Page 86 of Pack Captive

The new Ayla wanted to be surrounded by the Alpha and Calian, letting them do whatever delicious things to me they wanted to, being part of the pack and giving their city—mycity—my all.

Even if it seemed like most of the people in Lykos hated me now.

I rolled over carefully, settling into my pillow and watching Calian's face as he slept.

All the hard lines and anger were smoothed out while he was sleeping, and he looked younger than his thirty-odd years.

I couldn't help but reach out and lightly touch the sharp ridge of his cheekbone with my fingertip, tracing down to his full lips and carved jawline.

When the other wolves smelled his scent on me, what would they think?

I had a bad suspicion they'd follow Sorana's line of thought—that I'd bewitched them with some power gifted by Fenris, that their eyes were closed to what I really was.

A pang of sadness hit me, one I hadn't expected at all.

I'd been here for such a short time and I was already beginning to think of them as mine, even if they made it clear they'd be happier if I was dead.

I realized Calian's eyes were open, and he was watching me in return.

Their black depths were unfathomable, as though his true feelings were always hidden behind a dark wall.

"What are you worrying about?" he asked, his voice husky with sleep.

"Who says I'm worrying?" I whispered back, but he poked my nose.

I batted his hand away and found that he was grinning. I rarely saw an actual warm smile on his face and soaked up the happiness of it now.

"You've got the eyebrow crease going on," he said, wrapping his fingers around mine. "Makes it pretty obvious."

I tried to get out of bed, but Calian wrapped his arms around me and pulled me back against his warm chest. It was impossible to try to get away again, mostly because I didn't want to.

"Stop worrying about my eyebrow creases," I grumbled, and felt him laugh silently around me.

He ran his hand through my hair, wrapping a lock of it around his finger. "Tell me."

Calian didn't need to say much more. I knew what he meant.

I resisted the urge to chew my lower lip. Then he'dreallyaccuse me of spending too much time fretting. "People are going to think badly of you for being with me. They already think I'm a Fenris witch."

He made a low noise, holding me tighter. "I don't give a fuck what they think. I've given my life for the city. If I want you as a mate, they can deal with it."

I couldn't hold back the huge smile that spread across my face. I snuggled in closer, snaking my arms around him. "That's what I want to hear."

It was a feeling I'd never had before towards a male, that someone really, truly wanted me and would do anything to protect me.

I'd never chosen a mate from Pack Vesper because none of them had ever made me weak in the knees just from looking at them; and even if they had, they'd all treated me with a distant sort of respect, as though touching me would be tantamount to blasphemy.

Calian respected what I had to do, but he still made me feel like I was more than just a Caller.

All I wanted to do was melt back into his arms and spend the day in bed with him, but the sun was already descending behind the city walls. We'd slept most of the day.

"The rites," he said with a groan, thinking the same thing I was. "We need to be there for Darius."

I nodded, and we climbed out of bed. I couldn't disrespect Darius just because I was overjoyed to have taken Calian for myself.

I pulled on the clothes reserved for formal ceremonies, and held up my hair, letting Calian fasten the necklace around my neck.

His fingers lingered on my neck once again, and this time, before I pulled away, he bent down and kissed the back of my neck.

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