Theon.For a moment there’s only silence. “Wolfsbane?!” I growl, wondering what the hell this man was thinking. “You know very well that it’s illegal to use that drug on a werewolf! That drug is dangerous, it has killed werewolves with one milligram of an overdose! Are you as stupid as you are incompetent?”From the corner of my eyes, I notice the entirety of Ruelle’s family moving back with fear in their expressions. For now, I ignore it.“I didn’t have a choice, Alpha, she would have murdered the whole pack if I hadn’t!” Leighwen tries to excuse himself.The stealer whimpers pathetically as if she is trying to defend herself. Yet, the story is exactly in character with what a stealer might do. They weren’t called villains for nothing.“While the excuse sounds fair enough, I am still going to punish this breach of law. You will be getting three hectares less than the landmass promised. I will not tolerate my own subjects blatantly ignoring wolf law to fit their circumstance. Destroy
Theon.“Yes, she did,” Ruelle chimes in, “I talked with her before. She doesn’t want to remain in this pack.”Callista whines this time. I pretend not to pay her any mind, but I think it’s interesting that her whine felt like a protest.That’s confusing. What is she protesting against? Was she having second thoughts about leaving this pack?“The stealer is a taboo, yes,” Farris raises his voice, “But she can also mimic the scent of a lost mate. Before, I thought it was only legend, but on the day of Callista’s coming of age ceremony, we saw many widowed wolves fighting for her to be their mate. I don’t know the exact mechanism of it, but her mimicking capabilities are phenomenal.”“And?”He hesitates just a bit. “Well, we have learned that your widowed brother is going manic without his mate.”As soon as my brother is mentioned, my walls go up.“Done your research already, haven’t you?” I growl at him, “Do you think that my brother will mate with her? He’s ten years her senior.”Even
Chapter 13. Callista-Before the arrival of His Majesty Alpha King Theon Valenti Rexellen, first of his name.Wolfsbane was one of the most potent drugs known to were-kind, able to knock off a full-grown wolf for days if administered in the right amount. I knew Farris had only given me a little, as I had woken up in less than four hours. But the after-effects were the same. As I sit in the living room, waiting for my fate to arrive, I can’t move my body or talk. My head hurt like I had been beaten senseless, and my whole body felt as if someone had tied me to a boulder and kicked it underwater. Gravity is dragging my body under, and I'm trying my hardest to fight.It is a battle to keep my eyes open, but I have to. I can’t let them trade me off unconscious.I need to see the man who even Farris feared, regardless of his former posturing. This King who is in charge of my future, whose brother I was going to be mated to whether I liked it or not. I felt used, and abused, but still, the
Callista.I wake up in a strange car, stronger and in more control of my body than I had been before. Through the thick, glass partition that divides my portion of the vehicle from the rest, I could see my adoptive sister and the Alpha King sitting with their backs to me. This is the type of vehicle wolves use to transport rogues or injured werewolves in wolf form; or in my case, stealers who apparently make unmated pack members attack each other.I am seething at how Farris had spun that lie, making it seem like I was a true villain when I had spent the night in jail isolated from everyone. It was clever of him; I won’t lie to spin the story in the way he did. In the end, it all clicked. I was also angry at the Alpha King for letting himself be played like that, accepting his words even when he saw how Farris had used the illegal Wolfsbane on me. It seemed like to him I was just a mindless danger. He would rather believe assumptions than talk to me and find out what really happened.
Callista.The castle is humongous. We are parked in the inner courtyard, which is actually very lovely with a nice garden. There is a massive defensive talus surrounding the inner residence building, with a moat surrounding the whole area. The large gate is automated. There are four fortified towers at the four corners of the square talus, armed with, if my sight is reliable, machine guns. I am stunned at this; I did not know that the Rexellen pack actually had any need for machine guns of all things. But then again, what do I know of the Royals. The castle is very medieval, unlike any other old castle that is in the USA, which I find is rather peculiar. Had I not been worrying about my own misfortune; I would have wondered when exactly werewolves migrated to the USA.When Theon and Ruelle get out of their portion of the vehicle, I brace myself. I tell myself that I would be levelheaded and calm and try to explain matters to the King without letting my emotions get a hold of me. Perh
Callista.My room is cozy and spacious, with a quaint little fireplace lit already. A white door leads to a tiny bathroom already stocked with generic toiletries. There is a four-post bed with a white comforter and grey pillows, a little dresser that looks antique, and a desk near the only window in the room along with a wardrobe. This is the first time I’ve ever seen such a wardrobe. The floor of the room is made of stone and covered with soft rugs. There is a musty air in here like the room hadn’t been used for a while.All in all, it’s not a bad prison cell. Suppose I should be glad that despite his words, the King ordered his underlings to make me comfortable. For a moment there, I was certain I’d be thrown into the dungeons for my insolence.It’s far better than the accommodations I was given the last night I spent at my birth pack.Home. My heart twists in my chest, and unwillingly the sound of the maniacal howl rings in my ears. I am placed right below a wolf in the process of
Callista.Well, that is a bummer to hear. I guess Theon took Farris’s story about me attacking the guards back in the Leighwen pack quite seriously. With a sigh, I trudge to the desk in the room and focus on the tray.My dinner consists of steak, roasted asparagus, and a dollop of mashed potatoes. It’s quite rich, and I’m surprised at being given food that tastes like it’s been cooked for the King himself. Because I’d missed plenty of meals since the coming-of-age ceremony, I basically shovel the food in my mouth. After every morsel had been consumed, I tried to think of my next move.I lay all the facts I know in my mind.One, I’m the stealer.Two, Farris lied and sold me off to the Alpha King of North America. Without my consent.Three, the Alpha King Theon Valenti Rexellen of the Rexellen pack is my Mate.Four, because of the conniving madness of my family, he believes my sister is his Mate. How do I know this to be false? Ruelle told her mother that she didn’t feel a pull toward T
Callista.A week goes by, and my life becomes one series of events repeating from sunrise to sunset.Every morning I am woken up before dawn and given food. After, I’m taken for a walk around the inner courtyard. That’s what the friendly guard meant when he came to take me outside the very first day it happened. I’d been afraid that the King had finally had it with my nuisance and decided to dispose of me before I could become a real problem. Then I wondered it I’d been transferred to the dungeons. But neither of them happened. As the friendly guard says, Theon had thought that I needed some daily exercise to help me fight off the effects of being drugged with Wolfsbane. I’m a little touched by this, and I scold myself for being pathetic. The man had literally bought me, for Goddess's sake. Whether it’s knowingly or unknowingly did not really matter to me when I was pissed.After that, I’m taken back to my room, where I am to spend the day as I please. I have been given a heavily form
CallistaAs soon as I exit the room, I stumble upon a girl who screams upon seeing me.I arm myself with my chain, not caring about her age. She looks old enough to have found her bear. The chain is bundled up with the piece of the bed post and the padlock, giving it a good heft, and I for a fact know that it would knock her out with one strike. “No, please don't hit me, I'm innocent!” She raises her hands in her defense as she stumbles back against the wall.“Who are you?” I snarl, not believing her entirely.“I just work in the pack house, please, I got nothing to do with what's going on!” The girl pleads, her expression filled with panic and fear. “I'm the one who brought you the food so Master Xaveraq could take them to you!”A quick thought passes through my mind.“You know Xaveraq?” I demand and she nods. “I was the one tending to all his needs. My Alpha assigned me to him,” she answers, and I hold the chain and point to it.“In that case, you got any idea where the key to thi
CallistaI can't believe it, Theon is here!Theon is finally here!The sheer relief I feel as soon as I see him nearly brings me to my knees, and I can't help but cry out his name. He's battling two bears at once, expertly dodging their lumbering attacks and hitting them with some of his own.He's fast and he's precise, and in a few minutes, he manages to draw out blood. Next to him, Haden fights, targeting the bears who come toward Theon. They act as a team to take the bears down. Haden has a scratch on his back already, but it doesn't seem to bother him.I find myself screaming at them whenever a bear turns towards them, and every time Theon glances at me, I feel better than I did in the last few days.It's kind of pathetic in hindsight, I guess, but I don't care.This is the first time I'm seeing my mate after four days, and dammit, I'm going to be as sappy as I want. I have so many questions. How is the Rexellen pack? What happened to Farris and Elias? Is Elias really dead? How
TheonAs soon as the Headmistress gives us the signal, Ophelia lifts herself off the ground using her vines and shoots out of the trees.We follow her out, Haden and I shifted to our wolf forms, Master Tsertinand wielding his magical disc, Kiran holding two daggers that look lethal along with a multitude of amulets, and Leita with her vast knowledge of spells and ability to call any animal within the range. As soon as we burst through the tree line, I notice the house and the army of werebears. There might be three or four dozen of them surrounding the hunting lodge-style house that stands in the middle of a grassy field. Some of them are turned while many of them are still in their human forms.I noticed the Gamma who I fought against, Edwin Teller, in the front, standing with his claws out, ready to attack in any given movement. The Headmistress is standing facing a man who is not visible through the trees. The bears get ready to face the witches, and as soon as we appear, they st
CallistaI rush to the window of my room, thankful that the chain is long enough to allow me the movement, and throw open the windows. There is an army of werebears, both turned and in human form, surrounding the house, facing the forest from the east.Near the tree line stands a woman dressed in the white garb of the witches, flowing pants tucked into her boots, a white tunic over a long-sleeved bodice with a sash tied around her waist, and a scarf wound around her neck. Her snow-white hair is tied back from her face, and her pale eyes glisten with an ethereal light.She stands in a posture that radiates power, her head held high, her spine straight, standing tall against an army of bears.I can't help my astonishment. The Headmistress is here!Her eyes flick upwards to the window and focus on my face. They widen slightly, and I can't help but wave like a lunatic and scream, “I'm here! I'm here!”The Headmistress gives me the smallest nod, visible relief in her eyes.“You are the He
CallistaI can't sleep. I anticipated this before. Although the unrest outside had dwindled, I was still alert and wide awake, listening to every little sound. I'm pretty sure it's past midnight at the moment.I'm not a stranger to insomnia, but after having some good nights of sleeping blissfully before this whole fiasco started with Farris taking over the Rexellen pack, my old sleeping habits were making an appearance. The information the devil revealed today doesn't help me either. I still can't wrap my head around all of it.Of all the things to happen to me, I never expected that I'd end up a prisoner to an ancient being who killed thousands just because he wanted to ‘unify all races to save the world’. I mean, come on, that sounds like the plot of an action-packed Hollywood movie. And certainly not one with the supernatural in it. But that is the reality I'm living in. Both the earthquake and the Geraldine pack were his doing. How could he be so callous? So emotionless abou
Theon“Now, the deviless, who'd been raised apart from her parents because she was blessed as a deity, didn't know what love even was,” the Headmistress continues. “It was a different time than ours, and back then, even language was at its infancy. Books were not invented yet. When she asked her servants about the strange emotion she felt whenever she saw the devil they wouldn't give her a straight answer. The servants were certain that the deviless couldn't feel love the way the normal folk did. The poor deviless was confused about herself and decided to ask the young devil warrior for answers herself.”The Headmistress pauses to glance at the barrier, and then turns back to us. It's nearly midnight now, and fortunately, we haven't had any animals wander into the campsite so far. We heard some chirping and rustling here and there, but it was nothing big.My bet was that they were rabbits or squirrels, or some other critters that size. Haden and I were alert, nevertheless, just in cas
Theon“Where's Aldar?” Master Tsertinand asks, making way for the Headmistress to approach the camp.She's dressed unlike I've ever seen her before. The Headmistress usually opts for long dresses and cloaks that look gothic and ancient.But now she's dressed in a costume similar to what the protectors like Kiran wore while they were in the Guild, although it is pure white in color. The protector outfit suits her significantly, making it easier for her to blend with the surroundings and accentuate her strong frame.Her hair is tied back from her face in a severe style, highlighting her angular features. She wears rings studded with stones on all of her fingers, and a stone pendant around her neck. “She had to stay behind to take care of the Guild in my absence,” the Headmistress replies, smiling at all of us in greeting. “The Academy is very busy at this time of the year with the first years getting ready for the Annual festival. Matron Aldar and I can't afford to leave together at su
Theon“We saw a dirt path,” I reply as soon as I transform back to the human form from behind a boulder, using it to hide my nudity. “It's just a moment away from here. There are rocks all around so we can have a cover.”“A dirt path?” Master Tsertinand questions and send the ring a dirty look. “Couldn't have shown me that, could you, you little shit? We're trying to save your damned owner!”The ring, of course, does not answer. “We nearly ran into the barrier when we saw it,” Haden chimes in next to me, having transformed back himself. “Your bird was a great help.”As we say that, the bird itself arrives, chirping. It spirals around us, nearly touching us, and then flies straight towards Master Tsertinand. As soon as it collides with the weapon smith's body, it vanishes. “Did you call the Headmistress?” I question, pulling on my clothes.They're at the same spot I left them. Master Tsertinand was right when he said that the perimeter was smaller than that of the Rexellen pack. It o
Callista“Holy shit, you're the one behind the earthquake too?!” I yell out, unable to believe what I'm hearing.I expected him to reveal a lot of things, but this was not one of them.“I did not mean to. I was never a fan of causing an unnecessary ruckus, and the earthquake did exactly that. It even sapped up some of my own powers in doing so, that I had to absorb more souls to compensate,” Xaveraq says. “Anyway, after that-”“Woah, Woah, Woah,” I stand up from my bed, my heart beating fast in my chest.I'm trying to piece together this puzzle in my head with all the information I'm being given. That part of absorbing souls, whatever that may be, rings a bell in my mind.A very disturbing bell.“So, where did you get your souls?” I demand.“Is that really important at the moment, Callista?” Xaveraq questions in a bored tone. “I thought you wanted to know how I found you.”“Tell me where you got the souls from,” I insist, feeling dread mount within me.I desperately hope he would not