Restless Waves

Chapter 68

Rowan sat with his fingers absentmindedly rubbing the bullet scar on his stomach. His mind was on Wez and whether they should have tried to find his body first. Kaerius had told him that there was a burial ground in a part of the ocean so deep that humans hadn't yet visited and probably never will visit. Kaerius laughed about how humans were more focused on other worlds than what was in the very depths of their own oceans.

Rowan hoped that when the fighting was over, they could take Wez and his soulmate to the burial ground where they deserved to rest.

"It's not troubling you, is it?" Michael asked, pointing to Rowan's stomach.

"No," Rowan said and started fidgeting with the bracelet Kaerius gave him instead.

"You should get some sleep."

Rowan already hurt deep inside because Kaerius wasn't with him. He ached and struggled to focus on anything other than Kaerius's voice. As the hours went on, Rowan started to regret parting with him. He worried that he would hurt too much to fight. His dad reassured him that he wouldn't. Rowan was either struggling with a new kind of mental pain, or a horrible agony to be away from Kaerius.

"I'm not really that tired-"

"Rowan, I know you're eighteen and everything, but I wasn't suggesting. I'm telling you to go to sleep. You need to keep your strength up now that you haven't got Kaerius's presence to help you."

Rowan looked from his father to his mother. Mandy smiled, agreeing with Michael. "The hunters are not sleeping tonight, so we should. Tomorrow is a big day to get ready."

Rowan slumped in defeat. "Fine, I'll go and lie down and pretend that I'm sleeping." Rowan slipped through the door and into the main room where most of the werewolves were sleeping already. He stepped over sleeping bags and lumps of blankets and people until he reached the corner of the room where his and Kaerius's cardboard and blankets were.

As soon as Rowan sat down, he felt cold. He should have known he would have felt that miserable without his soulmate.

"Rowan," Kaerius thought, and Rowan tried to hide his smile by wrapping himself up in blankets and curling up against the wall.

"Rowan, I got bit by a crab. I'm okay. The crab is not."

Rowan could always count on Kaerius to lift his mood. "Where did it bite you?"

"On my ear. I was almost asleep. Jaiker thought I was getting attacked by a basking shark because I yelled so loud."

Rowan kept his chuckling quiet. "Are you sleeping in the cave tonight?"

"I am after that."

Rowan buried his face further into the blanket. "I miss you," he thought.

"I miss you too. Hopefully, we'll see each other tomorrow night."

"I wish it didn't have to be under such horrible circumstances." Rowan listened to the soft snores and whispers from the werewolves. He couldn't help but wonder how many would make it back home.

"Rowan, you should get some sleep. I should to," Kaerius thought, and Rowan suddenly longed to feel him lying close. He swallowed his sorrow and focused on the hope of seeing him tomorrow.

"Make sure you stay in the water, even if you miss me too much."

"Make sure you stay on land, even if you miss me too much."

Rowan took his bracelet off and twisted it around his fingers. "I'll try."

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