A Love That Lasts Forever

Caleb took a moment to allow his eyes to focus in the darkness. He'd woken up in bed, in a strange room, and no memory of how he'd gotten there. What was worse, he was alone. Where was Rhys? Where was their pup? Terrified, he pushed himself up, threw the thin covering back, and slid out of the bed. His bare feet hit a cold, tiled floor. When Caleb looked down he realized that he was dressed in a white robe that resembled the kind of hospital gown humans wore.

This was all very strange. How had he even ended up there? Wherever 'there' was. He remembered running towards the guard house, his pup clutched to his chest, frantic to get help for Rhys. The Silver Moon betas had been following them and Rhys had been shot. Caleb was scared. Scared for his life and his child's but also scared for Rhys, his mate.

He remembered seeing the guard house and he ran towards it, yelling for someone to come out and help him. He was out of breath and shaking. Two betas and an alpha came out, charging towards him. Relief settled over him. Thank Wolf God, he whispered to himself. We're safe. Caleb sank to his knees, too exhausted to run anymore. His head was swimming and that's when he'd remembered how much blood he'd lost that night. He must have been running on pure adrenaline at this point.

Within seconds he was surrounded. An alarm must have been sounded because more wolves began to run out from the cover of the trees. "You have to help." He pleaded with them, breathlessly. "In the woods." He pointed back to where he'd come from. "Rhys, he's been shot. They're after us. Please, help us."

The sound of a gun shot sliced through the trees, followed by the sounds of howls and growling. Caleb shivered and the babe in his arms cried.

"Who are you?" The alpha who appeared to be in charge demanded. His grabbed a fist full of Caleb's long, auburn, hair and jerked his head back, painfully. Caleb yelped. "I repeat, who are you?" The alpha demanded, this time his voice angry and full of distrust.

"Please help us." Caleb said again, tears streaming down his face. It had taken every last ounce of strength he'd had just to make it to the guard house but that strength was depleted now. The last thing Caleb could recall was the face of the shocked but concerned beta who reached out and grabbed him, keeping him from hitting the ground as he collapsed against the man. The sounds, smells, and sights around him faded into nothingness and Caleb realized that he must have passed out at some point because the next time he'd opened his eyes was when he'd found himself in this strange room.

He pushed himself off the bed and, with shaky legs, managed to stumble across the room, feeling around on the wall until he found a light switch. Once the room was illuminated by the ceiling light, he was able to see that he was inside a small room with limited furnishings and no windows. Straight ahead was the only door and he moved to it carefully.

He'd almost expected the door to be locked as the room looked more like a cell than an actual bedroom what with the grey walls, hospital like bed with a metal frame, and the glaringly white sheets and blanket. There was absolutely no warmth in the room what so ever which told him it wasn't meant for comfort.

The door, oddly enough, was not locked though. Caleb reached out and gently pushed the handle down then eased the door open as quietly as he could before stopping, halfway open, and peering out into the empty hall. Was he in the clinic that Rhys had told him about? It didn't look like any clinic he'd ever seen before. In fact, the building he was in seemed more like a bunker or military base. Was he a prisoner? Was Rhys somewhere in this strange place too and if so, where?

He tried not to panic but in that moment he just wanted to find Rhys, and then find his pup, and find out just what the hell was going on.

Caleb pushed the door the rest of the way open then stepped out into the more brightly lit hallway. Aside from the hum of the overhead lights the place was quiet. Caleb moved further down the hall, passing door after closed door. Each door looked similar to the one he'd stepped though. Grey, probably metal, and each brandishing only a number. His room was marked as 10, he noted. He followed the numbered doors to the end of the hall. Nine, eight, seven... Coming up on the last door he found himself looking down another corridor that turned to the right.

His heart beat faster when he realized that halfway down the second hall, he saw a glow of yellow light coming from an opened door and beyond that door he could hear voices. Caleb took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and moved towards the open door.

"I really don't feel good about this." Caleb moved closer, he could clearly hear the voices of the men inside the room. They were having some kind of argument.

"It's not your place to question me."

"It's my job to look out for the best interests of my patients."

"When it comes to pack, yes. But in this situation..."

"In this situation he is still my patient and I will not do something that is unethical and possibly dangerous! You can't change my mind on this."

Caleb winced as he heard a low, guttural, growl emerge from the room. "His life is forfeit no matter what happens. All I want is some answers before the counsel gets involved."

"Do what you must." The second, less agitated voice said. "But don't expect me to help. This is barbaric. The boys been through enough already."

The boy? Caleb put his hand over his heart. Were they talking about him? This made no sense. He and Rhys had come to these people for help so why were they speaking about him as though he were the enemy? Rhys would sort this all out. Caleb was certain of that. He just had to figure out where Rhys was. Standing in the middle of the hall eavesdropping wasn't going to help matters though. He had questions of his own that he needed answers to and he needed them now.

It was now or never. Caleb took a deep breath then stepped forward so that he was now completely visible and standing in the opened doorway. "Hello?" His voice was weak and horse and tinged with fear. "Can someone help me, please? I'm not sure where I am or what's going on."

The two men in the room stopped speaking immediately and turned to look at Caleb and Caleb nearly gasped. The first man, a gamma, was tall but slender. He had honey blond hair, cut short on the sides and the back and with a wisp of hair nearly covering his eyes. He looked worried suddenly and Caleb saw the man tense as soon as he caught his eyes.

The other, clearly an alpha, was tall and broad shouldered. He was muscular and ruggedly handsome. What had shocked Caleb though was how much this man resembled Rhys. Older for sure, but his dark hair and brooding eyes were almost a perfect match. This had to be the brother that Rhys had mentioned though for some reason, he didn't look at all pleased to see Caleb standing there.

The alpha opened his mouth to speak but the gamma quickly stepped in front and cut him off.

"I'm Malcolm." The man said, moving closer to Caleb. "You're in my medical center. You were brought here after you passed out by the guard house."

"Oh." Caleb relaxed a bit but not much. The brooding alpha glared at him with such malice that Caleb suddenly wanted to dig a hole and crawl in it for safety.

"Is Rhys here too?" He asked, his voice shaky. "And my pup. Where is my pup?"

"You're pup is fine." Malcolm assured him. "He's being cared for in the nursery."

"And Rhys?" Caleb asked again. "Did you treat Rhys for his gun shot wound? Is he okay?"

Malcolm looked hesitantly towards the alpha who suddenly growled low when Caleb mentioned Rhys. "Let's get you back to your room." Malcolm said. "You look as weak as a new born kitten." The man forced a half-hearted smile as he placed a hand on Caleb's shoulder and tried to steer him out of the room, but Caleb pulled back and gave the man a stern glare.

"I want to see Rhys." He told him. "Where is he?"

"Now isn't really the time..." Malcolm tried again unsuccessfully to move Caleb out of the room but Caleb put his hand against the door frame and refused to move.

"What's going on?" He asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. Something felt...off, and he didn't like it. He stared at Malcolm, demanding an answer from him but Malcolm refused to meet his eyes, instead he turned his head away and sighed. The voice Caleb heard next came from the huge alpha standing behind him.

"Rhys is dead." The words came out like a growl. Cold and unforgiving. There was no build up, no sugar coating it. The alpha didn't care about Caleb's feelings at all. If anything, Caleb got the sense that the words were meant to hurt more than inform. This alpha wanted him to suffer.

Caleb narrowed his eyes and glared at the heartless brute. He could feel his own anger boiling over. He clenched his fists at his sides and shook his head. "You're lying." He hissed.

The Alpha raised an eye brow as he stared at Caleb, his face remaining cold and expressionless.

"Omega..." Malcolm moved to stand between Caleb and the alpha. "Please, let's not..."

Caleb turned and glared at Malcolm next. "My name is Caleb!" He growled. "Omega is what I am, it's not my name!"

"Caleb." Malcolm corrected. "I know you're upset but..."

"You know nothing about me." Caleb was seething with rage as he stared at the man. He couldn't believe what was happening. How could these two be so cruel? He'd come to them for help and instead they've separated him from his pup, and his mate, and now they were making up these outrageous lies. Just what the hell was wrong with them?

Malcolm moved to touch Caleb's arm but Caleb slapped his hand away. "No more of your games, no more lies. I want to see Rhys, now!" He demanded.

"I told you, Rhys is dead." The alpha repeated. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared Caleb down, hard.

"You're lying." Caleb accused, tears filling his eyes. "Stop lying, Rhys is fine. I know he is."

"I'm not lying." The alpha took a step closer, settling his hand on the surface of the desk beside him as he leaned against it. "And don't act as though you care. It was your Silver Moon pack mates that killed him. Wasn't that what you had planned? Kill my brother, then infiltrate our pack? Well, sorry to ruin your plans but you failed. Your scheming pack mates are dead too. My guards took them out easily enough. Did you really think that a handful of betas could over take us?"

The alpha continued to speak but Caleb wasn't listening. The only thing he could focus on was Rhys. Rhys couldn't be dead. He'd promised that once they'd reached Black River everything would be fine. They'd be safe. The pup would be safe. So, how could he be dead? It wasn't possible. Besides, Caleb would know if it were true. He'd be able to feel it through their mate bond.

The bond. Caleb hadn't thought about it until now. When he'd woken up he was still so confused, and weak from having just given birth, he hadn't even thought...He'd know Rhys was okay if he could just...Caleb closed his eyes and reached out, trying to feel Rhys through their bond. It wasn't as strong as the supposed bond between true mates- the kind of mates that only existed in fairy tales- but the bond was there, growing stronger over time. He had felt it growing just as their pup had been growing inside of him.

It's true that their mating had been rushed and it was done more out of necessity than anything else but that didn't mean they didn't love each other now. Love wasn't something one just fell into over night. It was something that formed, over time, especially between two people who had experienced what Caleb and Rhys had gone through together. Caleb knew that for a fact because he loved Rhys now, and he knew that Rhys loved him.

If he concentrated hard enough he'd be able to see the bond they shared in his minds eye, like a strand of blueish energy that linked them together. If he could follow that strand, it would lead him to Rhys. The closer Rhys was, the stronger the hue and then, then, he'd know that Rhys was close. Caleb focused all of his energy on that strand and willed it to reveal itself. He could feel it wrapping itself around him like a warm blanket. Tiny pricks of electricity vibrated through his body and then he reached out, searching for an anchor, his anchor...but something wasn't right.

The bond is weak. He told himself. Rhys is hurt, or unconscious. That has to be the reason. He focused harder, searching for Rhys but there was nothing, and the stronger his determination to find his mate became, the weaker the bond seemed to be. It was fading, slowly, bit by bit, as though tiny particles of energy were slowly breaking apart and floating away or evaporating into the air around him.

Caleb felt a sudden pain, like a knife going straight through his chest. He instinctively placed his hand over his heart and shivered. The pain eventually subsided but left behind a feeling of emptiness. What was left of the mate bond weaved itself through his heart as if trying to shield it and keep it from breaking apart into little pieces. Caleb's chest heaved as he began panting, heavily, and he dropped to his knees. His body was shaking all over, and he felt cold suddenly.

It was so strange. Over the past year he had gotten used to the sensation of never being alone. Even when Rhys was gone running some errand, Caleb had never been alone, not really. He could always feel Rhys through the bond. He knew when he was near and he knew that he was safe. If Rhys was happy, Caleb could feel it. He could also feel if Rhys was angry, or worried. The link was strong in the beginning but it became even stronger once Caleb had become pregnant.

There hadn't been one moment since they'd bonded that Caleb hadn't been able to feel Rhys... until now. Now, when he reached out, searching for that familiar energy, searching for the security of knowing his mate was near and thinking about him, and safe... now, there was nothing.

Caleb began to cry as he shook his head in disbelief. "No." He whispered. "It's a mistake. He's just hurt or...or..."

"He's dead." Caleb looked up. The cruel alpha was mere inches away from him, staring down at him with menacing eyes. There had only been one other time when Caleb had witnessed someone look at him with such hatred in their eyes, it was a sick and horrible thing, to be looked at that way, but he couldn't think about that now. He had to figure out what was going on, and why these people, Rhys pack, would be lying to him about his mate.

"It's not true." Caleb said, looking up into the alphas eyes, still refusing to believe what even his mate bond was trying to tell him. He refused to give up on the idea that Rhys was still out there, and that these people were, for some reason, trying to keep them apart. He had to believe that. He had to have hope because the truth was too horrible to even consider.

Rhys couldn't be dead. He wouldn't leave Caleb like that. Not Caleb, and not their new born pup. He just wouldn't allow that to happen. He'd made a promise to Caleb, he'd said he'd always be there, and Rhys never broke his promises, never.

"You're lying." Caleb narrowed his eyes and growled. It was a pitiful growl, sounding more like a pup who was trying to mimic an alpha than the grown man that Caleb was but still, as non-intimidating a growl as it was, Caleb was sure that it was enough to convey his own feelings to the insensitive alpha before him. In that moment, Caleb hated the man, and he wanted him to know it. "You're just trying to keep him away from me. I don't know why or what your game is but I..."

"Oh, get your head out of your ass, would you!" The alpha's thunderous voice echoed throughout the room and down the hall and Caleb cringed on the floor beneath him, fear gripping him tightly. Caleb let out a soft, whimpering sound, like a dog who had just been slapped with a rolled up newspaper. Wolf God above, he hated himself for his own show of weakness in the face of this brute. He wished he could be strong and brave like Rhys.

Rhys would have leapt to his feet and wrapped a clawed hand around the alphas throat then demanded to be taken to his mate. But Caleb couldn't, wouldn't, do that. As much as he wanted to, he knew challenging an alpha would be a death sentence. The brute of a wolf was just too damn strong and Caleb was just an omega. That left a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Without Rhys there to help him, he was doomed. As a rule, omega's didn't fight. That was the alphas job. It was also the alphas job to protect omegas. So, what was he supposed to do when it was an alpha who was the threat?

The alpha reached down and pulled Caleb to his feet by the back of his shirt. "Just admit that you planned all of this." He demanded. "You and your alpha. Is he your mate? The Silver Moon alpha? Or are you just some whore they used to manipulate my brother?"

Caleb looked up at him, confused. "W-what?"

"Don't act stupid!" The Alpha shook Caleb like he was a rag doll. Caleb felt his stomach clench and he was suddenly worried that he'd throw up all over the man.

"Quinton, please." Malcolm, the gamma, spoke up now. "We don't know anything about this Om...er...Caleb."

"He's Silver Moon." Quinton growled. "That's all I need to know. Those mutts have no honor. They make money by stealing, cheating, and running cons. They can't be trusted."

Caleb cringed. Everything Quinton had said was true of course. The Silver Moon pack was poor. Seth Bowden, their alpha, didn't care about his pack. He let whole families starve while he and his mate occupied the nicest house on pack lands, had the most food, and lived comfortably while the rest of the pack suffered. He also refused to let anyone work off pack lands which greatly limited the potential for income.

Caleb hated it there. Always had. And as bad as the rest of the pack had it, omega's had it even worse. An omega was used for slave labor if they were lucky, even the children. When they came of age though, that's when the real nightmare began. They were either mated off to the first available alpha where they were expected to push out pup after pup in between beatings, and God help them if they miscarried.

Too many miscarriages or if they failed to get pregnant at all meant only one thing. They were repudiated. Cast off for being worthless and deemed untouchable. A repudiated omega was lower than low. It was the worse possible status that a pack member could have, it was worse than death. Even their own family refused to take them back. Many actually chose death rather than being thrown out like someones garbage.

When Caleb had come of age it was announced that he was to be mated to their pack alpha's younger brother, Jase. Jase was just as bad as his older brother and twice as mean due to the enormous chip on his shoulder. Everyone knew that he coveted his brother's position as alpha and it was only a matter of time before he challenged him. Caleb couldn't imagine being mated to him. His life, as miserable as it was, would only get worse.

Jase made no attempts at hiding the fact that he didn't want a mate. Especially on omega mate. He thought all omegas were worthless pieces of shifter filth and the only way to handle them was to beat them senseless and control every aspect of their lives. He'd made a scene at first, refusing to agree to an arranged mating but Seth wasn't about to change his mind. Caleb came from a long line of omega shamans and healers.

It wasn't Caleb that he wanted but the magic that supposedly lived in his blood. He probably would have mated him himself if Seth hadn't already been mated. Jase was a reasonable choice though. Through Jase, Seth could still control Caleb and by extension, his power. The problem was, Caleb possessed no such magic. If he had, it would have manifested itself around the time of his first heat, but it didn't. It terrified him to think of what Jase, or Seth, would do when they'd figured that out.