He’d put that down to their connection but now, he was questioning it.
Because she was still human.
Lastly, the way they fell asleep most nights, from the first night after the claiming.
It was common practice for wolves, especially wolf mates, to sleep while their bodies were connected. The male on top, the female on top, spooned or the way Sonia liked to be connected to Callum, with Callum over her and Sonia on her belly.
It was just the wolves’ way.
The first time he’d done it, he’d been so lost in the experience they’d shared, he hadn’t thought of it. It was natural to him as wolf but he would never have done it with a human. Not only because his other human partners were not his mate but because they wouldn’t find it comfortable and might even find it painful.
Later that night when he awoke still connected to her, his weight bearing her little body into the bed, he’d cursed himself. He’d drawn away and pulled her close. Since that first time, he always woke shortly after and, without the cursing, rolled to his back and pulled her to his side.
The next day after the first time, from their talk in the morning, and especially that night, he was surprised and delighted to find she liked it. They didn’t sleep that way every night but, if he ended their play f**king her on her hands and knees, they always did and it was always Sonia that lured Callum to her.
One night, she’d even demanded it. Hands flying back to grasp his hips, her sex convulsing tight to trap his cock, she’d slid her knees down and drew him with her between her spreading legs.
It had been the most arousing thing a female had ever done and he’d instantly had an overwhelming urge to take her again. So he did, up on his hands, his h*ps pistoning into her, her belly to the bed, her legs spread wide, her ass tipped up just enough so she could take all of him and her moans and cries muffled by the pillow.
It had been, as it always was with Sonia, f**king magnificent.
What it hadn’t been was anything near to anything he’d ever had with a female human.
And none of it made any sense.
Callum, being proudly wolf and being royal, did not spend a great deal of time with humans. He didn’t avoid them but his duties, the consistent skirmishes and simply because he preferred the company of his brethren, meant he’d spent the vast majority of his life with wolves. Even though, if he caught the scent or liked the look of a female human he wouldn’t hesitate in taking her, until Sonia, he preferred she-wolves and they made up the bulk of his bed partners.
Perhaps this was something human he just didn’t know.
And what Callum didn’t know, he didn’t like.
Especially when it came to Sonia.
“Callum?” Caleb called, catching his attention as Callum kept his eyes on Sonia and he saw her force herself to relax.
She was hiding it. His instincts screamed it.
So perhaps it wasn’t just something he didn’t know. Perhaps it was something else entirely.
“Five minutes ago, you were wrapped in your queen’s arms,” Ryon noted, smiling as he approached the brothers. “Now you’re scowling. What’s up?”
Callum looked at his cousin.
Ryon.
His cousin, on the other hand, preferred female humans to she-wolves though he didn’t shy away from wolves. He also enjoyed spending time in the human world.
If it was something Callum didn’t know, Ryon might be able to tell him.
He started to open his mouth but thought better of it when a memory pierced his consciousness and his eyes slashed across the room to the vampire.
Gregor was standing by the Christmas tree talking with one of Sonia’s neighbors who Callum had met and who Callum had not bothered to remember their name.
Two and a half weeks ago, Yuri had interrupted their post-play cuddle and, when Callum finally sensed him, his head jerked to the door at the same time as Sonia’s. He hadn’t been paying attention for obvious reasons but looking back, she’d appeared deeply surprised that Yuri was there.
Not only because it was surprising, and tremendously rude, that Yuri would interrupt them but also because she’d not sensed him until the last second which was something, just as it was for Callum, that was unusual for her to miss.
And later Gregor had wanted a private word with Callum that Sonia couldn’t overhear and didn’t take him to another room.
He took him for a walk and didn’t speak for a block and a half.
Gregor didn’t speak because he needed the distance so Sonia couldn’t hear.
Callum sliced his eyes to Ryon and said, “I need to walk.”
Ryon’s head jerked and his gaze narrowed.
“Walk?” Caleb asked and Callum looked to his brother. “What are you on about? We’re at Sonny’s party. You can’t leave. This is important to her.”
It annoyed him that Caleb called Sonia “Sonny” when he wasn’t calling her “sis”. It annoyed him more that Ryon did it (without the “sis”). The only one who’d taken to doing this that didn’t annoy him was Regan.
There was no reason why this annoyed him outside of the fact it was a familiarity that was greeted with radiant warmth from his mate and she returned it, having fallen into the habit of affectionately (and adorably) calling Caleb “bro” and Ryon “cuz”.
This annoyed him more because she didn’t use any endearments with Callum, even though he used them frequently with her. The only endearment she’d ever uttered was “wolf” and that was only when he was f**king her or playing with her.
He scowled at his brother and ordered, “Tell Sonia I’ll be back in a while.”
Caleb opened his mouth but Callum jerked his head to Ryon and walked directly to the entry, grabbed his coat and strode out the door.
Ryon was at his side within moments.
Callum didn’t speak for a block and a half.
“Cal, what the f**k?” Ryon asked with irritation.
“The vampires are hiding something,” Callum answered.
“What?”
“About Sonia, they’re hiding something.”
“That’s mad, Cal, they can’t –”
Callum stopped abruptly, turned to his cousin and asked, “Do you remember Miranda?”
Miranda was a she-wolf who had, regrettably, lost her mate. It had been centuries ago, Callum and Ryon were barely battle ready, much less battle worn and Ryon, who shared features with Miranda’s mate, had been her grief-stricken rebound. He’d not been virgin but she’d still initiated him to many aspects of play and she’d done it thoroughly. She missed her mate and she taught Ryon everything her mate had done to her and Ryon had been a grateful student and a willing replacement.