The Blood Moon Twins
Chapter 126

CAULDER

Everything was all set for our trip to the lake. Even though the lake was outside of the territory, I was able to convince our father to let us take a trip out there, because it gave the warriors a chance to survey the area past our territory. We only had a few rules we had We had to stay alert at all times.

to follow.

No fornicating- as he put it awkwardly.

If there was any sense of danger in the slightest, we would inform him and the warriors and leave immediately. We were not to engage in any threats unless forced to.

We had to be home before sunset. Not a moment after.

My mother had been completely against the idea. With both of her children being kidnapped in such a close time period, she wanted to keep us locked in the pack house the entire time, even though she knew that wasn't possible. It took our father stepping in to convince her that we would be fine and needed a break from everything. There had been no signs of vampires in or near the territory since we had chased Draven out.

I placed a cooler in the car with Blade's help, and we were nearly ready to leave. We just needed the girls to finish getting ready.

"What's taking them so long?" Blade asked. "They just had to change. They weren't even the ones loading the car."

I shrugged my shoulders. I was used to girls taking forever. In fact, Remy and Harper took less time than most girls I had gone out with in the past. "They'll be done soon enough."

Blade didn't say anything else and just stood in the shade of the tree near the car. He looked impatient as he tapped his foot. He was always on time for any training sessions, but I had never thought that he was this anal about time management.

"You could always go in and get them, if you want." I leaned against the car, enjoying the sun on my skin. After being locked up for nearly a month, I never wanted to take for granted the feeling of the sun against my skin. It was almost on the too warm side of the weather, especially with summer right around the corner, but it felt nice against my skin. It would feel even better when we made it to the lake.

"No thanks," Blade said. "I'm not looking to incur any wrath. I know better than to rush a woman."

We waited there for a few more minutes. Blade didn't seem to be in a talkative mood today, and I didn't push it.

Finally, the front door swung open, and Remy and Harper marched outside in surprising outfits. Harper was wearing an overly large hat and sunglasses that seemed to match the size. It was a little over the top, especially for her, but I thought it made her look cute. Her wild hair was pulled back into a low bun, so it didn't mess with her hat, and she was wearing a bikini top with jean shorts to match.

My jaw practically dropped as my eyes scanned her body. I had seen her naked plenty of times by now, but her body still continued to make me drool. That outfit especially excited me. Harper normally wore t-shirts or blouses when she went out, and I wasn't sure if I had ever seen her wear just a bikini top with a pair of shorts.

"That's a good look on you," I said, walking towards her and pulling her into my arms.

My hands automatically moved to her butt, and I gave her a good squeeze. She squeaked and dropped her bag in surprise. I quickly snatched her bag before it hit the ground and then offered it to her.

"Please try to remember there are other people here," Remy said, walking past me, rolling her eyes.

She immediately moved to Blade and took his hand in hers. She gave him a quick peck on the lips, but I knew it was just for show. She and Blade were often all over each other, and she was just holding back to make a point.

"We should get going or we're going to run out of time," Blade said, pulling Remy towards the car. He was trying to avoid Remy and I bickering more. That had been happening more recently, but it felt normal to me.

We all filed into the car, and I took the driver's seat. It was a short trip to the lake, but Blade stayed silent most of the car ride. I kept glancing back in the rearview mirror, and his face was stoic every time. Remy held his hand, but she spent most of the car ride leaning forward, talking to Harper and me instead.

I knew Remy had to have picked up on Blade's strange energy. If it was obvious to me, I was sure her mate bond was going crazy with the energy. Since they were still holding hands, I didn't think they were having relationship issues, but I had no idea what it might be. Everything seemed fine with Blade the day before. I knew now wasn't the time to ask him, though. No one wanted someone prying when they were in a car where they couldn't escape from prying eyes.

When we pulled up to the lake, the girls were the first ones to rush out of the car. Harper and Remy ran straight for the lake and immediately dipped their toes in the water.

"You could at least help us grab the stuff!" I shouted after them, but they were too distracted to hear me.

I shook my head and climbed out of the car. Blade helped me unpack the car, and together we set up a little picnic area on the shore. Blade made a point to plant an umbrella into the ground, creating a nice shady area for him to hang out in. When we were done, I looked over at Harper and Remy, who were just talking on the shoreline. They had yet to go any deeper than their ankles, but they were chatting and laughing, and they looked happier than I had seen either of them in a while. "I'm going to take a quick lap around the lake just to make sure everything is okay," Blade said.

"Do you want me to come with?"

"No. Stay with them. Just in case." His voice was monotone, and there was something definitely up with him, but I couldn't figure out what. It was a beautiful day, and there was no one else here, except the werewolf warriors lurking nearby, but they were giving us enough privacy that it would be hard to notice them unless they linked us.

I walked up to the shoreline, grabbing a bottle of sunscreen on the way. "Anyone need some?"

"I will definitely take some," Harper said.

Remy looked back at the picnic area we had set up and frowned. "Where did Blade go?"

I poured some sunscreen on my hand before handing the bottle to Harper. "He said he wanted to take a quick scan around the lake."

Remy's frown deepened. "I would have gone with him."

"I think he wanted you to just enjoy yourself," I said. I started rubbing sunscreen on Harper's back. "Hey, do you know what's up with Blade today?"

"Oh, you noticed?" Remy took the sunscreen from Harper and started spreading it on her skin.

"It's a little hard not to notice. Normally he's joking around a lot more, but he has barely said anything since we left," I said.

"He doesn't like the sun," Remy explained. She pulled her lips tight. "He feels sluggish during the day, and it's only getting worse the closer to summer we get."

"Why did he agree to come then?" Harper asked. She motioned for Remy to turn around, so she could put sunscreen where Remy couldn't reach.

"We looked excited at the idea, and he wanted to spend time with me. I told him I could stay behind with him, but he insisted on coming still. He said he would be okay as long as he stuck to the shade. I should have insisted on us staying behind." Remy let out a sigh, and I knew she was feeling guilty about Blade's mood.

"If he wanted to stay, then he would have said that," Harper said. "He wants you to have fun, so don't let it get you down. I'm sure his mood will pick up when he sees how hot you look with the water glistening off of your skin." She winked at Remy.

I grimaced at the statement. "Please try to remember Remy is my sister, and I really don't want to hear things like that about her."

Harper rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a prude."

"You are an only child. You wouldn't understand," I said.

"I know well enough," Harper retorted. "It's normal, and I know you know they do things."

"I'm with Caulder on this one," Remy laughed.

Harper clicked her tongue. "Fine. But you know I'm right. Just try to enjoy yourself, because Blade will be fine."

"Yeah," Remy said, but she didn't seem to fully believe it.

"Hey, who's up for a cannon ball contest off the pier while waiting for Blade to come back?" I suggested, wanting to distract Remy from her worry.

"Last one there has to cut the watermelon!" Harper shouted, already taking off.

"No fair!" I shouted, sprinting after her. I was faster than her, but just barely, so it was hard to catch up to Harper. I only reached her when we reached the pier. I swept her into my arms, lifting her into the air as she flailed her legs. I kept running until we reached the edge of the pier, and then I jumped off the edge with no hesitation, Harper screaming until we reached the water.