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CALEB VELLA

My eyes stare down at the bowl of cereal on the kitchen island, my fingers twiddling the spoon against the milk. A deep sigh leaves my chest as I drop the spoon and reach to rub my tired eyes, they hurt. In fact they burned in agony.

"Hey man," I hear Felix's voice behind me as he slaps his hand down onto my back. "How you feeling today?"

I shrug before looking down to the bowl again. "So, so," I say quietly.

Felix stops directly in front of me. "Have you been sleeping?" He questions sounding concerned.

My eyes find his and he looks back at me with a slight frown. "Yeah," I mumble. "I've been sleeping."

He frowns even more, his forehead beginning to crease. "Then what's the matter?" He asks as he leans on the counter.

Pushing my hands against the marble top to stretch my back, my body feeling stiff and uncooperative. "I just had a call from the hospital this morning,"

"And?" Felix flexes an eyebrow at me.

"Evan's doctor wants Ava, Jaxon and I to go in today to have a meeting with them." I say as I force myself to try and eat my cereal again.

Felix shifts between his feet as he registers my words. "That's a good thing, no?" He says as he walks to open the fridge door.

My mouth chews the soggy cereal that I didn't want to eat but I knew I needed to. "Something feels wrong, I feel like somethings happened. I have bad vibes." I admit as I chomp down on the food.

I watch as Felix grabs the milk bottle and airs some into his mouth, his actions not even phasing me. "I think you're just overthinking things, he's been away from a month and you haven't been seeing him much. I don't blame you for expecting the worst." He says honestly before screwing the lid back on the carton.

My brain wanted to try and believe his words but something in the pit of my stomach was telling me otherwise. "Yeah maybe," I say to end the conversation. Felix carries on with his morning routine as I look but I'm not watching. My mind was elsewhere, worried about what Rose wanted to tell us today.

Ava and Jaxon agreed to meet me at the hospital just on time for our meeting. The hospital is the best in the district and I didn't think twice about paying for the fees, he needed the best treatment and I was going to give that to him.

The drive was mundane and I wanted nothing more than to see Evan and watch as his face lights up the second he lays eyes on me. My skin itches for that moment because I have loved it every time I've come to visit him.

By the time I pull up, Ava and Jaxon are already waiting for me inside. The receptionist takes us to a private room and we sit and wait. Ava rambles on about the things that we could possibly be there for, she was giving me a headache. Her thoughts as chaotic as mine but Jaxon tries his best to calm her down.

She asks me what I think this is about and I shrug and tell her that I don't know. I listen to her huff at my inability to input my thoughts but I didn't care about our fake ideas, I wanted the truth and to know what was going on. I didn't need to continue torturing myself with what could be.

The door handle opens slowly and Rose emerges in the door, her short blonde hair resting on her shoulders. She smiles the second she sees us and pushes the door wider for Evan to come in behind her. I stand up instantly letting my chair scrape loudly against the floor, Jaxon catches the back of it before it hits the ground.

Evan glances at me and his eyes fill with happiness, I could see it. Rose moves out of the way for me to embrace Evan, pulling his body into my chest and resting my chin over his head. His little fingers graze over my back slowly as he inhales my scent deeply, my heart continuing to pound in my chest. "This will never get easier," I whisper and Evan's body tightens for a split moment.

After a few seconds we pull away and he avoids all eye contact before hugging Ava and Jaxon. Evan sits down beside Rose and she places her hands onto the table in front of us, her fingers clasped together.

"So," she starts before glancing at Evan who smiles quickly but looks to the wooden table. "We've decided to call this meeting today to let you guys know that Evan is making amazing progress," she nods enthusiastically.

I can see out the corner of my eye as Ava grins widely at her words but something was off.

"But," I was waiting for those words to leave her mouth.

Ava's grin disintegrates quickly and Jaxon reaches over to grip her knee for comfort. My eyes move back to Evan and he can't look at any of us and I didn't want to hear what Rose said next.

"Evan and I have been talking a lot about his progress and as lovely as it is to for him to see you guys, every time we come back to the therapy sessions. It's like Evan is distracted all over again and we go back to square one." She tells us empathetically, her eyes open with nothing but honesty. Trying her hardest to let us understand.

"What are you saying?" My voice comes out cold, unintentional. Rose offers me a sympathetic smile and looks down at Evan who finally meets my eyes.

Evan takes a glance at Rose and she nods towards him, encouraging him to speak up.

"I need time alone," he tells me as his eyes flick between mine. "I want to get better and if seeing into the outside world means that it's disrupting my treatment then I need to be by myself for this period." He sounded sure and by sure I mean, he knew what he wanted.

And I really admired him for knowing what he wants because I knew in the past, something like this would have been a real struggle to come to terms with.

For a moment worry covers Evan's eyes as he watches me take in his words and blink rapidly. He swallows harshly as a few seconds tick by.

I nod back at him eventually. "Okay," I say quietly. "I completely respect your decision."

Ava nods from beside me. "Of course Evan, if you need to do this for yourself then that is completely your decision and we would never take that away from you."

Evan smiles towards her. "It is the right decision,"

Rose quickly opens her mouth to talk. "This is to hopefully speed up the recovery process, if Evan has little to no distractions then that means we can focus on him and his feelings alone. I know it's going to be hard to accept, but I pray it will only be a couple of months. Maybe six maximum."

My heart stops in my chest. Six months?

Rose continues to talk but my body decides to block everything out.

Six months.

It was like my body was going into shock. I don't even realise my eyes glimmer with tears until Evan frowns deeply at me, his face full of sadness.

"Of course I'll keep you guys updated with anything that happens, or any changes to Evan's treatment. We have the best intentions for him and we are going to see the light at the end of the tunnel." She smiles confidently at us.

Evan blinks rapidly before turning to Rose. "Would you guys mind giving Caleb and I a minute?" He suggests noticing my change in demeanour.

Rose nods and escorts Ava and Jaxon out of the room as she continues to chat with them. I stand up and throw my arms around Evan, holding him tightly because my body didn't know what else to do. "It's going to be fine," he mumbles into my chest as I grip onto his brown curls.

I sigh and press a kiss to the top of his head. "I'm glad you think so,"

Evan pulls away but keeps me close. "I really think you should talk to someone too Caleb, it's actually really normal for people to have therapists."

I smile instantly. "Look at you playing the good doctor,"

"I'm being serious," he says as he pushes at my arm but I don't move an inch. "For your dreams, for what happened with your dad, with me. Talking might help and I know you keep things bottled up and you shouldn't. You say you don't want to burden me with your problems so talk to someone who is there to listen as their job."

"Okay," I agree.

Evan's eyes light up. "Really?" He says with a smile.

"Yeah," I nod. "If you think I would benefit from it then I'll try and hopefully it will help with when I can't see you for a little while."

His smile soon turns into a small frown. "I know it's going to be hard, the thought of you leaving this room and not seeing you for a few months really does haunt me. But I've got to be strong and know there is light at the end of the tunnel like Rose said."

My hand brushes over his soft skin on his cheek. "You've come so far, you know that?"

He nods back at me confidently. "I know, I really do know that this time. I know I'm going to recover well."

The smile that stretches onto my face was enough to scare away a group of five year olds. I felt giddy and I felt happy and I felt relieved. To hear him say those words, to hear him say that he knows he's already getting better was sending me into a frenzy.

"And I would never doubt that for a second," I tell him and Evan lets out a sigh of relief. "We should get Ava and Jaxon back in here so they can have their time too."

Evan nods as I turn towards the door, my hand reaching for the handle.

"Wait," he says as he reaches out to grasp my fingers. My head snaps towards him quickly as I glance down at his eyes.

"Yeah?"

Evan pulls my hand to meet both of his and he grips onto my skin. "I love you Caleb," he breathes out. "And I wouldn't ever even ask you to wait for me because I already know that you will."

A small laugh passes my lips. "You're right about that," I say as I take a few steps closer to him.

Dipping my head down to his level, pecking his soft pink lips delicately. Over and over. "I love you too," I murmur against his warm skin.

Evan smiles against me and moves to embrace me again, his arms never wanting to let me go. "I can't wait to see you be yourself again," I whisper into his ear.

"Soon," he breathes out as he relaxes into my body. "Then we can focus on us."

. . .

The second I got into my car my eyes twitched, trying my hardest not to shed any tears. This felt like when I rejected Evan at the hospital, having no idea when I'd see him again. It brought back too many painful memories and I already wanted it to be over.

By the time I pull up at our house, my eyes glass over as I cannot seem to focus on anything. My mind wandering by itself.

As I fumble with my keys walking to the door, a deep scream escapes my chest as I look down at the floor. Miles' lifeless body covered in blood laying on our door step. My skin runs cold and I frantically look to see if anyone is around but there wasn't, it was eerily silent.

Kneeling down quickly as I press my fingers into his neck, noticing his clothes ripped and blood leaking out onto the stone floor. I couldn't find a pulse. He was dead.

My head falls into my hands, what the fuck has happened?

The sound of gravel being scuffed comes from behind me, I whip my head in the direction when I notice Sam move from beneath the trees.

My eyes narrow at him as I look at his blood splattered hands, his red eyes and heavy black bags. He didn't look good. I couldn't miss the large dagger in his left hand as he shrugs his body closer to mine.

Felix, call the cops right now and tell them to get to the house. I shout aggressively though the mindlink.

"What the fuck have you done?" I yell out at Sam who stumbles over a rock.

On it. What's happening? Felix replies almost instantly.

Sam has killed Miles and left him on our fucking doorstep. I'm sorting it but whatever you do, don't come outside.

He smiles, his teeth covered in blood like he has been punched. "I've done what you should have finished," he mumbles as he steps even closer to me.

I don't back away because he doesn't scare me, that knife didn't make me feel any type of way. He is weak if he needs to use a knife to fight another wolf.

"Miles was hurting Evan and you couldn't even get him back," he slurs before pointing the bloody dagger in my direction.

My fists tighten at my side. "That's because it wasn't my fight," I grit out. "I respected Evan's choice. He didn't want him dead. Hell, he didn't even want him hurt!"

"See you can't even protect him!" San yells before blinking harshly.

"I could protect him better than you can," I growl out. "You hurt him too, don't fucking forget that."

Sam's mouth hangs open. "I never hurt him," he says like he's in denial.

"I know you have some weird fucking obsession with my mate but you better cut it out before I break your jaw," I spit towards him as I let my hands shake with rage.

He laughs sourly. "You think you could defeat me when I have this?" He questions as he waves the dagger in my direction.

Now it was my time to laugh. "Wise the fuck up Sam, it's a dagger. My fist weighs more than your tiny head so you better shut your face."

"If I could shift and rip your skin piece to piece with my canines then I would but ever since Jaxon kicked me out of the pack, my wolf disowned me." He says as his head shakes in anger.

"He's left me because I wanted Evan and no one else," he raised to wipe his eyes, blood smeared all over his face. "And now I have nothing. So might as well try and get him now I can."

I was just praying the cops would turn up soon and take him away to get some serious psychiatric help. He wasn't okay in the head and he wasn't safe to anyone including himself.

"You know I've been keeping an eye on Evan for a little while." He smiles before swiping his dagger through the air, not making me flinch once. "He's in that nice hospital not too far from here, isn't he?"

"I swear to God, you fucking go near him," I march towards him and he quickly raises his dagger to defend himself pathetically.

He swipes it and the edge of the blade glides across the outside of my bicep but it barely hurt. Bashing the weapon from his hands, letting it fly across the gravel with ease. My hand clasps his throat and I throw him onto his back harshly, holding his arms down with my knees.

"I'm not taking a stand for this shit anymore, not from you and not from anyone." My throat burns from the shouting, my forehead begun to bead with sweat. Controlling every inch inside my body to not rip his eye balls out and shove them down his throat. I could easily kill Sam but I didn't want that blood on my hands, I knew Evan didn't want any of this to happen.

"Get off me," he mumbles as he struggles against me.

The sound of police sirens could be heard in the distance and I instantly felt relieved. My eyes look up to the dirt track road in front of the pack house, the bright blue lights flashing against my face.

I'm pulled off of Sam as other officers rush to Miles' body and talk through their radios. As they detain Sam, his body rattling against their hold. A woman officer stops directly in front of me. "Sir, are you okay?" She asks as she looks towards my wound that was already pretty much healed.

I nod as I watch Sam being put into one of the cars. "I'm okay but whatever you do, don't let him out of your sight. He's dangerous and I'm worried he's going to do something to my boyfriend. He fucking murdered Miles and put him on my goddamn doorstep and he needs to be put away!" I say as my chest continues to heave with every breath.

"Sir, it's all going to be okay. Would you mind coming to the police station with us to make a statement?" She asks as she grips onto her radio.

I nod as I watch as the dagger is picked up and placed into an evidence bag. "The more evidence we have the better chance we have at keeping him inside for longer and we can help to protect your partner." She smiles at me politely.

"Yeah, of course." I say towards her and she guides me towards one of the police cars.

My eyes watch Sam in the back seat of another car, he grins at me and I didn't want to know what he was thinking.

. . .

Well hello my loves, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you didn't don't forget to leave a vote and a comment💛

It is another longer chapter so woohoo for that

What do you guys think is gonna happen???? Miles is deadddd and Sam is fucking insane so it's all gone west

If you could date any character from my books, who would it be and why?

Ngl think i'd marry Zara, she's such a babe

Also seen a few messages like where is the smut? GUYS there is a time and a place, sex doesn't just happen all the time you know. Other things come first, so please read the room I beg xx

See you guys on the next one, Sav x

Insta: SavRose.x