Chapter 11
I focused my eyes on Callum's face as I glared daggers at him.
I can't believe I'm allowing this dingus to carry me through the forest. I didn't let anyone carry me around.
And yet here we are... right after he drugged me up.
He had no idea how pissed I was at him and to add to it, he was actively avoiding my glares of death.
The heat that radiated off his bare chest and through the flimsy t-shirt that covered me was however soothing my anger towards him. Not to mention the mix of his intoxicating scent that cleared my haziness.
But I will not let this piece of eye candy deter my anger and plan for revenge.
Which may or may not involve some ice-cream and rope.
And no, not in that way...
"Done killing me with your eyes yet?" Callum asked as he shifted his eyes to me.
"Oh no, I'm going to glare at you for the amount of time that I thought you were dead for."
He snorted, "So little faith in me princess?"
I used my hand that was wrapped around his neck and tapped him upside the head, "Don't princess me. You ran off into a forest filled with rogues as if you were trying to die."
Callum having me a scolding look at my slap to his head, "One, that hurt. Two, I didn't try to die since I didn't know that there are rabid dogs out there. And three, maybe if I had my gun, I wouldn't have almost died."
"You can thank me and my pack for saving you later but as for your gun, I could only guess what you would've done with it if you had it when you drugged me up," I growled at him.
He tensed at my insinuation, "If you really think I would have shot you then you clearly haven't been paying attention since you kidnapped me."
"Paying attention? To which part? The moment you held a gun to my head or the moment you handcuffed me with silver and injected me with some sort of drug?" I rose my eyebrow in question.
"Maybe I should remind you of the reason I'm here in the first place. You took me against my will so I'd say we're about even."
"Except we're not." I retorted. "You manipulated me last night into thinking that you'd actually give this a chance."
"And what exactly is this anyway Everette? Huh? Do you expect me to just sit back and have a family with you when I left everything behind?"
I could see the fire burning behind his eyes and I knew he had a point. But what was I supposed to do? This damn tradition fucked us all and now we're paying for it because good ole Ida thought it was a good idea.
"I didn't expect it to be easy for you but you said-"
"Oh, I meant every word I said, princess." He clarified as he cut me off.
"If you meant everything then why did you leave?" I asked as I tried to conceal the hurt from my voice.
"I told you. The hunters would come after me." He shrugged.
"You mean you left to protect them." I stared at him and his jaw clenched.
"No, I had to leave for everyone's safety."
"And to get away from here," I added stubbornly.
"To protect you." He stated as he looked down at me and I felt my heart flip.
But do I trust him?
You know, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me and all that jazz.
Was he only saying this because he assumes I'd kill him?
Of course, the logical part of me said not to believe him but the dumb ass part felt like he was telling the truth.
"And how do you expect me to believe you?" I asked wearily.
"The same way I'm taking a risk and trying to trust you and your family."
I mean the guy wasn't wrong.
"Earning my trust will take some time..." I pondered as I wearily looked up at him.
"Trust works both way Ev." He said.
"You're right but I can't let you go to the hunters," I told him with finality.
"I-"
"No, Cal. Even if I did trust you, I can't break the rules for you. No one has ever gone back and I'm not about to cave and make you the exception."
"But what if they come looking for me. I won't let your pack kill them." His eyes pierced my own.
"If they've never found us yet then I'm pretty sure they wouldn't find us now."
"And what if they do? It's only a few of us and six hundred wolves."
I could feel his anxiety and I know from experience how it feels to protect the people you love. I had to assure him to put him at ease.
"If... and that's a gigantic 'if'. I would let you talk some sense into them and hold my pack back." I declared as a breath of relief left his lips, "But if they attack us, then I can't keep that promise. The pack comes first."
Well, it used to be before he joined the picture.
Now my priorities were:
1. Keep my idiot alive and
2. Protect the pack.
The Moon Goddess really did had fun pairing people, didn't she?
I could practically see the Chesire grin on her face... if I knew what she looked like.
"And my family comes first to me. I just don't want a repeat of what happened with our parents." He explained.
I nodded, "At least we can agree on that."
"Maybe if you weren't so stubborn, we'd actually agree more." He smirked.
I snorted, "Me? Stubborn? Uh uh. It's the other way around."
He chuckled, "You keep telling yourself that."
"I will." I grinned. "Now tell me why you helped Finn with that rogue."
I felt his body tense and a pained expression on his face, "It just had to be that bastard didn't it?"
"Bastard? Did the rogues hit you on your head... wait, that was me." I gave him a sheepish smile.
"If I'd known it was your best friend," He emphasized, "well I honestly wouldn't have cared to help."
"But you did help because he was a pack member and not a rogue." I pointed out as I smirked on the inside.
Someone's really jealous. And hint; it's not me.
"Semantics." He mumbled. "Why don't I ask you why you wanted me to reject you?"
I gave him an unimpressed look, "Nope, that's not how it works. There's only enough room for one interrogator right now and seeing as you got us in this situation-"
"You mean this situation? Where you took me?" He smirked down at me.
I scolded, "Why didn't you reject me?"
The smirk was wiped off his face as he turned stone serious, "If you want me gone, then I'm sorry to say, but you're going to have to do it yourself."
Pff as if that would actually happen. No matter how pissed I was at him, the pain would swallow me whole and I'd miss his annoying ass.
And his perfect jaw... What? The man's hot, okay.
"It's your choice to leave but you can't just run off into the woods."
He gave me a curious expression, "But what do you want? You've been forced into this situation as much as I have and I feel like no one has asked you what you wanted."
I was surprised by his words because he was right. As the alpha, it was always expected of me to go find my mate and continue this tradition. An archaic method for sure. But now that I've met Callum.
I hadn't regretted my decision to find him, just the manner in which it was done.
"You're right. Continuing the ritual was never something I wanted." I admitted and felt a shift in Callum's emotions but I couldn't exactly pinpoint it since we weren't mated. "But... if I didn't want you around, then I would have just left you today. The possibility of a rogue eating you for breakfast was high."
At my admission, his eyes softened considerably as his arms clutched me a little tighter, "I'm sorry leaving, princess."
I blinked in surprise at his apology, "Yeah well you did almost get yourself killed." I smiled.
And for a brief second, he smiled with me.
A genuine smile that would have had me fainting like some dramatic depiction of a woman in history.
"I'm also sorry for drugging you, I didn't expect you to wake up so soon which is why the drug is still in your system." His eyes held sincerity.
"I guess I should apologize for kidnapping you... but since you're warming up to me..." I grinned and he just rolled his eyes at my lack of apology.
Knock on wood, but it seems like we're making genuine progress.
"So are we good now?" He asked.
"Nope. Still mad at you." He opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off by adding, "I do however think that you're right. We clearly don't trust each other so I have a plan to start building that trust.'
I grinned at him evilly and he looked skeptical.
"I don't like what your face is doing right now." He said with unease.
"Don't worry it's just a little something you can do for me and a little something I can do for you." I wanted to laugh at his surprised expression.
"Well on second thought I may like what you're thinking." He smirked at me with mirth in his eyes, "But you must know, I'm a virg-"
"Eww, no not that you idiot!" I shrieked before hitting him upside the head again. "That was not what I had in mind."
He shrugged with a chuckle but from my position in his arms, I could see the pink tinge of his cheeks, "You insinuated it, princess."
"Let's move away from this topic before I hit you again," I warned as butterflies settled in my stomach.
I wasn't uncomfortable talking about sex but when the guy you like joins the conversation it becomes weird until you're actually ready to hit the sack together.
"To protect the wellbeing of my brain, this conversation is long forgotten."
I sighed in relief but couldn't help but wonder about what he was going to say. Virgin? Was he joking around or was he being dead serious?
Whatever he meant, I was not about to ask and die from embarrassment.
As Callum continued on our journey by feet while whistling, I realized that it would be a rather long walk back since it would probably take us six hours if Callum continued with his slow pace. And I was about to slap him again with his whistling.
"Callum?"
More whistling.
"Callum?"
He went on.
I used my palm and planted it over his lips, "I swear if you don't shut up, I'm either going to kick you or a rogue is going to find us and kill us."
He rolled his eyes at me and I reluctantly removed my hand when he nodded.
"I was enjoying whistling my song since you went silent on me an hour ago."
"What song? It was more disruptive noise." I gave him a serious face but was laughing my butt off on the inside.
"Haha." He grumbled. "Now how far exactly is your pack?"
"Miles from here, so how about you head that direction," I pointed towards his right.
"Why? Are there rogues around?" He asked with brief panic.
"No, my pack members are both in front and behind us. But I can tell everyone is getting tired walking this slowly." I explained.
"Is this way a short cut then?" Cal asked but was then answered when we came across the stream.
"Put me down near the water?" I asked as I motioned forward.
"But you're hurt." He stated the obvious.
"I just need to wash the mud out so that the skin can grow back," I informed him and he gave a disapproving look.
"I'm not a doctor but I think using water from a stream in the middle of the forest to clean a wound isn't exactly the safest method." He expressed.
"Trust me, us wolves aren't affected by much," I assured him.
He hesitated at first but after taking a quick glance at my wound, he obliged by putting me down near the stream.
As I was about to put my leg into the water, Callum surprised me by grabbing my ankle in his hand.
"Let me." He simply said as he cupped some water into the palm of his other hand before splashing it on my wound.
My pain intolerance was rather high so it honestly only felt like a slight sting. My tolerance for embarrassment, however, was extremely low as I attempted to pull the oversized t-shirt down to my knee after it had risen up.
But Callum wasn't even paying attention since his main focus was on my wound.
"I can do that myself." I pointed out as I tried to wiggle my leg out of his grasp.
He fixed his eyes on me with a glare, "Quit that before I hurt your wound."
"You knowing that asking me to stop doing something is like declaring a battle." I grinned as I tried to escape him.
Before I could laugh at his annoyed expression, he pulled me by my ankle until I came face to face with him. Only inches apart with my feet now laying across his folded legs.
I froze as our near proximity. Despite trekking all the way here in his arms, being face to face with him affected me deeper. The way his eyes assessed every inch of my face. The way tiny border of gold around his irises could only be seen from this angle.
The undeniable magnetic pull between us which made me want to kiss him and forget about why we were here in the first place.
Basically I was starting to sound like some hormonal teenager that got some attention from my crush. Boys and girls alike.
"Great, now that you're quiet, how about letting me clean this wound which was caused because I led you out here?"
"Callum I can clean it myself."
He swatted my hand away, "No."
I grumbled as I reluctantly let him wash away the mud until the wound started to heal before our eyes.
"I heal faster than a regular human, but still not this quickly," Callum said as he looked at the wound. "I don't think I'd ever get used to this weirdness."
"Don't think I'd ever get used to a slow human, but to each his own." I laughed jokingly.
"I'd actually say you seem to be warming up to me." He smirked.
I shrugged nonchalantly, "Hmm, we'll see."
My brain, however, was yelling, 'yes you idiot'.
"Unless you tie to a tree of course, then we'll be far gone from creating trust..." He trailed off hinting at his pleasure of my previous threats.
Ohh, if only he knew.
"We'll just have to see about that as well wouldn't we?" I grinned mischevously as I got to my feet easily. My wound was almost healed and I was ready to let my wolf out and get home.
I reached my hand out for his own to which he placed his large palm in my own. The connection was undeniable, that's for sure.
I pulled him to his feet before looking up to him, "Turn around, I'm going to shift."
"Ev you can't-"
"I can and I will. Now turn around so you wouldn't see my lady bits." I waved him away as his eyes went wide at my last words.
Haha, boys were way too easy.
Once Callum had turned to face the other way, I pulled off the t-shirt and shifted into my wolf. The drug had immensely worn off as my mind felt much clearer.
I nudged him with my nose and he turned around to see my wolf.
I stared at him intently but his eyes didn't hold an ounce of fear, trepidation or hate.
"If you think that I'm getting on your back then you're sourly mistaken princess."
I glared at him and released a growl.
"My grandpa raised me better than that princess, I can't climb onto your back." He backed away from me.
I snapped him before aiming my canines towards the leg of his pants.
He sidestepped me before I could grab his pants, "Nope, that's not going to work."
Fine, if that's how he wants to be.
I used one of my front paws and easily pushed him back and luckily for me, he was standing right before a fallen tree trunk.
So he tumbled back and fell on his back. I hopped over his body on all fours and growled at him.
Callum stared at me impassively but reached up to brush his hand on my fur.
As his hands gently passed over my coat of fur, my saliva from my wolf mouth fell onto his face. To which I internally died too.
I'd honestly dig myself a hole and jump in if I wasn't so lazy.
"That was so gross princess." He muttered as he wiped the spitball off his cheek and when I hadn't backed off and more saliva threatened to spill, he finally gave up. "Okay fine, I'll go but you need to stop drooling over me. You can do that in human form."
I rolled my wolf eyes at him but backed off anyways so that we could get going.
Without delay, Callum threw on the t-shirt that I had on and covered his abs from me before gently climbing on my back.
"If I'm too heavy just throw me off okay?" He said uneasily as made himself comfortable. "Also don't go too fast."
I snickered before taking off at full speed.
A/N
Chapter Update: Tomorrow
Hey wolfies :( I know I disappointed you guys this week by not delivering on time and I sincerely apologize for that. I had a few issues to deal with, assignments to complete and then I had to help my grandma out. Plus when I started writing this chapter it went awful so I had to start over. I know it's a bit short but tomorrow I'll try to update again since this update was technically wednesday's chapter.
All I can say is that I'm sorry but also thank you for all the encouraging words and continuous support! ⤠You guys are amazing and thank you again for having patience with me! ð¤
I'm working out my life schedule so that I get back on track with everything so something like this doesn't happen again.
I think Ev and Cal are really starting to warm up to each other and the next update is going to special! Trust me when I say you're going to HAVE to be there.
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-Shania. ð¾