Chapter 157: Hunting Season: Part Two

Callum held his hands up, eyeing the wolf between her sharp teeth. Esme released the wolf and whipped her head to the side, throwing him into a tree. She bared her bloodied teeth still, her hackles up, her body tense, ready to bolt at any moment. Her eyes glanced at her surroundings, she couldn't sense her mate nearby, and her mark still burned, revealing a large distance between them.

But his Beta, Callum, was here, ninety minutes away from Chester. At least she saw him now and not in the city; she could lead them further away, pretend to run to another location. She couldn't believe, though, how quickly they caught up to her. But how? She was extra careful and had sent them on a wild goose chase from the last place she stayed at. Nothing made sense.

Not even any of the Hubs nearby could sell information on her.

"Esme. Talk to me. Let's not be violent. I've told my men to return to our camp; it's only Liam and me here," Callum held his hands up and walked tentatively towards her, looking at her like she was a deer about to bolt. 

Maybe she was ready to bolt, but she was no deer.

Esme sighed, she didn't trust him, but her curiosity piqued. She felt comfortable enough in her own skills to fight a Beta; heck, she's fought a bunch of Alpha's, so there was no need to worry. She just needed to stay wary of any ambushes. They may still be in the same mind-link, but Beta Callum could still converse with them separately like they were on a different call. 

Esme jogged back the small distance towards Leo and Rory, checking on them and listening to their relaxed heartbeats before shifting on the spot, glancing behind her and her looking at her surroundings as she hovered naked over Leo, unbuttoning his thick chequered jacket and carefully removing it from his body. Esme paused, crouched over as she buttoned the last of the jacket up, her eyes stilling on Leo's features. It was almost like he flinched from her touch, but when she listened for his heart again, it was still beating regularly.

It must have been her imagination. The pair were still knocked unconscious. Esme sighed and slowly stood up, her eyes glued on Callum and the approaching wolf. 

"Luna.. You look well," Callum smiled nervously, releasing a breath. 

"What do you want?" Esme tilted her head to the side, ignoring the slight bow of their necks. 

Before Callum could speak again, Esme interrupted with another question that seemed to burn on her tongue more. "More importantly.. Why.. in the hell were you attacking humans?"

Callum stilled and looked down at them in disgust. "They're hunters," He growled, his chest rumbling from fury.

Esme scoffed and stood in front of them protectively again, crossing her arms against her chest. "They are hunting nothing more than the poor deer around here. Do you really think hunters would act like how they did? And.. I don't see any silver bullets burning in you." She eyed his chest, where his blood was dry from being shot, but he was completely healed. 

Callum frowned at her logical explanation, his eyes wandering from her to the two men on the ground. "You nearly killed civilians," Esme scolded with an arched brow. "If I hadn't come along.. their deaths would be on you."

The wolf next to him growled, his eyes on the men, then looked at the Beta. Callum nodded, "He's right. They've seen too much."

Esme chuckled at his words, but there was no humour to it, her smile not reaching her eyes. "So.. You're going to kill them.." Her voice dropped darkly as her hands went inside Leo's jacket pockets nonchalantly like it did not matter, though her tone of voice was what made the two before her pause.

Esme walked by them, giving them access to the two humans lying on the floor. "I thought you were different to Ethan.. I guess I was wrong," She muttered, not looking back at her friends. She kept her breathing down in the hopes of hiding the increase in her heartbeat; she was scared for her friends but hoped her words would have an effect on the Beta. 

"Wait." Callum grabbed her by the arm; she stilled, keeping her eyes set ahead on the trees. His grip wasn't tight nor threatening. "What do you mean?"

Esme hid her smile. She'd piqued his interest. Good.

"Just remember, Leo and Rory, are fine now. All we'd need to do is make a break for it over there," Isana whispered their escape route. Esme internally nodded at her wolf while turning her head to meet Callum's gaze. 

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Esme nonchalantly removed her arm from his hand. "Don't tell me you think your Alpha is a saint-"

"Don't disrespect-"

"Really?" Esme snapped and took a step back, eying the wolf by his side, who growled. She glared back at him, her eyes glowing in bright amber, causing him to bare his neck and whimper. She snarled back at Callum. "Do not feign ignorance about Alpha Ethan," She hissed. "You know EXACTLY what he is capable of.."

Callum watched her with his brows drawn. "You are.. different.." He trailed off after reading her amused expression.

"Different? Well.. I know what freedom tastes like now. I'm free to think and do what I like now-"

"And that includes sleeping with someone who is NOT your mate," Callum growled, inciting another growl from the wolf next to him. Esme glared at them, causing that wolf to whimper. Seriously, what was the point with this subordinate? He was weak to her influence even though she was still technically the Luna, she was outright insulting their Alpha, and Callum mentioned her infidelity. 

Esme parted her lips, but Callum spoke before her. "You know that's only made him fucking mad. And I don't mean just angry, Es.." He stepped closer to her. "If we catch you right now.. I don't know what he will do to you."

Esme paled and felt a shiver run down her spine, the fear she'd once felt started to swell inside of her being, her wolf whimpered in her mind. Yet she tilted her chin up and met his burning gaze. "Do you think I always consented to sleep with Ethan?" She asked instead. Callum's eyes widened, and his face visibly paled at the sudden mention of what her harsh reality was in the White Sands pack and being the Alpha's mate. She'd always stayed quiet in White Sands, and Callum had always only seen her marks after Ethan was through with her.

"Do you think I was happy being thrown into a cage anytime he was not happy with me? Had his name carved into my skin, proving that I was his property and his alone? Ethan.. Your Alpha.. My mate.." She stepped closer to Callum, who began to slump, his eyes flicking from side to side in disbelief. "My mate who was meant to love and protect me.. tormented me so much that I jumped off a cliff in the hopes of dying."

Callum released a shocked breath and looked at her wide-eyed. "Es.." His voice cracked, making her scoff. His voice cracked while hers stayed strong, announcing the past she'd been running away from. A strength she knew was not only her own but Gabriel's as well. 

The wolf by his side whimpered, his ears going down at it hunched over. Esme raised a brow then rolled her eyes. The pack knew or assumed what was happening behind closed doors, but they never heard her speak her truth. Now, listening to only a fraction of what happened, they felt guilty.

Callum swallowed loudly and reached his hands out to her face, but she stepped aside, eying Leo and Rory on the ground as she did so. "I'm sorry.. I didn't-"

"Save the apology, Cal.. I do not need it." She kept her back to him, her eyes settled on Leo's face as her fingers inside the jacket pocket burned against a silver bullet. She'd been playing with it the whole time; the sting of the silver was a nice reminder to stay aware of her surroundings and not get too emotional in front of those who could hurt her. "What I do want, though.. Is the ultimate freedom." She stopped and turned to look at him.

Callum frowned at her words, and he rubbed at his eyebrow, glancing at the wolf beside him. "Keep guard in the woods," The Beta ordered the wolf, who reluctantly left. Callum looked back at Esme once he was far away. "I hope you don't mean what I think you mean.."

"Of course, I do. Your pack must be exhausted chasing after me.. his goals are too great for what you have. If Ethan lived in the North, the pack would have been destroyed for attacking peaceful packs." Esme stepped closer towards him, her fingers rolling the silver bullet between her fingers as she did so. "No matter your mistakes in the past.. You can correct them now.."

Callum stepped back. "I grew up with him. I can't-"

"Callum.. You'd be such a great Alpha for the pack. Challenge him, gain control, do what's right," Esme urged, her eyes flickered between his as she saw him thinking about it.

"That won't solve your problem, though, Es. Ethan will still come for you-"

"Not if you kill him," She interrupted darkly, her face serious, her gaze locked with his.. The sky darkened with greying clouds covering the sun, casting a shadow over their features.

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