Page 35 of Midnight Magic

He had a mate.

ChapterTwenty-Two

The rustic dining hall, lit by the soft flicker of candlelight, enveloped us in a warm, intimate embrace as we sat. The tables groaned under the weight of hearty dishes, the scent of succulent roasts and freshly baked bread enticing our senses. It was our final meal together before the looming day when Cas had said he would return.

I picked at my food, my appetite overshadowed by the heavy burden I carried on my shoulders. My gaze wandered across the table to Callan, who seemed lost in thought, eyes locked onto his plate as if it held the secrets of the universe. We hadn’t talked since we’d shared that earth-shattering kiss yesterday.

Beside me, Nia and Lily chatted, their banter a ray of sunshine in the impending storm. They were near attached at the hip.

"Lily, I swear you have the weirdest taste in food. Bacon and maple syrup?" Nia asked.

Lily shrugged with an impish grin, looking through her lashes at Nia. "It's all about that sweet and savory combo. Keeps things interesting. Kind of like us, I hope?" Lily’s timidness was adorable, her heart out on her sleeve for all to see. Nia chuckled and shook her head, her amusement evident as a slight blush creeped up her cheeks, but she said nothing.

Callan's lips twitched, the ghost of a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

We locked eyes for a heartbeat too long, and in that fraction of a second, I glimpsed something dark underneath. The tension that had been simmering between us since our stolen kiss hung like a thick fog, obscuring everything else.

But as quickly as it came, the moment passed. Callan withdrew his gaze, focusing on his plate with renewed intensity, as if he needed the meal to shield himself from me. A sliver of anger blossomed in me. The hot and cold act was infuriating.

Wolfe rose from his seat, casting a long shadow across the room as he stepped into the flickering candlelight. The atmosphere was thick with apprehension as he brought us back to reality. His voice, like the rumble of distant thunder, commanded our attention.

"To my pack and welcome guests," he began, his eyes scanning the faces of those gathered around the rough-hewn wooden table, "tonight, we dine together, but tomorrow, we will be challenged. We will fight."

Tension rippled through the room. The impending confrontation weighed heavily on them all. Wolfe's gaze hardened as he spoke, displaying the power that told them why they called him Alpha.

"Let there be no doubt—we do not possess what they seek. But we also know that they won't simply accept our word. We're in for a battle that will test our strength and unity." His voice held a steely resolve. "Tomorrow, we fight not just for ourselves but for the safety and future of this pack. We fight for our lives."

I listened intently, guilt building inside of me. As Wolfe spoke, my unease only grew. The pack faced an uncertain future, all because I was here.

“If you want to leave, now is the time. I won’t force anyone to stay here that doesn’t want to be.”

Wolfe's speech resonated through the room, casting a somber spell over our gathering as we all looked around, seeing who would leave. The flickering candlelight danced across the faces of the pack as nobody moved.

With each passing moment, the decision to leave tonight grew more solid in my mind. I wouldn’t stand up now, but I wouldn’t stay here and watch them die.

What would happen to Callan if Lexi died? Their stupid mate bond made everything more complicated. It was undeniable that Callan would suffer immensely if she died. I’d seen firsthand what happened to Elowen, and he seemed hell-bent on repeating that. A knot formed in my chest at the thought of him enduring such pain because of me.

As I watched Nia and Lily bathe in their bliss, I couldn't help but envy the connection they’d formed, a stark contrast to the dark cloud of uncertainty that hovered over me and Callan.

I contemplated my decision in silence before finally making up my mind. I silently said my goodbyes to each face that had become important to me, I memorized each face, searing them into my memory.

This would be the last time I’d see them.

ChapterTwenty-Three

As I moved with trembling hands later that night, I packed my backpack, stark memories flooding through me as I prepared to sneak out like a thief in the night. I recalled the mirthful giggles shared with Lily and Evie, the excitement that had buzzed in the air as we’d prepared for the party in this very cabin. Evie, who had never gotten to go to a party of her own. Evie, who was taken from the world too soon, because of me.

My thoughts drifted to Callan and my memories of him in this place. The Mating Moon had cast a seductive spell upon us, drawing him back to my cabin, where desire had ignited like wildfire. At least for me it had. In the moonlit hours, his lips had explored every inch of me without expecting any in return, and the memory of that passionate night still sent shivers down my spine.

The nostalgic regret threatened to engulf me. Each creak of the wooden floorboards, each gust of wind that rustled the leaves outside, echoed with a poignant history that now stood at a crossroads. My heart ached with the weight of my decision, but I knew that leaving was the only way to protect my newfound family. It wasn’t that long ago that I had shown up here, jaded and broken, and they’d welcomed me in. I never did get those ten thousand dollars, but I had new skills now, and I’d find a way to survive.

Running was the one thing I’d always been good at.

The choice was mine, and it was now or never. I kicked my boot against the floorboard, not sure what I was waiting for.Get your shit together. You never wanted any of this in the first place.My words to myself did the trick, and I gathered my resolve around me like a shawl as I exited into the cool night air, not giving myself any longer to dwell and change my mind. This was for the good of the pack. I didn’t know how he was doing it, but Cas had to have been tracking me. It was too much of a coincidence that he'd found me everywhere we had been. He would know that I was no longer with the pack and follow me, I’d bet my life on it. From there, I’d figure it out.

It was still and quiet outside of my cabin, not even crickets chirping in the surrounding forest in the dead of night. I’d been running over the scenarios since dinner, and I’d come up with a solid plan. Well, as much of a plan as I could come up with running on no sleep. The defenses designed to protect us were just that: defenses. Created to keep intruders out, but they said nothing about keeping us in. I was fairly certain if I went out through the back of the pack lands and not the front, I could make it out with no one seeing me. Maybe it would trip as I left, but by the time they figured out what happened, I’d be long gone. I was trackable, especially if Oliver still had my blood from when I’d given it to him when we first met, but at least I’d be away from the pack. I’d escape first, and then plan later.

I shrunk low to the ground, my simple all-black outfit of jeans and a sweater whispering against my skin as I moved. I skirted around my cabin, my eyes peeled out for anyone, but at this time of night everyone should’ve been sleeping. My gaze landed on the mansion my cabin was dwarfed by, where Wolfe lived alone as the Alpha of the pack, and a pang of regret went through me. I hoped that one day, when this was all over, I’d be able to make my way back here and reconcile the life I had started to build.

---