4. Past & Present Collide

Alpha Callum appeared outside a wooden house in the middle of a forest.

"Pops, where are you?" he called out to his grandpa at the top of his lungs. "Open the door!"

"Grandpaaaa!" he shouted again.

The door of the wooden house opened and an old man in his 70s stepped outside. "Why are you so loud, son?" He protested. "You disturb my meditation time," he grumbled.

"I brought home a patient for you. Remember Clarice in the cottage? She was severely poisoned and she is dying. Please hurry up, save her!" Alpha Callum said urgently.

"Clarice who?" Grandpa Eliezer asked in bewilderment. He knew someone with that name, but that was a long time ago.

"Never mind," Alpha Callum said, rushing to the door.

When Grandpa Eliezer saw the woman's face, he barely recognized her. The woman is dying. It's not the time to ask questions. "Alright, put her in the vacant room on the second floor," he ordered, opening the door wide for his grandson to enter.

Alpha Callum climbed the staircase, entered the first room and gently settled Clarice's unconscious body on the bed. He covered her body with a blanket that he had yanked from the closet near the bathroom. "She's been poisoned for a long time," he explained morosely.

"Is this really Clarice? She doesn't look like her," Grandpa Eliezer mumbled in shock and disbelief, deeply bothered by the sight of the skeletal body lying on the bed. He used to remember Clarice as a healthy, beautiful and kind woman who allowed them to stay in their family cottage in the forest and fed them food generously for several months.

Grandpa Eliezer was in a trance for a few minutes, remembering the most difficult times in their lives after their pack was attacked by a savage pack. They took refuge in a wooden cottage they found in the forest owned by Clarice's family.

"Yeah, she is the one," Alpha Callum replied, sighing as he remembered the dark times and how he met Clarice.

Remembering that his patient was dying, Grandpa Eliezer snapped out of his reverie. "Alright, I'll try my best to save her. Leave the room and stay outside or go somewhere. I need to concentrate on saving her. Just check back later," he said, rushing to the cabinet to remove his healing tool kit.

Alpha Callum sighed heavily. "I'll return in a few minutes, Pops."

"When you return don't forget to bring some clothes for her," Grandpa Eliezer said.

"Noted. Anything else?" Alpha Callum asked.

"That's all for now," Grandpa Eliezer replied. He began to work, assessing the amount of poison his dying patient had ingested into her system. "She already looks dead to me," he commented in astonishment, shaking his head.

"Please save her! I need her alive!" Alpha Callum begged.

"I will do my best, son. Just leave!" Grandpa Eliezer ordered, heading to bed, removing the bottles of medicine from the bag and putting them on the side table. He opened a bottle and put three white-looking tablets into Clarice's mouth.

"Do you need help? Do you need a glass of water?" he offered help.

"No need for water. The anti-poison tablets are a powerful antidote that will melt in her mouth, and will enter her bloodstream and start repairing damage caused by the poison. I hope the tablets will work effectively so we can save her life," Grandpa Eliezer explained grimly.

Alpha Callum took a deep breath. Deep inside, he hoped Clarice would survive or else he would never be able to locate his son's whereabouts. Only Clarice knew that place.

"I'll watch over her and observe how her body reacts to the antidote. You may leave now, son," Grandpa Eliezer ordered.

"OK." Alpha Callum walked to the door and exited, leaving Clarice's fate in his grandfather's hands.

Beta Amir established a mind link with him. 'Alpha, the servant named Lorey is here with me right now. What am I going to do next?'

'Tell her to return to Luna Clarice's room and pack all their stuff, clothes and important things. I'm coming to reunite her with her Luna. Tell her to stay inside the room and lock the door after she finishes packing,' Alpha Callum ordered.

'Copy, Alpha.' Beta Amir replied and ended the mind link.

Alpha Callum went to the kitchen and checked the cupboard to see if his grandpa still had enough food rations left. His old folk wanted to live in the wilderness and be one with nature instead of living with him in his luxurious mansion. He bought this ten-hectare land to give his grandfather a place he could call home. He also erected this two-story wooden brick house, so his grandpa could live comfortably.

The house was surrounded by towering trees and lush vegetation. There was also a beautiful lake nearby. His grandfather loved fishing in the lake and raising sophisticated animals such as chickens and goats as his hobby.

It's the perfect place for nature lovers. He loved coming here to relax and enjoy nature.

He visited his grandfather several times a week and brought him groceries and basic needs.

If Clarice and her maid stay in the place for a long time, he will need to bring more groceries so they will not run out of food.

He went back upstairs and knocked at the door. "I'm leaving, Pops."

"Don't forget to bring her things here. If she survives she will probably stay here for a long time," Grandpa Eliezer replied.

"Got it," Alpha Callum responded loudly and went downstairs to get his jacket.

In the living room, he activated teleportation in his mind and vanished from the house instantly.

A few minutes later, he appeared in his room in Alpha Bruce's mansion. Beta Amir was sitting on a chair, sipping coffee, facing the table.

"Where is the maid?" Alpha Callum asked.

"She told me that she would go back to the room alone because she was afraid other people might see us together, and we would raise suspicions. I think she is right," Beta Amir explained.

"Alright, stay here just in case they ask for me. I'll bring the maid to grandpa's farm," Alpha Callum said.

"Copy, Alpha," Beta Amir replied and continued sipping his coffee.

Alpha Callum initiated teleportation in his mind and vanished from the room in seconds. He appeared inside Clarice's room and the maid almost jumped, startled by his sudden appearance inside the room.

"Do you need help packing?" he asked.

"I'm almost done, Alpha." Lorey answered and ran to the bathroom and scooped the toiletries and put them in a ziplock bag and locked the bag. "I think I'm done!" she said, catching up with her breath as nervousness took a toll on her nerves.

"Alright, I'll take you to where your Luna is staying right now. Just close your eyes and I will bring you to the place using teleportation." Alpha Callum grabbed the three bags and held the maid's right arm. "Close your eyes now," he ordered.

"Copy, Alpha," Lorey replied nervously, closing her eyes. She could only feel relaxed and calm after she left this hellish place.

Alpha Callum initiated teleportation in his mind, and they disappeared instantly from the room.

A moment later, they appeared outside the wooden house in the forest.

The door opened, and Grandpa Eliezer stood in the doorway, holding a mug, drinking his favorite chamomile tea.

"Grandpa, this is Lorey, Clarice's maid. I brought her to safety because if they find out that I smuggled Luna Clarice away from that place, they will kill her. Is it okay if the two women stay here at your place for a few months while Clarice is recovering from poison?" Alpha Callum asked his grandfather's permission.

"No problem. They can stay here as long as they want," Grandpa Eliezer replied cheerfully. "Bring the bags inside," he said, smiling broadly, trying to make the distraught looking maid feel at home in his humble abode.

"Thank you for your kindness, Grandpa," Lorey said gratefully. She deeply appreciated the old man's cheerful attitude. She roamed her eyes around the area, liking the place instantly. The house looks homey, surrounded by thick trees and lush greenery. A perfect place to hide from dangerous people.

Alpha Callum and Lorey enter the wooden house.

"Bring the bags to Clarice's room, son," Grandpa Eliezer ordered.

"How is Clarice?" Alpha Callum asked worriedly.

"It's too soon to say anything positive yet, but I have already fed her my powerful antidote to counter all the poison in her body. Let's wait and see if her body will cooperate. It all depends on how strong her desire to live. Let's hope for the best and prepare for the worst," Grandpa Eliezer explained grimly. He couldn't tell his grandson that Clarice's chances of survival were slim. He doesn't want to dampen his hope yet.

Alpha Callum climbed the staircase, followed by Lorey.

They entered the room and saw Clarice's unconscious body lying on the bed.

Lorey rushed to bed. She couldn't help it, tears sprang from her eyes. For an orphan without a future, family and relatives, Luna Clarice has been kind to her, she's like her older sister. She's afraid of losing her, the only family member she ever had. "Luna... please fight to survive. You have to live for your son!" she said, weeping helplessly.

Alpha Callum cleared his throat. The maid obviously adored her mistress. "After you are done crying, unpack the bags and put the clothes in the closet," he ordered the hysterical girl.

"Copy, Alpha," Lorey replied and continued crying.

Alpha Callum walked to the door.

Grandpa Eliezer stood in the doorway with a raised brow. "Clarice has a son? Where is he? Based on what I heard, she and her husband didn't have a child."

"It's a long story, Pops. Let's go downstairs, and I'll tell you everything," Alpha Callum said, sighing heavily.

The two men went downstairs and settled on the sofa in the living room.

"Where is her son?" Grandpa Eliezer asked curiously. "You told me that Clarice married the Alpha of the Bloodhound Pack, but you didn't tell me that they had a son together. So whose son are you talking about?"

Alpha Callum breathed deeply. "His name is Caden. He is five years old now, and he is my son with Clarice. You remember that I told you before that I got her pregnant and she told me that she aborted the baby because her parents were going to marry her to the Alpha of the Bloodhound Pack..."

"Oh, yes, I remember that day... and you were devastated and heartbroken. You cried like a baby and drank liquor all night long because you didn't want to lose the baby. So... she didn't abort your child? She gave birth to the baby in secret without telling you about the baby's existence?" Grandpa asked in bewilderment.

"That's right, Pops. She hid the baby's existence from me because she eventually married Alpha Bruce the following year," Alpha Callum stated wryly.

"And where is your son right now?" Grandpa inquired excitedly, eager to see his great-grandson.

"That's the problem, Pops. I don't know where Clarice hides our son. All I know is that Caden is alive and well. And I need to find my son and get him, so I can protect him and provide him with a safe place to live," Alpha Callum said thoughtfully, ready to become a loving father to his son.

Grandpa Eliezer smiled. "I'm excited about meeting my great-grandson!"

"That's why you need to do your best to save Clarice's life. She is the only one who can take me to my son," Alpha Callum said in a serious tone. His eyes shimmered with deep longing for the son he didn't know existed all these years without his knowledge.

"As I said earlier, I will try my best. Let's pray to the Moon Goddess that she will save Clarice from the gallows of death," Grandpa Eliezer remarked and patted his grandson's shoulder gently. "I'll go upstairs to check on my patient," he said, getting up from the sofa and climbing the stairs.

Alpha Callum was left alone on the sofa, brooding deeply.

He wondered how his son was doing right now. Did he grow up in a loving family? Did they raise him well?

Sadly, his son grew up without his father's and mother's love. It must have been difficult growing up without his parents' love and guidance. More than ever, he was determined to shower his son with his love.

Once he gets hold of his son, he will never allow anyone to separate them from each other, not even Clarice!

He gritted his teeth in annoyance. How could Clarice cruelly hide Caden from his knowledge for five years? Didn't she feel guilty?

Did she plan to hide Caden's existence from him forever? If he didn't accept the wedding invitation and found out about Clarice's harrowing situation, he wouldn't have discovered his son's existence.

All the events leading him to her are both blessings in disguise.

Is fate trying to bring them back together?

What for?

She married another guy.

And he had already moved on with his life with another woman.

But did he really move on from her memories?

But why did his heart beat tenderly while talking to Clarice earlier? Maybe because he pitied her condition. That's the only answer he can give.

Damn! Not again. She had already hurt him deeply in the past. This time he couldn't allow her to hurt him again.

He gritted his teeth in annoyance.

Getting involved in Clarice's affairs is not going to be easy on his part. He was bombarded with conflicting emotions, creating havoc in his heart, making him restless.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips, visibly shaken by the sudden turn of events. He rubbed his jaw in agitation.

Now that their paths have crossed again, he will try not to succumb to Clarice's bewitching charm again.

Never again!