“He isn't dead.”
Callan’s deep voice had breathed into my ears, right before settling me atop a horse tied right outside the manor. He then swung himself up to settle down behind me, gripping the reins, and soon enough, we were galloping down the uneven roads, soaring with the wind.
Silence reigned between us for a long period. I was aware of Callan’s arms around me as he flapped the reins up and down in the same way I was aware of his intense focus on the task at hand. He had seen something else unanticipated, I knew that without a doubt, whatever it had been was enough to evoke this sudden response.
Alexander wasn't dead, I tried to feel relief at that knowledge, I hadn't killed anyone after all but I couldn't find it in me to be comforted by it. If anything, I was in even more danger because even though I’d been trying to protect myself from him, his resentment toward me would've increased in folds for refusing to let him do what he had planned.
Callan was right in not letting me decide on my stay; it would've been the peak of foolishness not to run away when I had the chance to, but now I couldn't stop the guilt gnawing at my insides.
In addition to my life, I had upturned not only Callan’s life but the rest of his pack members that remained in the manor, all of our lives were now one massive mayhem. They didn't deserve this - he didn't - but here he was without hesitation helping me and putting so much on the line for my sake.
My stomach churned at the horse's movement, we had covered enough distance between the manor and us and soon Callan began slowing down and as though he could read my thoughts, he said, “We are no longer in the Dark Wood Pack’s territory. You are safe.”
“Thank you,” I managed, unable to stop my thoughts from returning to Ryder and the rest of his pack members we’d left behind. “What about Ryder?” I asked in a shaky voice; the cold had affected me more than I’d realized. “Will they all be okay?”
Callan’s tone was casual when he spoke, without a hint of worry. “They won't touch them, it’s you they want.”
I nodded. Of course, I was the one who’d attempted to kill the ‘mighty’ Alpha, and the fact that it’d been an act of self-defense meant nothing. I had done something unforgivable and my punishment was execution. I didn't know how much my trembling was visible until I felt the thick material of Callan’s coat rest on my shoulders.
“No, no, please, I'm fine,” I protested.
“You're shivering out of your mind, Sophia. You don't have to disagree with me over every single thing,” he said.
“I don't!”
His silence said enough so I murmured my thanks and fitted my hands into the sleeves of the coat before wrapping the material on my skin, letting its warmth spread through me - he was right, I was terribly cold and I tend to disagree with him over everything.
It was an awful realization that every time he tried to help him, I just had to make sure it was no easy feat for him to achieve. I was more prideful than I’d thought, there he was, always with genuine intentions and all I’d done was misjudged him and made everything difficult for him.
“I apologize for that,” I mumbled after a few minutes.
He said nothing for a long while, causing me to doubt he’d heard me. “It’s okay,” he finally responded. “I wouldn't expect you to simply go along with everything I say, you're my mate, not my servant.”
His mate.
Callan’s mate.
Although so many weeks had gone by, I was somehow yet to get used to having a mate. I still couldn't believe it and my thoughts wandered back home to my father. What would he think when the news of the Alpha of the Black Tide Pack being my mate reaches him? For a brief moment, I imagined he would be happy, swelling with pride but that fantasy was immediately vanquished… That wouldn't matter to him, not with the glaring fact that I’d tried to kill Alexander.
I feared my actions could bring about a sturdy backlash to the truce between the Dark Wood and Mystic Hollow Packs. They wouldn't let what I’d done go and yet again, more reason for further strain in my relationship with my family. I felt my stomach tighten.
“You’re overthinking.” Callan’s voice made me jump slightly.
“What?” I asked dumbly.
“Whatever it is you're overthinking about, doing so wouldn't change anything.”
“Do you think what I’ve done is enough grounds to start a feud between my pack and Alexander's?” I blurted.
He remained thoughtful for a while before saying. “Likely, Alexander is a deeply egotistical man and it would be a blow to his pride to let this slide as it’d also be a blow to it to let the news of you besting him enough to render him unconscious travel beyond his pack’s territory. Let's hope his ego outweighs his bitterness.”
I chose to hold on to him being too shame-faced to cause any more havoc. The two packs hadn’t been on the best of terms for long decades before I was born, it would be a bloodbath if they were to return to that period.
“Shit!” I heard Alexander mutter to himself as he began to speed up the horse’s movement but I could feel the animal’s defiance from underneath me until finally, it came to a complete halt.
I turned my head around, confusion furrowing my brows. “What’s wrong?”
But I didn't have to have Callan answer that before the gut-wrenching stench hit me, sending me gagging. The smell was so sharp, it brought tears to my eyes.
“Rogues,” Callan said in a low tone. I could detect the raw anger in his words. “A whole lot of them.”