I Claim Your Love novel Chapter 51

A few months back

“Why do you want to go to that place?”

The hirsute man closed the door behind him and looked at the man in front of him in bewilderment. He leisurely sat on the chair besides the window and crossed his arms across his chest probably waiting for a reply.

The handsome man however, kept a stoic expression of nonchalance and shrugged “It is not up to me Archer. My father expects me to heed in to the wishes of the alpha.”

“You mean your tormentor.”

“Alpha Ragnar is not at fault Archer. Even if I may not recognise Einar as my leader, it is written in stone that the man will be the alpha of the pack.”

“And you have to work for him?”

“Do I have a say?” The beautiful man huffed in derision

Archer lowered his eyes for he had no answer to that question. Indeed Callan was bound by his duties. One day the handsome man would follow the footsteps of his father and serve the pack and indirectly its going to be alpha- Einar.

The history between both the men had always been on the downside. Archer for one knew that Einar had caused a lot of misery in the life of his best friend. Moreover being the head of the pack meant that his actions could never be questioned while Callan would be put to test every now and then. As also Callan’s fate had always mocked him in his face.

Archer was worried for his friend.

The road ahead seemed difficult. Callan was surrounded with enemies on all sides. His pack mates never cared for him. Even if he became the head warrior, the respect which he truly deserved would not be bestowed upon him. Nobody cared for him. In the hindsight there were people who wanted to harm him and there were the ones who lusted for him.

Archer tapped his foot nervously and stopped suddenly. He looked at his friend with concern “Let me come with you.” he pleaded

“Why?”

The were-bear deeply sighed “That evil of a princess will be there. As soon as she learns of your arrival I am sure that she would clutch you in her disgusting snake arms.” Archer hissed in revulsion.

“I have been to the palace for years now and I know how to take care of myself. Besides I would be spending my time with my grandparents entirely.”

Archer still looked unconvinced. The memory from years ago resurfaced through his brain as the muscular man recalled the unfortunate event of their meeting with the evil princess. Though they were in their early teens, the incident had left a bitter impression of a lifetime. However Archer was more concerned for his best friend. Not only was he just a human but his beautiful features were cause of many of his problems.

Archer knew for a fact that the princess lusted for the man. Given the opportune moment she would strike her game and win Callan forcefully. Claim him as hers without taking any consideration for the wishes of the handsome man!

“I know but I am still worried for you. Its the princess that makes my blood boil. You know what a bitch that lady has been over the years. I want you to be safe.”

“I will be..”

Their conversation was halted when they heard a distinct thud coming from the floor beneath them “Did you hear that?” Callan asked an alert Archer.

“Yes.” Archer sniffed the air vigorously “It is a she wolf.”

“What is a she wolf doing in my house? Is it Viola?”

“No. It is a different smell.”

Without wasting any more time both the men slowly made their way out of the room through the door which led them to the stairs. Midway though, Callan could see the door of a room slightly opened. Callan’s heart beat spiked. The room belonged to his parents who were both absent at the moment. He was aware of the fact that his parents would not show up in an abrupt manner and certainly not like this.

The person could be anyone. A thief or a feral.

He gestured Archer towards the room and alerted him to be cautious. With slow steady steps both the men reached the hinge of the door. Without giving a warning Archer slammed the door hard with thud. The force was such that the door unhinged from its connection.

Callan gave a look of annoyance to his friend and entered right behind him. He carefully surveyed the area when his attention was diverted by Archer’s finger poking. The hirsute man directed his finger at the opaque figure hiding behind the curtains of the window.

Both the men looked at each other in confusion. Archer bravely stepped ahead and stripped the cloth from the she wolf in a jiffy. He was about to attack the person when he heard a meek voice.

“Please don’t harm me!” The trembling hands had covered the face. By the looks of it the she-wolf looked barely of age. In fact she looked like she was on the threshold of her youth.

“Don’t touch me.” she pleaded between her fearful snivels.

Arthur puzzlingly looked at his friend while Callan imitated the same look for his own reasons. He took a sigh of relief as his heart beat slowly became normal. He pulled Archer back and instructed him to stand back while he tried to calm the girl “Shh.. Relax. No ones going to harm you. He is Archer my friend.”

The girl barely looked up but tremblingly nodded at the were-bear in acknowledgment. Archer replied with an awkward smile of his own and went closer to Callan’s ears “Who is she?”

“She is Madeline. Aldous’ little sister.”

“This means that she is the daughter of the beta. What is she doing here?”

Even before Callan could utter anything the girl interjected in trepidation “He will find me! Please help me!”

The little girl clutched her torso firmly to the torso of the man and cried helplessly. Callan tried to soothe the girl while Archer quickly ran to the kitchen to fetch some water. Callan suspected that the man she was talking about was probably Richard.

But why?

Just a day ago the alpha held a ceremony to announce Madeline and Richard as mates. Though she didn’t smile, it looked like everything was fine between them. Then what changed all of a sudden? Callan decided to wait a bit to receive his answers.

It was a long time before the girl was finally in a position to talk. Archer was reprimanded for the damage he did and so he was downstairs fixing the door while Madeline and Callan were at the latter’s room. Callan was trying to persuade the girl with his happy thoughts and irrelevant things which were distracting her from her problems. Ultimately it was the humorous events related to Archer and Callan on which both of them laughed at stretch.

On witnessing the calming behaviour of the girl Callan braved himself to ask the tough questions “Shouldn’t you be with your family? Why are you running from Richard?”

The smile on the face of the girl vanished and she pursed her lips. She paused for a long time probably contemplating whether or not to trust the man in front of her. Eventually she gave in to her instincts “He wants to mark me. He says that I will indulge with other wolves of the pack and betray him.”

“He is an idiot.” Callan whispered to himself “Don’t worry. Try to explain things to him, I am sure he will understand you.”

“I tried. He thinks that I will reject his advances and his wolf wants to claim me before it happens.”

“What kind of a mate is he!”

Callan felt disgusted at the moment. Though Madeline and Richard were mates but there was a considerable difference between their ages. Richard had crossed his teens while the little girl had just stepped in. By the looks of it she barely looked twelve or thirteen. The age when your wolf governs your mating instincts or recognise your other half was eighteen and in some cases it was sixteen.

In this case however Madeline was below the specified age to recognise her mate. This wasn’t something new in the werewolf world. However the older mate was responsible to take care of his other half and respect the wishes of his beloved. Patience was all that was needed. Even if Madeline may not like Richard as of now but ultimately she would fall head over heels when her wolf recognizes her mate after a few years.

Why wasn’t Richard understanding such a simple fact?

The most concerning thing right now was that Madeline was too young to fall prey to the devious lust of Richard. Her body was still premature while her mind could barely promulgate the fact that she had a mate. A person who was forcing her to do things without her consent.

“I am not ready! I am not ready!” Madeline whispered in terror. The brim of tears were ready to explode any time. Callan could see the impact on the innocent heart of the little girl. She was scared for her life. She was scared of her own mate “I am not ready! I cannot go back to him.”

“Calm down.. Have you talked to anyone about it? Peter, Aldous or your mother?”

“They say that Richard has a right over me. I should abide by the laws of nature and give myself to him.”

Callan was pensive again. What the girl implied was entirely true. The traditions of the wolves were rigid and they dictated that no one could interfere between the mating of the two wolves. Peter valued his lineage and his position more than the well being of his child. Whereas Aldous didn’t seem too close to his sister. On the contrary Callan was sure that Aldous would side in with his friend rather than the child.

The frightened look on the face of the girl propelled the man to take a drastic step. He knew the consequences would be horrendous but his heart was filled with sympathy for the girl. He had to help her. “Hmm.. How about this. You can visit my place every full moon and stay here as long as you feel safe.”

“You do know that I cannot hide forever.”

“Its just the full moons. Richard will have problems to control his urges when the moon ascends. On other occasions just try to be in his sight so that his wolf is pleased.”

“But he will find me.” The girl spoke in surety. Her indecisiveness to Callan’s proposal was obvious. It was a dangerous arrangement.

“Trust me. My house will be the last place he would ever think of coming; although..” The handsome man bent down and carefully retracted a small box from beneath his bed. He opened the box to pull out a small vessel. He forwarded the container to the girl “In case if such an incidence occurs use this.”

Madeline scrunched her nose for the awful smell that emanated from the thick dark semi-solid substance “What is it?”

“It is a powerful lotion that hides one’s smell completely. It is strong enough to mask the scent of a female bear so be rest assured.”

The little heart of the girl constricted as a fury of alien emotions flooded through her brain “Why are you helping me?”

The handsome man chuckled “It is in my nature I guess. Consider my help as a gift to you.”

“If we get caught then we both will receive punishments; grave punishments! Don’t put your life in danger for me.”

“Don’t worry about me. However shall the occasion arise if and when you are caught you should promise me that I alone shall face the brunt. I want you to refrain from revealing the truth. Let me handle the matter.” Callan spoke with seriousness in his voice.

The girl looked at Callan as if he had lost his senses “They will kill you!”

“I will find a way. I know you are afraid and under a lot of pressure. Outside this house we will be complete strangers but besides that I will consider you as my own little sister. It is difficult to hide things forever from the wolves and we are not denying Richard his mate but only delaying the inevitable. When you come of age you are free to do whatever you want. Don’t worry about Richard.. I have observed wolf mates closely and he cannot resist you or be upset with you for long.”

Callan palmed his hand on the hands of the little girl and looked at her with adoration. Madeline on the other side couldn’t deduce the state of her mind. Though her tear works were refusing to die down the smile on her face was intact. The plan though risky if executed properly could save her from the vicious and lustful motives of her mate.

Behind the frenetic turn of events and the shouting bond being forcefully laden on her was a quietness that whispered that all is not over. For the first time in days the little girl was relieved. Her heart was content for she now had someone who she could trust completely. Whatever the people would say about the man the girl would readily refute it because for Madeline the handsome man was a saviour.

“I would always be grateful to you.”

Madeline in the next instant closed the gap between the two as she embraced her saviour taking Callan by surprise. The handsome man patted her back lightly and assured the girl “As long as I am there by your side I promise to keep you safe always.”

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The Present

The small open arena was filled with screams. The mother, the father and all the siblings were inconsolable. The people surrounding the body and the ones who were present there, allowed their tears to drip down their faces. Unexpectedly Peter bent down and hugged his little girl. He stroked her hair and caressed her cheeks lovingly.

The gesture overpowered Callan who was standing at the far end watching the procession from a distance.

Soon the entire crowd sobbed uncontrollably. The situation was a big blow to the entire wolf pack. Death during childbirth was common but a mated she-wolf ending her own life was gruesomely nerve chilling. The fact that she was found on the entrance of the human of the pack cemented the belief of the people that Callan was the doer of evil. His presence fuelled the myth of him being the bringer of bad omen. After the recent event he was now considered the eater of life as well.

But Callan hardly cared for what people thought about him.

He was extremely heartbroken by witnessing the one scenario he never imagined to see. Madeline was a sweet little girl. The few interactions they had over the past months had built a strong bond of friendship and sibling love between them. Even when they were caught of violating the sacred law, Callan had assured the girl of help the way he could.

But he failed in his promise to keep her safe.

When he saw the girl on his doorsteps he was extremely shocked. Whatever theories the people put forward he was aware of the truth. The girl wanted help from Callan and he wasn’t there to provide it. The poison she consumed was extremely potent. Callan had assumed the fact that the girl must’ve escaped the clutches of her tormentor somehow and visited the house to seek solace in her wretched state. She must’ve called for help but when no one answered her pleas the only thing that came to her feeble mind was to escape this suffering once and for all.

How pained she must’ve been!

Callan’s attention directed slowly to the crying man standing next to his father. He thought that the head warrior would melt his exterior and come out of his tough stance just once. He thought that Aldous’ conscience was battering him to follow his heart. Callan was sure that the man cared for his little sister and would protect her in the days that followed.

He was wrong.

The handsome man cleaned his wet cheeks and braved his heart to take slow, steady steps. He could not believe how his fate had been so cruel. Every single person from the pack who he cared for were snatched away from him mercilessly. He was beginning to doubt himself. It was as if his proximity brought people close to the doors of death.

Just as he took a few steps ahead the entire crowd stopped at what they were doing. Justus and Mary were torn to watch the wretched state of their beloved son while the alpha mates sympathised with the man. Rosaline was standing next to the witch, their dejected eyes glued to the slow motion walk of the man. Einar on the other hand wanted to comfort Callan of his grief but he felt helpless at the moment.

The hateful glares the man received did not deter his resolve and he moved ahead. However even before he could reach the premise of the open coffin a strong iron blow had connected with his cheeks. The man faltered in his stance and fell on his nates.

A muffled growl left Einar’s lips which he had no control of. Garrick held his best friends arm to restrict him from intervening. However the only thoughts roaming in Einar’s head were to chop off the arms which hurt his mate. Garrick was thankful that at this point Einar’s growl was muffled with the angry growls directed at the suspected culprit- Callan.

Two pairs of strong hands had constricted the movement of Richard. His eyes were red with rage and his body was close to shifting in his wolf “You! It was all your fault!” He gritted his teeth while trying to release himself “How can you steep so low!” He sucked in a lot of breath before propelling a large amount of spit right at the man’s face “You did this!”

Callan had had enough.

Up until now the only reason he was mum was because he had the welfare of the girl in mind. However today his own fury was ready to burst at any time. He remembered the shabby and assaulted condition of the poor girl. How pained she must have been when the bastard of a man had forcefully imposed himself on her.

The pain in her eyes was unforgettable. The claw marks on her body and the dried blood flushed entirely through her legs was a sight of horror. Callan had seen her torn clothes, he had witnessed how the man had ravaged the sensitive parts of the poor girl. It was absolutely cruel and barbaric!

The trepidation and humiliation she must have gone through must’ve been unimaginable. How cruelly was her virtue; her self esteem; her self respect were killed! She was shattered to the point that the only way to her salvation was bidding farewell to this pathetic world.

What aggravated the man more was the fact that the wolves considered it as a consensual sexual act and not an assault. That Richard was not to be blamed since he did it to his own mate! The girl was roaming around with the man on her own free will which meant that the girl had her will when it came to consummating the bond.

How sick this could be!

A bile formed in Callan’s throat when he recalled the pathetic state of the charming girl. He hatefully looked at the man in front of him. The one who called himself her mate.

Callan had witnessed the love and affection the bond inmates show to each other. More importantly the respect they have for each other was commendable. He observed how lost one partner was without the other. The smallest of the small injury of your mate would attract a significant amount of anxiousness for the wolf.

Then why wasn’t Richard able to hold himself? Why couldn’t he control his lust? Why was he being so obsessed and insecure about her? Why couldn’t he understand the fact that the girl was not ready? Why was he not able to see that his mate was just a thirteen year old child!

Callan blew the angry air in him and wiped the spit from his face. The atmosphere around had suddenly became tensed. The once serene and calm sky roared its anger when black clouds took over the entire mass. The thunders boomed the sky and the wolves were fearful all of a sudden. Callan however was unfazed by the glowing of his bracelet. He stood on his legs and with a surprise to all the wolves present, he landed a hard blow right across the jaws of Richard.

The wolf stood his ground in complete astonishment as he never expected the man to retaliate. Just when he came to his senses he growled in annoyance and leapt for Callan’s throat. However he was stopped midway by his fellow pack mates as he struggled hard to reach him.

Richard growled in anger “You are the reason for my bereavement and I promise you Ashton you would pay with your life!”

Callan huffed derisively “You never cared.” His lips trembled and fat tears rolled through his cheeks. He pursed his lips before sighing deeply “She didn’t want to be forced and you did exactly that. If there is someone who should be ashamed then it is you!”

The never before seen attitude of the human was shocking to all. Every wolf including the alpha and his mate were speechless. They were glued to their feet. Einar had a sense of pride for his mate but he was astonished nonetheless.

Callan wandered his hard gaze around every wolf menacingly before booming his voice “ALL OF YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE.”

He stationed his heart felt gaze one last time at the little girl. He sniffled and returned Richards hateful look with his own before turning his back to walk away from the entire crowd.

The thunders from the sky bellowed deafeningly as the crowd was helpless to watch the diminutive figure of the man vanishing from a distance.

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