Calliope's Wolf - Book 1
Chapter 7

Some time passes, and seasons come and go. It is now early spring in the Riverbed pack lands. Calliope, now 10, was sitting at a large dining table with her parents, Nova, Asher, and Asher's family at the pack house.

She sat with her back against a chair and a book in her hand. She nibbled on a plate of fish and spring vegetables. Riley sat next to her with a similar plate and a book in her hand.

Riley has spent her recent years doing the same as Calliope. Taking up her interests, sharing her discomforts, and learning alongside her. But Calliope did try to make it not all one-sided. She tried to do some of Riley's interests, even if she wasn't good at them.

The adults at the table talked about various things, but nothing piqued Calliope's interest. It was an ordinary evening for all of them, talking, eating, and reading. That was until Calliope suddenly started to glow.

Calliope noticed and set her book down. She first looked at her hands, then her arms. Riley looked and gasped, getting the attention of everyone else.

Calliope stood and stepped away from the table as she started feeling warmer.

"What's going on!" she cried out. This wasn't normal; this had never happened before. And something started to hurt.

Calliope fell to her knees, and her hands clutched her chest. It was like her heart was being stabbed and her body on fire at the same time. She let out a scream of pain.

Her parents rushed to her, but when they went to touch her, their hands sizzled as if they put their hands in a fire. Everyone else rushed over but were confused about what to do. They couldn't touch her, but she wasn't physically on fire either. But she kept crying, screaming.

Something is wrong with the Great Luna! Asher yelled over his mind link to Theo. Theo kept their two-way communication open at all times for emergencies such as this.

"What do we do?!" Wyatt yelled as he looked at Nova and Asher.

"I- I don't know!" Nova answered. "She has never done this! I've never seen this!"

"Nova, run for the doctor!" Evelyn commanded. Nova nodded and shifted before she was even outside. She was faster in her wolf form.

Riley and her younger brother clutched to Stella. Riley was crying, upset that her friend was hurting. Upset that no one seemed to be able to help.

"Is this her food?" Wyatt asked as he looked at the table. "Poison?"

"The girls shared the same fish, and we all ate from the bowl with the vegetables!" Stella answered as she thought through the options, too. "This has to be a gift; she wouldn't be glowing otherwise."

"What kind of gift causes pain!?" Evelyn cried as she knelt in front of Calliope. "Honey, can you tell us what's wrong? What is hurting?"

"My heart hurts! I can't stop it!"

No one could do anything but watch. It was torture for everyone to see this strong girl, their Great Luna, cry out in pain.

After a few minutes, the glowing died down, but Calliope still cried, though not in pain. Wyatt was able to scoop her up and lay her down on a couch in a nearby sitting room.

Evelyn grabbed a cloth, dunked it in water, and began to wipe Calliope's face. She was red but not burnt. It's more like red from the crying and screaming. Tears still rolled down her face, and she refused to open her eyes.

"What happened? Are you still hurting?" Evelyn asked, concerned that it would continue again.

Calliope shook her head. She felt like she couldn't speak. Or that she didn't want to, she couldn't tell. She covered her face and cried silently.

Two wolves rushed into the front entrance of the house. When they shifted, it was Nova and the doctor. They rushed into the room. The doctor stepped up and began to ask Wyatt and Evelyn questions. He then went to Calliope and knelt.

"I'm going to touch you now," he whispered gently. "Can I see your face?"

Calliope hesitated but moved her hands. The doctor reached up and felt her forehead. She didn't feel hot to the touch, not anymore, at least. He then looked inside her mouth. It was irritated but nothing abnormal.

He felt her throat and then held her left arm out. He felt her pulse. After a minute, he stood and looked at her parents.

"Her throat is severely red, definitely from her screaming and crying. And her heart rate is high. But I cannot see anything else physically wrong with her."

"No burns?" Wyatt asked.

"You'd need to check under her clothes, but from the exposed skin, I can see there are no burns."

Wyatt looked at his palms. He had a few blisters, but they were healing quickly.

"Would you like me to look at your injuries?" the doctor asked.

Wyatt shook his head. He wasn't bothered by them. In any case, Calliope and her pain were more important. But her pain was not physical, at least that they could see.

"We will have to reach out to the Great Alpha," Wyatt said as he turned to Asher. "Whatever is wrong with her is beyond us."

"I already mind-linked him," Asher responded. "But he didn't reply. I can only assume he is headed this way."

Wyatt nodded and looked back to the doctor. "Return to your family, James. If something changes, we will call you."

The doctor bowed his head and headed outside. Evelyn went back to Calliope and stroked her cheek.

"Do you want to lie in bed?" she asked softly.

"No," Calliope replied with a hoarse whisper.

"Alright then, we will stay here."

Riley looked up as a thought came to her. She ran out of the room and upstairs. She came back a moment later with the stuffed black wolf. She handed it to Calliope, who wrapped it in her arms and held it close.

"Thank you, Riley," Evelyn said as she pulled a chair close to where Calliope lay. "That was thoughtful."

Everyone else found seats and sat down. It seemed like everyone was suddenly exhausted—it was an eventful evening for them all.

A few hours passed. Calliope was asleep on her couch. Riley and her brother were curled up together, sleeping on the adjacent couch. Evelyn and Wyatt could not find rest; their thoughts and mind links were full of worry.

Calliope suddenly opened her eyes. She sat up and looked out the room.

The Great Alpha is here! A warrior mind linked to them.

It wouldn't take another minute before the doors flew open, and Theo rushed in. Calliope ran up to him, and they embraced each other tightly. She began to cry again, and even Theo had tears running down his cheeks.

Everyone stood, confused as to what was going on. Why are they both crying? What happened?

Two more people entered the room. It was Owen and a younger man. The young man was breathing heavily, out of breath. Stella went quickly to the young man.

"Josiah," she said as she led him to a chair. "Sit. You're out of breath."

"That was the hardest... I have ever... pushed my wolf," Josiah gasped between breaths.

Josiah was Owen's son and Owen's companion successor. He was 19, still a young wolf, and another two years from becoming the main companion. While Stella helped Josiah, Owen stepped aside and motioned for the others.

"What's going on?" Wyatt asked impatiently.

"The Grand Luna has passed."

Everyone was surprised, and they looked to Theo and Calliope. Is that why she was hurting? Could she tell? Asher explained what had happened to her to Owen. Owen looked to Josiah.

"Explain it."

"Why can't you?" Wyatt asked.

"This will soon be Josiah's job to quote the Great Alpha's history. I want to see if he knows."

"I know," Josiah said as he walked over to them, still slightly out of breath. "My grandfather witnessed the same thing happen to Theo when the previous Great Alpha, Mateo, passed. Except for Theo, they were in a battle. My grandfather had to gather nearly two dozen men to surround him. Waiting for the pain to pass. And when it did, Theo could shift back to his wolf form, and he was visibly bigger than he was 10 minutes prior."

"So what is happening to cause that?" Asher asked out of curiosity. "I've never heard of this."

"You probably wouldn't," Owen explained. "This happens for a few minutes, and it's gone. The histories wouldn't mention them if they never saw it. It's only talked about in our companion journals. And it is the transference of energy, from one Great to another."

"She said her heart hurt," Evelyn added. "Is this something that will continue or cause lingering problems?"

"It's sadness," Owen answered. "Her heart pain is sadness for the death and from her bond with Theo. He was there when she passed. Holding her hand."

"I know they are mates, but how can his emotions go into her without them being mated?" Wyatt asked as he looked at them. He frowned. He didn't like seeing them embrace, seeing them touch. He didn't care what they were; she was still his daughter, his child. "Why does he have to come here and seek comfort from her?"

"Do you not understand?!" Owen asked through a growl, resisting the urge to grab his throat. "That man is 143. Throughout his life, everyone he has ever loved and cared for has died—everyone except his mother. And now the only person who has been with him for 143 years is dead, too. And there is only one person alive who will live these long years with him. Only one person will outlive everyone else with him. Outlive you, outlive friends, and even outlive most of their children. The Moon Goddess may have blessed them, but living this long is a curse. So, sorry that he seeks comfort from the only person left in his life who will also understand."

Wyatt held his head down in shame. His instinct to protect his daughter was valid, but getting protective over her now wasn't needed.

Josiah looked to his father and then to Theo. Owen and him mind link and Owen nodded to his son. Josiah walked over to Theo and Calliope. He whispered to them and motioned to the couch.

"We are going to stay the night here," Owen said to Wyatt and Evelyn. "We will leave at dawn."

"We have some rooms upstairs that you three can stay in," Evelyn replied.

"Let's see what Theo does," Owen said as he sat in a chair. He rubbed his brow and gave a heavy sigh.

"Why do you call the Great Alpha by his name?" Wyatt inquired as he took the seat next to Owen.

"You spend your entire life serving the man; you're entitled to certain liberties," Josiah answered.

Theo and Calliope sat on the couch she had previously been asleep on. They were whispering to one another, and the tears seemed to have stopped.

It didn't take any time before everyone slowly drifted to sleep. Calliope fell back asleep on the couch. Theo slept on the floor beside her. In his arms, he clutched her little wolf. Josiah fell asleep in a chair while Owen shifted and slept in wolf form. Theo and Calliope were at least at peace while they slept. And for now, their pains were dulled by their closeness.

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