“ not at all.” ellie gestures towards the open seat, reaching over and moving her bag so she could hang it behind her own chair. friendly smile written across her freckled features. “ i probably shouldn’t be taking up so much room anyway. sorry about that.” even though she’d been researching and looking into various things, and this was a quiet place to do so and had slowly started to become a favorite spot.
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“Oh, no don’t apologize. I understand completely, you seem to be in the midst of something big and it’s very easy to get lost in your own train of thought.” He replied, setting his own selection of books in a neat pile in front of him. They wouldn’t stay that way, he had a tendency to jump from source to source when trying to piece together corroborated facts - or as close as one could get in the realm of the supernatural - which often left him with an array of books laid out before him and a notebook full of his meticulous handwriting. “I’m Kaleb. Thanks for letting me steal some of your space.”
“You mind if I sit?” Kaleb asked politely, pointing to the empty space beside them at the table. The library was one of his favorite places in the world. It didn’t matter where he was, he always managed to feel at home surrounded by hundreds of years of knowledge and storytelling. Especially now, when Beacon Hills was essentially imploding around him, it was nice to take a step back and look at the facts.
He was impressed by how much such a small town had on mythology from around the world.
“Which time?” He joked, taking the time to reminisce about his childhood in a way he hadn’t done in...well, he didn’t think he’d ever done it. Now that he had Kitty back, it was easier to think about everything. It was easier to focus on the positives rather than dwelling on the negatives until they consumed him entirely. “No, I remember, pup.”
“I think that entirely depends on what you define as good. To me, good people are those who surpass what life has set in their way and still manage to respect others and the world in the process, and I think you’re terribly good at doing just that. You’re allowed to consider yourself every now and again, you know? It’s not selfish to want something, you just have to be willing to accept the way other people feel about your decisions. Life - unfortunately for me - is hard to predict, but it’s not what you’ve done, it’s what you do that defines you.” He replied, putting a glass of water in front of her and joining her on his couch. “I don’t think a terrible person would be as worked up about this as you are.”
✏️ - what school subject were you/are you the best at?
“I suppose I was best in biology and english, though I worked hard to ensure my grades across the board were as good as they could be. The reason those two stick out to me is because I’m most passionate about them, and - from experience - passion is a huge part of success.”
Kitty snuggled down into the blankets and pillows, looking up at him smiling. Her wolf still paced, desperate to take over, to howl and run from being around so many humans, but she didn’t want to let Kaleb down. Didn’t want to upset him. “I don’t think so? I don’t really steal candy, just meats and chips, mostly.” She shrugged. “If you like something, then I’ll probably like it too. So you can just get double everything, or I’ll eat it like I ate your ice cream” She smiled, innocently.
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Kaleb chuckled fondly, ruffling his sister’s hair. It was a miracle he was able to convince her to come along, between the amount of people and the fact that she didn’t really seem interested in movies, it didn’t come off as a Kitty friendly place. But she had and he took it as a step in the right direction, a step he would be sure to reward with food and sweets - but not too many. He’d always had trouble with portion control, there was something about living off the land for the first 12 years of one’s life that really made food hard to resist. “Alright, I’ll be sure to get you a bit of everything so you can try it. What about food? How do you feel about corndogs?”
It was weird having a sister again, good but weird. He didn’t know her favorite food or much of anything about her still, but he planned to change that as soon as possible. There was nothing more important to Kaleb than being a good brother and a good alpha to her, she deserved that much at the very least.
“Normally I’m all for it but you make that slightly difficult. I mean really, you’re going to walk around with a face like that and not expect to spark some interest? Unlikely, love.” She faked a pout. “Why? Are you complaining?”
Nicola had no doubt that she had been gone far too long already but she found that she didn’t really care. So, maybe she had been the one to suggest coming to the drive-in but surely that allowed her to have a little fun with the idea. They were notorious for the fact that people tended not to watch the movie in the end anyway, always finding something a little less PG to do. It was basically a tradition, expected even, and who was she to go against tradition? These were the justification she made in her head as the coy smile played on her lips, something about the man in front of her was completely intoxicating. “Here I was thinking alphas usually take what they want, when they want it…”
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“Not at all, who in their right mind would say no to attention from a woman like you?” Kaleb replied with a grin, unsure how else to take the compliment. He never knew what to do with them or how to gracefully accept when someone found him physically attractive, but he did he best to take it in stride and quickly move on.
“Now there’s where you’re wrong,” he started, his eyes darting back to her lips - her smile spelling nothing but trouble for him. Kaleb couldn’t say he minded, he was constantly trying to be good - to be right - it felt good to let go for a moment. Leaning in, so close he could feel the warmth of her breath, he met her gaze. “Alphas give. They give their entire being to their pack and in return, they earn respect and loyalty. I would never take from you, but I have no qualms giving you exactly what you want.”
“Glad to hear it.” Her voice sounded far away, as if she wasn’t so much invested in the conversation as she was him. She had been perfectly fine, if a little wistful, the following days after their night together but it seemed that seeing him again was enough to ignite the flames once more. It didn’t help that he looked… like that.
Of course, Nicola noticed exactly where he was focused, which gave her the confidence boost she needed. Maybe she could do sober flirting after all? Or maybe it was easier if you had already slept with them once? Shoving the thought aside, she made the distance between them just that little bit smaller, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder and slowly ghosting her fingers down his arm, never once taking her eyes off him. “Well, you seem quite preoccupied now…”
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“I could say the same to you,” he replied, doing his part to make the distance between them even smaller still. “Not one for subtlety?”
Really, he should’ve been more concerned with the fact that his sister was waiting for him to return with snacks - the sister he’d been convinced was dead for years and had committed to spending as much time as possible with - and yet, Kitty hadn’t even crossed his mind since Nicola had tapped him on the shoulder. There was something about her, something Kaleb couldn’t get enough of. Maybe he was just high on lust and the remnants of a night to remember, he wasn’t sure and he didn’t care to find out.
“Kaleb.” She failed at keeping the smile off her face at the sound of him saying her name. “Small town, you mean. Never have I been more glad about it, either.” If it meant she got to keep running into him, she’d take her chances with the magical barrier. Even as they stood there, she couldn’t push the memories of their last meeting out of her mind, her gaze slowly wandering over his face and down his body only to snap back up to his eyes once he spoke again.
“Hmm? Oh- yeah, yeah I’m better… Though I have a feeling you had a lot to do with that. It was a pretty good distraction.” It played back like a short film in her head, just briefly, but it was enough to make her bite her lip, struggling to keep her eyes trained on his own. “What about you?”
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“Considering the town has become our world for the time being, I’d say we both have strong arguments,” Kaleb replied with a laugh, hard-pressed not to notice how blatantly her gaze raked down his body. He couldn’t say he minded the attention, especially when he was well aware of where it’d gotten them last time.
“I’m alright, certainly not as pitifully heartbroken as I was,” he replied, honestly, trying to maintain the flow of conversation while his mind kept trying to drift back to the slightly-fuzzy memories of their last distraction. He allowed himself to let his eyes wander briefly - it was only fair after all the ogling she’d done - before returning to her beautiful face, not completely free of obvious admiration as he hesitated on her lips. “Though, I think I could do with another distraction myself with all that’s happened as of late.”
“Do you have a favorite candy?” Kaleb asked his sister once they’d parked and settled in for the movie. With blankets, pillows, and good company - all they were missing was snacks, and he was more than happy to pay the cheap prices the drive in had set to get some for both himself and his sister. With the notes app pulled up on his phone to keep track of things, he paused to meet Kitty’s eyes.
Nicola had, eventually, snuck off after the movie really got going. She had seen Wonder Woman multiple times and had really only wanted to go so that she could get Nolan out of the house once again, the kid needed some time out. Plus, the offer of cheap candy had her sold the second she realised it would be there, which is why she was headed to the concessions stand - sour patch kids were the candy of her childhood and she’d be damned if she disgraced her younger self by not eating as many as possible. As she drew closer though, something a lot sweeter caught her attention (she’d know that ass anywhere) and almost immediately, after a slight moment of hesitation, she changed her course and headed towards him.”Hey, stranger!” Nicola tapped him on the shoulder once she was close enough, grabbing his attention. “Fancy seeing you here.”
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“Nicola,” Kaleb grinned, spinning around to face her, his mission to grab himself and his sister enough snacks to last the movie temporarily pushed from his mind. “Small world.” And it really was, considering they were all trapped within a relatively tiny chunk of California by unknown supernatural forces until further notice.
It really was good to see her again. She’d been fantastic company the last time they’d spoken and he couldn’t say he wasn’t tempted to forgo the movie altogether in exchange for a repeat - without the excessive booze and crying, of course. “How’ve you been? Far better than when we first met, I hope?”
“No, I’ve yet to find the time or the person to pursue anything romantic. I don’t think now’s the right time, anyway, especially with all that is happening in Beacon Hills.”
Hearing just how much faith her big brother, her Alpha had in her… she broke down in tears, wrapping her arms around him tightly, the scent of guilt getting worse and worse. Their father had told her that when it happened it would feel empowering. Strong. More in control of the wolf than ever before, but instead? It was the opposite. She could still see the look in his eyes, staring at her as he lay there.
“H-he… he followed me, I got scared, I’m sorry, Kaleb I’m so, so so sorry!” She cried, pulling back and finally letting him see the blue glow of her eyes. Someone was dead because of her.
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Kaleb’s stomach dropped as he looked into his sisters eyes - blue, like his father had always wanted. He cupped her face with his hands and swiped away the tears that stained her cheeks, trying his best not to let his own emotions color his face. She needed his support, his reassurance, not the sadness and anger that welled up in his chest. His tears could wait.
“Oh, Kitty,” he whispered, at a loss. He had no idea what to say, there were no words of comfort he could offer her, no fixes to what had already been done. Their father was dead, he’d been dead for over a decade, and yet his influence still lived on in the blue of his sisters eyes. He was gone and yet he’d still stolen her innocence, just like he’d stolen his.
Pulling her close once more, he bit down on his lower lip to keep himself from crying. “You’re safe now, I promise...I’ve got you. No matter what...I’ve got you.”
❛ i love to see a man drown his sorrows. it’s so sexy. ❜ (From Nicola)
“Then I must be the sexist man in Beacon Hills after last night,” he laughed, stifling a yawn into the crook of his elbow. Kaleb was no stranger to hookups, he loved watching beautiful people give in to their pleasure, but hookups with the added weight of their talk the night before were new ground. “Unfortunately, drowning one’s sorrows comes with the added consequence of a persistent headache. I’m going to grab a glass of water, do you need anything while I’m up?” @sunnysxrcasm
“I don’t eat a whole lot of ice cream, but my favorite is mint chocolate chip solely for the color. It’s a lovely one, I think I’d categorize it as one of my favorites - mint chocolate chip green.”
“I’m not going...not today,” Kaleb objected, refusing to pull the covers away from his face to meet the eyes of the woman who had given him everything. It’d been three years since the incident, since the hunters had taken everything from him and left him with a pair of red eyes and a broken heart, but it never ceased to hurt - especially not near the anniversary of their death.
Navami gave a long-suffering sigh and sat down on the bed next to her son, for that was what he was - her smart, brave boy. “I know it hurts, my love, I know - but you cannot let it get in the way of your education. You’ve been cooped up at home for a week now, a change of scenery will do you good. Now up, I’ll make you a nice breakfast and drive you myself since you’ve already missed first period.”
&& Questionnaire
Where are you from? Did you ever want to leave? Why?
“I’m from Illinois. I was born in Shawnee National Park along with my brother and sisters and we were as off-the-grid as one can possibly be in the 21st century. I never wanted to leave, not as a child at least, but I did want to see the world. I’ve always had in interest in Human Geography and the variability of societal norms, it was only fitting I wanted a change of scenery every now and again.”
Who was your family there? Did you have a close relationship with them?
“Up until the age of twelve, my family consisted of my father, my mother, my sisters Kitty, Fawn and Raven, and my brother Wren. We were a pack and we spent most of our time together isolated from the rest of the world, so I like to think we were close, though I’d say I was closest to my sisters Kitty and Fawn. Wren and I butted heads often, most frequently over my father’s comments and a fear that he was the favorite - which he undoubtedly was.”
What was your favorite activity when you were a child? Why did you like it so much?
“As a child, my favorite activity was going to school. Most of my siblings didn’t like it much because it involved socializing with humans, but I always looked forward to it. I love learning, I still do, and there’s so much that the human race has compiled - so much that we now can build off of - I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into it all. Unfortunately, I had a really hard time learning to read so it was a much slower process than I wanted it to be until I was placed with my foster parents.”
Who did you play with the most as a child? Or were you alone?
“I played most with Kitty and Fawn, mostly because I was tasked with keeping them out of trouble, but I did enjoy it. They’re some of the best memories I have of my life with the pack.”
Who was the most influential person in your life? Did you love them?
“The most influential person in my life was my mother - my foster mother, Navami. She was so patient with me and she never allowed me to feel sorry for myself or to slip behind in anything, even when the tragedy of losing my family was still fresh. I loved her very much.”
What was the most valuable lesson they ever taught you?
“The most valuable lesson she ever taught me was the power of knowledge.”
Are they still alive? Do you keep in contact with them? If they’re not alive, what has their death taught you?
“Unfortunately, she and her husband passed. Their death...I don’t think of it as a lesson, I don’t think death should ever be used as such.”
How often were you told “no” as a child? Did you ever listen?
“As a child, I was fairly well behaved and a quick learner so I didn’t hear the word no often. When I did, though, I didn’t heed it. I liked to think that when I stepped out of line it was for good reason, alas it most often wasn’t, for I was still a child.”
What’s your biggest regret from your childhood?
“My biggest regret is leaving my family behind while they died. I should’ve stayed, I should’ve tried to take them with me, but I didn’t. I didn’t even go back to see if the bodies were still there or to make sure the hunters didn’t take them away as trophies, but I wish I had. I wish I’d thought of them instead of my own survival.”
What are you the most proud of from your childhood?
“I’m most proud of my academic and extracurricular achievements.”
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