Page 87 of The Wolf King

He shifts so that his face hovers above mine. He keeps one arm over my body, cocooning me within his large frame. I keep my gaze on his, aware that if I look down, I will see a lot more than his back and shoulders.

“Had yourself a wee adventure last night, did you?”

Tension I didn’t even realize was building loosens. I thought he might be angry with me for not staying in my chambers. Especially as he’s been so stand-offish with me over the past week. Yet he seems relaxed. Amused, even.

“Why aren’t you annoyed?” I narrow my eyes.

He looks at me curiously. “Why would I be?”

“I didn’t do what you told me to do.”

“If you always did as you were told, we would never have met. Plus, I’m presuming you had your reasons for leaving your room, and you weren’t just out for a nighttime stroll?”

“Someone sounded like they were in pain. I thought it was Ryan.”

He smiles, brimming with warmth. “There you go, then. I would have done the same.”

“It was Blake.”

He exhales. “Aye. I thought as much.”

He sits up. The muscles in his back ripple as he stretches. He cracks his neck, then stands and rolls his shoulders. I’m not sure he even notices he’s not wearing anything.

When he turns back around, my gaze drops. I cannot help it.

My eyes widen and I jerk my head back again to stare at the trees.

The only naked men I have ever seen are the statues in the palace gardens.

Callum chuckles. “What are you doing? Come on, we need to get back.”

Face flaming, I roll onto my side so I’m not looking at him, and push myself to my feet. I wince. Every muscle in my body is stiff and aching.

When I turn to face Callum, my gaze accidentally drops once more before I resolutely look away.

“Come on,” he says, amused.

His warmth washes over me as he steps closer and scoops me into his arms. I hook my wrists around his neck as if it’s a reflex, but irritation sparks inside me. It’s annoying enough that he thinks he can manhandle me whenever he pleases. It’s even worse he thinks it’s appropriate even when he’s completely naked. “I’m perfectly capable of walking by myself!”

“Aye, I know.” The corner of his lip twitches as he heads back through the trees. “I reckoned if I carried you, you’d have to stop staring at my cock.”

I make a strangled sound, then punch him in the arm. I may as well be hitting a rock. “You’re horrible!”

He laughs. “You’re the one who can’t stop looking.”

I glare at him, and his expression softens.

“You’ve had a rough night, Princess. Are you okay?”

“Yes.” I swallow. “Can you remember what happens when you’re in wolf form?”

“Aye. I remember.”

“Blake tried to kill me.”

All the humor drains from Callum’s eyes. “No. No, he didn’t.”

Fire blazes in my chest. I thought Callum might be different from the Southlands lords who never listened to, nor believed, the ladies in the palace. I was clearly wrong about him. I grit my teeth. “Yes, he did. You obviouslydon’tremember if you think that, but the least you could do is believe me when I tell you.”

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