Calliope's Wolf - Book 1
Chapter 17

The sun was low in the sky, readying to set for the night. A crisp, cold breeze blew, remnants from the winter that had passed. The forest was calm and quiet, except for the rustling of leaves.

Two wolves walked through a well-worn trail. It was a dark gray wolf and a large white wolf... Riley and Calliope. They were patrolling the borders, allowing their wolves to stretch and run. On this day, they came across nothing unusual. There were no signs of rogues, sun wolves, or anything strange. But still, patrolling the border gave them an excuse to leave the palace.

As the girls neared home, they shifted back into their human forms. Riley looked over at Calliope, who was calm and even had a slight smile on her face. Riley felt as though this was odd. Today was the last day of Calliope being 17. She expected her to be on pins and needles, especially since Theo had been gone the past week.

"You seem less restless lately," Riley commented.

"I think it was my talk with Theo last week," Calliope replied as she toyed with the necklace around her neck. "That and laying under the full moon that has helped relax me. I can't explain it. It is as if the Moon Goddess took away my anxieties and fears. When I laid on the hill, near the moon, it felt like the Goddess was with me. It was-"

"Amazing?" Riley interrupted with a teasing smile. Calliope wrapped her arm around Riley's arm.

"Yes!" Calliope laughed. "Amazing!"

"I'll have to take your word for it," Riley chuckled.

The girls walked inside and went to one of their favorite sitting rooms. Someone brought them dinner, and they made mindless chit-chat while they ate. After resting for a while, Riley looked at Calliope with a cheeky smile.

"So you turn 18 tomorrow," she started. "When do you think you and Theo will...?"

"I guess when he returns from his trip, whenever that will be," Calliope shrugged.

"But you do still want to, right?" Riley questioned curiously.

"Oh, of course!" Calliope exclaimed. She blushed and looked down. "I know I haven't seemed as rushed as I was before. Like I said, that night under the Moon relaxed things in me. There is no more internal struggle. Even my relationship with my wolf seemed to have improved."

"I'm sure we won't see you two for weeks when Theo returns!"

"Just wait until you find your mate. The Moon Festival is coming up in a few months," Calliope teased. Riley was 19, old enough to find her mate. Since this would be Calliope's first year participating in the challenge, they expected a large turnout for the festival.

Riley covered her face to hide her blushing. She shook her head. Calliope laughed loudly at her friend. The two girls talked and laughed through the evening hours. Once it was dark out, Calliope made her way to bed.

For hours, she laid there, unable to sleep. Every time the clock chimed the hour, she would count. 10... 11... and finally 12. Midnight. She was officially 18. She looked at her hands, but they didn't feel any different. It seemed like it was just another day, another year.

She lay there, looking up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She couldn't smell Theo, nor could she sense him. She tried to look through his eyes, but her head was foggy, and it was hard for her to concentrate.

With a heavy sigh, she sat up. She looked at the windows, but little light came through. It was cloudy out; a storm was rolling in. She could hear thunder in the distance. She looked around her room, and it felt dark.

Calliope got up from bed and began to light a few candles. She set down the matches and gave another sigh. She wondered where Theo was and what he was doing at that moment. She looked to the door leading to the hall. She walked to it and stared at the handle.

Perhaps laying in his room will make me relax enough? She thought to herself.

She placed her hand on the handle and turned it quietly. She opened the door and gasped in surprise. Theo was there, standing on the other side of the door. He looked at her, and she looked at him.

After what seemed like minutes, he stepped towards her. She stepped to the side so he could walk into the room. He gently closed the door behind him. And again, they just stared at one another. Both were hesitant to make the first move. Both were unsure of what the other was thinking. Theo moved first and stepped to her, only stopping when they were inches apart.

He looked down slightly to get a look at her face. She was shorter than him by a few inches. He looked at her blue eyes, which captivated him over 13 years ago. He looked at her as if this was the first time he had seen her. He noticed light freckles that dotted the bridge of her nose and cheeks. He looked at her lips and watched as they moved.

"Theo," she whispered.

Her saying his name broke his trance. He looked back into her eyes. He took his hands and gently put them on both sides of her face. He tilted her head so she could look at him.

"Do you want to do this?" He asked in a severe tone. He wanted her to be ready and be sure she was prepared for what was to come.

"Yes," she said in a confident tone. "I want to do this with you, always."

Theo needed to hear no more. He leaned in and kissed her. Their first kiss and it was electrifying. He took one of his hands from her face and put it on the small of her back. He pulled her gently so that her body was flushed against his.

Calliope put her hands on his chest. She could feel his heart race as they kissed. She felt the buttons of his shirt and began to unbutton them. She touched his bare chest when all the buttons were undone. She felt his muscles and chest hair and ran her hands up his shoulders. He let her go so he could toss his shirt off.

He looked at her breathlessly. It's as if they did not take a breath while they kissed. He looked down at her thin nightdress. There was nothing to untie, nothing to unbutton. He slid the dress straps off her shoulders and down her arms. The dress fell instantly to the floor.

Theo gently turned Calliope to the side. He slipped an arm under her legs and the other behind her back. He easily carried her to the bed, gently laying her in the middle. He stood off the bed long enough to remove his pants. Once he was as naked as her, he climbed in on top of her.

He began to kiss her lips, then moved down to her chin, then her jaw. He kissed down her neck and to the top of her shoulder, where he would ultimately mark her. He kissed her for a few seconds, causing her to moan with excitement.

He continued to kiss down her chest, on her stomach, and lower. There wasn't a part of her body that he didn't kiss, didn't taste, didn't touch. He wanted to become familiar with her body. Calliope didn't protest; she wanted this as much as he did.

He was as gentle as he could be. He went slow, making sure not to hurt her. He whispered to her, checking on her, gauging if she felt pain or pleasure. Theo's canines extended as they both reached the climax of their passions. He gently kissed her left shoulder one more time before biting down.

She gasped in pain. It burned and felt as if hot venom was going into her. She whimpered as she pushed against him, instinctively trying to get away from the pain. But he held her tightly. Once his mark was made, his teeth retracted. He gently kissed her shoulder to help soothe her discomfort.

She cried softly as she relaxed again. She had not expected the mark to be as painful as it was. And unfortunately, there was nothing Theo could have done to ease the suffering prior. All he could do now was make sure the pain disappeared as quickly as possible.

Once the pain was gone, Theo positioned himself so he was lying on her. His neck turned, exposing his left shoulder to her. Calliope reached up and whispered to him. She nibbled gently on his ear lobe before reaching his shoulder.

As she kissed his shoulder, her teeth began to extend. She opened her mouth, and her canines sank deep into his skin. Theo hissed in pain but kept himself still. Calliope could feel her wolf spirit become active, as if she had come forward briefly before returning to her soul. She retracted her teeth and kissed his shoulder as he had done hers. She could feel his heavy breathing lighten up.

When the pain of Theo's mark went away, he laid down on the bed beside Calliope. He slipped his arms around her and pulled her close. He felt her warm body against his. He smelled her hair, filling his nose with the scent of Juniper.

"I love you, Calliope," he whispered to her. "And I always will."

"I love you too," she replied. She placed a hand over his. Their fingers interlocked.

For some time, they laid in each other's arms, whispering sweet nothings to one another. After a while, they both fell asleep to the sounds of the storm outside.

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