Archly, she replied, “Oh, really? Behaving? What’s /mis/behaving then?” She piled more sand up his leg, shaping it to the curves and swells, licking at the side of her mouth as she contemplated her next step. She scooped a big hole next to him, piling the wet sand over his knee, and then shrieked grumpily as a bigger-than-usual wave came in and washed most of it away.
“Maybe I’ll let you find out later on,” he stated with a wink and then shifted as best he could under the sandy confines, grimacing as the wet sand gathered in between his toes and behind his knees. Cracking up with hysterical laughter as the waves washed over her work, he reached to pat her consolingly on the shoulder.
She faked a growl at him, scrambled up in the shallow water, and pushed him over, giggling. “I will capture you this way! Muahaha.” Sitting on top of him, she leaned forward and pretended to bite him. “Hmm, this one might be too small. I might have to throw it back.”
She pulled back the covers and tucked him under, curling up against him. Helios hopped up as well, kneading busily over Isaac’s foot and purring. Gently she pulled his head against her breast and ran her fingers through his curls. “Rest, chere, relax. I’m here. I won’t leave you.”
Curling up into a small ball and splaying out his fingers against her bare hips, his eyes fluttered shut and he sniffed, nodding absently as she held him close, the sensation of fingers carding through his hair relaxing him further. “Never…I couldn’t…I couldn’t survive without you…” he croaked out and pressed a kiss to her chin.
“Sleep, darling,” Summer whispered. “Sleep.” Once he fell asleep soundly, she kissed him on the forehead and extricated herself from his hold. Moving as quietly as she could, she found his cell phone and sent a quick text to Derek, letting him know where Isaac was. It was only polite. When she climbed back into bed, after pulling on some clothes to sleep in, she leaned her head on his, heart aching for him. “I love you.”
“Yes,” she said with relish. She sat up and poured sand over his other foot, making a moue when the waves washed some of it away. Busily she added more, piling it high, and grinned up at him. “I have figured out how to catch a werewolf. You are my prisoner.”
“Oh no, whatever will I do,” he murmured sarcastically, eyes glinting with amusement as he lay back on his elbows, watching her curiously. “You know — I could break free with just a twitch, but I’m behaving myself right now.”
Archly, she replied, “Oh, really? Behaving? What’s /mis/behaving then?” She piled more sand up his leg, shaping it to the curves and swells, licking at the side of her mouth as she contemplated her next step. She scooped a big hole next to him, piling the wet sand over his knee, and then shrieked grumpily as a bigger-than-usual wave came in and washed most of it away.
“/I/ scared me.” She brushed her fingers over his mouth again, smiling more. “I’m fine. Promise.” Rolling over a little more, she scooped some sand over his foot and giggled. “I’m going to bury you in the sa~and!”
“Do you need me to heal anything?” he demanded fearfully, eyes slowly turning back from golden to their original blue, his expression softening at the sound of her laughter. As she buried his foot, he arched a single eyebrow and shook his head fondly. “Having fun?”
“Yes,” she said with relish. She sat up and poured sand over his other foot, making a moue when the waves washed some of it away. Busily she added more, piling it high, and grinned up at him. “I have figured out how to catch a werewolf. You are my prisoner.”
Helios came back in and bent to lick Isaac’s foot dry, chasing beads of water up his calf. “Good boy, fluffy man,” Summer murmured, wrapping a towel around Isaac’s shoulders. “Good boy.” The werewolf was so /passive/. It frightened her; she thought he would be a little better by now but he was still turned in, still almost silently crying. “Come lay down with me,” she whispered.
He jumped and curled his toes in the floor, gazing down at the cat with a barely there smile. “Hey, Helios…” he whispered hoarsely and then turned to face Summer, snuggling down under the welcomed weight of the towel, water and tears mixing on his face. “Tired…” he repeated his earlier words and shuffled after her, just wanting to curl up and hold her close to him.
She pulled back the covers and tucked him under, curling up against him. Helios hopped up as well, kneading busily over Isaac’s foot and purring. Gently she pulled his head against her breast and ran her fingers through his curls. “Rest, chere, relax. I’m here. I won’t leave you.”
Now that she wasn’t having to split her attention between two different potentially life-threatening things, she could clear her lungs and sinuses and /breathe/. She lay on the sand, panting, feeling the waves ripple over her toes. Rolling over onto one shoulder, she smiled at Isaac. “I’m okay now. Relax.” She put her hand up to his mouth.
“You scared me!” he whispered fiercely and kissed the palm of her hand as it neared his lips, finally relaxing enough to slump down and sit in the sand, uncaring that he was wet and that it was sticking to his flesh. “Are you sure that you’re okay?”
“/I/ scared me.” She brushed her fingers over his mouth again, smiling more. “I’m fine. Promise.” Rolling over a little more, she scooped some sand over his foot and giggled. “I’m going to bury you in the sa~and!”
She stroked his back, occasionally making shushing sounds. Eventually the water began to get cold. “Isaac, we need to get out now. You’ll get a chill.”
He didn’t want to tell her that he was used to being cold, that the rapidly cooling temperature of the water was nothing in comparison to the old freezer that he’d spent hours in as a child. So instead, he nodded and clutched at her, trembling slightly as he turned to clamber out of the tub.
Helios came back in and bent to lick Isaac’s foot dry, chasing beads of water up his calf. “Good boy, fluffy man,” Summer murmured, wrapping a towel around Isaac’s shoulders. “Good boy.” The werewolf was so /passive/. It frightened her; she thought he would be a little better by now but he was still turned in, still almost silently crying. “Come lay down with me,” she whispered.
She couldn’t tread water and cough, so she kept trying to balance herself on him. “Shore, please, Isaac.”
He reached for her and scooped her up into her arms before wading quickly back to the shore and then gently lowering her to the sand. Turning her onto her side in case she should cough up some water, he dropped to a crouch beside her and rubbed the back of his neck in concern.
Now that she wasn’t having to split her attention between two different potentially life-threatening things, she could clear her lungs and sinuses and /breathe/. She lay on the sand, panting, feeling the waves ripple over her toes. Rolling over onto one shoulder, she smiled at Isaac. “I’m okay now. Relax.” She put her hand up to his mouth.
She paid individual attention to each finger, not saying a word about how he might have gotten blood under his fingernails, just scrubbing it away. Pulling him into a hug that incidentally got him under the spray, she held him close, his chin propped on her head, and let him cry. These were better tears than the shocked ones of his arrival.
He couldn’t understand why everyone that he loved got taken away from him, and he vowed then and there to protect Summer with all of his heart and soul, not wanting her to meet the same unknown fate that the other Betas had. Trembling as he lay slumped against her, he choked on a sob and screwed his eyes tightly shut.
She stroked his back, occasionally making shushing sounds. Eventually the water began to get cold. “Isaac, we need to get out now. You’ll get a chill.”
