How he’d endure giving her that pain, he had no clue.
All he knew was that he would find a way and she would never endure it alone again.
The thought that she had for decades tore at him.
He made her tea, poured himself a whisky and determined that he was going to rectify the situation as he walked back to the couch. She was lying on her side, pillow under her cheek, eyes on the fire, noticeably back in her shell.
Fuck, Callum thought.
He placed the drinks on the coffee table and bent to pull her up. He maneuvered himself behind her, his back up against the corner of the couch, one leg cocked against the couch’s back. Sonia’s back was resting against his chest and stomach, her h*ps tucked in his crotch, her bottom in the seat and he tangled his remaining leg with both of hers.
She held herself stiff. As she would.
“Grab the drinks, will you, honey?” he asked softly and without hesitation she leaned forward, got their drinks and handed him his whisky over her shoulder without looking at him.
Yes, totally f**ked it up.
He initiated damage control.
“I didn’t like watching you suffer that injection,” he admitted.
She hesitated only a moment before replying quietly, “Yes, I noticed that.”
Callum continued, “But, this morning, I did like it when you called me ‘wolf’.”
She remained silent but her body tensed further.
Callum carried on, “So much so, when you said it in anger, it pissed me off.”
She took a sip of her tea before saying, “I noticed that too.”
He slid his arm around her belly and gave her a squeeze.
He sipped his whisky.
Then he said, “You need to know what’s going on and you need to know who I am which will explain why I behave the way I do.”
More silence.
Callum sighed.
Then he spoke. “I’ve mentioned ‘my people’ and ‘my culture’. What I mean when I say that is, my people are different from your people. We’re a secret sect of society who has been living alongside humans since recorded history.”
As he spoke, her body grew even tenser and he sensed her accelerated breathing.
She thought he was a nut.
He leaned forward, taking her with him and set his glass on the coffee table. He took away her tea and did the same. Then he brought them both back and wrapped both arms around her, one at her belly, one at her chest, fingers curled around her shoulder where he stroked her.
“Rest your head on my chest,” he commanded and again without delay, she did as she was told.
She was giving in.
Immediately.
Callum felt his jaw get tight as his eyes rolled heavenward.
He decided to pull out the heavy artillery.