Calliope's Mate - Book 2
Chapter 12

Days later, Caleb and Waylon were walking down a trail on the edge of the Royal Moon Pack border. They were on patrol but didn’t want to talk over mind link. They were afraid of Calliope overhearing them. Caleb was frustrated, kicking a rock down the trail as they went.

“She has trained me for a few hours every day, and I can’t seem to get an attack on her,” he complained. “She always finds a way to strike me! I don’t understand!”

“She is old,” Waylon shrugged. “She has been able to fight in her wolf form for a very long time. Maybe you will overpower her with time?”

“I turn 18 in less than two years. I don't have time. What do I do if she shifts into her wolf form before I can kill her?” Caleb questioned. “If I fail to kill her in her human form, she will definitely kill me.”

“Do you think there is plenty of space in her room for her to shift?” Waylon asked.

“I don’t know. I haven’t been in there.”

“If her room isn’t large, maybe she won’t be able to shift? Or if you do it on the bed.” Waylon suggested.

“But again, I still have the problem of what do I do if she shifts? I don’t want to risk killing her if I cannot reasonably protect myself!” Caleb snapped at him.

Waylon was silent, thinking as they walked. He stopped when they came across a small statue of the Moon placed on a tree. These were scattered around the borders, indicating the boundary line. Waylon looked at it and then looked to the sky.

“You’re half sun wolf. What if you train under the new moon? When all there is in the sky are the stars?” Waylon asked. “Sun wolves are strongest during a lunar Eclipse and the new moon. Maybe part of your wolf is still asleep? Like some untapped potential.”

“They say it is hard for young wolves to shift during the new moon. What happens if I can’t even shift?” Caleb asked.

“Then we keep trying until you can,” Waylon replied. “But, let’s just see what happens. Even if nothing changes, extra training isn't going to hurt you. Like you said, you have to get stronger than her.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to try,” he shrugged. “But don’t you think it’ll look suspicious if we go out to train at night?”

“We can just sneak out and go deep into the woods. It’s not like the Great Luna has given you any restrictions.”

“I think that is because she is trying to please me,” Caleb scoffed. “She wants to make up for what she did in the past. Sure, I’ll let her be sweet and caring, but I won’t fall for it.”

“I can’t image how it feels to be trapped under the mate bond. When I eventually come across my mate, I’m rejecting her instantly.” Waylon declared. “I don’t care to share a bed with just any wolf.”

Caleb laughed as they continued down the trail. As they neared the palace, they quieted down. Now that they weren’t talking, Caleb was left with his thoughts. All he could think about was Calliope.

He looked up and noticed her standing on the balcony of her room. He could feel her gaze on him. But he quickly looked away from her. He needed to keep his distance. Training with her was hard enough on him. He had to push his feelings for her further and further down. He had to force himself to ignore the sensations when they touched. But it was hard, so very hard.

“The new moon should be in a week or so,” Caleb whispered as he clenched his fists. He felt that if he could get physically stronger, he could fight his emotions and fight the pull of the mate bond. He was determined to free his people from her tyranny.

Nearly a week later, Caleb and Waylon snuck out of the palace and headed north to a clearing several miles away. They walked in their human forms, trying not to attract guards with their scent. When they got to the meadow, they walked around, ensuring no one was hiding. It wasn’t a large meadow. The grass was dry and brittle under their feet from the summer heat. On the far north side was a creek. It was several feet across and traveled at an angle through the meadow.

Caleb stretched his body, mimicking what he saw Calliope do before shifting. Waylon stepped out towards the center and tried shifting. He hadn’t been 18 but a few months, so he was still considered a young wolf. He grunted as he tried to force himself to shift, but he soon gave up. No matter how much he pushed his body, he couldn't transform into his wolf. But he wasn't surprised by this. It would take him years of practice to be able to shift when the Moon was hidden.

“Well, I can’t do anything.” He sighed as he returned to Caleb. “Are you ready to try?”

Caleb stopped stretching and nodded. He walked out onto the grass. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He tried to pull energy to him as he breathed. He could feel his body become hot as static gathered around him. He slowed his breathing, trying to control his heart rate. With a loud exhale, he shifted.

But this shift was different. It felt weird. His wolf didn’t feel the same. He felt like a different wolf. He howled as the pain increased across his body. When he opened his eyes, he felt taller. He snapped his head to Waylon, who stood there in shock.

Caleb went to walk to him but found only his back legs moved. He looked down and noticed his front legs were more like hands. He stretched his fingers and wiggled them. He clenched them into fists. He then looked down at his feet.

Wait! I'm standing on my back feet! He thought to himself. He turned and ran to the stream. He looked at his reflection. I’m a sun wolf!

He looked back to Waylon. He wanted to mind link him, but then he remembered Calliope. Though they were far away, he couldn’t risk it. Waylon walked over slowly, looking at Caleb in disbelief.

“I don’t understand... how?” He mumbled. He looked over Caleb’s wolf. The color was still the same; he was just in a different form. But his eyes, the dark red, they flickered like a fire on a candle.

Caleb didn’t understand either. A child born between a sun wolf and a moon wolf would have a moon wolf spirit. This was absolute. But suddenly, it wasn’t. He had both a moon wolf and a sun wolf. His moon wolf! Could he shift between the two?

He closed his eyes, thinking about his moon wolf form. He thought of how it felt to be on four legs. He took deep breaths, trying to replicate his moon form in his mind. Static erupted from him as his bones began to break. It sounded like thunder as his wolf transformed from sun wolf to moon wolf.

Once the pain went away, Caleb opened his eyes. He looked down at the familiar paws in the grass. He grew excited and ran around the meadow. Waylon laughed and cheered while Caleb ran. After a moment, Caleb shifted back to his human form.

“I have a sun wolf!” He yelled as he hugged Waylon in celebration.

“You are indeed meant to rule over us!” Waylon exclaimed.

Caleb put his forehead to Waylon’s and grinned.

“My friend, my companion, you were right. I needed to be out here during the new moon to unlock my true strength! I am forever in your debt. Anything you ever want, I’ll give it to you.”

“Just being able to do this alongside you is reward enough for me,” Waylon replied as he gripped Caleb’s shoulders. “We go to the cabin in a few weeks to speak with Bennett and the others. They will be so pleased to hear this.”

Caleb stepped back and howled to the sky. This was it! This was his chance to succeed. Any anxieties he had been feeling, any trepidations, all were now gone. He was the Great Alpha, and he had two wolves.

Calliope closed her eyes, closing off Caleb’s vision. She felt uneasy and sick to her stomach. She opened her eyes and looked at Lea and Paige. They could tell by her face that something was wrong.

“He can dual shift. He has both a sun wolf and a moon wolf.” She explained to them.

“How is that even possible?” Paige questioned.

“I don’t know,” Calliope replied as she shook her head. “I’ve never heard of it. What was the Goddess thinking when she paired us?”

“What do we do?” Lea asked.

“Nothing, for now,” Calliope answered as she looked out the window. “They talked about meeting with Alpha Bennett and others at a cabin. I assume it’ll be others from the Eclipse pack.”

“Do we add extra patrols?”

“On the contrary,” Calliope responded as she smiled. “The night they plan to meet, let’s ensure no patrols are in the area. Let them meet. I want to watch and listen, see what they are planning.”

“Do you think Caleb will be stronger than you now that he has a sun wolf form?”

“I don’t think so,” Calliope answered honestly. “He still has a problem with guarding his weak spots. Add in this new form, and he will need to do extra training. For now, keep giving him space. Just make sure everyone else knows to alert me when Caleb and Waylon leave the palace grounds.”

“I’ll let Blake know,” Lea nodded as she stood. “But Calliope, are you sure letting him sneak off is safe? We know he wants to kill you. If you let him leave to train and talk to others, it puts you at risk.”

“You can’t keep acting sweet to the Great Alpha,” Paige added. “If you allow him interactions with the Eclipse pack, you will never be able to win him over. They are brainwashing him with each conversation.”

“I thank you two for thinking of my safety. But if I restrict his movements, keep him trapped in the palace like a prison, he will hate me more.”

“Him being in a prison keeps you alive, though,” Lea argued.

“If I am meant to die, then I die. If I am meant to live, then I shall live. Whatever the Goddess has fated for me, I shall do.” Calliope said as she looked at her hands. “I am meant to do something in my life. What that is, I don’t know. But I can’t live in fear, as Theo had. He kept me locked here, thinking I was set to die if I left the safety of the palace. But really, it was him all along. Perhaps if he hadn’t lived in fear, I could have gone with him, protected him. But now I have Caleb, and I cannot live in fear of him, no matter what he can do. So, no, I shall not fear Caleb. I will love him, as I should. No matter how hard he pushes, I will be more persistent. Neither of us shall die, I’m sure of it.”

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