Page 49 of Soul Fated

I took a step forward, my breath hitching as she paused. She turned her head, and our eyes locked. The world around us seemed to fade.

For a heartbeat, I forgot everything. The alphas, the dagger, Destin—none of it mattered. I could only focus on the wolf before me and the fire she ignited in my veins.

Chapter

Twenty-Four

Callista

My mind raced as I paced along the river. Kael. Where the hell was he?

Blake would've been yelling at me for running off into the woods without a plan. He probably wanted to yell at me about a thousand things this weekend. A million more if he knew what Kael and I had been up to in my bedroom. Especially if he knew how much I wanted a repeat performance.

But following him here was more than that. Kael was two opposites in my head, and I needed to know which one was real. How I was going to discover that, I had no idea, but I couldn't sit in my room after what Lana told me. He was running his wolf for a reason, and I wanted to hear it.

My wolf whined in frustration, watching the river gurgle past under the gray sky. Then the wind shifted, and she instantly turned her head. I smelled it, too, girl. My heart started to race.

There he was. His coat thick and full, standing next to the river. His eyes locked onto mine as he lowered his head and padded over the soft grass and wildflowers toward me. I waited for him to say something, but when he was a few meters in front of me, he cocked his head to the side, then started to shift.

My wolf seemed confused, but I couldn't look away. The fur on his back rippled, and his eyes, those piercing eyes, stayed locked on mine as his snout shortened and his fur receded. His limbs elongated, and his spine straightened.

And then, there he was. Standing in front of me in all his naked glory. I should've given him some privacy, but I couldn't. I was mesmerized by the transformation, the raw power and grace of it. Why had he done that in front of me? Why was he still standing there?

Kael didn't seem to mind my staring. He didn't move to cover himself. Was he waiting for me?

As if reading my thoughts, a slow smile lifted his mouth, then he turned and strode to the water's edge. As soon as his back was to me, I shifted. My wolf wasn't happy. She'd just gotten to stretch her legs and there I was sending her back again. I mentally inspected her as she settled into my head. She wasn't hurt. I rubbed a hand over the still-raw skin on my arm and breathed a sigh of relief.

Kael waded into the water, and I took a step closer. The clouds were growing darker, making the water nearly black. He walked in up to his waist.

I curled my toes in the grass. "Where are you going?"

He turned back, his eyes traveling up my body. I resisted the urge to wrap my arms around my chest. He'd already seen it. This wasn't anything new.

My body wasn't convinced.

"Going for a swim."

Of course. As you do on a Saturday afternoon after delivering slow pleasure to the woman standing in front of you and, you know, a baby. My pulse quickened as I stepped closer to the water. It was going to be freezing, and the water was already up to his waist.

I dipped my toes in and winced. Ice cold. "Kael?—"

He turned back, grinning. "What?"

I gave him a look. "You know what. You're going to get hypothermia in thirty seconds."

"I'll be on the other side in thirty seconds." He watched me. He hadn't asked why I was there or what I wanted, so I didn't question him.

I exhaled and sat down on the bank. "Fine. I'll wait for you."

He smirked and dragged himself back through the water. "Come here."

I pulled my knees closer to my chest. "I don't want to get in."

"I'm aware." He rose out of the water and stood in front of me. My eyes were at waist level, and even though the water was cold?—

"My eyes are up here."

I jolted, heat staining my cheeks. Kael laughed as he reached down and tugged on my hand, lifting me from the grass. He squatted, and in one motion, wrapped his arm around my back and scooped my legs from the ground. I gasped and threw my arms around his neck.

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