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A loud ring disturbed Sophie from her slumber. She rolled, colliding with something hard. Her eyes popped open, but the room was pitch black. An arm reached out and grasped her, tugging her further into the firm body behind her.
She inhaled sharply, her heart pattering faster until she breathed in Callum’s scent. His musky smell relaxed her and she let her eyes flutter closed again, preparing to go back to sleep until there was another loud ring.
Callum let go of her and shot up, scrubbing a hand over his face. He went to the phone on the end table, answering it with a gruff hello.
He was silent for a few moments before speaking in a low grumble. She got up and went to the bag of clothes they’d bought, finding a pair of flannel pants and a tee. She motioned to the bathroom when Callum looked her way. He waved her on as he continued to talk on the phone.
She went in and turned on the shower, getting the water hot enough to fog up the mirror. She stuck her hand in and reveled at the heat. At the compound she’d always taken lukewarm showers; the water never got hot. It was probably something the hunters did to poke fun at her in some way. Heaven forbid she know what a hot shower was.
Sophie stripped out of her jeans and shirt and jumped in, washing the dirt and grime away from the past few days. Used to showering quickly, she was done in several minutes. Not wanting to be wasteful and suddenly starving, she ended her shower, dressed, and met Callum in the front room.
“That was Patrice earlier. Nate and his team will be here around ten tomorrow morning. They made it all the way into Canada following a lead they thought was us,” Callum said.
“Were we close to Canada?” she asked, trying to think of where they had been geographically.
“No. I don’t think so,” he said.
“Terrence?”
“I suppose it’s possible,” Callum said. “I don’t know. Anyway, their lead went cold so they have nothing.”
“That stinks. I hope Terrence is okay. He saved us. I’d hate for his good deed to land him back in our enemies’ hands,” she said as she sat on the edge of the bed. If he’d been recaptured, his fate was already sealed. There was no way the hunters would let him live after he’d escaped once.
“Hopefully that means he’s not at the hunters’ headquarters,” Callum said.
“I hope you’re right,” she said with a nod.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, changing the subject.
Her stomach growled in answer.
Callum grinned. “It’s late, but I found a flyer for a twenty-four-hour pizzeria that delivers here.”
“Pizza,” she said quietly. “I’ve never had it.”
He lifted his brow. “Never?”
She shook her head. “It looks good and I know it smells wonderful.”
Callum’s face dipped down into a scowl as realization must have dawned on him. She looked away, heat creeping over her cheeks. There was so much living that she’d missed out on. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a breath.
“What do you say we order it? Everyone needs to try pizza at least once.”
“I’d like that.”
“Pepperoni and cheese? Or are you feeling adventurous?”
Sophie chewed on her lower lip. “Let’s just do pepperoni and cheese tonight. Maybe next time we can get something more interesting.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll have them send up two bottles of soda. Do you have a preference?”
She shrugged. Lou always drank regular cola, but he’d never let her have any of it. All the knowledge she’d gained during her captivity did little to ease the pain of missing out on life experiences.
Callum nodded and offered her a tight-lipped smile. He picked up the phone and dialed, placing the phone to his ear. He ordered two large pizzas and what sounded like a ton of drinks. He hung up and turned back to her.
“I got one of everything for the drinks. That way you can pick out your favorite,” he said.
“Really? Thank you.” It was a simple gesture, but thoughtful nonetheless.
He shrugged. “Sure. You can’t have pizza without soda and there are so many great choices to choose from. I didn’t think you should be limited to a few since I’m guessing you’ve never had it before either.”
Sophie shook her head, confirming his suspicions, but felt like she could explain her situation to him. “Lou was nice to me in some respects, but I was still a prisoner there, and he made sure I knew it,” she said as she picked up the edge of the blanket to play with it.
“What exactly was your relationship with...Lou?”
Sophie licked her lips. “They were supposed to experiment on me when I was a child. He didn’t. Instead he took me under his wing.”
“Why?”
“I saw a picture in his desk drawer one time by accident. It was of a little girl. She kind of looked like me. We had the same eye and hair color. I think I reminded him of her. It was both a blessing and a curse,” she said quietly.
“It kept you safe.”
“And I’m thankful for that, but I could always tell that I wasn’t quite right in his eyes. I was never her.”
“What happened to him? Didn’t you say he died?” Callum asked.
She nodded. “It was awful. I suppose he had it coming with everything he was doing, but...” She trailed off as a lump forced in her throat. Tears pricked her eyes and she looked away from Callum, ashamed. The man had held her prisoner for years and she was getting choked up over his death. It was wrong, but she couldn’t help it.
“It’s okay to care about someone who was good to you when no one else was, even if they did it in a backwards way,” Callum said.
Sophie nodded. “Thanks. He was injecting some drugs into a wolf shifter that been captured. The wolf must have had a surge of adrenaline because they shifted their paw, catching Lou across the throat. He bled out in seconds. There was nothing I or anyone else could have done for him.” She sniffled and dabbed at her eyes.
“Did you help with the experiments?” Callum asked, his voice dropping.
Sophie shifted her weight on the bed. Guilt plagued at her conscience. How many times had she wondered if she should do something – in some way help out the men and women who came into Lou’s exam room? Too many to count. In her gut she knew there was nothing more she could’ve done, but it still bothered her that she didn’t do anything but offer them comfort. “No. Not exactly. I documented for Lou. I know I should have done something – I wanted to thousands of times—”
“You don’t have to beat yourself up, Sophie. Protesting or fighting wouldn’t have changed their fates. They were going to be tortured regardless, and had you resisted you would have met their same fate. All shifters know the stories. Once we’re captured there is no escape. It was pure luck Xander and Eden managed to get away. Someone was looking down on them. You know that, right?”
It was nice to hear him confirm her thoughts. “I know. I did what I could for them when possible, but it doesn’t seem like enough,” Sophie said as she stared at the carpeted floor. The painkillers and sleeping medicine she’d slipped countless shifters over the years was nowhere near enough to forgive everything she’d turned a blind eye to.
The bed dipped as Callum sat next to her. “You did what you could. That’s all any of us can do in a situation like that.”
“Thanks,” she said.
“I’ve had to make tough choices too.”
She turned to look at him.
Callum cleared his throat. “My team and I, we go out and rescue shifters that are in distress. I’ve had to make tough decisions too. There have been times where we’ve rescued members of a family, but had to watch others be dragged away by the hunters because there were too many of them to fight. We all have to make difficult decisions.”
“How do you live then?” Sophie asked, meeting his eyes.
“I tell myself that I did everything possible without jeopardizing my entire mission. We save as many lives as we can without putting ourselves or the larger group in danger.”
Sophie nodded. His words made sense, but it did little to help the guilt gnawing at her.
A loud knock at the door brought them both out of their thoughts.
“I bet that’s pizza.” Callum hopped up and went to the door, opening it. He talked for a minute to the guy at the door then turned around, closing it with his bare foot. He carried two large boxes and a bag stuffed full of twenty-ounce sodas.
He set both of them on the table and motioned to the bag. “Pick one to try first.”
She got up and padded across the carpet to the table. Her fingers tiptoed across the bottles until she stopped on root beer. She plucked it out and twisted the cap open.
Callum nodded at her and she lifted it to her lips, taking a swig of the bubbly soda. The cool liquid slid down her throat and she closed her eyes, savoring the taste.
“Good?” Callum asked.
“It’s really good.” She took another gulp.
Callum opened the pizza and slid the box to her. “Here. Try this, too.”
Sophie set the soda down and picked up a slice, biting into the warm gooey food. She chewed it slowly and swallowed.
“Well?” Callum asked as he picked up his own piece.
“It’s better than I thought it’d be,” she said as she took another bite. “Thank you.”
“Everyone has to eat pizza once in their life,” he said as he took another bite.
“You’ve been so kind to me. I truly appreciate it,” she said, setting her food down as she looked at him.
“You don’t need to thank me.”
She picked up her food again, continuing to eat. They finished the meal in silence. Sophie got up and helped him clean up.
“I think I might take a shower and turn on the TV, if that’s okay,” Callum said as he shoved the leftover drinks and pizza in the fridge.
“Sure. I’m not too tired right now. I’ll find us something to watch.”
Callum picked up the remote and handed it to her. Their fingers grazed, causing her to gasp at the contact. He was so warm.
“I’ll be out in a bit.” Callum jerked his hand back from hers and went to the bag of clothes.
Sophie ran a hand through her hair and let out a breath. She fiddled with the remote as she went to the bed, turning the TV on. Flipping through the channels, she paused at a news broadcast. On the screen was an image of her, Callum, and Terrence in their animal forms. The newswoman went on to say how there had been no other sightings since that day, but residents in the area were still urged to use caution.
“Looks like we caused quite the ruckus,” Callum said from behind her.
Sophie jumped, not realizing he was so close. He made his way to the bed and got situated in the spot next to her.
“I guess so,” she said, relaxing back into the pillows. “Is that a bad thing?”
He was shirtless, his hair still wet from the shower. She bit her lip, allowing her gaze to sweep over him.
“They won’t find us.” Callum shook his head. “I’m sure they will have some questions – they’ll just never get answered.”
She forced her gaze back to the TV, watching for a few moments as the reporter expanded on the story.
“It’s nothing to worry about,” Callum said. “The world doesn’t know about us. Shifting has its benefits. Speaking of shifting, you should probably do it again soon. The more practice the better, and the less painful it will be. Plus your body craves the transformation.”
“There was something freeing about running as a tiger. Obviously I can’t transition here,” she said, motioning to the room.
“No, I suppose not. But you could practice partial shifts.”
“Partial shifts,” she repeated slowly. “What’s that? I mean, I know what it is, I’ve seen shifters do just their hands or their eyes, but do you think I’m ready for that? I’ve only shifted once in my entire life.”
Callum shrugged. “Everyone has to start somewhere. It’s a good way to appease your animal half on nights like tonight where we can’t get out.”
“How do I do it?” she asked, curious.
“It’s not hard really. Why don’t we start with something easy like your eyes?”
“Okay,” she said.
“Close them.”
She did as he said.
“Good. Now think about your tiger’s eyes. How sharp and crisp everything is when you look through them.”
Sophie did as he asked, remembering the way her vision had enhanced the other day when she’d been a tiger. Her face went numb and she inhaled a deep breath, recognizing the odd tingles zipping through her face as a sign of her change.
“Did I do it?” she asked opening her eyes.
The room looked different, not because it was but because she had indeed done it. Her vision and hearing had always been impeccable in her human form, but now as a cat it was even better. Leaning forward, she smiled. She could even hear the rhythmic thrum of Callum’s heart beating.
She lifted her fingers to her face. Fur had spread across her cheekbones and her nose was flatter than it should be. Her ears were fuzzy and pointed too, but her vision was what she cared about. She’d done it. Maybe not as well as some of the others who could do just their eyes, but she’d take the small win that she had.
“You did good,” Callum said as she met his gaze. A wide grin was on his face and he was closer than she thought he was. She swallowed as her eyes dipped down to his full lips, then looked away.
She shook her head and let out a breath as her face tingled again, returning to normal.
“That was pretty cool,” she said with a giggle.
“I thought you might like it.”
“How often can I do that? How long until I can do just my eyes?” she asked.
“You can do it as often as you like. The more you do it, the better control you’ll have,” he said.
“So you can do just your eyes?” Sophie asked.
Callum closed his eyes, opening them a few seconds later. The stormy grey was gone, replaced by an onyx color. Before she could stop herself, she reached out and touched his face by his temples. He stayed where he was, letting her move her fingers down his cheek before she let her hand drop back to her lap.
He shut his eyes again and reopened them, allowing them to return to their natural color. “The key is to transition the animal parts of you that will be most effective depending on what the situation calls for. My eyesight isn’t very different as a bear, so I probably wouldn’t change it regardless of the situation. But say we were in a fight, I’d focus on my hands.” He flexed his fist and Sophie watched as hair sprouted out and his hand grew, doubling in size as it became a giant paw. “A good hit with my paw will knock anyone out.”
Sophie reached out and trailed her fingers over his furry paw. It was soft to the touch, but she had no doubt that it could do a lot of damage if Callum wanted it to.
He curled his paw inward, gently clasping her palm as if they were holding hands. She licked her lips, surprised by the tenderness of it.
His bones snapped and realigned. The bear paw was gone, replaced by a human hand. Callum’s thumb rubbed tiny circles onto the back of her hand, causing her to swallow. It felt nice – better than nice. Heat raced through her, awakening parts of her body she’d never thought any man would ever touch.
Callum shook his head and released her hand, turning back to the TV.
She let out a breath, wondering what in the world had just happened as she stared at the screen. The news was still on and they’d moved onto another story that she had no interest in.
Sophie flipped the station to another channel. There wasn’t really anything on, so she handed the remote to Callum. “Maybe you’ll have better luck finding something than me.”
His fingers glided against hers again as they exchanged the remote. She sucked in a deep breath when his eyes flicked to hers.
She inched forward. Her heart pounded in her chest as Callum closed the distance, pressing his lips against hers. His mouth opened and his tongue darted out. The kiss was everything she thought a kiss should be and more. She loved the way his tongue glided against hers and continued to explore her mouth. It rolled over her teeth, tracing them. One of his hands went to the small of her back as he rolled his tongue, pressing his firm chest against hers.
Her hands went to his shoulders, sliding over the planes until her fingers threaded in his hair. Lifting her leg, she wrapped it around his hip, gasping when his hard length pressed against her inner thigh. He felt large. Heat scorched through her and she moaned, wanting to feel so much more of him. As a prisoner, she’d feared the men who kept watch over her, but with Callum she felt safe – safer than she’d felt in years.
Callum pulled back. “Sophie,” he said, staring intently into her eyes.
She licked her lips between pants. He was giving her a chance to back out, but she didn’t want it. Her chest heaved as she forced words to come out, “I want you.”
Lou had kept her safe. No man had ever touched her before, and she was thankful for that. She wanted her first time to be wonderful and she couldn’t imagine being with anyone else aside from Callum. He was a wonderful man, and he was stirring things inside her that she didn’t even know were possible.
His mouth crushed against hers again. She parted her lips, this time moving her tongue against his. Butterflies fluttered in her belly as her fingers ran down his muscled back.
She dipped her fingers lower, skimming them beneath the waistband of his pants until she gripped his butt with her hands. Callum groaned, his mouth moving down her jawbone to her neck. He took her earlobe between his lips and sucked before flicking his tongue over it.
Sophie gripped him tighter with her leg, wanting to feel more of him. She arched her back until she was pressed fully against the werebear.
Callum pulled back and she whimpered as he sat up. His hands went to her shirt, rolling the fabric up and over her head. One of his large hands went to her breast. Gently he pinched her nipple, rolling the bud between his fingers. She closed her eyes as he cupped her other peak. When his mouth found hers again, she slipped her tongue between his parted lips and traced it over his teeth.
He tasted like mint and his musky cologne sent warmth spreading through her. She tiptoed her fingers down his chest until they were at the front of his pants. Her heart kicked up as she slipped her fingers inside the waistband and continued down until she found his long, thick shaft.
Callum was larger than she’d first thought. She shivered at the idea of him thrusting his length into her as she pumped her hand up and down his cock. He moaned, pinching her nipples harder before lowering one of his hands to her pants and dipping it inside.
She held her breath as his fingers crept over her mound and pushed her panties aside. When he inserted his fingers she bucked up off the bed, screaming from the sheer pleasure of his touch.
He chuckled against his lips as he set a steady rhythm pumping in and out of her. His other hand caught her wrist, pulling it from his pants and pinning it above her head. Then he took her other hand and put it there too. He clasped both her wrists with one hand, holding them in place.
Then he dipped his head down, licking her tender breast before sucking it into his mouth. She hissed at the warm feel of his mouth, reveling in the way he was making her feel.
Sophie rocked her hips against his palm as warmth blossomed in her belly. She drew in shallow breaths as Callum increased the pressure on her core while rubbing his thumb against her clit.
“Come for me, Sophie,” he said against her breast as he continued to suck the tight bud.
Even though he held her wrists, she managed to grab onto the headboard and squeeze it. Pleasure overtook her, causing her to cry out loud enough for the whole hotel to hear.
Callum didn’t stop his movements, but he did move his mouth to hers, capturing her screams with his lips. His tongue dove into her mouth and ran alongside hers as he let go of her wrists. She dug her fingers into his shoulders as she rode out the waves of bliss.
When the fire began to dwindle, Callum removed his fingers as he pulled away from her. He stuck them in his mouth and sucked her juices off them. She watched as he hummed his enjoyment.
“You taste wonderful, Sophie,” he said as he placed a chaste kiss to her lips.
She swallowed as he stood, lowering his pants until they pooled on the floor at his feet. His large cock sprang up to greet her and she opened her mouth. It was much bigger than she’d imagined.
Her core ached with want as she stared at the drizzle of precum on his length. She lifted her hips and removed her pants as Callum climbed back on the bed.
He nestled himself between her thighs. Then, using one hand he took his shaft and guided the tip toward her entrance. He rubbed the tip against her and she bit her lip while wiggling her hips, eager to feel him inside her.
Callum slipped inside, stretching her. A moment of pain filled her before she relaxed as a wonderful friction built in her. He set a steady pace, pushing in and out.
Sophie wrapped her legs around his waist, locking them at the ankle. It drew him deeper and she marveled at the feel. The sensation was indescribable – unlike anything she ever thought possible.
After everything her sister had endured, she’d never thought she’d want a man, let alone crave his touch. Callum was unlike anyone she’d ever met. He was a good man who had already gone out of his way to save her countless times. She was thankful to experience this with him, and she hoped this was more than a one-time thing. I don’t ever want this to end.
She lifted her head so she could nibble on his earlobe as he’d done to her earlier. He groaned in response. Feeling bold, she flicked her tongue over his ear, loving the way he thrust against her harder.
He lowered his head, and kissed her forehead, placing open-mouthed kisses from her temple to her lips. When their mouths met, she drew in a breath as his tongue began to mimic his cock’s thrust.
The familiar tingling built inside her until she teetered on the edge once again. Callum seemed to sense this, pushing into her harder, faster. She toppled over the edge.
Callum kissed her hard, moving his hips wildly against hers. She clutched him harder, his movements enhancing her orgasm until she thought she might combust. He stiffened, growling as he came.
They lay together, panting, their limbs still entwined. Callum placed his forehead against hers, giving her soft kisses before rolling off. He pulled her with him so that she ended up nestled in his side.
She rested her hand on his chest, and her head in the crook of his neck, closing her eyes.
“Did I hurt you?” he asked.
“No,” she said still breathless while wondering if he somehow knew this was her first time. She certainly hadn’t said anything, but had she given herself away somehow?
“Good.” He kissed her temple.
“Why do you ask?”
He turned to her and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Just making sure. Sometimes I don’t realize my own strength.”
Sophie ran her hand up and down his bicep, feeling the bulging muscle. He was definitely a force to be reckoned with, but he hadn’t hurt her. In fact, she felt blissfully wonderful. “I feel great.”
Callum smiled. “Me too.”
She scratched the back of her neck as a tingling sensation raced over it. When it didn’t stop, she itched harder.
Callum put his hand on the back of his neck, his eyes narrowing as he watched her. He sat up while still holding her close. Shoving her hair back, he put his fingers on the spot where the weird sensation was.
“Is something there?” she asked.
“Uh, yeah.”
She frowned at his awkward response, but didn’t move as his fingers continued to trail over her skin. “What is it?”
He cleared his throat. “A mating mark.”