Max: Night, angel.
Zeke: Night, sweetheart.
Lucian: Goodnight, baby.
Me: Night, Callie bear.
I toss and turn all night, trying to prepare myself for what's to come tomorrow. All it does is irritate me more than usual.
Callyn
After I messaged the boys last night, it got me thinking. I wasn’t pay attention to anything around me. I was just focused on Cat. But, I have an idea that I hope they are willing to try. The best part is we can do this in the hallway, and no one will be the wiser. The boys always come to my locker in the morning, and that is where I am waiting for them. It doesn’t take long before they appear.
“Angel, you are looking mighty fine today.” Max leans down and gives me a quick peck on the cheek.
The rest of them mumble their good mornings. It’s weird not having them pick me up in the mornings, but Mrs. Donaldson goes by the school every morning on her way to work. It just made sense to have her take me. The boys give me a ride home, and when I move back to my house, they’ll go back to picking me up in the mornings.
“Hey, guys. So, after I got off the phone with you, it made me wonder if I felt anything change around me at the training center.” I have their full attention now. “I wasn’t paying attention, so I didn’t notice anything. But, I have a little experiment we can do right now in the hallway.” At the mention of an experiment Lucian really perks up.
“Please, go on.”
“So, I want you guys to think about the same thing you were thinking when you were watching me fight. Focus all that energy on me.” I can tell the moment that they do. The energy around me shifts. It’s subtle, so subtle that if you aren’t looking for it you wouldn’t know that it happened. It was like a feather softly caressing my body. I let out a giggle. I can feel each of their unique energies. “I can feel it, the change in the energy.” I can tell when they lose the focus, the energy returns to normal.
“Do you think you could do the same back?” Lucian questions.
“I can try.” I focus my thoughts on them. I try to send my energy toward them. I can tell when I succeed, because I hear four sharp breath intakes. I lose focus, and the energy returns to normal.
“Holy shit,” Max exclaims.
“I think we should focus on how to use and control this, tomorrow night. Callie you still need to learn the basics. I suggest that we let Cat train you for an hour, and then, we’ll stay behind and train for another half an hour. Does everyone agree?” Lucian questions.
Everyone nods their heads.
“I feel like I should mention to you, that to me, you each have your own energy signature. I think over time and the more that I feel I would be able to tell you apart by just that,” I say.
Lucian’s eyes grow wide. I can see the wheels turning in that brilliant mind of his. Max’s energy is light and playful; Lucian’s is more grounded and warm. Zeke’s energy is strong and balanced, and Graydon’s is powerful and hot. It’s weird their energy match their personality. I wonder what my energy feels like to them? I can see he wants to question me but the bell rings.
“Let’s get to class and get this day over with,” Graydon grumbles.
No one says anything all morning or during lunch about what we discovered last night. This was my little test on Cat to see if we could truly trust her. So far, she has passed. Now, I wish people would stop with all the same questions from yesterday. But of course, all this changes in gym class. Kelsey really needs to pick a new spot to stop and corner me.
“I hear you made a new friend. Honestly, you think you could have picked a better one. Catori? Really?”
“Unlike you, she hasn’t done anything to hurt me.”
“Yet. Just wait until you get to know the real Cat.”
“Care to enlighten me then?”
“No. I think I’ll watch the show and let you crash and burn.”
“Then why even warn me?”
“For my own enjoyment.”
I go to move around her but she grabs my arm. This is seriously getting old. I go to make a retort, but Kelsey has that thousand yard stare. She’s having a vision.
Kelsey
“Help. Someone help me.” Callyn starts coughing, the smoke raising. She starts to bang on a door. “Help. Please. I’m stuck.” Callyn is starting to succumb to the smoke inhalation. She slowly slides down against the door. Her eyes close, and her breathing becomes wheezy.
I blink coming out of the vision.
“You had a vision didn’t you? What did you see?” Callyn questions
“Nothing that concerns you,” I snap.
“If it’s something that can help us you need to tell me.”
“It has nothing to do with you or your problem. What I saw is none of your business.” I turn and walk away before I let the smirk I was holding back cross my face.
Should I have told her what I saw? Yeah. Am I going to? No. I don’t care if that makes me a horrible person. If she dies in that fire, that means I can have the boys for myself. Just think, those boys will be so broken, and I’m going to be there to help piece them back together. Callyn dying would help solve a lot of problems. I’m sure a lot of people will thank me.
I don’t need to do anything to her anymore. I can sit back and enjoy the show.
Callyn
I knew Kelsey wasn’t going to help us. Who were we kidding. All Kelsey is going to do is use these visions to help her get what she wants. She’s going to manipulate everyone. Of all the people to receive this gift, why did it have to be her? What did I do to deserve this?
On autopilot, I walk to study hall. I tell the guys no sooner after I sit down. “We have a problem.”
“Another one,” Max whines.
“I know, but this is a Kelsey problem. She had a vision again, and she refused to tell me about it. She’s not going to help us. I know that we are never going to be friends, but you would think that she wouldn’t want a war to start, and that she would help stop it.”
“We don’t know if she knows about the impending war. We don’t know what the Elder Council told her. But I agree with you, she probably isn’t going to tell us,” Lucian states.
“If she won’t talk to you, then maybe she’ll talk to one of us.”
I whip my head in Zeke’s direction. I can feel the rumble start in my chest right before I release an angry squawk. “And let her get her claws into one of you? I don’t think so. Wait, she does have claws right? I don’t even know what kind of shifter she is?”
Max chuckles. “Look at our fierce protector.” I puff out my chest. I try to look at Max seriously, but the second our eyes meet we both lose it.
“For the love of all things holy,” Graydon says. But when I look at him I can see he is trying not to smirk.
“Anyways, to answer your question, yes, Kelsey does have claws. She is a panther shifter,” Lucian answers.
“Figures,” I state.
“Having one of us try and be Kelsey’s friend wouldn’t work. She knows that we are Callie’s mates. There is no way she would believe that one of us suddenly had a change of heart,” Lucian states.
“There has to be a way to make her tell us,” Zeke exclaims.
“We can’t force her to do anything.”
“I guarantee you the other members of the Elder Council had something to do with this. Elder Greaves and Caine let their stances be known when they refused to let us help her. I know your grandfather didn’t know which Council members were there, but I’d bet you any money it was them,” Graydon growls.
I don’t doubt him for a second. Just throw this on our ever growing list of problems. “So, what do we do?”
“We can’t do anything right now.”
“Ugh. One step forward and two steps back,” I say.
“I have an idea.” We all look at Max. “It’s not about any of this though. I don’t want to think about any of this for a while.”
“That’s not a bad idea. If we take a step
back and come back to it later, it could give us insight or a solution we didn’t see before. It will be looking at it with a fresh set of eyes.”
“Okay Luke, but that’s not quite where I was going with this. I was thinking more like going to the party at the Michaelson's.”
“We have more important things to do than go out and party. You know I hate crowds. And parties. And people,” Graydon says gruffly.
“I know, but we need to have a little fun. Plus, this will be Callie’s first party. We gotta show her a good time.”
“I’m game,” Zeke says.
“Me too,” Lucian agrees.
“Please, Graydon. I promise that me and Max…”
“Hey,” Max interrupts.
“...will be on our best behavior.” I can see him wavering. “Please,” I say with a pout.
“Fine, but let it be known I was against this the whole time, and the only reason why I am agreeing is because I can’t say no to her.”
“Yes,” me and Max say at the same time. He leans over and fist bumps me.
“I’m going to make sure you have a blast.”
Oh, Max is going to get me in trouble this weekend.
Zeke
Thank God it’s Friday. Callie’s training with Cat went well last night. Callie told me that they have been messaging back and forth more the last couple of days. They made plans to hang out for a little on Saturday before we go to the party. I wish I could say the same for when we tried to understand the whole energy manipulation. That was a bust. We have no idea what we are doing, and there is no one that can help us. Let’s just say the rest of the night was frustrating and tempers ran high.
I swear this last bell is taking forever. I don’t think anyone else has noticed that Callie has been increasingly antsier. She has to be nervous about meeting her aunt after all these years apart, not to mention the fact that this is the first time she will be back in that house since that night. Lord knows what must be running through her mind right now. I’m glad we are going to be there just in case. I want to get up and comfort her, but Ms. Neal has been watching us like hawks all week.
We didn’t get in trouble for leaving class early on Monday, and she is not happy about that. There really was no need to explain anything, because the next day most of Callie’s business was floating around the school. It wouldn’t take a genius to put two and two together. I glance back at Callie, she is twisting her shirt sleeves in her hand, chewing in her bottom lip. I can’t take this anymore.
“Callie, sweetheart.” She looks at me, and the guys go quiet. “What’s going through that pretty head of yours and don’t tell me nothing. I can feel your anxiety.” Her eyes well up with tears.
“I’m so scared to go back there. I don’t-I don’t know if I can.” Graydon and Max reach over, and they each take a hand.
“We are going to be with you every step of the way. There is no way we will let you walk into that house alone. If you can’t handle it, then we’ll find another solution. I don’t think your aunt would make you suffer. She loves you. She wouldn’t be moving here if she didn’t.”
“Hell, your aunt’s not the only one who loves you, angel. I do, and we’ll go ghostbuster on any ghosts that still haunt you. ”
Shit, that was a bold statement Max just made. Callyn is staring at Max in shock, so is Graydon and Lucian. I’m shocked by the statement. Can he really love her already? I love the sound of her voice, her laugh, and her scent. I love that she thinks about everyone but herself. The first and last thoughts I have are of her. She is kind, generous, and beautiful. I love how her eyes sparkle when she laughs and is up to no good with Max. I love when she stands up to Graydon. Callie is beautiful even when she’s mad, the fire and passion in her eyes. The only person who can give Lucian a run for his money in the smarts department is Callie.
I think about the past few months and realize that all my best memories I have, she is in them. The way she looks at me, the way she smiles, the way she walks, and her body, oh man her body. There is not a single thing I would change about her. My wolf preens when he thinks we’ve done a good job with our mate. He loves her scent, probably more than me. He wants her to touch his fur. Then it hits me like a ton of bricks. I love her. Callie’s voice brings me out of my current revelation.
“You-you-you love me?” she stutters.
“Hell yeah I do. Do you even have to ask that question? It’s been you and only you since day one. You’re my P.I.C. The Bonnie to my Clyde, the bacon to my eggs, the day to my night, the Minnie to my Mickey. You are the Hermione to my Ron.”
“We get it, Max,” Graydon growls.
I can’t take my eyes off of Callyn. I’m waiting with bated breath for her reaction and answer. It doesn’t take long before we know, because Callie is launching herself at Max. She wraps her arms around his neck and presses into him the best she can with the side of the desk blocking her way.
“I love you too,” she says in a breathy whisper, and damn if certain body parts don’t try and stand at attention at the sound.
She leans back and looks at Max like he hung the moon. In that moment, I know what she said was true. She loves him. I hope that she loves me too.
Graydon
Did that seriously just happen? Did Max really just tell Callyn that he loves her? If I’m not mistaken, she said she loves him back. Zeke clears his throat drawing everyone's attention.
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
Are you fucking shitting me? I clench my fist. The bell picks that moment to ring, but no one moves. Callie is staring wide-eyed at Zeke. She slowly untangles herself from Max.
“For reals?” she questions.
“For reals.”
God, now she is staring doe-eyed at Zeke like she was just doing with Max. Fuck this mushy shit. I grab my things and storm out of the room. I’m not sticking around to see or hear her reaction to Zeke’s confession, Max’s was enough. Everyone clears a path out of my way as I walk to my locker. They normally do anyways because I’m a big guy, but some are literally scrambling to get out of my way. Once I’m at my locker, I just start shoving shit in my bookbag. It’s not that I’m jealous she loves them, it’s the thought that she won’t love me like I do her.
Yeah, that’s right, big, growly, tough as nails Graydon James, loves the shit out of her. I slam my locker shut and rest my forehead on the cold metal. I’m taking a couple of deep breaths when I feel a small hand on my back.
Callie.
I would know her touch anywhere.
“Grumpy bear, will you talk to me?” she asks. I turn slowly. I look over shoulder expecting to see the guys, but I don’t. She must have known what I was looking for because her next sentence answers my question of where the guys are. “They aren’t here. We thought it was better if I had a chance to talk to you by myself before we meet up with them.” I nod. “Care to tell me what that was all about?”
No. I don’t want to come across that I’m insecure, even though I am when it comes to her. Even though I don’t want to tell her, I find myself doing just that.
“I just want to say that I’m not jealous that they love you, or that you love them. I’m angry at myself. I know that I’m not good enough for you. Hell, none of us deserve you, but damn it I love you and I want,” I shake my head, “no, I need you to love me too. My life was nothing before you came into it. I don’t know what I’ll do if you say that you don’t love me too.” The entire time I spill my guts out to her, I don’t look at her. I didn’t want to see the pity in her eyes.
There is a soft hand that touches my cheek. I finally venture to look at Callie. When I meet her eyes I don’t see pity, instead I see love. There are tears coming down her face. I cup her face in my hands and use my thumbs to wipe away the tears.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry, Callie bear.” She gives me this blinding smile.
“These are happy tears, my grumpy bear.” She reaches up and wraps her hands around my wrist. “Don’t you ever for one
more second think that you are not good enough for me.” Callie squeezes my wrist, before she moves her hands to rest on my chest. A low growl escapes my lips and that only makes Callie smile more. “You were made for me.” She slides her hands over my shoulders, taking the few steps needed to close the distance between us. “I love you,” she whispers.
Every cell in my body is screaming with joy. I crush her body against mine, hugging as tight as I dared. My face goes to the crook of her neck. Callie’s hand fists my hair. I’ve never been so happy in my damn life.
“You know, this gives a whole new meaning to a bear hug,” she says with a laugh.
I tried not to laugh, but I couldn’t help it. My whole body shakes with laughter, as I hug her. I don’t care if we look crazy. She loves me. This beautiful girl loves me.
Lucian
I watch the doors, waiting for Graydon and Callie. Before I know it, they are walking toward us hand-in-hand. That didn’t take as long as I thought it would. Graydon practically ran from the room after Zeke said he loved her. Zeke wanted her to go after Graydon right away, but she said there was something that she needed to do more, and making him wait would give him time to cool down. Of course, the thing that was more important than going after Graydon was her telling Zeke that she loved him.
Since, she told Max and Zeke, they have been acting like they’re on cloud nine. I can’t fault them. I hope she says those three little words to me, as well. I want to say them to her, but I haven’t gotten a chance.
“Everything okay,” Zeke ask as soon as they get close enough.
“Peachy,” Callie answers. She gives Graydon’s hand a little squeeze.
“Let’s get the show on the road then,” Max says.
I move to the passenger side of Zeke’s car. I open Callie’s door. She smiles at me and goes to slide in, but I stop her before she can.
“Everything okay?”
I nod. I feel like I’m about to throw up. This will be the first time I’m telling a female I love her, who is not my grammy or my mother, when she was alive. She cocks her head to the side.
Queen's Guard (Shifter Royalty Trilogy Book 2) Page 6
