The Hunted

Chapter 22

Multiple POVs

North's POV

I swear she's the most stubborn damn woman I've ever met. "I'm going and none of you are going to stop me," Callie said firmly. "Chevon says she has information about Lisette. Every bit of information we get helps us be better prepared."

"What could she possibly know?" Axel challenged her. "Let me reach out to Thaddeus."

"Absolutely not! He can't do anything about his sister, trust me," she growled.

"Callie," Axel snapped.

"Axel Toma, don't you dare, 'Callie' me! The royal family secretly supports her crazy antics and all it does is place Thaddeus in a more precarious position. Why do you think I left? I broke my sire bond to protect him!" she screamed.

Axel's eyes went wide, "What do you mean to protect him?" She hung her head.

"Callie, did Thaddeus threaten you as well," I asked as gently as I could manage. I was beginning to understand what some of the others felt. Ironically, I felt the urge to protect her, but it wasn't over the top like it was with Sang. It was a deep pull to her, not fear.

She shook her head gently, "No. He was the only person in the world that really loved me, just not in the right way. It's complicated and even in the good moments, it was toxic. He never intended to marry me, he was fascinated with me. My blessing mark has been with me since birth. It drew him to me, he said. When Lisette found out, she became very paranoid and so did others in the royal family. I realized after the incident with the hunters that soon they would turn on him if I stayed." Her body shook as she spoke and tears spilled down her cheeks. "He isn't my soulmate, but I do love him in my own way. I wouldn't be who I am without him, and I couldn't bear the thought of him being killed because of some random fascination. He always was a bit of a dreamer," she chuckled slightly.

Corey knelt next to her, "Even if he can't help, he needs to know. If she finds out he reached out to our family to help you, they may still try to harm him - even if only to flush you out." Her eyes widened at the thought as she cursed under her breath.

"I'll call him. That way you aren't directly involved," Axel said. She nodded, her lips pressed in a tight line.

"I still plan to see Chevon," she said.

"Then you aren't going alone," I told her.

"Da, we are coming too," Raven agreed.

She frowned, "You'll need to stay hidden. She'll sense a shifter and may not be willing to talk."

"How about I come inside with you, North and Raven can be in the building, but at a distance?" Marc suggested.

"We're coming too," Silas said as Owen, Axel, and Brandon agreed as well. She gave us all a smile of gratitude as we separated to make our plans.

Marc's POV

I was getting nervous. Something wasn't right. We had been waiting for her contact for almost twenty minutes when her assistant Sarah knocked on the door. "Ms. Rose?" the woman's timid voice was trembling.

Callie stepped to the door before we could stop her. "Sarah? What are you doing here today?" she asked her as she swung the door open, then gasped. Behind her assistant stood a creature similar to the one that had placed the spell on the Blackbourne packhouse. It had a wicked grin on its face that showed off rows of sharp teeth, and a clawed hand on Sarah's shoulder. "Don't touch her," Callie hissed at the creature.