Page 88 of Callen's Captive
Chapter Eighteen
CALLEN
The guards moved closer now. Callen sat on the ground near Blade. He’d been allowed to go to a nearby stream and bring back water for him. Blade had slept for a few hours, leaving Callen time to think about Kate and what he’d say to her when she returned,ifshe returned. She had been rather familiar and chummy with Drake. There was no guarantee she’d want to return, especially after Drake had a chance to spin the truth in his favor. He could still remember the look on her face when she’d learned Callen was Damien’s enforcer. Horrified, shocked,betrayed. He should have told her days ago.
“Are you sure she’s coming back? I mean, assuming Drake lets her.”
“Yes.”
“That’s good. That means she cares about you.”
“I didn’t say she’d come back for me.” Callen pointed to the backpack on the ground. “Her life is in that bag. She doesn’t go anywhere without it, not for long at least.”
“Then you’ll have a chance to talk with her. What are you going to tell her?”
“About what?”
“Being Damien’s enforcer.”
“The truth.”
“You sure that’s a good idea? I heard the entire conversation. Quite frankly, she sounded shocked.”
“An understatement, but I don’t have a choice. She deserves the truth.”
“Will it end things between you? Humans don’t understand a lot of our ways. Anna was troubled when I explained your job.”
“Another person who will turn away from me. . .”
Blade knew him better than anyone, and he’d seen how most of the pack closed him out. It didn’t matter that he worked for Damien, that everything he did was to protect them and their families. They didn’t want to get too close to the shifter who could do such horrid things.
“She understands what you did, tried to do to me,” Bladed added.
“Then she’s the only one.”
* * *
KATE
She had said her goodbyes to Drake, explaining that for now she needed to settle things with Callen and in time, perhaps she’d be back. Drake understood and sent an escort to walk her back to where she’d left Callen and Blade.
The walk took about forty-five minutes, too much time to push aside everything Drake had said and to return her thoughts to Callen and his lies. By the time she and her escorts reached Callen and Blade, she was fuming mad.
Callen had deceived her, pure and simple. He had had numerous opportunities to tell her the truth, and he’d skirted doing so every single time. A protector of the pack. . . That’s how he thought of himself. He failed to mention how he tortured, maimed, and killed people to get what he wanted from them.
“Kate!” Blade said immediately upon her return.
His greeting threw her, flustered her in fact. She hadn’t expected him to be alive, let alone sitting up. His exuberance was uplifting to say the least, especially since she’d never really met the shifter, except when he had appeared in his wolf form.
It was Callen she sought as she took in the area. He rose, drawing her attention. He had cleaned up at some point. Blade’s blood no longer covered his arms and face. The yellow of his eyes had receded to mere flecks, allowing the brown to dominate, but they held no softness for her. Even the hard set of his mouth hid his emotions. He was a master of shutting others out, and now she understood how easy it was for him to keep secrets from her.
Callen turned from her to glare at her escort. With barely a sound, her escort and the other shifters disappeared into the woods, leaving her alone with Callen and Blade.
“What’s Drake up to?” Blade asked. “There’s no way he’d let us go, well, not me at least.”
“Drake said we’re free to go, any direction, including across his territory. All of us.” Drake had stressed she needed to tell Callen that, though he didn’t explain why.
“Drake’s word is tenuous at best,” Callen said.
