C L (First Version-Complete)

23: The more the merrier

Chasing out the elves from this land was surprisingly facile. Getting the children here was easy. Apologizing to Sevor for breaking my promise was effortless for he was such a forgiving person.

But making Caleb come down from the tree he was now hugging from our previous camp was extremely hard especially when he was sobbing and wailing while saying how worthless he was. 

"I am such a worthless mate! I don't deserve to live anymore! I don't deserve this mbolo! I don't deserve Lucian's love! Mother, take me now!" He cried childishly which was uncharacteristic for a fully grown man. We were all looking at him from below. I don't know how he got so high or how long he had been like this and as if Sevor heard my thoughts, he answered my question.

"He had been like this ever since he came back wounded. I am guessing that the arrows still had its effect on him. I guess the elves put some kind of potion that made him regress in behavior."

I raised a brow at him. Caleb wasn't regressing. "No, this is Caleb we are talking about. He has always been a child," I told them.

"So mean Lucian!" Caleb commented and cried louder.

"Come down here you ugly mutt!" Slade snarled impatiently. "Or else I'm going to pulverize your bones and flesh!" He added brutally.

This wasn't going to work with these men here. "Leave us and return to camp," I stated.

"I won't leave you with that useless coward! He abandoned you there!" Slade pointed out while looking at Caleb with disgust.

"He had no choice. If that Prince of elves was still alive I would ask him to make an arrow specifically for dragons and make you feel what Caleb is feeling." It was too bad that the prince died when one of his men tripped in fear of Sevor and landed his knife on the back of another man and the said man did the same to the next one and then the next one and then the next one until the soldier behind Snotty was stabbed like the rest and fell on top of Snotty while he held a spear and accidentally pierced it to Snotty's torso.

Sevor didn't even need to lift a finger.

"I can drag his soul back up here so that you can ask him," Samael offered.

"Watch your words. I can still take you on!" Slade warned.

"Watch your words because hell is just beneath the ground," Samael threatened back.

"Leave before I sew your lips with vines and you won't be able to watch your words," I threatened them all.

"Are you sure you'll be okay here Lucian?" Sevor questioned. I nodded at him.

"Yes, please return to camp. The children need you more," I replied.

Sevor closed his eyes with a slight nod in approval. "Okay then, Slade, let's go. You need to cook dinner."

"Oh so we're leaving Lucian with those two?!"

Samael grunted. He swung his weapon and the twins disappeared. "You should have done that a long time ago," I deadpanned.

"I am tempted to just teleport the loud one in the middle of nowhere," he replied blankly.

A smirk formed on my lips from that and I returned my attention to my werewolf. "Caleb, come," I ordered and opened my arms to him. Caleb shook his head in refusal for the first time and continued to sob.

"I do-don't deserve y-you," he choked. "I'm so worthless..." He murmured.

Seeing Caleb without his usual cheery self caused me to have this aching feeling inside of me. I definitely did not want to see any one of them crying. "But I deserve you. Will you really reject me?" I questioned him calmly.