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43. Council
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Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 44.
Callista.“I didn’t kill her,” I reply, trying not to be afraid. Stick to my truth, Haden told me, stick to my innocence. That was what I was planning to do. If I were to die, I’d die innocent.“I called her parents just moments ago.” Says Theon, sounding far too calm. “They were absolutely heartbroken. They asked me how I let that happen to their daughter after they trusted you both with me.”“I didn’t kill my sister,” I fight against the tears and repeat. Stick to my innocence. I need to stick to the truth. “I had no intention of anyone getting hurt.”Theon goes on like I didn’t speak.“I told them it had been sudden, and I’d told her to stay with the pack. But she’d been too worried. About her sister,” He looks at me, with an expression of a damned man. “Her sister wasn’t even her own sister, really. A girl who’d mistreated her for years, a girl who just recently broke her nose, a girl who tried to seduce her mate.”Is it possible to be so angry at one’s mate? It has to be because
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 45. Strength
Callista.The day of the funeral arrives faster than I could blink.I still don’t know what my punishment is. I’ve been kept in the dungeon for the day, thankfully without the dungeon master this time. Nor did I get any visitors. Haden and Kellin don’t come down once, and I fear that they’ve been harmed by Theon for defending me.I get some prison food, for which I’m thankful. At least I’d be able to stand and take my punishment. I don’t sleep, because the dungeon is so nightmare inducing, and I’m just glad that I don’t suffer any panic attacks. The dungeons are cold, so I’m shivering the entire time I’m down there.But no one gives a damn about that.The morning of the funeral, Haden comes down to my cell along with a squad of guards.“It’s time.” He says, his face pinched. “I’m sorry, Callista. But he just won’t listen to reason. We’ve all been trying to get him to back down, but he’s the damned King…”I nod, not knowing what to say.I feel bad for him, as well as Kellin. It’s not t
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 46. Crowd
Callista.It doesn’t take long for the funeral to end.“I changed my mind,” Theon’s voice comes, and I look up at him. The crowd had returned to their places, and the time had come for my judgment. I’ve stood tall through the funeral, and now the time had come to repeat it through whatever it is to come.His face is as hard as ever. No trace of forgiveness can be found there. I don’t think any criminal who faced the Alpha King before had been quite looked at this way.My sister’s pyre smoked behind us, ash flying in breeze into the air, filling the whole place with the stink of smoke. My eyes must be red from standing so close to the pyre. I hope I don’t look like I’d been crying.I don’t speak but wait for him to continue.“I’m not letting you mate with my brother.” He replies.I blink at him, trying to connect that sentence with everything going on now. I’m confused, and a little hopeful. Was that the punishment he’d wanted to give me? Was he reconsidering his stance after hearing h
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 47. Control
Callista.“MY MATE!”Theon, or more specifically, Theon’s wolf roars. I know the difference between the man and wolf already because the Alpha King’s eyes remain amber, signaling that his wolf is controlling his body. The wolf looks around with anger in his eyes, as well as defiance, both against the human as well as the other wolves.“Touch my mate and die!”And then he screams, guttural and seemingly painful, his eyes flashing back into their natural darkness.It’s bizarre to watch him simply switch personalities.“No,” He strains, gritting his teeth, his veins popping, “Give me back control!”Theon clutches at his head with a keen noise as if he is physically fighting against control, and it’s all we can do to stand and watch.Because how are you supposed to intervene between a man and his wolf? They share the same head!Concern and worry take over the terror I’d felt before. I’ve never seen a wolf struggle for control like this. His eyes flashed from dark brown to amber in a worry
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 48. Please
Theon.I’m sitting behind my desk, with my head hung, facing Kellin’s wrath.It’s the least I deserve.“An eighteen-year-old girl!” My Beta thunders, angrier than I’d ever seen him before. “You tried to play with an eighteen-year-old girl’s life. She’s just reached adulthood. She’s not even old enough to drink yet. She should be going to school, not getting caught up in this fucked up situation! And you tried to make a criminal mate with her.”I don’t answer. What can I say to that? The words are harsh, yes, but they are true. I did that. If not for my wolf, I’d have even succeeded.“Bastard.” My wolf snarls inside my head, from behind his usual barrier. It had taken me great effort to break from his hold. Sensing that she was in danger, my wolf had used his maximum power to push me behind the barrier and take control of my body, effectively saving Callista from the prisoners.Prisoners who I’d released on her, who’d descended on her like wolves with prey.I really was a bastard. How
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 49. Gamma likes her.
Theon. The words tumble out of my mouth before I know it. As soon as they do, I know that I said the wrong thing. Again.Kelin blinks for a moment, and I see the exact second, he processes my words and the anger rises again.“You don’t have any right to judge that even if they did like each other!” He fumes, “But no. They’re only friends, and friends care for each other. Especially when one of their mates tries to forcibly mate them.”I stand still, “She’s not my mate.”I might be able to see that I did her wrong, but that’s something I do not believe in. It cannot possibly be true, because if it was, then the crime I had committed is going to have much more gravity than it did before.I’m almost afraid of the possibility that I do not want to consider that at all.“That’s not what your wolf said.” Kellin is suspiciously calm about this.“He’s confused. I’m a widower now so-““You’re not a widower, you never mated with Ruelle,” Kellin points out, exasperated. “Are we still doing this
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 50. Defending
Callista. “We meet again, Callista.”I sit in front of Elias Rexellen in a separate room, staring at the older wolf with equal degrees of fear, pity, and curiosity. I didn’t think I’d get to meet up with him again, at least, not like this.Elias looks alright for a feral wolf. His ankles are still bound to the wall with heavy chains, but he looks showered and groomed, and above all, clothed. He’s wearing a special mask, which was not faulty this time, I made them check that multiple times. He’s weak, I can clearly see it from his hunched posture and the pallor of his skin. If there’s one wolf in this pack that I truly feel for, it’s him. We are both similar in the sense that we’re both imprisoned in this tower because of one man, and neither of us really wants to be here.And neither of us has a choice in this whatsoever.We’re occupying a sitting room in the tower, below both of our rooms. As always, the fireplace is well-lit, and there’s a cup of tea in front of both of us on the t
Once A Luna, Now A Stealer? 51. Revenge?
Callista.“Well, you must be well aware by now that your brother doesn’t have the best opinion of me. So, after you attacked us, Ruelle convinced Theon that I was trying to kill her.”“I presume it was the other way around, given how I remember her dragging you in here.” Elias muses.“I don’t think she wanted to kill me, but she wanted to do something. But Theon thought I was the villain in that situation as well. So he had me taken to the dungeons.” It takes considerable effort for me to sound nonchalant about this. Because the accusations are still fresh in my mind, and given what happened today, smarts like a newly inflicted wound. “But the dungeon master thought that I was sent down there to be tortured when in reality, he just wanted me to be held for interrogation.”For a moment there is silence. Elias blinks, looking like he’s having a problem believing what he’s hearing.“Oh, wow,” Elias sounds baffled. “I can’t believe he did that.”“Me neither, honestly.” A great sense of sa
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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,
