Page 69 of Callen's Captive
“Oh, nothing. Just your ability to take off whenever you like and then find me when it suits you. I don’t have that luxury.”
She was mad at him for leaving her.
“I said I’d be back.”
“You did.”
Not mad, indifferent. He lowered himself to sit beside her, but didn’t touch her, as his wolf wanted him to. Damn wolf was meddling too much lately.
“You’re right. We are different. But that doesn’t mean different is bad.”
“Never said it did.” Kate got up, hoisted her pack over her shoulder, and started back up the path. “Daylight’s wasting, bear.”
Was she or wasn’t she mad at him? He got up, followed her, confused more than ever. “Kate, I’m not great with relationships. Most of the people in my pack don’t talk to me unless necessary. Not a silent treatment thing, more like they’d rather not mix with me, so they ignore me, pretend I don’t exist. Even among my brothers, I don’t talk a lot, because nothing needs to be said between us, not usually. When I said I want you to tell me when you’re sad or upset or hurting, I meant it.”
“I heard you loud and clear, and the words and meaning behind what you said were really nice, Callen. No one can ever fault you for that. But you didn’t tell me things would be so one-sided between us. That you’re allowed to keep things from me, to brood or whatever it is you’ve been doing. I care for you, Callen, a lot, like more than anyone I’ve ever cared for—”
“Even Janie?”
She didn’t say anything at first, then her voice grew hard. “Don’t make me choose.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to make you choose or do anything.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What are you hiding from me, Callen?”
“What I am.”
“I know what you are.”
“Not everything.” He opened his mouth to tell her, then promptly shut his mouth. He wasn’t ready to lose her.
She interlaced her fingers in his and gave a gentle squeeze. “Maybe my being human still bothers you and you’re not admitting it to yourself, or maybe it’s something else. I only know you’ve been acting strange since before we reached your pack’s compound and the closer we are to finding them, the worse you’re getting.”
That’s when she unlocked their fingers and stepped away. “You need to figure this out, Callen, or let me in so I can help you. I have my own issues and right now whatever this is, is making me anxious. I’m barely keeping it together with all these trees around.”
Hell, he’d forgotten about her panic attacks. She’d seemed so calm since they left this morning. “When we reach my pack, we’ll sit down, and I’ll tell you everything.” He wrapped his fingers around her hand, longing to see the trust return to her eyes. She wasn’t the one who’d been keeping them apart. For good or bad, as soon as they found his pack, he’d tell her the ugly truth that he was the pack’s enforcer. Then she would decide if she’d stay or leave.
