Calliope's Mate - Book 2
Chapter 13

Two years, Calliope thought to herself. She lay quietly in her bed, listening. It’s been nearly two years since Caleb moved to the Royal Moon Pack. And tonight... tonight he turns 18.

Calliope breathed, waiting for the irresistible mate pull. The tables were now about to turn for her and Caleb: she would now fight the mate bond while he didn't. If he got close and their hands touched, she could lose control. For years, she had waited for tonight, waiting for her chance to feel passion and love again. She was waiting for a chance to share her bed and fill her emptiness. But now, everything was overshadowed by fear. By her death, that was to come with a night with Caleb.

She gripped the cover that lay over her. For two years, she tried to soften Caleb, to get him to turn away from his desire to kill her. But she was unsuccessful. Every three months, she watched as Caleb went to meet with his conspirators, plotting her death. He trained relentlessly, growing stronger day by day. The only thing that eased her was that Giizis was still stronger; she could still fight him off.

She took deep breaths as she counted the chimes of a distant clock. Ten... eleven... twelve... he was 18. He would try to come for her, but she wouldn’t mate with him. Not today, not any time soon.

Calliope was at a loss for what to do. There were moments when Caleb was sweet and gentle with her. But she could see the struggle in his eyes. The anger would linger, even when there were hints of love.

She tried to talk to Caleb about the brief war at one point, but he quickly shut her down. Even when she offered to show her memories, he would refuse. She even wanted to tell him the truth, tell him everything. About the war, about Theo, about her gifts. She wanted him to understand, to see her side of things.

She felt defeated. She wondered if she was meant to die. If Caleb killing her would fix things? But then why would Giizis be stronger? Why did the Goddess give her a mate who fought against her? At this moment, she wished she was still blind, with no second chance mate. Things would have been easier for her. But deep down, she knew whatever she was destined for wasn’t easy.

Her ears perked up; she could hear movement in the hall. Caleb. She listened as he tried to open her door, but she locked it hours earlier. She closed her eyes as she inhaled his Juniper scent. As always, his scent warmed her, but it wasn’t a comforting smell on this night. Instead, it gave her worry and concern.

Her pack wouldn’t say anything; they would not point out how they didn’t mate. But his family and Alpha Bennett, they would notice. Indeed, they would say something, even if it is just to him.

Let them, she thought to herself. Let them see his shame as he goes unmated. Until the day he is not a threat to me, we shall remain as such.

She rolled onto her right side, no longer able to see the door. She closed her eyes, pushing the thoughts of her mat away.

Caleb stood on the other side of the door, staring at the locked handle. He wanted to break down her door. He was meant to kill her tonight, but she locked him out instead. He hit his hand on the brick wall, causing a small crack.

He leaned his head against the door, contemplating what to do. But then he took in a deep breath. Lemongrass and sage filled his nose. It smelled so heavenly tonight. For a moment, his mind clouded with arousal. He thought of her body against him, with him. He pulled away from the door with a growl.

Calliope! He yelled at her over mind link. Let me in!

There was no response. He turned away and returned to his room. He paced around for several minutes. He was a disappointment... a failure! With a huff, he left the room and went outside. He shifted and ran towards the east.

Just on the edge of the Royal Moon pack was the abandoned cabin. He had come here every three months to meet with Alpha Bennett and others. He shifted and sat outside, waiting for them to go by the cabin. They weren’t supposed to meet here, but he didn’t want them to go to the palace. He wanted to talk in peace, without fear of others hearing.

He sat there for hours in the dark, waiting. He was so angry that Calliope locked him out. And her scent... he wished he could block it out. Or make it so it was sickening to him. He wanted the thought of touching her to sicken him. But instead, the pull of the mate bond forced him to like her. He wanted to feel the sensations of their touch.

Curse this mate bond! He yelled in his thoughts. I should have rejected her long ago. I was a fool to think I could do this.

He could feel his wolf within him. His wolf yearned for Calliope, for Giizis. He wanted to mate, to claim what was his. But yet, even his wolf seemed to struggle against the anger and rage that had built up all these years. He and his wolf felt like they were being split into two beings. It was painful to breathe; it was painful to think.

His head perked up at a familiar scent. He whistled, calling them over towards him. In the early morning light, he saw three wolves approaching. It was Alpha Bennett and two warrior wolves. Bennett shifted and walked over to him.

“Is it done?” He asked Caleb with a smile.

“I couldn’t even get in the room. She locked me out.” Caleb replied, refusing to look up at his former Alpha.

Bennett frowned and walked over to Caleb. He grabbed his shirt and lifted him to his feet. Their gazes met, but the fury of one overpowered the other. Caleb gripped Bennett’s wrist and pushed him away.

“Don’t you touch me like that! I am the Great Alpha!” Caleb yelled at him.

“You are not the Great Alpha by law without that mark on your shoulder! Why did you not break her door down?”

“And cause the guards to come running to the commotion? Do you think I can make them loyal to me if they watch as I kill their beloved Great Luna?!” Caleb growled as he pushed Bennett further away. “How can I even kill her when part of me feels like it can’t? I feel like I’m falling apart as half of me wants to love her while the other half wants to kill her!”

“That’s why I’m here,” Bennett explained as he took a hesitant step forward. “I told you long ago that if you could not kill her, I would do it for you. That Waylon and so many others would do it for you.”

Caleb sat back on the ground with a hard thud. He covered his face with his hands.

“I’m a failure.” He mumbled.

“You act as if all is lost,” Bennett replied in a gentle but firm tone. “You can still go back there and mate with her.”

“How do I even do that? She locked her door on me!”

“You have a brain in there! Think about it! She has to unlock it at some point.” Bennett said as he knelt beside Caleb. “You listen for her to go into her room tonight, and you push your way in.”

“What if she refuses to even lay with me?”

“Force her. You are a strong man, and she is a weak girl. You rip her clothes off, push her onto that bed, and you fuck her until she relents and marks you.”

“And when I can’t kill her?” Caleb asked as he looked at Bennett.

“Then bring her here. Or call me to you. Or get Waylon. You act like you have no other options, but you have plenty. You can’t let this mate bond pull you down.”

Caleb leaned his head back against the cabin wall. He looked at Bennett and then out towards the trees.

“No, I’ll ask Waylon to help me. You being here or on the edges of the borders for a few days would seem suspicious.”

“Good, you’re starting to think. I’ll head back home. If I don’t hear from you in a month, I’ll meet you right back here, alright?” Bennett asked as he stood straight.

Caleb nodded. He was done talking. He felt broken, and he wanted to be left alone. He watched as Bennett shifted and went back east with his warriors. Caleb sighed and listened to the silence of the woods.

Bennett did not seem as angry as he had expected. He thought he would have scolded him and called him a weak boy. Boy. He had not been called that in so long. He thought of his childhood right after he first met Calliope. But she was so gentle and kind to him when no one else was.

This cabin he leaned against, he remembered his thoughts as a boy about hiding her somewhere, far away. He could still rule; she would be out of sight, but he could still see her. He could still be with her.

He pulled himself up and walked down the trails. He took his time getting back to the palace, weighing his options. His heart felt heavy in his chest.

He walked until he got to his room. He dug through a chest that he had stored away. In it, he found the cloak that Calliope had made him years ago. She had made him another, but he threw it back at her. He held the leather in his hands. It felt smooth and new. He looked inside the cloak at the hand-stitched crest of the Royal Moon pack. He remembered how happy he was to receive this. How happy he was to feel wanted at the time.

He reached back into the chest and pulled out the stuffed white wolf. He hadn’t seen it since he moved here. It no longer smelled of Calliope but of the musk of the chest. He set it on the floor gently. He reached his hand in one last time and pulled out the bone dagger.

He took it from its sheath. He ran his finger along the sharp edge. He could feel the burn on his thumb as he felt the sharp silver. He sheathed it back and tucked the dagger away under his shirt. He put the wolf and cloak back in the chest and shut it.

He stood and went into the hall. He looked around, not seeing anyone. He walked slowly to Calliope’s room. He could smell her scent, but it wasn’t strong. He slowly opened her door and looked around. There was no one in the room.

He walked in and closed the door. He walked to the corner of the bed and tucked the dagger away. He couldn’t have it on him when she came in. He went and sat down in a chair, waiting.

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