7. Calder
Calder
I glared down at the journal in front of me, not quite believing what I’d written. I thought he was cute?! Where the hell had that come from? And the whole mate thing… that couldn’t be right, could it?
I slammed the journal shut with an exasperated sigh.
That’s what happened when I let my thoughts run away before I could inject some sense into the situation.
Clearly I’d not only been neglecting my need for socialization, but I’d also been neglecting my more carnal desires.
Was I really so hard up for sex that I was starting to fantasize about men now? That seemed pretty desperate.
But I couldn’t deny the sense of attraction I’d felt toward him either.
And that, more than anything, concerned me.
Everything about him threw me off. Even more so now that the word “mate” had entered my brain.
No matter what I did, I couldn’t get it to go away.
But that couldn’t be right. I wasn’t gay and he was human, which meant he was off limits.
Even if I wanted to pursue him, which I didn’t, it would mean months and months of work with the Elder Council and the Secret Mate Society to clear him before I could meet him.
Considering I’d already made contact, that would break all the rules and get me in trouble with them both.
The last thing I wanted to do was be in hot water with the governing bodies of the entire supernatural world.
So it was best to just forget about Ethan altogether.
Pushing myself up from the desk, I grabbed the stained napkin with his phone number scrawled on it.
Crumpling it up in my hand, I went to throw it into the trash can.
However, I only made it about halfway before I stopped, glancing down at the paper in my hand.
With a sigh, I uncrumpled it and tucked it into my journal before tossing it back into the desk drawer.
I didn’t have time to think about why I couldn’t bring myself to throw the napkin away right now.
Elias Ageratum, the liaison from the Elder Council, was holding a meeting today.
It seemed there had been another cattle attack and he was calling together other Alpha wolves in the surrounding area to help discover if the rogue wolf at large was the cause.
I was one of those Alphas and if I didn’t stop sitting around overthinking my clear need to get laid, I was going to be late.
Grabbing my keys, I threw on my leather jacket and grabbed my helmet.
It was a nice day, so I figured I’d take my motorcycle.
The meeting was being held at the old abandoned sawmill on the edge of town.
It was a perfect location for supernatural gatherings—remote enough that humans wouldn't stumble upon us accidentally, but central enough for the other packs spread across the county.
As I pulled up to the mill on my bike, I noticed several vehicles already parked in the gravel lot.
I was cutting it close. I hopped off my bike and jogged toward the entrance, my boots crunching on the gravel.
The smell of other wolves hit me before I even reached the door—a mixture of familiar and foreign scents that made my hackles rise instinctively.
Inside, a dozen or so Alphas were gathered in what used to be the main floor of the mill. The machinery had long since been removed, leaving a cavernous space with high ceilings and exposed beams. Perfect for a group of wolves who might need to shift at a moment's notice.
"Ah, Calder. We were wondering where you were," Elias said. Despite his pleasant tone, something about him made my skin itch. Probably because he was a demon. They had that effect on people. “Let’s go ahead and get started then.”
I nodded and took my place among the other Alphas, most of whom I recognized.
Rosalyn Black from the eastern territory, her silver-streaked hair pulled back in a severe bun.
Marcus Delgado from the south, arms crossed over his broad chest. A few others I knew from territory disputes or past collaborations.
"As you all know," Elias began, his voice echoing in the cavernous space, "we've had three cattle mutilations in the past month. The most recent was two nights ago at the Greer farm."
He gestured to a makeshift table where photographs were spread out. I moved closer, my stomach tightening at the gruesome images. The cow had been surgically pulled apart, its entrails scattered across the pasture.
"This doesn't look like a wolf," I said, studying the photos. "The attack pattern is… methodical."
"My thoughts exactly," Elias replied, his eyes—a shade too violet to be human—meeting mine. "Yet the attack pattern matches previous incidents linked to the rogue wolf that’s still on the loose."
"Why?" asked Rosalyn, her British accent clipped with suspicion. “Why would they kill cattle?”
"Only the heart and the liver were missing,” Elias nodded. “It’s quite possible that he’s feeding the beast, trying to keep it under wraps. However, we know he’s killed humans in the past and was pursued heavily. He might be attempting to resist doing it again.”
“Then why not just go buy the meat at a butcher?” Marcus interjected. “Or steal it? Killing cattle draws attention, especially since he keeps going back to the same farm.”
Elias nodded. “The Elder Council and I both agree it’s a strange move. There are far more discreet ways of getting iron-rich meat. We’re not sure if this rogue needs to kill or if he’s doing something else.”
“Something else?” I asked, picking up one of the photos and studying it for a moment. “What else would he be doing?”
“Distracting us from what he’s about to do next,” Elias replied, his voice low.
A chill ran down my spine at his words. If the rogue was causing a distraction, it meant he was planning something big. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, bristling with unease.
"What do we know about this rogue?" I asked, placing the photo back on the table. "Any information on who they might be or what they're after?"
Elias sighed, running a hand through his meticulously styled hair.
"Unfortunately, very little. The Council believes it's a descendant of a wolf that was banished from his pack in the sixties for killing an entire human family. Unfortunately he escaped before the council could punish him for his crimes. We are fairly certain that wolf is now expired. However, there has been some evidence that this wolf had children. Their hunting methods of humans were far too similar and a survivor in the mid nineties reported seeing two monsters, one of them smaller and younger than the other.”
"If you have all this evidence, why haven’t you caught him yet?" Rosalyn's voice was sharp with accusation. "If these wolves have been at this since the sixties, someone's dropping the ball."
"They’re smart," Elias replied. "Moves territories frequently, never stays in one place long enough to establish a pattern. Even now, his appearance in Portland is brand new."
I studied the map Elias had laid out, marking the locations of each cattle attack with red pins. "They're getting closer to Portland," I noted, a knot forming in my stomach. My territory. My people.
"Precisely why we sent letters out to all the Alphas in the area to help us with the search,” Elias nodded.
“The last time this rogue closed in on an area, six humans were killed before we got close. But just when we thought we had him, he disappeared. Now he’s here and we want to corner him before he starts killing people again and risks the exposure of our world. ”
I tried to focus on the threat at hand, but my thoughts briefly flickered to Ethan. If there was a rogue wolf planning something in Portland—possibly targeting humans—I needed to make sure he was safe. The thought came unbidden, surprising me with its intensity.
"So what's the plan?" I asked, pushing thoughts of the attractive journalist aside. "Are we organizing search parties? Setting up patrols?"
Elias nodded. "We need all of you to extend your patrol routes and alert your packs.
Any strange scents, any unusual behaviors from your wolves—I want to know about it immediately.
" He handed out small black devices that looked like pagers.
"These are secure communicators. Use them if you find anything suspicious. "
"What about the humans?" Marcus asked. "Should we warn them?"
"Absolutely not," Elias replied sharply. "The last thing we need is panic or, worse, humans hunting for werewolves. We handle this ourselves, quietly. Nobody outside of your pack needs to know."
The meeting continued with logistics and patrol schedules. I committed the details to memory, my wolf growing restless beneath my skin. This was my territory, and the thought of a rogue threatening it—threatening the people under my protection—made my blood boil.
As the meeting wrapped up, I found myself lingering over the photos once more. Something about them didn't sit right with me. The precision of the cuts, the specific organs taken—it felt ritualistic rather than predatory.
"Something on your mind, Thorne?" Elias's voice startled me. I hadn't noticed him approaching.
"These attacks," I said, tapping one of the photos. "They don't feel like a wolf trying to feed. They feel... purposeful."
Elias's violet eyes narrowed slightly. "The Council has considered that possibility. Which is why we're taking this so seriously." He gathered the photos, slipping them into a folder. "Keep your pack close, Calder. And your eyes open."
I nodded and headed back to my bike, the weight of responsibility settling heavily on my shoulders.
As I straddled my motorcycle, I found myself pulling out my phone, thumb hovering over the keypad.
Before I could think better of it, I entered the number from the napkin into my contacts, recalling it from memory.
Just in case, I told myself. If there was a rogue wolf in Portland potentially targeting humans, I might need to contact the journalist who was investigating the animal attacks and tell him to stay away.
I couldn’t bear the thought of him getting mixed up in all this and getting hurt, but he was already involved.
Then again, maybe I could pump him for information. He was a journalist after all and that meant he’d probably spoken to the farmer directly. He might have information that could help us catch this rogue wolf before he hurt anyone.
Suddenly I had an excuse to call Ethan Murphy. My heart skipped a beat as I began to type. I was doing this for my wolves, for my people, not because I secretly wanted to see him again. At least that’s what I told myself.
It’s Calder. We should meet for coffee sometime. You interested?
The response came almost immediately.
It’s a date <3
I couldn’t help the sudden rush of warmth through my chest. Smile despite myself, I stuffed my phone back into my pocket and pushed on my helmet.
Giving my bike a kick, it roared into life, the clearing filled with the sound of the engine.
Flipping my visor down, I peeled out of the old gravel lot, heading back toward town.
There was a monster on the loose, threatening my people and this new person… whoever he was, and the Alpha wolf inside me wouldn’t stand for that. I was going to protect them, protect him, no matter the cost.