Slowly she focuses on me, and a world of pain I don’t understand faces me. Not of the body. But of the soul, and it nearly cripples me.
“I killed him,” she whispers and starts to tremble. “I felt him go.”
There’s a finality to her words that reaches past death, and a cold shiver runs up my spine. She is a being that can create life… or destroy it.
The howls grow closer as the pack seeks out their new Alpha... and answers. I bundle her in my arms bridal style and carry her to the Tahoe, carefully putting her in the passenger seat. I don’t know where I should take her next, but it has to be away from here where the Alpha’s scent still lingers.
I’m paralyzed with indecision on where to go to next when I hear the faint sound of my phone vibrating. Searching behind the car, I find my discarded jeans buried under several branches of thick pine. In the front pocket is my phone with a severe crack across the screen, partially obscuring the caller ID.
After swiping to answer, I hold my phone between my ear and shoulder, while shaking some of the debris from my jeans.
“Connor?” Kaleb speaks from the other side when he notices the ringing sound has stopped.
I grunt in affirmation, wincing as I climb back into my jeans that have pine needles, dirt, and sap stuck everywhere. Callie may be too out of it now to notice I’m naked, but when she comes to, I don’t think she’d appreciate it if she found me in the buff. And until I can get cleaned up, no way am I putting on the clean sweats I have in my clothes bag.
“The demons are dead,” Kaleb continues, used to my non-answer answers. “Everyone is okay. It’s safe to bring Callie home.”
“On my way,” I reply, not bothering to ask for details, as more howls blanket the night.
∞∞∞
When I roll to a stop behind Donovan’s truck, Callie climbs out without a word. Through the entire drive, she’s been here and not. Awake but not all there. I’m hoping that either her aunt or one of the guys will know what to do.
I follow her across the yard that is covered in blood and ash, finding Donovan and Nolan sitting on the edge of the porch, covered in crusted blood. As they lean into each other, they look as frighteningly lost as Callie does, neither one recognizing we’re even here.What the hell happened?
Kaleb and Felix emerge from around the back of the house and thankfully look coherent. Kaleb looks battle worn, carrying a decently sized shovel and covered in his fair share of blood, dirt, and ash, while Felix looks troubled. Before they can say anything, Callie is through the front door, leaving it wide open, and I can hear the soft shushing of her bare feet climbing the stairs.
“What happened?” Kaleb asks, his gaze first following Callie into the house then over my dirt and blood covered body.
“The Alpha,” I answer, stopping at the base of the porch steps. “He’s dead.”
This is enough to pull Donovan and Nolan out of their haze, and all four of the guys stare at me with wide eyes.
Felix’s gaze bounces from me to the open door and back, what he wants to know stuck on his lips.
“You kill him?” Donovan asks bluntly, lips pressed tight and aqua eyes burning.
I fractionally shake my head no, but out loud, I answer, “I killed him. I’m the new Alpha.”
“Can’t say I’m sorry he’s dead, but I know you never wanted this. I’m sorry for that,” Nolan murmurs before he slumps heavily against Donovan. D winces as he wraps one arm around his shoulders.
“What happened with Callie?” Felix demands, marching up to me, his hazel eyes digging into mine. “You were supposed to help her. Protect her.”
“Felix,” Kaleb barks, startling all of us with how harshly the name shoots past his lips. “He did what he could, and she’s alive.”
“Then why did she walk through here looking half dead?” Felix accuses, his gaze asking the real question:If you did what you could, then why did she kill the Alpha?
I want to be angry or indignant, but he’s right. I’m supposed to be the guardian, yet she saved us both.
“Oh for fuck’s sake, simmer down, ghost boy,” Donovan grunts, glaring at both of us, “and no fucking guilt trip moping wolf, either. Stop treating Callie like she’s goddamn glass that’ll fucking shatter the moment one of us isn’t around to protect her. She’s seen some shit. She’s dealing with some shit. Let her take a fucking breath before we’re climbing up each other’s asses, alright?”
“Too easy,” Nolan mutters with a suppressed smile.
Felix being Felix can’t help but snort, and he calms down. Staring at his feet, he apologizes, “I’m sorry I got all over you. I just can’t… you know, and it’s frustrating when she’s upset.”
I shrug the universal sign of‘don’t worry about it.’
Kaleb walks the few feet into the light cast through the windows of the house, and whispers quietly to Felix, “Why don’t you go check on Callie and see if she’d like you to sit with her? As important as it is to let her… take a breath… I don’t think it’s a good idea for her to be alone.”
