Page 104 of Callen's Captive
“What journey? I’m going to blood-bond her here, as soon as she’s wakes. I’m going to let her know what I’m doing.”
Anna gave him one of her warm smiles. “Thank you, Callen. I appreciate you not wanting to force a blood-bond, but I’ve been thinking about this. She may not wake long enough to give you her consent and blood-bonding may be the only option.”
Anna inserted an IV line into Kate’s arm, checked her blood pressure and pulse again, and then sat down. Anna’s chair creaked as she leaned forward. “You’re nothing like Drake, Callen. What you want to do with Kate,forKate. . . I had no right to compare that to what happened to me.”
Callen gazed at Kate. She hadn’t moved since they’d laid her down on the mattress. His thumb brushed over her lips. Her mouth opened, and she tried to wet her lips. Anna immediately wet a cloth and dabbed it against Kate’s lips.
She greedily sucked the water from the cloth.
“Talk to me, Kate,” Anna said, trying to keep her conscious while she checked her eyes. “Tell me why you call Callen ‘bear’. I mean, are we talking Boo, Honey, or Pookie?”
“Pookie!” Blade shouted out from the doorway and Kate’s good eye opened as a smile crept onto her face. Callen kissed her forehead as his thumb lightly ran over her cheek. She looked at him, her smile fading into something serious.
“Just ‘bear’,” her hoarse voice replied. “Because he gives awesome bear hugs.”
It floored him that she could still look at him with love in her eyes after all that had happened. “Only for you, Princess.”
Anna took Kate’s other hand, to draw her attention. “Kate, your wounds are pretty bad.”
Kate didn’t take her eyes off of Callen. Her jaws clenched, as if she was trying to hide the pain.
“Anna’s going to give you medicine for the pain soon, Princess. Keep fighting to stay with us.” Callen glanced over at Anna as she’d inserted pain medicine into the IV line.
“Callen’s here? Safe?” Kate was slurring her words. As her eyes closed, her hand went limp in his.
Callen pulled out his knife.
“Are you sure, Callen? The bond will weaken you. “Maybe Anna should give Kate the treatment she gave herself before we blood-bonded. It protected my shifter abilities.
He’d already resigned himself to the fact that blood-bonding Kate would severely weaken his abilities, but if there was a chance to keep his abilities at full strength, he needed to hear it.
“How long will it take?”
Anna was already frowning, as if she had already considered it. “Too long. A week, maybe more.”
“She may not live that long.” Callen sliced the palm of his right hand open and reached for Kate’s when Blade grabbed his knife-hand and stopped him.
“Wait until you’re near the pack. I’ll escort you there, but if we’re attacked, I’ll need your help. We don’t know what bonding is going to do to you. It might leave you too weak to defend yourself or her.”
“We can monitor her along the way,” Anna offered. “Do the blood-bond if she starts to get any worse.”
“We?” Blade raised a brow, but then he exchanged some silent communication with her and turned back to Callen. “We’re going with you.”
Anna held Kate’s hand again. “After all, what blood-bonding ceremony is complete without a best man and maid of honor?”
That about summed up Callen’s life with pack. His packmates were always there when he needed them, whether he wanted them or not.
* * *
KATE
Not only did Kate feel like she was on a roller coaster with all the bouncing, but the endless sea of trees added a nice spinning effect that made her want to vomit. She knew they were taking her through the woods, probably to their pack, but she didn’t know why. Right now, keeping her eyes shut and fighting off the nausea was Kate’s top priority.
They had stopped moving a short time ago. Maybe it wasn’t a short time ago. Staying awake had become a chore, presently made harder by all the noise. People cheering and hooting, laughing even, as if someone had tied the knot and stepped on a glass. She felt a sharp pain along her palm. Had she picked up the shattered glass? Maybe Blade and Anna were getting married. Blade had said something about a bachelor party and cake. Ooh, she loved cake. Callen was supposed to jump out of a cake. Even better!
That soft caress along her cheek was there again. She forced her eyes open. Callen was looking down at her, frowning. She really wished he’d smile more. He had a sexy smile that made her want to do things to him, with him.
“How are you feeling?” her handsome shifter asked.
