Chapter 0087

Athena

He dedicated hours to ensuring my comfort.

Snacks were arranged.

Drinks were chilled.

Blankets were fluffed.

Sometimes, he simply lay beside me.

His presence was a constant, soothing balm.

His fingers traced light patterns on my skin.

It was both calming and intensely intimate.

The cramps vanished completely after my climax.

I still couldn't comprehend what had come over me.

Taking control in the shower was so unlike me.

In that moment, it felt like another force guided my actions.

Something primal and powerful had taken hold.

“Athena?” His murmur pulled me from the edge of sleep.

“I must leave. The pack run begins soon.”

“Okay,” I yawned, reluctantly releasing my hold on him.

“Guards will remain stationed around the house. Caleb has also agreed to stay.”

I nodded, pulling a pillow tightly to my chest.

The pack run was a sacred event here.

I would never ask him to miss it.

“Are you certain you’ll be alright?” His lips brushed my cheek softly.

“I’ll probably just sleep.”

“I’ll inform Caleb.”

A faint frown touched his features, but he said nothing more.

He promised to return by morning.

Midnight found me completely alert.

The full moon glowed brightly outside.

Yet a deep, unsettling dread coiled within me.

A heavy, sinking sensation I couldn't explain.

I just knew, with absolute certainty, that something was wrong.

A frantic knock shattered the silence.

“Athena! Turn your lights off! Now! Let me in!” Caleb’s hissed whisper came through the door.

“What’s happening?” I muttered, opening the door to find a completely naked Caleb.

I instantly covered my eyes.

The image of my brother like this was not something I ever wanted seared into my memory.

He slammed the door shut and killed the lights, plunging us into darkness.

His hand found mine in the blackness. “You can see me, right?” he whispered urgently.

I nodded, still adjusting to my new ability to see so clearly at night.

“Why are you naked?” I whispered back, matching his tense tone.

“They’re here, Athena. They’ve used the full moon to make their move. I had to shift to mask my scent. They know I’m here. They probably know you’re here too. They’ve come for you.”

My stomach plummeted, a new depth of fear opening inside me.

“You need to shift.”

“I… can’t. I don’t know how.” My eyes darted around the dark room, tears welling. “The guards…”

He shook his head grimly. “Gone.”

We both froze at the sound of movement outside.

Caleb’s eyes scanned the room desperately, searching for cover.

There was none. The room was too exposed.

I watched, transfixed, as his body began to change.

His limbs elongated.

His frame expanded.

Dark, coarse hair sprouted across his thickening skin.

His head morphed into that of a massive wolf.

I instinctively tried to recoil, but he seized me.

He pulled me tightly against him, his enormous form enveloping mine.

A potent mix of male pheromones, sweat, and a wild, musky scent filled the air.

‘I’m masking your scent.’ His voice echoed in my mind, just like Alexander’s did.

He rubbed his long, furred arms all over me, coating me in his strong, animal odor.

It seemed a desperate, flimsy disguise.

Footsteps moved past the bedroom door without stopping.

Caleb held me firmly, refusing to release his grip.

For a terrifying second, I feared this was a trap.

‘Come with me.’ His command came through the link after several tense minutes.

His arms finally released me.

He moved silently to the window, sliding it open without a sound.

His blue eyes flashed at me in the dark.

He held out a large, clawed hand.

From the window, I could see scattered bodies on the ground below.

Some in wolf form, some human.

No Lycans were among them.

“W…where are we going?”

“Up.”

I was confused. There was nothing above us but the roof.

“Alexander instructed me. If there was ever trouble and he wasn’t here, I was to take you up.”

What choice did I have?

Stay and be captured, or trust his word.

Caleb crouched low, gesturing for me to climb onto his back.

I wrapped my arms around his thick, muscular neck.

I sent a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess that I could hold on.

I was either heading into greater danger, or Caleb was truly keeping his promise.

He scaled the side of the house with astonishing speed, pausing only when we reached the flat roof.

He scanned the area carefully.

He did a quick circuit, checking all sides.

The roof was empty, save for a single, small duffle bag.