Wild

Chapter 39 - In His Arms Again

A/N: For a better reading experience, the POV will switch between Storm and Makai for this chapter.
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Storm

The food is delicious and a welcome break from the revelations we've heard today. While we eat, we try to keep it casual, talking about the swim team and their preparations for the competition. Caleb is happy to report that they have been doing much better since my last visit and have beaten the record for last year's winners. Although I'm glad to hear about their progress, I feel bad again for not being as available for the boys as I should be. Unfortunately, it can't be helped, but I plan to go to the practice sessions as often as I can squeeze some time, even if it is for just half an hour. When the dishes are cleared, we resume our discussion on Callum's discoveries.

"So from what I could gather, the drugs they used to induce earlier and unnatural shifts are the reason their wolves are latent. I don't understand how it works because hey, warlock here, but that is what I saw in the memories of my forced informant."

"Forced informant?"

Callum smiles thinly at Quinn. "Meaning I got the information by tapping into his memories without his knowledge."

"What?"

Callum looks like he's going to respond with a sarcastic remark but glances at Caleb and swallows it.

"It was necessary," he says instead.

"Kitai says that the drugs probably had the opposite effect on their wolves because Cray wolves are different from other wolves," Makai chimes in.

"How so?" Caleb asks curiously. It occurs to me then that he and the girls haven't had a proper Cray adult teach them about their species as they should.

"Cray wolves have wolves that are more present because the wolf part of us grows at the same speed as our human part, unlike other wolves where the wolf grows much slower. Kitai thinks whatever spell they were creating needed the blood in its most potent form. For Cray wolves, our blood is most potent immediately after a shift. The first 30 minutes to one hour after the shift to be precise. So they needed them to shift. But inducing the shift means the wolf doesn't mature properly before being forced into the shift. The wolves get confused and recede after each forced shift and that slows down their maturity, making them latent and wary of being present. It's a miracle your wolf had enough sense of mind to rescue you, Caleb. It shows the characteristics of a very strong wolf. Kitai will help you with him. I will work out some time for you to spend with Kitai and let you know."

Caleb beams. "Thank you!"

He leaves soon after, and we update Quinn on the information he missed. He becomes almost incensed when Callum admits to doing dark magic. "Dark magic! For Goddess' sake, Callum--"

"What do you even know about dark magic? You're a wolf!" Callum shoots back. Makai and I exchange glances.

"I may not be a warlock, or have any magical abilities, but my brother does and I am guardian to a recalcitrant warlock-" He ignores Callum's outraged sputter at "recalcitrant" and powers on in his calm alpha voice, "-and I'm going to be pack alpha soon. As such, it would be remiss of me not to acquaint myself with some basic knowledge of magic folk."

Callum glares at Quinn before turning to me. "Does he always talk all high and mighty or is that tone specially reserved for me?" He demands sarcastically.

Highly amused by the exchange, I grin sweetly at him. "Just you. But carry on, I'm entertained."

I roll my eyes when Makai sends me a warning glance. Quinn is practically the alpha, and as such everyone reveres him, always have, even before he started taking most of the reins from Dad. Nobody talks to him like this except for Callum. Sometimes, Callum flirts with him while Quinn pretends not to notice. Since the flirting is now off the table, arguing seems to be the mode of communication left.