Midnight Wolves

Chapter Forty Three: Lost

She was running. Lost.

Running and running and running. Until her feet bled, until her lungs burned.

But no matter how far she ran, she could not find the way back home.

*

VIK

The next morning, while sat beside his mate, Vik picked up her phone and went to her contacts list. Pressing on a name he waited patiently as the line rang.

"Callie, about time-"

"Hello, my name is Vikas. I am Callie's mate. Something's happened. I think I need your help."

They had a brief conversation and he hung up. Then he scrolled to the next number and pressed dial. He repeated it a few times more and then laid back down beside her and held her close.

*

They arrived the next day. Caleb had not arrived as he'd promised he would, and Vik knew he'd be forever grateful to the woman stood at the edge of packlands for that alone. Because he was pretty sure he'd have killed him.

"You must be Vikas," she said, stood tall despite the weakness he scented.

He shifted beneath her gaze. He thought her wolf was gone, but judging by the one golden eye watching him, it had not yet abandoned her entirely. He felt unnerved by her, his wolf not sure whether to strike or bow.

"Er-Yes, I am," he said, suddenly unsure.

Her eyebrow rose and his heartbeat quickened, had he said the wrong thing? This was ridiculous. He was a powerful wolf, an alpha. This was his packlands. He was the beast of the valley for goodness sake.

And yet, beneath her gaze he felt like a twelve year old boy.

He cleared this throat, trying desperately to hold together the flimsy fragments of his confidence. "And you must be Josephine."

The woman crossed her arms over her chest and Vik took a step back. She assessed him for a moment and then nodded. "Call me J."

He nodded quickly, cursing himself. "Of course, J. Welcome to my packlands." He held his arm out as his eyes scanned the land before her. For the first time ever, Vik was embarrassed by the state of it. "I-uh, haven't done much maintenance really. But I will, now." Vik hurried, his neck glowing red.

J smirked. "Knowing Callie, she'll prefer it like this."

At the mention of her name, Vik's chest warmed and a little trickle of pride at his mate enjoying his packlands slithered through him.

The she-wolf's face darkened. All humour left him and the air between them grew thick.

"Where is she?"

Vik nodded his head towards their shack. "Inside, follow me."

J nodded but paused, twisting her head to the car behind her. "Are you guys coming?" she called.

Vik's brow creased in confusion but he watched silently as wolves stepped forwards in their human forms.

"I asked them to wait back a bit. Wanted to see you for myself," she said casually as Vik watched in stunned silence as they all stepped forwards. It was more people than he'd seen on his packlands in years.

Shaking his head in bemusement, but pleased that they'd come for her when he'd called, Vik jogged to the front and led them into the shack.

Of course, that many people in such a small space was not ideal, and Vik had begun to apologise every time he spoke. His wolf was growing steadily uneasy, not accustomed to having this many people in his space. But he tried to remind himself that these were Callie's people, she loved them, if he slaughtered them she'd probably be a bit annoyed with him.

Eyeing some of them...he wasn't even sure if he could beat them.

He sighed heavily and was about to apologise for not having any milk when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder, followed by another hand on the other shoulder.

Vik gulped as he looked first to his left and then to the behemoth of a man on his right.

"We'd like a word with you," the giant man announced as they practically dragged him from the building, a few other wolves following them out.

Vik relaxed as they finally released him, his feet tripping across the ground with the force. He swung around to face them to find a row of wolves watching him.

A tiny tendril of fear trickled down his back. His wolf  eyed them individually, searching for any sign of weakness.

"So you're Callie's mate, huh?" the giant asked, already knowing the answer. Vik nodded anyway.

"Doesn't seem like much," another cut in.

"He's got power," said the other man who'd held his shoulder. He could still feel the weight of that hand.

"A fighter," said another who hovered near him. The two shared a look that suggested their friendship was strained.

"Look, I don't want trouble, OK? I called you here for Callie-"

"Talkative, isn't he," said the one who'd claimed he 'didn't seem like much'. Caleb narrowed his eyes at him.

"Who are you all?" he spat with barely contained rage, his wolf pacing beneath his skin.

"They're Callie's family," yet another wolf said as he walked up beside him. Vik flinched away from him, his approach almost as silent as Vik's own. The man's wolf flashed briefly in and out of his eyes.

"That's Jake, Rootbridge alpha," he said, pointing to the man whose hand Vik could still feel on his shoulder. "Beside him is Liam, he trained Callie to fight. Goliath there is Jonathon, Black Oath alpha, beside him is Zander his enforcer. And I'm Jack, the rogue turned sane wolf l, and now Beta of Rootbridge," he finished as he went to stand beside Jake, much to the man, Liam's, annoyance.

"And, in case you missed it," the man identified as Zander said as he stepped forwards. "That was code for, hurt Callie and we'll break you into tiny pieces." He smirked at Vik's flash of wolf.

"I'd never hurt her, she's my mate."

"Best that be the case boy," an old woman said, stepping forwards as the intimidating line of men parted for her. Her eyes sparkled with promise as she spoke, "because if you harm more than a hair on that girl's head, I can assure you that these boys will be the least of your trouble."

"Gran!" J called from the shack. "We need you!"

The old woman glared at Vik for a moment longer and he shivered beneath her gaze, before she turned and slowly trotted back inside.

"She freaks me out," Zander muttered, earning a punch to the arm from Jonathon.

"You can tell she's related to J," Liam interjected. When they all stared at him he shrugged defensively. "Oh come on, like she doesn't scare you all too."

Vik breathed out a sigh of relief as the anger and intimidation portion of their day seemed to be over. With a roll of his eyes, he headed back to Callie's side.