SHADOW
“Califf!” My eyes bulged out. My heart hammered against my ribcage as a primal, sharp scream tore out from my throat that I could barely recognize was my own.
Lyon and Everlee began shooting the poor skinny black wolf with red bald patches, scally, and it smelled horrible.
Watching Califf’s midnight black wolf being attacked before me scared the living shit out of me. My muscles tensed. A flush of adrenaline tingled through my body.
One moment, I was standing on my two feet. The next thing I knew, my nose was flaring, and I was growling. My claws came out, and my fangs erupted from my gums. I was in my hybrid from stretching my clothes to nearly torn out of my body.
The thought of Califf being bitten had my skin molten. Despite the shots of tranquilizer the black wolf received, he was still pinning Califf about to take a bite.
“No!” I grunted a guttural roar as I grabbed the sick wolf and threw it away. A loud thud followed behind me.
“Alpha, are you okay?”
“Shoot that son of a bitch!” With wide eyes, I ordered Lyon. I slowly sunk back to myself as I stared at my mate still on the ground.
He rushed away while I tended to Califf, still in his wolf form.
“Are you okay?” I talked to him through our link, and I instantly saw the fear and recognition in his voice. “Did he bite you?”
I inspected for wounds or blood, but Califf dipped his nozzle into my neck, purring.
“You’re safe. You’re fine.” I hugged his wolf in relief, trying to control my breathing and my heartbeat.
I tried connecting to Zack. When I managed to get through our link, I was relieved. “Get in here near the compound. We found him. Tell who is free to bring clothes and a stretcher.”
“He’s down,” Lyon announced.
I turned to him. “Don’t let your guard down. Is he in wolf form?”
“No.” He shook his head. “He shifted back. Everlee is with him.”
“Cuff him and make sure he won’t wake up until we put him in confinement. Inform Dr. Sallie to be at the infirmary.”
“Right away, Luna.” Lyon left to cuff Calder.
I faced Califf. “You’d be butt-naked. Can you keep it like that until we reach the compound? Zack and the others are on the way here, but you have to watch Calder.”
Califf’s wolf rose and walked beside me as we checked Calder.
“What happened to him, Shadow? Why is his wolf sick, but he is not?”
“We’ll find out soon enough. Guys are on their way.” I gripped her shoulder as she sat down and put her mate’s head on her thigh. She already covered him with her jacket.
Calder was knocked out cold but breathing. I still tried to wrap my head around what I saw. I didn’t know the Wolfsbane essence had that kind of effect on a wolf, but there could be something else, like viral infection, or even worse, given his blood-red eyes.
“You’re gonna be okay. I promise.” Watching Everlee take care of her mate was something I never imagined. She was a bitch to me when we first met, but right now, she has changed a lot. She became more caring and humane than the selfish bitch I met months ago.
Minutes later, Zack and the guys arrived. They had clothes and a folding stretcher.
“We have to take him, Beta Everlee. Before he wakes up,” Zack said respectfully.
Sam and Preston helped Kairo put Calder on the stretcher. He was heavy because he had the same weight and height as Califf. Then they carried him away.
“Be careful, guys. Keep the tranq with you.”
“I have a sedative with me, Luna,” Preston said.
“All right.”
“I’m coming with you,” Everlee insisted.
“Okay. We’ll be there soon.” I took the pants from Zack. “Keep an eye on him.”
“We’ll be fine.”
I held Zack’s arm before he could walk away and talked to him through the link. I didn’t want Everlee to hear it. “He could be our guy.”
Zack’s eyebrows furrowed.
“The rogue.”
His eyes widened slightly as he nodded.
“Go.”
He joined the guys, and I went to Califf, already running towards the tree.
“Put this on.”
He shifted back with ease, now naked, standing before me. “Thanks.”
“Are you okay?”
He blew a shaky breath before he put the pants on, and he couldn’t look at me anymore. He felt terrible, ashamed, and guilty. “You’ve been right all this time.”
“We don’t do that, Califf.” I grabbed him on his arm. “Look at me.” When he did, all I saw was pain. “It’s not your fault, and we will find a cure. We always find a solution. We always do. Now we have to go and plan our next move.”
“Thanks for saving my naked ass back there.”
“I did not freeze. Thank Goddess,” I told him proudly.
“You did good, baby.” He smiled, but it faded quickly.
We got back to the compound, and some members were out and probably saw the guys with a knockdown Calder.
“Get back to your home. This is none of your concern.”
“Who’s he, Alpha?” Bridget, the redhead asked. Of course, the nosy among everyone.
“We’ll inform you if it concerns the pack. Now, go.”
They retreated one by one.
Duke came with a shirt in his hand, giving it to Califf. “You’re showing off your abs. That’s the reason they’re out.”
I rolled my eyes. “Touché. Thanks, Duke. Where’s Dr. Sallie?”
“Checking up Calder.”
“Keep Kindra away from him.” He put the shirt on.
“What did I miss? Isn’t Calder your brother?” Duke was confused.
“Yes, and probably the killer rogue,” he said in a low voice. “Keep this between us until we have proof, but from what I saw, his wolf is very sick, infected with something.”
“Right. I’ll tell her.”
“Handle the pack. Just let me know if there’s an emergency. This may take a while.”
“No problem.” Duke barely blinked when he walked away.
“We should go.” Califf offered his hand to me, and I gladly took it.
They put Calder in the confinement. Every time I saw this place, it reminded me of my first day here.
Dr. Sallie met us, carrying blood samples and some equipment. “He’s still knocked out cold. I managed to check his vitals. Aside from a rapid heartbeat, everything is normal. I drew a blood sample and will check it out.”
“Make it your top priority. How long before he wakes up?”
“Six hours tops, but it can be earlier if he’s like you, Alpha.”
“Thank you.” Califf’s gaze pinned inside the solitary.
“So they’re mates?”
“Yes, doc.”
“She doesn’t want to leave. If what Lyon told me is true, she should be away from him before he wakes up.”
“I will tell her, Dr. Sallie.” I put on a small smile as I convinced the good doctor.
“I’ll leave you two alone. I need to work on this.”
“Are you okay?” I hugged his arm, but I knew he wasn’t. We shared thoughts, after all, and I could feel his pain right now.
“I don’t know what I feel right now, Shadow. There’s a lot going on in my head.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Alpha.”
He barely nodded.
“Should I call your parents that we found Calder?”
“Yes.” He barely turned to look at me. He focused his gaze back inside the solitary where Everlee was tending to her mate.
I dialed Waylon, and he picked up right away. “Hey.”
“Did you find him?” he quickly asked. I felt the worry in his voice. I guess he also cared for Calder.
“Yes. He’s still unconscious, and we put him in solitary for observation.”
“I will be there shortly. Thank you, Shadow.”
“No problem. See you soon.”
“Luna?” Dr. Sallie’s voice popped into my head.
“Dr. Sallie, what is it?”
“I think you two should come and see this.”