~ Chapter Five - Part 2 ~
"How long do you need to get your things together?" Damien asked her softly.
Katalina shrugged as she looked at him. "Not long. I keep everything in boxes and whatnot to stay organized, so I don't have to pack too many things away."
Damien pressed a kiss to her temple. "Do you need any help?" He questioned as he pressed his forehead to hers.
Katalina smiled brightly. "I don't necessarily need help, but I would love it if you came with me," she whispered.
Damien chuckled and stood up with her in his arms. "Let's go then."
Katalina giggled. "You can put me down, love."
Damien groaned but set her on her feet in front of him. Katalina turned to look at Ryan and Evelyn. "We won't take long."
Evelyn laughed. "If you say so, darling."
Katalina stuck her tongue out before grabbing Damien's hand and pulling him upstairs to her room.
"Your room is the attic?" Damien questioned as they walked into her room.
Katalina shrugged with a smile. "Ryan and Evelyn said I could have any room I wanted in the pack house. I chose the attic because of the space and the fact that I wouldn't have people above me making a bunch of noise while trying to concentrate on one of my many projects."
Damien chuckled as he looked around. "That makes sense. This attic is pretty big."
Katalina grinned as she quickly pulled an empty suitcase out of her closet. She laid it open on her bed before going to her closet and pulling her clothes out. She neatly folded them as she put them in her suitcase. It didn't take her long to get all of her clothes and shoes out of the closet. "You don't have a lot of clothes, do you, little dove?" Damien asked from where he sat on the bed.
Katalina shrugged. "I don't like asking Ryan and Evelyn for more than I need to. I have enough clothes. It doesn't bother me," she said simply as she pulled open a drawer with her underclothes.
Damien frowned as he watched Katalina. "Well, that's going to change," he said in determination. "I promised you the entire universe, which I will give you. Including an entirely new wardrobe to go along with what you already have."
Katalina gave him a bright smile. "Thank you, love," she said as she threw her underclothes into the suitcase.
Katalina made sure all her drawers were empty before she zipped up her suitcase. "Alright," she muttered. She went to her closet again and started pulling out boxes of her art supplies. That included anything for the many crafts that she liked to make and all of her drawing supplies.
"Wow, dove. What's in all of those boxes?" Damien asked curiously.
Katalina giggled. "It's all of my art supplies. Everything for my crafts and all of my drawing supplies. I've been collecting these for years."
Damien chuckled as he looked at the stack of boxes she had piled by the door. "I can see that."
Katalina grinned as she grabbed the bracelet she had made with her parents' ashes once she was old enough. "What's that?" Damien asked as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
Katalina sighed as she leaned into him. "It's a bracelet that I made for my parents once I was old enough," she held it up so he could see the ash-infused gems, along with other normal gems. "I made the gems myself. I even took some of their ashes and made these two gems," she pointed to the two gemstones that were in the shape of her parents' wolves. "These represent my parents in wolf form. The other gems are representations of what they liked to do and what not," she exhaled as she put it on her wrist. "My mom also gave me her necklace before everything happened," she gently caressed the necklace around her neck. It was a beautiful work of art. It was an infinity symbol with angel wings spread wide and a glittering heart between the spread wings. "My father gave it to my mom for their first anniversary all those years ago. As far back as I could remember, she always had it on," she sniffled as she laid her head against his chest with her eyes closed.
Damien held her tightly. "I'm sorry that you had to lose them at such a young age, little dove," he said softly.
Katalina sighed as she opened her eyes. "It's okay. It sucked when it happened, but I'll always have Evelyn and Ryan. They're like another set of parents to me. I don't know what I would have done without them," she scoffed. "I still don't know what I would do without them."
Damien smiled. "I'm glad that you had them in your life."
"Me too," Katalina said softly.
Katalina pulled away after a couple of minutes. "Alright. Let's get all of these boxes down to the SUV. It's already late, and I'm getting hungry."
Damien chuckled. "My little dove has spoken then. Let's get her some food," he said teasingly.
Katalina grinned as she grabbed her suitcase. She started pulling it outside when he stopped her. "Um. What are you doing, little dove?" Damien asked in confusion as he watched her roll her suitcase to the doorway.
Katalina frowned as she looked at her suitcase. "Um. Helping you take everything down to the SUV."
Damien scoffed as he walked over to her and took the suitcase out of her hands. "Oh no, little dove. You will sit with Evelyn downstairs while Ryan and I get your things loaded into the SUV."
Katalina raised an eyebrow. "I think I'm capable of carrying some boxes downstairs and to the SUV," she said with her hands on her hips.
Damien chuckled as he pulled her into his arms. "Now, I never said that you weren't capable, my dove," he said as he leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "However, this is one of the many things that I can do to take care of you," he pulled back a bit to place his forehead against hers. "So get that cute little behind your downstairs and send Ryan up here to help me. Then we can grab some food on the way home."
Katalina blushed as a bright grin stretched across her face. "Okay, love."
Damien chuckled as Katalina kissed his cheek before rushing downstairs. A couple of minutes later, Ryan walked into the room. "I take it you're why Katalina blushes downstairs while Evelyn tries to interrogate her."
Damien shrugged. "It's so easy to tease her," he chuckled. "Anyway. I figured we could get this done quicker if the two of us were doing it. My little dove is hungry, so the quicker it's done, the quicker I can get her some food."
Ryan let out a loud laugh. "Little Katalina is always hungry," he said as he shook his head. Ryan grabbed a couple of boxes before looking at Damien over the boxes. "A little tip for you, Damien," he said as he stepped toward the hallway. "Give her plenty of sweets and make sure that she always has food, and she'll be the happiest woman alive."
Damien laughed. "Thanks for the tip, Ryan."
After that, they quickly got all of Katalina's things loaded into the SUV. "Alright, dove. Time to go." Damien said as he pressed a kiss to her temple.
Katalina smiled. "Let me just say goodbye to Evelyn, and we're good to go. She was too comfortable to get off the couch."
Ryan laughed. "She'll be there until I carry her home," he said playfully and loud enough for Evelyn to hear him.
"I heard that," Evelyn shouted from her seat on the couch.
Katalina giggled as she walked inside. "Okay, Evelyn. We're leaving now. I promise to stay in touch and to come to visit."
Evelyn smiled. "I know you will, honey. I'm happy for you."
Katalina pressed a kiss to Evelyn's forehead. "I'll call you tomorrow, Evelyn. Make sure you try to make that herb tea before you go to bed tonight," she said softly.
Evelyn had that same smile on her face. "Thanks again for that, Katalina. I hope that it works."
"Me too, Evelyn," Katalina gave her a gentle hug before rushing outside to her beloved and Ryan. "Okay, Ryan. She's all yours," Katalina said with a smile.
Ryan pulled her into a hug. "You make sure to stay safe, little one. Stay in touch."
"Of course, Ryan," she said as she hugged him tightly.
Ryan kissed her forehead before gently nudging her towards Damien. "Go on now, little one."
Katalina blew him another kiss as Damien held the door to the SUV open for her. Katalina climbed inside and smiled as she watched Damien enter the driver's side.
Damien started the SUV and started driving them home.