Calliope's Wolf - Book 1
Chapter 25

Hours pass by quickly as Theo and his scouting group head west. They ran through the night, only slowing down when they saw smoke in the far distance. Theo stood on a hill, looking at the smoke. It was still many miles away. He looked to the sky. It would be dawn before they made it there.

He squatted on the ground and drew a makeshift map. The camp was on the outskirts of a heavily wooded forest. He looks to his companion, Zachary.

“What do you think?” Theo asked.

“They are bound to have scouts in the woods around the camp,” he thought as he stood. He tried his best to look out in the dark. “Let’s get about a mile away from the camp and see what the terrain looks like.”

Theo nodded and looked at the other men. “We will walk, not run towards their direction. Stay alert.”

Everyone nodded and shifted back to their wolf forms. They walked down the hill and into the forest. There were no defined trails that they could see. Everyone sniffed the air periodically. There was no new or unusual scent. Everything seemed normal.

They stopped once Theo felt they were a mile away from the camp. They were on the edge of a clearing. It was early dawn, and a fog was hanging over the grass.

Out past the clearing was the camp. They could see several fires that were barely lit. Tents were set up, and it seemed quiet. Theo looked around; he couldn’t see anyone moving in the tree lines or around the camp.

“They must be sleeping?” Someone suggested.

“It is still early,” Theo shrugged. “Maybe as we get closer, we will see guards posted.”

Theo turned to look at the men. He cleared the ground with his feet until it was just dirt. He placed a rock in the center.

“OK, so we have the camp. We will walk through the clearing, laying low. Once we get to the edge of this tree cropping, we split into four groups of 3. Two groups go north, up and around, to get a view of the camp from the west. The other two groups will go south. I don’t want to be here long, an hour tops. So, count the tents and any wolves you see. Once done, everyone heads south. We will regroup at Jade Lake. Any questions?”

“You’ll stick out in this clearing, mist or no mist,” Zachary commented.

“That is why I will do this in human form,” Theo replied. “Those grouped with me and the other northbound team, we should stay human. There is no coverage for us to hide in on the north side. Those going south, you can stay in wolf forms. Once to the outcropping, you can hide amongst the trees. Just stay several hundred feet from the tree line in case they have guards watching.”

“What do we do if we get spotted?”

“If you get spotted, let out a howl. We will all shift and rush in. If we rush in, keep a few people alive. This is the first invading party in years. I want someone to question this time around.”

Everyone nodded and began to group up. Theo grouped with Zachary and another warrior. He looked to the sky; the moon was nearly out of sight. Theo said a small prayer before stepping out onto the grass.

The clearing was a large meadow. The fog hung low to the ground, making it feel colder than the air in the forest. The men crouched over as they walked. Theo looked at the treeline around the meadow. To the north, the forest looked silent. To the south, there was a few deer. He looked around at his men, making sure all were close.

He looked ahead. After another few minutes, they would be at the outcropping, where they split up. Theo hears something fly past him. He stopped and listened as a warrior yelled in pain. He looked around as more arrows were shot, most missing their targets.

Theo’s heart stops—his mother’s vision. The clearing, the low fog, it’s an ambush! It wasn’t Calliope’s death she saw... it was Theo’s death.

Theo! Calliope yelled over mind link.

She was watching him, watching through his eyes. Everything seemed to connect in his brain. The oracle telling him that the future cannot be changed. Calliope had a purpose in this world, and it didn't include him. He needed to die for her to change the world. Theo’s heart sank deep into the pit of his stomach. He fought back tears as he shifted.

Stop watching! He yelled at her.

Calliope was back at the palace, standing over a table. Around her were her companions, their beta, and a few warriors. She had been watching through Theo, mapping out where they were.

No! Theo! It’s an ambush! Run!

Calliope yelled out to those in the room that Theo was being ambushed. Most of them ran out, but everyone knew it would take hours to get to where he was. Calliope gripped the table, her vision not leaving his.

Theo yelled out to the men to shift to their wolf forms. He noticed torches being lit in the trees around them. To the north, to the south, and behind them. They were funneled this way purposefully. He couldn’t smell them, and in the light of the early dawn, he couldn’t yet see them.

Another arrow flew past him and to another wolf. The wolf yelped in pain. He rushed over and gripped the end of the arrow with his mouth. He pulled it out and spat it to the ground. Silver... it was shining in the early morning light. He sniffed it. Wolfsbane. The silver-tipped arrows were dipped in the one liquid that prevented wolves from healing quickly.

He looked around. Their only way out was forward, but he was sure more were waiting that way. He looked back behind him. There seemed to be fewer lights that way.

Everyone! Run east! Scatter! He yelled to his warriors over mind link.

Theo ran to his right, towards the east. He dodged arrows as best as he could, but his hind left leg got hit. It hurt; it burned a lot, but he pushed the pain to the back of his mind. He needed to run.

He could hear other wolves running to them. One by one, he heard the yelps of his men. Theo had to stop, try to stand his ground, and save what men he could.

He turned around and attacked a sun wolf that was on top of his companion. Theo grabbed the wolf’s arm and tore it off as he pulled the wolf away. Theo saw something sparkle in the morning light before the sun wolf’s other hand hit him in the face. Theo could feel the scratches; the pain stung deep.

He growled as he bit down on the wolf’s neck. Even though the wolf was trying hard to bite him, Theo was able to get a clean break. He looked at the remaining front paw and noticed silver caps on the ends of his claws.

They have silver on their claws! Silver arrows dipped in wolfsbane! He informed Calliope over mind link.

Theo! Run! Get out of there! She called back to him

No! Stop watching! I need to save who I can!

Calliope could feel tears slipping down her cheeks. She watched as Theo attacked and killed a few rogues and sun wolves. But then she watched as several wolves pinned Zachary down before tearing him apart.

Theo snarled as he ran towards Zachary’s body. He tore into several of the wolves, not knowing if he was maiming them or killing them. He just...attacked. No matter how many arrows hit him, he just kept going.

Calliope couldn’t stop watching; she couldn’t help it. She sank to her knees. Her heart hurt, her body hurt. Every pain Theo felt, every pain he pushed down, she was feeling. Giizis wanted out, wanted to take control, but Calliope couldn’t stop watching.

Theo fought as best as he could, but with every minute that passed, another one of his warriors was killed. It seemed now that the invaders taunted him. Pulled him in one direction with the screams of someone he knew, only to kill them in front of him.

Once everyone he came with was dead, dozens upon dozens of wolves surrounded Theo. He looked at them. They were covered in mud, thick and caked on. This is why he couldn’t smell them. They masked their scent.

Calliope gasped as she watched silver hooks being shot at Theo. They dug deep into his skin. On the ends of the hooks were chains. Sun wolves held the chains low and tight, forcing Theo to lay on the ground. He fought against the chains as hard as he could. The silver burned his skin. He heard it sizzle against him.

Theo! Calliope screamed. She screamed both over mind link and out loud. Her companions tried to console her, but she felt hot to the touch. Static and energy radiated from her.

Please, don’t watch, I beg you, Theo pleaded as he stopped fighting. He watched someone in human form walk over with a giant, silver sword. I love you, Calliope. I don’t want you to forget that.

There is no love without you, Theo! I can’t live without you! She cried.

You must! You have to! There is more for you to do, little wolf. Please... live! You have a destiny still out there!

Theo shut his eyes tight, refusing to watch as the sword was raised. Theo’s wolf head was removed from his body in one clean sweep.

Calliope screamed. The scream echoed across the palace and for what seemed like miles. She gripped her chest and collapsed to the ground. The rug beneath her burned from the heat she emitted.

Calliope tried to stop looking through Theo’s eyes. It was dark; there was nothing left to see. But she couldn’t. Her eyes stopped glowing, and her once-blue irises turned white. She was now blind.

After a minute of screaming in pain, she began to quiet down. She struggled to catch her breath, to get her bearings. Once her skin wasn’t hot to the touch, her companions ran to her. They helped her to stand. They knew what happened to Theo; they didn’t need to ask. The Great Alpha had died.

“I can’t see!” Calliope gasped through staggered breaths.

She could feel Giizis wanting free. She was going to take control. Calliope wanted her to take control.

“Take me outside! I need to let Giizis out!” She commanded.

Rayne and Abigail quickly led Calliope outside. She pulled away from their grasp once she felt the morning air and the ground beneath her feet. She walked a few steps and shifted.

Giizis could see; she didn’t lose her sight as Calliope did. She took a second to catch her breath. Sadness and heartache quickly turned to hatred and rage.

Kill them, Calliope said to Giizis. Let there be no escape for any of them.

Giizis let out an angry howl. It was loud; it was commanding. It was dangerous.

Kill them. Calliope repeated.

*Author’s note*

😭

BUT, how many of you, dear readers, saw the twist of it being Theo’s death, not Calliope’s?

Also, if anyone wants an idea of what the next chapters might be like, the song “A Grave Mistake” by Ice Nine Kills is what I am listening to in order to get me into Calliope’s mindset. It’s metalcore, so it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea!

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