Chapter 30 - Kaius

We're all gathered around the kitchen in Cyrus and Lena's cabin, and I can't help but wonder just how many more people we can fit in here. Cyrus and Lena are leaned up in a corner. Julie is standing between my legs as I sit on the corner of the counter, and the rest of the team is milling around.

"He still won't tell me about the tattoo," Lena laughs to Cyrus.

"And I never will," Orion says with a nod as he sips delicately at his tea.

"Speaking of tattoos," Rufus says with a mischievous grin sliding across his face. He winks in Julie's direction, and she ducks away from me as Rufus and Evander come at me from both sides, sliding me off the counter and trying to haul me outside.

"What the hell, guys?"

I'm squirming and flailing, but they haul me out onto the porch and fling me down in a chair before Rufus straddles me and sits on my lap with a ridiculous grin on his face. Milo appears over his shoulder holding something that looks vaguely like a pen.

"Right, don't get any funny ideas, Rufus. I said you could sit on his lap just this once. No funny business," Julie warns from the doorway where she's leaning with a wicked grin.

"Hold still," Rufus warns as he shoves me back in the chair. "And that no funny business goes double for you, Man. Don't get any ideas."

"What the fuck are you doing? Get off me."

"Shut up and hold still," Cyrus laughs from behind me as the rest of the Candara team filters out onto the porch. "We've all decided that we've about had it with your pity party about thinking we're going to kick you out of the clan. So, Rufus has kindly offered to tattoo the clan marking on your arm, put a ring on it, if you will."

I turn to look up at him over my shoulder and those amber eyes are as steady as ever.

"Are you sure?"

"Fucks sake man, I'm not giving you a lap dance with a tattoo pen for nothing. Of course he's sure, we're all sure. Now hold still or I'll end up messing up the lines and you'll just gripe about it forever," Rufus grumbles as he presses the tip of the tattoo pen to my arm.

"No lap dance, Rufus," Julie warns again, "or I'll sick Roscoe on you."

My eyes roam from Julie to the other faces around me and I finally feel that sense of home as the needle bites into my skin. A permanent home.

Rufus is quick with his work, and soon the black spiraled sun tattoo is inked into my bicep. Rufus steps away from me with a proud nod and pulls me up to a standing position.

"Welcome to the family," Cyrus laughs as he slaps my back with a grin. "Hope you know you're stuck with us now."

I soak in the moment. Grateful for my found family, and all the pieces it presents for my future.

After we make our excuses of needing to unpack, Julie and I head back to our cabin. I watch Julie from the kitchen, a smile playing on my lips as she busies herself with arranging the last of her things in the newly finished cabin. The space still smells faintly of fresh wood and varnish, the warmth of the pine logs giving it a cozy, inviting feel. We're moving into one of the small one-room cabins across the small clearing from Lena and Cyrus's cabin.

"I think this will work much better than the single room," I say, stepping over to where Julie is arranging books on the shelves. "It feels like home already."

Julie glances over her shoulder at me, a grin tugging at the corners of her lips. "Yeah, it does, doesn't it? I love it here."

She's sorting through a stack of books, placing each one with care. I can't help but notice that almost all of them are her trashy romance novels, split almost equally with local history books.

"What's the long-term plan for the museum?" I ask, moving to help her unpack the last box.

"Well," she says, her eyes lighting up, "I'm working on an exhibit about the copper deposits. How they saved the town after the collapse of the Silver Boom. It's a fascinating part of our history, and I think people would love to learn about it."

"I don't know. Isn't it just the single mine between Lena and your uncle's place?" I ask, thinking back to the initial research we'd done on the area.

"There are actually a ton of other locations that have similar deposits in the area around here. It's pretty fascinating. I actually thought it was weird you guys weren't looking into the others as well when I thought you were just here as a geology team."

"I wonder if we missed something focusing on just this mine."

"We can always look at some of the area maps," Julie gives me a helpful smile, but then her eyes narrow playfully. "You know, you could come help me out at the museum. I could use an extra pair of hands from time to time."

I chuckle and shake my head at the idea of trying to work all day. I don't think I'd be able to keep my hands off Julie for a whole day.

"I'm happy to help, but I can't promise either of us will be productive. Pretty sure if you expect me to keep my hands to myself while I watch you bending over boxes of books like that, I'll miss that mark."

Julie reaches over and pokes me in the chest.

"I'm not as easy to distract as that, Mister. And who knows, maybe you'd learn something if you actually paid attention to something other than my boobs."

"Hey, I'm not opposed to learning," I say, holding my hands up in mock surrender. "And who says it would be your boobs? I'm also equally fond of staring at your ass, you know."

"Fair enough." Julie shakes her head and turns back to the shelves. I can't help but stare at the particular ass in question. She's in tight leggings, and the curve of her ass is just barely visible under the hem of her sweater when she reaches up to put things up on the top shelf. The skintight fabric leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination.

I know that, at least conceptually, I should be able to help finish unpacking these last few boxes without pulling her back to bed, but the very distinct lack of blood flow anywhere other than below the waist is making it more difficult to focus on the task at hand.

"Remember that time when everyone was out here for the movie?" I say, a mischievous glint in my eye. "When you—"

"Don't you dare bring that up," Julie says, her cheeks flushing. Her eyes catch mine, and I can't help but notice that her pupils are dilated just a little.

"You could almost argue it was like a scene from one of your books."

Julie gives me a playful shove, but there's a smile on her lips as she puts one of the books in question up on the shelf.

"You're impossible."

"I'm just saying, you obviously enjoyed it," I tease, moving closer. "And we weren't exactly hidden."

"I know," she says, her voice softening. "And I enjoyed it. It's just… I don't enjoy drawing attention from people like that. It's not that I didn't enjoy you or the excitement."

I reach out and take her hands in mine, my gaze steady.

"I don't think anyone else noticed as much as you did, other than me. You definitely had my undivided attention."

Julie sighs, leaning into my touch. She's stiff, and her eyes have that guarded look that tells me I'm losing this attempt to convince her.

"I know. I just get so caught up in the moment sometimes."

I smile, pulling her closer.

"There's nothing wrong with that. As long as it's just for us."

She meets my gaze, her eyes filled with warmth.

"It is. I love that rush, but only because it's with you."

"Good."

I lean in, pressing my forehead to hers. We stay like that for a moment, and the world fades away as we hold each other. The warmth of the cabin wraps around us, the air filled with the scent of fresh pine.

I cup Julie's face, my thumb brushing over her cheek. I feel the heat of the moment building between us, the intensity of our connection pulling us closer.I move to kiss her, my lips brushing against hers. She leans into me, her arms wrapping around my neck as she pulls me closer. The kiss deepens, and I feel the warmth of her body pressing against mine.

I slide my hand up under her shirt against the smooth skin of her back as I pull her closer. I pause with a groan as a loud knock on the door rips me out of the moment.

Damn it.

I pull away, glancing toward the door with a sigh. "Hold that thought."

Julie lets out a frustrated groan. "Of course."

I stride quickly to the door, opening it to find Rufus standing there, holding Roscoe by the scruff of his neck, his chubby body wobbling and squirming for purchase as irate chitters fall from his angry mouth.

"Here," Rufus says, thrusting the raccoon toward me. "Take your little furry hell-beast back."

I can't help but laugh, taking Roscoe from Rufus's outstretched hands. He curls into me and spits a few last irate chirps Rufus's way.

"What happened this time?"

"He was in my bed again!" Rufus huffs. "You hid peanuts in my pillowcase, didn't you?"

"Guilty," I admit, a grin spreading across my face. "But I didn't expect Roscoe to make himself at home in your bed or for it to work quite so well."

"Well, he did, and now he's tracking fuck knows what into my bed and leaving his fur everywhere," Rufus says, crossing his arms over his chest. "Sarah won't let me kill him, so you need to keep him contained, damn it. I swear… One more time. If I wake up with him in my bed one more time, I'll turn him into a hat."

I try to stifle my laughter, failing miserably. "Alright, alright. I'll keep him in check."

"You better," Rufus mutters, turning to leave. "I'm keeping an eye on you, Roscoe."

With one last glare at the raccoon, Rufus turns and retreats from the porch, muttering under his breath.

Julie laughs, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Roscoe really has it out for Rufus, doesn't he?"

"Only when I give him a reason to," I admit, setting the raccoon down gently and I pour some popcorn into a small bowl and place it on the counter for him. "But I think Rufus is coming around. He wouldn't actually turn him into a hat."

Roscoe sits back on his chubby haunches and squawks happily at me as he picks up a piece with both of his tiny hands. I walk back over to Julie, my expression softening.

"Now, where were we?" I ask.

Julie steps closer into the ring of my arms, her smile warm.

"I think we were right about here," she whispers asI slide my hands up her back, pulling her close.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," I mutter against her lips as I lean in to kiss her. This time, there are no interruptions. The world outside fades away as I lose myself in the moment, the warmth of her touch grounding me. We have a lot to figure out, but for now, all that matters is that we're together.

We spend the rest of the evening talking and laughing, the cabin filling with the sound of our voices. It feels like the beginning of something new, a fresh start where we can build our lives together. And as we settle into our new home, I can't help but feel grateful for the journey that brought us here.