Chapter 9 Caleb
CALEB
I’ve felt protective before, especially over my pack.
I know what it feels like to shield those who have stood by you for years and shown loyalty to the highest degree.
But I did not expect to feel intense protectiveness the second I saw Evan naked on the ground, covered in blood, and wrapped up in silver.
You’re only feeling this way because you’re mates, I remind myself. Nothing more.
When Zara came screaming with severe injuries, claiming that there were trespassers between our pack territories, I felt my blood boil, but when she told me they had Evan as he had put himself in danger to get her to safety, all I saw was red.
A sensation I didn’t know I could experience so deeply.
The back of my neck started to sweat at the desperation to get to him.
An instinct I couldn’t control. It took over my body, and there wasn’t a single logical thought inside my head.
Before I knew it, I was ripping the pathetic humans apart.
Limb from fucking limb until they were nothing but bones and organs.
As soon as my eyes locked on Evan, curled up on the floor, beaten black and blue, and his skin sizzled from the silver, I knew he needed immediate help. My wolf cried out for him with fear, and our bond tightened inside my chest to the point I could hardly breathe.
Despite putting himself in danger, his bravery didn’t go unnoticed. Except the pup can’t fight to save his life, so it was practically a death sentence. That had my veins nearly bursting with fury.
Once I had his arms wrapped around my neck, I pushed away the tingling sensations that made my head spin. I clenched my jaw and took off towards Jaxon’s pack house without hesitation.
His arms became looser and looser by the second, and if I wasn’t careful, he’d fall off and wound himself further. But I needed to get him the hell out of there in case there were more.
Once we make it into the clearing beside their pack house, I slow down, and Evan falls onto the grass beside me as Ava and Lucy rush to meet us.
“Oh, Goddess,” Ava hisses. “Evan, are you okay?”
Lucy’s arm wraps around his waist to pull him up—a small grunt followed by a nod. I watch him carefully as they drag him inside. My wolf cries at no longer being by his side, but he’s in safe hands now.
I manage to take a slow, deep breath, but it doesn’t calm my racing heart.
Are there more? I demand to Felix.
We’ve been looking. Jaxon’s pack is, too. But nothing so far.
My snout wrinkles. Tell them not to stop looking until it’s been cleared at least three times.
You got it.
After shifting back into my human form and shoving on some clothes, I’m greeted by Jaxon, Felix, and Zara as they head towards the house. Felix has his arm wrapped around Zara protectively as she clutches her hoodie closer to her body.
“Are you okay?” I ask her as I stare down at her healing leg.
Zara nods with glassy eyes. “I’m okay.”
“We should go back to the house, babe,” Felix says as he studies her face. “Get you to the infirmary.”
“I’m fine,” she croaks. “I need to thank Evan, see if he’s okay. It’s the least I can do.”
And he has me to thank for saving his ass before he got himself killed.
“Zar, your leg—”
“I’m fine,” she states. “I’ll heal. I already am.”
Felix releases a long huff but chooses not to press.
“All clear?” I ask.
“So far, yes,” Felix responds. “Still have our guards out there in case.”
“We need to figure out how they managed to sneak onto our land,” Jaxon says with ferocity behind his words. “It could have been far worse.”
We’re close to human towns, and we’ve always tried to keep ourselves protected from outsiders. It’s impossible to stop their curiosity, but when it comes to our livelihoods, we’ll do anything to keep our packs safe.
When we head inside to the kitchen, my gaze automatically gravitates to Evan’s baby blue eyes.
There is blood all over his face, splattered into his blond hair along with dirt and leaves.
A nasty bruise is already forming beneath his eye, and I bite the inside of my cheek at the sight of it.
His fair skin is paler than usual and it makes my stomach churn.
I don’t know why it’s affecting me so much, but seeing him in pain doesn’t fill me with joy.
Of course it wouldn’t. I’m not a monster like my father.
No one wants to see their mate hurt, even if I barely know him.
I still have immense guilt for crashing into him the first time we met, but I couldn’t let him get away.
My hip leans into the counter as I fold my arms over my chest. He’s in one piece, and that calms my wolf down, even if he wants nothing more than to comfort him. But I can’t do that. We can’t be anything more.
Otherwise, I’ll pay the ultimate price.
My skin still tingles with the memory of his touch, fingers through my fur, and his face in the back of my neck—the soft whimper of his breath and the warmth of his body.
I narrow my eyes as they grow heavy, and I try to push the thoughts away.
You need to stay away from him, I shout in my mind.
I’ve put distance between us for a reason, and I can’t fall at the first hurdle.
“Thank you, Evan.” Zara steps forward as she approaches him, and he manages to drag his eyes away from me. “Without you, only the Goddess knows what could have happened. But you should have gone to get help.”
Evan frowns, shaking his head. “I wasn’t going to leave you there.”
Zara’s eyes soften. “You put yourself in danger.”
“You needed help,” he whispers.
“How are you doing?” she asks.
He shrugs. “I’ll survive.”
“I owe you,’ Felix says with a serious tone. “You saved the love of my life. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me.” He shakes his head. “Anyone would have done it.”
Jaxon moves closer before wrapping his arm around his shoulder. “I’ve never underestimated your courage, Evan.”
Evan’s eyes light up despite one of them being bloodshot.
My pulse increases, and even though Jaxon’s my friend, it takes everything I have not to push him away from Evan in that moment. It fills me with a strange sensation after seeing him get hurt, the need to protect and take care of what's—
No. He’s not mine. He can never be mine.
“A true and trustworthy pack member will risk his life for another, especially for someone who isn’t even in our pack.” Jaxon’s expression shows gratitude.
Evan glances from Jaxon to Felix to Zara before landing his eyes on me. Ava gently touches his shoulder, and he glances away as Jaxon approaches my side.
“Let’s go talk upstairs,” he says as I follow.
As soon as we’re inside his office, I lean against the wall as Jaxon takes a seat.
“What’s up with the little pup?” I ask without thinking.
Jaxon is silent for a second. “I presume you mean Evan?”
“Yeah.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can tell he doesn’t belong in your pack. He’s weak. His wolf is barely there.” My anger starts to bubble because if he ever gets himself into a situation like that again, he won’t be able to get himself out of it.
“He’s a lot stronger than you think,” Jaxon says, which takes me by surprise. “He’s been through a lot.”
“Has he?” I pretend to act nonchalant as I glance at Jaxon’s bookshelf.
“Yes.”
“How so?”
My curiosity gets the better of me, and I can’t stop the question from falling from my lips. I know nothing about him, and yet I should keep it that way, but I can’t help myself.
Jaxon releases a soft sigh as he presses his back into his chair.
“Ava was kidnapped by a wolf called Lucien a few years ago. He believed she was his mate and treated her in ways I can’t even put into words.
” Jaxon’s voice strains. “Evan is Lucien’s brother.
He let Ava go. If he never did that, I don’t know if I would have ever met her.
I gave him a rough time at the start because he’s Lucien’s blood, but I’ve come to realise they’re not alike.
Whatsoever. He’s good, even if he doesn’t believe it. ”
I allow myself time to digest his words. “I see.”
“He’s had a tough life. He has no family. He was mistreated. And what he did today proves how brave he is. He might be physically weak, but he has courage, and I know he’d do anything for anyone.”
“Did he get checked over?” I ask.
Even if he has, I already have an itching feeling to go downstairs and make sure he’s okay. But why? I shouldn’t care. I don’t know him. I don’t have an emotional connection to him.
The bond says otherwise.
I’m losing my fucking mind when I thought this would be easier than it is. But no one can prepare you for pushing away your fated mate.
He raises his eyes to me after a few moments. “Yes, the pack doctors took a look at him, but the best thing he can do is rest. He’ll be tired from the silver.”
I merely nod.
“Why are you asking about him?”
“No reason.” I clear my throat. “Just didn’t know he had it in him.”
“We need to figure out if these two guys were alone, and how the hell they got onto our territory without being noticed,” Jaxon states. “We couldn’t find any sign of human scents around our perimeter.”
“Something isn’t right.”
“So we need to involve the district ruler, alert others, and see if they have any information,” Jaxon says as he stands. “Because I’m not allowing anyone to threaten my family and get away with it.”
I stare at him from across the room. “Me, neither.”