Simply His (+18)

"A Truth covered in fur"

*Meadow*

We drove for almost an hour before he began to slow down. The sight was peaceful, but he had been quiet, and that made me uncomfortable. He took my hand most of the way, and I was happy with that, he just felt tense and as if a million things were running through his head. I saw the green grass and tall trees that ruled my view through the window, and we finally made a turn on a dirt road that led us to a residence at the far end.

"I bought this land years ago, but I haven't been here in months, it should still be decent though."

"How many properties do you buy a week?" I tried to tease, he chuckled. That made me smile, I wanted to help him relax.

"This land in particular, it was one of the first lands I acquired when I became... the 'boss.' It was my family's home a long time ago, then it was taken from them by the government. So when I finally could afford it, I made it my top priority to repurchase it for them."

"That makes sense... and it's admirable... I am proud of you, I think you did an honorable thing. Were your parents able to see it?" I asked, realizing he never spoke about them before. I was afraid to touch a sensitive subject but, he smiled and nodded.

"They were, yes. Ma was proud and so happy," He didn't say more, and I didn't push it either. I wanted him to trust me and tell me as much as he wanted at his own pace.

"There it is, just as I left it." He said and I looked ahead. Tall rusty iron gates and a sign that read 'Ma's Haven.' I melted.

He stopped the car and walked out, pulling a set of keys from his pocket. He stood in front of the gate while he unlocked the big chains and then he pushed each side wide open. There was a long road of dirt, but wheat and grass grew up together everywhere else. As he got back into the car, I felt peace had filled him.

Not far down the road, there was a very humble, white two-story house made of wood. Even the years and nature could not corrupt the beauty of its simplicity; I loved how a small tree grew right next to the entrance, and there was ivy hanging from the roof's edges. This was a time capsule, and it belonged to him.

He parked near the house, but not too close. I unbuckled my security belt and by the time I finished he was already opening the door for me, a huge grin on his face.

I had a long summer dress and sandals, the weather was beautiful, and I felt like wearing them. The dress was one of my mother's last gifts, she said it screamed my name. I felt a hint of nostalgia when I put it on that morning, the pale beige long skirt had swirls of soft pink tulle flowers around it; she called it the 'Meadow dress.'

He took a basket, some blankets and two small but puffy pillows from the back seat. Taking my hand he pulled me with him, I decided to leave my purse and phone in the car, this day promised to be unique and I didn't want interruptions.

We walked around the house and then behind it. At a distance I saw a cliff and the ocean. It wasn't too far and we kept walking towards it, he was patient with me as the tall grass made it hard for me to walk. I smiled as he put me behind him, shielding me from the untamed nature.

When we were reaching the cliff, he stopped and looked around. "Hold this for me please," He said as he gave me the basket, pillows and blankets. He then gave a few steps looking for something while I stood there still struck by the view. He came back holding a large straight branch and easily laid it on the ground; he pushed it a few times as he spoke with childlike enthusiasm. "My father taught me to do this. Pick a large branch and roll it a few times over the wild wheat and you got yourself a nice comfortable mattress."

I grinned; he took one of the blankets from me and extended it over the compressed grass, then he put the two pillows one next to the other. He finally took the basket from me, and holding my hand, guided me next to him on our beautiful space. As soon as we sat down, he squeezed my hand, and while we laid back he looked up to the sky. "I haven't been here for a long time since she passed. For months I thought I was a lost soul and I refused to come back, the memories would hurt me more. But when Alex finally convinced me, I realized this would always be my haven."

"What happened to her and your dad?" I asked, a little unsure if he would like to talk about it. But he didn't seem to mind, he just took a deep breath and continued.

"Someone wanted revenge on my father's business actions and took it on her. For a long time I was mad at him for this, but finally realized it was not his fault. I didn't talk to him for five years, then we got together when we had leads about the responsible for her death, and we wanted revenge. That brought us closer, and I apologized to him many times. Once it was all over, he told me how proud he was of me, and he put me in charge of the family business. A few days later he was found dead in his bed. He simply let himself die, no pain, no suffering. I just knew he wanted to leave this world to reunite with Ma." He said with a little sadness but nothing more than that, he came to accept it a long time ago and I felt he was at peace with himself towards it, which caused a great relief in me. He then tilted his head to look at me. "How did your mother go?"

I sighed and tried to find the words to describe it. I never shared this story but I felt safe to cry with him if it reached that point, he had seen me at my worst already. "She had cancer. It was detected 4 years ago, and we went through a lot while she was on therapy. We were very close, but that brought us even closer. The treatment was painful for both of us, but she was a fighter; she never complained, and she never shed a tear. She was always smiling, in a great mood, energetic even when weak, and friendly to the core. She was my rock. Last year, after a long battle, she finally went in peace. The doctors gave her enough medicine to keep her without pain. So she died with a smile." I felt a few tears damping my skin, and he leaned close to kiss my eyes and brush his lips on them.

"She must be at peace now, and happy and proud of you." He said as he caressed my arm. He had his head rested on his arm and was looking at me from the side while I was telling him my story. I took a deep breath and sighed, smiling at him.

"I know. I still go to visit her twice a month, it has been like a ritual."

He nodded and then kissed my forehead. "I will take you to visit her next weekend," He promised and I smiled.

We remained there together for some time. Finally we sat, and he pulled out from the basket a few things to eat he had stocked from his hotel's restaurant. I giggled when he told me the manager's face as he requested sandwiches and pastries to take. He brought two bottles of my favorite wine. We both drank slowly, delighting ourselves in the sweet taste. I was convinced he really enjoyed it.

We took a small walk after eating, holding hands as we talked about nothing in particular or just kept silent. The conversation seemed to flow comfortably for the both of us; we would both talk a little and then only remain quiet without worrying. I felt the breeze move my hair and caress my cheeks making me smile, this place was indeed something else.

When we returned to our blanket, I sat and he looked at the cliff absent-minded. I pretended to put the things back in the basket while I allowed him to gather his thoughts. After I finished, he looked at me with a sad smile and kneeled in front of me. "I brought you here to share some of my past with you Meadow, but also some of who I really am. Last night I didn't know where we would go today, but this morning it seemed clear. This was the place."

I looked at him a little nervous due to the look in his eyes, but strangely I was calm. “Ok…” I said before he continued.

"I will share with you something that is very intimate, and I want you to promise me, no matter what, you won't run away. When I finish to show you, I will take you back if you ask me, but please, don't run away." He said pleading, and that plead made me realize how serious he was. "Do you believe in destiny?" He asked out of the blue.

I was taken by surprise and held silent while I processed his question, destiny? I never thought of it much, I felt it was cruel sometimes, if not most of the time. "I really don't know... I want to I guess..." I admitted as I blushed. "Lately, I have been thinking it was destiny who put you into my life," I continued, and he smiled.

"I believe in destiny and fate, and if you want to believe in them too, it will make things easier," He kissed my hand and then released it, standing up and giving one step behind. "I am going to show you part of what I am, but please remember, no matter what, I won't hurt you."

Hurt me? The possibility scared me. He took another step back and then removed his shirt slowly, revealing his chiseled shape to me. I've had dreams of discovering his body, and now he was showing it to me as he kept his eyes closed. I was confused and felt my heart pace faster. In another moment, I would have been heated with the gesture, but from the start, my body and mind felt his actions were related to something else.

"Meadow, I am what our ancestors called a shapeshifter, specifically a werewolf. And although many ideas and conceptions are popular, not all of them are true," He started to unbutton his dark jeans, and I was entranced. A werewolf? A fairy tale creature? I knew he was not joking, by the looks of his face and the way he spoke, he believed what he was saying. The possibility of him being crazy faintly crossed my mind, but everything in me felt at peace and relaxed. How was it possible that my body was not attuned to my mind? I had a million thoughts and doubts, and I saw him walk a few more steps back before he finally removed his underwear, standing naked. He looked at me, and his eyes were pleading. I could not part my eyes from his as his body started to tremble. "Remember, I won't hurt you... please Meadow, don't run..." were his last words as he bent over and started to shake. I gasped and tensed, a tight grip on the blanket as I heard him grunt.

"Caleb...?" I asked while his body kept shaking and I started to see through the wheat and grass some darkness covering him. My heart was beating at a million per hour; my mind surpassed it. He was at a safe distance from me, but I couldn't move, I was frozen. He growled in a mix of human and animal voice, but it was almost a duet. I shivered and closed my eyes, remaining still.

A couple of seconds went by while I kept hearing him. Then there was silence, and I started to cry quietly. He was not human, I believed that now, but what had he become, I wasn't sure I was ready to see. I heard the grass around me, something was close. I knew it was him, or it, but I was scared.

Then silence again; I had my body shivering as the wind seemed colder, suddenly I felt his presence behind me, it was radiating heat. I felt something wet on my neck, and I flinched. I heard it whimper and my eyes shot wide open. I still wasn't able to see what it was but it's whimper felt like an alarm. I remained still and felt it move away slowly, then started to approach from my left.

At first what I saw was a big shadow; then as I tilted my head slightly, I started to see more. It was huge, something out of this world. It was a wolf, but its size tripled any normal one I had ever seen. It moved slowly towards my front and then stopped once it faced me directly. Moving one step closer it sat on its back legs and lifted its head up high. It howled, and I shivered again, goosebumps covering my body. Then it lowered its head and the rest of its body, its front paws almost touching my feet. It whined and put its head between its front legs, I was biting my lips and remained still. Each whimper made my heart shrink in sadness.

It remained still, breathing slowly, small whimpers seemed to escape every now and then. It took me a while to get used to its presence, but I came to acknowledge this was more due to the shock and surprise rather than fear. Laying there in front of me, it's size continued to amaze me. It was bigger than me, it's fur was a dark grey, and around the neck it seemed to have a mane, making its figure even scarier. But no, I wasn't afraid anymore. Slowly, I kneeled and looked at it. "Ca... Caleb?" I managed to whisper, and its paws moved slightly, revealing grey eyes that were afraid. It drew me to him. Yes, it was... no, "he" was Caleb.

As I was kneeling, I moved closer slowly, and he remained still, his head steady half hidden between his paws. I reached him, and he finally lifted his head not moving his body from his pose. He just leveled his head to see me, his eyes never leaving mine. Now I was face to face with him, and I extended my hand to touch him, stopping a few inches away as I looked for his permission. He moved his head under my hand, and I felt electricity as we made contact. His fur was deliciously soft, his smell was also the same, my Caleb. I caressed his head and he closed his eyes. I moved to his side as I stroked his mane and scratched him under the neck, digging my fingers in his fur. I felt his heart racing just like mine.

This was Caleb's secret, he was a mythological wonder revealed to me, and I wasn't afraid. I knew even though he looked menacing and deadly, he wouldn't hurt me. I laid against his side, and he laid his head on my lap, we both intertwined in this position comfortably. I didn't need to say anything, neither did he. We remained silent as I closed my eyes and caressed his soft fur. He was a werewolf, he was real, and he was with me.

At some point, I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I almost thought it was all a dream. But he was there, resting his head on his paws, guarding me while I slept. I felt so tiny next to him.

I looked around and saw the sunset approached. I slowly started to get up and he turned around to help me, gently pushing me up with his head. I smiled at him and whispered "Thank you."

Once I was up, he lifted himself next to me. Standing on his all fours he was as tall as me, his head at my own level. I reached to brush his mane with my fingers, and he nuzzled me making me giggle. He then licked my face and I smiled. "Stop it! I don't have any way to clean myself!" He kept licking me a few more times and then finally stopped. I hugged his neck tight and buried my head in his fur; he was so warm and soft, he felt safe.

Then he pulled back a few steps, so I understood he was going to change back. I turned around and gave him my back, kneeling on the blanket while I gave him privacy, although I think he never minded. I sat there waiting, while I thought of everything it meant him showing his animal nature to me. I heard movement near me and I was relaxed knowing it was him. He laid next to me and put his arm around me, I looked down and smiled at his human hand. He buried his nose in my neck and kissed it, making every part of my body tingle. "Thank you." I finally heard him speak.

"What for?" I asked. He rubbed his nose on my neck again then kissed the sweet spot, I bit my lip shivering. Did he just found a unique, sensitive area I never knew I had?

"For not running away, nor scream... for giving me a chance..." He said, and I smiled. He squeezed me tightly.

"I am still digesting this, and I have many questions, but for now, I will only ask... what did you mean by me believing in destiny?"

He sighed and pulled me slowly to his side, making me face up as he remained sideways. "Please don't freak out..." He said with concern, and I perked a brow. "For us, everything is under control; when we shift, when we fight, who we fight, where we go... we control what we do. It is not like the movies or stories where we change under a full moon. We know what we are and embrace it... There is one thing though, that is left completely away from our choice, and that is who we are destined to be with..." He paused as his eyes burned into me. I felt the depth of his words even before he finally said them. "We only have one soul to find during our lifetime, one person, human or were like us, with whom we are bound to spend our lives with... We can't control how or where we will meet that person, it just happens. And you Meadow... you are that to me..."

I held my breath as he stared at me, his grip now lose, fear in his eyes as I stared back at him with disbelief. No, he wasn't lying, as what he said made sense entirely, it was what I saw him express to me always. But what he meant was that I was the person destined to be with him, and that seemed to scare me greatly. Mostly, because I felt like I wanted it. I turned my head to the side since under his gaze I wasn't able to concentrate on anything. "You always have a choice. You can choose to never see me again, or just remain friends. If you allow me to be near you, I promise I will be happy with that. You can choose whatever you want to do, you are not forced to accept this in any way." He said to me, and as he tried to convince me of the freedom I supposedly had, the more I felt I hadn't any at all.

I knew it would be impossible for me to stay away from him long; I've felt it since the start. Did this magical destiny he spoke of worked both ways? I remember feeling like I only wanted to be close to him since the moment I heard his voice.

"Please say something..." He pleaded, and I turned my head to look at him, gasping as I saw a tear threatening to leave his eyes.

"Caleb... I am not going anywhere..." I assured him, and his smile brightened his face. "Just... be patient with me, please? You gave me a lot of things I need to process..."

"I will give you all the time in the world. Thank you, Meadow!" He sighed with relief as I brushed his tear away with my thumb, he rested his forehead against mine and smiled. "Can I?" He asked shyly.

I looked at him confused. "Can you... what?"

"Kiss you..." He asked, and I pulled his head towards me kissing him with passion. This half man, half wolf was everything to me now, and I wasn't going to make him suffer as long as he gave me what I needed, and right then, I just needed him.