“You heard my conversation with my father,” he states, his voice dangerously low.
The back of my neck begins to sweat.
“Don’t even think about lying to me. I know you were right there.”
“Yes,” I whisper. “I did.”
Caleb scoffs and swipes a hand over his jaw.
“I know what it’s like,” I say without thinking.
His forehead creases. “Know what?”
“Having a close family member treat you like that.”
Caleb’s eyes snap to mine before my back is slammed into the wall as he towers over me. “You knownothingabout me. You knownothingabout my relationship with my father.”
His chest heaves against mine as my insides start pulsating.
“Of course I don’t,” I admit with a tremble. “But he doesn’t know everything either.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your pack is clearly warming to you, and you’ve gained their respect faster than I expected. I know I don’t know your father, but from the way he talks, people like him have a completely different perspective on life. Just like someone I knew.”
Caleb’s breathing echoes in my ears as he watches me carefully. I don’t know why I’m still talking, why I’m trying to defend him when all he’s done is dismiss me like I’m nothing, but I don’t want to feel his emotions like I did before.
My pain hurts, but his pain is excruciating.
His eyes slowly turn back to green, and he lowers his forehead onto mine. Butterflies erupt in my stomach as he places his palm on the wall, beside my head. The words start falling from me then.
“I know manipulators and gaslighters, and what it’s like to feel helpless, but you’re not helpless with your pack. I’ve started to realise they’d do absolutely anything for you, and regardless of what’s happened between us, it’s good to see you have some kind of positive effect on them. That means something?—”
Caleb grabs my jaw, and I tilt my head upwards an inch to meet his eyes. My head spins. I have no idea what’s happening, but it’s knocked the breath out of my lungs. He holds my gaze as we share the same air.
All I can hear is the crash of my blood in my ears as I stare back at Caleb’s glowing eyes. He’s shaking, his fingers still curled around my jaw tightly, holding me in place.
The moment his gaze flicks down to my lips, and back to my eyes, I almost lose it. It’s the closest we’ve been, and despite my head screaming at me to move away, my heart bleeds for more. Tears brim in my eyes at the way his scent holds me prisoner, and I’m utterly weak for him.
“Maybe we aren’t too different from each other,” I eventually whisper. “Just because we have bad blood relatives, doesn’t mean we’re the same. Wedon’thave to be the same.”
It’s something I’ve been trying to convince myself of.
Caleb’s jaw ticks as he exhales a sharp breath through his nose, and flicks his gaze between mine rapidly. I’m sure I see something behind them start to soften. I remain frozen as his eyes dip down to my mouth once more as if he’s conflicted, and the action and possibility leaves me trembling.
The second he drags his eyes back to mine, the darkness in them returns, and whatever I saw a second ago is now gone.
“We are nothing alike,” he grunts with a blazing gaze.
I shudder at the coldness of his voice and how I thought he might understand. What did I expect? I’m as stupid as they come.
“Don’t dare come up here again. Do you understand me?”
My throat aches as I try to hold in my emotions. There’s not a shadow of remorse in his expression. All I see is fury, and my wolf howls in agony.
After he releases my jaw, I’m still pressed up against the wall.
“Get out,” he heaves. When I don’t move, his nostrils flare. “Now.”
