Page 36 of Soul Fated

I frowned. "Do what?"

"Make me feel . . ." She hesitated, then shook her head. "Never mind." Callista's lips pinched, and then her shoulders started to shake. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to comfort her, but I was afraid of making her feel more awkward. Then her hand shot up to her face, and I saw her blinking rapidly. The tears welling in her eyes made my chest tighten.

When they started to spill over her cheeks, I couldn't stop the sound that rumbled in my chest. It was something between a growl and a whimper, and before I knew it, I was pulling her against me.

The warmth of her skin flooded my senses as I guided her down to my chest. Her head rested on my shoulder, and the steady rhythm of my heartbeat thrummed against her cheek. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, to cocoon her in my embrace, but I held back, afraid of crossing some invisible line.

My fingers found their way to her hair, and I stroked it gently. "Hey, it's okay," I murmured, my voice barely a whisper. "You're okay."

Her shoulders shook harder, and I felt a pang of something deep and primal. It was more than just empathy. It was a visceral need to make her pain stop. The pull toward her was stronger than ever, but I didn’t know what else to do.

It was like her pain was a knife slicing through my chest. I wanted to roar in frustration, to demand that the universe fix whatever was making her feel this way, but I knew that would only make things worse.

“It feels so good,” she murmured against my skin.

I frowned. It was the last thing I expected to hear out of a woman’s mouth when she was actively crying. “What does?”

“Life. This. You. All of it. I didn’t think I’d ever get to feel this again.” She sighed. "I think…I don't want to die, Kael."

My chest tightened. "You're not going to die."

"Ironic."

Yeah. It was. But it was true. I had no idea what the hell was going on or how to fix it. But I knew one thing for sure: I couldn't stand the thought of her being in pain.

She tilted her chin, and her eyes searched mine. I hoped she could see the resolve there. "You can't control this."

I saw the silent question there. Did I want to control it? "I can try."

Callista’s lips twitched. “I'm going to take a shower." She pushed up from my chest, then stopped. She considered her words, then said, “Stay.”

So I did.

All night. Or what was left of it anyway.

I hadn’t meant to stay until morning, and when I woke with her in my arms, I was horrified at how right it felt.

I couldn’t have a mate. I couldn’t get used to this.

She moved as if sensing I was no longer sleeping, her cheek nuzzling against my chest.

“Good morning.” I smoothed her hair from her eyes.

“Good—” Callista tensed. Her eyes flew open.

I paused, pulling back at the sound of an engine coming up the road. Tires crunched on the gravel, and I knew exactly who it was.

Rowan had noticed his pack had dwindled during the night.

Chapter

Eighteen

Callista

Kael dressed fast enough to qualify for a world record. It was barely past nine in the morning, but I felt like it was six. How much sleep had we actually gotten?

Kael paused to give me a last look that set my blood on fire, then headed for the window. I leaped out of bed, smoothed the sheets, and tossed the pillows back into place. Because somehow I thought that a mussed bed would prove I’d been tangled up all night with Kael rather than simply sleeping.

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