Page 30 of Wolf's Providence

Anger flashed in her eyes, and I had no clue how I had made this worse. “Thankful. Grateful. Any other adjective you want to throw at me?”

I knew my face showed my surprise at her outburst. “What have I said to piss you off?” I asked her cautiously. “I nevermeant to hurt you. The fact I almost killed you, the fact you’re still here, yes, I’m eternally grateful.” Shoving my hands into my pockets, I watched her. “You should have never been involved in this, and the fact that you can walk away is all that matters.”

“Walk away?” Well, that went down like a red flag to a bull. She was on her feet. “You think with this connection between us, I canwalk away?”

So that was what was wrong? She didn’t want to be tethered to me?ThatI understood. “I know it’s going to be difficult to start with, but hopefully, with time, we may not even notice it anymore.”

I’d never seen Willow so close to losing her shit completely, but I was pretty sure she was about to explode.

“What does it feel like for you?” she asked me suddenly. “The bond. Describe it.”

I shook my head helplessly as I thought about it. “I dunno, a…a pull.”

“A pull?” Her arms folded across her chest, and her foot began to tap against the floor. “That’s it? What kind of pull? A strong pull? Weak? Warm? Comforting? Irritating?” The last was asked with a look that didn’t need further explanation.

I shrugged. “Just a pull.”

Willow screeched and I ducked to miss the sketchbook as she hurled it across the room at me. Wildly she looked around, and I knew she was looking for something else to throw. In two strides, I had her arms pinned to her sides, trying to avoid the thrashing of her head from side to side.

“Will you calm down?” I asked through clenched teeth as the little vixen kicked me. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

With an almighty shove, Willow broke free, putting distance between us. She faced me, her chest rising rapidly as she panted, her glare fixed on me. “A pull?” Her voice pulsed with anger. “I go through allthis, and you feelnothingbuta pull?”

She actually let out a growl, and when she saw me start to smile, I hastily wiped my face clear of emotion.

“Is this the part where you tell me what it feels like for you?”

Willow shook her head, turning her back to me and wrapping her arms around herself. “Why? You obviously don’t feel the same.” The amount of bitterness in her voice made me frown.

Slowly, I approached her. Her back stiffened as she heard me approach, but she didn’t turn around or stop me. Tentatively, I reached out, my hands landing lightly on her shoulders, feeling her tense beneath me. My grip tightened and relaxed as I rubbed her shoulders.

“The pull I feel, it’s constant,” I admitted softly. “It tugs at me every second.” I moved her hair aside, my nose trailing over her neck, inhaling the fresh scent of her. “It used to be…fragile,” I explained as I searched for the right words. “Now, it’s stronger than rope. Thicker, too. It feels unbreakable.” My lips tasted her skin. “It’s within me, buried deep, right here.” My hand slipped between her arm and her side, trailing over the material of her top, loving the sound of her quickened breathing, coming around to her front, and resting lightly on her chest, between her breasts. “Right here,” I said, pressing lightly.

I heard her shaky inhale and stepped closer to her, pressing her firmly against me. “It sits there, every moment of the day, reminding me that you’re here.” My head dipped, my forehead resting on her shoulder as I covered her back with my body. “Telling me you’remine.”

“Caleb…”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “I know what I did to you.” No, that wasn’t right. “What I’vedoneto you. I will spend the rest of my life fighting for your forgiveness. I don’t deserve it, I know that, but I will earn your trust again, Willow. I swear it.”

I felt a tear drip onto my hand, and I fought the urge to spin her around in my arms and kiss her tears away. Instead, Iloosened my hold and stepped back. “That’s what it feels like,” I mumbled as I moved away. “That’s the pull I feel.”

Willow turned, her eyes soft and wet with more tears. She sniffled, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand. “You could have led with that,” she protested weakly.

My smile broke free, and I saw the answering flush of her cheeks. “I’m not good with words,” I mumbled, feeling self-conscious. Open. Exposed.

Willow blew her nose, her eyebrow quirking at my confession. “If you say words like that,” she told me with a light chuckle, “you’ll have anyone eating out of the palm of your hand.”

It was meant as a joke, but it made me frown. “I meant them.”

Her smile faded as she noticed the change in my demeanor. “I know,” she told me gently. “I know.”

We stood like that for a moment, the pull tugging at my insides insistently, as if it wanted me to close the short gap between us.

“It’s why you’re here?” she asked. Stooping, she picked up her thrown sketchbook.

“A bit,” I admitted. “And I needed to see you with my own eyes. See you standing on two feet.”

“I’m okay,” she assured me. “Thanks to you.”

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