Love's True Path

Jase hummed as she grabbed the phone. "Graison residence."

"Jase!" Nathaniel paced as he spoke to her on the phone. "You and Caleb have to get to the Circus- Bring Sarah. Jason's been attacked by Shayne. He's alright... just..."

Jase froze. "That bastard!" She growled.

"Jase, please... He's alright. Jean-Claude forced the change, and he's just resting now..." Nathaniel swallowed. "Please be careful..."

"I will be." She paused. "I love you, Nathaniel." She said before she hung up and went to inform Caleb and Sara.

Caleb lay on the couch, sleeping quietly.

Jase shook Caleb's shoulder. "Cale? Wake up."

He frowned in his sleep, then blinked open his eyes. "Huh? Jase?"

"Shayne attacked Jason. He's ok, but we need to go to the Circus. We're not safe here." She said sadly.

Caleb sat up. "What? He... what happened? How bad? When?"

"I don't know. Nathaniel assured me that he's fine, but we need to get out of here."

"Sara!" Caleb called, standing and shoving his feet into his shoes.

Sara came running out of her room. "What's wrong?" She looked at Jase and then Caleb.

"Get in the car." Jase told her. They hurried out of the house.

The only reason Caleb waited for the car to stop once they got there was because he had to make sure Jase and Sara got into the Circus safely. He'd never forgive himself if something happened.

Jase patted his leg as they drove. "It'll be ok, Caleb. We'll get him eventually."

"Eventually isn't good enough." Caleb looked at her, his eyes glowing with his beast. "I'm through letting him hurt the ones I love."

"Don't do anything stupid, Caleb. If Jason wakes up and you're not there you know he'll go after you."

"I know." Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. When he opened them a moment later, he was calmer. "I can't do this, Jase."

"Do what?"

"See everyone be hurt like this... if I'd just attacked him when he had me, when I had the chance-"

"He would have made it a hundred times worse on you." Sara said from the back seat.

"And you had no idea he'd do this." Jase added.

Caleb shook his head, staring silently out the window.

Jase sighed and when they arrived showed Sara to Jason's room. The kitten and puppy pounced on her since they didn't get to play as much. One of the wolves had been taking care of them, but they missed Caleb and Jason and Sara smelled like them.

Seeing that Sara was safe, Caleb looked at Jase before turning, and heading towards the scent of his mate.

Jase followed him. Jason was still in wolf form and out cold.

Caleb could have cried as he saw his mate, ignoring the Ulfric and Lupa, as well as Micah and numerous other people as he crawled into bed next to the sleeping were.

Jason barely stirred as Caleb cuddled him. He was so tired from the change and from healing.

Elias bit his lip, looking at his aunt. "Can I go see Sara?"

Mika sighed, nodding as she rubbed the back of her neck.

Jean-Claude motioned to another vampire and had him lead the teen to Sara. Keela had gone home, not wanting to be in their way.

Sara was laying on the bed with Trooper and Savage. She laughed as they tackled and playfully nipped at each other.

"Sara?" Elias knocked, poking his head in.

"Oh, hey Elias." She said as Savage barked at Trooper.

"Hey. You alright?" He moved, hugging her as Trooper pounced his playmate.

She returned the hug. "I'm in one piece. You?"

"Same." He kissed her cheek. "This is so fucked up."

"I know." She sighed and picked Trooper up. She began to pet him and smiled at how loud he purred.

Elias scratched Savage's ears. "These guys are huge compared to last time I saw them..."

"Do you think they'd notice if I stole them?"

He laughed. "Probably." Elias moved, resting his head in her lap.

"I can't believe it's almost Christmas..."

"Me either. I'm psyched though. I love what I got you." He'd had to make sure first with Jase and Nathaniel, as well as Micah, but they'd all said it was cool if he got her a cat. The day after Christmas, they were going to go pick one out.

"Oh, you'll love what I got you." Sara said, her eyes sparkling.

"Can I get a hint?"

"Nope."

He pouted up at her. "Not even a little one?"

"Nope." Sara said again.

"Nothing I can do to get a hint on my present?"

"Nothing will pry it from my lips." She kissed him and played with the pup.

Elias shook his head. "Figures. Aunt Mika said for me to count on staying the night, by the way. Rissa's in there with them, and she's scared so she won't leave Richard alone..."

"Rissa is such a sweetie."

"Yeah." Elias smiled. "I got her a special edition Barbie that she's wanted."

"I got her some dress up clothes." She smiled at him.

He grinned. "I'm sure she'll love them. I don't know what Aunt Mika got her yet."

"I bet we can get her to tell us." Sara grinned evilly. "We can force it out if necessary.

"Nah." Elias paused, shuddering. "Ick, you'll never guess what they did the other night..."

"Had sex?" She guessed.

"Well... yeah. But they did it in the office!"

Sara burst out laughing. "Your poor thing."

"It's not funny! It's nasty! Watch! Next it'll be the kitchen TABLE!"

"Oh, that happened a whi-I mean....yeah..." She said.

Elias blinked. "What?"

"N-nothing."

"Don't lie to me. What were you saying?"

"They already has sex on the kitchen table. I hear Shang-Da mention it."

"I am NEVER eating there again!" Elias wrinkled his nose. "Ew!" He paused. "Though it sounds interesting... not the people, the place... as long as it's not THEM."

She snickered. "We're not doing it on the kitchen table."

His cheeks heated and he looked at Savage. "I didn't mean NOW... or... well... damn."

Sara laughed. "I know."

Elias poked her belly with his index finger. "Behave, brat."

She pouted at him. "Never."

"Yes." He pinned her to the bed.

"My dad is like a hallway away from us."

"I'm not doing anything more than kissing you." Elias shook his head. "Thanks, but I like living."

"Good, cause I know he'll want to come check on me soon." Sara said.

He sighed and moved, sitting on the side of the bed. "Yeah."

"It's weird, you know..."

"Yeah." He picked up Trooper , scratching the cat's ears.

"I just can't believe my mom lied to me all these years."

"Me either. That's insane."

"Micah... he asked me to live with him when all of this is over."

Elias glanced at her. "That's really awesome. I'm glad he'll be there for you."

"I'm scared Elias." Sara admitted to him.

"Of what?"

"What if it doesn't work out? I mean I only just met him and I know nothing about him. I never know how to respond to him."

"Just take your time. Micah's a nice guy... and you're great. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. You're always welcome in our house, or Jase and Nathaniel's..."

Elias hugged her close.

"I can't do this Elias." She began to cry into his shoulder. "First I lose me dad to my crazy mother and then I find out he wasn't really my dad at all. My mom took me away from my real dad because he was a were."

"Yes you can, Sweetie..." Elias held her gently, stroking her hair.

She wrapped her arms around him and simply cried.

"It's alright..." He whispered to her.

Sara pressed her face into the curve of his neck.

Gently, he tilted her face up, kissing her- just as the door opened and... her father entered.

"Oh, hi Dad." She blushed as she moved away from Elias. "How's Jason?"

"Healing." Micah sighed. "Sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to make sure that you were alright..."

Elias flushed slightly.

"You didn't interrupt anything." Sara said. "And I'm fine."

"I'm sure Elias feels differently." Micah teased.

The teenager gasped. "Er... no. I mean... well... no. We weren't doing anything..."

Sara hid her laughter with a well placed cough.

Elias reached over, tickling her. "Sir, no offense, but she's a brat."

"So I see. Not in a bad way though." Micah smiled. "You'll have to let me know what you want to do for Christmas."

"I hadn't really thought abut Christmas." Sara said.

Micah nearly swore at himself, feeling stupid. "Well, I'd like to get you something, if that's alright..."

"Oh, of course it's ok, but you don't have to."

"I want to."

Elias grinned. "And you'd better like my gift too, Sara."

"I bet I will." Sara smiled.

Micah sighed, standing. "You two get some sleep. I need to check on Caleb. Last I heard, Jason was finally waking."

Sara nodded. "Tell Jason I said he'd better make a full recovery or I'll hurt him.

"Of course." Micah hugged her and waved at Elias before leaving the room.

Sara fell back onto the bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Caleb lay with his head on Jason's furry side, crying softly, hot tears falling into the soft fur tickling his face.

Jason blinked as he woke up. He heard Caleb crying and whimpered.

Raising his head, Caleb looked at him, petting him softly.

Jason licked his face.

Mika blinked her eyes open tiredly from the couch where she lay against Richard, seeing the wolf on the bed. "He's awake..."

Caleb hugged Jason, crying harder.

Jason whimpered and licked Caleb again, trying to tell him not to cry. Richard was now half awake. Rissa lay asleep next to them.

The leopard tried to calm himself down, but he was quickly starting to hyperventilate.

Mika swore softly, moving to his side. "Caleb, look at me... you have to calm down."

Jason pressed his muzzle into Caleb's shoulder.

Caleb gasped. "I... I can't-"

"You can. See me breathing? I want you to match your breaths with mine, alright? In... out... alright?" Mika kept her voice calm, soothing. Slowly, the Leopard calmed.

Jason was practically in Caleb's lap now, trying to comfort him.

"Very good, Caleb." Mika glanced at Richard. "Grab me a glass of water, please."

Richard did as she asked, and she handed it to Caleb.

Mika laid a soothing hand on Jason as well, petting both of their backs, though Caleb was human.

Jason relaxed under her hand.

Seeing Jean-Claude reenter the room, Mika offered him a small smile. "It's nearly dawn, I thought you'd have gone to bed... or..."

"Non, I wanted to check on Jason first." He sighed, offering his Pomme his hand to smell before scratching the wolf's ears.

Jason nuzzled the vampire's hand before he rested his head on Caleb's shoulder.

"Jean-Claude... the woman who was here earlier..." Mika said softly. "Keela..."

"What about her?"

"If Shayne knows about her... he'll get her. She stayed here... you've been seen with her, as has Asher..." She explained.

Asher froze as he came in. "I will tear him limb from limb if he lays so much as a finger on Keela."

"That's why I think you need to get her back here. It's not safe for her out there." Mika bit her lip. Jean-Claude looked clearly angry.

"We do not have time before the dawn! What do we do, Asher?"

"I'll get her." Richard said, now full awake. "Give me her address."

Jean-Claude told him it, fisting a hand in his hair. "We should have thought of this, Asher!"

Mika moved, pressing a hand to Jean-Claude's shoulder. "That doesn't matter now. Richard will take care of her."

Richard nodded. "I'll bring her back to you."

"Merci, Richard." Jean-Claude calmed, noting Caleb was asleep finally, his glass of water nearly slipping from his hand. Taking it, he set it on the stand next to the bed.

"It's nothing." Richard wrote down the address and went to pick her up.

~~~~~~~~

Keela had just gone to bed when she heard a knock on her door. Sighing, she put on her robe, then checked who it was through the peephole. A stranger. "Can I help you?" She called.

"My name is Richard. Asher and Jean-Claude sent me to take you back to the circus. You're in danger."

"What makes them think that?" She undid the dead bolt, but left the chain on the door as she opened it slightly. "And how do I know you're who you say you are?"

"You're the piano player at Jase and Nathaniel's wedding. Jase set you up with the two of them." He paused. "And there is a very bad man after us. Asher and Jean-Claude are afraid he'll try to hurt you."

Keela undid the chain, letting him in. "Alright... so they want me to stay at the Circus?"

Richard nodded. "Yes. They would have come themselves, but it's very close to dawn."

"Let me get dressed and pack a few things." Keela paused. "Who is this 'bad man'?"

"His name is Shayne and he's a werewolf."

"And he's just randomly terrorizing the city?" Keela grabbed a suit case from her hall closet, and began piling clothes into it.

"We don't know what his plans are yet." Richard sounded frustrated. "It doesn't make any sense."

"How so?" Keela went into her bedroom, changing.

"He attacked several people and we still have no idea why."

"Sounds like he's just a sick person." She stepped back into the other room, dressed in jeans and a sweater. "Let me grab my purse and then we're good to go."

Richard nodded. "Sure." He went out and started the car and Keela joined him shortly afterward.

She sighed as the sun rose minutes before they turned into the Circus. "Did they say where I was sleeping?"

"I assume in their bedroom, but I don't know." Richard helped her with her bags.

"I'm fine with that." Keela put her purse over her shoulder. "Thanks for the ride."

"You're welcome." He set her bags down and bid her goodnight as she entered their rooms.

Keela knew they had been upset before bed. It was rather obvious by the disarray the bedroom was in- and that they were in as they laid on the bed, Asher holding Jean-Claude to his chest. Slowly, she crawled into the bed, half wondering what she'd gotten herself into with these two men, and why exactly she didn't care about the disturbance in her life. She'd always hated change. This... was major, and she could only be glad that she was with them.

Moving closer to Jean-Claude, she wrapped her arms around him and let her hand rest on Asher's belly while she laid her head on Jean-Claude's back. "I think... I'm falling in love..."