Chapter 33: Ack!

Dominic

Why oh why can’t a lava tube open up under the ground at my feet, right this second? Amelia is next to me, we could both disappear into the tunnels, never to be seen again. We could spend the rest of our days together, just her and I, not have to talk to anybody else, eventually turning into some kind of blind underground mole people, and have to be in constant physical contact in order to find our way to the cave fungus and mineral water we would survive on.

And I would never have a huge crowd of people staring at me expecting me to speak intelligibly.

Ack!

Ack!

Ack!

But then I feel her take my hand, very softly, just the slightest touch of our fingers. I doubt anyone not standing right next to us would even notice. The tingling awareness of her presence washes over me, spreading everywhere from that tiny point of contact, and I feel complete. I feel her support, her encouragement, her intelligence, her courage. It is like I am sharing in her best qualities, like she is sending me everything I need to be able to do this.

I think this might actually be possible.

“We -” my voice has a croak in it, and I clear my throat and try again. “We found a lava tube where we think the rogues have been staying. It was up in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.”

There, that made sense, right? I look at Amelia, and she gives me a slight nod, to let me know that I did good. I think I’m done, and I sigh with relief, but then the questions start, and Alpha Ross seems to think I should be the one to answer them.

They want to know what is a lava tube, so I describe it as best I can, then add, “I want to do some research about whether there are any known to be in that area. Not that I’ve heard of, but I’m no expert. I wonder if this is an uncharted one.”

“How big is it?” “How do you know the rogues were staying in it?” "How far away is it?” The questions continue, and with Amelia standing next to me, sending me her silent support, I’m able to field them all, and I don’t think I’m even sounding like an idiot. At one point Alpha Ross meets my eyes and gives me a subtle nod.

Something like half an hour passes this way. Finally Beta Malcolm interrupts the questions, and says, “We need to try to learn more about it, so we’re planning to put together a fully equipped team to explore the cave the day after Christmas. We want to figure out how deep the cave is, and whether there are other exits and entrances. Once we understand how the rogues have been accessing the cave, we should be able to put together a battle plan, to catch them unawares and eliminate the threat.”

Amelia’s boss, Gamma Michael, adds, “We are taking volunteers for the expedition. We’ll also need to post a few guards at the cave entrance while the rest of us are underground. If you are interested in participating, especially if you have any experience exploring caves, please stay after the meeting so we can talk further.” There is a general noise of everyone murmuring to each other about whether they want to do it. “Otherwise, that concludes the meeting, you all can go ahead and get your dinner now. We’ll have another meeting at breakfast on the 26th to make further plans. Happy holidays to everyone.”

Most everyone stands up and starts heading over to the buffet line. I lean down and whisper to Amelia, “Thank you. I don’t think I could have done that without you.”

She nods, and smiles, but I feel like there is something bothering her. Not visibly, it doesn’t show on her expression or anything, but I can just sense it. I think that we are becoming more and more connected with every moment that we spend together. It’s almost like I can feel her feelings, the same as I can smell her scent. “Are you all right?” I ask.

Her pretty blue eyes meet mine curiously, and instead of answering my question, she asks one of her own, in a whisper. “Can you feel that? Like, you can tell that I was worried? I could feel how nervous you were. I think maybe we are close enough that we have started to sense each other’s feelings.”

So I’m not the only one feeling that way.

“I have a lot to tell you,” she whispers, “later.”

Evan and Theo have been loitering back here with us, talking about the plan for tomorrow. “We’re gonna get our food,” Evan tells me, and they move off.

Amelia glances at the table that we always sit at, and sees that it is still empty. “Why don’t you save our place,” she says, “and I’ll go grab our dinner, okay?”

“I dunno,” I tease her, “I’m really hungry. I don’t know if you’re strong enough to lift as much food as I want.”

“Don’t worry,” she replies with a funny little smirk, “I’m a wolf.”

Amelia

I think about it while I am piling our tray with all kinds of meat. I know what he likes, I’ve watched him. He’s such a wolf, such a carnivore.

After talking to Darlene, I feel like I understand more about what to expect. Of course, if I am expecting to see something I suppose I might only be imagining that it is happening. But this seems very real. She told me that she and her mate can sense each other’s feelings, and now this evening I swear that is happening with Dominic and I. I felt his anxiety when his Alpha told him to explain what he had found. I mean, it was obvious to anyone who looked at him that he was anxious, by his wide eyes and nervous gulp, but it was more than that for me. I felt it.

And then, when Beta Malcolm was talking about putting together a battle plan, I got scared, and I’m pretty sure Dominic was feeling that. I know I wasn’t showing it, I have gotten very good at hiding my feelings when I don’t agree with what the leaders are planning.

They’re in charge, of course, and can order us to go along with any plan they make, and we will all participate with 100% commitment. But a battle plan? Really? They think a battle is the way to deal with the rogues? Wolves will be hurt, on both sides. I know they attacked Dark Woods, but is violence really the answer to everything? It bothers me so much, but it isn’t my place to criticize. I’m just a wolf. I’ll agree and help however I can.

But Dominic could tell that underneath, it really bothers me.

Our bond is deepening, I can tell. I wonder how much deeper it is going to get? It will still be a week before the Alpha and Luna ceremony, and that is our goal - to get past that before we finalize our mating by marking each other during, um, sex.

It all makes me nervous, and part of what is causing that anxiety is that I am starting to want it, more than I could have imagined. As much as he does, maybe.

But that is another thing I have to figure out. How much does he want it? Enough to cause him pain? And if so, with our developing ability to sense each other’s feelings, will I be able to tell?

We have a lot to talk about, and to do.

As I return to our table, with a tray holding two plates full of food, he gets a huge grin on his face. When I put his plate down in front of him, towering with steaks and chops and a baked potato, he laughs. I sit down and he leans over and murmurs to me, “I think you’re right. About being able to tell what we’re each feeling. You obviously knew exactly what I wanted for dinner.”

I come soooo close to planting a little kiss on his cheek. Oops. I have to be more careful. We have a week to go still, and I already held his hand in public. I don’t want to be much more obvious than we are already being. “I didn’t need to sense your feelings to know what to get you,” I inform him with a little smile, “I just watched what you got yourself last time.”

“Heh,” he chuckles.

“Dig in,” I tell him, “I have a lot that I want to tell you, but not here.” I look around the room. I don’t think anybody is really paying attention to us, but some things are better discussed in private. “In the meantime,” I say, “tell me more about the lava tube!”

He starts happily chatting about his discovery today, so much more at ease talking just with me than he was in front of the whole group. I listen, fascinated, to the whole tale, in far more detail than he had told everyone else.

When he’s done, I ask him, “Are you going to go back to explore it with the group on the 26th?”

“Yeah,” he says, “Alpha Ross already told me I should plan to come.” He is finishing off every bite on his plate, the potato skin and everything, and it makes me smile. “Why don’t you come too?” he asks.

“It sounds super interesting, but I won’t be able to. I have way too much to do to get ready for the ceremony on New Year’s Eve.”

He looks disappointed, then he touches his throat, in the little spot that I gave him. It almost seems like he is touching me, and it gives me a little shiver. “At least we can spend time together the next couple of days, right?” he asks. “Mostly anyway?”

I nod. I want to get to my room and talk, but not until he is done. I don’t want him to be hungry. “Do you want dessert?” I ask, seeing that his plate is clean.

His eyes drift to my legs, on the chair under the table. “Yes,” he murmurs, “but it isn’t anything they have here.”

“What?” I ask, and then I realize that his expression is hiding what he is feeling underneath. I really am starting to sense his feelings, I realize, more and more, and what I sense is that he is … burning.

I feel a blush start, when I can tell what he is thinking about, what he is wanting, and I realize that I want it too.

“Let’s go to my room,” I whisper, and his eyes look like they might burn a hole right through me.