Claribelle's Mate

Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Cale's POV

I had never approved of Blaze's plan to capture the girl to get back at her parents for an act committed nearly twenty years ago. I approved even less of his idea for killing her. Starving to death? It just seemed like an extraordinarily painful and drawn out torture, especially for someone who hadn't done a single thing to warrant it. She wasn't the one who murdered his uncle.

Nevertheless, Blaze was my best friend, so I did as he had asked me to. I hired a new group of rogues to capture her as soon as they were able. They used a spray to mask their scents and moved in when the patrols were reduced. I don't know what drug they used on her, but it really did the trick. She was out for a long time.

The story that she had given us when she woke up was the complete opposite of what Blaze's mother had told us. And it had a lot less holes in it than Blaze's story did. Blaze didn't know much about what his uncle was really like. Bane had shown up occasionally and spoiled him, but Blaze never knew how cruel his uncle was to the rest of the pack.

I was curious about Claribelle. I started taking her food every day, even though I knew she wouldn't eat it. She was interesting to talk to and full of information. I needed the excuse to go out there and Blaze was happy with the fact that I appeared to be teasing her with food that would never really cure her hunger.

Claribelle was different to any other girl I'd met, and it wasn't just that she was a vampire. It was the fact that she held absolutely no prejudice against werewolves and didn't seem all that angry that most werewolves hated her just because of her species. She seemed almost resigned to the idea.

Every day that I went out asking questions, I only became more curious and more guilty about being part of the reason she was here. She didn't deserve for any of this to happen to her.

I felt bad when I brought up the subject of blood and I could see that just the subject pained her. She'd been here for a week before I'd brought it up, and after her explanation, I knew that she had to have been in considerable pain. She was strong, not showing how much she had to be hurting, and she never once asked to be given blood.

I admired her for that. But when my questions turned and she brought up the fact that we had taken her, my guilt rose to new levels. I was so ashamed to be part of her misery that I couldn't look at her anymore.

I stood and left, without a single word. And I went straight to Blaze's office. "Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" I asked him as I walked in. I took a seat in front of his desk and he looked up from the paperwork he was doing with an annoyed expression.

"Cale, I've always known you don't approve of this, but you've stood by me. I'd hate for that to change now. Her parents murdered my uncle. The best way to make them pay is to take away someone they love as well."

I sighed, leaning forward to rest my elbows on my knees and resting my hands under my chin.

"What if her story is true, Blaze?" I asked. "What if your uncle was the one in the wrong? We'd be torturing her for nothing."

"My uncle was a great man!" Blaze yelled, slamming his fists on his desk as he stood. "The lies that pour out of her mouth are poison! Don't let her do that to you. Don't let her come between you and your pack."

I wanted to groan. Blaze would never be able to see who his uncle really was and there was no way that I was going to be able to make him understand either. He had his uncle on a pedestal and he was going the same way that his uncle had.

I hung my head. I wasn't going to be able to change his mind.

Blaze walked around the desk and put his hand on my shoulder. "She's pretty and she spins convincing lies, Cale. Just stay away from her. She can't poison you if you don't talk to her."