He knew this by the sound but he also knew it by the irate flash in her green eyes.
“You’re too perceptive,” she muttered, her voice just as irate then she informed him of the obvious, “It’s annoying.”
He preferred his topic of conversation so he gave her a gentle squeeze and said warningly, “Sonia…”
“Oh all right,” she breathed out, her frustration still clear and then suddenly her eyes left his and she looked at his shoulder a moment before they came back. “Okay, Callum, what I was thinking was…” She hesitated a moment before stating, “And you can say no because, well, I’m sensing you’re not big on human stuff and, well, this is definitely human. Obviously I wouldn’t dream of asking you to go whole hog or anything because considering, even for my Christmas party, you wore cords and a nice sweater…” She paused and went off tangent, “Though, the boots you wore were really nice that night. I liked them. You should wear –”
He couldn’t help it. He started chuckling and gave her another squeeze, cutting her off by saying, “Honey, your point?”
Her eyes got big a moment, she pulled in breath and whispered, “Right.” Then she went on swiftly, “What I was saying was, you don’t have to do the big thing for me, you know, even though, outside your sixteenth birthday, it’s the most important day in a girl’s life. But I wouldn’t ask you to wear the tuxedo and get a photographer and all that formal stuff but can I…” She looked at him, her eyes filled with discomfited yearning. “Would you mind if…?” She hesitated yet again and then forced out the words, “I know it isn’t the done thing but, at our Mating, can I at least wear a pretty, white dress?”
He stared at her a second, thrown, because he had no f**king clue what she was on about. At Matings wolves would dress up but dressing up for wolves was just wearing nicer but still casual clothes.
Then, unusually slowly, it hit him. Her twisting her wedding rings, talking of tuxedos and formalities and the most important day of a girl’s life.
Fuck, she was talking about a human wedding.
Which, being his mate, she’d never get.
But, being his human wife, she would want.
And she wanted it and her wanting it meant she wanted him.
That unease sifted away leaving Callum feeling only the soft warmth of her body pressed to his and her arms around him.
“Baby doll –” he started.
“You can say no,” she blurted. “It’s probably a stupid idea. Your people will think…” Her eyes got big again and she said, “Oh no, would they be offended?”
One of his hands traveled up her back and tangled in her hair as his face got closer to hers. “No, they wouldn’t be offended. Wear whatever you want.”
He saw excitement light in her eyes for a second before it extinguished. “Will I look stupid?”
Callum grinned, pulling her tighter to him. “Impossible.”
“I don’t want them to think I’m holding on… I mean, I don’t want them to think I don’t take my responsibility –”
He cut her off. “They’ll think you’re proud of who you are and proud of who you’re bound to, both of which my people will find honorable.”
The excitement came back in a flash.
“Really?” she whispered.
“Yes,” he answered.
“Seriously?” she pressed both verbally and by pushing closer to his frame.
Callum bit back laughter at her adorable, earnest look but he didn’t manage it entirely and still said through chuckling, “Yes, little one.”
She gazed at him as if looking for evidence of dishonesty.
Then her weight sagged into him, she put her cheek to his chest and she gave him a squeeze. “Good.”
He kissed the top of her head, enjoying the far different feeling he had now rather than the one he had when he first stood in the door to this room.
It was more than her embrace. It was more than the knowledge that she yearned to be tied to him through his rings, bearing his father’s name, adhering to the traditions of her people.
It was enjoying giving her something she very much desired.