Chapter 14 Don't Say No

Chapter 14 Don't Say No
Calla's pov

I couldn't sleep.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that drawing. The black and silver wolf standing over bodies. The Beast of Shadow Creek. That's what they'd called Morgana before they killed her.

I rolled over and checked my phone. 3:14 AM.

The penthouse was quiet except for the hum of the air conditioning. Sierra was asleep in her room down the hall. Darius's door had been closed when I passed it earlier.

I threw off the covers and grabbed a hoodie from the chair. My feet were silent on the cold floor as I made my way down the hallway.

Maybe some water would help. Or tea. Or anything that would stop my brain from replaying Sierra's words on loop.

I passed Darius's study and stopped. Light leaked from under the door.

I knocked softly. "Darius?"

"Come in."

He sat behind his desk, papers spread everywhere, his laptop glowing in the darkness. He'd changed into gray sweatpants and a black t-shirt. His hair stuck up like he'd been running his hands through it.

"You're awake," I said.

"So are you." He leaned back in his chair. "Can't sleep?"

"Not really." I closed the door behind me and walked over. "What are you doing?"

"Research." He gestured at the mess on his desk. "About your wolf."

I picked up one of the papers. It was a photocopy of an old text, the words barely readable. "Where did you get these?"

"Same place Sierra did. I went back after she left." He rubbed his eyes. "I've been reading for hours."

"Find anything useful?"

"Maybe." He pulled up something on his laptop and turned it toward me. "Look at this."

It was a scan of a journal entry, dated 1823. The handwriting was elegant but rushed…..

Morgana came to us seeking help. She said her wolf was too strong, that she couldn't control it. We turned her away. We were afraid. A month later, she burned down Shadow Creek.

I sat down in the chair across from him. "They could've helped her."

"But they didn't." Darius closed the laptop. "They were too scared of what she might become to see what she actually was."

"Which was what?"

"A girl who needed help." He looked at me. "Sound familiar?"

I pulled the hoodie tighter around myself. "I'm not going to burn down any packs."

"I know."

"Do you?" I met his eyes. "Because Sierra's research says otherwise."

"Sierra's research says Morgana lost control." He stood up and came around the desk. "You haven't."

"Yet."

"Stop." He crouched in front of me. "You're not her. You killed one rogue in self-defense. That's it. You haven't hurt anyone."

"But what if I do?" My voice shook. "What if I shift during a full moon and can't stop? What if I hurt you or Sierra or—"

"You won't."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do." He took my hands. "Because you're stronger than you think. And you're not alone. We'll figure this out."

"How?" I looked down at our joined hands. "Sierra said we can't hide forever. Eventually someone's going to notice. Someone's going to ask questions."

"Then we train harder. We have to find a way to control it before that happens."

"And if we can't?"

He was quiet for a moment. Then he squeezed my hands. "Then we run."

I blinked. "What?"

"If it comes to that, if the pack finds out and comes for you, we run." He said it like it was simple. Like picking up and leaving everything behind was no big deal. "I'll take you somewhere safe. Somewhere they can't reach you."

"You'd do that?"

"Yes."

"Why?" I pulled my hands back. "Why would you risk everything for me?"

He stood up and leaned against the desk. "Because Daniel would've wanted me to."

"This isn't about Daniel."

"Isn't it?" He crossed his arms. "Lucas took someone I cared about. Now I'm protecting someone he wants. Seems pretty connected to me."

That hurt more than it should've. "So this is still about revenge."

"No." He pushed off the desk. "That came out wrong."

"Did it?"

"Calla—" He backed me against the bookshelf. "You don't want Lucas. You want what the bond tells you to want. But that's not real, Calla. This is real."

He kissed me. I kissed him back, fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him closer and moaning into the kiss.

His hands slid down to my waist, gripping tight. I made a sound I didn't recognize, something between a gasp and a moan.

The door flew open and we didn't even know when we jumped apart. Sierra stood in the doorway, wearing pajama pants and an oversized t-shirt, her hair messy from sleep.

"Seriously?" She looked between us. "Again?"

"Sierra—" Darius started.

"Save it." She walked in and closed the door. "I can't sleep either. Keep thinking about Morgana. About what happened to her."

I straightened my hoodie, face burning. "We were just—"

"Kissing. I know." Sierra sat down in the chair I'd vacated. "You two are really bad at the fake engagement thing, you know that?"

"It's complicated," Darius said.

"Everything's complicated." Sierra rubbed her face. "That's the problem."

I sat on the edge of the desk. "What are you doing up?"

"Same as you. Can't stop thinking." She gestured at the papers. "Did you find anything useful?"

Darius filled her in on what he'd read. About Morgana asking for help. About the packs turning her away.

Sierra listened, her expression getting darker. When he finished, she was quiet for a long moment.

"So they killed her because they were scared," she said finally.

"Basically," Darius confirmed.

"And they'll do the same to Calla if they find out." Sierra looked at me. "Unless we stop them."

"How?" I asked.

"By proving you're different." Sierra leaned forward. "Morgana lost control because no one helped her. But you have us. We'll help you control it."

"What if that's not enough?" I said.

"Then we make it enough." Darius crossed his arms. "The three of us. Together."

Sierra stood up and walked over to me. She held out her hand. "No more secrets and no more hiding things from each other. We do this as a team."

I took her hand. "As a team."

Darius put his hand on top of ours. "Whatever happens, we face it together."

"Together," Sierra repeated.

We stood like that, the three of us connected, making a promise we weren't sure we could keep.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out with my free hand. A text from an unknown number. But I knew who it was before I even opened it. It was Lucas.

"We need to talk. About our mate bond. Tomorrow, noon, at the old warehouse on Fifth. Come alone. And don't say no." I turned off my phone's screen.

Sierra yawned. "Can we all go back to bed now? I'm exhausted."