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No, he wasn’t perfect and never would be.
But he was falling for Calla Shaw like a ton of bricks.
* * *
Calla came awake slowly.
She listened to the sounds around her, unsure what to make of them. They were soft noises—beeps, talking from somewhere nearby, steady breathing. The talking between two people didn’t sound like her captors. In fact, the male voice sounded like Viktor.
Am I free? Home?
Bits and pieces came back. Nick and his team arriving at the cabin as wolves. The white wolf leading the charge and decimating the human in his path. Trying to get to her.
She was lying in a comfortable bed, she realized. Her rescuers had succeeded. She could’ve wept in joy at the realization but she didn’t have the energy. She settled for opening her eyes to determine the source of the breathing and discovered Nick, sleeping in a chair by her bed.
Her mate must be exhausted. His che
st rose and fell evenly, and his body was loose-limbed in his awkward position. There were dark smudges underneath his eyes and his clothes were rumpled. She didn’t want to wake him.
She watched him for a while, and as she did, emotion swelled in her chest and began to grow. He’d come for her, just as she’d known he would. She hadn’t expected to survive long enough to see him again, but she never had a doubt that he’d find her.
Nick shifted in his chair and stretched with a groan. He tried to work out the kinks, rolling his head on his neck and arching his back. Then he finally opened his eyes and looked directly into hers.
“You’re awake,” he said, immediately scooting his chair close to grab her hand. His face was anxious. Haunted. “How do you feel?”
“Wiped out,” she admitted. “But overall, much better than I did last time I was conscious. I don’t hurt as much and my head is pretty clear.”
“Thank God.” Raising her hand to his lips, he kissed the back of it. “You gave me quite a scare.”
“Sorry.”
“No. It’s me who’s sorry,” he said quietly. “This is all my fault. If I had manned up in the first place, you wouldn’t have been captured. Forgive me, please.”
Such torture in those dark blue eyes. Pain. It wasn’t right.
“Nick, you are not responsible for what those animals did. Not you, my brother, or anyone but those bastards and the monster they work for. Let’s not place the blame anywhere but where it squarely belongs, all right? Because as long as we’re all sitting around beating ourselves up, they’re in control.”
After a moment, he gave her a tentative smile. “I have a smart woman for a mate. I’m lucky.”
“So you truly acknowledge me?” Her heart pounded in excitement.
“Yes, Calla.” Leaning over, he brushed his lips over hers. “We’re mates. I’m sorry I didn’t stay to talk it over with you before, at the falls. I’m yours, just as much as you’re mine. I feel it, and so does my wolf.”
Taking a shaky breath, she nodded. “What do we do now?”
“Well, mates are almost always stronger together than they are apart. I suggest I remain here with my team while we’re battling this new threat to your coven. We take the time we need to cement our bond. Then, when things settle down, we can decide where to live.”
The last part gave her pause. One of them would have to move away from family and friends. Calla or a guard could teleport Nick back and forth to work at the Alpha Pack’s compound, but he should probably live on-site. That meant—
“You’re thinking too hard.” Smiling, he ran a finger down her cheek. “One step at a time, okay?”
“Sounds like the best solution.” She tried to relax. “So, when are you busting me out of here?”
“Patience, baby. You just woke up after a pretty serious scare, and the doctor needs to clear you before I take you back to your chambers for complete bed rest. No arguments.”
“You’re quite the hard-ass, Commander,” she teased.
“And don’t you forget it.” He paused, growing serious again. “I have to ask. Did they touch you, sexually?” The last word was soft, as though he’d forced it out.
