73. Caleb

**Caleb**

After speaking with Elder Riad, I debate on waking up Red and letting her know we are leaving in the morning or if I should let her rest. Thinking of the day she had, I close the door behind me and let her sleep. I ask Conon and Katherine to help me gather all the adults for a brief meeting. As I look into the eyes of my pack members, I see fear and worry about the future. I tell them about my discussion with Elder Riad and to have their luggage ready in the morning. Many are unhappy with leaving the Rogue Village and moving to an unfamiliar place. Once I reassure them the Black Ruby Rogue Pack will not be separated, they return to their rooms or houses.

I walk to the clinic to check on Jordan. Rae Ann is with him, and he appears to be much calmer than before. I tell him about the doctor coming to see him in the morning, and he makes arrangements to return to Crescent Moon Pack. When Rae Ann says she is staying with Jordan, I am not surprised. After I tell him to treat her as if she were the most precious thing in the world, I return to the Pack House.

I go to Sky's room and stare at her for a few minutes. She is sleeping peacefully, hugging the teddy bear Red gave her for Christmas. For a male who spent years thinking he would never have children, I am blessed to have such a wonderful family. As quietly as possible, I pack some clothes and toys before returning to my room. Red is still sleeping but has moved to my side of the bed and has a big frown on her face. She is so damn gorgeous that my heart swirls with love. I place a hand on her belly and kiss her cheek, and her face relaxes. When I was still looking for my soulmate, I had never given much thought to whether I would be paired with a male or female, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, or Omega. After I learned Red was mine, I knew she was perfect for me. She is so sweet and understanding.

I prepare our luggage before I get in bed, gather Red in my arms, and close my eyes. Red buries her nose in the crook of my neck, and surrounded by her sweet scent, I fall asleep in a few moments.

In the morning, I explain to Red and Sky that we have to leave Rogue Village. Red does not seem very happy with the decision, while Sky is excited to live in a palace. When the cars sent by Elder Riad arrive, the pack is ready to leave. As promised, a doctor came to check on Jordan. Since we are leaving and time is short, Jordan agrees to be taken to the biggest Paranormal Hospital in Romania and have his tests performed there. The witches, except Tatiana, will return to their coven. Tristan, his knights, Oana, and Emma, are coming with us to the Werewolf Palace.

Red's Theta Knights and Sky get inside the car while Red takes a last look at the Rogue Village. I put my arm around her shoulders, and she leans her head on me. "I hate leaving this place. The Rogue Village is where I found my happiness and soulmate," Red says.

I understand her perfectly because I feel the same. This has been not only my home but a place of healing for many werewolves. It is the place where I fell in love with Red, took her to the Ritual Stones, and marked her.

We are about to enter the car when Tatiana approaches me. "I need to ask you something about the Ritual Stones," she says. I see the worry in her eyes, and I know something is up. I help Red get inside the car, and when she sits next to Sky, I go to talk with Tatiana in private. "We have to leave now! Naomi sent me a text informing me that the Paranormal Prison was attacked last night by the Demon King. The Warder had been killed, and the prisoners were set free. They are about to reach the Rogue Village!"

I grind my teeth so hard that I am amazed I still have them. "Before you leave, put the barrier back over the village! I don't want it destroyed!" I say between clenched teeth.

Tatiana nods. "Naomi sent Royal Enforcers and Light Witches to protect this place and to kill the prisoners. They will be here in half an hour. Caleb, there are a lot of prisoners, and I don't know if the Rogue Village will still be here at sunset."

I fist my palms—another reason to hate the Leech Queen with all my heart. She has taken so much from me—hopes, dreams, smiles, childhood, blood, among other things and now she is about to take away from me the home I worked so hard to build. "If the village gets destroyed, I will rebuild it! Ben, the one who abused Red, is among the prisoners. I want him, Tatiana! He and I need to have a little chit-chat about what he did to my soulmate!" I don’t wait for Tatiana to reply, and I turn on my heels and go to the car.

On the way to the Werewolf Palace, I am mostly quiet, thinking of the Rogue Village and all the things I have to do once we get to our destination. Red reads stories to Sky from her Kindle while Elton and Katherine look out the windows. I know Katherine wants to be with Conon, but I need Red's Theta Knights to be in the same car as her.

Conon lent me his phone so I could communicate with Elder Riad. I take out my laptop, connect it to Conon's internet and look at the emails I received. A grin appears on my face when I find the one I have been waiting for.

We have been traveling for an hour when someone sends a message. I pull the phone out of my pocket and look at the screen.

*'I found a solution for your pack, and the Chamber of the Luna Supreme has been opened. The Theta Knights can choose their weapons soon after you arrive at the* *Werewolf Palace.*

*Elder Riad'*

Raven grins. **'I still believe Elton will choose a tank!'**

I put the phone back in my pocket. *'He can opt for a nuclear bomb, and I won't care as long as he helps me protect Red.'*

Raven chuckles. **'Give Elton a nuclear bomb, and he will destroy half the world.'**

I shrug. *'As long as he kills only the bad guys, I don't see a problem with it.'*

I send replies to the emails, and when I am done, I take out the dagger Red gave me for Christmas and play with it while I imagine the torture I will inflict upon Ben and the Leech Queen.

We arrive at the Werewolf Palace three hours later. Elder Riad and five Royal Enforcers are waiting for us in front of the Palace. Red and Sky get out of the car and look around with fascination. If the Vampire Palace is the epitome of evil, the Werewolf Palace is a beautiful place. Behind it, there's a Japanese Garden and four guest houses.

"Alpha Caleb, Luna Rain! Welcome to the Werewolf Palace!" Elder Riad says and shakes Red's hand before he shakes mine. Red still hates to be touched by males, and she stiffens but relaxes when I place my left hand on her back. "I have prepared the guest houses for your pack. Since they are not big enough to house everyone, guest rooms are being prepared in the Palace! I am sure you are aware of the situation with the Paranormal Prison. The Captain of the Royal Enforcers called to let me know that despite his best efforts, the village—"

My chest hurts. All my hard work is gone.

**‘We will start from scratch! With Red’s help, we will build a better village!’** Raven tries to comfort me. 

"What happened to the Paranormal Prison?" Red asks.

"Nothing!" I say quickly before Elder Riad lets Red know what happened to our home. I try not to think about what happened to the village because if I do, I might break something.

It is not that I want to keep things secret from Red, but she is already stressed, and it is taking a toll on her. Despite sleeping the entire night, she looks tired and barely ate anything today. Red hasn't shown signs she wants to build another nest, which worries me. The last thing she needs is to know about the Demon King setting free all the prisoners.

Red huffs. "Caleb, are you hiding things from me?"

I sigh. "I will tell you later!" I promise her. She folds her arms and pretends she is angry.

Raven makes puppy eyes. **'Damn! She is so cute! Can I fuck her tonight?'**

*'What you need is a trip to the North Pole to cool down!'* I snort my reply and pull Red closer to me. Sky stands next to me and I rest my palm on her shoulder.

Elder Riad gives me a quick nod before turning his attention to Sky. "And who might you be?" he asks in a gentle voice.

"I am Sky!"

Elder Riad smiles. "Is that so? And who are your parents?"

"Caleb and Tristan are my dads, and Rain is my mom. My other mom died when I was born."

My heart skips a beat when Sky says Rain and I are her parents.

Elder Riad ruffles her hair. "I can see the resemblance. You have Alpha Caleb's eyes but Prince Tristan's fangs. From Luna Rain, you inherited her smile and beauty. I am afraid I do not know your other mother, and I do not know what you received from her," he says before looking at me. "Let's get your pack settled in before the Theta Knights choose their weapons!"

Tristan, Emma, and the other vampires share one of the guest houses together with Hannah, Holgan, Sarah, and Jeremy. The other three are occupied by pack members that like their privacy or are not ready to be around new werewolves. Red and I are given a small suite with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a cozy kitchen with a living room. I put Sky's things in the small bedroom before Kevin helps me take two big suitcases to the spacious one.

Once everyone is settled in, Elder Riad takes us to a big dining room. The Palace chef prepared a Swiss buffet, and I am not surprised to see Blade inspect every plate as if he is a Master Chef judge. He quickly eats something before making his way to the kitchen, probably to kick out the chef and take his place.

After lunch, Red, her Theta Knights, and I go to the Chamber of Luna Supreme. It occupies the entire first floor of the basement and has only weapons for Theta Knights. It is the first time I see them, and I want to inspect everything. I might have a mild fascination with weapons, especially medieval ones.

I am about to touch a sword when Elder Riad shouts 'Don't' so loud it startles me. "The weapons contain the souls of fallen gods and can be handled only by Theta Knights. If another person touches the weapons, they risk being killed by the souls trapped inside them," Elder Riad explains.

I knew the weapons were important, but I don't remember reading they can't be touched by others that are not Theta Knights.

I shove my hands in my pants and take a little tour with Red around the room while Elder Riad shows Elton and Katherine the weapons.

**'I don't see a tank!'** Raven says.

"Why do you need a tank?" Red asks him.

Raven chuckles. **‘It's for Elton. He will need one, so he can protect you!'**

Red rolls her eyes before changing the subject. "Can I learn what happened to the Paranormal Prison?"

"You are not letting it drop until you know the truth?" I ask, and she nods. I can’t hide the truth from her. Even if it hurts, it is better she learns about the village now than later. "You are not going to like what you are going to hear. The Demon King set everyone free, and they destroyed the Rogue Village."

Red pales, and tears pool in her eyes. "Caleb, our home!" she croaks.

"We will make a better one and fill it with beautiful memories," I say, and tears roll down her cheeks.

“Promise?” she asks, and I nod.

She buries her face in my chest, and I hug her tight. I pet her hair while she silently cries. 

I watch the Theta Knights. Elton studies bows and crossbows, while Katherine is fascinated by scythes. My brows go up when she reaches for the one that looks similar to the one Death has.

Even Raven is surprised. **'Is she planning to harvest humans?'**

*'I sure hope she uses that on the Demon King!'* I reply.

Red turns her head and sees how Elton chooses a motherfucking bow that allows him to fire five arrows at the same time.

Elder Riad receives a phone call and looks at me with a frown on his face.

"The battle is over, but many prisoners are still alive and are on their way to the Werewolf Palace."

Red dries her tears and lifts her right palm, Fire coming out of it. "Let them come!