Page 31 of Wolf's Chance

Caleb smirked. Walking past me, he entered my bedroom. “Right.”

I wasn’t even fighting. He was taking over. This was my home, so why wasn’t I fighting? Because I was exhausted. Slowly I followed him, and in my room, I lowered myself to my bed.

“What is it?” he asked, flipping through my notebook, looking at all my recent drawings ofhimlike the narcissist he was.

“You.” Closing my eyes, I rubbed my temples. “You’re exhausting.”

“You were fine when you came home.”

When I opened my eyes, he was crouched in front of me. “Why did you burn it?” Sure, I hadn’t liked the creepy wolf either, but there was no need to damage it.

He didn’t answer as he watched me carefully. Concern gave way to the hardness I expected of him, and I wasn’t surprised when he stood. Disappointed, but not surprised. “I drain you.”

“No. It’s my ill?—”

“No. It’s me.”

Looking up at him, I saw how much he believed it. “Caleb…” As I reached out to take his hand, he stepped back. The sting of rejection pierced my heart.

“I make you ill.” He sounded bitter, and I didn’t understand it at all. “How long has it been since your ME left you this wasted?”

“I’m always like this,” I started to tell him, but as I spoke, I realized I was wrong. Ihadbeen worse since I met him. Since I starteddrawinghim. When he saw that I’d reached the same conclusion, he gave a derisive snort. “What does this mean?”

“It means they were right.”

“Who were?”

“The alpha. The others.” His sneer was ugly, and I didn’t like how angry he was.

My head was reeling. My body was craving energy that I could only give it with sleep. “Alpha? Others? What are you talking about?”

“Look at you.” He sounded disgusted, but something deepinside me knew it wasn’t at me. “You’re so drained. I canseehow much I affect you.” Strong arms lifted me, and I was placed further up the bed. “Rest. We’ll talk when you wake.”

I hadn’t been tired. I had beengood. I had been fine. But the two men from earlier and then Caleb, and I could barely open my eyes.

“They’re like you…”

I heard him curse and then mutter something that sounded a lot like he was accusing them of not waiting. Waiting for what, he never said. I knew when he left the room because my energy leveled out, and while I was still so tired, I wanted answers.

I could get up and demand them. I could. I really, really could, but I wanted to sleep. Caleb wouldn’t leave, not when I was like this and he blamed himself. He had stayed before, and he would stay again.

When I woke up, he was in the backyard, sitting on the lowest step, watching the tree line. “Better?”

“I have so many questions.”

“I don’t have answers.”

Lowering myself carefully, I joined him on the step. “You must have some.”

Caleb rubbed his forehead, finally turning to look at me. “Trust me when I say that I have no answers as to why you were drawing me before you met me or why being in my presence makes you weaker.” He looked back towards the trees. “If I knew the answer to any of this, I would be a happy man.”

“That must be nice to see.” He threw me a look and I smiled. “Where have you been?”

“I was trying tofind answers.”

“Did you find any?”

“No.”

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