Everyone looked at Sonia. Sonia blushed.
“You’re laying it on a bit thick, aren’t you, brother?” Callum muttered.
There were several chuckles, a few full-blown laughs and a room full of smiles.
“I thought the situation warranted it,” Caleb replied with a bold grin as he leaned against the side of his brother’s throne.
Callum threw him a look then turned his head, his mouth seeking Sonia’s ear and he asked softly, “Would you like to meet your warriors, baby doll?”
She twisted her neck and her green eyes searched his. She pulled in breath through her nose and, finally, nodded.
He stood up, lifting her to her feet. He slid his arm around her shoulders and tucked her into his side.
To his men in the room, he stated, his voice proclaiming proudly, “It’s time for you to meet Sonia.”
* * * * *
“Jesus, it’s brilliant finally to have something to do,” Calder announced, sitting back in his chair and grinning broadly.
Callum studied his brother from his seat behind a desk cluttered with the remains of the meal they’d eaten there while going through intelligence reports and notes on interrogations. For hours, throughout all of this, except for when Caleb had escorted her to the bathroom, Sonia had sat silently in his lap, even when they ate.
Calder, Callum knew, if he had not been of royal blood, would undoubtedly be the leader of an insurrection. All wolves had an abundance of energy, a zest for life, strength in their opinions and none of them shied away from a fight.
Calder was all that and a great deal more.
Calder, more impatient and volatile even than Callum, was a brilliant warrior, if a flawed strategist, who appeared to be at his most relaxed in the middle of a bloody battle.
His brother, Callum decided, needed to find his f**king mate.
And his brother, Callum decided, once this was finished, would go on a quest to seek her. He’d hand down the order himself.
“Though,” Calder went on, his eyes flashing to Sonia before he grinned, “it’s disappointing that we’re not going to have the mating ceremony. You’d love that, Sonia,” he told her. “Our people like a good party and A Mating is the f**king best.”
“Maybe after this is over, Callum will give Sonia a ceremony,” Ryon suggested, his eyes soft on Callum’s mate.
Callum’s eyes were anything but soft on his cousin.
Jesus, if he didn’t know better, he’d think Ryon had a thing for her.
“A Royal Mating is even better,” Caleb threw in, also grinning at Sonia. “A f**king blast.”
Sonia grinned back at Caleb and Callum’s arms gave her a squeeze to capture her attention.
This worked, her face swung to his.
“Would you like that, little one?” he asked gently.
She regarded him a moment before she shrugged.
“We’ll talk about it later,” he told her and she nodded. Callum looked at Saint. “Are our quarters prepared?”
Sonia’s body jerked in his arms but Callum’s attention was on Saint who was answering. “Yes, actually. They have been since you arrived. Mona ordered it.”
“At least she did something,” Caleb muttered and Saint laughed.
“Callum,” Ryon called and Callum’s gaze swung to his cousin and saw his eyes were still on Callum’s bride. “Since this is going to go down here, and you’ll likely be here awhile, why don’t you stay at Sonia’s?”
At Ryon’s words, Sonia instantly relaxed in Callum’s arms and he caught her throwing Ryon another very grateful smile.