A/N: Hi y'all! So, so, so sorry about the long wait and how this story has taken over a year to finish... Here's the next chapter and it's a bit longer so I really hope you guys will enjoy it. This will be the last chapter although I will write an epilogue for the end which I will start writing right away but I cannot promise it'll be published soon (nor if it will be long/short). Anyway, hope you enjoyed this story and hopefully you'll not be too mad at me for the wait. Have a great day/night! Until next time, xxxx
Kate woke up feeling an arm wrapped around her waist and she couldn't help but snuggle a bit closer to the man behind her, who immediately hugged her closer too. She smiled, but was confused when he suddenly let go of her with a string of sorrys.
"Huh?" She turned around to see him look at her with a wary expression. "What's wrong?"
"How are your wounds?" he asked and she sighed with a chuckle.
She scooted a bit closer and ran her teeth over her lip to bring his eyes there. It worked immediately and she could see the second he realized the broken lip wasn't so broken anymore. In fact it was completely healed. And so were the other wounds he'd cared for the night before, only he couldn't see them since he'd bandaged them.
"Are the other ones gone too?" he asked and she bit her lip.
She lifted her shirt enough to reveal the bandage, she made quick work to take it off to show him the healed skin underneath. His fingers reached out to skim her skin and she couldn't help the small gasp from leaving her mouth as his fingers sent tingles into her body.
"Does it hurt?" he asked and she shook her head.
"It just… tingles," she admitted which made him smirk before he started tracing patterns on her belly.
"So, how does this feel?" he asked and she chuckled.
"It feels amazing but…" she took his hand and moved it onto her back as she leaned closer to him, letting her nose bump his. "I would enjoy the touch of your lips more," she said in a sultry tone which she could see had an immediate effect on him.
He chased her lips and kissed her the way that made her absolutely melt. And of course she kissed him back with just as much passion as he did. If this was how she would be able to spend her every morning her life would feel much more fun than it had before. His fingers tickled her skin on her back making her shiver. When she heard footsteps she slowed down the kiss, slightly pulling away to listen more carefully.
"Your daughter's up," she whispered before she pecked his lips. "We should get up."
"Yeah, we should," Rick agreed before reaching out to peck her lips one more time. "What should we do today?"
She thought about it then decided on the most pressing matter first. "We should prepare you for the first change."
His immediate excitement shone on his face and she couldn't help but smile too.
"First we need to get up though," she reminded him.
It took about one minute for him to be up, out of bed and dressed before looking at her with wide eyes, as if he couldn't believe his own speed. Which made her laugh. It would be so much fun exploring all his new abilities together. Especially since she herself has almost always had them. She herself took a few minutes getting out of bed and she didn't hesitate to walk up to him and kiss that shock out of him. Before he could grab her and pull her closer she's out of the way and already through the door to walk through his office into the living area. Where she's met with curious blue eyes from a certain redhead.
"Morning, detective Beckett," Alexis greeted with a smile teasing at her lips.
"Please, call me Kate," Kate pleaded with a shy smile on hers.
"You want some coffee?" the girl asked and Kate felt her heart warm.
"Yes, thank you," she said and then accepted the coffee that was presented to her.
"So, you and dad finally got together huh?"
Kate took a sip from the coffee before biting her inner cheek and looking at the girl. "Yeah," she said low in an exhale.
In just that second the man in question came out of his office and looked very pleased and high on life. Kate rolled her eyes, he'd heard it all of course, wolf-hearing, and she had a feeling he was going to be smug about it later.
"Morning dad," Alexis said, pouring another coffee for her father.
"Morning pumpkin, and thank you," he said after accepting the mug.
They're quiet for a few minutes as they began to sip their coffees, all the while Kate could feel the girl's eyes observing her. She pretended she didn't notice but of course she did, all thanks to her wolf-senses. She could hear the second the girl opened her mouth to voice her thoughts.
"Didn't you have a black-eye yesterday?"
Rick almost spat out some of the coffee at the shock she could feel radiating from his body and she took another sip of her coffee before turning to his daughter.
"I did, yeah, I tried to cover it the best I could," she said with eased practice.
"Oh, how's your wounds?" she asked, genuine concern in her blue eyes.
Kate smiles at the young girl. "Healing, I think I was mostly in shock yesterday and tired. Thanks for caring."
"No problem," Alexis said with a smile adoring her lips.
"So, what do you girls want for breakfast?" Rick asked and Kate smiled at the way he's looking between the two of them, as if a dream is coming true.
If she was honest with herself it was kind of a dream coming true for her too.
"I would love some waffles," Alexis smiled a sweet smile and Kate couldn't help but think about all the times she'd used that smile on her parents to get what she wanted.
She almost couldn't stop the chuckle from roaming up her throat, almost. She did manage to stop it and she just watched as the girl's father nodded, immediately agreeing and turning to her to ask if she wanted some waffles as well. Kate agreed, waffles did sound nice after the night she'd had.
Kate tried her best not to get too close to the girl as they helped setting the table and adding some fruits, whipped cream and jam to the table. She had a small fear the girl would try to look for the black eye under the non-existent makeup, and she couldn't let the girl find out. At least not yet. They needed Rick to go through the change first and get used to the whole idea so that when the time came, when he wanted to tell his daughter all about it, he would be able to answer all of her questions. At least that's what Kate figured he would want to do, she couldn't possibly expect him to keep his wolf a secret from his own daughter, not when there would be a possibility the two of them had kids and their kid might turn or show heightened senses when the big sister would be there to watch them, Gosh, she's already thinking of a family of theirs.
Once their breakfast was gone and they felt satisfied with the food Alexis told them she would go up to her room and study some, and while she did that Rick and Kate excused themselves to his office. Rick immediately went to his desk to open a drawer and pull out one of his notebooks, which she recognized as the one she'd accidentally seen all of his research about werewolves, back when she hadn't told him everything yet.
"So, what are the plans?" he asked as he sat down on the couch and patted the space next to him.
She bit her lip and sat down as well. "Well, I'm thinking we should go to the cabin, just the two of us. It's the safest place I know." He nodded and then looked at her, showing her exactly how nervous he was starting to become. "Don't worry, Rick. It's…" she sighed while trying to find the right words. "It feels weird, and at the same time as it feels unnatural it feels completely right. Your bones will change and in one way it feels like they're breaking but at the same time it doesn't hurt even though the first thought might be pain."
He stayed quiet for a few minutes, processing the things she just told him. "So, it won't hurt? At all? Because it kind of sounded like it hurt when you changed."
She thought about it for a second and then gave off a frustrated sigh. "I can't… I don't know for sure. It never hurt me, not even that first time, but then again I was born with it. I don't know if it'll be different for you, I'm not really sure if there is a difference between someone who's born into it and someone who's bitten. To be truthful I was hoping this wouldn't happen."
He nodded as she could see him remembering the conversation they'd had in the woods. "You didn't want me to choose between Alexis and you."
She shook her head. But it hadn't been his choice, neither had it been hers. Which was why she'd changed her mind about not telling Alexis. He almost had to tell her now, of course it was up to him but she could just see the disaster in her mind when, if, they got kids of their own and they ended up wolves. Now that they were both wolves it was a higher possibility that kids from them would become wolves too.
"Anything else I should know?" he questioned and she thought about it, was there something else her dad had told her before her first change?
"Once you decide to change and begin the change it's best to go through with it and not stop midway through, learned that the hard way one time just to try it out. It's not that it hurts but it takes a toll on the body once you're human again," she told him.
He gave her a questioning look as he asked, "How come?"
"It feels like extreme exercise pain and I could barely walk for a whole day after."
For another hour or two, she wasn't sure, they kept on discussing and planning the big day. They even decided on a date when she'd be off work and he could go away for a few days without having to explain too much to his daughter or mother other than wanting to spend time with his partner. They also decided to be honest with his family saying they were now together for real. They did agree on not telling them about the wolf-life yet, but she did tell him she really thought he should once the timing was right. He'd asked her why but she hadn't mentioned her family thoughts since she wasn't even sure he wanted more kids, nor knowing if she wanted any either.
"So, how do I…?" Rick asked as they saw the cabin come into view from the car.
Kate took a deep breath as she drove the last bit before parking the car. "Do you remember the way you felt when I had to calm you down in order for you not to turn?"
"Well, yeah, but I'm not sure I can get that angry again without…"
"You don't need to," she quickly cut him off. "Only remember how your back wanted you to lean forward and focus on that feeling." He looked terrified when she glanced at him and she shook her head with a small reassuring smile on her face. "Don't worry Castle, I'll help you. I'm here every step of the way," she promised.
"Okay," he said and she leaned closer to him, placed a peck on his cheek before she went to get out of the car.
She heard him follow her and she turned around to reach out for his hands as she walked backwards towards the door. To her delight he made a little skip-jump to get closer to her and before she knew it he had her back against the door with his lips on hers. She couldn't stop the chuckle from rumbling up her throat as she kissed him back, she could both feel and sense the nerves coming off his body and she wondered if that was why he'd chosen to kiss her. To try and calm himself, she figured. She felt her insides melt as his fingers slipped inside the hem of her shirt and touched her skin.
"Rick," she chuckled against his lips, kissed him again before she was slipping away a bit. "I know you're nervous, but everything will go great. Just wait until you feel the wind in your fur, the earth beneath your paws… it's amazing," she told him, kissing him again and she felt him take a deep breath.
"I'm just… afraid," he admitted and she stroked his cheek with her thumb.
"I know, and that's perfectly fine." She kissed his cheek before she looked into his eyes, trying to show just how calm and sure she was about their weekend away.
After she could see he found calmness from her eyes she opened the door behind her and let him inside. They packed up their things they'd brought before they had a small snack, Kate had warned him before that if he turned into a wolf on an empty stomach and there was a squirrel or something nearby it could result in him trying to hunt the animal for food. Not that he wouldn't have any control when he was in his wolf but she just meant the first time he changed could be such an overwhelming feeling that all senses could be extra strong.
"You ready?" she asked him when they started their walk out into the woods.
"Not really," he admitted and when her hand found his she hugged it carefully.
"I'm sorry," she said and felt his hand pull her side closer to his before his lips reached her forehead.
"Don't be, not your fault."
"Kind of is, I could've left you out of this," she argued lightly.
He chuckled and she pushed away slightly in order to look at him.
"As if you would've been able to push me away. Especially considering we are soulmates," he explained with a smirk on his lips. She could still feel his nerves though.
She shook her head. "You're right."
He stopped in his tracks and she looked at him to see feigned shock. "What did you just say?"
Kate chuckled and gave him a look. "Nice try, I only say it once."
A few more steps into the woods and she turns to stop him. "This is it, this is where I changed for the first time."
He looked around them and smiled. "How'd you know?"
"You see those claw marks there?" she asked, pointing at one of the trees and he nodded. "I was kind of a wild child, and turning into a wolf only amplified that wild child phase."
She could sense the way he enjoyed getting another glimpse of her life before him, how much he appreciated her telling him, and it gave her a piece of excitement knowing he knew more about her now.
"So…" he said, getting a serious look on his face as he went to stand in the middle of the small meadow. "Do you really think I'm ready?"
Kate smiled carefully at him, let her two hands land on his hips as she stood in front of him. "I do believe so. We've talked about everything I can think of, plus I can't wait to see your wolf." His lips turned up into a smile mirroring hers as she could see he was excited too.
"Okay, then," he breathed out before taking a deep breath and nodding for her to give him some space.
She moved away a bit and sat down in order to keep herself calm, he needed to do this on his own and she needed to show him she was completely calm about that. He started removing his shirt and she bit her lip, realizing it would probably make it a whole lot harder on him if he heard and sensed the way she felt when he took off his clothes and so she turned around to give him privacy. She took quiet deep breaths and tried to not think about the fact that her soulmate was undressing behind her. The only reason he was was due to the fact that he'd destroy his clothes if he didn't.
Listening she could hear his body start the change, could hear the bones in his body crack as they rearranged themselves to become the wolf he now was. She didn't turn around though, didn't want him to get nervous, because she knew exactly how it felt changing back mid-changing and there was no way she'd be the reason he felt like stopping the change. She'd warned him about it and also told him about that one time she did it herself. There had been a headache and soreness in her whole body for a week after it happened. Her father had at first been worried about her but when he'd found out she'd made the decision herself to stop mid-change to see what the hell he'd been warning her about he'd just shaken his head and said "I told you so". Her mom on the other hand had teased her about it for forever after that, saying that's what one got if one didn't listen to her parents.
The feel of a wet nose against her neck had her turning around quicker than ever before. In front of her was a big brown wolf looking at her with those ocean blue eyes she knew and loved. The wolf yelped and her lips burst into a big smile before she hugged her soulmate.
"You okay?" she asked when she pulled back to look at him again.
He nodded and she let her fingers move through his fur, caressing his neck and soon enough she was also touching those pointy ears of his. When he suddenly stretched out his tongue and licked her in her face she couldn't stop the gasp and laugh when he pulled away and bent down with the front part of his body. She shook her head laughing as she realized he was still indeed just a nine year old on a sugar rush.
"Okay, okay. I'm in," she said, standing up and starting to undress herself as well.
Didn't take long before she was in her wolf-form as well, her nose notching his.
Close your eyes. She saw him flinch at the notion and he looked at her with wide eyes.
We can talk?
She chuckled. Not really talk, but we can communicate.
Cool! He started jumping up and down until she barked for him to pay attention. Sorry.
Close your eyes, I wanna show you something.
He gave her a confused look. How can you show me if…
Just do it.
Immediately he listened and shut his eyes.
Now, listen.
She kept quiet then, let him take in the sounds of the woods as she herself took it all in. When she could see he was truly listening to everything around him she decided to speak quietly with him.
As a wolf you can see with every sense of your body. Hearing, smell, even the touch of your paw against the ground. She told him everything she wanted to tell him but had known he wouldn't understand until he was in his wolf-form. So even though you use your eyes to see you can easily see more when you open up to your other senses as well. She sharpened her own hearing, listening for something to use as an example, and easily found what she was searching for. Like the squirrel by the river close by, you can see how it moves through your hearing.
This. Is. Incredible. She heard him and she smiled at the obvious awe in his body.
Slowly he opened his eyes again and looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time, which immediately sent her heart beating harder than it ever had before. She had a feeling this weekend would be the start of something great.
