Sonia blinked, slowly, dreamily knowing herself that his thoughts would come true.
Her eyes drifted closed but her hand fell out as if reaching toward him.
He moved forward, slid his muzzle along her fingers and in her sleep she smoothed her hand against him lovingly.
Tired of this type of affection and wanting a different kind, Callum turned from her and leapt to man.
As he approached the bed, her eyes fluttered open and focused on him.
Without a word, he slid the covers from her beautiful, na**d body and without hesitation, he covered that body with his own.
He pulled the hides back over them.
“Hi,” she breathed.
Callum stared at her.
God, he loved her.
And he loved the fact that she loved him too.
And he loved the fact that she could express the enormity of that love in one, two letter word.
Therefore, he smiled.
Her arm wrapped around him as her other hand went up to touch his face. Her fingertips in his hair, her thumb glided along his brow then down over this cheekbone then down again along his bottom lip.
She watched her thumb and she did this as if fascinated.
Callum waited as she did this, also loving the feel of her memorizing his features like she did every time he came to her after he roamed.
However, he thought, as she did it, he should be memorizing hers for she would be gone from this earth long before he would.
She lifted her head from the pillow and placed her mouth against his, taking him from his thoughts. “Where have you been, my handsome wolf?”
Instead of answering, he glided his tongue along her lower lip.
Sonia shivered and opened her legs so his h*ps could fall through.
An invitation.
As ever, his greedy, little queen wanted his cock.
Then she wrapped him lovingly, protectively, in her limbs. As ever, her movements were an eloquent indication of her adoration of more than his cock, of all that was him.
At the reminder of this, Callum growled against her mouth.
She shivered again underneath him.
Then, his deep voice rough with approval, he said, “Always in heat, my little one.”
“Only for you,” she whispered, her breath catching, her heart racing, her skin warming, all without anything but his presence.
“What do you want?” he asked low, his h*ps pressing into hers, knowing, when he buried himself inside her, she’d be wet, slick, ready for him.
“You, inside me,” she answered.
“Just like that?” he teased.
“You’ve been gone a while,” she told him and arched her back. “I missed you.”
He felt his face gentle.
He knew she missed it when he was gone even if it was a minute but especially when it was hours while he roamed.
He knew it because he missed her just the same.
He knew he shouldn’t do it. He had so little time with her and he’d wish this time back when she was gone.
But he was wolf, he needed to roam.
Understanding her yearning for him in a way he was glad she’d never know just as he detested the fact that he carried that same yearning every moment and would hold onto it for eternity, he murmured softly, “Baby doll.”
She was done talking. He knew this too as she pressed her lips against his, tightened her limbs around his body, lifted her h*ps into his, dug her nails into the muscles of his back, and begged, “Please, my handsome wolf, f**k –”
He didn’t let her finish. He was done talking too.
His h*ps reared back, he heard her breath catch and he prepared to invade.
* * * * *
Sonia lay with her head on his shoulder, her fingers sifting lazily through the hair on his chest.
He loved it when she did that.
“You okay, little one?” His voice was still gruff from his orgasm and from other things besides.
He asked because he’d taken her hard, as usual, and she’d loved it, as usual.
But he didn’t want her to ache.
“Mm,” she murmured, her fingers tensing to drag her nails along his chest and her legs shifted against his, tangling with them, her body pressing closer, entwining with his.
Callum smiled.
She was okay.
She did this now, entwining her body with his, getting closer.
She did it often, now that she understood.
Now that she understood everything.
He thought he’d miss her before when she was gone.
Now these times were exquisite torture.
“Cal,” she called, her voice sounding like she sensed the turn of his thoughts.
“Yes, baby doll?”
Her hand flattened against his chest as if his skin could absorb it.
Or she could absorb something integral from his skin. Something she needed. Something she couldn’t exist without.
Then she whispered, “You know I love you, right?”
He closed his eyes before his arm about her tightened and his other hand came across his chest to slide into the soft, golden hair at the side of her head.
How could he ever not have fancied blondes?
Because, he knew, they were never her.
“I know, honey.”
“You’ll never forget?” she was still whispering.
His neck arched slightly but he forced his body to relax.
“I’ll never forget.”
She cuddled close and her hand slid across his chest to wrap around him tight. “I want you to promise to be happy but I don’t want you ever to forget.”
“I won’t forget.”
“Promise to be happy?”
Impossible.
“I promise.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“I love you, baby doll.”
“I know,” she said on a fluttering sigh and his chest got so tight, Callum found it hard to breathe.
* * * * *
They were running, roaming, as wolves, he and his mate.
Not Sonia.
A wolf.
She was fast and kept up with him, close to his right flank, where she always ran.
Callum took them deeper into the trees. They’d been running for hours. He could hear her pants. He knew he was pushing her. He knew what she wanted.
He kept pushing her, knowing the anticipation would be worth it.
How could he ever have imagined he’d feel content with a human queen?
Then again, he had no idea he was missing this.
Finally, he turned, headed for home and he sensed her instant excitement.
He felt it too.
* * * * *
She was beneath him, on her belly, her long, thick, mahogany hair spread across her back, obscuring her face, tangled with pine needles. Her sweet, musky wolf scent assaulted him, coming from her hair, her skin, between her legs.
But there was something familiar about it. Something beautiful. Something nostalgic. Something he f**king adored.