The Light at the End of the Tunnel - 25. Caleb's Curtain Call

Caleb sipped his beer and leaned back in the lounger. He closed his eyes and smiled as their boys' raucous shouts and laughter pierced the air.

“Marco!”

“Polo!”

Dante floundered in the water and blindly grabbed for the closest player. Goggles liberally smeared with zinc ensured that he couldn’t cheat. Marcel teasingly swam out of reach. Beneath the surface, Asa approached from the deep end, grabbed Dante’s ankle, and pulled him under before diving to the bottom to avoid the boy’s outstretched hands.

Corbin wasn’t so lucky, and Dante tagged him with a triumphant yell. He tossed the goggles Corbin’s way, then splashed Asa’s face as he bobbed in the deep end, treading water.

Duncan watched from the steps in the shallow end. He claimed his wolf didn’t like to get wet. Occasionally, he would venture further into the water but never let it go higher than his belly button. Caleb knew Asa was giving him swimming lessons when no one else was in the pool.

An unusually mild winter allowed Caleb and Asa to raze his old cabin and barn to make way for a large house, spacious barn, and, best of all, an in-ground pool, complete with an air-conditioned cabana.

Giles insisted they use pack funds and free shifter labor to build the house and barn. He told them they earned every penny by helping to defeat Huntington and his army. Asa agreed only after Giles caved and accepted the proceeds from the sale of his house. The generous check Sebastian gave them was enough to cover the material cost of the pool, cabana, and screened pool cage. They upgraded the overhead screen to a tightly woven mesh, protecting them from the sun's full strength.

Asa hauled himself out of the pool, and Caleb’s mouth watered at the sight of his mate. Water dripped down his bare torso. He shook his head, scattering colorful prisms in all directions. Caleb’s wolf growled, and he didn’t shush him like usual. Instead, he openly leered.

The light shifter sauntered over and straddled Caleb’s lap, instantly soaking his board shorts. The sudden wetness did nothing to douse the desire that immediately flared. Their need for each other was stronger than ever.

“Hey, hot stuff. It’s getting close to suppertime. Care to join me in the shower before we feed these water-logged bottomless pits?”

Caleb kissed Asa, then nipped his bottom lip. “Is Huntington forest fertilizer?”

His mate laughed and stood, flaunting the obscene tent in his bathing suit.

“That thing is gonna need its own zip code pretty soon.”

Asa extended his hand to pull Caleb upright. “We can’t have that now. What do you suggest we do about it?”

Wolf whistles followed them as Caleb dragged Asa into the house. Their walk-in shower was more than roomy enough for them. As the warm water cascaded onto them, Caleb dropped to his knees on the waterproof gel cushion explicitly purchased for what he was about to do. Asa’s cock stood at attention, and a deep moan rumbled from the man as Caleb engulfed it down to the root. A satisfying pain shot across his scalp as Asa buried his hands in Caleb’s hair with a death grip.

“That’s it. Take it all. I’m gonna fuck your face until I blow.”

Christ, he loved Asa’s dirty talk. He gagged when his mate thrust his hips forward before he was ready. Tears leaked down his face, washed away by the cascading water. He reached between Asa’s legs and tugged his balls, forcing the man’s hips to buck backward. It gave him the extra few seconds he needed to relax his throat before he found it stuffed with cock again.

“Uh-uh. That’s not fighting fair. You can do better than that.” Asa didn’t realize his goading was only making Caleb more determined to suck his mate’s brains out through his dick. He allowed his mate to use his throat as a fleshlight until he recognized the signs of him struggling to maintain control. That’s when he employed his secret weapon.

Caleb squeezed his throat rapidly and swallowed as fast and hard as possible. Nothing short of a thundering spring waterfall could drown out Asa’s scream as his balls unloaded. He devoured every drop, stood, sealed their lips together, and fed Asa his own cum. As a reward, Caleb’s dick was encased in a tight grip as Asa jacked it until he exploded.

“Damn, that never gets old.”

Asa lathered his hands. “I hope it never does.” He soaped Caleb up, then handed him the shower gel so he could return the favor. After a final rinse, Caleb shut off the water and grabbed two towels, giving one to his mate.

After donning fresh shorts and tees, Caleb went out to fire up the grill while Asa gave the waterlogged pool crew a twenty-minute warning before they needed to get out and eat dinner. It would take that long for the burgers and hot dogs to be ready. They could resume their fun after everything was cleaned up and the animals were taken care of.

Most days, Eclipse and Hank hung out in the shade beneath the large roof extension attached to the north side of the barn. Two quarter horse geldings, an Arabian mare, and a gorgeous Morgan gelding obtained from a rescue organization joined them. Marcel had a sorrel gelding he named Danny. He joked that a redhead needed an Irish name. Dante fell head-over-heels with a blue roan named Stone. His coat was a pretty gray-blue. The smallest horse was an all-white Arabian mare. No matter what products Duncan used, her forelock refused to be tamed. He threw in the towel, left the fuzzy hair alone, and named her Gnomie.

The Morgan claimed Vann. At the rescue, the boys stood on the rails surrounding the corral holding the adoptable horses. Each boy pointed to his favorite, except for Vann. He clicked his tongue and waited. Immediately, the Morgan’s ears perked up, and his tail swished. He trotted over to Vann and gently head-butted him.

“Hey, boy,” the youngster crooned as he scratched behind the animal’s ears and patted his neck. The horse nickered, shook his head, and showed his teeth in a happy, horsey grin. “‘Kay, boy. Take it easy. We won’t leave without you.”

Caleb easily won all four bids, and they loaded the trailer for the two-hour ride home. The boys and horses were happy.

Vann ended up naming the animal Boy. The horse whinnied every time Vann called him that, and it stuck. Their new barn had twelve spacious stalls, a large tack room, a built-in horse washing station, and, to Caleb’s chagrin, two feisty barn cats Asa insisted on keeping when they were foisted on him by one of his clients whose cat had a litter of ten kittens. They did keep the barn free of rodents.

It had been an eventful year. Mikey gave birth to a daughter last month. Jorge nearly fainted when Giles remarked how much she took after Mikey. It was clear after her first week she had the Beta wrapped around her little finger.

Luke had a pseudo-girlfriend. Pseudo because she was human, and he knew it was wrong to lead her on. They were good friends with excellent benefits. Caleb and Asa liked her. He knew his friend still hoped his fated mate was out there somewhere.

Giles was still single and claimed running the pack left no time for dating. Caleb was sure the Alpha had his needs met whenever he went to Amarillo to stock up on supplies the smaller towns close by didn’t have.

Since their return from Montana, Caleb kept in touch with Sebastian regularly. It was comforting to know what was happening within his old pack. He missed them. In an odd turn of events, Corbin had struck up an unlikely friendship with Elijah and Tyler. He still felt enormous guilt over not doing more for Ashton and Austin, even though their mates assured him the twins didn’t harbor any bad feelings. As a matter of fact, the four were planning on coming to Texas for a few weeks for their vacation. Caleb hoped they could clear the air.

“Are you ready for the meat?” Asa asked with a saucy grin.

Caleb groaned. “You wish.”

Asa handed him the platter of raw hamburgers with a laugh. “Later.”

Caleb manned the grill while his mate pulled some potato salad and condiments from the fridge. He tossed three bags of chips on the outdoor table as he handed Caleb the hot dogs. The boys and Corbin were splashing noisily in the background.

Ten minutes later, their happy crew dripped on the concrete deck as they pretended to fight over the Marvel character beach towels. It hadn’t always been this easy. Even though Vann said he understood why Caleb left him in the dark over his true parentage, the boy had a few doozies of some outbursts in the first few months.

It was painful recollecting a serious conversation they shared after one particularly hurtful tantrum Vann threw.

It upset Caleb to be so harsh with his son, but after Vann spewed some hateful remarks at him and Asa, Caleb had enough.

“Sit down,” he ordered.

“Make me!”

Caleb didn’t condone violence, especially against children, but he’d reached the end of his rope. Grabbing Vann’s arms, he forced the boy into a chair. “Get up, and I will tie you down. Now calm yourself.” His wolf growled uneasily.

He needed to calm himself, too. Taking a deep breath, he silently counted to ten. “What the fuck was that all about? I asked you to put the dishes away, not sell your soul to the devil. What gives?”

Vann glared at him sullenly.

“Look, Vann. If you’re unhappy, say the word, and I’ll send you back to Montana. I can’t let you disrespect me or my mate. I won’t. If I’ve made a mistake, tell me. I can’t fix something if I don’t know it's broken.”

He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. Caleb watched as Vann’s lower lip trembled. His lips disappeared when he pressed them together tightly. Tears spilled over anyway.

“I’m a failure and I don’t know why I keep screwing up. I’m afraid you’ll hate me and send me away for good! I know it’s irrational, but I keep having nightmares, and in them, you reject me over and over.”

Dammit. No wonder the poor kid had been lashing out. Caleb had already turned his back on him once, and he’d done nothing beyond uttering words of assurance that it wouldn’t be repeated. Caleb was ashamed of his knee-jerk reaction. Vann needed proof it wouldn’t happen again, not threats of sending him away.

He grabbed a chair and sat facing his son. “I’m sorry I grabbed you and shoved you into the chair. I’m even more sorry for suggesting sending you to Montana. You don’t need to hear me say I want you to stay. I should have done a better job of showing you.”

Vann’s eyes overflowed with fresh tears. Caleb reached out and brushed them away gently.

“From here on out, we have to be honest with each other. I promise never to judge you when you make a mistake. I promise to tell you every day that I love you, and I promise I’ll never send you away. If you decide you want to leave, I’ll try to change your mind. If you insist, I’ll let you go with a heavy heart, but I will always keep my door open for you. I want you here, Vann. This is where you belong. Our family isn’t complete without you.”

Vann launched himself, sobbing into Caleb’s arms. He held his son tight and rocked him until the waterworks abated.

“I don’t want to leave.”

The words were music to Caleb’s ears. Ever since that night, he and Vann were doing so much better. His relationship with all the boys was, too. The following week, he and Asa took the kids to the horse auction and let them choose an animal to be responsible for. It was the first of many steps Caleb and Asa took to show the boys they were loved and wanted.

In the months that followed, he and Vann had one-on-one bonding time. Dante and Duncan understood they needed the time alone so they could heal. Every other weekend, they took a few hours to do something as father and son. Sometimes, it was a long trail ride; other times, they let their wolves out for a run. Occasionally, it was something simple, like going out for lunch or a movie. It did wonders to get to know each other and improve their relationship.

Caleb pulled his thoughts back to the present. After eating, cleaning up, and making sure the kids took care of Hank and the horses for the night, he joined the rest of his little pack in the pool. Twilight dusted the western sky with shades of indigo and deep violet. Asa popped out of the water next to him and caught him off guard, pulling him under.

He resurfaced, spluttering and shaking his head. Water flew in all directions.

“You’ll be sorry!” Caleb lunged and grabbed Asa around his waist, giving him just enough time to hold his nose before dunking him. It was game on.

Corbin shouted, “Chicken!” Marcel climbed on their friend’s shoulders when he sank below the surface. Dante did the same to Asa, and Vann settled on Caleb’s broad shoulders. Duncan quickly retreated to the safety of the stairs.

Caleb glanced up at the darkening sky as the stars started appearing. He started thinking, star light, star bright, then stopped.

His wish had already come true.