I Claim Your Love novel Chapter 40

A few days back

Callan’s black shoes made a gentle pitter patter on the uneven ground filled with pebbles. The wind carried the broken leaves with itself to travel a long journey before piling up in front of the man. He curled his fingers to and fro to ease the tension which was now refusing to go away. The calm and serene environment around him was making him nervous.

He watched the man in front of him oscillating his steps in a fixed path.

Archer was pensive throughout. He occasionally groaned, scowled and even fisted his hands tightly. On other occasions he knitted his brows and took deep heavy breaths to calm himself. Callan sat there waiting, constructing scenarios in his head for how the immediate future would look like. More importantly he was concerned for the reaction of his best friend. His head raised in a jiffy when Archer halted his strides and stood in front of him.

“Are you sure Einar is your mate?”

Callan huffed in surprise “Seriously!” he looked at the man in front of him in bewilderment “Of all the things I have told you the only thing which is bothering you is Einar being my mate!”

“Yes.” Archer innocently nodded “Cause that’s the only thing that surprises me.”

Callan narrowed his gaze in amazement “Your not surprised by me being some mystical being..?”

“Not actually.” he shrugged “You may not see it for yourself but I have stayed with you for long. I always knew there was something wrong with you. Not in a bad way though.” he paused for a moment “To be quite honest, I have seen the display of your powers first hand.”

The revelation took Callan by surprise “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I thought you wanted to keep it a secret. Maybe you would’ve told me when you were ready.”

Callan sighed and slowly shook his head “You are equally dumb as you are witty. I have never spared any details from you however personal they may be. Among the few people I have in my life I trust you the most.”

Archer smiled and rolled his eyes “No need to be dramatic on this course.” However in the very next instant his smile faltered and his stance was grim. He intently looked at his friend as his jaws tightened “Now lets talk about this alpha of yours.”

Callan sighed “I don’t want to talk about him?”

“We have to talk about him.” Archer roared his voice “How dare he hurt you! I never liked that man.” He hissed through his teeth. He held one of Callan’s hand and forced him to stand on his feet “Lets go and tell the world what you really are to him..”

Callan forcefully swung his hand to release himself from the hold “And what would it accomplish?” his eyes welled up with the sadness that was deeply rooted within him. There was anger in those eyes. He narrowed his gaze at Archer “Don’t you understand..! He doesn’t want me!”

Archer saw the emotional turbulence brewing in the head of his friend. Callan was sad and he was definitely hurting. It felt like he had lost everything. The silence in his cries was eerie for his destiny had pitied him against this unwanted predicament. He was no more than a third wheel in the happy life of his fated mate. He felt expendable; he felt torn. Like he wasn’t allowed to wish for something or have expectations for himself.

Callan’s shoulder slumped and he slowly sat on the boulder wiping his quite tears. He sighed in his dejection and lowered his head.

The state of his friend unnerved the bear. He sat besides the man and waited for Callan’s sorrowful tears to die down. After about a few torturous moments when Callan was composed, Archer broke the deadly silence “What do you want to do then..?”

“I am going to leave him Archer.” Callan slowly raised his head to look at his best friend. His eyes showed determination and somewhat hatred for his alpha “Let him live his perfect life with his luna and his pack. I will find my own happiness.. away from him.”

Archer anxiously wanted to say any soothing words to his friend. He wanted to firmly stand with Callan’s decision but his mind was unwilling to follow the blind love for his friend. The infraction of his brain was sure to go on untrodden paths which could bring in more pain and grief to his beloved friend. He wanted to support the man but he also wanted him to think rationally.

Callan was hurt. He was betrayed by the very being who was made for him. In his tryst to leave Einar, he unknowingly was infringing the same pain to his tormentor. It was more of a retaliation than a thoughtful decision. Sure he could have a life of his own. He may find love somewhere else and have a family.

But Archer knew his friend better.

Callan’s conscience would always curse him for the missed opportunity. The regret would swell up with the growing years and ultimately he would only find himself with more sorrow and a silent pain deep inside his heart.

Archer slowly tilted his body to have a better look at his friend and exhaled deeply “You should go back to him.”

Those words aggravated Callan’s sour mood “You are unbelievable!” He huffed in astonishment “I thought you would understand me! How can you even suggest such a thing!?” He stood from his place and stared at his friend “He has hurt me Archer and I am never forgiving him..” He said with finality.

Archer followed suit and levelled the man “Please just listen to me once.” he spoke in a low, calm voice “It has always been a dream of mine to give that wolf a beatdown of his life but things have changed now. He is not just your alpha anymore. He is your mate..!”

“A mate who doesn’t care about me.” Callan derided.

“Are you sure he doesn’t care about you?”

The question took Callan by surprise “What are you implying?”

The werebear sighed “As a shifter I can understand the thirst for the want of a mate. He has a wolf in him who must have been craving for your company. For Einar to deny him his feelings there must’ve been a reason.”

“The reason being that he hates me Archer..” Callan spoke lowly with sad eyes.

“He cannot hate you even if he wants to.” Archer retorted “The bond will always overpower his hate. Who knows he may even like you deep down..”

“As my best friend you should be advising me to leave that douche of an alpha..”

“As your best friend its my job to stop you from making bad decisions.” He smiled “I know you more than you do yourself. You may be denying it now but you have always wanted to be paired with someone. Remember those times when you were desperate to have a mate whoever the person might’ve been.” He smiled after a pregnant pause “This is your chance at life; at happiness. Einar is the one who was meant for you. He is the one who is supposed to make your life complete.”

Callan got thinking for what he heard. There cant be any replacement of your soul. There cant be anyone who could love you more than your mate. But did this rule apply to Callan as well? Since his birth he had always been an exception to everything. Maybe he would also be an exception to the blessing of the moon. Moreover Einar seemed happy with his life. He was the alpha. He had the pack to back him up. There were people who loved him; his friends, his parents.

And then there was Rosaline..

There was a pang of hatred towards the woman but Callan knew that she didn’t deserve it. Rosaline was a good natured girl with a pure heart. She was good to him and had supported him throughout. She even went against the pack to appoint him as her guard. She had all the qualities to be the perfect Luna the pack deserves. She could be Einar’s everything..

These thoughts broke Callan’s heart as he sighed in his disappointment “He already has someone to make his life complete. I don’t want to ruin what they have.”

“What they have is not genuine; its a sham!” Archer rose his voice as he gritted his teeth to suppress his anger “If you are worried about that lady than let me tell you that she volunteered in this fake arrangement all by herself. She knew the risks involved and besides you have the right to be called as the alpha mate and not her.”

Archer intently looked at his disturbed friend who was pensive yet again “I know you have a lot to think about but this is your only chance! A chance bestowed by the goddess herself. Einar may not like you but I can guarantee this that the beasts inside him can bring the world to you if you so wish.”

Callan sighed as his chain of thoughts drifted to Einar’s beasts. He knew for a fact that the demon wanted him, he wasn’t sure about the wolf though. However, he had observed mate pairs since his childhood. He never heard about any wolf who did not want his mate. On the contrary every wolf craves the company of its other half. It could give a certain leverage to the bonding between him and the beasts. Moreover the beast were not at fault for Einar’s doing. It would be morally wrong to punish them for Einar’s deeds.

Callan nodded firmly “You are right Archer. I overlooked the other side of this situation. I need to find out what Einar feels about me. I need to make him understand that I am worthy of a mate; that I can be everything he wants.” He paused with a perplexed look on his face “But how? How do I even approach him? How do I know what he feels for me?”

Archer looked at his friend and chuckled. He folded his hands to his chest and smiled in a conceited, smug way.

****

The present

Einar was always successful in hiding his emotions. In the excruciatingly torturous years of his training he made himself tough on all fronts. He figured that his heart could cause his enfeeblement and his stature would always be questioned. So he worked day and night to bury his emotions and be the tough, domineering man the world knows him today.

But this moment was different.

From seeing Callan after almost two weeks, to his stay in the alpha house as the luna’s guard; Einar’s heart fluttered in a good way. The excitement in him poured in like the rays of the morning sunshine. The smile that crackled his face made his heart fluffy. He was sure of something good coming his way.

“You seem elated.”

Einar raised his head and looked at the hard lined face of his friend standing at the door “What are you talking about?”