Chapter 32

Chapter

Thirty-Two

Callista

L ana drove, her hand resting on the gear shift. I sat in the passenger seat, still buzzing with adrenaline and exhaustion. I glanced down at the torn upholstery. The leather was shredded, claw marks raking across the dashboard, and tufts of fur were scattered between the seats. I turned to look back at Evelyn and noticed a piece of my coat stuck to the seatbelt. She smiled at me, her eyes filled with tears.

She reached out and touched my arm. "Why didn't you tell me?" she mouthed, and I shrugged. What was there to say? She grabbed my hand and held it tightly as she leaned forward.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered, and I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.

As we drove, I couldn't help but think about the chaos of the meeting. The disbelief on everyone's faces when Lana and I spilled everything.

I was grateful for Evelyn's presence. For the way she'd walked into the room with me, her hand in mine.

Lana's eyes flicked to the two of us. She smirked. "Think we should stop for a milkshake?"

We pulled into the parking lot of Burger Blast, the neon sign flickering against the night sky. It was the only place in town open past eleven and it showed. The parking lot was packed.

Lana grabbed the keys from the ignition, and Evelyn and I slid out the passenger side. We walked in and found the last open booth in the back by the washrooms. The vinyl seats were cracked, and a waitress with greying hair and a name tag that read "Bill" shuffled over to take our order.

My stomach clenched.

Evelyn grinned. "Is that your real name or did you steal someone else's pin?"

Lana met my eyes.

"My name won't fit on the tag, so I took an old one." The waitress didn't even look up from her order pad. "What can I get you?"

We ordered our milkshakes, then sank into the seats.

"Well, that meeting was something." I drew a deep breath, trying to think of anything other than the dagger protruding from Bill's chest.

Lana scoffed. "I've seen less chaos at a Black Lake initiation ceremony."

"Kootenay," Evelyn corrected. "If we don't even use the new pack name, we can't expect everyone else to."

I raised an eyebrow. "You do initiations?"

Evelyn smirked. "Don't worry, nobody's going to ask Kitimat to walk over hot coals or anything. Yet."

It was funny, but I couldn't laugh. Instead, I let out a long breath, turning to look out the window. "I can't believe Lyra was there." The witch hadn't been surprised at all to hear about how the Alliance was trying to use the dagger. She had to know more than she'd given Rowan and Evelyn when they'd talked with her last.

Lana's expression turned serious. "I know. That was a shock."

I traced a crack in the vinyl with my finger. "Do you think the prophecy is real?"

Evelyn sighed. "Lyra seems to think it is."

Lana's eyes dropped. I didn't need to ask what she believed. She'd seen proof of the Shadow Pack. It wasn't a stretch to believe the rest of the legends.

Evelyn tapped her fingers on the table. "If the dagger's here, the rest of the relics could be out there somewhere, too. What if we're already too late?"

"That's why we're warning the other packs, right?" Lana looked back to the counter. She was antsy.

I smiled at Evelyn. "Rowan did well. Starting to build the alliance here. Now that we have Tori and Mara, it won't be long before the other packs join us."

Evelyn nodded. "But the alpha Alliance up north…I don't know." Her lips twitched.

The waitress with the stolen name tag brought out our milkshakes, and I took a long sip, the cold sweetness washing over my tongue.

Lana licked whipped cream from her lips. "We have to find a way to challenge them. They're not invincible."

"But they have the dagger," I muttered. And Kael. My heart felt like it was in a vacuum-sealed bag.

Evelyn frowned. "No they don't."

I stared at the swirl of vanilla in my glass. "Kael took it. When Lana and I came back to the clearing?—"

"No, he didn't." Evelyn pulled her phone from her pocket. She scrolled, then turned her screen to face us. "Rowan has it."

I blinked and read the message. Rowan had texted saying he would be late because he needed to store the dagger. Was he talking about the same one? "That's not possible."

Evelyn shrugged and set her phone on the seat. "You can call him yourself if you want." She slid out of the booth. "I'll be right back. I have to use the washroom."

Lana leaned in the second she was gone. "Kael took the dagger."

"I know."

"So if Rowan has it?—"

"Stop, Lana." I clenched my hand around my milkshake glass. I needed to think. Why would Kael take the dagger to Rowan? Why wouldn't he tell us? Wait for us? My wolf had pushed a message to his, and I'd heard nothing back.

"Thank you, by the way." Lana's voice was low.

I looked up. "For what?"

"For not telling Rowan."

She didn't have to say anything else. Rowan had heard Bill talk about the legends. He may have his suspicions, but he didn't see what had happened at the pools. Lana had been quiet the whole drive. I had no idea what was swirling through her head. Especially after what Bill had said to her as he died.

I leaned forward, taking another sip and using my straw to mix the ice cream into the milk. "I figured you had a reason."

Lana nodded.

When Evelyn returned, we finished our milkshakes, paid, and went back to the truck.

The drive back to the house was quiet, the only sound the hum of the engine and the crunch of gravel under the tires. The excitement from the meeting had faded, and all three of us had sunk back into our own thoughts. Our own worries.

I stared out the window, wondering where Kael was at that moment. My ribs felt too tight for my lungs.

Had he brought the dagger back?

I was simultaneously relieved and broken by that news. Yes, the dagger was safe. But that meant he hadn't left the clearing to fulfill his contract. He hadn't left me behind to protect his friend.

He'd left because he didn't want a mate.

He'd left because he didn't want me.

I thanked Lana and Evelyn as I dropped from the truck and stalked up my drive.

My home. It felt like an eternity since I'd been here. The house was quiet as I walked in, and I dropped my things in the entryway and took off my boots.

My bedroom door creaked as I pushed it open, and I stepped inside, closing it behind me. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the pile of work files on my nightstand. One weekend. I hadn't even missed any work.

I nearly laughed out loud. I couldn't even imagine going back to the office and pretending like the weekend had never happened. It was like I'd changed three sizes and was trying to put on my old clothes.

Nothing fit.

How could I go back to this? How could I sit in meetings? Sit in front of my computer? Make dinner or sit around and talk with Celeste and Blake?

I stood and walked to the window, pulling open the pane and resting my hands on the sill. The forest was a dark silhouette against the indigo sky, the moonlight casting long shadows that danced with the swaying branches. I closed my eyes and leaned forward, letting the cool air wash over me.

How? How could he just leave? I'd seen the good in him. Felt it. I'd seen the way he looked at me, the way he fought to protect me. And then he'd just…walked away.

All the work I'd done to keep myself whole that evening crumbled. I broke. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I turned and slumped to the floor, dropping my head to my knees.

I couldn't do this. I didn't want to do this.

I allowed myself a few more minutes in my pity party, then started to undress, pulling my shirt over my head and tossing it onto the chair in the corner of the room. As I reached for the button on my jeans, I heard a noise outside. Had I closed the window?

I froze, my fingers hovering over the waistband. It was probably just the wind, or maybe a deer. But something inside me was on high alert. I crept back to the window and peered out, my eyes scanning the darkness.

Nothing.

I let out a breath and turned back to the room, but then I heard it again. A rustling. Closer this time. My heart leapt into my throat, and I stepped back, my pulse pounding in my ears.

It was probably nothing, but after the weekend I'd had, I couldn't be too sure. I held my breath, listening intently.

Then, without warning, a voice echoed in my mind.

I need you this time.