Page 46 of The Pack

He leaned down, his lips brushing mine in a kiss so soft it sent shivers through me. Tobias, who always seemed so stoic, so controlled, kissed me with surprising tenderness. His hand cupped the side of my face, his thumb tracing my cheek as he deepened the kiss, his touch gentle but sure.

When he pulled back, his dark eyes lingered on mine, filled with an intensity that made my breath hitch.

Before I could respond, Killian’s voice cut through the quiet, brash and playful. “Bloody hell, Tobias. Didn’t think you had it in you.”

I turned my head to see Killian lounging on his side near the fire. “Didn’t think you’d kiss her like she was made of glass, either,” he added, winking at me.

I couldn’t help but laugh, the sound shaky but real.

“You’ve got something to say, Killian?” I said, my own voice just as snarky.

“Always,” he said, his grin never faltering. “But don’t let me stop you. This is the most entertainment I’ve had in weeks.”

I rolled my eyes, though the warmth in my chest didn’t fade.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Thorne watching us. He sat a little apart from the group, his pale blue eyes flicking between us, taking everything in.

For a moment, I thought he’d say something too—offer a clipped comment or one of his cold, calculated observations. But instead, his lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile.

It was fleeting, gone almost as soon as it appeared, but it was there.

I settled back onto the moss, my heart still fluttering as I closed my eyes.

I didn’t allow myself to think about what that might mean.

CHAPTER 10

Callum McDonagh

I couldn’t stop looking at her.

Zara was asleep between Magnus and me, her soft breaths barely audible over the crackling fire. Magnus had shifted slightly, his eyes glinting in the dim light as he watched over her, ever the protector. Tobias sat nearby, his arms crossed as he scanned the clearing like he was expecting trouble to come leaping out of the shadows.

But for once, there was no danger. Not tonight.

My gaze fell on Zara again, her face relaxed, her dark hair spilling over the makeshift moss mat Magnus had put together. Her scent was all around us, soft and sweet, with that tangy edge that had drawn us to her in the first place.

I’d never smelled anything like it before.

When we first found her, her scent had hit me like a storm, wafting through the air and wrapping around me until it wasall I could focus on. It wasn’t just her heat; that was wild and consuming, sure, but it washer. Something about her called to every part of me, my wolf surging forward like it had been waiting for her all these long years.

It wasn’t just desire. It was instinct, raw and undeniable.

She was ours.

Ourmate.

But that night, when we’d broken her heat, I’d held back. Every instinct I had screamed at me to claim her, to mark her, to make sure the entire world knew she was mine. Ours. But I hadn’t. Not because I didn’t want to—hell, I’d wanted it so badly it hurt—but because she wasn’t ready. She would be in time,though.

I glanced over at Tobias, his brooding silence a constant presence. He’d been the one to remind me of the importance of patience, of waiting until the time was right.

“She’s been thrown into our world without a choice,”he had said in my mind at the time, his tone firm, but not unkind.“We need to give her the space to choose us back.”

I hated that he was right, but he always was. That was the problem with older brothers.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I watched Zara shift slightly in her sleep, her brows knitting together like she was caught in a dream. My chest tightened at the thought of what she might be dreaming about—the memories she’d shared, of the pain she’d carried.

She wasn’t alone anymore.

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