Calliope's Wolf - Book 1

The sun was beginning to set, bathing everything in a dark orange glow. Above the trees, the skies were clear, and the stars began shining in the sky. The Moon was already up, impatient to start its journey. Birds chirped in quiet songs, and crickets began their evening tunes.

Walking quietly through the woods was a large black wolf. His presence was hidden from the world around him, as if he weren't there. His name was Theo, the Great Alpha of these lands. Blessed by the Moon Goddess, he was born with gifts meant to protect all those under him.

He strolled through the woods, making his long trek home. He had been called to settle a dispute between two lesser packs. He was strong and formidable, yet he spent his recent years dealing with petty squabbles. The silence of the woods was welcoming.

In the woods, no one was there to fear his size, no one there to curry his favor. There was no one. But then, he stopped, his feet suddenly frozen to the ground. The breeze had died down, and he couldn't hear the creatures. After shifting, Theo looked around, realizing that he had somehow wandered to the edge of the forest. To his left was a grass clearing, and to the far distance, a large house. As he continued to survey the area around him, his eyes finally landed on a girl. She was standing there, staring at him.

His heart skipped a beat, wondering if she could sense him. One of Theo's gifts was being able to hide his scent and presence as if he were invisible. As he smoothed out his shirt, he involuntarily stepped toward the girl, but he didn't know why. She, too, took a step towards him. They both slowly walked to one another until they were feet apart.

Theo took a deep breath, and the smell of Juniper filled his nose. Thoughts of winter and warmth filled his mind. He shifted from his wolf form and furrowed his brows.

Mate, he could hear the words in his head over and over. He stared at the young girl. Her hair was a very light blonde, and her eyes were a very pale blue. Even during the sunset, the blue appeared to glow.

The girl looked up at the man in front of her. He had dark brown hair that was smoothed back, with no stray hairs to be seen. His green eyes looked stern, and his gaze was hard, but this did not bother her. She simply smiled as she stared at the stranger before her.

Theo stared at the girl for several minutes, but suddenly, he could smell wolves running toward them. When he shifted from his wolf form, he inadvertently stopped masking his presence. They took him for a stranger—possibly a rogue in their lands.

Before he could speak, the wolves suddenly stopped. Theo wondered if they had realized that he was the Great alpha, but as he studied them, something was off. They seemed to be struggling in place, as if they were frozen.

He looked back at the little girl, instantly noticing that her eyes were glowing white.

"Mate," she said aloud.

Theo was surprised, staring at the girl in disbelief. How? He knelt down to the ground, getting eye level with her.

"What is your name, little wolf?" he inquired curiously.

"Calliope," she answered. Her name, the sound of her voice, it sent a shiver up his spine.

"And how old are you, Calliope?"

"Five," she responded while holding up five fingers.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Theo."

She knew his name. This girl was controlling a dozen wolves, keeping them frozen. Her smell, the way her voice sounded...

"This can't be what a mate bond feels like." He thought to himself.

"Calliope!" Someone yelled from the distance.

Theo looked up and noticed two people running from the large house. Before they got close, they were frozen, too.

"Are you doing this, little wolf?" Theo knew the answer, but he wanted to see what she would say.

"I am." Her voice was steady and sure. It was her wolf speaking; Theo was sure of it.

"And are those two your parents?"

Calliope turned to look. It was as if she didn't know who she froze. All she knew was that she wasn't allowing anyone near them. After a moment, she turned back to Theo as she nodded her head.

Alpha Wyatt and Luna Evelyn. Theo recognized them. He somehow wandered off course and into the Riverbed Pack Lands. But he didn't know much of this pack other than they were loyal to him, small, and caused no problems. With a furrow of his brows, he looked back to Calliope.

"We need to talk with your parents. You need to unfreeze everyone," he requested in a gentle tone.

"They might still harm you," she responded quietly.

"I think everyone has realized who I am, little wolf. They wouldn't dare," he smiled at her reassuringly.

Calliope gave a little nod. She closed her eyes, and when she re-opened them, they were blue again. Everyone unfroze and stumbled as they regained their footing. The warriors took a few steps back but didn't disperse. Only the Alpha and Luna dared to approach.

Evelyn bent down and pulled Calliope to her. Wyatt stepped in front of them, looking at the Great Alpha warily. Theo was a strong wolf, some would say dangerous. They were wondering why he was there and why he was talking to their daughter. But neither dared to speak first. It wasn't their place. Theo was the Great Alpha; he ruled over them, over everyone. Theo finally turned his gaze from Calliope to Wyatt.

"We should go inside and talk."

Wyatt nodded and reluctantly led the way. Calliope pulled away from her mother and instead took Theo's hand in hers. Sparks went through their hands, sending shocks throughout their body. He looked down at Calliope, suddenly feeling protective over her. It was such a sudden shift within him that it caused his wolf spirit to stir.

All these years alone, we finally find her, and she is a child? Theo questioned his wolf spirit.

Her wolf spirit, I feel her, Theo's wolf replied. I-I can see memories...dreams...she is the last one.

The last one, what? Theo questioned. The statement confused him even further, but all his wolf spirit would say was that she was the last one.

Wyatt led them into a private sitting room within the Riverbed pack house. Theo sat on a couch, and Calliope sat by him. Wyatt and Evelyn looked at them nervously.

"Calliope, come sit with us," Evelyn tried coaxing her daughter, but Calliope acted as if she didn't hear her. After a moment, Theo impatiently motioned for the Alpha and Luna to sit.

"I don't understand what has happened here tonight. To be honest, I had not intended on coming here." Theo started, suddenly feeling nervous as he spoke. "But something, perhaps the Moon Goddess, pulled me here."

"I don't understand, Great Alpha," Wyatt responded warily.

"Well, it would seem your daughter, Calliope, is my mate."

Wyatt and Evelyn both stood to their feet, but Calliope had frozen them before they could speak or move. Her eyes were glowing white again, but this time, her parents were there to notice, too.

"Little wolf," Theo murmured as he looked at her. "Their reaction is normal. Let them go so we may talk."

Calliope glanced up at Theo, her face conveying no emotions. Her white eyes look at his green ones, studying them for an answer to her unspoken question. After a moment, she blinked; her eyes were blue again, and her parents were unfrozen.

"What do you mean mate?!" Wyatt yelled.

"She is a child, that is sick!" Evelyn added.

Theo allowed them their anger and yelling. After a minute, he held up his hand, demanding silence. Once Wyatt and Evelyn sat back down, Theo took a deep breath.

"Yes, she is young. But you two just saw her power. She has gifts. She even knew who I was; she knew my name! I didn't even know hers."

"But you are old! She is five!" Evelyn interrupted angrily.

"I'm 138," Theo scowled as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, I am not here to take Calliope, mark her, or mate with her. So, stop, calm down."

"Then what are you here to do?" Wyatt questioned as his hands balled into fists. "If she is your mate, then what are your intentions with her?"

Theo looked to Calliope, wondering the same thing. What would he do with a mate so young? What would others do to her once they found out?

"I just feel an overwhelming urge to protect her. I have no wants, no desires, nothing of that nature. This isn't what I expected when I thought of what a mate bond would feel like. Look, this whole situation is hard to explain. Yes, I am much older, but look at me! I've looked like I'm in my early 20s for over a hundred years. We Greats can live for a long, long time, and Calliope shall be no different. The Moon Goddess has given her the same responsibilities I have: to protect and lead."

"Are you going to take her from us?" Evelyn inquired as tears brimmed the edges of her eyes.

"Not yet," Theo answered with a shake of his head. "It wouldn't be safe. Calliope cannot move to the Royal Moon pack until she can shift. We may not be at war now, and we may not have been at war for over 30 years, but I don't trust the sun wolves wouldn't move to kill her if they found out about her. They dare not approach me or my mother, but a child who can't shift? Your pack would be swarmed."

"Do we need to go into hiding? Send her far away?" Wyatt questioned with concern and worry.

"No," Theo replied with a shake of his head. "Live your life as you have been. Swear your warriors, your pack, to secrecy. No one will suspect a thing from a pack going about its normal life. I won't say a word, and neither will you. I will send two members from my pack to join yours. They will be protectors in my stead and teachers for Calliope."

"We have a teacher here, a school that Calliope attends," Wyatt interjected.

"They will not be here to teach her to read or write. These two will teach her how to control her gifts, help her grow, and figure out what else she can do. They will be here to teach her how to be a Great Luna."

Wyatt and Evelyn looked at Calliope. How could their daughter be the Great Luna? But they saw it; their child had raw power, unlike any other wolf they knew.

"Why now does she reveal her powers?" Wyatt wondered aloud. "Why now does she reveal herself as the Great Luna? Why our child?"

"I suspect my presence made her wolf show herself. But I was about her age when my first gifts emerged. It is a sign of a powerful Great... or so they say. Why her? That's the Moon Goddess' doing. I have no control over who my mate is, same as you."

"So, for the next thirteen years, we live our lives normally? How do we explain the transplants from your pack?"

"Thirteen years? Doubtful. I shifted when I was sixteen, not eighteen. The wolf spirits of the Greats are too powerful to hold in until we are of age. But don't worry. The law states that you cannot mark nor mate with someone under eighteen. Those laws apply to me, too. And the transplants? I send away a few people each year to join other packs. We do this to keep the relationships between the Royal Moon pack and other packs on good terms. This year, it's your pack."

Wyatt took Evelyn's hand, giving it a tight squeeze as they listened to Theo. They seemed to mind-link each other, and then they nodded.

"I won't lie, Great Alpha," Wyatt said cautiously. "It is all too much and hard to understand. But we do understand that Calliope has been blessed. We cannot deny that. We will keep all of this a secret. What she can do will not leave these pack lands. Reluctantly, I can see you only care for Calliope's safety, which is something everyone can agree on."

"I can assure you, this has caused me great confusion, too," Theo insisted as he stood. "Well, before it gets too late, I need to continue on my way. My companion is waiting to meet me at the Crimson Pack House. We will continue our journey home from there."

Calliope stood, quickly taking Theo's hand in hers.

"Don't worry, little wolf," he said with a gentle squeeze. "We shall meet again. And when we do, you shall be stronger."

Calliope gently nodded her head, releasing his hands and going to her mother. Evelyn scooped her up, holding Calliope tightly in her arms. The three of them watched as Theo headed outside. When he shifted, his smell and powerful presence disappeared. They could only see him as he ran off into the woods, vanishing beyond the treeline.