Page 28 of Wolf's Providence

Caleb caught my lower lip between his teeth, and my hands tugged at his hair, the moan drowning in my throat as he lifted me and my legs wrapped around his waist. Caleb turned, and I was pressed against the wall. I felt his hand cup the back of myneck as the other trailed down my side, leaving a trail of goose bumps behind it.

I was gasping as Caleb dipped his head to taste my skin. His lips moved over my neck, nipping at my pulse. My back was pressed even harder into the wall, but the dull ache was nothing as the fire between us consumed me. My hands knotted in his hair, pulling him up, back to my mouth. Our tongues twisted together as the kiss deepened. I felt his warm palm push my shirt up, his fingers skimming over my back and dipping under my pants.

My head tilted back when Caleb’s fingers skimmed over my bare ass, trailing back over my hip to the front, dipping lower, finding my wetness. His groan against my neck as he kissed a scorching trail down my throat was going to be my undoing. I was sure I was going to combust when his thumb brushed over my nipple, and as much as I wanted to lose myself in him, part of me couldn’t forget.

The ache in my abdomen was the memory of what he’d done. As much as I wanted this, it wasn’t that simple.

Breaking the kiss, my breath coming in sharp gasps, I pulled back, my forehead dropping to rest on his shoulder. Caleb’s arms tightened around me for a moment, and then he loosened his grip, letting my legs fall from his waist, and he supported me as I lowered them to the floor.

My fingers twisted into the fabric of his shirt, hating myself for stopping but knowing I was doing the right thing. “We can’t…” My voice was throaty, the lingering passion making me sound husky. I pressed my head into his chest. “We can’t pretend that nothing happened.”

“I know, and I don’t want to,” he told me, the strain in his voice evident. He pressed his lips to the top of my head. “But I can’t pretend that I don’t need you. I’ve tried that, and it damn near tore me apart.”

Tilting my head back just enough to be able to look up at him, I could feel my heart still pounding against his. Caleb looked down at me, his eyes searching mine, open and filled with a vulnerability I hadn’t seen before. I knew he was telling the truth. Hedidneed me.

Just as much as I needed him.

But that didn’t make everything okay.

“I don’t think I can trust you,” I told him, hating the way the mask fell over his face so quickly. “I don’t know if I trustus. Or this bond.”

I saw him wince, but he didn’t look away. “I don’t expect forgiveness,” he admitted, standing back, putting space between us. “I know I fucked up. I never, ever meant to hurt you. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you trust me, just…” He ran his hand through his hair. “Try not to shut me out.”

I could hear the sincerity in his voice. I couldn’t remember a time when I felt that he was this honest with me. I wanted to cling to it, but I also remembered waking up alone after he had stabbed me with his claws.

“We have a lot to think about,” I told him. “So much to try and make sense of.”

“We do.” He was watching me carefully, waiting for what, I wasn’t sure.

“I think it’s good you’re here,” I told him honestly, “but this”—I waved my hand between us—“I don’t think this is a good idea.”

He nodded, his eyes guarded as he took a small step back, giving me even more space. “Whatever you want.”

If I knew what I wanted, then this would be a heck of a lot easier.

“I truly am sorry I hurt you,” he said, his voice sounding firmer, solider. “It was never…” He pushed his hair back in frustration. “You were never meant to get hurt.”

“I know.” And I did know, it’s what I’d been trying to tell the others. “I know you weren’t yourself when it happened.”

He broke eye contact, his glare fierce as he fixed it on the unoffending nightlight. “It willneverhappen again.”

I wanted to ask if he was sure, but instead, I simply acknowledged his words with a dip of my head. It felt like a promise, but it didn’t fix anything. He was still haunted, and I was still bonded to him.

“How did you do it?” I asked him, walking back to the bed and leaning against it, glad I no longer sounded like a panting hussy.

“Do what?” Caleb asked me carefully.

“Heal me.” I kept my gaze trained on him, ready to read his tells. Not that he had many. “How did you know your blood would save me?”

NINE

Caleb

The question hungin the air between us, sharp and heavy, like the weight of all the unspoken things between us. My throat tightened, and for a moment, I didn’t know how to answer her. The kiss we’d just shared still lingered, I could still taste her, and I still wanted to reach out and kiss her again. My body craved her, and I was having a hard time adjusting from the need to claim her to her desire to talk, like she just hadn’t been wrapped around me, dripping wet for me.

She sat on the bed, pushing herself back, her legs folded under her, and I tried not to notice her slim legs or the stretch of the material as it clung to her curves. When I looked up at her, her eyes were on mine, unwavering. She was strong, stronger than perhaps I gave her credit for. But she was also vulnerable in a way that made me want to protect her from everything.

Especially from me.

---