He doesn't come for a long while after he had left her like this, and the comforting words from Cisco and Felicity (and the death threats from Oliver) do nothing to comfort the wolf clawing inside her. She can sense the affects of him not being there. The singlet he had accidentally left behind - the very one she would cling to as she slept - was losing his scent and she needs him. Needs to hold him and touch him and be near him and know he was safe.
She was haunted at night with visions, Barry injured and alone, calling out her name, desperately needing her help as a dark shadow approaches him. And she would run, she would scream, every single damn time she would throw herself at him, the need to protect him an itch under her skin that she could never satisfy. Because every time she screamed he could never hear her, every time she reached for him she would fade through. Every time she tried to drag her eyes away from his shivering body attacked by the creature cloaked in darkness she failed. And she watched him die every night.
It was taking a physical toll, bags under her eyes, skin breaking out, the wolf rising to the surface so easily, barking at everyone who would dare look at her wrong.
Her friends were walking on eggshells around her and it made everything all the more worse. She was anxious and worried and angry and she didn't know how to stop it. All she knew is that she needed him desperately and she didn't know how to deal with the feeling.
Wells had seen enough, the man snapping, sending her off for some menial task in the centre of the woods. She knows it is just to separate her from everyone else- she was ready to bite their heads off and she was itching for an excuse. The words were brisk, his eyes hard as he tells her to get some herbs, the wolf and human inside her ducking their head in shame at the silent chastisement of her alpha.
Dragging her feet she does what he asks, movement sluggish, mind sidetracked.
Caitlin distracts herself easily, fantasies playing in her mind. Somewhere in her head she thinks she should be ashamed; she had met him only twice. But then there are memories of Barry's arms wrapping around her, his face buried in her neck, his scent invading her nostrils, sinking into her skin, marking her as his and she doesn't feel embarrassment, only need.
If she sniffs hard enough she could almost smell the earthy scent that hangs off him -
But then she can smell him.
She doesn't remember moving, doesn't recall anything from the time her nose scents her mate. She suddenly finds herself running to him, her legs around his waist and her arms wrapping around his chest. And she could breathe easy now, now she had him against her, warm and alive.
"I missed you." She wants to curse herself, the quiver in her voice betraying how much she needed him. But the look in his eyes was enough to steal her breath, to steal her heart.
"Oh gosh Caitlin," and he buries his head in the crook of her neck, breathing deeply, a content rumble leaving him as he touches her, sees her, smells her, hears her heartbeat racing. His senses are in overdrive and all he wants is to taste her too, to memorise the taste of her skin. "I've been going crazy without you," he whispers, looking up, her face the only thing he could see.
She rests her forehead on his own, breathing deeply, enjoying the small moment of perfection they were granted. She focusses on his face, her fingers drawing shapeless patterns on him, enjoying the feeling of him under her palm.
"What happened to you?"
"The same thing that happened to you." It comes out gruff, but his face is soft, eyes tracing the outline of her face, soaking in the beautiful sight before him.
And she understands.
"Do you leave tomorrow?" She sounds strong, so strong when she feels like she is breaking inside. She couldn't lose him already, not after just getting him. Her wolf growls at the thought of it and she's sure that if he responds in the affirmative she wouldn't be able to resist the urge to follow him to the ends of the earth to be by his side.
Her heart is in her throat, and she can feel her chest tightening.
"Wells complained that it was impossible to get any proper negotiations if I leave the very next day." He smiles at her, dimples and all, and she's so happy, so relieved that he wouldn't be leaving so soon that she feels sick. "I agreed to stay for a week so that they can go more smoothly."
She beams at him and he knows it was the perfect response.
"Don't wait so long next time," and when he locks eyes with her, neither of them can look away. They can hear the pounding of her heart loud in her chest, racing at the thought of such a separation so soon after they met each other.
"Never."
Her gaze drops to his lips as he speaks the words licking her lips as she leans forward, stopping just before his mouth, a teasing smile on her mouth as he whines in annoyance. She meets his eyes and bend down further, his eyes a green fire burning her through.
"You can kiss me," she laughs quietly, her nose running down the slope of his, eyes sparkling as she watched him. He dimples at her, smile bright and little crinkles around his eyes and she swears her heartbeat stops at the sight of something so beautiful.
"I know." It is a soft whisper, his hand still holding her waist, thumb sliding underneath her top to rub circles against her skin. And she feels as though she were soaring amongst the birds, her heart swelling with happiness. "I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself sometimes. You just smell so good, and you taste amazing and -" he breaks off, embarrassed at his apparent lack of control, his head dropping as his body stirs at the thought of it.
"Hey, hey, hey." And she is there, tilting his head back up, pools of concern swirling in her gaze, "it's okay, I trust you."
And so he kisses her, he kisses her until her lips are swollen and red, until he could barely support his own weight let alone both of them. He lowers her to the ground and continues to kiss her, kissing her mouth and cheeks and neck and palms and wrists and everything and anything he could reach.
He listens keenly to everything, the sound of her heartbeat, the giggles as his affection tickles, moans as it does more.
Barry knows he needs to stop, somewhere deep, deep down he knows that he should stop. But he doesn't. He spends his time getting to know her reactions, her weaknesses. (It's him, he doesn't know it but she does. He is her weakness and damn, it was too fast, too soon. She knows that when she's alone she'll freak out, but now she is just going to enjoy every moment she has.)
He eventually does stop, a satisfied smile on his face as he takes Caitlin in. He pulls her near, unable the resist the urge to pepper kisses across her neck as she sighs content and leans back against him.
"I'm starting to think you're just using me for my body," she jokes.
"It's because I am," he replies easily, a casual wink thrown her way. But even as he does that his hands are brushing stray curls from her face, movements so gentle and kind she finds her chest squeezing in response.
They stay curled up together for a little longer, her back pressed against his chest, his hands winding across her hips, up her stomach, hand held against her heart. They stay until the sun sets under the horizon, until the moon rises, basking them in its low light, until they couldn't stay awake any longer.
And then Caitlin takes them home.
She jolts awake a few hours later, warmth blooming inside her, a happiness she doesn't understand. She rolls over sleepily, bleary eyes facing an awake Barry, a small grin on his face as he watches her sleep.
"Go back to sleep," she murmurs, eyelids already fluttering closed. "And why are you so happy? My bed hair is always terrible." She is falling back asleep when she jumps at the bolt of surprise down her spine. She meets his gaze again, his eyebrows furrowed as he struggles to accept the truth.
"Did - did you just -"
"Yes," she finishes, voice shaky as she realises just what happened. She was able to feel his emotions. They were starting to bond.
"Hey, hey, hey" he starts, cradling her face, bringing his closer to her, echoing her words from earlier. "This is fine, we'll be alright." He can feel her panic, she realises, he can feel it and he doesn't know what to do. But what he is doing is enough, his scent calming her slightly, his words and voice soothing her. She relaxes slowly, and she sees the tension leave him as well. "You okay?" he asks, worry in his gaze, a fearfulness that he would scare her away.
She nods in reply, curling up to his side, determined to sleep for a few more hours. She listens to the sound of his heartbeat, the steady pounding hypnotising, and the last thing she recalls is the feeling of soft lips on the top of her forehead. And then she is asleep.
It takes them a complete twenty four hours before they feel like they could separate from each other for any length of time. They stumble into Wells the next afternoon, cheeks red and movements awkward as he levels them a stare before walking away without a word.
They look at each other and blush. But they still linger, Barry reluctant to follow Wells to his office.
But he has to go. She has to go.
He has a meeting. She has a job and patients.
Barry pecks her cheek before walking into the room before him, missing the hand that she lifts to her face, fingers skimming the still-burning skin where his lips brushed against moments before. It steals her breath, small things like that. A small act of intimacy that has her craving more of it, of him. Her eyes follow him in the room and remain for a tad longer. She only manages to pull herself away from the door when she feels the push of her alpha, Wells staring at her with an amused expression.
Ducking her head in embarrassment at being caught she finally leaves, walking briskly across the building to the small hospital they have on pack land. She shakes her head, laughing to herself as she replays the last few hours. And it surprises her how happy she is with him nearby, how calm and safe she feels knowing that she would only have to run across the area to see his face, only have to sniff the air to catch his scent.
She stumbles into the hospital a few minutes late and the smile still lingering. No one mentions her tardiness nor the grin, but she sees them reciprocate it when they catch her doing so. It makes her feel lighter than before, a spark of energy on a rather mundane day. She gets her schedule and walks into the first room, a small pup struggling with the growing pains of her upcoming first shift.
Caitlin greets her with a smile, radiating a calm energy that has the pup relaxing within seconds.
It is going to be a wonderful day, she just knows it.
The meeting finishes relatively quickly, ends with Harrison removing his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose, ends with Barry desperate to hold Caitlin once more.
It was never going to be easy, they both knew it. But it was necessary for the protection of both their packs.
Still, it left Barry with a hole inside him, desperate and eager to have his mate in his arms, to have his nerves soothed by her touch and presence.
He sniffs the air, discreetly, trying to locate his mate, wondering if she has had her lunch, eager to take her out and spoil her.
"She's in the hospital." Harrison's voice snaps his concentration, Barry's ears burning as he realises that the alpha had noticed what he was trying to do. "Out the door and across the courtyard. You can't miss it." The older man hadn't even looked up at the young werewolf, his head resting on his palms, eyes scanning the paper before him, the creases on his forehead indicating just how seriously he was taking this treaty.
Barry contemplates not actually going for a split second, the alliance something he did need to take seriously. But the older alpha only has to give him a pointed stare before Barry leaves him alone, searching for his mate.
He finds her easily, her scent potent and alluring, pulling him near effortlessly. He finds himself at the door of the small hospital clinic, leaning on the door frame as he drinks her in. She is bending over a patient, treating a wound that some hunters had caused while they were wandering through the area. He sees the delicacy she treats the flesh wound, sees her mouth move slightly, hears the soothing words she whispers as she treats the scared young teenage wolf, likely a few moons a few their first shift, unable to curb the urge to shift, still honing in on their sense to hear and evade others nearby.
Barry doesn't know how long he remains there, watching her, and he finds himself not caring. Just watching her made him feel content. He senses a shift, feels another person brush against, but not past him. One look to his right shows another man with shaggy hair and a slurpie in his hands, mirroring his posture, also watching Caitlin, a few sneaky glances thrown in Barry's direction when he thought Barry wasn't paying attention.
"You know Caitlin?" Barry startles a little as the other wolf addresses him, a long slurp from his drink after the question causing Barry to grit his teeth. But it's more than that. His scent is teasing Barry, familiar and yet so new. He struggles to control his wolf, so desperate to growl and bare his teeth at the new stranger.
If the other wolf can sense his inner turmoil he doesn't voice any concerns, turning back to Caitlin and smiling widely at her antics.
"Yeah," Barry responds after a while. He casts a sidelong glance at the guy beside him. "Why?"
"No reason," the other wolf shrugs, not looking away. "I just haven't seen you around here, that's all. Dunno how you would have met her."
Barry doesn't comment, his wolf tense and aggressive, itching for a showdown. He turns his attentions to Caitlin who had moved on to another patient resting on the hospital beds, blood samples being taken as she tries to cure their illness.
"She's amazing." Barry doesn't hide the affection, doesn't think he would need to. But the wolf beside him stiffens at the words, eyes hard as he turns to Barry.
"I don't think I introduced myself: Cisco Ramon, resident beta and best-friend of the woman you're staring at. So I wouldn't try anything with her unless you want to deal with everyone here."
And he remembers where he had first smelt it. All over her house and on the spare bed.
"She's my mate."
Barry may be a little possessive when he states that.
He turns to stare at Caitlin once more. Caitlin was good, Caitlin was nice. The mere sight of her was enough to calm him slightly.
"Your mate?" He hears the incredulity in the voice of the man beside him, but he ignores it. He just watches her move like a swan, so fluid and graceful, a small smile on her face, voice gentle and soft as she treats them. She looks up in that instant, eyes meeting his own, a deep red filling her expression. She sucks her lips into her mouth, but it is unable to hide the smile, eyes lighting up at the sight of him. Barry smiles and nods, the world slowing down and fading away in that small moment, the only other person in the world his Caitlin and he loves it, his chest bursting with a feeling he can't describe. "Holy crap!"
And suddenly the moment breaks and the world is as it was before.
Barry turns to the guy next to him, takes in the jaw slacken expression and wide, unblinking eyes.
"She never mentioned me?" There is hurt in his voice, in his eyes, in his posture, slouching at the the thought of her not caring enough to tell anyone about their meeting.
"No, she had." He perks up at that. "Told us all about a mate that was almost an alpha in another pack, how he was going to take her away when he had Alpha Wells had finished the treaty they were working on." Cisco's eyes narrow as he continues, glaring at his friend's mate. "I had to live with the effects of the separation for the past months, her mood swings and depression. I had to remind her to eat when they never bothered calling. Because a phone does exist. And it goes a long way in helping a mate out."
He sighs, shoulders slumping. He had never gotten her number - he had intended to, but his leaving was so abrupt and rushed it had slipped his mind.
He didn't remember until that night as he curled up in his bed, a longing to hear her voice washing over him. He had reached for his mobile before belatedly realising he had no number. Not her's, not Wells'. No one's.
It drove Barry absolutely mad, but he couldn't go back, not after he had just returned. Alpha Singh was giving him more responsibilities, a watchful eye on his every move. He would be alpha soon and he couldn't slip up, couldn't make it seem as though the pack were anything less than his top priority. He could feel himself withering away, missing her more and more until she was the only thing he could think of. Alpha Singh had sent him away with a roll of his eyes, scoffing at his protege, almost forcing him to return to his mate. His partner had leaned over once Singh had walked away, telling him of how fond Singh was of him, how his bark was worse than his bite.
And so armed with a treaty and a need for his mate Barry had come.
But clearly not soon enough.
Wells had joined her at that point, taken her aside so that they could discuss urgent pack business without others listening in.
"Cait and Doctor Wells are like the mum and dad of the family -" Cisco stops and steals Barry's attention away from his mate. "I don't know what any of us would do without one of them to turn to." They both turn to the woman in question, distracted by the sight of her smiling, bouncing on the balls of her heels as she listens to whatever Wells was saying. "Don't take her away from us just yet." Cisco sounds so small that Barry has to take a second to process.
"I won't," he promises, "not just yet."
But the words he doesn't say ring loudly in their ears.
Not just yet - but eventually.
He is around more and more, her mate. Sometimes talking to Wells, but more often than not, with her and her family. He wins Cisco over immediately, the two of them more like brothers than friends, Felicity and Oliver following not long after (though the latter was much more reluctant than accepting her mate than anyone else.)
He doesn't win Hartley over at all.
Caitlin considers it a point in Barry's favour.
It takes her some time to catch on the the frequency of his visits and the lack of time he spends them with Wells, so distracted by their dates with each other, soaking in everything that she can in the few moments she is allowed.
"Are you attempting to court me?" She almost wants to laugh at his attempt, the shy grin on his face so adorable she finds herself swooning instead. But then something hits her. "There are no negotiations taking place between your pack and mine."
He shakes his head, eyes flickering away at her scrutinising gaze. "There was, but we finished it a long time ago."
"But then why didn't you bring me to your pack. I agreed to go." She sounds so lost he finds himself taking a step forward, sliding his hands in hers. He looks at their joined palms, his thumb running over her knuckles.
"I figured that you wouldn't like being forced into this, and you hold such a high spot in your pack... I wanted to ease you into me, into us being mates. So I figured that maybe I should leave it up to you - when you want to come with me, you can come. But I'm not going to drag you with me."
(And really, with him there, speaking those words in earnest, how does anyone expect her to not throw her arms around his neck and pull his lips against hers?)
It isn't always perfect between them, the fierce nature of both often combining in an explosion, Caitlin shutting him out, frustrating him further. There is a silent promise that he would never leave without them resolving an argument, and he keeps it, the pair of them struggling through the fires of every relationship, coming out stronger for it.
But it doesn't stop them from happening, especially in front of their friends.
"I haven't seen her that angry since Ronnie," Cisco comments with eyebrows raised, before slurping from his drink. He watches Barry run his fingers through his hair, pacing as he refuses to look at the door Caitlin stormed out of, as though it would allow him the upper hand in the fight.
"Ronnie?" Barry questions, flashes of his first time at her house coming to mind, the man who was so close to her. He stills, gaze focussing on Cisco's body, its intensity unnerving the man.
"Oooh," Cisco winces. "She hasn't mentioned him?" Barry can tell the other werewolf feels awkward, shuffling in his spot, bouncing with a nervous energy.
"No." It is short, the anger still simmering away inside him taking a dangerous shift, jealousy rearing its head, his wolf fully embracing it, snarling at him about this competitor.
"Well, it's not my place to say..." And in an instant the man runs out of the room, determined to avoid any further interrogation.
Barry receives a message from Cisco minutes later: ask Caitlin.
And Barry wants to. He just fears the answer.
("Who's Ronnie?" he finally asks when the anger leaves them both, the pair curled up on her bed, smiling as they lie there spent, muscles sore in the nicest of ways.
She stiffens beside him.
"Someone who used to make me very happy."
He doesn't prod any further.)
She knows as soon as she tells Barry that he didn't need to travel over that week it was a bad decision. But he seemed so stressed in their call, an increase in rogue attacks that she couldn't steal him away, even if he was offering. She shakes her head to herself, an endearing smile on her face as she whispers that she will be okay and that he has a pack to help take care of. He would be alpha shortly and he could never place his mate over his pack. Never.
He grumbles and sighs, relenting to her arguments, promises of returning soon on his tongue. They talk well into the morning, Barry's husky voice thick with sleep bringing a drowsy smile to her face. She loves moments like this, times where she can listen to him speak about something so passionately. Caitlin can almost see the emerald of his eyes shining, his mouth almost tripping over the words as he rushes to get them out. She can hear the tiredness in his tone, the way his words start to drawl but never lose their vigour. It's times like these that she misses him the most, times like this very moment she wishes he were there beside her, his mouth near her ear as he murmurs everything to her, his fingers rubbing soothing circles against the small of her spine, lulling her into sleep, his body curled around her own.
Caitlin wakes up late that day, stretching and grinning to herself as she thinks about hours before. And apparently more hours than she anticipated. A warmth floods her inside at the memory of them talking hours upon hours, the reality of time and sleep a distant dream, forgotten at the thought of strengthening their bond.
She wants to call him, to hold him, to have the world stop turning for just a moment so all she needs to think of, to focus on, is him.
But that can only remain a dream. She has a life and he has his own. She couldn't stop his just for one selfish moment of happiness, not with the rogues coming closer to his pack's land.
She sighs, feeling alone in the moment. It is her day off and Cisco was tinkering away in the mechanics lab, too engrossed in his work to spare a few hours for lunch. After a few moments she decides to take a walk through the woods. Her wolf was itching under her skin; she was a werewolf, a love of nature stained her DNA, a need to be immersed in it branded across her skin. She slides her clothes off, folding them neatly before hiding it under a bush.
Caitlin shifts effortlessly, her claws raking the soil underneath her paws, panting happily as she feels her connection to the earth strengthen.
She runs. Runs across the woodland area her pack own. Runs to the streams that run across it, runs through the clearings, chases the foxes that lived in the area. The crack of thunder above her excites her, worries her. She knows she should be cautious, lightning was a danger in more ways than one. But she didn't want to turn around, to head home and curl up in her bed, longing for the smell of the wet earth and chill of the cold rain.
So Caitlin continues on.
She senses the shift in the atmosphere, something unsettling sinking into her chest. Her heartbeat picks up, gaze darting everywhere, seeking out what had put her on edge. She is tense, body wired for a confrontation she shouldn't be expecting.
The rain streams down, wetting her fur, the white darkening. She is dirty and muddy and she doesn't feel safe. She can feel her emotions rising, but she quashes them, focussing on survival.
The rain is pelting now, the sting of the water droplets against the trunk of her body doing nothing to numb the fear growing inside her. Something was wrong, so so terribly wrong. Caitlin looks around, searching for ghosts and monsters, eyes seeing figures in the darkness, shadows of her nightmares coming to life around her.
All she hears is rain and heartbeats, too many heartbeats, so fast, too fast. Her head swings around, the lightning and falling branches the least of her problems.
Hunters.
A shriek of agony tears from her lungs as she is shot.
The bullet slices into her skin like a hot knife through butter, the silver burning her insides, corroding her skin away. She falls, the pain too much to bear at once, the darkness of oblivion calling her name.
Caitlin struggles to stay awake; she knows that the hunters are nearby, that they would want her alive. She shudders at the thought - nothing good would come from staying alive.
She feels a flare of panic inside- she knows it's not her, she accepted her fate.
But there is a flash of a face in her mind, bright eyes and dark hair, lean frame and warm smile.
Barry, her wolf stutters, struggling to focus on anything. Mate. Live for mate. Live.
She drags herself away from camp, blood dripping from the wound on her side. She prays that the rain will wash away her scent, the dogs with the hunters a soft buzz, too far away now, but they would track her down. And she couldn't let them find the others.
And with the last of her energy she pulls at the connection between her and Wells, screams across the line that is dying along with her.
Hunters, she manages. Shot.
She feels his alarm, but she ignores it, steeling herself from the panic of both alphas. She doesn't glimpse the past as her life leaves her, she witnesses the future. Witnesses Alpha Wells and Cisco at her funeral, witnesses the destruction and mayhem that it leaves the pack in.
Witnesses the utter devastation of Barry. Her Barry.
Caitlin sees him withering away, pulling away from his pack, blocking out all his emotions, mourning something he never really had. Something she had denied him, had denied herself.
Please don't let me die.
And then she welcomes the darkness.
She wakes to a room of white. White walls and sheets, white doors and white bed. She doesn't recall sleeping here, dimly remembers the cave she stumbled into, the cold rain plastering her hair to her face, numbing her from the pain of the bullet.
She wakes to anger.
A soul consuming fury that leaves her breathless and seething and she doesn't have the strength for such an overpowering emotion.
Caitlin hears growling outside; a were furious and filled with rage.
"Let me go to my mate."
But it couldn't be...
"Barry?" she whispers drowsily, unbelieving that he would be there. Because he needs to be with his pack, needs to learn to lead them. He shouldn't be here with the rogue situation.
But the anger in her vanishes instantly, the head she had dreamt of popping up before her very eyes, emerald hues almost glowing in relief and happiness.
And she finds herself engulfed in his scent, in his arms, in him. She breathes deeply, a content rumble in her chest even as she winces in pain.
"Caitlin, oh luna Caitlin, I thought I had lost you, I can't lose you, don't you ever do that again." It's a litany of words she can only just decipher, leaving him so fast and passionately. Caitlin relaxes in his arms, eyes fluttering shut as she breathes him in, letting his joy settle her, feelings of calm and safety washing over her.
She looks over his shoulder, Alpha Wells and Cisco hovering at the door, conflicted. She jerks her head to the side, the pair of them approaching the side of her bed as her mate snuggles close.
Caitlin knows she should pull away from Barry's embrace but she couldn't do that to either of them, not with his arm curled around her body, the man and the wolf both in agreement to never let her go. Ever.
"Hey," she starts hesitantly.
"Snow," Wells responds, his head bowing in acknowledgement of her awakened state and recovery. It is only in his eyes that she can see the relief he feels at her being awake and it touches her heart.
"Caitlin I swear on the moon above, if you ever almost die again, I will kill you myself." Barry snarls beside her, canines bared at Cisco as he hears the words. But no one heeds the alpha-in-training, focussing on Caitlin and her condition, Wells already flipping through the charts hanging on the edge of her bed, scanning for anything that may have been missed.
"Cisco I'm fine." She's not.
"Don't you lie to me Caitlin," he snaps back, not missing a beat.
"Cisco, I'll be fine," she stresses, her annoyance only shallow, a teasing smile on her lips as she looks at him in exasperation. If he notices the subtle changing in her sentence he doesn't mention it, only looking at her with furrowed eyebrows for a moment longer before the worry on his face clears, a bright smile replacing it.
"Good," he nods.
Her nurse bustles in at that moment, not flinching at the sight of two alphas and a beta surrounding the newly awakened woman. She kicks them all out, a firm gaze directed at all who protest.
It is then that Caitlin receives the update on her condition. Silver bullet on her side. It took them too long to find her- she almost hadn't made it the first night. Caitlin shudders at the thought of it; she knows that silver in the blood induces hallucinations and she's thankful that those nightmares were forgotten.
But she also knows that the curiosity will get the better of her, that she and Sherry- the nurse- will go out for drinks after a long shift in the near future, knows that she will ask and her friend will buckle. But for now she knows she is blessed with sweet ignorance.
She isn't allowed to leave the ward for a fortnight, the silver in her body corroding away the skin; it takes longer to heal and she grumbles continuously about the lock down. Nurse Sherry gives her a comforting squeeze on the shoulder before leaving, Cisco's name ringing loudly through the halls, pairs of shoes echoing down the hall as two men ran towards the open door of her hospital room.
Barry curls himself around her again, his nose against her neck, the man breathing deeply as he presses his nose against her pulse point. Cisco pouts, throwing himself on the seat next to her bed, explaining that Wells had to go and do "Alpha stuff" when her gaze falls to the empty door frame for the second time in as many minutes.
Caitlin smiles softly as her oldest friend rambles on about what she had missed out on, stories that she can't help but grin at, her eyes becoming heavy as he recounts the misadventures surrounding his latest invention.
And listening to his soothing voice, feeling Barry's hand slip under her shirt, calloused finger pads rubbing small circles on her stomach, she falls asleep.
She awakens a few hours later, the moonlight pouring in through her window, Barry attempting to slowly disentangle himself from her hold.
With a whispered apology he tells her he has to leave, that he has already overstayed the time he was allowed, that he needed to go back to his pack. His heart bleeds as he sees her expression, and he fights the urge to steal her away, to take her home with him so that she'll be near. Caitlin nods far too vigourously to be genuine when he asks if she'll be okay without him, but she is tired and hurt and she needs him. But not more than his pack did.
Barry presses a soft kiss to her lips; he intends it to be quick, but he lingers, the fear of losing her clawing at his heart, the wounds still so raw. Too soon however, he is pulling away, allowing himself a moment to take her in, the small perfection he was graced with. Her hair fanned out underneath her, eyes dark - the light of the moon shining in the black pools, her lips curled up demurely, tempting him to return to her side, to kiss her and love her until she couldn't think straight.
But he has to leave and it breaks both their hearts the moment he does.
Caitlin comforts herself with the knowledge that Cisco will be here everyday, Felicity too if Cisco's tales were to be believed. Knowing Oliver he may sneak in the whole pack of them, and she goes to sleep with a smile on her face, thoughts of Laurel and Oliver sneaking through the halls in leather -black and green she decides- Felicity and Cisco working the tech and Lyla and Mr Diggle coordinating the attack.
It's a superhero movie in her head and the smile never leaves her expression, not when she dreams and most certainly not when she wakes up, the beaming faces of her closest friends - her family - looking down at her.
Barry unlocks her door with a goofy grin on his face. It is a unplanned, his visit a surprise and he couldn't wait until it was revealed. He had been gone a month, forced back to his pack only hours after Caitlin had awoken from being shot.
The calls weren't enough, hearing her voice everyday as she recounted her recovery wasn't enough.
He hadn't called last night, guilt gnawing at him as he imagines her confusion as she received a text in its place, a quick message saying he was caught up in pack meetings and couldn't spare the time. It was a lie of course, but calling would have delayed his travels and he didn't want to spend another moment outside of her company.
He wanders her house. She isn't there.
And he feels concern.
Moments tick by before he decides to find someone in the pack, the urge to tug on the bond until he found her almost overwhelming him. But he couldn't do that, not just yet. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knows that he may not like the answer he receives.
He walks about, looking for somebody, anybody, he recognises, heart lightening as he catches a glimpse of Cisco.
"Cisco!" The man turns around, his eyes widening as he saw the figure approaching.
"No. No, no, no. You cannot be here right now." And to Barry's confusion the other man starts pushing him, his hands placed on his shoulders and pushing."
"Cisco where's Caitlin?"
"I'm not hearing this, you're not here. Go!" He moves quite a considerable distance towards the exit of the pack land, too lost to put in much of an effort against the other werewolf's prodding. But it doesn't last long. Cisco groans as he feels Barry dig in his heels, his body not budging against the pushing, instead twisting so that they were face to face. He tries one more time helplessly, knowing that he couldn't do anything now.
"What's going on? Where's Caitlin?" The other man purses his lips, eyes shifting away momentarily. Hesitating.
"Cisco!" Barry growls. His eyes flash yellow.
The other man pauses before nodding slowly.
"I need to get Wells for this."
He trails behind Cisco, a shroud of silence following them, none speaking. Cisco leads him to the edge of the pack's land, far away from where they were before. In front of them towers a small building, seemingly abandoned by the pack, but Cisco walks in and Barry doesn't hesitate to do so himself.
He looks around confused; the house didn't have anyone in it, no scent or noises.
But then Cisco opens the trapdoor under the rug in the bedroom.
And everything makes sense.
It is a cover - the deteriorating house is just a cover for what is a wonderful interrogation base and what he suspects doubles as a torture chamber.
Doubles for a dungeon.
He meets Harrison at the feet of the stairs, the man leading both him and Cisco to a small room surrounded by reinforced glass, the herbs neutralising any scents in the air.
"Where is she?" he blurts out immediately, worry growing inside him, a need to see her safe growing with each passing second.
"She is safe." Barry knows he is avoiding the question, the other alpha picking up his glasses, focussing more on them than Barry.
"What happened?" he presses, his desperation bleeding into his voice, pleading for the two men beside him to tell him the truth. He looks at Harrison but he simply looks to Cisco, the other wolf fidgeting with his fingers, unable to remain silent for long.
"Her medicine had some... adverse reactions with her suppressants." The pair of them wince as the words come out of Cisco's mouth, Barry's nostrils flaring, the itch to shift, to succumb to his emotional change and save her from everyone, rising up from inside.
"What?" It is spat out, words turning into a snarl at the thought of her sick and lonely, needing him. He tugs on their bond to no avail, nothing of comfort going through.
"When I say adverse reaction, I mean eliminated the effectiveness of it entirely." Cisco's voice is high and he rushes the rest of the sentence out.
Barry pauses.
"She - are you saying she's in heat right now?" There is disbelief in his tone; he should be able to feel it, yet everything was dulled, barely a trickle of emotion making its way through. And he knew the effects a woman's heat would have on her mate, an insane desire to be near her, to be with her. To be in her. Barry can't deny he had never thought about it, her scent already delectable and mouthwatering, her beauty something that haunts him in the late hours of the night. He had most definitely thought of it, but he had never dreamt of it happening, not so soon.
"Yes Mr Allen, she is. And the serum we've given her to stop its effects won't protect you if you get any closer. So unless you want to feel the full effects of your mate undergoing heat you are going to need to stay here." The voice of Harrison snaps him out of his thoughts, the look from both werewolves enough for him to know his heartbeat could be heard loud and thunderous. He refuses to look guilty.
"But who is taking care of her? Is she in pain?" There is a barrage of questions running through his mind at that moment, and he is stumbling over his words, in such a rush to have his worries alleviated.
"We are taking full care of her," Cisco answers, his eyes compassionate as he sees his friend lost and confused and without his mate. "Nothing will happen to her on our watch." And words that were supposed to comfort him don't.
"What?!" He turns to Cisco snarling, unable to control himself. "My mate is in heat and you are near her. You're still susceptible to her, how could you possibly be okay -"
"I'm mated," he answers simply. It is a revelation that takes Barry by such surprise he doesn't notice his mouth fall open, as he stares openly at the man he thought he knew. "Well, I was mated. To a rogue. She preferred a life I couldn't provide so she left me."
"But how -" Barry doesn't know how to finish the sentence, it was well documented what happens to werewolves who have been rejected by their mates. They die. Slowly. Painfully. They simply die and he isn't sure how to navigate through this wormhole. Cisco's look softens and he saves Barry, who is gaping like a fish, struggling for words.
"You know Laurel, right?" And Barry could hear the pride in his voice as well as the sorrow. "Her mate died the same time; we both were hurting because of the loss and it's like our souls mushed together when we helped each other through the pain so now we're bonded." He smiles widely then. "Probably helps that I had the hugest crush on her."
"For real?" Barry exclaims, shock dripping from his words. "You bonded with her, that's actually possible?!"
"Oh padawan, there is so much you don't know," Cisco teases, a toothy grin remaining on his face as Barry scowls at him.
"So what's it like?" he finally asks, the silence unbearable, the need to distract himself from his mate's pain overwhelming.
"I mean, the sex is great," he blurts out immediately. Barry snorts in laughter, but Cisco remains unashamed, continuing on, smiling softly. "Like really great, but it's more than that. She makes me happy, and-" he falters slightly, the words caught in his throat, choked out eventually. "I think I make her happy too."
"I don't doubt it buddy." And they meet eyes, a moment of comfort between the two passing -
-interrupted by Harrison clearing his throat.
They both turn to him, as he sits there, eyeing them both levelly.
"You also forget that Laurel and Felicity are not affected by Caitlin's pheromones," the way Cisco's eyes light up, the bright smile stretching further, causes Wells to amend his statement, "much. They take care of her physically and when they are out we try and calm her down."
"And what can you actually?" he questions, almost pleadingly, as though they could pull a solution from a magic hat if he could just will them to.
"Well this baby," Cisco starts, pointing at a small lab set in another corner of the room, far from the desk. "It is supposed to enter the respiratory system through the air, and when the heart pumps the oxygen around, these small particles work themselves around her body, instantly neutralising the effects of her heat."
"Has any of them worked yet?" Cisco's face falls slightly.
"Well, no. But biochemistry is more Caitlin's forte then mine. Don't worry bro," he adds, seeing Barry's crestfallen expression, "I got this." The sound of a throat clearing has Cisco rolling his eyes, a pointed look in Wells' direction as he amends the statement. "We got this. She'll be fine."
It is then that her scream echoes in their little chamber, a panicked look on Barry's face as he hears the piercing sound reverberate in their small room. He watches lost as Harrison moves to the desk in the corner of the room, picking up the microphone, switching it on.
"Alpha I can't take it any longer, I need - "
"Caitlin," Barry breathes out, pulling the microphone from Harrison's grasp and into his own, praying his voice would soothe her agony, needing to do something - anything - to help alleviate the pain she was in. "I'm here, what do you need?"
"Barry?" she whines, desperation leaking into her tone. "You're here? You can't be here, I -" she interrupts her ramble with a whine, panting in the microphone, a groan loud and wanton and utterly sinful filling up the air.
He is responding to her sounds; he can't help the reaction, her moans and whimpers arousing him. He feels himself losing control and when Harrison throws him a glare he knows he must be emitting pheromones as well.
"Caitlin," Harrison barks into his microphone. "Calm down now."
And instantly there is a shift, the whimpers quieting, soft shuffling picked up by the microphone. The noises die down, but never switch off. Harrison sighs before switching off his own microphone, rubbing circles against his temple.
"What was that?" Barry whispers, shocked and afraid.
"The microphone activates if her screams reach over 120 decibels," Harrison informs slowly, carefully picking his words, "so if it is really terrible I'll know." At Barry's confused expression he adds, "I'm her alpha, she has to obey my command. It'll only last a few hours, but it should provide some relief. I can't do that continuously, but it does help."
"Let me go to her." It was out before Barry realises he was speaking, but his eyes flare in determination, jaw clenched as he turns to Harrison.
"No." It was swift, Harrison's eyes narrowing as he stares at younger alpha with his steely eyes. "That's insane."
"I'm her mate, I can calm her down."
"I don't think you fully grasp how influenced you will be if you smell her hormones. Neither of you will be in your right mind to think through anything." It is said through gritted teeth, and Barry realises just how much this is affecting her alpha, the strain starting to show.
"Then lock me up with her. Just - I just need to do something to help her. I can't pretend that everything is fine while she screams for me. It's killing me." He starts pacing around the small room, hand running through his hair as he tries to think of a way he could help. It only goes on for a minute before he stops. "You're her alpha, but I'm her mate, maybe if I'm near her and talk to her it will be better. I mean, she'd be able to smell me, hear me, sense me. That's gotta be an improvement on-" he waves his hand around the room, "-this. Please"
Harrison and Cisco share a loaded look, the moment stretching on for far too long.
But finally -
"Fine."
They take him to an adjoining room, the walls doing nothing to stop the potent smell from almost overpowering him. Cisco throws him a sympathetic look as he closes the door between him and Barry, the only other exit point other than the one that connected Barry's room to Caitlin's.
He feels his wolf rise to the surface, his mind flooded with Caitlin behind the steel door, naked and slick, chest heaving and fingers between her legs. He was stirring and quickly stripped off his pants, hand stroking himself as he thinks about her, and he feels like he's losing himself to the haze that has descended on him, full of Caitlin and her creamy skin and the way she would taste and feel.
"Barry," she screams, her voice hoarse. And he knows that she must have been calling out all day, his name on her lips as she seeks the release she so ardently desires.
"I'm here Caitlin." He is leaning against the door, desperate to be as close to her possible. He breathes in deeply, her essence flooding his nostrils, filling his lungs, seeping into his bloodstream and coursing through his body.
"Barry," she shouts, and he knows what had just happened, was dizzy from the affects of it, the scent of it.
He scratches at the door immediately, fingernails shifting into claws as he tries to scratch his way to her. He can't shift completely, the herbs they fed him before he entered already coursing through his veins. He should not have been able to shift at all, and even now he can feel its effects changing him back into his human form. His nails are bloody as they completely change into fingers and he can only howl in frustration.
They are only given a half hour of respite before Caitlin feels the need stir inside her. Her scent fills the air, awakening him, her whimpers and moans and screams for him driving him insane.
"Just listen to me Caitlin," he strains, his hand moving faster, desperate and needy and so very, very close. "Luna, you don't know how much I want to be there with you. The things I would do to you." He tightens his grip, wishing that he could be with her, that he could be touching her, ravaging her, inside of her.
"Tell me." It sounds closer than before and he can envision her dragging her mattress closer to the door connecting them, laying on it spread open, her eyes closed as she listens to his voice.
"What?" It is choked out, disbelieving her words.
"Tell me what you would do to me Barry. I'm all yours," she moans, and oh, he thinks, this is something they would need to explore later.
And so he does. In very explicit detail.
She awakes feeling empty inside, body still craving her mate. But there was no uncontrollable need, just a low thrum of desire underneath her skin. She notices that the doors are unlocked, but more than that she notices him leaning against the doorway, his hands in his pocket, his eyes firmly fixed on her.
When he sees that she is awake he approaches slowly; Cisco had said that the worst of it was now over but he could still smell it lingering in the air, invading his nostrils, sinking its way deep inside.
He hesitates.
"You feeling better?" He questions gruffly, Barry clearing his throat immediately after, his voice thick with a lust he thought he had controlled. Caitlin nods, the movement so small he wouldn't have noticed it at all if he wasn't already staring at her. "good," he murmurs to himself, "good."
The tension is stifling, and he would have bolted if not for Caitlin standing at that moment, her movements jerky and uncertain. He watches as she bites her bottom lip, watches as she wrings her fingers, gaze everywhere but on him. He watches as her brows furrow, focussing on herself before looking at him with a question in her gaze. She remembers vividly what happened earlier, and she knows she was not in this state of dress when she had fallen unconscious.
"Oh," he coughs out, clearing his throat before continuing. "Felicity came in when you were sleeping. She said something about the girl code and a deal you made before." He looks uncomfortable talking about it, but the scent of sex still clung to her skin, permeated the air.
"Yeah," she murmurs, "we made a deal when we were teenagers."
And silence returns.
"Do you, do you want me to leave?" he asks after a while, awkward now.
"No!" She exclaims, arms out as if to grab him and hold him. She is skittish, but then so is he. They are synchronised in their movements, both taking a step forward, drawn to the other.
"So yesterday..." he drifts off quietly, the tips of his ears red in embarrassment. She wants to giggle at his shyness, wants to blush herself for the way she was carrying on.
"Yeah?" she blinks demurely, lashes fluttering at the remembrance, a coquettish smile pulling at the corners of her cheeks. "What exactly do you want to talk about yesterday?" Her voice drops, an eyebrow raising in challenge, and suddenly there isn't an inch between them. Chests heave with anticipation, brushing against each other with every breath.
She captures his lips, sighing as he melts against her, his hands winding themselves around her waist, pulling her flush against him. This. This is what she had been dreaming of, feeling him against her, touching her. The thoughts of this is what had pushed her over the edge many times last night, the thought of his rough fingers touching her everywhere they hadn't before, skimming her skin, tugging and pinching.
"Did you want an encore?"she whispers throatily, her teeth nipping at his bottom lip.
"Caitlin," he growls warningly, "don't tease me."
She smiles wickedly. "Who's teasing?"
She sighs in contentment, resting her head against the stone wall behind her, his sweaty torso pressing against her deliciously as he rests his forehead against her own, his eyes closed as he tries to find the strength in him to pull away.
The feeling of his fingers tracing everywhere she had last night was incredible.
Returning the favour was just as nice.
"We should probably head back." He chuckles softly at her words before leaning on her more heavily. She purrs at the sensation of him being so much closer.
"Probably," he agrees. Neither of them move.
"Any moment now," she laughs, eyes twinkling as she takes him in, joy bubbling in her. Barry throws a crooked grin her way, stealing a kiss before pulling away, a huff of laughter leaving him as she mewls at his teasing.
"Maybe I'll just keep you here forever." And something inside twists at his words, worries that gnawed at her before returning.
"Hey Barry," she starts, eyes darting to the floor. He hums in response, prodding her to continue. But the words are caught in her throat. He notices the hesitation, her name a soft whisper on his lips as he nudges her chin up, concern shining in his gaze as he watches her. "It's nothing," she backtracks, but his expression doesn't falter. "It's just - do you prefer this arrangement? Me here with my pack and you with yours? I get it if you do -" He silences her with a kiss. It is hard and bruising and Caitlin is sure she can taste the annoyance he was feeling, spicy and red and just a little bit dangerous. It is wild and primal and he is tugging at her bottom lip hard, sweeping his tongue inside her mouth when she opens up, brutal and dominating and she feels a little lightheaded after it.
"Why would you ask me that?" He is panting, his eyes ablaze, and she feels the doubt slowly releasing its grip on her heart. "I dream about that Caitlin, I dream that one day you'll appear in front of me and that you tell me you're going to stay and -" He breaks off with a growl, unaware that his grip was tightening around her, skin sure to be marked for a few hours after. "I want you Caitlin, I will always want you. Especially when I'm over there."
"Oh," she says eventually, mind scrambling to understand this information. He can see the shock, the confusion, and it vexes him.
"Okay," he growls. "Your bedroom. Now." She throws him a questioning look and he responds with another kiss, shorter than the first but just as powerful. "I'm clearly failing my job if you're doubting, I intend to remedy that." His voice is low and gravelly, shivers down her spine at the sound, a flare of heat inside. And his nostrils flare at the smell. He picks her up and doesn't ever let go of her, struggling up the stairs, with her in his arms. He finally makes it to her house, her bedroom. She is thrown onto the mattress, bouncing on it from the impact. He stalks towards her, kicking off of his shoes, stripping off his shirt before grabbing her ankles, pulling her to the edge of the bed. Dropping to his knees.
And he shows her just how much he wants her. All evening long.
She wakes up in his arms, a low thrum of lust swirling in her stomach as she barely opens her eyes, the heat source wrapped around her pulling her closer. She smiles dopily, watching him as he sleeps, tingles erupting as his hand brushes against the exposed skin at the small of her back.
"Go to sleep Cait," he grumbles, but even as he speaks his eyes are flickering open, emerald shining, gazing at her with a smile of his own.
"Cait," she echoes slowly, a warmth blooming in her chest, the lust giving way to something more dangerous. He notices the shift, confusion on his face. "You've never called me that before."
"Oh," he stumbles. "I can stop if yo-"
"No!" she interrupts breathlessly, the idea of him stopping so indescribably terrible to her. She blushes at his eyebrows furrow, unsure why she would mention it if she didn't hate it, wondering if she was just trying to protect his feelings. "I like it. A lot. I -" she trails off and averts her gaze. Caitlin saw his face melt into understanding and she hates it, hates that she is so awkward with him when she was so free with Ronnie, hates how that heartache is still affecting this relationship. She was so used to being cold to anyone who wasn't her select group and opening up to Barry still has it challenges.
"Cait," he whispers warmly, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he pulls her against his side, chest rumbling as he hums happily at her response. The tension leaves her as he rubs circles into the small of her back, a small sigh escaping as she feels the pull of sleep. "Good night Cait," he speaks again, a smile on his lips as she falls asleep beside him.