Because none of the voices were Sonia.
However he smelled her there and he was going to have a word, or likely several of them, with his queen.
He threw open the door, his mother on his heels and he stopped and stared at the scene.
Ryon, Caleb and Lucien were standing shoulder-to-shoulder at the top of the steps and there were eight of Callum’s guard, four flanking each of the sides.
At a quick glance from Callum, there were in the drive seventy wolves, not his wolves, not his Guard, lined at the bottom facing off, clearly on the offensive, in attack formation against them.
Automatically, Callum assessed the six to one ratio and the fact that this, for his wolves, was not a problem.
Titium, Desdemona’s father, was standing three steps up wearing a face like thunder.
The distant sounds of town still locked in drunken carousing could be heard through the utter silence.
Fucking hell.
Callum noticed Sonia and Leah, both standing close together to the side of the top landing, eyes riveted to the men and Regan moved toward them.
“Nice you could join us,” Ryon remarked dryly.
Callum ignored his cousin and speared Sonia with a glance. Her already pale face grew paler when she caught it and he slid his hand into the pocket of his cords, depositing his mate’s wedding rings there.
Rings he never expected her to take off because first, she fucking shouldn’t and knew she shouldn’t and second, because of how she behaved when he did.
Rings he never expected her to throw in the fire and he couldn’t bloody well imagine why she did.
It was like she’d taken off her claiming chain and thrown it in the fire.
An act which was unforgivable.
He walked between Ryon and Lucien and down three steps toward Titium.
At his bold advance, the entire assemblage tensed and several wolves started to crouch.
He heard Sonia’s intake of breath.
It was only that which made him stop.
“What’s the meaning of this?” he asked Titium.
“I’m challenging you,” Titium replied idiotically and Callum fought back a frustrated sigh.
“Fuck me,” Caleb muttered in annoyance and Titium’s infuriated eyes flashed to Callum’s brother.
“Look at me!” Callum’s voice whipped out like a lash and the tense group tensed further and at once he sensed fear from some of Titium’s wolves.
The smart ones.
However belatedly so as Callum would punish them all for their insurrection.
Titium’s eyes sliced back to him.
“You sequestered my daughter,” Titium accused.
“I did,” Callum agreed.
“It’s unthinkable,” Titium snarled.
Was he mad? He had to know what the crazy bitch had done.
Further, what she hadn’t.
“What’s unthinkable is what her inattention caused, Titium. That’s unthinkable,” Callum stated. “Desdemona should have had worse and you know it, now she’s getting the attention she needs.”
“My daughter is not mad,” Titium declared, visibly working himself up. Still spoiling his daughter and she wasn’t even fucking there.
“She refused to seek her mate,” Callum returned.
“She was a little busy doing her duty for her king!” Titium shot back.
“Not very well,” Callum replied, Titium started to crouch and Callum warned, “You don’t want to do that. She’ll need you when she’s out.”
Titium’s eyes narrowed angrily and he snorted derisively, “You think you can best anyone.”
“That’s because I can,” Callum stated calmly.
Titium’s legs bent deeper. “You –”
“She’s unwell,” Sonia stated from behind them and Callum sensed, rather than saw, Sonia move their way.
That was when he sighed and only just stopped himself from rolling his eyes to the heavens.
After he found out what was in her head this time he was going to smack that sweet ass of hers until it was red for her latest inappropriate behavior.
For now she knew. Mara and Callista had been instructing her on royal protocol, not to mention he had told her on several occasions how she should behave. This might not be official but she knew to keep her mouth shut.
“Sonia, be quiet and stay where you are,” Callum ordered.
She defied him. He heard her boots coming closer as he smelled her scent getting sharper.
Surprisingly, Titium’s eyes moved to Sonia and his face gentled before he said, “My argument is not with you, little queen.”
“I know,” Sonia said softly, stopping wisely just out of arm’s reach of her mate. “But, I saw her, sir. She is not well.”
“She’s crazy as a fucking loon,” Caleb muttered and Sonia twisted.
“Quiet, Caleb, that isn’t helping,” she whispered.
“She is,” Caleb returned.
Sonia sucked in breath and turned back to Titium before resuming. “Callum didn’t want to do it but, you have to know, the results of her… um, lack of concentration were disastrous.”
“There are things you likely don’t know, little queen,” Titium told her.
“I know them.” She was still speaking softly but now her words were pained. “Please, come into the castle. We’ll sit down and talk. This doesn’t need to get heated.”
“It should have gotten heated centuries ago,” Titium replied, Sonia tensed as did Callum.
“Centuries –?” she whispered but Titium kept talking.
“He misused her,” Titium announced, his face hardening and his eyes moving back to Callum and Callum, in preparation, removed his own wedding band and slid it in his pocket with Sonia’s. “As he did many a she-wolf. Misused her knowing how she felt about him and he set her aside and didn’t look back. Not like she was daughter to a warrior but like she was nothing but a paid tart.”
“Enough,” Callum ordered as he felt Sonia’s tension intensify.
“Mac was a decent king, loyal to his mate, like the wolf,” Titium’s voice declared proudly before it turned snide. “You, with your sweet human, won’t last for more than –”
“Enough!” Callum thundered.
Titium started crouching and declared, “It’ll never be enough. Not until you’re brought low.”
“Don’t do this!” Sonia shouted, sensing the escalation, her panic palpable.
“I should have done it ages ago!” Titium shouted, definitely as mad as his daughter and just as adept at hiding it.
“Ry, get Sonia out of here!” Callum demanded as he watched Titium’s skin darken, the change was coming.
And then it happened.
Titium crouched, Callum following and Sonia screamed, “Don’t!”
Both wolves leapt as Sonia moved, faster than any human he’d seen, within a blink of an eye she was between them. Like she was when he was wolf and she was a child, throwing herself in front of him to protect him but this time stopping what would have been face-to-face.
But by the time she arrived, he was no longer there. He’d changed and, to avoid her, at the last second, he leaped over her head.
Titium’s reflexes weren’t as swift and he’d reached out a set of claws through the transformation in an effort at catching Callum unaware.
So by the time Callum landed on a skid at the foot of the steps and turned, Sonia was down, her body facing him. Titium was standing over her as wolf, panting and pawing the step beside her as if trying to help her.
Her head was up, her neck twisted and she was staring at Titium, mouth open in shock.
Then her head turned and Callum saw blood trickling from her temple where it had cracked against the steps and at the sight he growled.
But he didn’t move because her eyes were wide as she gaped at him as wolf, face-to-face with her “puppy”.
Then her expression changed. She winced in pain but Callum knew it was the pain of betrayal.
Titium’s men behind him all shuffled back at the sight of their fallen, bleeding queen.
But Callum didn’t notice.
He howled his fury and his muscles bunched to attack.
However Titium howled as well but Titium’s howl wasn’t fury.
It was the fucking tone of surrender which meant Callum couldn’t bloody well attack when his mouth salivated to tear into the wolf’s throat.
In the seconds that transpired, Ryon, Caleb and the Guard leaped into wolves. Ryon and Caleb were prowling, snarling and circling Sonia’s prone body. Callum’s guard was at the foot of the steps, snapping at Tititum’s men to warn them back.
Lucien, with lightning vampire speed, ran to Sonia, carefully lifted her in his arms and again like a flash, he was up the steps, disappearing into the castle.
Callum, as wolf, bounded after him.
* * * * *
There were way too many fucking people in the room.
Sonia lay on their bed on her belly, her head to the side, her weight pressed into her forearms, cords still on but back bared as Orphenon saw to her.
Younger brother to one of his Guard, Orphenon was also simply a young wolf, being only a century and a half old. But his calling made him a human doctor currently practicing in Glasgow. He’d come to be with his brother for the celebrations, his brother was one of the eight who’d witnessed the scene and after had called Orphenon in for human medical attention.
Luckily, Orphenon had learned that anything could happen anywhere and he brought his doctor’s kit with him to town.
He’d cleansed the wounds at Sonia’s back and head and had injected her to numb the pain as he stitched the claw marks together when she regained consciousness while he was still stitching.
She’d panicked, fear filling her face and started to resist, causing tearing at her stitches when she did so. It took some effort before they could calm her enough for Orphenon to administer her.
However, it was only Leah who could calm her and only Leah who she’d allow to touch her.
Only the human.
His cunning little queen, she could smell the difference in them now.
The rest of them, all of them, including Callum and every last one of his family was in the fucking room, she stared at with wary, silent fear that didn’t even begin to mask the pain she felt at their treachery.
As Orphenon stitched and Leah sat on the side of the bed holding her hand, Callum saw his mate’s mouth get tight. Then he saw Leah start to wince repeatedly as Sonia’s hand squeezed hers with each insertion of the needle.
But she still remained silent.
“She’s feeling it,” Callum growled to the wolf.
Orphenon stopped and leaned closer to Sonia’s ear. “Sonia, do you feel what I’m doing?”
She didn’t speak, simply closed her eyes tight.
Orphenon noted this, his eyes slid to Callum and he muttered, “I’ll administer another dose.”
Callum watched the doctor inject another dose of the anesthetic and Sonia flinch when he did but he spoke to his mother as it was happening.
“Get everyone out of here.”
“Callum, sweetheart, we’re worried and Sonia needs her family close,” Regan demurred and she was right.
In times of trouble for wolf, family would always be there.
“She’s not wolf. She’s uncomfortable with this. Get them out,” Callum ordered.
“Cal –”
Finally, he turned to his mother and barked, “Out!”
Sonia jumped at his tone, the fear in her eyes escalating and Callum gritted his teeth.
“The vampire should remain,” Orphenon noted. “He could be useful. He can monitor her heartbeat.”
At that, Sonia’s eyes widened and she moved, skittering on her forearms up the bed, fleeing and protecting her nudity at the same time she cringed and her eyes flew about the room in a panic trying to source the vampire.
“I can report her heartbeat is erratic, now she knows I’m vampire,” Lucien drawled with irritated dryness.
“Whoops,” Orephenon mumbled. “Didn’t know.”
“Calm, Sonny,” Leah cooed, scooting urgently up the bed with her. “It’s okay. Lucien’s okay. He’s good people. They’re all good people and they’re worried about you. Just calm down and let the doctor see to you.”
Sonia’s eyes moved to Leah. She took in a breath and held it before she let it out and nodded, settling again.
“Regan –” Callum warned.
“All right,” his mother snapped, approached the bed, Sonia’s terrified eyes watched her as she did so and his mate’s body tensed, preparing to flee.
Regan saw it, felt it and her face gentled even as tears filled her eyes. She leaned toward the bed and stopped moving closer.
“Sonny, sweetie, I’m just downstairs if you need anything,” his mother told his mate.
Sonia didn’t reply.
Regan made a sound that was half whimper, half sob. Her wet eyes moved to Callum and then she left.
Callum’s glance sliced to his brethren, his order nonverbal but understood all the same.
Caleb approached the bed next only for Sonia to have the exact same reaction so he stopped.
“Hey sis,” he called in a tender tone and Callum was surprised for he had no idea Caleb even had a tender tone.
However, his words and tone had opposite to the desired effect on Sonia as her expression filled with a different kind of pain and she shut her eyes.
Not deterred, Caleb went on, “It’s doesn’t look bad, darlin’, probably feels it though. You’ll be sparring with Callum again in no time.”
Sonia made no response and kept her eyes closed.
Caleb, too, looked at Callum, jaw clenched and exited the room.
Ryon didn’t approach as Sonia kept her eyes closed.
But he spoke to Callum, “I couldn’t have had any idea she’d learn like that.”
Callum turned cool eyes to his cousin. “Shit always happens, Ryon.” When Ryon’s face grew hard, Callum went on, “But it wasn’t you who didn’t tell her. It was me. You bear no responsibility and you know I’ll sort it. You go down and see how Magnum is handling Titium and his wolves.”
Ryon nodded and with one last glance at Sonia he too left.
When Callum looked back at her, Sonia’s eyes were open and her expression clearly stated she’d heard him and it was doubtful his job of sorting his mistake would be quick and easy.
Callum sighed.
Lucien moved to leave, Orphenon’s head came up and his mouth opened to speak.
Lucien got there before him. “She’s frightened. I’m doing more harm than good being here.”
Orphenon nodded and went back to work. Lucien cut a reassuring look to Callum then a gentle one to his bride then he left as well.
Callum stood at the side of the bed, arms crossed, legs planted wide and watched, impatient as Sonia’s wounds were closed.
Finally, Orphenon clipped the last thread, smoothed some medicine on the wounds and bandaged her back loosely. Throughout this, he spoke in low, comforting doctor’s tones to Sonia even as he cleaned his mess and packed his bag.
The whole time Sonia stared blankly at the pillow or her eyes sought Leah’s for support.
Packed up and ready to go, Orphenon got close to Callum.
“The wounds on her back are deep but still superficial. As you can see, he didn’t even score her with his fourth claw which means the swipe was light.” Callum, who listened to this without looking from Sonia, nodded once. “I’m more concerned about that bump she had to her noggin,” Orphenon announced, clearly a different kind of doctor than Sonia’s specialist for his wording
was meant to be humorous and reassuring. “She was out for a while. You’ll need to wake her frequently in the night. She’ll have a headache which is expected. The pain shouldn’t be extreme and if she experiences dizziness, lethargy, double-vision, I’ll want to know immediately. Yes?”
Sonia watched the doctor the entire time he spoke, her face registering nothing.
“Yes,” Callum agreed tersely.
The doctor went on, “I’ll leave some pain pills with Regan. Once the anesthetic wears off, she’ll experience some discomfort.” Callum felt a muscle jerk in his jaw before Orphenon finished encouragingly, “In a few weeks she’ll be good as new and your queen will dance at your Mating.”
Sonia’s eyes closed again, this time tightly.
“Thank you,” Callum bit out but the words were unintentionally ungracious.
“My pleasure to be of service to my king and my queen,” Orphenon mumbled, took one last look at Sonia and exited the room.
Leah glanced at him and tilted her head, giving him a small smile before she turned and leaned into Sonia.
“I’m going now, Sonny,” she said and Sonia’s eyes flew open.
Sonia looked at Leah then Callum then Leah and she shook her head frantically, clutching tight to Leah’s hand.
Leah brought their hands to her chest and leaned further toward his mate.
“It’s okay. You’re okay. You just need to rest, get some sleep if you can, be with your mate,” Leah told her but Sonia kept shaking her head and Leah’s voice dropped when she continued. “Tomorrow, after you’ve had some rest, we’ll talk. I’ll explain a few things.” Leah grinned at her. “I’ll tell you my story. It’s a good one,” she confided as if sharing an exciting morsel of gossip before she concluded, “But you’ll understand a whole lot more once you’ve heard it.”
Sonia gazed at her new friend then her eyes went blank, she nodded and released Leah’s hand.
Leah bit her lip as she tucked Sonia’s hair behind her ear. Then she sighed, stood and walked to Callum. She touched his hand briefly while giving him another small smile then she walked through the room and closed the door behind her.
Once he heard the click of the door in the latch, Callum moved to the bed.
Sonia lay motionless, all but her eyes which watched him.
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