CALIFF
“So you mean to say. It’s not an option?” My hopes just crumbled down. My plan was a complete waste.
“Yeah,” Marcus confirmed it. “Unless you abandon this compound because it’s completely contaminated with silver nitrate in the air, water, soil, and trees. Everything. If not, we will all die.”
“What do you have in mind then?”
“Dart gun with silver nitrate solution, or silver bullets, but you know the effect. I can wire an IED outside the compound and mix it with silver, but like I said, it’s hard to clean up. Or we will stick to plain Semtex. Your choice, Alpha.”
“Santi is upgrading the security system. I’m adding cameras and sensors, but it’s only an alert. The rest of that, we have to fight if they’re coming to us as a threat. I may have allies, but it will take minutes to hours before they arrive.”
“Just IED then, plain Semtex. Where can we buy it?”
“I’ll take care of that, Marcus.”
“Let me know when it arrives so that I can start planting it. I may need assistants, Alpha.”
“That wouldn’t be a problem. Give me a list of materials you need.”
“I will, Alpha. Thank you.”
Preston escorted him outside my office. I started working on the money transfer. Thankfully, my company had international subsidiaries. Even though I paid taxes, traceable payments for questionable items could hold my bank accounts-this was where my connections and associates came in. I sent fifty thousand dollars to the man I trusted with underground contacts.
“Any news?” I asked Duke the moment he walked in. I promised Shadow that I wouldn’t disturb her. I trusted her, but not the witch I had never met.
“You should have answered Zack’s call.” He grabbed my phone, facing down on the desk.
I took it and saw missed calls from Zack. Shit.
Our link had limits. Miles away wouldn’t work anymore. I quickly returned the call.
“Alpha, she’s just entered the gate, and I can’t get through.”
“She entered the gate alone?” I was already snarling. Today was not a good day for me.
“Yeah. She got through it, but I couldn’t. She tried coming out, but she’s trapped inside, and I can’t protect her. There’s some kind of-”
“Spell.”
“Yeah. That fucking witch!”
“Test it. Try throwing rocks. If it works, only werewolves or uninvited can’t come in. Is Shadow okay?” My stomach twisted with dread. She was maybe strong, but she was with a witch with powers she hadn’t explored yet.
“Yeah, she was fine when she got in the house. The stone got through. I tried calling her, but that house also has no service. How is it even possible?”
“She’s a witch, Zack. Like Faes, they’re powerful and make you see things that don’t exist. They can trap you in their illusions. Maybe you should break her window or something to catch her attention. Call me if she’s not back in ten minutes, and I’m coming to you.”
“That’s what I have in mind. I’m useless. I can’t even protect her. What’s my purpose if I just lead her to the trap?”
“She wants this. I can’t stop her even if I want to. She’ll do it anyway. So I have to trust her on this.”
“Okay, Alpha. I’ll call you back once I have an update.”
“Be here soon.”
“What does she want with a witch?” Duke asked as soon as I hung up the call.
“Her mother is a witch.”
“What?” Duke was shocked as he took the liberty to sit before my desk. “Really? How did you know?”
“She told me, and not only that?”
“What? She’s a half-fae, too?”
I chuckled. “Oh, no. She’s not a werewolf.”
“But she smells like a werewolf. Then what is she?”
“Guys saw her hybrid form. I did it, too. Her father is a Lycan.”
His eyes grew bigger. “You’re kidding?”
I shook my head. “I’m still wrapping my head around that she can transform into a hybrid, which is only in our storybook, Duke. I have a theory that she might be a werewolf-witch hybrid because her wolf is big and white, but never in a million years have I thought of her as a descendant of Lycans.”
“Yeah. Me too. I’d never met one of her kind. I guess we’re lucky enough to see one. And you’re a lucky bastard, Cal. How does it feel?”
“Surreal.” I chuckled. “Hence the disobeying, always meeting me in the eye. It’s not that she wants to do it and take orders or resist. It’s in her nature to be authoritative and give orders.”
“Not to mention how strong she is. She cracked the ground.”
“Yeah, that too.”
“Wow. A lycan.”
***
“Why aren’t they back yet?” I checked the time as I kept pacing in the living room. “She said they’re on the way.”
“That was just twenty minutes ago, Alpha,” Tor said nonchalantly.
“It’s past dinner. They can be hungry and grab a burger or something.” Kairo shrugged his shoulders. “I wish I was there, though. I like road trips, you know.”
“Really?” Tor gave him a side-eye. “Have you/
watched movies like Texas Chainsaw, The Wrong Turn, and Final Destinations?”
“They’re just movies, man-pure entertainment. Like us, some believe Ninjas are just a myth. What could be worse than meeting a werewolf, right?”
“I’m still asking how those humans made novels and movies like The Wolfman and Underworld. How did they know about us?” Tor turned to glance at Lyon walking in our way.
“Probably a human mate shared their romance with writers. You know. Otherwise, how did they come up with closer descriptions of us? They just went overboard with us when it comes to the killer instinct that makes us the bad guys.
“You two are done?” Lyon slumped his ass on the couch with a bottle of beer in his hand.
“You’re drinking alone?” Kairo narrowed his eyes.
“You got your paycheck. Buy for yourself, at least. Not just for your hair.”
Kairo touched his jelled spiky-hair. “A fan of Naruto.”
Lyon was half amused, half annoyed as he shook his head. “You might as well dye your hair, Kairo.”
“Once you question your own belief, it’s over.”
“Okay. Enough of Naruto reference.” Tor stood up. I felt his gaze on me. “Kairo, let’s go check the road.”
“Maybe that hacker guy can find the GPS of Zack’s car?”
“You all sit down. We’ll wait for them to arrive. Have patience, and think positive for once.” Just as Lyon finished his words, we heard a car approaching.
“That’s them. I recognize the engine.”
“You’re a car expert, too?” Tor narrowed his eyes at Kairo.
“My grandparents sell cars, dickhead.” He went first ahead of us to the front door. “See, I’m right.”
“It’s because they’re the only persons still out during curfew, dumbass.”
I went past them. Zack had just rounded to the passenger’s seat to open a door when he noticed me. “Alpha, she fell asleep.” She must be exhausted. It was eight hours of travel back and forth anyway. At least she accomplished something today. Unlike me, my plans just went to the bin.
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
“I’ll take her up. Park the car and get some rest.” I unlatched her seatbelt and carried her.
“I’ll take her things, Zack,” Lyon offered, following me inside the house.
Before I got to climb upstairs, Zack opened the link for me. “Will you please ask her what happened in that witch’s house? She barely talked after she got in the car. I’m worried about her.”
“I will. Thank you for bringing her back to me safe, Zack.”
Lyon opened the door to my bedroom. Once I got inside, he placed the backpack beside the door and closed it behind him.
I placed Shadow in bed, taking her shoes off. She stirred slightly, wearing a frown on her forehead. I swiped the hair away from her forehead and kissed her.
“Califf?”
“Hey.” I traced a finger on her cheek. “It’s okay. We’ll talk tomorrow. Get some sleep.”
“I don’t wanna sleep.”
“It’s okay, baby. I’m still here when you wake up.”
“Promise?”
“Yes, baby.” I pressed my lips against her. “Sleep tight.”
I might have fallen asleep beside her when I was supposed to watch her. I woke up to feel her gaze on me, making me smile.
“Did I snore?”
“You look so peaceful and cute and less scary, Alpha.” She took me by surprise, coming on top of me and showering me with kisses.
I wrapped my arms around her and rolled us over. “I missed you, baby. I was worried, but I promised not to bombard you with calls.”
“I missed you too. And thank you for honoring your promise. I can’t wait to see your mark on me.” Her words made me stiffen in a good fucking way. “With all the shits going on around us, let’s make it official. I’m done hiding. I can do something more when they see me as their future Luna. And to hell, those who don’t see me as a pack member. I need to be by your side to face the threats coming our way.”
“Are you sure this is what you want?” I was shocked with a sudden change of heart. My mind went to Zack’s words. What if she found out something that scared her? What if she was planning on something?
“You don’t sound so happy about it?” There was a hint of pain in her voice that hurt me. She didn’t know that I’d been dying to see my mark on her and show the world that she was mine.
“Are you fucking kidding me? I’ve wanted to mark you since the first time I laid an eye on you. I just wanna make sure it has nothing to do with your errand.”
“On the other thought, I changed my mind.” She tried to push me off of her. She was upset. I just upset her.
“No. We’re doing it as long as it’s what you want.” I took my shirt off. “Just wanna remind you once you have my mark, you can’t undo it.”
“Do you think I don’t know that?” Her eyes narrowed, clearly pissed off.
“Fine.” I ripped her shirt off her body, and the sound of a cloth tearing echoed in the room.
“Will you stop ripping my shirt? This was my favorite.” She looked down at her torn shirt still on her body. You can just undress me like a human does, make it even sexier, seductive even.”
“You know me that I’m not human.” I unbuttoned, dragged the zip of her pants down, and pulled them off her hips, out of her legs until she was on her torn shirt, bra, and panties.
“I’m still shocked at how can you turn me on?”
I got out of bed and began stripping off my jeans. “Get naked, baby, because this is gonna be a long night.”
“Promises. Promises.” She rolled her eyes before she removed her torn shirt and took off her necklace, which I didn’t notice earlier. She then unhooked her bra, pulled her panties down her feet, and threw them on the floor. She was stark naked before me, so beautiful, sexy, and the hottest thing I’d ever seen.
My cock just turned to hard stone, the hardest that I’d ever been.
I licked my dry lips and swallowed hard as anticipation started burning my skin.
“What are you waiting for? Take that damn thing off your body. We don’t have all night, Alpha,” she said as she cupped her tits.
“Well, damn. That’s fucking hot.”