I titled my head in confusion. “I thought since your mom wasn’t a secret anymore you guys didn’t have to do that.”
Wes shook his head, exasperation clear even on his wolfy face. “Yeah, that’s what I thought too, but he didn’t agree so I left him to it.”
I turned to look toward where the pack houses were. “We were supposed to hang out tonight. Maybe he’d like some company.”
Wes snorted. “Good luck with that. I don’t know what crawled up his ass, but I hope it dies and falls out soon because he’s annoying the shit outta me.”
“Lovely, Wes.”
He laughed, which sounded more like a bark in this form. “Sorry, Callie. Just statin’ the truth.”
“Well, maybe I’ll go over there and see what’s going on with him.”
“You’re braver than me.”
With those ominous words hanging over my head, I took off for the pack houses. When I arrived at the third one, it seemed quiet and lonely. I could hear Nora inside humming tunelessly, but not much else. I walked around the side of the house to the backyard, following the feeling in my belly that told me he was nearby.
“What are you doing here?”
I heard the voice before a small twig snapped right behind me and I spun to find a dark shape coming out of the woods. My heart shot into my throat as the black wolf stepped into the moonlight and I could see it was Wyatt.
“What are you doing? You just scared the crap out of me!” I panted.
“I’m wondering what you’re doing here.”
I stood up a little straighter and tilted my head to the side, sure I’d heard him wrong. “I just came by to see what you were up to. I thought we were supposed to hang out tonight.” My voice sounded small and unsure, which wasn’t like me, but I was having trouble acting normal with his caramel eyes boring into mine like he could see right through me.
“Well, plans have changed.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, “We can hang out here if you’re worried about your mom.”
“No, thanks. I’d rather be by myself tonight.”
I shook my head, positive I’d misunderstood him. “I don’t mind keeping you company. We can even race around the house if you’re in the mood to lose.”
He snorted once and turned his head. “I’d rather not.”
All right, now I was officially confused.
Everything had been fine between us a few hours ago. We’d been laughing and joking like always in the lodge. What happened between then and now to change his attitude so drastically? It couldn’t have been something I did because I hadn’t seen him since then. So, why was he taking it out on me?
The confusion slowly dissipated, leaving annoyance in its wake. “What’s going on with you?”
He kept his face pointed away from me as he answered. “Just seeing things clearer now.”
“What the heck does that mean?”
“Nothing.”
I growled softly. “Of course it means something or you wouldn’t have said it.”
“Callie, I’m really not in the mood to do this with you.”
“Do what?! I’m just trying to have a normal conversation with you! What–”
“Wesley!”
We both went quiet and turned to the sound of approaching footsteps. I just barely held back a snarl when Aubrey stepped out of the shadows. Her light brown eyes raked over me once before she tipped her head in the air and turned to Wyatt.
“Hey, Wes. I was looking for you.”
Wyatt glanced at me before turning back to Aubrey. “I’m Wyatt.”
She laughed, coughing and barking out loud but also giggling in our heads like an idiot. “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s so hard to tell you two apart.”
“It’s really not,” I cut in.
They both looked at me for a moment before turning back to each other. “Anyway, Wyatt, I was looking for you all over.”
“Oh, yeah? For what?”
Aubrey turned to me again, her lip curled to reveal her sharp canines. “Callie, why don’t you run along while I talk to Wyatt?”
My claws dug into the soft dirt beneath me as the hackles rose on my back. I turned to Wyatt, but he was looking in the opposite direction. My eyes darted from him to her and back again until my vision went red and the growl deep in my chest couldn’t be ignored.
“I was in the middle of talking to Wyatt. You can wait your turn.”
Wyatt finally turned his head, but his eyes still wouldn’t meet mine. “That’s okay, we’re done here. I’ll catch you later, Callie.”
Dismissed.
There was no other way to put it.
I’d just been dismissed by Wyatt. And in front of Aubrey, no less.
My chest ached as another growl rose in my throat, but I swallowed it before it could rumble out of me. Without another word, I did one of the hardest things I’d ever done in my life and just walked away.
Another wolf might have argued with him that we weren’t done talking.
Another wolf might have told Aubrey to get lost instead.
And yet another wolf might have ripped off her hind leg and beat her with it, but I was none of those wolves.
I didn’t fight with my claws and teeth, I fought with my intellect and my brain. And right now, they were begging me to find a secluded place where I could lick my metaphoric wounds in peace.
I didn’t know what had gotten into Wyatt, and I didn’t care. I’d been raised to not take crap from anyone, and I wasn’t starting today. If Wyatt wanted Aubrey, he could have her. I was done being jerked around by him. I was done with his hot and cold nonsense. I’d thought we’d gotten past all that, but it was clear I was wrong. I’d thought we were at least friends, but it looked like I’d been wrong about that too.
I just wondered what else I was wrong about.
Wyatt
I tried not to, but my eyes remained glued to Callie as she walked away. My insides twisted and I fought the urge to call out to her. To tell her I hadn’t meant what I’d said. To apologize and let things go back to the way they were.
But the hurt was too deep.
“Wyatt?”
I ripped my eyes off Callie’s retreating figure and focused on the wolf in front of me. Her bitter words back in the lodge spun through my head, but they didn’t hurt half as much as the single head nod Callie had given them.
I didn’t care about Aubrey. Her opinion meant nothing to me. Being called a half-breed by her just rolled off my back because I’d heard it my whole life. If it was going to go cry every time someone pointed out the fact that I was only half wolf, I’d have a permanently tear-stained pillow.
I glanced back toward where I’d last seen Callie, but she was gone. It was probably for the best. The more distance I had from her, the better off I’d be. I just wished all my internal organs agreed. Even now my heart twisted in my chest and my stomach pinched painfully at the thought of losing her.
“Wyatt?” Aubrey sung in my head.
“What do you want?” I grumbled.
She took a half step back, the smile fading from her eyes. “I was just thinking we should spend the full moon together.”
“I’m busy.”
“Then how about tomorrow night?”
“I’m busy then too.”
She huffed loudly and stomped a paw on the soft ground. “When are you not busy?”
I flashed my sharp teeth at her. “As far as you’re concerned, I’m permanently busy.”
She gasped loudly in my head and I rolled my eyes as I turned away.
“Are you kidding me right now? Are you really turning me down?”
“Looks that way.”
She was quiet for a moment and I should have known that didn’t mean she was giving up, it meant she was gearing up. “I don’t know who you think you are, but no one turns me down. You’re lucky I’m even giving you a chance.”
My laugh was bitter as I spun around to pin her with a glare. “Why? Because I’m just a half-breed?
You know what, Aubrey? Why don’t you do me a favor and don’t do me any favors? I don’t need them from you.”
She was quiet again and if I’d have been smart, I would have walked away before she opened her mouth again, but I apparently, I wasn’t.
“Why? You think you have a shot with Princess Callie?” She laughed in my head, but there was nothing happy about it. “Good luck, buddy. No sister of the alpha is gonna wanna be seen with a half-breed.”
“Shut up and go away, Aubrey.”
“That is who you’re holding out for, isn’t it?” She laughed again, this time louder and more vicious than before. “Save your energy for someone who won’t be embarrassed to be mated to you. I don’t know who that’ll be though. No self-respecting wolf would ever think about getting serious with someone like you.”
“Aubrey, I’m warning you. Walk away before I make you walk away.”
She chuckled again but started backing up as she did. “Good luck with the princess. You’ll need it.”
I watched her retreat into the dark night too, but unlike when Callie left, I was happy to see her go. With a shake of my fur, I turned around and stared into the dark woods, hoping I’d find an answer there.
Or if not an answer, at least a nudge in the right direction.
Aubrey’s words were on repeat in my head, but all they did was join the things I’d already been telling myself for years.
That I wasn’t good enough.
That no one would want to be with me.
That I was just wasting my time with Callie because she’d never really consider me as anything more than a friend.
It didn’t matter that we had this crazy connection. She wasn’t for me and I needed to accept that and move on.
The best thing for me would be to cut all ties before it became any harder for me. Even now, the thought of losing her was like a sharp, hot knife to my chest. If I thought there was any way around completely removing her from my life, I’d do it in a heartbeat, but there wasn’t.
If I couldn’t have all of Callie, I couldn’t have any of Callie. That was just the way it would have to be from now on.
Chapter 23
Wyatt
“Hey, Carter! You plannin’ on workin’ another eight?”
I shook my head and reached out to mentally respond to Huxley, my relief. “Nah, I think sixteen hours in a row is enough for me. I can barely feel my paws.”
“Then get your narrow ass back to the lodge so I can relieve you.”
I finished my route and did as he asked, pumping my tired legs as fast as they’d go after being so exerted for so long.
When I made it back to the clearing behind the lodge, I found Huxley, Mathias, and Clyde standing around waiting for me. I trotted up to them and plopped down with a loud huff.
“Man, I really thought you were gonna go for the full twenty-four. What’s gotten into you?” Huxley asked.
“Just got nothin’ else better to do.”
“You mean no one else better to do, right?”
He and Mathias erupted into loud, barking laughter at my expense, but I let them. What these idiots found to entertain themselves with was the least of my concerns.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that too,” I conceded.
“Really? A guy like you can’t get a single piece of tail in this pack? I don’t believe it. What about Aubrey? I saw her sniffin’ around your ass the other day.”
Anger surged in my veins at the mention of her, but I tamped it down. “That’s a hard pass, brother.”
“Well, you’d be the first,” Mathias said, which sent all three of them into more barking laughter.
I started to reply when a loud howl from deep in the woods interrupted all of us. As one, we turned to the sound, each of us on alert.
“That sounded like Abraham,” Clyde said first.
We looked at each other before we all leapt into action. Despite my fatigue, I led the pack as I raced around tree trunks and over treacherous roots on my way to the source of the howl. Soon, I picked up Abraham’s scent and followed it to a small clearing where I found the alpha.
He was in human form, his arms full of what looked like a half-naked woman. My stomach sank as I realized it must be another victim of the serial killer. Another woman we failed to save.
“She’s alive.”
My eyes jumped to Abraham’s as excitement raced through my veins.
“I don’t know for how much longer though, I need to get her to Doc. Calvin took off after the wolf who did this. Clyde, I need you to delegate to whoever’s around right now. Calvin might need your help.”
Abraham took off into the woods as Clyde turned to us and took charge. “Me and Mathias are gonna go after Calvin. Huxley, you tail Abraham and make sure he gets back to the lodge safe.” He turned to me, exasperation written all over his wolfy face. “And for the love of fuck, Carter, go home. You’re makin’ me tired just thinkin’ about your sorry ass.”
“But I can help.”
He started to reply when a pair of thundering paws met our ears and we all cocked our heads to the side. “Who is that?” I asked.
Clyde shook his head, tail straight in the air. “I don’t know, but he’s comin’ in hot.”
We watched the woods silently as the sound came closer and closer until a gray wolf burst through the trees, headed straight for us.
“Calvin, what are you doing back here? I thought you were following the killer,” Clyde called to his brother.
Calvin came to a stop right outside our group and we all shifted to envelope him in our conversation. “Yeah, I was, but I lost his scent at the road. He must have gotten in a car.”
“You sure are out of breath. You losin’ your edge, McCoy?”
“I don’t know, Hux. Why don’t you ask your mom about my stamina?”
The group of wolves howled with laughter and even I let loose a few chuckles at Huxley’s expense. It wasn’t often someone got the best of him.
“Yeah, yeah. Fuck off all of you.”
Calvin turned to me next, his eyes wide with what looked like excitement. “Speaking of moms, too bad yours is so old, Carter. I’ve been really diggin’ human chicks lately.”
My hackles rose slightly, but I did my best to keep my cool. “Sorry, you’ll just have to disappoint a different woman in bed, Calvin.”
The clearing erupted in barking humor again, but I’d already sobered up.
“I can’t believe he struck again. This one was sooner than the last.”
Huxley shook his head slowly. “He’s accelerating, but why?”
We all stood there quietly as the gravity of the situation mounted on all our shoulders. Finally, Clyde shook out his coat and spoke up again.
“Me and Mathias are gonna go follow the trail anyway. See if there’s anything that was missed. Huxley, you start your patrol. Wyatt, go the fuck home.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said. I’d go home just as soon as I found out what was going on at the lodge.
Huxley and I took off through the woods back towards pack lands. When we got closer, we broke apart. He headed straight for the lodge while I veered toward my house and the pile of clothes I’d left near our back fence.
Once I was shifted and dressed, I left behind my bed that was calling my name and turned toward the lodge. Every step that brought me closer to where I knew she had to be was more difficult than the last.
I’d worked really hard these past few days to make sure I was too busy to miss her, but it wasn’t working. It felt like I’d lost a limb. Something vital to my survival. It didn’t matter how busy I was, or how exhausted I was, or how many extra shifts I picked up. I missed Callie and there was no denying it. Even to myself.
I stepped through the sliding glass door and found the kitchen surprisingly empty. Figuring they must be up in Abraham’s wing, I climbed the stairs and reached the third floor just as Callie and Del were coming out of Abraham’s room.
Callie froze in place, her hand still
on the doorknob, but Del didn’t seem to notice.
“How you doin’, tall, blond, and handsome?”
Despite my efforts, I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. “Hey, Del. How are you? How’s the human?”
She cocked a hip and placed a hand on it. My eyes darted from Callie to Del and back again as one took over the conversation and one looked like she was trying to disappear into the wallpaper.
“I’m doin’ better than that poor girl is, but then again, she’s doin’ better than the other women we’ve found out there, so I guess it’s all relative.”
Most of my attention was still focused on Callie. Her chin was tipped in the air and her face was pointed away from me, but this was still the first time I’d seen her in days, and I was soaking it up. My gaze raked across her face and down her body, wishing I could memorize her with more than just my eyes.
“Wyatt?”
I shook my head and glanced at Del again, who was looking between Callie and me, suspicion all over her face.
“Yeah. Relative. Right. Do we even know her name?”
“Abey said it’s Elizabeth, but he didn’t get much else from her.” Del’s eyes narrowed further. “Anyway, I wouldn’t try to get anywhere near her right now. Abraham’s being extra protective for some reason.”
“Okay, yeah. I just wanted to see if there was any news.”
Del shot one more glance over her shoulder at her sister before shrugging and walking past me. “I’ll leave you weirdos to be weird together.”
Callie stumbled forward a step, her hand reaching out for her sister. “No, wait. I’m coming with you.”
“Actually, could I talk to you for a minute?” The words fell out of my mouth without my permission, but I couldn’t take them back now. Not that I wanted to.
Despite knowing how Callie felt about wolves like me, I couldn’t deny I still wanted her. I would have thought knowing she was just as prejudiced as all the women before her would curb my desire, but it didn’t even dent it.
It turned out I didn’t care as much about her opinion as I did about spending time with her.
It turned out I still wanted her any way I could have her.
Chasing Callie (Southern Werewolf Sisters Book 1) Page 19