Chapter 126: THE PROMISE
CALLUM’S POV
"What do you mean I don’t care?"
The words left my mouth before I could stop them, more out of confusion than anger. Keisha’s eyes were already glistening with unshed tears, and the sight alone was enough to make something tighten painfully inside my chest. She had pushed me only seconds ago, yet somehow I was the one who felt shaken.
"You heard me." Her voice trembled despite the way she tried to keep it steady. "You don’t care about me. You don’t care about what happens to me. I was just..." She paused, swallowing hard before forcing the words out. "I was just someone you wanted in your bed."
I stared at her and for a long moment, I couldn’t even think of a response.
How had she possibly reached that conclusion?
"I don’t understand," I admitted quietly. "What happened while I was away?"
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "Of course you don’t."
She looked away, hugging her arms around herself as though trying to hold herself together. "Elder Osric had me dragged out of the estate like a criminal. He locked me in the dungeon and questioned me because people kept seeing you visit my annex. He wanted me to confess that we were having an affair."
My entire body went still. "...He what?"
"I spent hours in that cell before Dane came."
The calm I’d been forcing myself to have suddenly broke and a low growl rumbled in my chest before I even realized it.
Damien surged forward inside me, his rage building up so fast that I could barely suppress him.
He touched what’s mine. Osric had gone too far.
Without another thought, I turned toward the estate. "I’m ending this."
Keisha blinked, as though confused. "Callum?"
"I warned him before I left that I wouldn’t tolerate anyone abusing their authority." My fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms. "The fact that he chose to imprison you while I was gone means he thinks he answers to no one."
I had barely taken two steps before her fingers wrapped around my wrist. "Please don’t."
I stopped but didn’t turn around immediately.
"He had no right to do that and you know that."
"I know."
"He deserves—"
"He deserves whatever punishment you think is fair," she interrupted softly. "But not tonight."
I finally looked back at her and she hadn’t let go of my hand.
"There has already been enough trouble because of me," she continued. "Lyra caused a scene in front of half the estate defending me. Dane had to step in before Elder Osric made things even worse. Everyone has been talking about it all day."
Her grip tightened slightly. "If you confront him now, people will only ask why you’re this angry over me."
The realization hit me immediately. She was right. Rumors would start and everything Dane had sacrificed to keep buried would rise straight back to the surface.
I hated it. Moon Goddess, I hated it.
Damien growled again. "We’re letting him walk away?"
"Not forever, just right now," I answered silently.
I drew in a slow breath before forcing myself to relax. "Fine."
Keisha looked visibly relieved.
"But understand this." I stepped closer until only a small distance separated us. "I’m not letting this go because you shouldn’t have gone through that. I may not deal with him tonight, but I will deal with him."
She searched my face for several seconds before giving a tiny nod. "I know you will."
As the anger slowly drained away, replaced by something far worse.
Guilt.
I reached for her hand carefully, giving her every chance to pull away but she didn’t.
"I’m sorry," I whispered.
Her brows knitted together. "For what?"
"For leaving." I looked down at our joined hands. "If I’d been here, none of this would’ve happened."
"You don’t know that."
"I do."
She opened her mouth to argue, but I shook my head. "I promised I’d protect you, Keisha. Instead, I left you here to deal with this alone."
The apology felt painfully inadequate. There wasn’t a sentence in the world that could erase what she’d gone through.
"I never stopped thinking about you while I was gone," I admitted quietly. "Not once."
She looked at me, surprise softening the hurt in her expression.
"I wanted to come back sooner. Every delay at the border frustrated me because all I could think about was getting home."
Her lips parted slightly.
"I care about you far more than I should." I confessed with a soft sight.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said that, but it felt right and there was no taking it back.
I lifted her hand slowly before pressing a gentle kiss against her forehead. "You will never be just someone I shared a bed with."
Her eyes fluttered shut for the briefest moment.
"You hear me?"
She nodded.. "I hear you."
"And as long as I’m Alpha, nobody will ever hurt you again."
A small smile appeared on her face through the tears.. "I’ll hold you to that."
"You should."
We stared at each other for a long second and the air between us remained heavy.
Then she suddenly stiffened and her gaze shifted over my shoulder.
Someone was watching us.
I turned instinctively, but all I caught was the faint movement of a figure disappearing behind the corner of one of the buildings.
"Who was that?" I asked, my stomach tightening with unease.
Keisha frowned. "I... I think it was a woman."
"My sister? Vera is back."
"I’m not completely sure." She slowly pulled her hand from mine. "I only caught a glimpse of someone before they hid."
My eyes narrowed toward the empty path. If it really was Vera, why would she hide?
Before I could think further, Keisha took another step back. "We have to be more careful." Her voice had dropped into a whisper. "If anyone sees us together like this, it’ll only make things worse."
She was right.
As much as I disliked admitting it, she was right, so I nodded once. "I’ll walk you back."
The journey to the annex passed in silence. By the time we reached her door, she looked calmer than when I’d first found her and before she went inside, I caught her attention one last time.
"I’ll find whoever induced your heat."
She looked back at me, confusion flickering in her eyes.
"I don’t care how long it takes. I’ll uncover the truth, clear your name completely, and make sure you never have to look over your shoulder again."
She smiled faintly. "Okay, I believe you."
Only after she disappeared inside did I finally turn away.
The pack hall wasn’t far, and Dane was already waiting outside by the time I arrived.
Without wasting time, we walked toward the entrance together while he brought me up to date on everything that had happened during my absence. He spoke about the council’s activities, the reports from the patrol units, the work on the eastern territory and the issues with supplies, but every conversation somehow circled back to Keisha and he told me about her arrest.
By the time he finished, my jaw had tightened so much it hurt.
"So," Dane said carefully, "what do you intend to do?"
I looked toward the brightly lit hall where the elders were already gathering. "I’ve overlooked Elder Osric’s behavior for years because I believed his intentions were always for the good of the pack." I pushed open the great doors. "That ends now. Firstly, let’s find out about Keisha’s heat."