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32. Enough
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Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 33. Eavesdrop
Callista.It’s about 07:00 PM, and I’m carrying a load of laundry that belongs to the Beta’s family. It was heavier than any others and had mostly baby clothes. I’ve heard in the kitchen that the Beta’s mate’s third child had been born just weeks ago, and all the nappies were his.I navigate the maze of corridors that make the east wing of the castle. This wing hosts almost all the bedrooms and studies, sitting rooms, drawing rooms, and a big library last I checked. All the enjoyable aspects were in the east. The west wing had the kitchen, laundry rooms, the servant quarters, and the guard quarters, along with the parking lot, storage spaces, and the weapons room. The infirmary was a separate building that was in the north of the castle connected to the keep via a passage, while the entrance was on the south side.Today I am on laundry duty. My arms hurt from moving stinky loads of clothes and I was just counting down the time till it ended. As I pass a certain door, I hear raised vo
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 34. Theon
Theon. Ruelle told me that she needed to be away from me for a bit. No matter how much that hurt me, I agreed, because regardless of what she thought, I did really care for her feelings. Also, I felt that a little separation would do us both good. I didn’t want to chase her out of the rooms she’d already become familiar with, so I moved out into a much smaller room in a different corridor, closer to my study. This had been my childhood room, way before I became the King. Ruelle was getting too aggressive with her advances. Every time I tried to kiss her or hug her, she’d start to act provocatively and try to get me to have sex with her. To be fair, it was getting annoying. I did want to do that with her. I wanted to make her my mate. But my wolf wouldn’t listen to me. He’d put up a frenzy every time I touched Ruelle, commanding me to stop and go find my own mate. By which he meant Callista. When she was getting tortured, my wolf was horrified. He’d yelled in my head to go to her,
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 35. Kiss
Callista.I’ve been kissed before. Numerous times, in fact.My first was a boy in fifth grade who’d told me my hair looked pretty that day, and I had been blushing like crazy. Back then we were yet to go through puberty, so it didn’t really make sense. It was just something we had seen older people do, which automatically meant it was a cool thing to do. Then, at recess when we were playing, he'd suddenly appeared next to me, and asked for a kiss. Just like that. I was honestly taken aback, and my mind had been screaming, “Take it! Take it, you fool, this is a one-way ticket to the big leagues!” at me. Back then, all the popular girls had all been kissed, and who didn’t want to be similar to them? This is the fifth grade I’m talking about, and yes, I’d been that dramatic.So yeah. It had been a wonderfully clumsy, orange lollipop flavored kiss, and at the time, it rocked my world.After that, I was kind of popular, but no one asked me to kiss them. I did hold hands with some boys, but
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 36. Gasp
Callista.A gasp comes, breaking the moment.A very recognizable gasp.With it, Theon and I return to reality. The feverish happiness I’d been bathing myself in before vanishes, instead mixed with cold dread. For a moment, I catch Theon’s eyes, unguarded, loving, and wish that he’d seen the truth of who I am. My heart races in my chest, and I try to put the truth into my eyes.But in the end, it doesn’t matter. Prejudice wins over the reality and my heart breaks when his brown irises turn exceptionally hard.I know that the look he's giving me now, after pushing himself off me and shuffling back a few feet, is going to hurt me forever. Its shock and disgust, with a thin smear of anger, mixed with gallons of disbelief. So, so different from before. He looks at me as if I’m a monster who’d come to destroy his world.Something inside me withers at that. Then, deep in my mind, another decision reinforces.Ruelle starts to scream.“I knew it! I knew you were fucking her behind my back! Tha
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 37. Full Moon
Callista.I don’t sleep that night.I don’t cry either. Although the sadness in my heart, mixed with anger, indignation, and desperation combined is the size of the sun, and just as hot, I don’t cry. My eyes remain dry as I listen to the soft breaths of other maids, nothing pulling the lids of my eyes down and dragging me into a slumber.How can I sleep, when I know this is the last night I will be spending here?In the perfect world, I would be sleeping by Theon’s side, bearing his mark on my neck, the voice of my wolf in my head, secure in the knowledge that I’d finally found the one place in the world where I belonged. But the reality is far from that, and I couldn’t dwell on what would’ve been, not when I wanted to keep sane.But oh, how I wish for that dream to soothe the hurt in my very soul.In the morning bells sound, rousing the staff of the castle.Helen lets me know that I’ve been punished for my ‘insubordination’ from last night with two more months in community service. S
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 38. She escaped.
Ruelle.“Well?” I ask the panting guard after transforming back to my human form, “Where is she now?”The guard, Derrick, is a middle-aged man who’d been in Theon’s personal security for ages. Just days ago, he’d been in an accident and had been injured severely. His arm was broken, and even as a wolf, it was going to take at least a week to heal, and coupled with other injuries, he was advised by the doctors in the hospital not to participate in today’s run.So, I’d taken it upon myself to ask him to keep an eye on Callista.I knew the little shit was up to something the moment she’d told us she was done with Theon that night. She’d gotten a cold, determined look in her eyes, and I’d seen that before. It meant that she’d made up her mind to do something, and even an idiot could figure out what someone in her position would want.Freedom.If anyone wanted to attempt to escape, today was the best window for it. The castle was as empty as it could be, and the whole pack was in one place
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 39. Forest
Callista.The moat isn’t as deep as I thought it would be, and I’m thankful for that.I’m dripping wet after crossing it, my clothes heavy on my body. I wring whatever I can and shake the water out of my shoes. My backpack hasn’t soaked, which is a relief.I’m finally outside the castle.Now the time was crucial.I start to run. I’m as strong as I’ve been before, and that helps me to cross the town in no time. I avoid the main road and any important buildings, opting to weave my way through the residential area. My aim is the forest, and even though the town of the Rexellen pack is bigger than the Leighwen pack’s, it’s still small enough.I’m panting hard by the time I make it to the tree line.I halt after I pass the last house, taking one last look at the town and the distant castle.Had it only been two months since I’d arrived here? It feels like I’m escaping a place that had caged me forever.The forest is hard to navigate. Unlike the Leighwen pack’s forest, this one lacks any wa
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 40. Sacrifice
Callista.The force of my attack rattles Ruelle, and she immediately transforms back into her human form. She staggers, crying out and clutching her head. I held the tree branch threateningly in front of me, knowing that if I ran now, she’d get the chance to chase me. I need to take her down here and now.“You’re going to pay for that!” She cries out, voice slurry and eyes flashing with anger.But she does not transform into her wolf, although it looks like she’s trying.“Can’t transform back?” I ask, “Too weak? I knew there was a reason you didn’t transform often.” I mock her, “Who’s the weakling now? One swing and you turn back to a human.”“Theon!” She screams at the top of her lungs, “She’s here! She’s attacking me! Help!”But Theon doesn’t answer her calls.Instead, at that exact moment, a large grey wolf bursts into the clearing.For a moment, Ruelle and I gape at the beast.And then we scream because this is not a wolf of the Rexellen pack.Nor is he a sane one.His eyes are bl
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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,
