The Hunted

Chapter 30

Gabe's POV

A total fucking clusterfuck of a wreck - that's what we all are right now. The Toma men along with North and Owen are a shambles. Watching her disappear in flames was enough to break our steadfast Owen like a twig. He hadn't spoken a single damn word in over twenty-four hours, and when he finally did speak it was incoherent. None of them will eat or drink. They stare blankly, sometimes crying silently or screaming out in fucking pain. Raven and North had been half-crazed by the time we all regrouped. Apparently, when Axel and Owen ripped that fucking witch's head off, her spell ended, but the split thing took longer to wear off. Even now, there were times they couldn't control their shifter sides from taking over. I'm not sure if it's the spell or the fucking grief.

Luke sat down on the couch next to me. "Any response from Sam?"

"No, and I'm getting fucking pissed about it. I mean why the hell does he choose to go quiet now when we really fucking need some answers?" I tugged at my hair in frustration.

Luke grabbed my hand and pulled it away, "Stop that. I know you're hurting, but pulling out your hair won't help, Gabe." He pressed a kiss to the back of my hand and gave me a supportive smile. "I can't explain how, but deep in my gut, I know this is all going to be okay."

I didn't even have words to respond. How the fuckity fuck was anything going to be okay?

"Hey, can one of you hang with North for a bit?" Nate asked as he stepped into the room, looking like he needed a week of sleep. "He's been in and out for a couple of hours now."

I nodded and grabbed Luke's hand, "Yeah, we'll both fucking go." I pulled him up and we headed down the hall as Nate fell onto the couch, grabbing a blanket. "He'll be out in less than a minute," I chuckled as Luke nodded in agreement.

When we reached North's room, I noticed the door was slightly open, but the lights were out. Exchanging glances, Luke pushed the door open. North sat on the edge of his bed, his hand over the mark Callie had left with tears running down his face. "Hey little brother," Luke said softly, "Can I get you anything?"

North's dark eyes looked up at us slowly, "I felt her."

"What?" we asked.

"I felt her," he repeated. "It was like a warm touch across my neck, like when Sang would touch her mate marks. I felt her."

"North, fuck man, she's dead. I saw it with my own eyes," I whispered, "I'm sorry."

He lunged at me, pinning me against the wall, and growled, "She's not fucking dead! I felt her!"

My wolf, Rian, pushed to the surface, throwing North back, and seethed, "Stand down, North!" North's eyes went wide in surprise as he stumbled backward, landing once again on the edge of his bed. Rian fell to the back again as I spoke, "North, I get it, I really fucking do, but you can't do this to yourself."

"He's not wrong," Raven said from the doorway. "I feel her too." I gawked at both of them. These two had gone off the fucking deep end. "Others do too. She isn't really gone," he insisted.

I shook my head in disbelief.

Axel's POV

I've been fighting sleep for days now. Every time I closed my eyes I watched her die over and over again. I punched the pillow as I lay there staring at the wall. Despite my best efforts, my eyelids drooped closed.

"Axel," her soft voice said. I felt my eyes dampen as my mind tortured me. "Axel, my love, open your eyes for me," she said quietly.

My eyes flew open and met her pale ones. "Ca...Callie? How, where?" I sputtered, trying to reach for her, but my hand went right through her. "Oh, baby, no, please, no," I cringed. I couldn't bear the thought of her soul being trapped as a ghost.