Chapter 51 Caleb
CALEB
The journey home was nothing short of torture.
After attempting to mindlink my guards who are keeping my pack house safe, I knew something was wrong when I heard nothing back. Every single thought evaporated into thin air.
The second I reach my territory and shift back into my human form, I shove on some clothes left a few yards from the house, and approach my guards.
“Why haven’t you been answering me?” I heave as I rush towards the front door.
He stares back at me. “I didn’t get any mindlinks, Alpha. What’s going on?”
“Is my father here?” I bellow.
“No. No one is here. The perimeter has been clear all day.”
Confusion hits me square in the chest as I burst through the house. “Evan?” I call out.
I nearly trip over my own feet as I storm upstairs, continuing to shout his name. My hand presses against my bedroom door, and my eyes fall on my father as he stands over Evan, lying on the floor. Blood is dripping from his nose and mouth, his face battered to the point he’s nearly unrecognisable.
Bile rises up my throat as my father glances over his shoulder at me.
“About time,” he tuts.
“What the fuck have you done?”
I charge towards him, but he thrusts his powers at me, stopping me in my tracks. Every inch of my body tries to fight the forcefield around me, and I growl out in frustration.
“Not so fast,” he says with a devilish grin.
My eyes flick to Evan for a quick second. He’s not moving. He’s not fucking moving. I’m burning inside with hatred and rage, unlike anything I’ve ever felt.
“How long did you plan on keeping this a secret?”
My nostrils flare, and with my anger getting the best of me, I spit, “I never wanted you to find out.”
“Ah, yes. Because you had a plan. You decided to launch an attack on my pack when you thought I’d least expect it,” he says with a sarcastic tone. “You wanted to get rid of me.”
I clench my fists as I attempt to move forward, but I can’t. “We killed them all.”
Ryker shrugs like it’s the least of his worries. “I can always find more, Caleb. They don’t matter to me. They’re just wolves. They’re not important.”
My body rattles at how cold-hearted and brutal he is.
“You think you’re so strong.” He releases a haunting laugh. “But did you know you have snakes in your pack, Caleb? They’re not loyal to you. They tell me all your secrets, including this weak man you call a mate.”
My teeth grit together so tightly my jaw nearly cracks.
“And now, I have to make an example out of you.”
He releases me for a split second before Evan’s lifeless body flies across the room and smashes into the window. He falls from the second floor as glass bursts through the air.
My eyes are burning with tears as I listen to my father release a laugh that can only be described as pure evil.
I dash towards the window before he can stop me.
I jump outside, land on the ledge, and fall onto the side roof.
My feet slip down the tiles harshly as I try to locate Evan in the dark and hold on at the same time.
Without hesitation, I jump, not calculating if it’ll knock me out or break my legs, but I don’t have time to think about the logistics.
My entire body plummets to the ground, and I hit it with force.
For a second, it disorientates me, but I claw my way towards Evan with every last drop of energy I have.
“Fuck, fuck,” I chant as I cradle his broken body in my arms. “Evan? Look at me.”
He’s covered in cuts and bruises, and his eyes are closed. I subtly move my fingers to his neck, searching for a pulse. Praying for one.
Evan, I plead through our mindlink. Talk to me. Please, talk to me.
But I hear nothing back. Complete silence.
A sound of terror escapes my mouth as I study his beaten face.
“He’s probably dead,” Ryker says without an ounce of emotion, jumping down after me. “It’s for the best. Now we can focus on what’s really important.”
There is a sound of paws pounding from behind me, and I know my pack is here.
“Tell them to back off, or you’ll regret it,” Ryker murmurs darkly, eyes flicking to Evan.
Pull back. I order through our mindlink. Stop. Don’t come closer.
Alpha—
Don’t come any closer. That’s a fucking order.
There aren’t enough of us to even think about trying to attack him. Most of them are still miles away after taking out the rest of Ryker’s pack, and without the witches and their spell, we’re hopeless.
My fingers press deeper, and I find a faint pulse. Terrifyingly faint, but a silent breath of relief has me holding onto him.
“What do you want from me?” I growl.
“Well, if he doesn’t die, he will soon.”
I’m trembling uncontrollably as I stare at the man who should have been a father figure, but instead turned out to be a complete monster.
“He’s not done anything to you.”
He hums softly before looming over us as I hold Evan impossibly closer, brushing my fingers through his bloodstained curls as tears threaten my eyes.
“He’s done more than enough.”
“You’re not going to hurt him again,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Won’t I?”
“What do you want from me?” I demand once more.
Ryker sucks in a breath. “You’re going to come with me for the foreseeable future.”
“You really think I’ll come with you after what you’ve done?”
“If you don’t, I’ll make you kill him yourself.”
The urge to lunge at him and rip out his throat is rife, but I refuse to leave Evan vulnerable for a second longer.
“Taking him away from me is only going to make me a shell of a person,” I rasp heavily. “It will destroy me from the inside out.”
Ryker laughs. “Oh, please. Spare me the matebond nonsense. You’re coming with me, and that’s final.”
“Like after mum died, you didn’t break inside,” I spit.
His eyes flare at the sudden change in subject. “That woman was weak.”
“My mother was strong enough to endure everything you did to her.”
Ryker stares at me for a long time before his eyes rest on Evan in my lap.
“You’re not killing him.” I shake my head sternly.
“No…you will.”
All of a sudden, his eyes sharpen, and in the next second, my hand is on Evan’s narrow throat through the forcefulness of his powers. I groan painfully in protest as my hand squeezes around his windpipe, and it’s the most chilling sight I’ve ever seen.
“Stop it,” I shout. “Stop it.”
Evan’s mouth pops open as I feel him attempting to breathe through the suffocation I’m forcing. Tears spread through my eyes as I stare down at my own hand doing the damage, but not being able to move.
My stomach lurches as our matebond fights between us. His face starts to turn purple as his eyes crack an inch, and I release a sound that haunts me.
No. No. No. No. No.
“I’ll–” I choke back the nausea rising through my sternum. “I’ll go with you. Just fucking stop!”
My cheeks are damp with tears, unable to hold in my emotions.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I chant through our mindlink.
But he keeps me still. My hand covers his neck completely, nearly crushing his throat, and I can’t bear another second. I release a bellow as I do everything to drag my hand away, but I can’t.
“I’ll go with you. Stop! Fucking stop!”
Ryker releases my hand, and Evan gasps for a weak breath. I can barely see him through my blurry vision as I hold him to my chest and press kisses to his temple.
I inhale his scent and rest my forehead against his, my tears dripping onto his broken skin.
I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry. My eyes squeeze shut as I exhale a jagged breath.
“Reject him,” he states simply. “And you’ll never see, think, or hear from him again. Do I make myself clear?”
My eyes sting as I raise my head to look up at Ryker. “I-I get to say goodbye,” I gasp through the pain. “I do it on my terms, and I’ll come with you and do whatever you want.”
His eyebrow curls. “Anything I want, huh?”
I fear what it means, but at least I’ll know Evan is okay. To explain to him what’s going on, rather than leaving without saying a word, and fearing for his mental stability.
“You have my word. But Evan stays out of it, and you won’t hurt him again.”
Ryker rolls his tongue over his bottom set of teeth.
“If you even think about trying to run, or outsmart me, I’ll make you do far worse to him than I made you do now,” he says with a deep growl.
“I’ll make you carve him open. I’ll make him watch, and he’ll scream in pain.
The last person he will see is you as you take his life. ”
I can’t fucking breathe at the possibilities that are running through my head.
“I’ll find you, and I’ll make you both pay.”
My breathing comes out ragged as my body starts to vibrate. “We won’t run. Just let me say goodbye.”
Ryker studies me before taking a step backwards. “You have twenty-four hours, and then I’m coming back. I’ll know if you’re planning something, so don’t fucking try it.”
Even if I was, I wouldn’t chance Evan’s life over this. I’ll survive at my father's hands, but I don’t think he will.
He leaves abruptly, and my attention turns back to Evan in my arms as I cradle his face.
“Evan, open your eyes,” I rasp desperately. “Please. Look at me.”
A strangled groan falls from the back of his throat. More tears pour from my eyes.
“Baby, please,” I choke. “Just stay with me.”
I don’t remember the last time I cried this hard, but the tears don’t stop.
Soon, I’m being surrounded by my pack members who are finally returning from our earlier attack.
My face presses into Evan’s throat, and I kiss along the bruising that starts to show on his skin. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’m so fucking sorry.”
I listen to his faint breathing as my pack doctors rush towards us.
“Oh, Goddess,” I hear from behind me.
Evan doesn’t open his eyes; he lies in my arms, lifeless.