SHADOW
The air suspended in my lungs as Calder’s wolf ran in our direction. I could not sense his anger or predatory tendency in his blue-gray eyes but excitement and contentment.
One thing was for sure- he could be the Pathfinder. I saw his eyes glow yellow for a second.
“Don’t shoot him!” I yelled at the guys when I felt their fear shifting in the air.
Calder threw himself onto Califf and grumbled as if asking to be a pet. Then he licked Califf’s face.
“You, mutt.” Califf pet the back of the black wolf’s ears, making it purr in satisfaction. He then licked him again, causing Califf to laugh. “Stop it. Only my mate is allowed to lick me. Get off of me, Calder.”
Calder made a friendly growl.
“You look great, Calder.” I petted his head.
Before he could come close to me, Califf growled possessively. “Don’t ever fucking lick her, or you and I will have a problem.”
“He has no idea how territorial an Alpha can be,” Kairo remarked.
“Oh, he knows,” Tor replied.
Calder went back to him and snarled.
“Get off of me. Go show your wolf’s ass to your mate, you old dog.” He wiped off where Calder licked him.
His brother ran towards his mate, and I averted my gaze to my handsome mate with a smile on his face.
“Does he know how to shift back?”
“Good question, Kairo. I’m sure he can figure it out,” Lyon replied.
“He did it in one attempt.” Zack joined us. “That’s incredible.”
“Hey, guys. We bring some food,” Preston and Sam came with two food baskets and plastic bags of drinks.
“You’re lifesavers.” Kairo stood up and helped the guys.
I looked at Everlee when she giggled. “We did great, guys. I’m proud of you. We couldn’t do it without your help.”
I picked up my phone and sent a short text to Zarah.
“Glad we could help,” Zack said humbly.
“You both did the heavy lifting,” Lyon uttered.
“We all did,” Califf pointed out as he watched his brother being pet by Everlee.
“It’s impossible.” Lyon turned to glance at Calder. “The stink of his wolf still lingered in my head. And now, look at him. It’s magically cured overnight.”
“We’ve seen impossible things, bro,” stated Zack. “I mean, I almost died. For a second, I thought I saw blinding lights. Then I woke up healed as if I wasn’t swimming with my own blood the other day.”
“Let’s not forget my father.”
“Yeah. That too, Alpha.”
“And the portal thing.” Kairo joined.
“But we still have one big problem.” I raised my hand. “Before you say one problem at a time, I say. One problem solved. We take it as a win.”
“Agreed.” Califf stared at me, “How are we gonna break it to him?”
“Not now,” I replied to our link.
“Alpha,” Kairo called.
I followed where he was looking. Calder was already in human form, butt-naked.
“Good job, Calder.” I quickly covered my eyes.
“Wow. Congratulations, bro. You survived your first shift.”
“It fucking hurt, Cal.”
“He’s decent, baby,” Califf told me.
“Does it always hurt every time I shift?” He and Everlee joined us. “Jesus, how did you guys do it every day?”
“We don’t shift every day, but we’d been doing it for years. So it’s like walking or running. You will get used to it.”
Preston and Sam spread a blanket in the center. Kairo helped them distribute the food on the blanket. There were sandwiches, burgers, fruits, cold cuts, and drinks.
“This is the first time we had a picnic since we came back,” I muttered.
“Yeah. That was a beautiful day,” Zack agreed.
“Before we eat, I just wanna say a few words.” He looked at everyone. “I couldn’t do it without all of you. Calder’s arrival to our pack may be surprising and suspicious, but he is my brother, and it’s not a question if I will risk my life for him. Thank you for all the help. And I know I can count on all of you.” He picked up the beer and raised it. “To Calder and Everlee.”
We ate. And it was really a good day, way better than yesterday when we were running out of time, saving Calder. Right now, all I could think was how grateful I was that these boys were willing to march with us to the battlefield without questions.
“We’d like to stay here for a few days,” Everlee broke the silence, but her gaze was on me.
“Of course. Just inform your alpha.”
“Already did. And Grady approved it.”
“So, Calder. Since you’re fully a werewolf now, are you planning to join our pack?” Kairo wouldn’t just hold back.
“They said the rogue stinks. Do I?”
“You were way stinker-”
Califf cleared his throat, stopping Preston.
“Sorry. Yes. It stinks, especially in wolf form. That’s how we know whether he’s in the pack.”
“Well, to answer your question. Cal is maybe my brother, but I’ll go where she goes.” Calder touched Everlee’s knee. “But I can come here if I’m welcome.”
“You don’t need an invitation. The pack door is always open and welcome for both of you. You’re family. And before you both plan to leave, my parents will be happy if we can get together.”
“I’d love that. Thank you, Cal.”
“No problem. Tomorrow morning, I’ll run with you, brother.”
Calder chuckled, catching the guy’s attention. “Oh, sorry. I used to run a marathon. He thinks he can beat me.”
“Really?” Califf arched a brow. “Well, we’ll find out soon enough.”
“How big is your wolf?”
“Yeah, you don’t remember yesterday,” Califf remembered.
“He’s an Alpha. His wolf is bigger than any of us. He had the same color as yours, but he had a shiny midnight black coat,” Everlee explained to him.
“So, there’s no way I can beat him.”
“In your dream, sir.” Kairo’s response made him laugh.
“Noted.”
My phone rang. When I checked the caller ID, I lifted my gaze to Califf, who had just seen my father calling.
“I forgot to tell him. I’m sure he knows it by now from Zarah.”
“Answer him,”
I answered the call. “Your Majesty.”
“Well, daughter. I take it was a success?” He sounded happy.
“So you’re with Zarah?”
“Yes. She told me.”
“I’m grateful, father.”
“So, should I arrange the ceremony?”
I shut my eyes, groaning silently.
“I take that as a no.”
“We still have a big problem, father, but I will come to you personally once this is over.”
“Then we have an agreement.”
“We do.”
“Tell your father I say thank you,” Calder muttered.
I nodded at him. “And Calder said thank you. He’s cured.”
“Of course, he is. My men are searching for the culprit. Someone is betraying the Conclave.”
“Maybe we can help.”
“We got it covered, daughter. Just focus on your current problem. Call me if you need anything.”
“I will. And tomorrow, I wanna have lunch with you, Zarah, and Grandpa. Califf and I are taking Calder and Everlee. Are you free?”
“Of course, I won’t miss it.”
“Bye, father.” I pursed my lips after I hung up the call.
“Did you just arrange a lunch with your father?”
I met his gaze. “Are you chickening out already, Alpha?”
“Where is your father?” Calder asked.
“He’s in Italy in his palace.”
“Italy,” Calder asked incredulously at his brother. “Then I need to take my passport and arrange the flight.”
“Zarah gets it covered.”
“What do you mean?” Intrigued, Everlee asked.
“She will portal us directly into the palace.”
Calder hadn’t blinked. “No way.”
“You’re kidding. A teleportation portal? That’s impossible.” Everlee’s mouth hung open.
“He doesn’t curse often, does he? It would be a little dramatic with, no fucking way.” Zack chuckled. “Well, I hate to break it to you, Beta Everlee. Anything is possible for a witch. So yes.”
“But let’s keep it between us.”
“Of course,” they agreed.
“And you should learn your gift, Calder,” Califf told him.
“Me?” He blinked in surprise, pointing at himself. “What gift? I have a gift?”
“I think you’re a pathfinder.”