Wolf mate

Chapter 9

When Castle awoke the next morning his heart started panicking immediately. She wasn't there! He sat right up and started to look around his bedroom. Had she never been there? Had it all been a dream? His mind was doing laps in a try to figure out what had happened the day before. The second his eyes landed on the shirt and shorts he'd lent her he could feel a glimpse of relief in his body but his mind was still racing. If it'd been real then why wasn't she there? Had she regretted her decision and left? It took him all of his power not to call out her name and it didn't take him more than a few seconds to fly out of the bed. He took a deep breath and could feel her scent still linger in the air, that's when he sharpened his ears and heard his pumpkin's voice sound in the kitchen.

"...feels like putting on clothes that are too small or make you do weird positions but once you're in them it feels as normal as other clothes. It hurts a bit but it's not... too awful."

"What about the first time? When you changed for the first time?" Kate's voice questioned and he felt his heart immediately slow with the relief. She was still there.

"Well, first time was different," his daughter explained and he couldn't stop listening in. It was exciting how close the two had gotten during the few years they'd known each other, and them finally being able to discuss everything warmed his heart. "I was about seven and my dad had told me all about it, I knew I was different when I was four and could do things other kids my age couldn't. Physically that is. Here," she paused and he could hear a fizzling sound. Were they making breakfast? "Dad talked me through each step, said I didn't have to unless I felt ready, he told me it would feel so weird I'd want to stop in the middle but he made sure to tell me that once I started I needed to follow through. He said it would be worse to turn back halfway through, so I did everything he told me to do. I'm not sure how it works when your not born with it though, if it feels different. I remember my body was fully aware of everything that happened and I didn't feel any panic at all, but I've heard stories about people who freaked out because they hadn't been prepared."

Castle ran a hand through his hair, he wasn't sure how non-borns's first change was either. He'd also heard stories, both good ones and bad ones. He'd heard theories about how human bodies could reject the gene and wasn't sure what was true and what was not. But they hadn't been soulmates, a voice reminded him. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if it would be a good idea to turn his partner or not. He wanted to, god knew he wanted to, but if there was even the slightest of chance of her getting hurt in the process... didn't matter if it was physically or mentally, he wouldn't be the one to cause her harm. He wouldn't let anyone else cause it either.

"Dad, will you stop eavesdropping and just get out here."

He jerked at the sudden mention of his daughter and cursed under his breath as he set his steps to the kitchen. The second he was able to see the two women standing at the island he could see his daughter's arms crossed over her chest as his partner, and soulmate, was standing beside her with a confused look on her face.

"You know, if you ever listen in on us when we talk girl-stuff, I will kick you," Alexis warned with her finger waving in warning.

Castle humphed. "I would never."

"Wait, you mean he heard us?" Kate asked with her eyes wide, looking between him and his daughter.

Alexis nodded, her eyes stern on him. "Wolf hearing, perfect way to know when people wake up. And when they try to check up on you when you sleep yourself."

"Oh come on, that was one time," Castle grunted.

"Several times," Alexis told his partner who just observed their ordeal. "Anyway, pancakes are ready." She turned to the pancake in the pan in order to put it on the plate with the rest before she carried it to the table.