43. Calder
Calder
I was back to pounding the streets before Ageratum was even out of my sight. Ethan, my mate, was missing and I had to find him. I had no other choice. The wolf inside me wouldn’t rest until I had him back in my arms again. I just hoped it wasn’t too late.
What little scent trail I could find led me deeper into Portland's maze of narrow streets and alleys. My wolf was screaming at me to shift, to hunt properly, but I couldn't risk it in broad daylight. I was already in enough trouble as it was.
Every few steps, I stopped to inhale deeply, searching for any trace of him among the urban chaos.
Car exhaust, fried food, and wet pavement was all I found.
I could scent everything but what I needed.
My chest felt like it was being crushed in a vise and with every step it became harder to breathe without Ethan beside me.
"Come on, come on," I muttered, pressing my palms against my temples. Think like Ethan. Where would he go when he was scared and hurt?
My phone buzzed. Trevor.
"Anything?" I answered immediately.
"Pack's covering the waterfront. No sign of him yet." His voice was tight with concern. "Patrick's checking the bus station. How about you?"
"Blood trail went cold three blocks back." I kicked a trash can in frustration, sending it clattering across the alley. "He's just... gone."
"Calder, man, we'll find him. I promise."
I wanted to believe him. Gods, I wanted to believe him. But with every passing minute, my hope was slipping away like water through my fingers.
I ended the call and kept moving, my eyes scanning every doorway, every shadow. The sun was climbing higher now, warming the autumn air, but I felt nothing but cold dread seeping into my bones.
Then I caught it. Just a whisper of his scent, carried on the breeze. Sweet and earthy, mixed with copper. It was blood. My heart stuttered.
I broke into a sprint, following the trail with renewed urgency. It led me toward the industrial district, away from the shops and restaurants. The buildings here were older, abandoned and crumbling. Perfect hunting grounds for a rogue.
My wolf surged forward, demanding I let him take control. I gritted my teeth against the pressure, feeling my canines lengthen slightly before I forced them back. Not yet. Not yet.
But when I came around the corner I stopped dead in my tracks. There was a body lying just off the edge of a derelict parking lot. But it wasn’t Ethan’s. It was a racoon that looked like it had been struck by a car.
I felt tears sting at the corners of my eyes. I was so jumpy, desperate, and terrified of what I might find that I’d completely ignored the scent. It was old and definitely not human.
“C’mon,” I muttered, turning away from the carcass. “Focus.”
However, I didn’t make it another dozen steps before the air around me suddenly shifted.
The unmistakable tang of magic filled the air.
The wind picked up, swirling around me until it formed a small tornado of leaves and debris.
Then, just as quickly as it had come, it disappeared, the leaves drifting lazily back to the earth.
But I wasn’t alone anymore. Six figures stood around me, each of them wearing full-length white cloaks with their hoods pulled up.
Some were tall, some short, some bulky, and some seemed to barely be clinging to their physical form.
I realized, with a jolt of terror, that I was standing in front of nearly half of the Elder Council.
They’d found me.
“Alpha Thorne,” the figure in front of me barked, his voice deep and commanding. “Ageratum has delivered his report.”
It wasn’t a question. It was a statement of my guilt, of my complete disregard for the set of rules upon which the supernatural world operated. And judging by the tone of the elder’s voice, the council wasn’t happy about it.
I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my ribs as I stared at the hooded figures surrounding me.
The air crackled with ancient power, making my skin prickle and my wolf whine in submission.
These weren't just any supernatural beings.
These were the ones who made the rules, who decided who lived and who died.
"I understand," I said, keeping my voice as steady as I could manage. "But I need to find him first. Please."
The figure who had spoken stepped closer, and I caught a glimpse of pale skin beneath the hood.
"You need?" The voice dripped with disdain.
"You need nothing, Alpha Thorne. You have broken our most sacred laws.
Taken an unapproved human mate. Allowed him to discover our existence. Endangered us all."
"He's in danger," I insisted, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. "The rogue has him. If we don't find him soon—"
"Then your problem will solve itself," another voice interrupted, this one female and cold as ice. "The human will be dead, and we can return to maintaining the secrecy that has protected our kind for millennia."
My wolf surged forward at those words, and I felt my eyes flash gold. "He's my mate. I won't let him die."
"Your mate." The word was spoken with such contempt it felt like a physical blow.
"You bonded with a human without permission, without consideration for the consequences.
Did you think we wouldn't find out? Did you think there wouldn't be repercussions? The Secret Mate Society exists for a reason, not for you to do whatever you wish.”
I had known, of course. I'd known from the moment I first caught Ethan's scent, felt that unmistakable pull of the mate bond. But I'd been selfish, desperate, unable to resist the connection between us.
"I'll accept any punishment," I said, dropping to one knee in a show of submission that made my wolf howl in protest. "Whatever you decide. But please, help me find him first. He's innocent in all this."
"Innocent?" A third voice, this one raspy and ancient, spoke up. "He has evidence of our existence. Photographs, documents spanning decades. How is that innocent?"
"That wasn't his fault," I argued, keeping my gaze fixed on the ground. "His father was killed by the rogue when he was fourteen. He's been trying to understand what happened, to find closure. He never meant to threaten anyone."
"Intent is irrelevant," the first voice said. "The result is the same. He knows too much."
I felt my chest constrict, panic clawing at my throat. They were going to kill him. Even if I found him, even if I saved him from the rogue, the Council would order his execution. And there was nothing I could do to stop them.
"There has to be another way," I pleaded, hating how desperate I sounded but unable to stop myself. "Memory modification, relocation… anything that will keep him alive.”
I watched as the hooded figures exchanged glances, though their faces remained hidden in shadow. The silence stretched between us, their judgement making the air heavy. My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin, wanting to fight, to flee, to do anything but kneel here while Ethan was in danger.
"Memory modification is not without risk," the female voice finally said. "Especially with someone who has been so... deeply involved with one of us. The mate bond complicates things."
"I don't care about the risks," I said quickly, hope flaring in my chest. "Whatever needs to be done—"
"You misunderstand, Alpha Thorne." The rasping ancient voice cut me off. "The risk is not to him. It is to our secrecy. If the modification fails, if fragments remain, he becomes an even greater threat. One who knows just enough to be dangerous but not enough to understand the consequences."
My heart sank. They were looking for reasons to refuse, not ways to help.
"Then let me take him away," I said, desperation making my voice crack. "Far from here. Somewhere remote where he can't possibly threaten anyone. I'll give up my pack, my territory, everything. Just let him live."
"Noble," the first voice said, though there was no warmth in it. "But ultimately futile. The rogue will not stop hunting him. You know this. The creature has fixated on your mate, following him for years. We have no idea why, but clearly distance means nothing to this creature’s obsession."
It was true. The rogue had tracked Ethan from New York to Maine, had murdered his father and now Jake. It wouldn't stop until Ethan was dead, no matter where we ran.
"Then let me kill it," I growled, my patience fraying. "Give me some resources, backup, whatever I need to end the rogue. Once it's dead, Ethan will be safe."
"And still in possession of dangerous knowledge," another voice chimed in.
“I don’t fucking care!” I cried, my anger getting the better of me as I rose to my feet. “My mate is in danger! I will save him whether you approve of it or not!”
“Alpha Thorne, this is most irregular—”
“That rogue has murdered several people, some in broad daylight, in the last month alone,” I barked, cutting them off.
“Are you going to stand here and tell me that this council cares more about a human with some pictures than a rogue werewolf kidnapping and murdering in the middle of a city?” I glanced at each one in turn.
“The papers are buzzing, the cops know something strange is happening, and this rogue put the entire city on a curfew. The humans are already talking and if you don’t help me stop this monster, everyone is going to find out our secret anyway.
” I threw up my arms in frustration. “And yet nearly half the council is wasting time, standing in an alley to give me a talking to instead of protecting our secret world that you seem to care so much about.”
Silence met my outburst and for a moment, I thought maybe I’d gone too far. But I stood my ground. Nothing I said was untrue. The Council clearly had its priorities mixed up and I wasn’t going to stand for it anymore.
The first hooded figure stepped closer, and I tensed, ready for whatever came next. But instead of condemnation, I heard something unexpected in his voice.
"You have courage, Alpha Thorne," he said. "Foolish courage, perhaps, but courage nonetheless."
"I don't need courage," I shot back. "I need help finding my mate before that monster kills him."
The female voice spoke again, softer this time. "The rogue is indeed a problem we have neglected too long. Perhaps... the Alpha has a point."
My heart leaped. Were they actually listening to me?
"The human has already been exposed," the ancient raspy voice mused. "Whether we eliminate him or modify his memories, the damage to our secrecy remains the same. But the rogue..." There was a pause. "The rogue threatens us all with every kill."
"Then help me destroy him," I pressed, sensing an opening. "Give me permission to do whatever it takes. I'll end this threat, and then we can deal with... the other matter."
The hooded figures conferred among themselves in whispers too low for even my enhanced hearing to catch. I stood there, fists clenched, every second feeling like an eternity while Ethan was out there somewhere, hurt and terrified.
Finally, the first figure turned back to me. "We will grant you permission. Find your mate. Kill the rogue. Then you will present yourself and the human to the full Council for judgment."
"That's not—"
"That is all we can offer," he interrupted, his tone brooking no argument. "Take it or face immediate sanctions."
I swallowed hard. It wasn't much, but it was something. A chance. That was all I needed.
"I accept," I said.
"Then go," the female voice said. "But know this, Alpha Thorne. If you fail, if the rogue escapes or if your human's knowledge spreads, the consequences will be severe. Not just for you, but for your entire pack."
The threat hung in the air like a blade over my neck. Trevor, Patrick, everyone I cared about would pay for my mistakes.
"I understand," I managed.
The wind picked up again, swirling leaves and debris around the hooded figures. When it died down, they were gone, vanished as if they'd never been there at all. I was alone in the alley once more, my heart pounding and my mind racing.
I pulled out my phone and immediately called Trevor.
"The Council found me," I said as soon as he answered.
"Shit. Are you okay?"
"For now. They're giving me a chance to fix this." I started moving again, my feet carrying me deeper into the industrial district. "But we need to find Ethan fast. Where are you?"
“At the waterfront.” Trevor’s voice went quiet. “And Calder… we… we found a body.”
I felt my heart turn over, terror welling up inside me.
“And Ethan’s clothes.”