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.
It was the first time either of them knew that the instinct to stay connected after play and into sleep was wolfish.
“What does she –?” Ryon started.
Callum cut him off, “Remember how she liked you to sleep with her?”
Ryon’s expression altered, it became roguish. He grinned and replied, “I remember a lot of things about Miranda. I still visit her from time to time.”
Losing patience, Callum resisted the urge to growl and yanked the conversation back on track. “Sleep, Ry, not play. Do you remember how she liked to sleep with you? On her belly, you over her, connected?”
Ryon kept grinning as well as missing the point. “She still likes that. One of my favorite parts about her, the reason I always go back.”
“Sonia likes it too,” Callum informed him tersely and Ryon’s grin died. “She likes it a good f**king deal.”