“No,” he cut her off and her body relaxed against his. “At least not yet,” he went on and her body got rock-solid. He was chuckling when he finished on a tease, “I just haven’t had the time.”
“You…!” she cried shortly, clearly too incensed to go on.
At the same time, Ryon noted roguishly, “I’ll look forward to that.”
She twisted her head to look at Ryon before twisting it again to Callum. He lifted his hand to cup and therefore control the moments of her neck so she didn’t give herself whiplash.
“Don’t you dare!” she snapped at him and he smiled yet again but this was a different smile.
“Will it piss you off if I do?”
“Yes,” she returned instantly.
Callum replied just as swiftly, “I like you pissed off, baby doll. Haven’t had that in a while.” He nuzzled her stiff neck and flicked her ear with his nose before saying there, “I miss it.”
She growled in her throat.
Callum chuckled in his.
Then they both went still and all three of the inhabitants of the room looked to the window. A car or, by the sounds of it, a truck or SUV was approaching.
“You expecting company?” Ryon asked deceptively casually.
No, he wasn’t.
Then again, there were hundreds of wolves in his hills, some of them with mates, others with family members, most with both. The town and its vicinity, as Mara noted, were heaving.
However, his wolves wouldn’t approach. Not without an invitation or a reason. This was not only the standard but also because he’d newly claimed his mate. They’d need a good excuse to interrupt him during this time even if a celebration was commencing tomorrow.
Which meant this could be bad tidings.
He got out of his chair, lifting Sonia to her feet as he did so, mumbling, “I need to see who’s at the door.”
His mind finally off his mate and on whatever was coming, Callum didn’t notice at first that Sonia fell in step beside him.
When he did, he stopped, looked down at her and ordered, “You stay here.”
She gazed up at him. “But… someone’s at the door.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “And I’m going to see who it is.”
Her expression changed. For some Sonia reason it became stubborn and she retorted, “And I’m going with you.”
Callum sought patience and replied, “Baby doll, you’re in a robe.”
“So?” she returned instantly. “It covers me doesn’t it?”
It did.
However, considering her sweet little body and her pretty face, it didn’t leave much to the imagination even if you didn’t have much of an imagination. And most wolves had excellent imaginations.
“You’re staying here or getting dressed,” Callum commanded.
“I’m going to the door,” she rejoined.
“Sonia –”
Her head tilted. “Is this my house?”
“Sonia –”
“Is it my door?”
Still seeking patience, Callum looked to Ryon who was grinning at them and obviously not about to assist, then he muttered, “Bloody hell.”
“I’m going to the door,” Sonia finished and commenced striding out of the room.
He sighed his defeat. Ryon chuckled. Callum glared at him and he moved out of his study, leaving Ryon behind. He caught her up, took her hand and together they went to the door.
He smelled vampire as he hit the large, stone entryway.
A vampire with a female human.
More precisely, Lucien, likely with his mate.
Relief hit him at the same time as curiosity and Callum maneuvered Sonia partially behind him but still beside him as he opened the door.
A shiny, black Porsche Cayenne was glinting in the sun at the foot of the steps.
Lucien, tall, black-haired and powerfully built, wearing jeans, boots, and a black turtleneck which could be seen under his black, wool, hip-length, double-breasted coat was climbing them. Climbing beside him, her hand linked in his, was a beautiful blonde with dark blue eyes. She had a fantastic figure covered in charcoal gray cords, a stylish, fitted, black leather jacket with an eggplant-colored pashmina wrapped around her neck and she was wearing high-heeled black boots.
Pure, f**king class. Both of them.
Gazing at the female, her eyes as alive as was her expression like she couldn’t hide her love of life nor did she want to, not to mention smelling her exquisite scent, Callum realized immediately Lucien’s fate had also led him to the perfect match.
Pleased for the vampire, his eyes moved to Lucien’s as Callum tucked his own perfect match into his side and he smiled.
“This is a surprise,” he greeted as Lucien led his mate across the landing to the door.
“A pleasant one, I trust,” Lucien replied, also on a smile but the vampire’s black eyes were, as usual, carefully blank. Lucien never gave anything away, at least not to Callum’s recollection.
“That depends on its purpose,” Callum returned, shifting himself and Sonia to the side to allow Lucien and his mate entry and then he closed off the cold behind them by shutting the door.
Lucien stopped himself and his mate just inside and pulling her protectively close, he said, “I’d heard you’d finally claimed your mate. I was curious.”
Lucien wasn’t curious. Lucien had a reason to be there.
Callum also hid his reaction and turned to Sonia. “Honey, this is a friend of mine, Lucien.” He looked to Lucien. “Lucien, this is my queen, Sonia.”
She was gazing at Lucien, openly unsure of what to make of him and she held out a tentative hand which, after a glance at Callum, Lucien took.
Bending low, Lucien brushed his lips against her knuckles and all in the entryway (except, perhaps, Lucien’s mate) heard Sonia’s soft intake of breath.
A soft intake of breath Callum didn’t like.
Nor did he like it when Lucien kept hold of her hand and pulled her closer.
Callum tensed and only partially relaxed when Lucien turned Sonia to his mate.
“Sonia, this is Leah, my bride,” he said softly but Leah was smiling openly at Sonia.
“Hello,” Leah said in an attractive, alto voice, her smile never wavering.
However, it was plain to see in the face of her stylish company, Sonia was having belated second thoughts about appearing at the door in her socks and robe, cashmere or not.
“Hi,” Sonia replied on a shy smile and then she politely pulled her hand from Lucien’s and scuttled back. She nearly ran into Callum before he caught her and folded her again into his side where she wrapped her arm around him.