Chapter 4

• When things finally settled down, Calum stood back, wrestling with his own personal demons. It had been hard to stand back and watch Shaelan touch other men, even though he knew they needed her help. Her gentle looks in his direction was the only thing that prevented him from going full berserker mode. He needed to get a better handle on this if he was going to make it, and he didn’t want to be arguing with his mate every other day.
• It had taken a good hour, maybe more, for Nona and Shaelan to get Chad patched up and comfortable. As strong as his new-found abhorrence to sedatives was, he knew the longer they kept Chad drugged, the easier it would be on him. Over one hundred stitches, Nona had counted, they had put into him. He was too weak and swollen for her to clear him to shift, because until the swelling went down she didn’t know the full extent of his injuries. That, and she was afraid in his debilitated state he’d get stuck halfway through a shift and be stuck that way. He couldn’t even imagine that. There was man and cat, no pausing in-between. Eyes, sure or some claws from time to time, but half-shift. Damn. As he stood there helplessly as the women tried to help Chad as best they could, Calum decided then that Jerome deserved no mercy.
• Marc and Dale both had cuts and bruises all over, open sores from the cuffs and collars. Sitting on the cold floor that long hadn’t done them any favors either, but Nona expected in a few days they’d be running again. Both were going to be okay, physically at least. Marc was always going to have that scar to remind him, but he supposed the mental ones were much worse. Hell, he hadn’t gone through anything similar to what they had, but a man being chained like that… it left its mark, where no one could ever see.
• Glancing around, he saw that Gage and Devin had finally settled down and were sitting with Marc and Dale. It was a small comfort that Dev and Gage were having just as hard a time with all of this as he was. He hadn’t seen Gage pace this much since he’d realized he had a mate he couldn’t have years ago.
• Sighing, he went over to sit with them. Shaelan wasn’t leaving Chad’s side anytime soon. Her skill for healing was astonishing though, he admitted, even if it nagged at him that she may be a little too smart for her own good, and his comfort.
• Sitting down, he looked at Dale’s drawn appearance. “How are you feeling?”
• He shrugged. “I’m good, it’s nothing a half a side of beef, long run and…” He stiffened and sat straighter.
• Calum turned to see what he was looking at. Billie was standing in the cave entrance.
• “That’s one of them.” Dale said quietly. “That… that I was with.”
• Calum realized the trials of the day weren’t over yet. “Yeah, I was going to give you a few hours to recoup before we talked about that.”
• He glanced to Devin who was cringing as well.
• Dale snapped his head back to him “What? What do you mean?”
• Calum rubbed the back of his neck and tried to think of a way to say it gently, but couldn’t come up with one. “She’s pregnant.”
• Dales face paled even more than it had been. “With… ah…” His eyes didn’t leave Calum’s.
• He nodded. “Yours.”
• Blowing out a loud breath, Dale swallowed. “Is she mated?” He looked around quickly. “Should I be expecting some big ox to come rip my throat open?”
• “She’s not,” Devin assured him.
• Dale looked at her once again then back to Calum, an anger burning in his eyes. “So… so what, they just get young women knocked up and leave them to go through it all alone?”
• Feeling like he had weights on his shoulders, Calum leaned onto his knees and looked over at Billie. “I don’t know…with the other women, she would have help, I guess.”
• Dale swore. “That’s inhumane.” He looked at the ground and swore again. “It was… I can’t explain how… how bad it was… is she okay?” His head snapped back in her direction. “Did I…”
• “She’s physically fine.” Gage said in a voice that held an undertone of rage.
• Dale huffed out a relieved breath. “Does she hate me?”
• Calum glanced over to see Shaelan coming out of the cave and was walking toward him. She looked tired, and upset. “No, she knows it wasn’t your fault.” He answered when he realized Dale was staring at him.
• Rubbing a hand vigorously over his dark, brush cut hair, Dale stared at the ground for a moment before looking back to him. “Do you think she’d talk to me? I mean we are going to be parents…”
• Shaelan came over and stood by Calum. “I think with some time, things will work out. Billie…”
• Dale turned to her “Her name is Billie?”
• Shaelan offered him a gentle smile, “Yes. She’s kind of crazy at times, I’d know, she’s my best friend, but she’s a very loving person.”
• Nona cleared her throat and they all turned, not even realizing she’d been standing there. “I know this is the last thing on your minds right now, but Mari and I talk to the women that you fellas were… with. They’ve agreed to talk with you, meet you… considering what happened with Shae and Calum, they just want to be sure.”
• Dale groaned. “Fuck, wouldn’t that be a new cruel punishment?”
• Calum gave Dale a curious look.
• Dale shrugged, “Meet my mate and have a baby with another woman…”
• Nona chuckled, “We can hope that isn’t a fact.”
• “Fuck hope, pray for me.” Dale groaned again then looked to Nona, his eyes wide. “I’m sorry for my language...”
• She waved a hand at him. “If I’d been through what you have, I’d have invented a whole volume of cuss words by now.” She glanced to Marc for a moment, then to Calum. “The other two fellas were only with one woman, so…”
• Marc snorted, “Small blessings where I can get them” He nodded, like he was having some sort of internal conversation. “I swear when I get back to the farm, I’m never leaving again.” He growled and looked at Devin, “I can give you a description, down to the guys’ shoes, the one that sent us ‘hiking’ up here.” He growled in a hoarse way. “Had a lot of time to think about him.”
• Devin nodded, his jaw twitching, “the alliance will deal with him”
• “I’ll track the bastard myself.” Calum spat out.
• “So…” Dale rubbed a hand down his face, “it sounds so bad out loud, but who else was I with?” He puffed up his cheeks for a moment then exhaled, “I can vaguely see a face, but have no name and that makes me feel…”
• Shaelan nodded, slowly. Calum knew she’d had that feeling too. “Natalie.” She said looking to Dale. He stared off over her shoulder for a moment then nodded. Shaelan turned her head and gave Marc an inquiring look. He looked like a deer in headlights for a moment, then gave her an apprehensive nod. “Marcia.”
• It made it so much more real, Calum thought, putting names to it.
• Shaelan tucked her hands into her pockets. “Chad was with Madison.” She glanced toward the cave. “We’ll tell her what’s happened to him.”
• “And Gene?” Marc asked as he looked from Devin back to Calum.
• Calum shook his head, his heart paining. “They don’t release their captives and set them free.”
• “So, if you hadn’t gotten us out…” Dale’s expression went blank. He dropped his hand over his chest and looked at the ground.
• Devin nodded, a grim expression on his face.
• “Fuck me,” Dale hissed.
• “What about Gene?” Marc asked with a pained voice, “Is there a pregnant woman here carrying his…”
• Nona nodded and clasped her hands against her chest. “Brooke, she knows, and is coming to grips with it.”
• With everything else happening, Calum had forgot to ask about all of this. It wasn’t like him to not get all the details and know all the facts.
• “That baby is one of ours, Cal, the clan will look out for her and the child.” Dale said firmly.
• He sighed, and closed his eyes for a moment. This needed to end. He opened his eyes and gave his clanmates a stern look. “We will. I’ll talk to my Uncle, but I’m sure they’ll bring her there and see her through this, if she consents.”
• “Help me get to my feet,” Dale held out his hand.
• Shaelan shook her head, “Dale, you should eat and rest for a…”
• “I want to talk to… Billie.” He said glancing in her direction.
• Sighing, Shaelan touched Calum’s shoulder lightly. “I’ll go tell her.”
• Dale glared at Calum. “Help me get over there, I don’t want to do this in front of everyone.”
• He helped him over to where Shaelan now stood with Billie. Dale moved away from him, even though he wasn’t steady, wanting to be standing on his own two feet as he met the mother of his child. Calum paused in thought, how messed up was that? Shaking his head, he stepped back and put his arm around Shaelan. She glanced up at him and he realized she wasn’t sure if they should stay or leave them. He’d follow her lead on that.
• “Hi,” Dale took a shaky step and held out his hand, “I’m Dale.”
• Billie looked at his hand for a second, then shook it quickly, before clasping it with her other one. “Billie.” Dale swayed and she inhaled sharply. “You should sit down.” She reached out, then pulled her hands back and motioned to the wall by the cave entrance.
• Nodding, Dale moved over and sat down, then looked up at her. He motioned to the other side of the entrance. “Please.”
• Billie sat down and pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them. “I’m glad you got out.” She said her eyes flicking from him to the ground and back. “Are you okay?”
• “I’ll be fine.” He cleared his throat a few times. “Are you okay?”
• She blushed, then huffed out a breath. “Can I get back to you on that?” Looking back at her feet, she continued in a quiet voice. “It’s been a… uh… rough few weeks.” She glanced at Shaelan then briefly to Dale. “I find out I’m a shifter, have my… I’m going to be a mom.” Her voice cracked. “I’m just processing.” She nodded then looked back at Dale.
• He nodded a few times. “So…”
• Calum realized Shaelan was tugging on his arm to go. He glanced at her then back to Dale before following her. She smiled up at him and he hugged her to him.
• “They’ll be okay.” She said quietly as they walked back toward where the others were sitting.
• “As first meetings go, awkward is the norm around here.” He kissed the top of her head.
• “I’m going back to check on Chad, so Rayne and Kelsey can have a break from watching him.”
• He nodded. “Think he’ll be alright?”
• She pursed her lips for a second before answering him. “It’s too soon to give any definitive answers.” She offered him a sad look, then turned to go back inside.
• Swearing under his breath, Calum walked over and sat down.