Page 68 of Callen's Captive
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“Why north?”Kate asked.
“It was something Shitman said about us being too far south. We were only a few hours from the border at that point. Not that far south. I have a feeling he knew my pack had left.”
“This is one of those times a cell phone would be handy.”
“They can be tracked. No cell towers out here, anyway.”
“True enough.” She stopped to catch her breath. The elevation had been climbing for a while. Yesterday had drained her so much that she had fallen asleep at the kitchen table in the middle of dinner. He’d carried her upstairs and laid down with her, listening to her breathe for hours before he finally fell asleep.
“What happens after we find them?”
“What do you mean?”
“The entire point of you returning was to warn them of the WSSO’s plan. They’ve moved on. Maybe they already know about the WSSO’s plans. Either way, they’re not where the WSSO will find them, I’m guessing.”
“Your point being what? You want to return to town?”
“Eventually. I don’t really have a choice. But you do.”
He backed down the trail to where she stood. “You think I’m going to take you back to town and then return to my pack?”
“Something like that.”
He didn’t know what to say. He wanted her to stay with him, maybe blood-bond in time, not go back to humans who would never appreciate her or care what happened to her. She had no one back in that world. She lived like a fucking rat, scurrying from shelter to shelter. His Kate deserved better.
“One problem at a time,” he said, as he resumed hiking.
“What are we doing, Callen? You’re a shifter, I’m human. You live in the woods. I live in a town. I need. . . Never mind what I need. But you need your pack.”
He neededher. He wasn’t going to tell her that, though. It wasn’t right putting that type of pressure on her, especially when she was confused about what she wanted. Emotionally, she’d been pushing him away since the day he met her. He didn’t know what he was to her at this point. Maybe he was a friend or simply an ally, but he wasn’t giving up on her.
“What do you need?” he asked, hoping she’d stop hiding behind her fears or whatever kept her from seeing that they were good together. They had a connection, even without the blood-bond, he was sure of it. How could she not see it?
“We come from different worlds. I don’t think we’d do well together, no matter which world we’d choose.”
“We’re stronger together,” he said even as his heart tightened at her words. He didn’t want to push her, but letting her go without a fight wasn’t an option.
He continued walking up the trail, upset with himself for being such a coward and not telling her the truth, upset with her for. . . Hell, he had no reason to be upset with her. She’d been doing her best to help him, to keep him out of the shit storm she’d been running from, and she sure as hell hadn’t lied to him about who she was. He was the one who had lied to her. Even if she realized they were good together, she’d leave the second she learned the truth.
His damn wolf chose that moment to howl inside of him. Callen’s wolf needed to run, to feel the wind rushing over his fur as he dug his claws into the earth and pushed his muscles to their limit.
Callen started stripping.
“Callen?” she asked, eyes wide. “What are you doing?”
He handed the clothes to her. “Short run. I’ll be back.” Callen shifted and ran as fast as he could. His wolf started to relax as the man in him grew more tense. He’d left her without an explanation, without even looking at her. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he couldn’t find the courage to tell her the truth.
When he returned, he found his clothes right where he’d left Kate, but Kate was missing. “Kate?” He didn’t panic yet, as he hadn’t smelled anyone else nearby. She’d likely walked away to pee. Minutes later, after calling her name several times, his wolf was pushing him to shift again and track her properly.
Callen remained in human form. Within a quarter-mile, he found her sitting on the ground; her back leaning again a felled tree and her backpack beside her.
“Why didn’t you answer when I called?”
“I figured you’d find me. It’s not like that works both ways.”
“What does that mean?”
