CALIFF
“So, how’s she?” Zack asked behind the tree while I was wearing my pants.
Eventually, I had to go back home. I had a pack that needed me, and I couldn’t keep Duke doing my Alpha job when he had a job on his own and a pregnant mate to care for.
When Sebastien told me Shadow needed space, I didn’t know she went too far. He wouldn’t tell me where he was keeping my wife. Without her near me, my wolf was extremely on edge and agitated that I had to go for a run twice a day, or I would wolf out involuntarily.
“How would I know, Zack?” Agitated, I growled at him. I put my shirt on and walked back to the compound. “It had been three weeks since I left Italy, and I heard nothing from her, and her father was on trips and not answering my call.”
In the following moments of silence, Zack said, “Maybe she won’t talk to you, but she will talk to me.”
I blinked at him. Why I hadn’t thought of that? “Then go find her. What took you so long to get this idea, and let me know if she’s okay. Take whatever you need. I’ll send extra cash to your account. And I want updates.”
“I’ll see you soon, Alpha.” Zack left quickly.
I had just entered the pack house when I caught the smell of my brother.
“What are you doing here, Calder?” I chuckled as I gestured to his style in his shirt and pants, his jacket hanging over his shoulder with his messenger bag. “What happened to the college professor?”
“This is the first time I see you smile in a while, brother.”
My face fell, but I was quickly engulfed with a hug. It somehow made me a little better.
“How’s Everlee?”
“She’s fine. She wanted to come, but she has to take care of pack business while Alpha Grady is on a business trip.”
“So, you’re here to check up on me? I’m touched, Calder.”
“Don’t be a pain in the ass, but I’m here to tell you that I’m making progress with my training with Alexander.”
“That’s good to know.”
“I take it Shadow isn’t back yet. Given how you look and your diet plan works well.” He inspected me from head to toe.
I averted my gaze, sighing heavily. “She’s been away for weeks, almost a month, and her father won’t tell me where she is. Maybe your gift can figure out where the hell is Shadow.”
“I know where.”
“How do you know?” With my heart pounding in my chest in excitement, I stared at him. Hope surged inside me.
“My gift, remember?”
“So what now? You can find someone like it appears a dot on the map.”
“Kidding.” He laughed. “Alexander told me and didn’t say that I shouldn’t tell anyone. Just don’t give up on her.”
“I’m not.”
“She’s just hurting right now. Losing her wolf, her gift, and not a hybrid anymore is just too much for her. Everything she is is gone, Cal, and those things that made her who she is, they’re gone. She completely lost her identity.”
“I don’t have plans on giving up on her, either our marriage, Calder. I wish she would just let me in and stop pushing me away. But I will always be here for her, waiting.”
“Shadow is afraid of rejection, and your pack would see her differently than before, just like when she was a rogue. And every time she saw all of you, you were shoving everything to her face— it was a sucker punch, a slap of reality to her, and right now, the sympathy she sees only hurts her instead of helping her recover. We are a constant reminder of what she lost. Just give her time.”
I drew a heavy breath. “What do you think I’ve been doing? I can’t help but think that she might decide to give up on us, and I don’t want another surprise to see a divorce notice from her on my desk.”
Calder looked at me with a deep sympathy shining in his eyes. “Why do you think she’s mad at you? Because she still loves you, and she feels like pushing you away will lessen the burden you’re carrying.”
“I don’t know, brother.” I shook my head in desperation. “Every time I woke up, the side of her bed was empty, and there’s always an emptiness, a hollow deep in my chest, and it hurts a lot, knowing she’s out there, enduring the pain alone. And I missed her every day, every night.”
“I’m so sorry you two have to go through all this pain. I wish I could do something, but I’m hopeless as you are, Cal. Any progress finding who’s responsible for this?”
I shook my head. It put me on edge, knowing I was losing all my patience. All the trails went cold, and that fucker Sebastien was keeping wouldn’t tell a shit, as if he was innocent as he said he was, but I’d never been allowed to talk to him, which pissed me off. Maybe if I were the one torturing him, he would speak, but Sebastien was adamant about keeping that fucker locked up and alive.
“Well, we will find them. Anyway, here’s the address.”
My phone buzzed. “Got it.”
I linked Zack. “Come to the pack house. We’re leaving. Take some extra clothes with you.”
“I have to go. Unlike you both, you have a witch. Me, I have to drive back to my apartment.”
“Appreciate the effort, bro. Take care.”
“You too. Extend my regards to Shadow.” Calder walked out of the pack house, and I heard his car leaving.
Zack came in, already changed to a T-shirt and jeans with a backpack. “You’re coming with me?”
“Got the address from Calder.”
“Yeah. I met him here. He’s not coming with us?”
“No.”
“Wait here. I’ll go change.”
I went up, quickly showered, and put on decent clothes.
I dialed Zarah. I knew her devotion would always remain to Shadow, but I needed my mate, or I would rather jump off the cliff than live without her in my life.
“What is it, Califf? I’m busy.”
“Busy hiding my mate? Portal me to the address I sent to your inbox.” I grabbed the duffel on the bed.
She breathed through her nose, clearly irritated. “How did you get this address?”
“Does it matter? Wait. You’ve known where she has been all this time, and you didn’t tell me? Do you know what weeks had been for me, Zarah? I’d been in hell the entire fucking time.”