Chapter 82: Don't Do Anything Reckless - Callista's POV

“Are you sure about this? Mom just texted, and she has your things in the car.” Sabine paused, her hands reaching for me, but dropping just as quickly. “You’re shaking.”

“I care so much about him, but I can’t do this,” I said as the sob finally stole my voice.

As I crumpled to the ground, she was there, pulling me to her and stroking my hair. “It’s okay, Callista. I got you.”

I couldn’t speak. Every time I opened my mouth, I only heard my pitiful cries.

“We’re teenage werewolves. Our emotions run high. Things will be better tomorrow.”

I clutched ‌her arm, knowing that things weren’t going to get better. They could only get worse. My mind was like a haze as she held me and tears poured down my face. All I could think about was Riven and how things had gone so wrong so fast.

His car finally roared to life outside, then he was peeling away, his tires squealing into the air. That made me cry harder.

This distance was necessary. I had to get some breathing room, so I could think clearly about what to do and how I could save everyone. The idea sounded ridiculous in my head. How was a sixteen-year-old going to do that?

As I thought about going to the Alpha King’s tomorrow, one thing became crystal clear. I had to see his son so I could understand what he had become and how far he was truly gone. That was the only way. I had to know what I was dealing with and what could have already been set in motion.

The thought settled in my chest like a stone. It sank to my stomach and made me sick. This was hard. I didn’t like being away from him. My wolf was whining from the separation.

I felt my teeth shift, which was a first. She never broke free or even attempted to force herself out. Was she going to? Would she run to him because the human side of me said no?

Sabine didn’t say anything for a while. She just kept running her fingers through my hair as I sat on the floor beside the door, trying to breathe through the ache clawing at my ribs.

Finally, she spoke softly.

“Do you really think it’s that bad? Maybe that vision was a lie? You said so yourself that the demon lied.”

I wiped my eyes with the back of my sleeve and nodded weakly.

“If the Alpha King is telling the truth… then Riven could end up like his son.” My voice shook as I said it. “And if that happens, someone has to stop him before he hurts anyone.”

Sabine went very still. “What do you mean, stop him? How would you stop a rampaging wolf?” Her voice drifted off as she thought about it. “Do you mean kill him?”

The word hung in the air between us like poison.

I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to. She was already putting the pieces together.

Sabine swallowed hard. “Callista… you can’t seriously think you’d have to do something like that.”

“I don’t want to,” I whispered hoarsely. “But if the demon wins… there might not be anyone else who can. In the past, all those wolves who had a demon were killed. There has never been anyone who made it. Even a mating bond doesn’t solve it and I’m not sure what we were even thinking about starting one.”

The bond pulsed faintly in my chest then, weak and distant, like an echo of something that had once been warm. Sabine’s arms tightened around me.

“You don’t know that,” she said firmly. “You’re assuming the worst before anything has even happened. There has to be another way. Fate doesn’t make mistakes.”

“I’m a Seer,” I muttered. “Assuming the worst is basically my job. As for fate not making mistakes. You’re right. The Moon Goddess doesn’t make mistakes. But the curse and the demon are different.”

She huffed softly at that, but I could tell she was worried. After a moment, she helped me to my feet.

“Come on. Mom and Dad will be home soon. Let’s get you upstairs before they start asking questions about why you are breaking down at the front door.”

I nodded, letting her guide me through the quiet house. The familiar scent of home should have been comforting, but all I could think about was the empty space where Riven’s presence should have been.

The bond was still there, but it felt… thinner somehow, like something fraying and pulling apart. The coldness was there too. Right next to the warmth of our bond. I hated that it was there.

“You’re really planning to go tomorrow, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” I said, though my voice was weak.

“And you’re really planning to see the Alpha King’s son? How? Does he have him hidden somewhere?” She asked, then paused. “Obviously, he does. All the packs think he’s dead.”

I looked toward the window where the sun was beginning to dip below the trees.

“I have to,” I mumbled. “If that’s Riven’s future… then I need to see it with my own eyes. And yes, he has him hidden in the east wing, but you aren’t supposed to know that, so play dumb.”

Sabine didn’t argue again, but the way she looked at me made my stomach twist.

“Callista… this isn’t something you can just walk into,” she said quietly. “If the Alpha King is hiding him, there’s a reason. He’s probably well guarded.”

“I know,” I murmured.

But that didn’t change anything. The image in my mind refused to fade. I saw Riven’s face twisted into something unrecognizable, the warmth in his eyes replaced with the same emptiness I had felt creeping through our bond.

If I was going to save him… I had to know what I was fighting.

Sabine let out a slow breath. “Just promise me you won’t do anything reckless.”

I didn’t answer right away, because the truth was… I already knew I would.