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108. Thunder
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 109. Ring
Callista. With a gasp, I open my eyes to the waking world.The jitters, the shock, and the disconnect is the same as before when I wake up from an episode. But this time, there is a glaring difference.This time, I remember what happened. I remember the orchard, I remember seeing Farris. I remember the blackness.And I remember hearing Theon’s voice. I remember the rope.The chanting had stopped, and so had the storm. The Headmistress crouches next to me, her arm on my shoulder. She peers at me with those deep grey eyes."Callista," she says. "You held on until the very last moment. But suddenly your concentration broke.'"I remember," I tell her, "I remember the episode."Her eyes widen, and she looks at the round candle table. There, near the edge, one single candle had gone out. And half of it is pitch black colored.The Headmistress gets up to walk towards the candle. She picks it up from the white end and tries to touch the dark part. But upon contact, she hisses and draws her f
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 110. Burns
Callista.I let go of the ring as if it burns. As soon as it loses contact with my skin, the eerie glow stops."Did you see that?!" I exclaim, glancing at the Headmistress and back at the ring. "Is that normal?"The Headmistress shakes her head, her eyes wide. "No, it is not. It doesn't happen in the hands of non-magical supernaturals."We both stare at the ring for a beat.Now that I look closely, what an ancient piece of jewelry it is. The circular band is a dark color that looks a bit greenish, and the crystal sphere doesn't shine as much as newer crystals do. There are some carvings on the outside, but none is clear enough to be decipherable.It’s cold to the touch now. But when I picked it before, I swear it hummed against my skin."Take the ring to your hand." The Headmistress instructs me. "It might just be a fluke, but it never hurts to rest again.”I heed her order, and the crystal begins to glow. I lift it off the chest.Then I feel it.A tiny vibration emanating from the ri
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 111. Origin
Callista. "A stealer?" The Headmistress repeats, as if she's confused. And then in a moment, realization dawns upon her. "Ah, yes, you are a stealer too.""Yeah," I admit, a little ashamed of my condition. "People consider me a taboo, and my previous pack basically exchanged me for land when they found it out.""I'm very sorry to hear that, Callista. No creature, whatever their circumstance be, does not deserve to be treated as such." She looks sincere and her tone is fierce, so is the indignation in her eyes, which I am stunned to realize is on my behalf. I shoot her smile of gratitude, and nod, which relaxes the set of her shoulders. "That being said, stealers are very specific to Were kind. You cannot find such creatures in other species. And throughout the years, I've noticed that most of the stealers to exist are born into wolf packs.""Have you met a stealer before?" I ask, taking a bite of my salad which I upgraded with salami and chickpeas."No, I can't say I have. I only bec
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 112. Gaul
Callista."She killed him?!" I cry out, my pitch squeaking. Werewolf legends are particularly rife with copious amounts of violence, so I should’ve expected that, but still!"Indeed so.” The Headmistress responds, calming arranging her food to be consumed. "And then she avenged her fallen pack and decimated the rival pack by enticing them with her scent."Not going to lie, Lucienne was kind of a badass."And then what?""Then she disappeared. Legend says she died soon after. Her love for her mate drove her to be maniacal, and before she could go fully rogue, she killed herself." The Headmistress finishes the story. "Legend also says the soul that resided in Lucienne's body latched onto a newborn baby girl as soon as she passed, who was in the vicinity. A soul can never die, and the woman cursed herself to never reach the afterlife. Her soul roams the earthen plane for an eternity, and whoever it gets latched onto becomes the stealer."I'm truly speechless after this story. I've never h
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 113. Phone call
Theon. I’m making an inventory of the tower ammunition when I get a call from an unknown number. "That's strange," I muse, staring at the screen and trying to flit through all the contacts I knew in my head to see where it was coming from. Werewolves never really got unknown contacts like this; we pretty much knew everyone around.Kellin walks over to me and takes a look of his own at the screen."Huh. Isn't that your personal number?" He asks, "The one you only give to your most trusted and guard like a dragon with an egg?"I roll my eyes, "I don't guard it. I’m cautious, aren’t you the one who used to rag me about having a sense of self-preservation worth an Alpha King?""Well, I sure am glad you’re taking me up on that so well.” I decide to ignore his sass and press the green call button."This is Theon Rexellen," I answer, instead of saying 'hello', "Who is this?""Theon?" A familiar female voice comes from the other side, and I stand straight up, "it's Callista. Sorry for the n
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 114. Heal
Callista.As the days go by, fragment by fragment, I heal.I honestly did not think it would be possible, but turns out, I shouldn’t really question the experts no matter how absurd their methods seem. After all, they were experts for a reason.I was moved to the hospital after the first session, where I got my own level of room. The same wards that were in the tower were placed here and they kept the nightmares at bay.The room I got was not open like the rest of the hospital was, but surrounded by linen curtains that were a light beige draped around cherry wood pillars that supported a circular roof. My bed was in the middle of the room, and at the foot of the bed, there was a chest, which was full of the robes worn by the patients of the hospital. They were a very light aqua color, and as everything in the Guild was, enchanted so they were warm when it was cold and vice versa, light and flowing. Some preferred to wear pants underneath, some didn't. Anyone was free to accessorize th
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 115. Children
Theon."Hello, Theon," Valencia says as soon as I enter my office.She looks pretty sedate and more exhausted than usual. There are deep bags under her eyes as if she hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in days, and her shoulders are hunched. She seems defeated, which is uncharacteristic of her. But she still wears her signature jacket and sword and still looks more put together than many others I know on a good day.Still, concerns creep up on me."Hello, Valencia." I sit back on my chair behind the desk. "I'm surprised to see you here, to be honest. Especially as Callista isn't here anymore."She perks up at that, expression too neutral to be concerned. "Oh? And what led her to be absent? Where might she be now?”"If you must know, her episodes became too much for us to keep her safe here. She tried to jump off a wall, and we figured it was the right time for her to go to the Witches Guild."Even saying that I feel a hint of melancholy run through me. Goddess, I miss Callista."So,
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 116. Patrol
Theon."What?" I can’t believe what I heard. "You stepped down?"Before she left for the festival to her own pack, Valencia had told me how much she loved her role as the Gamma of the Geraldine pack. It gave her a separate identity from her father. Her title was hers, and she wasn't just the Alpha's daughter anymore. And she had been good at her job. She had a keen eye for any details that were out of the normal. Although she didn't have Haden-level expertise in weaponry and strategy, she was a good Gamma who served her pack well. "Yeah," she replies. "I couldn't take the pressure anymore. I had to go away.""Valencia," I say her name and her gaze lifts to mine. "Are you thinking of leaving your pack?"She sighs, "I honestly don't know, Theon. Once, the place was home to me. And I still love it. I love the people, the customs, the town, I love the forest, I love the life I lived there. At the same time, I want to escape. As if it suffocates me. I feel like a coward for saying this, b
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Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 145. Kill
Theon.Barely concealing my mounting anger, I follow Valencia.I didn't know why she was so snappish at Callista before, but I'd chalked that up to her having her own issues to deal with. Perhaps she got a troubling message from her pack. Perhaps her father was calling her back to the Galdine pack to carry on with her duties.The only reason I asked for a sparring session was to show her that she had a lot to teach Callista still. Callista absolutely obliterating her in the duel was something I did not expect. I knew Callista had a natural talent for swordsmanship, but the way she moved today was similar to that of a pro. She defeated Valencia in record time, and she did that while using a real sword for the first time. That was almost unheard of, and I still wonder how she did that without even injuring herself.I saw the way Valencia fought with Callista, and I noticed how towards the end Valencia aimed at her gut.I watched with fear as the sharp sword tip neared my mate's abdomen
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 144. Learned
Callista.I can't believe what I'm hearing."Really?" I ask, confused.I don't think I'm as good as she is as a fighter yet. Maybe her tiredness was making her see things that aren't necessarily true. Also, this whole thing just lands out of nowhere.Just yesterday she told me that I need to adjust my form a bit more because I was a little wobbly on my right leg still."Because I don't feel like I'm that good yet.""Trust me, you are," Valencia replies in an offhanded way. "Besides, you must have more important things to do than waste the morning with me. I mean, you should be close to finishing with your GED now. You should pay more attention to those."I notice that her voice becomes sharper as she spits out the last part, and the expression on her face is strange. It looks almost like she is angry about something.Just as I open my mouth to ask Valencia what was really troubling her, Theon walks up to us, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his overcoat."I heard some of your dis
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 143. Stop
Callista.I wake up in my own bed in the morning, and for a brief second, I wonder how I ended up here. But then I remember how I was afraid that someone would catch me and Theon in bed together, and how I'd snuck out of his room in the middle of the night, dressed in my wrinkled clothes. The very memory of the last night makes me blush and grin like an idiot. It had been so amazing.I still can't believe it happened, that Theon and I finally made love.I know that it had only been a few months since we even met, but werewolf relationships progressed much faster than humans. Most of the time, those who found that were mates carried on with mating just days after.Theon and I haven’t mated yet because it still wasn't the right time for us. I know this, and so does he, and we were fine with waiting. We still had a lot of problems, and mating with each other was the last thing we ought to do right now. Honestly, sleeping together was also the last thing we should be doing.But last nigh
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 142. Bashful
Theon.My heart races in my chest as I guide Callista to my room. My room is just two doors away from my office, so it doesn't take long. We sneak in, glancing around to see if there was anyone watching us."No one's there," Callista whispers. "It's near lights out time, so all the servants are in their quarters.""Better be safe," I reply. "I don't want anyone to know it just yet.""Me too," Callista agrees.As soon as I close the door behind me, Callista slams me into the door. I'm a little surprised by her eagerness, although I wonder why I am. Callista is confident in almost all aspects of her life, so why shouldn't she be the same with sex?Her energy excites me in return, and I feel myself harden in my pants. I twirl us around and push her against the door, kissing a line down her neck to the collarbone. Kissing her neck is addictive, as she reacts deliciously to every sensation. I can't get enough of the sounds she makes.I grind my pelvis on her thigh, letting her feel the har
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 141. Kiss
Callista.We forget the crashed chandelier. We forget about the glass-embedded muffins. We forget the castle, the pack, and the staff. We forget everything except for ourselves. Because at that moment, we are the ones that only matter. Here in this room, warmed by the lit fireplace, surrounded by his wonderful scent that seems so intense, we are the world itself. Our souls sing for each other, and we dance to their song.We kiss and kiss, not wanting to stop. It’s always like this with him. His lips glide over mine, languid and warm, equally soft and equally firm. He's such a passionate kisser, and I can't help but sigh into his mouth. His hands take my waist, and I marvel at how his hands just feel so right. I let my own arms wound around his neck, and I use them to raise on my tip toes so I can feel him more."I know that you're still unsure," I tell him. "So please, don't feel pressured...""I'm not unsure about this, Callista," Theon replies. "You're my mate. You're my intended."
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 140. Deserve
Callista."You know what, I’m going to call the Headmistress and ask her if invisible people are a part of the supernatural world," I inform Theon as we sit in his office, once again sharing drinks. Him a glass of whiskey, and me a glass of ginger ale. "Because at this point, that's the only explanation I have for this whole thing. How can anyone be clever enough to erase their traces so well?”As I'd thought, we'd found nothing. The camera hadn't caught a single suspicious activity, not even someone loitering next to my door. There were the usual appearances of me and Haden, Valencia, and Kellin, the maids, butlers, and guards. And all of them went on in their own businesses."I don't know," Theon sighs. "At this point, maybe you should. Maybe we got the damned invisible man haunting the halls of the castle.""Or a ghost," I suggest. "Can ghosts hold things though? I've always believed their translucent hands sort of went through physical stuff. Does this castle have ghosts, Theon?"
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 139. Safe
Callista."Whoever they were, they didn't want to kill you," Theon says.He holds the bags of muffins in his hands, squinting at the torn up, vandalized particles of food within. We sit on either end of my bed, and the doors are locked, and the curtains drawn. Two guards are placed outside the door, because Theon was not going to take any chances. Theon’s still sweaty from running all the way from the university to the castle. I cannot help but feel relieved knowing he was taking this so seriously."I gathered that," I say in a meek tone, feeling weary to my very soul from it all. "There's no way I would've swalLeanderd that big of a glass shard.""And this handwriting is so different from mine," he taps the note. "I don't write this clearly. My handwriting is basically scrawling. Also, the signature is visibly forged. I don't have so much finesse when drawing out the 'T' of my name.""I wasn't thinking when I saw it," I confess sheepishly. "I just saw the note and naively thought i
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 138. Bag
Callista.Cautiously, I approach the bag. There had been far too many weird things happening lately that my paranoia acts on overdrive, and I won’t be taking chances with something so suspicious.As I get close, I nice, buttery scent wafting from it, and marginally relax. Pinned to the bag there is a note."Hey, I'm sorry I couldn't help you with the move. Consider these compensations until I get back :)"The note is signed by Theon.I smile. I've never seen his handwriting before, and I'm awed at how neat it looks.I open the brown paper bag to find three muffins inside. I love muffins, and my heart warms because Theon managed to find that out!They are warm, fresh from the oven, and I don’t hesitate before taking a bite.That's when I feel excruciating pain in my mouth, along with the taste of blood. As soon as I taste blood, I spit the bite of the muffin to the ground.A bloody glob smears the plush rug, and for a brief moment, I feel pity for whoever will clean the thing.That’s
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 137. Reputation
Callista."I won’t lie, Callista, but this won’t do your reputation any favors," Haden ribs me as we carry boxes from my room.It is the morning, two days after the accident, and I’ve already finished with my swords practice. Valencia goes easy on me and lets me off early due to the 'accident', which I was still bummed about.I’ve got two hours before class, so I thought that I might as well use the time to pack up my things to move.After the incident, the very thought of being alone in the tower with only a bunch of guards and a manic wolf was not soothing. I barely slept the last two nights because the smallest sound woke me up. Elias’s howls, which I'd gotten used to were suddenly scary to me once again.So, when I woke up this morning, I knew my time in the tower was done. I had to take Theon up in his offer.I really didn't expect Theon to make the offer to move in next to him, and when he did, I was ecstatic with joy. It felt like a significant step in our relationship.I mean,
