Page 31 of Pack Captive

And he wanted her for himself.

I held back the dominant rage threatening to rise within me.

He was my best friend. There was no wolf I trusted more than him to watch my back—and to lead Azura to safety if I, or Lykos, ever fell.

I'd never witnessed him actually knocked off-kilter by a female. And it was only because of that, and our brotherhood, that I'd allow him to remain near her.

Everything I had, Calian was welcome to.

As long as she agreed with it.

"Good. Then we won't be competing with the memory of a dead wolf when it comes to pursuing her."

Calian raised an eyebrow, but some of the tension melted out of his features. "'We'?"

I shrugged and grinned, letting my better nature take over. "When have you ever cared if a pack refugee was once mated?"

His lips twisted again. "If it's information we can use—"

"You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me, brother."

Calian was too self-composed to roll his eyes. He needed to lighten up a little. We only had so much time to joke around when death could come running over Lykos at any moment. "You're seeing things that aren't there."

"Right. And you usually share your life story with complete strangers." I walked towards the door, intending to check on our lovely captive. The celebrations would begin as soon as night fell, and she needed to look the part: the future savior of wolfkind.

"I had a good reason for it," he muttered.

"Mmhmm."

"And watch out, she's probably refused to dress—"

But I was already turning the doorknob.

Calian needed happiness in his life. He couldn't just live in my shadow forever, forgoing what everyone else had out of fear it would be taken.

If you lived for nothing, then there was no point in fighting so hard to survive.

I stepped into the room, fully prepared to avert my eyes, but Ayla had dressed.

And not in rags.

She wore the shimmering gold dress her handmaiden had left for, the soft pleats falling to the floor and covering her bruised legs.

There was no sign of the handmaiden herself, but Ayla had stopped in the middle of dragging a brush through her long black hair when we entered.

Her eyes were wary as she took me in, then flicked to Calian, who was on my heels.

"I did as you commanded," she said, but the usual acidic bite I'd come to expect from her was gone.

I mentally picked my jaw up off the floor. Clean and dressed like a true Caller, she was even more beautiful than I'd anticipated.

Calian, fortunately, didn't miss a beat. "Jewelry. This celebration is in your honor, so you should look the part."

He pushed past me and went to a dresser, where boxes filled with jewelry had been brought up for her shortly before her arrival. I’d sent the orders ahead with a Guardian to prepare one of the rooms on my floor of the Palace.

Ayla gave him a dry look, and I could imagine what she was thinking.

How could anything be in her honor when she wore a bracelet that kept her confined to the city?

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