But standing there completely naked while he’s very much the same, my dignity is already out the window, and I find it hard to care.
I glare back at him. “And stop looking at me.”
At that, Caleb glances away like a scolded child, and he pushes himself up from the ground. “The cabin’s this way.”
Maintaining a respectable distance, we move in silence through the trees for a while. Caleb walks a half-step ahead, keeping his attention sharp as he continuously scans our surroundings.
Eventually, the trees thin out, and a small cabin tucked far enough away from any main paths comes into view. Warm, golden light from a fire already glows through one of the windows, and smoke curls from the chimney in low sweeps.
It’s been prepared already, it seems.
Caleb clears his throat as we approach the building. “They’ll be expecting a consummation.”
Against my will, my cheeks burn at the thought, and I furrow my brows at him, gaze sharp. “They can expect whatever they want. It’s not happening.”
He pauses and puts his hands up in response. “I didn’t say it was.”
My eyes narrow on him for a beat, then I huff out a breath and continue walking. “Let’s get this over with.”
Making my way to the cabin, I use whatever strength I have left to tamp down the flicker of excitement my wolf feels, reminding me and her that this means nothing.
Even as the bond tugs gently, and even as the temptation himself is in all of his naked glory already.
Despite clinging to my convictions as tightly as I can, I’m not as immune to Caleb as I want to be.
Chapter 10 - Caleb
My skin feels hotter than it ever has before, but it’s not from the fireplace.
It’s from Lila and her mere existence. Her presence in the room, along with every breath she takes, and the way every movement sends another waft of her scent in my direction.
She’s in the bed, her entire body stiff while she stares up at the ceiling. And I’m on the couch across the room pretending like that distance between us is enough to keep the bond from pulling tight enough to snap.
Given how uncomfortable she seemed around me, I insisted on sleeping there, hoping to give her some relief.
But even if I can’t feel her from my place, it’s like I can. The bond is so new and fresh, and everything in me is screaming to just take what I want and need, consequences be damned.
The ceremony was bad enough. Having her neck presented to me like that, scent blooming across her skin in the most tempting way possible… it pulled such a visceral reaction from me. Everything I tried to shut away for four years came storming back in with a vengeance, and even if it’s just the two of us now, trapped in such an intimate space, there’s nothing I can do about it.
She wants nothing to do with me. And I want everything to do with her.
Lila glances in my direction through the dimly lit space. It’s quick and guarded, almost like she’s checking to make sure I’m still far enough away for her liking. But, I’m sure I look ridiculous with my feet hanging over the arm of the couch due to being squished in.
“Comfortable over there?” she asks, not because she cares, but because she likely feels obligated to acknowledge my presence.
I puff out a breath. “Define comfortable.”
Truth be told, my arm is going numb from having to crunch it between the cushions, and there’s a spring digging into my shoulder blade. But, she doesn’t need to hear me complaining.
“I didn’t force you to sleep there.”
“No, you didn’t,” I murmur, well aware it was my idea. “But I didn’t want you thinking I had any expectations.”
“How chivalrous of you.”
Despite how badly my hands are itching to feel her skin, her sarcasm is grating.
“Lila,” I warn, in a nice enough tone.
