start to a birthday.

Once my dad was out of the room, my mom gestured for Caulder to sit down. “I can’t believe you were attacked. Are you okay?” Her voice was on the edge. She was trying to keep her voice calm, but I could see her tears building.

“We’re fine, Mom,” Caulder insisted, trying to squirm out of her grasp.

“Caulder was stabbed in the side,” I said quickly. I ignored the glare Cauder was sending my way. I knew he didn’t want to admit he was injured, but my mother had magic that could heal him, and he needed that help. We both had different abilities from our dual nature, and that was one he was missing.

Mom pulled away, and her lips pulled tight as she inspected Caulder’s side. She placed her hand over the wound, and a light enveloped his side, originating from her hands. The wound started to close under her magic. “What were you two thinking, sneaking out like that? Caulder, you should have known better than to put your sister in danger like that. If those rogues had gotten ahold of any of you–”

“I begged him to take me out,” I quickly said. Caulder had already argued with our father on my behalf. I didn’t want him to get a guilt trip from our mother, too. While it was his idea, I was a willing participant. “And I can take care of myself. I’m the same age as Caulder. I don’t need to be babied.”

Mom pulled back when she had finished healing Caulder. A sigh escaped her lips. “If you wanted to go for a run, you should have just asked. We could have had some escort you. It would have been safer.”

“We’re not children anymore,” Caulder said. “We shouldn’t need escorts everywhere.”

“It’s not that I don’t think you two are capable on your own, but this pack has many enemies. It’s not safe for you to wander on your own, especially this late at night.” She wasn’t angry as she spoke, but I could feel her fear. I would much rather face dad’s anger than this.

“Our pack hasn’t been attacked in the time we’ve been alive. I don’t understand why you keep saying we have all of these enemies,” Caulder said. He stood up and tried out his newly healed body.

Mom just frowned. “One day you’ll both understand. Your father and I have these rules in place for a reason.”

“Why can’t you tell us the reason for it now?” Caulder was visibly starting to get frustrated again. He snuck out of the pack house all of the time, because he didn’t agree with the rules. This wasn’t the first time he had challenged them, but this was the first time I had seen him act this way with mom.

I grabbed his arm and looked at him pleadingly. “It’s late, and we are just on edge. Now’s probably not the time to talk about this.”

“Remy’s right,” Mom agreed.

“It’s never the right time,” Caulder muttered. He wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t unusual for us to get the “later” excuse from our parents.

Mom stood up and adjusted her pajamas. “You two should get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow. You know Scythe and Rie are going to have you getting ready pretty early for your party.”

My eyes brightened at her words. “Wait, we still get our party?”

Mom smiled. “Of course. While you shouldn’t have been out there without a warrior with you, you stayed on the pack grounds, fought bravely, and you ran for help when needed. That’s not enough to cancel your most important birthday party. Your father was just upset. He doesn’t like knowing rogues snuck onto his territory and hurt his children.”

I jumped up and threw my arms around her, squealing with delight. “Thank you so much!” I let her go, and Caulder seemed to relax.

“Thanks, Mom,” Caulder said. “And sorry we worried you.”

Mom pulled us into another hug. “I’m just so glad my babies are safe. Get to bed, and oh… Happy birthday Remy and Caulder.”

-

CAULDER

I helped Remy to bed, since her ankle was still injured. My mother didn’t bother healing Remy, since her werewolf abilities would easily heal her ankle. I crawled into my bed after that, and the exhaustion from the evening settled in my bones. Not only did I get Remy and Harper injured, I almost got our big birthday party canceled.

A soft knock on my door took me out of my thoughts. Harper poked her head through the c***k in the door. In a whisper, she asked, “Are you still awake?”

I sat up, letting the blanket fall down my exposed torso. I never slept with a shirt on. “Yeah. What’s up?”

Harper slipped into the room, shutting the door behind her. She tiptoed across the room and crawled into bed with me, just like she did when we were younger. I made room for her in the bed and settled back down.

She turned on her side and looked at me with her big green eyes. “Did you guys get into big trouble?”

“Kind of. I got into it with my dad, and he canceled our birthday party. My mom said it wasn’t canceled, but still.”

Harper frowned and inched closer. “That’s not like you. That’s not like your dad, either.”

I pulled my lips tight. “He also hasn’t caught me sneaking out before. I’m just sorry I got you guys in trouble.”

Harper looked up into my eyes. I thought she’d be mad at me for dragging her into this mess, but she didn’t seem the least bit upset. “Remy and I are our own people. You didn’t force us to do anything, and up until the rogues attacked, I think that’s the most fun I’ve had in awhile. Plus, did you see how free Remy looked running through the forest tonight? I think it was good for her.”

“She got hurt.”

“It’s nothing that won’t heal by tomorrow.”

I knew Harper was right, but there was still a weight on my chest.

Harper poked my nose, making me smile. “Hey, it’s your birthday officially. There’s no reason to be upset. Today should be all about celebrating.”

I poked her nose back. “You’re too good at looking at the positive. I’m lucky to have you as a best friend.”

Harper smiled back at me, but something about it seemed sad. “I’m lucky to have you and Remy. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into my arm.

“Hey, no falling asleep. We’re already in enough trouble. I don’t need your dad hating me for sleeping with you, too,” I said.

Harper let out a sharp laugh. “Like he would think that. He knows I would never date you.”

Something about her statement squeezed my heart. She had said that before, but it never bothered me, so why did it feel so wrong that she said it now?

“Wow! Way to insult me!” I said, brushing past the strange feeling.

Harper propped herself up on her elbow. “Caulder, you’re practically the town slut. Besides, you're my best friend. The idea of dating you just sounds wrong.”

“I may have slept with a few people,” I said, drawing out my words. Going to parties and hooking up with girls was one of the best ways for me to feel free from my parents and the weight of the responsibilities waiting for me in the future.

“Julie, Tiffany, Francie, Crystal,” she listed, putting up a finger with every name.

I grabbed her hand, forcing her fingers down. “Okay, okay. I get it. I’ve been with a few people. No need to list their names.”

Harper rolled her eyes. “You just don’t want to hear how long the list is.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not like those girls ever meant anything to me,” I said. Part of me knew it was wrong, but any girl who got into bed with me already knew what I was like. They also knew I had no interest in anything long term. I made sure it was clear before anything happened with them. My life was too hectic for that.

Harper grew quiet after that, and for a moment, I thought she had fallen asleep. I knew I should wake her and send her back to her own room, but she smelled too good for that.

“Caulder?” Harper said, her voice not even close to sleepy.

“Hmm?”

“What are you going to do if you find your mate tomorrow?”

“That’s not going to happen.” Remy may have dreamt about finding her mate on the day we turned eighteen, but I knew it wasn’t practical. There were too many factors to consider.

“What if it does? What’s going to happen to our friendship?”

I pulled Harper into my chest and hugged her tightly, suddenly realizing the fear behind her question. “You’re my best friend, and nothing is going to change that. Mate or no mate, I always want you in my life.”

“Same,” she said, hugging me back.

Somewhere between comforting Harper and the silence that ensued after, I drifted off to sleep. It wasn’t until I awoke the next morning that I even realized Harper had slept in my bed. She was warm in my arms, and she smelled absolutely amazing. In fact, she smelled better than ever, making me want to—

“Mate,” my wolf whispered. I jumped up from shock. Not only was that the first word my wolf had ever said to me, but he was also referring to Harper.