CALLA 2: Worthless

Excitement lit up my face. It had been nearly five months since Jace had left the pack house to oversee the livestock business, which supplied various parts of the region across the wolf territory. 

He was also training there to grow stronger and become a more capable Alpha. 

I had wanted to visit him in Verge City countless times, but my responsibilities at the pack house had kept me from leaving. As the one overseeing the pack’s health and well-being, I couldn’t simply abandon my duties.  

On top of that, I was the region’s general warrior, responsible for the head warriors stationed along our borders. They reported directly to me, and I had to remain within reach in case they needed my assistance or an emergency arose. 

“I have to go see him, Lora!” I said eagerly, turning to her. 

She smiled at me. “Go ahead! I’ll take care of the healing den while you’re away.” 

Barely able to contain my excitement, I hurried toward the Barker clan’s main villa. The gates stood open, allowing me to pass through without stopping to greet the guards. 

As their lord’s mate, I was welcome on the grounds, and everyone in the pack knew it. 

However, upon reaching the villa’s entrance, two unfamiliar guards stepped forward and blocked my path. 

“Stop right there!” one of them barked. “All omegas are required to use the designated entrance. This is the main entrance to the Alpha’s residence!” 

I stared at him, taken aback by his audacity. 

Since when had such a rule existed in the Barker residence? I had always entered through the main door without anyone daring to question me. 

My gaze swept over their uniforms before settling on their faces. There was something unfamiliar about their appearance and the way they carried themselves. Even their manner of speaking struck me as unusual for warriors serving in Meridian Territory. 

‘Nightshade,’ I suspected. 

Whatever their origins, I had no intention of wasting my time arguing with them. I had come to see Jace, and I wasn’t about to let two strangers stand in my way. 

“I’m not an omega,” I said coldly. “Now move.” 

‘Who did these two think they were, ordering me around on territory that wasn’t even theirs?’ 

One of the guards stepped closer, his expression hardening. 

“If you refuse to follow our orders, we’ll have no choice but to use force.” 

I narrowed my eyes at him. Did he seriously think he could threaten me? 

Before I could respond, the commotion caught the attention of someone inside the villa. The front door swung open, and Jace’s mother appeared in the doorway. 

“What is going on here?” she demanded. 

“Calla?” Jace called, frowning as he looked at me. 

“Do you know this woman?” one of the guards asked, giving me a dismissive once-over. 

I glanced at my herb-stained dress, still carrying the scent of medicinal plants from my work as a healer. That hardly justified the guards treating me like an intruder. 

“This lowly wolf refused to listen when we told her she couldn’t use the main entrance!” one of the guards snapped. 

‘Lowly wolf?’ 

The commotion drew another woman out of the villa. She looked between the guards and me, her expression clouding with confusion. 

“They threatened to hurt me when I insisted on entering through the main entrance,” I explained calmly. “They assumed I was an omega or a servant and refused to let me pass.” 

The woman’s lips parted in surprise before she turned to Jace. “I’m sorry, Jace. The guards are simply following the customs of our pack.” 

“It’s fine,” Jace’s mother cut in before he could respond. “Calla, the guards were only doing their jobs! The main entrance is reserved for the Alpha and his family. If you’d followed their instructions instead of making a scene, none of this would have happened.” 

I drew a slow breath, forcing down the anger simmering inside me. 

“But I’ll soon be part of your family, won’t I?” I asked, looking directly at Jace. 

“About that…” he began, his gaze shifting uneasily. 

However, his mother had always been sharp-tongued. 

“Calla, are you still deluding yourself into thinking that will ever happen?” she scoffed. “My son is about to join the Alpha King’s council! The Meridian Pack’s business partnerships are expanding into other territories, and he needs a mate who can stand beside him in high society. Not a packless, orphaned healer like you!” 

Her eyes swept over my herb-stained dress, her disdain unmistakable. 

“Honestly, you should take some medicine to clear your head and wake up to reality!” 

My hands curled into fists. If anyone needed medicine to clear their head, it certainly wasn’t me. 

Before I could fire back, Jace stepped forward, took me by the arm, and led me away from his mother and the two guards. 

My head began to throb as anger churned inside me. A strange heat spread through my fingertips, and I clenched my hands tighter, struggling to keep my temper and whatever power stirred beneath my skin under control. 

Jace led me around the side of the residence toward the left wing. When he finally stopped, I realized we were standing before a narrow door used by the household staff. 

My expression darkened. 

After the humiliation I had just endured, I could only hope he hadn’t chosen this spot simply because the guards had made it clear that I wasn’t welcome at the front. 

Then Jace turned to face me. “Calla, I’m breaking off our engagement.” 

For a moment, I could only stare at him. The words seemed to hang between us, impossible to believe. My anger faded, replaced by a cold ache in my chest. 

“Why?” 

“Eris is the daughter of Nightshade’s Alpha, and I need her help to secure my position as Alpha of this territory. I’m sorry, but I can’t afford to make the wrong choice. I need a strong alliance with another pack.” 

I remained silent, listening as the heat in my fingertips grew stronger. With every word that left his mouth, the anger simmering inside me threatened to boil over. 

“I can’t take a packless healer as my mate when she has nothing to offer me,” he continued, his voice cold and dismissive. “What could you possibly do to help me strengthen my position? How can you expect to stand beside me as my Luna when you reek of herbs and can’t even be bothered to take care of your appearance?” 

My knuckles ached with the strain. 

I had chosen him as my mate because I believed he was different. I thought he was someone I could trust, someone who would value me for who I was rather than what I could offer him. I never imagined he would turn our mate bond into a bargaining chip for his own ambitions. 

Before I could respond, the door connecting the hall to the residence swung open, and Eris stepped inside. 

“You don’t owe her any more explanations, Jace.”  

She moved to his side, her expression laced with contempt as she glanced at me.  

“Even if she dressed herself up, she could never measure up to you or everything you’ve accomplished." 

Jace turned back to me, his expression softening just enough to make his next words sound like an act of kindness. 

“I hope you understand, Calla. You can stay within my territory if you have nowhere else to go. That’s the only thing I can offer you right now.” 

“That’s right!” Eris chimed in, resting a hand on her stomach. “Besides, I’m carrying Jace’s pup, and I need a healer to look after me and make sure my little one stays healthy.”