Wild and Free(40)

“I’m scared,” she admitted freely. She had no idea why but she was scared. Of him, of the fact that his crazy stories were real, she was under threat, she belonged to him, his people were at war and she was their queen.

How did one even go about being a queen?

“I’ll take care of you,” he replied gently.

She gazed at him long moments before nodding again.

His body relaxed.

Then, his eyes golden and shimmering, he said quietly, “Come to your wolf, baby doll.”

On trembling limbs which were moving of their own accord, she scooted off the bed, rounded it and slowly walked to him.

When she was in reaching distance he snatched her roughly in his arms and held her close. She trembled in his embrace, terrified at the overwhelming uncertainty of her future.

He sensed it and promised again, “I’ll take care of you.”

She nodded, her cheek sliding against his chest.

He rubbed his temple against the top of her head then held her tight until the tremors slid away.

Finally, he asked, “Are you okay?”

She nodded again, not making her lie audible.

He tipped her face to his with a fist under her chin.

“I have to do something. I’ll be back in a short while. My family will take care of you while I’m gone.”

Sonia nodded again.

He bent his neck and placed his temple against hers.

“We’ll have a beautiful life, you and me. I’ll see to it.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

He squeezed her tight then he let her go.

Then he was gone.

She stared into the space he’d just occupied, her mind blank.

From afar, she heard his deep voice say, “Let’s run,” and then she heard the answering, amused, “Fuck, yeah.”

And she thought, because he was different maybe she could even tell him she was different. He above all would understand. He would never make her feel weird.

Then her mind filled with memories of hundreds of dreams of her handsome wolf.

Her “lifemate”.

Her destiny.

And those dreams…

Her dreams...

In some magical way, those dreams foretold her future of a beautiful, strong man who would hold her and tease her and accept her and make her feel loved.

She closed her eyes as gladness washed over her.

Then she realized in an unwelcome intrusion on her unbound joy that she had to use the bathroom.

She was finished and had a hand on the handle of the bathroom door when she heard the murmuring voices, voices that were talking outside.

She stilled at what she heard and listened.

“…Callum nuts?” an incredulous man asked.

“Caleb,” Regan replied.

“No, seriously, Regan, is he nuts?” Caleb repeated.

“You can never know who you’ll be attracted to.”

“A monk would be attracted to Sonia, she’s fucking seriously pretty,” Caleb returned and, understanding these words (and hoping she did not), Sonia’s body went solid. “Not to mention, she’s pretty freaking funny,” Caleb finished.

“You know your brother’s tastes don’t tend to stray down Sonia’s way.”

“Even so, it’s nuts. Did you see her?”

“I saw her.”

“Ryon said Callum seemed impatient for the mating, wanted to get it over with so he could get on with taking down the rebellion,” Caleb went on and Sonia’s briefly buoyant heart lurched before Caleb mumbled, “Fuck me.”

“Caleb –”

“It was me, I wouldn’t be shitty I was forced to spend a week with that woman in a remote cabin explaining the ways of our culture to her. It was me and I was alone with her in a remote cabin, I’d draw it out so long, it’d take a year.”

“Well, it isn’t you,” Regan retorted firmly.

“No, it isn’t and a damned shame it isn’t.” He paused and went on sharply, “Not for me, Regan, for her. Woman like that? She deserves a man who wants her not the mate the oracles foretold would be his queen.”

Oh dear lord, Sonia thought as her lurching heart turned to stone.

“Perhaps he’ll grow an attraction to her,” Regan suggested.

“Oh, he’ll do his duty to his people, Mac made sure of that,” Caleb clipped. “The oracles said it was Sonia, Callum will mate with Sonia. The end. Every one of us expects to find the other half to our soul. Not Cal. Duty first, heart second.” There was a pause and then the kicker as a finish, “Maybe, if he’s lucky, as a human, she’ll understand his need to fuck around on her with his kind.”

Sonia sucked in breath.

“Caleb!” Regan snapped. “You don’t know he’ll do that. She’s his mate and –”

“It’s Callum we’re talking about, isn’t it?” Caleb returned sarcastically.