Ragnar hurried back to the library as the bad feeling he'd had earlier grew. He opened the door and stopped. "Charlotte?"
He took a deep breath and frowned. Sonya. He'd recognize the scent of that annoying she-wolf anywhere after she'd laid on his bed. He'd had to strip it and air out his mattress to get rid of her stench.
Ragnar spotted Charlotte laying on the ground and hurried over to her. "Charlotte?"
He knelt down next to her and saw the odd angle of her arm. The smell of blood filled his nostrils and he glanced down to see blood on her skirt. He frowned and mind linked the pack doctor to come to the library, then Caleb.
Caleb was there first and he immediately hurried over to them, "What happened?"
"She fell down the steps," Ragnar said calmly and glanced at Caleb. The Alpha's eyes were flickering, and Caleb decided to call Ranald.
The doctor hurried in and began to check her over just as Ranald and Melinda walked in.
Both men pulled Caleb back. "What happened?" Ranald asked as they watched the doctor look her over.
"She fell down the steps." Ragnar kept a tight hold on Caleb. He could feel how tense the Alpha was.
"I'm pretty sure the only thing broken is her arm." The doctor glanced up at the men. "But I think she's having a miscarriage."
Caleb tried to surge forward at that as a growl tore through him, and his father and Gamma struggled to hold him back. The doctor looked up in surprise, and frowned.
"Call the midwife," Melinda said, concern for her son making her take control. "She needs moved to the infirmary. Caleb, you need to get a hold of yourself and Storm so you can move her." Melinda laid her hand on his chest and Caleb looked down at her. A lone tear trickled down his cheek. "For her."
He took a deep breath and walked over to Charlotte. He gathered her in his arms, overly aware of the tingles, then followed the doctor out of the library.
Ranald turned to Ragnar. "What's her name?"
"Charlotte. She's his..." he stopped, not wanting to call her his concubine.
"Second chance mate," Melinda finished for him.
Ragnar looked at her and his mouth dropped open. "How did I miss that?" he asked. Thinking back, it seemed so obvious now, with the way Caleb's personality had completely changed once Charlotte had entered his life. For the life of him though, he couldn't figure out why Caleb hadn't told anyone, and at the very least, why she hadn't been inducted into the pack. Instead he'd held her at a distance all of this time. His anger at Caleb grew.
"You're too close to the situation," Ranald said, patting his shoulder.
"Things have been chaotic here," Ragnar said. "But I know who was in here with Charlotte. Sonya."
They both looked at him in surprise. "You think?" Melinda asked.
Ragnar nodded. "Her scent is all over this room. We'll find out for sure."
***
Caleb paced the floor, trying to control himself and his wolf as the doctor worked on Charlotte. The midwife was busy delivering a baby and promised to come as soon as she could.
Charlotte was deathly pale and Caleb was scared for her. What had he been thinking, about to take another woman as his chosen mate? Charlotte was so perfect, and yet he'd been ready to take another.
He'd had no idea she was pregnant either, and he wondered if she had known. If he lost her...
The door flew open and the midwife walked in. "Move."
The doctor got out of her way in a hurry and the midwife got to work. It took a bit, but she finally managed to get the bleeding stopped. She sighed as she sat back. "Definitely a miscarriage." She looked up at Caleb.
He sighed and nodded at her unasked question. Yes, the baby was his. She looked back down at Charlotte. "She's human, Alpha. She may not survive this. How important is she to you?"
"Very."
"Then I recommend you give her your blood," She looked up at him pointedly.
Caleb walked over without any hesitation. "Let's do it."
It took a while, as they had to feed it to her slowly to keep her from choking, but finally the midwife thought she'd had enough.
They got her cleaned up and settled, and then Caleb was left alone with her. He laid on the bed next to her, holding her close and listening to her heartbeat.
Pregnant. It didn't seemed real to him, and he was saddened by the loss. Charlotte didn't need any more sadness in her life. Sadness that Caleb knew nothing about because he'd never pushed her to tell him. Though he was sure he was the cause of most of it. Why hadn't he ever cared enough to find out?
He'd been selfish, guarding his own heart, and in the process he had hurt her over and over again. If she made it through this, he would beg her for her forgiveness.
Can I come in? His mother linked him.
Yes
She appeared a moment later and crossed the room to take his hand. "How is she?"
"She's lost a lot of blood," Caleb said, quietly. He didn't care now if his mother saw him laying with Charlotte. Keeping their relationship a secret no longer seemed important.
"Caleb, Ragnar is pretty sure this wasn't an accident," Melinda told him quietly.
Caleb looked up at her sharply. "Who?"
"Sonya. He wants you to come to your office and question her."
Caleb looked down at Charlotte. He didn't want to leave her.
"I will stay with her until you get back. If anything changes, I will link you immediately." Melinda sat down in a chair on the other side of Charlotte.
Caleb kissed Charlotte's forehead then slipped out of the bed. He walked out of the infirmary and headed down to his office. If Sonya had done this, she was dead.
Sonya was seated in front of his desk, while his father and Ragnar were standing behind it. Her father was standing behind her. Caleb walked around his desk and sat down. Sonya flashed him a flirtatious smile. He bit back a growl. He could feel Storm at the forefront of his mind for once. His wolf wanted her blood.
"Alpha Jacob, I know we had discussed me possibly taking Sonya as my chosen mate, and I had invited you back to my home so I could get to know her better. I have made my decision," Caleb said, folding his hands on his desk.
"Oh?" Alpha Jacob said curiously.
Sonya smiled even bigger.
"I will not take her as my chosen mate," Caleb said calmly, hiding his rage.
"What?" Sonya screeched, the smile disappearing.
"Your reason?" Jacob asked.
"I don't have to give you a reason, but since you are her father, you might like to know what your daughter has been up to," Caleb said.
Jacob looked down at Sonya and crossed his arms. "Please."
"She has tried to seduce me several times, from breaking into my office and laying naked across my desk, to sneaking into my bath house, to trying to seduce my newly mated Beta." Caleb watched Jacob's face turn red in anger.
"I also found her in my bed, naked," Ragnar added.
"Sonya! I didn't raise you that way!" Jacob shouted at her. "Are you even a virgin?"
"Of course not," She scoffed.
"How many men?" her father growled.
She shrugged, unconcerned. "I'm not sure."
Caleb wondered if Jacob might have an apoplexy, he was so furious.
"And you don't think there's a problem with that?"
"No. Alpha Caleb will appreciate my experience," she bragged.
Jacob slapped a hand over his face in disgust. "The Alpha King would not want a woman of low moral character who doesn't even know how many men she has been with and if she might possibly be pregnant with another man's child!"
"What about his whore?" She asked, incensed at the scolding. Her father never scolded her.
Caleb growled. "Do NOT speak about her that way! She at least came to me pure."
"But she was alone in the library with the Gamma! What if she was spreading her legs for him in there?" Sonya screeched, tears starting to escape.
"Speaking of which, Sonya, were you in the library with Charlotte?" Caleb asked, releasing his aura.
"I.." she stopped and Caleb saw fear in her eyes.
"Tell me the truth," he commanded her. "Were you in the library with Charlotte, and did you harm her?"
Jacob gasped, and Sonya was sobbing now. "Yes. I tripped her on the stairs!"
"You harmed a human! Not to mention, that human was pregnant with my child, which she just lost," Caleb growled at her.
Jacob groaned, and a sad, defeated look crossed his face. He bowed his head to the Alpha. "I will take my leave." Jacob stood and left the room.
"Daddy, where are you going?" Sonya called after him, and stood herself.
"Sit down!" Caleb roared at her, releasing his powerful aura on her.
Sonya immediately dropped back into the seat, fear radiating off of her. "I don't understand," she whispered.
"You're father is going home," Ragnar told her.
"And you, Sonya, are sentenced to death for your crimes against a human, and my unborn pup." And my future Luna Queen.
"No!!!!" She screamed.
The door of the office opened and two guards walked in, grabbing her.
"Your sentence will be carried out at dawn," Caleb said.
'I want to do it,' Storm said solemnly.
The guards pulled a screaming Sonya out of the office. Caleb slumped back in his chair, feeling drained, then stood. "I need to get back," he said, and left the office.
'So you're speaking to me again?' he asked Storm as he headed towards the infirmary.
'You've finally come to your senses. I'm just sad it came at such a great cost,' his wolf said quietly.
Caleb stopped in the middle of the hallway. He hadn't thought of it that way, but Storm was right. If he hadn't been so stubborn about accepting her as his mate, none of this would have happened. The sorrow of it all hit him full force. Mom, I need you to stay with her a bit longer.
Of course.
Caleb turned and headed out the back of the castle. He shifted, allowing Storm control, shredding his clothes. The wolf took off at a full run into the woods. They ran for what felt like hours before Storm finally stopped. He lifted his head and howled sorrowfully. His howl was answered by other mournful howls.
Finally, they headed back. Caleb stopped at his bath house for a quick bath and a change of clothes, then went to the infirmary.
His mother was holding Charlotte's hand.
"Any changes?"
"She's healing. Her face has more color and her heartbeat is much more steady than it was. She needs you now," Melinda stood and walked over to her son. She pulled him into a hug. "I hope this has been a wake up call for you and you appreciate the gift you've been given, Caleb."
He frowned as he hugged her back. Did she know?
"Yes I know, you idiot." She muttered, then kissed him on the cheek and left the room.
Caleb rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. So much for his secret. Not that it mattered anymore. He looked at Charlotte. His mother was right. She looked so much better. He slipped off his shoes and laid down with her, pulling her close.