I Claim Your Love novel Chapter 32

When the metallic taste hit the senses of the wolf he was out of his daze at once. He slowly retracted his canines from the shoulders of Callan and took a few steps back. The sight in front of him broke his heart completely.

Callan was a disaster.

A deep piercing wound was marked by the grazing of the wolfs canines to Callan's flesh. The muscles from the back of his legs were tore open and protruding in an unusual manner. The scars and wounds which decorated his ribs, arms and entire body made him moan in pain. His eyes; the most beautiful feature of the man were brutally attacked. He was barely able to keep them open. The organ bulged abnormally large while the side of one of the eye had a long deep cut extending from the eye to the side of the ear. His jaws were swollen while his bruised lips exhaled air to soothe his body.

Remorse. It was the first thing which crept through the veins of Einar. What had he done? He was supposed to protect his beloved; keep him out of harms way but all he did was to bring him on the brink of endangering his life. Callan was left bruised; battered; destroyed just because Einar had to do his damn duty. With a heinous deed as such, how was he supposed to face the moon?

This compelled Einar to have a moment of weakness before giving up his control entirely to his wolf.

The blood shot eyes of the wolf gripped its entire body in a faint red mist. The animal was elated. It had been years since he was this close to his mate. He sniffed the aroma and a smile made its way as he snickered. However, the wounds and bruises all over his mates body made him worried. He was agitated, infuriated when he saw the state he was in. He quickly stuck out his tongue and decided to lick Callan's wounds and heal him. He stepped near his mate the next instant but out of fear of his life Callan flinched and slid his body backwards.

This action only made the wolf more determined. However when he stepped ahead, he growled in jealousy. Callan's body was reeking of a mixture of different smells. It was the smell of all the people he had been in fight today. It brought the possessive side of the wolf to the fore and he decided to mark his mate then and there.

He growled in annoyance before circling his mate; sniffing him, licking him on occasions. All the while Callan was in pain and was mostly unaware of his surroundings. The wet snippets of the wolfs saliva in between were embarrassing him and he wanted to stand on his feet and leave the place at once. Just as he thought the worst was over, he could feel the wetness of a hot liquid with putrid smell dampening his body. The fluid started from his legs and was now reaching his torso before gargling his mouth. The wet hot liquid was burning his body while his pain intensified.

And then he took a whiff.

Callan was mortified, frozen to the spot. He felt traumatized. He couldn't believe it had happened to him and in front of everyone too. He could hear the screams, he could hear the cruel laughter soaked in his embarrassment.

He was being humiliated.

For the wolf it was nothing out of the normal. He was marking his territory in the most barbaric way possible. The way he knew. It had been the way of the wolves before they civilized. What he failed to understand was with changing times, urinating on a person was considered as an act to defame someone; to degrade him, demean him to the lowest.

Callan's head was spinning. It was a painful new memory rooted deeply within the depths of his mind. People would never forget this, he would be reminded of this moment till the day he died. A thousand unpleasant thoughts ran through his mind right now; from settling to another land to ending his pathetic life.

Callan closely gripped his eyes for he was too ashamed to face the world. His unshed tears were burning his soul. As if his pain was not enough the skies cried, bawled the agony inside of the man; pouring drops of relief, washing his scars, washing his blood and washing away the putrid smell of the demeaning liquid.

When the rain drops touched the wolfs fur, he regained his composure. Einar finally had his control back but after seeing what he had done, he wished he disappeared forever. With a howl to the sky Einar changed into his human and slowly but hesitatingly stretched his hand out to reach for his mate and help him get up.

The ground beneath was drenched in crimson red while the clouds bellowed as if they were in pain. Callan just looked keenly at the hands of the man standing in front of him. How can a man be without any shame! After putting him through this misery, entering the match purposefully and squashing his dream, disparaging him in front of the entire society; how could Einar still stand tall and expect him to give his hand!

Callan turned his face to his right in disgust "I want Aurora." he said nonchalantly.

Einar shamefully nodded his head and agreed at once. He linked his men to call for the healer. The crowd in the meanwhile was overjoyed as they cheered and hailed their alpha in great respect. They believed it was a fitting reply to the non shifter of the pack to show him his place.

Moments later Aurora arrived at the scene. She kneeled besides her friend and carefully uplifted Callan to her shoulders. She desperately hugged him and sobbed her heart out for Callan's pain. She looked to her side at the alpha and shook her head in anger, disagreement clear on her face. She knew that what Callan went through was not justified. The entire pack had conspired against him, berated him, humiliated him.

"Take me to the cottage." Callan said at once.

"But Cally the announcements are yet to be done."

Callan closed his eyes shut as the wounds on his heart were aching more than those on his body. "I don't care anymore. Just take me away please. I beg you."

Einar could see no more as he went ahead to take his seat with a bowed head and a broken heart. Callan managed to stand on his feet, he whirled his eyes to the audience and looked at the two distraught figures who would have to share his burden of shame for their life- his parents. They were devastated, they were broken. Callan mouthed a sorry to them and went ahead with Aurora amidst the booing and taunting of the people.

****

The cold rock around Callan was stationary, yet sometimes he felt that they were closing in on him. The air which breezed through the river refreshed his thoughts a bit until he was dragged to the shameful memories of the horrible day. He had been aloof from everyone since a week. He had been recuperating alone with only Aurora knowing about his whereabouts.

Callan was distant; reserved; detached from the world. He felt like a clump of dirty moss that could never go out in the sunlight. The events of the trials had maligned his honor. His entire life he was tormented, secluded and torchered through various ways. Yet he faced it all and came out as a stronger man. The only happiness he felt was with Viola but even that source was taken away from him.

Since his birth he was fed with dreams to one day follow his fathers footsteps and be a leader in his own right. However his aspirations were brutally strangulated when the top leader cheated his way to kill Callans dreams.

Up until this point he wasn't even surprised by the on and off behaviour of Einar, but to reach such a low so as to defeat a human by any means was not the quality of a good alpha.

He was a bad leader. A bad man.

Callan's ears perked when he heard the rustling of bushes behind the rock. He looked to his side and saw Aurora with a bowl and a spoon in her hand. She quietly kept the food in front of him and put her hand on his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

Callan dejectedly shrugged.

"You cant be here forever. Some day or the other you have to come out in public and face the real world."

Callan deeply sighed. "I have nowhere to go. The only purpose of my existence in the pack is now taken away from me. I really don't care about the pack anymore."

"How about your parents then." she looked intently at her friend "Mary has been worried sick about you. She has been constantly enquiring about your health. Your parents miss you Cally."

Callan stood up from his spot in a jiffy and pressed his palm to the nearest rock "You don't think I know! I just don't have the guts to face them. They have been embarrassed because of me in front of the entire pack. I always try to make things right but somehow my actions take them on a guilt trip. I wish I was never born."

Aurora gasped in shock with her hand on her chest "Don't say that Cally. You don't know what you mean to us." she almost whispered the last part "Besides your parents love you no matter what. They have cared for you then and they care for you now. You will always have their heart my boy." She carefully held his hands in her own to pacify him "Enough of this. I have a special surprise for you in my cottage"

"I am not in the mood."

"Oh common. You have been struck for over a week here. Just come with me, I promise you wont be disappointed."

Callan shrugged dejectedly while Aurora caught hold of his hand to make him follow her. She dragged him to her cottage and stood near the entrance of the door. She then requested a confused Callan to walk inside alone.

When Callan opened the door, his legs halted and his lips quivered. He was shocked to see his smiling father standing right in front of him. Without wasting any of the time he quickly ran to embrace his kin and cried profusely; letting go the burden of his shame, the burden of his disappointment, the burden of his loneliness.