That silence lingers between us for far too long, and a breath finally escapes me.
I don’t want to fight with him, not after what we just endured, and not after knowing the other wolves will do anything to get Astrid for themselves.
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” I murmur, more defeated than angry now.
The control it takes for Caleb not to react how he wants to is clear in his stiff posture, and his eyes are dark with worry he doesn’t want to show. “We’ll figure this out.”
It isn’t a solution, and it doesn’t ease my concern.
“How? If anyone finds out about her…”
He takes a step forward, making my words trail off with his presence alone. “Astrid’s powers need to be repressed for now, yes. But that doesn’t mean we’re completely helpless. You’re not alone in this.”
My throat tightens, and I want to refuse him.
“I don’t want to rely on you,” I murmur just above a whisper.
“But I want you to,” he says, moving even closer as he keeps his attention completely on me.
A faint shiver runs down my spine at his proximity, trying so hard to resist it.
Despite knowing magic use isn’t allowed on the island, there’s no judgment in his voice, even if there should be. Just understanding. Somehow, that hurts even more.
Caleb takes up the final step, slow enough to give me the chance to pull away, but I don’t. His voice reaches me, soft and almost pleading. “Lila… I mean it when I say I want to protect her, and to protect you. That doesn’t mean revealing her abilities and letting everyone else decide what happens.”
My convictions waver as I hold his gaze. “Caleb…”
“I know you don’t trust me completely yet,” he says, disarming me with his honesty far faster than I care to admit. “But I’m not asking you to forget about everything I did. I’m here for you and Astrid, and I’m not backing down from this.”
From this proximity, his body heat surrounds me. He’s close enough for the bond to pull taut and thrum with a deeper intensity.
My heart lurches.
I shouldn’t want this, but hearing his sincerity does something to me that I can’t avoid forever.
“You’re not alone anymore, Lila… let me prove it to you.”
A tremble moves through me before I can hold it back, and when I meet his eyes, I can’t avoid that familiar, undeniable need that settles in my chest.
Before I can stop myself, I reach out, feeling more like I’m magnetized to him as my hand rests on his chest.
Caleb shudders from that alone, more like I’ve sent an electric current through him. He swallows and looks down at me like I’m the only one who could ever elicit that kind of deep-seated reaction from him.
“Tell me to stop and I will,” he murmurs, leaning in subtly. His eyes flicker down to my lips, then back up again. “Just don’t expect me to hold back when you look at me like that.”
I should pull away and tell him to stop.
But even as I try to form the words, nothing comes out. Instead, the bond almost seems to grow tenfold, gripping me so tightly, I can hardly breathe.
As I sway towards him, he grips my waist to steady me, and a subtle yet hungry sound reverberates in his chest.
Even if I should refuse thisthingbetween us, I don’t have it in me.
Maybe I’m tired of fighting everything. Between the bond, him, and me, I haven’t had a moment of peace.
Or maybe I’ve been craving this kind of intensity. The kind of care and chemistry that can only come from a fated bond.
My fingers curl into his shirt, and his hands slide to my hips to pull me in flush against him.
