Silence stretched between us.
Her eyes went wide. “What?”
“Time moves differently between the realms. I knew that. Everyone knows that. But I didn’t realize... I didn’t think...” I was off the bed now, pacing, caged, my muscles coiled with restless energy. My wolf paced with me, equally agitated. “A week and a half, Riley. I thought I was hurrying. I thought I was doing everything as fast as possible to get back to you. And meanwhile you were alone, suffering, your body going into heat with no one to help you through it, the bond stretched so thin you couldn’t even feel me properly.”
“Caelan...”
“You could have died.” I stopped pacing, turned to face her, and I knew my expression was anguished. My wolf howled with theinjustice of it. “You almost died. And I had no idea because I was stuck in meetings about territory disputes while you were in agony.”
“You didn’t know.”
“I should have known. I’m your mate. Your alpha. I should have felt it. Should have sensed when you were in distress.” I stalked back to the bed, kneeling beside it, taking her hands in mine with desperate intensity. My wolf was on his belly, submitting to her judgment. “Forgive me. Please. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, but please. Forgive me.”
She looked at me for a long moment. Her expression was unreadable.
“No.”
My heart stopped. My wolf whined.
“What?”
“I don’t forgive you.” But there was a glint in her eye now, a mischief I was learning to recognize. “You’re going to have to work much harder than that.”
I stared at her. Realized she was teasing me. The relief that flooded through me was so intense I almost laughed. Would have laughed, if my wolf weren’t still so desperate to prove himself worthy.
“Is that so?”
“Much harder.”
“And what would convince you?”
She pretended to think about it. “A bath would be a good start.”
The bath in my chambers was obscenely large.
More of a small pool, really. Carved from dark stone, fed by natural hot springs that ran beneath the castle. Excessive by any reasonable standard, but right now I was deeply grateful for my ancestors’ commitment to luxury.
Steam rose from the surface, curling through the cold air, and Riley made a sound of pure appreciation when she sank into the water.
“This is ridiculous,” she said, stretching out. The water came up to her shoulders. “I could fit my entire apartment in here.”
“It’s designed for multiple people.”
“Multiple?”
“Pack bathing is a tradition. After hunts, after battles.” I slid in beside her, pulling her back against my chest with a possessive grip. My wolf growled with approval at the skin-to-skin contact. “Though I’ve never shared this particular bath with anyone.”
“No one?”
“This is my private chamber. No one enters without my permission.” My lips found her neck, and my wolf preened at having her here, in my space, surrounded by my scent. “You’re the first.”
“I’m honored.”
“You should be.”
She laughed, and the sound echoed off the stone walls. I loved that laugh. Would kill to hear it every day for the rest of my life.
“So,” she said, tilting her head to give me better access to her throat, “how exactly do you plan to earn my forgiveness?”
