What She Deserved

CHAPTER FOUR

CALLIE

The sun was shining through the window just like the day before. As I opened my eyes softly, a wide smile reached my face as I recalled the day before, it had been perfect. I stretched and yawned before I felt someone shift beside me.

I turned to look at my mate who was staring at me in awe. “Good morning, my love,” I said softly as I placed a kiss on his cheek. He chuckled and pulled me closer to him, my bare torso was touching his and the warmth was comforting, secure.

“Good morning, my heart,” he said as he placed a kiss on my left hand. His eyes stopped for a moment on the rings on my finger and then he turned to me.

I blushed, “I kind of forgot to take them off last night. I was to busy with… more important things.”

Xander laughed and his hug tightened around me. I inhaled his scent deeply; my wolf and I loved the way he smelt like the forest. To everyone, their mates smelt differently, and only true mates would be able to notice what they smelt like. It was a part of the mate bond.

“What do I smell like to you?” I asked suddenly, echoing my thoughts.

Xander chuckled and ran his fingers through my dark hair. “Hmm, well, you smell like peonies to me. I don’t know why but you do.”

My eyes widened as I looked up at my mate, “that’s odd. Peonies are my favorite flower.” Before he could say anything else, I continued, “you smell like the forest to me.”

Xander smiled, “I have always loved going on runs in the forest. I used to go all the time before I became King, now it’s hard finding the time.”

“We should go on a run; it’s been a while since my wolf stretched out her legs. She’s anxious,” I said, and it was true. My wolf had been urging me to shift, once she had almost made us shift in front of the Alpha of a neighboring pack. It had taken all in me to hold her back, but she didn’t like it.

That’s why she ignored me as much as she could. Last night had been the first time I had heard from her in two days. I missed her, but I couldn’t take her on a run right now.

My eyes widened then, I turned to the window and then to Xander. “The sun is up. We are going to be late. I have to go discuss security measures with Mike and Jessica before they go patrol the border and you have that meeting you postponed yesterday.” I was quickly on my feet, rushing to the bathroom to take a shower and looking through my agenda for what I had planned for the day.

Xander’s eyes never left me and when I turned to look at him with a questioning look, I realized I was rushing, n***d in front of him. “Oh, don’t mind me,” he teased, and I grabbed a pillow that had fallen on the floor and threw it at him playfully.

“Stop teasing me, my wolf is on edge and your gaze isn’t helping,” I said slowly as I walked closer to him and placed a kiss on his forehead.

Without a warning, Xander took me by the waist and pulled me back into the bed. I yelped in surprise and my eyes widened. He was looking down at me, his eyes dark and the look on his face made my body shiver with desire and anticipation.

He kissed me deeply but softly. The heat between us was starting to take over and I was starting to feel dazed when Xander pulled away. “Race you to the bathroom,” and in a second, he had disappeared inside the bathroom, leaving me bothered. I sighed and an inevitable shiver ran down my spine. Damn, I am going to need a cold shower.

…

A half an hour later, I was rushing through the mansion with a sandwich in one hand and a big binder on the other. I was starving but I couldn’t stay and join breakfast with the rest of the pack. I was running late.

I arrived five minutes late to the room I was supposed to meet Mike and Jessica in. When I walked in, they were already there and they seemed to be talking over something important but as soon as they saw me, they stopped talking and shared a look.

“I’m sorry I’m late. My alarm didn’t go off as planned,” I said as I took my slightly wet hair and pulled it to one side.

“No worries, Callie. We have plenty of time,” Mike said with a shrug and Jessica nodded, even though I could see she wasn’t convinced.

“Has something happened?” I asked slowly. Both wolves shared a look and shook their heads in unison. “Are you sure?” my voice had grown tense and I could feel my wolf eyes starting to show. My wolf wanted them to submit and tell us what was going on.

From across the table, I heard Mike and Jessica wince almost inaudibly, they were fighting submission until Jessica finally gave in.

“We found something, but we didn’t want to say anything until we knew for sure if it was something we needed to worry about,” she said in a whisper. I motioned for her to go on and she sighed before responding; “Close to the Southern Gate, we started to notice the trees had begun to change color, at first we thought it had to do with the weather but last night while we were on patrol… the trees are all dead, maybe dozens and there’s no explanation for that.”

Mike nodded his head, “and the day before yesterday we found a disturbing scene at the Eastern border. There was a dead mouse, a dead rabbit, and a dead wolf placed in a row from biggest to smallest. That wasn’t a coincidence, we think it was a message.”

The skin at the back of my neck started to prickle. I didn’t like where this conversation was heading. “Do we have anything on cameras? Something to see who is responsible, at least for the deaths of the innocent animals?”

Both of them shook their heads. I sighed and nodded my head, “I thought we had already discussed placing new cameras on the borders.”

Mike nodded his head hesitantly and he looked away uncomfortably.

“Yes, but we hadn’t gotten around to actually installing them. We were missing some pieces, which we bought yesterday.”

My wolf growled and he stiffened, and his wolf instantly submitted. “Mike, I want that done today. We don’t know what is happening and it’s the worst possible time to be unprotected. I am counting on you to help me keep our pack safe,” I growled out and Mike nodded his head, his shoulder slumped like a child who had just been scolded.

Jessica cleared her throat slowly, “um, my Queen, we were going to discuss the rank disputes that have been going on with the newest fighters and trackers.”

I nodded my head but didn’t even bother to open my binder. “Yes, we were, but I think we have a bigger issue at hand. I’ll make sure Rose takes that task this afternoon. Meanwhile, I’d really like to go on the morning patrol with you guys. I want to see what is going on before we decide how to proceed.”

Jessica and Mike nodded. I got to my feet and they followed my lead out of the room. I left my sandwich untouched on the table, I couldn’t eat right now with my wolf on edge. I let out a sigh, we’ve only had months of peace, why couldn’t it last longer?

I don’t like this, those dead animals were obviously a message, but the forest? Are we dealing with another witch? My wolf growled in my mind and I couldn’t help but shrug.

I’m guessing we’ll find out soon enough, I said.

Jessica and Mike flanked me on both sides and when we reached the security tower, there was already a group of trackers and fighters shoving themselves playfully. When they saw us coming, they instantly stood in a neat row awaiting orders silently.

“Good morning pack. I’ll be joining you today on your patrol,” I said once I reached them. Some of the pack members stiffened uncomfortably but didn’t protest.

“Alright, let’s do this in a controlled manner. Dean, Mackenzie, you’ll be on the back, try to look for things that we might have missed. The rest of you,” Jessica said as she looked at the four younger members of the pack with a stern look. “You’ll be in the middle of the group. Today your job will be divided into two; one, keep an eye on our surroundings, once we get past the Eastern border, you’ll go in pairs, a tracker and a fighter. Keep your eyes open for anything. And your second job will be to protect the Queen in case we are attacked, no running back to the mansion if she is still in harm's way. King Xander would have our heads if something happened to her.” The young adults gulped and quickly nodded their heads.

“Good, then we’re all set. Stay together until we get to the Eastern border. We’ll make sure everything is alright in 15 minutes before moving towards the Southern Gate, understood?” Mike asked and everyone nodded.

All heads turned to me then, “okay, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

…

It had been the first time I had shifted in a week. My paws felt sore and my fur uncomfortable but at least I was happy and excited to be able to shift and run after fighting my wolf for a long time.

Finally! I was getting restless in that cage you were keeping me in, my wolf snapped as she stretched her legs until everything moved back in place.

I chuckled in my mind, if you were just patient, we could go on more runs.

My wolf rolled her eyes and trotted to the front of the group where everyone was waiting. My white wolf was slightly bigger than the rest and I saw some of the younger members take a step back as I took my place between Jessica and Mike.

“Helena, I am going on patrol. Don’t worry, I am with your brother and the rest of the patrol group,” I said through the Royal Guardian bond, I was sure that if I didn’t say anything, Helena would come rushing after me, her own safety be damned. None of us knew what was out there and if she were alone, who knew what could happen.

“Thank you for telling me, I was just on my way to find Xander to ask him where you were,” she said, and I felt her relax on the other end of our connection.

Mike let out a sound that sounded like a bark and everyone began to run forward. We ran past the open, Northern Gate, and headed towards the Eastern border. We moved as a synchronized unit; our steps quietly thundered around the walls that surrounded the mansion.

We stopped in front of blood marks that led deep into the forest. Even though the sun was high up in the sky, the light didn’t seem to be filtering into the forest, making it look dark and menacing.

I stepped forwards and the others followed me hesitantly. I made sure to be careful of where I set my paws, there could be traps.

Mike motioned the trackers and fighters to split up. The two groups went through opposite sides of the forest and I felt Jessica and Mike move closer to me. As time passed and we moved further into the woods, I realized the air got colder, I could see my breath in front of me.

“This isn’t normal,” Jessica said with a slight wince and I agreed with her.

The sound of a stick snapping caught our attention, it had come from our left side, next to Jessica. Our bodies stiffened as we expected to see a creature charging at us, or at least a sign of danger. Silence. What followed was hollow silence that made the fur of my back rise.

“Come on, it’s been 15 minutes and if we don’t go back, the others will come looking for us and could get in trouble,” Mike said as he eyed our surroundings uncomfortably.  

I nodded my head and we began to walk in the direction we had come through.

Callieeeeeeeeeeee.

The cold whisper pierced through me as if the person speaking was next to me and at the same time, so far afar. I turned back but the forest was empty.

“Is there something wrong, Callie?” Mike asked as he tried to see what had stopped me.

“Did you hear that?” I asked softly without taking my eyes off the dark trees.

“Hear what?” Jessica said in confusion as she perked her ears higher.

“Nothing. I must be imagining things,” I said and continued walking towards the exit. Wanting to get out of here as soon as possible.

Behind me the voice kept on echoing, the whisper seemed to resonate with each step we took, and I seemed to be the only one able to hear it which only made me more nervous. Only one word was whispered in the silence: Callie.