Calliope's Wolf - Book 1
Chapter 3

The spinning of wheels and the cracking of rocks filled Calliope's dream. She was being gently rocked, and her body felt warm, as if it was being bathed in the sun. Suddenly, her peace was disrupted as her body was jostled. Her eyes shot open, startled by the sudden movement. As her eyes adjusted to the bright light, she realized that she was in the back of a wagon, leaning against Riley. Calliope rubbed her eyes, wiping away the sleep and grogginess.

"Sorry ladies, that was a big bump," the driver stated apologetically.

"It's alright," Stella replied with a wince. Her hand was on her swollen belly, rubbing it to ease the tightness within her womb.

Calliope looked ahead of the wagon, but all she saw was a dense forest. When she peered over the side, she noticed wolves walking alongside the wagon. It was a mixture of high-ranking and young wolves from the Riverbed pack. They were on their way toward the Royal Moon pack.

Every two years, the reigning Greats hosted the Moon Festival. It was a time for all packs under the Great Alpha to unite, for fellow Alphas and Lunas to discuss business, for unmated wolves to potentially replace their mates, and for others to show off their skills and strengths.

For Calliope, it was a chance to see Theo—a chance to ease her wolf and his. Calliope originally wasn't going to be brought, but Theo commanded that she come. Even though they needed to stay apart, he couldn't resist the urge to see her.

"Your hands are shaking," Riley whispered to Calliope.

Calliope hadn't noticed. But why? Is it the nervousness she was feeling? As she looked down at her hands, there was a flash that went across her vision, and Calliope saw the face of a white wolf. But then, it was gone, and she could see the wagon floor again.

"We are here," she said quietly. She didn't need to see it, but she felt it. Calliope could feel Theo and something else deep down in her soul. Stella looked out before them and saw the palace in the distance.

"You're right... Calliope," she replied with slight hesitation.

"It's alright. It is my name, after all."

Stella could not help but smile when Calliope spoke. The girl was usually quiet, her eyes always watching. Her toys are rarely played with anymore, as if at six years old, she had outgrown them already. All except for the stuffed wolf; that toy would always be beside her, no matter where Calliope was.

After another few hours in the wagon, they made it to the festival grounds, which sat a few miles west of the Royal Moon Palace. Each pack attending had its own large tents with smaller tents around them. The maximum a pack could bring was thirty wolves. This helped limit the crowd's size and ensure the Royal Moon pack could control any chaos.

After unloading their luggage, the Riverbed pack made its way to the palace. One by one, the packs were allowed to meet with Theo: to kneel, submit to his rule, and prove their loyalty. The packs were entered in a particular order of favorites and strengths. And to keep with appearances, the Riverbed pack was lower on the list.

When it was their turn, everyone made their way into the palace. As they walked down the long front corridor to the throne room, Calliope slowed down and looked at a room whose door was partially opened. She felt a pull, something drawing her to enter, but Evelyn kept ushering her forward. With a frown, she continued to follow her mother, but her eyes kept glancing back toward the door.

Once they were in the throne room, the doors behind them were shut, offering them privacy from wondering eyes. Everyone from the Riverbed pack kneeled to Theo, everyone except Calliope. Her mother pulled on her arm, but Calliope and Theo simply stared at one another. Theo could feel his chest tighten when he saw her. Though he had not forgotten what she looked like, Calliope seemed like an entirely different person. As her mother tugged on her arm again, Theo growled, causing everyone to freeze out of fear.

"She will not kneel to me!" He snapped to Evelyn. "Never! She is my equal."

The she-wolf quickly let Calliope go, allowing the little girl to walk up to Theo. She stopped once she stood before him, her bright blue eyes studying him intently.

"Hello, little wolf," Theo whispered.

"Hello," she replied with a small smile. Calliope looked down at the toy wolf in her hands before she held it out to him.

"Do I need to hold onto this until you leave?" he inquired when he took the stuffed animal.

"It is losing its scent," she asserted with a quick nod.

"Come, sit, little wolf," Theo chuckled as he patted an empty spot beside him. When she sat down, he looked back at everyone else. "You may stand. Tell me, how is everything going in your pack?"

"All has been quiet," Wyatt answered when he stood. "There has been nothing out of the ordinary."

"How goes training, Asher?" Theo questioned as he looked down at the stuffed wolf in his hands.

"We are currently working on meditation," Asher replied as he clasped his hands behind his back. But when the Great Alpha looked up from the toy to him, he continued. "It's what Nova and I decided that the Great Luna needed to help control her gifts. We are having her focus on her energy and her inner wolf."

"I see you sometimes in my dreams," Calliope interrupted. "But we aren't yet sure what the gift is."

"You see me? Do you see anything else?"

"Sometimes I see the palace or a room full of others. But the dream never lasts long," she answered with a shrug.

"Do you think she has visions like the Grand Luna?" Theo questioned curiously to Nova and Asher.

"Perhaps," Nova replied. "But it's hard to tell when it only happens in her dreams. The Grand Luna requires touch to produce a vision. Until she can control her gifts, we won't know."

"You are still young, little wolf," Theo stated as he looked down at Calliope. "These things just take time."

"I'm not worried," Calliope replied confidently.

"Of course not," Theo chuckled with a soft sigh. He looked back out into a crowd, smirking when he noticed Stella. "Another pup, eh Asher?"

Asher laughed as he nodded his head. "Took some years to convince Stella to have another pup."

"Riley's birth was difficult if I recall correctly," Theo added.

"It was," Stella scoffed, annoyed by both the conversation and her discomfort. "But the Moon Goddess has other plans for me."

"She has her reasons for everything," Theo assured with a smile as he turned to Wyatt. "As far as my ears and eyes can tell, no one suspects anything with Calliope. Continue as usual."

Theo then looked down at Calliope as she looked up at him. "Tomorrow will be the first time she will see me fight. Please make sure she behaves."

Wyatt nodded, understanding what Theo meant. Calliope, though, frowned at his statement.

"I have the Great Alpha challenge tomorrow," Theo explained to her. "I win every year, and we don't get hurt. But, you need to be careful not to let your wolf surface, nor can you use any of your gifts. Do you understand?"

"I promise to try and control my wolf." She murmured as she reached down, picking up one of his hands.

"Don't worry, my little wolf," he said with a gentle squeeze of her hands. "It isn't a real fight. Just play and pretend. It's something to make the men feel strong and powerful. One day, you too will participate."

Theo then looked over to Owen, his companion, and held the stuffed wolf out to him. The wolf took it and set it aside, hidden from view. Calliope knew it was time to go, so she stood and looked back to Theo. After he gave her a small nod, she looked down to the floor, shuffling her feet as she returned to her parents.

"Please, enjoy the festival!" Theo stated as the doors to the corridor opened. The Riverbed pack made a final bow to the Great Alpha before heading out. As they walked down the front corridor to the main entrance, Calliope stopped by the doors that had beckoned to her earlier. This time, an older woman stood by them.

"Please, come in," she instructed to Calliope. The little girl looked up to her mother, waiting for her approval. "You too, Luna Evelyn. Both of you come in."

"We will meet you back at the tent city," Evelyn mind linked to Wyatt. She took Calliope's hand, and they both walked into the room. As the door closed behind them, the two looked around, noticing two chairs placed before a fireplace. One of the chairs was empty, but in the other sat an older woman.

"Come here, child, and let me look at you," the woman said.

Calliope looked up at her mother, who let go of her hand and nodded. She walked slowly to the front of the chairs, looking warily at the unknown woman. Her hair was dark brown but fading into a gray, and her eyes were bright green like Theo's.

"Do you know who I am, child?" The woman questioned.

Calliope thought for a second before shaking her head.

"Well, I guess I can't complain that you knew who my son was without ever meeting him. You are his mate, after all. I am Gianna, the Grand Luna."

"Grand Luna!" Evelyn gasped as she knelt down. "Forgive me, even I didn't know who you were."

"I haven't made a public appearance since my son turned 100; I doubt you would have even been told what I looked like," Gianna laughed as she motioned for Evelyn to sit.

As her mother sat down, Calliope stayed standing before Gianna. She eyed the woman, but she also looked at her with sadness and pity.

"I'm sorry," Calliope whispered, holding back a tear.

"Don't be, child," Gianna said reassuringly. "This is the natural order of things. But look, I wanted to see and talk to you while you were here."

"I'm here," Calliope whimpered softly. Her heart raced, and she could no longer look Gianna in the eyes.

Gianna sighed as she watched the little girl stand before her. The two Great Lunas, both in one room together. Something like this rarely happened. Only through parent and child are there more Greats in the palace. But, mate and mother-in-law? It was a rare occurrence, and the balance of power was wildly shifted.

"Let me see your hand," she instructed Calliope. The girl did as she was told and offered her right hand to Gianna.

The Grand Luna took Calliope's hand in both of hers. She closed her eyes and felt the static coursing through them. It was not a mate bond, but Gianna was pulling a vision from Calliope - a vision of the future.

Gianna could see an older Calliope sitting with Theo, happy and in love. She fast-forwards and sees them celebrate Theo's 200th birthday. It is a celebration, but it ends with bitterness and anger. There was an attack. Gianna furrowed her brows as she continued to look further into the future. This time, she was looking directly through Calliope's eyes rather than from above.

Before her, she saw a clearing. It looked to be early morning, and there was a low fog. Out of nowhere, an arrow shot past Calliope and hit a nearby wolf. They yelped... silver... it was an ambush. Gianna watched as Calliope fought, but in the end, she was overpowered, held down by silver hooks and chains. She could hear the sizzle of the skin against the silver.

Gianna sucked in a breath as she saw someone come up with a sword... it shined... more silver. As the sword was raised, she pulled her hands away from Calliope's. She gasped for breath, scaring the girl. Gianna's companion rushed in and rubbed her back, coaxing her to breathe slowly.

"I am sorry, child," Gianna stated between breaths. "I didn't mean to scare you. I must have had a cough get stuck in my chest. I am sorry, but I must rest."

"Of course," Evelyn responded as she stood. She took Calliope's hand, leading her out before the girl could question the Grand Luna.

Once they were outside, Evelyn looked down at Calliope. There was a lot that happened in that short meeting that confused the Luna.

"Why did you apologize?"

"She is dying," Calliope murmured as tears brimmed her eyes. "And it's my fault."

Evelyn sighed when she suddenly realized what her daughter meant. She knelt down to the ground, pulling Calliope in for an embrace.

"It is alright," she whispered gently to her daughter. "Like the Grand Luna said, it is the natural order of things. She has had her time; now it's your turn."

As the sun began to set on the festival's first day, Theo found the chance to meet with his mother. He found her in bed, resting and reading a book. As he approached her, she looked up, but rather than smile at him, she was frowning.

"You looked, didn't you?" He scowled angrily. "I told you not to."

"I needed to know," Gianna sighed as she set her book down. "I needed to see that you two would be happy. I wanted to see my grand pups. I won't be around to see them, you know."

"I know, Mother," he whispered as he sat on the edge of the bed. "But you saw something you didn't want to see. I can tell. Tell me what it was."

"No," she replied, her tone almost begging.

"Tell me," Theo said more firmly. It wasn't a command—he couldn't command her—but it was the closest he had come.

Gianna relented and told him about the ambush and how she would die. She looked too quickly to tell when, but the last confirmed date she saw was his 200th birthday celebration.

"So, it starts again," he growled. "The sun wolves start their war again. I'll do my best to prevent her from leaving. I know changing your visions is hard, but this time, I will succeed."

Gianna took his hand and gripped it tightly. They both knew that he was referring to the vision she had of her own mate dying. But Theo wasn't strong enough to change it. He has his strength this time, and once they mate, he will be even more powerful. They both knew there was no guarantee, but no one wanted to say it. No one wanted to verbalize the worst.

"You will take care of her," Gianna finally added. "And she will take care of you. This I saw, this much I know."