With Everything I Am (31 page)

She missed his answering growl because it was then Queen Sonia slid into an abandoned sleep. Surrounded, connected, protected, possessed, contented and beautifully full of her king.

* * * * *

Sonia’s sleeping body was shifted, the nightgown pulled up. Her arms, unresisting, rising to make this task easy and the nightgown was swept away.

Then she was curled, pulled close, a strong arm circling her waist, molding her body down the side of Callum’s hard one.

She rested her cheek against his pectoral and snaked an arm around his flat stomach.

She started to shift into sleep as he murmured, “The days, I can forget, baby doll. But the nights…” his voice dropped to a hoarse growl, filled with intense feeling, “the nights will be torture knowing I won’t have this for eternity.”

Even if she was conscious enough to process his words, she wouldn’t have understood them.

However, she wasn’t conscious enough for he’d barely uttered his last word before she was asleep.

* * * * *

Soft and fleeting, the touch of fingers trailing the pinpricks on her upper buttocks drifted. The same when the fingers became lips, something about them Sonia couldn’t hold onto but it felt as if the touch yearned to be healing.

Then Sonia was being lifted.

Then she was cradled in the warm cocoon of Callum sitting, back to the headboard, fully-clothed, in her bed.

Still half asleep in his arms, she nuzzled closer, burying her face in his neck.

His fingers invaded between her legs, toying, playing.

“The men are here.”

“Mm,” she replied, pressing into his hand, seeking even in her sleep.

“Sonia?” he called.

“Play with me before you go,” she urged.

His arm about her tightened, his neck twisted and she felt his lips at her temple and then Callum did as she asked.

When she was finished, he lifted her again, settled her in bed and tucked her stuffed wolf in her arms.

Mostly asleep, she drifted further into sated oblivion.

Her eyes fluttered but remained closed when his lips glided along the curve of her ear, at the same time his hand went between her legs from behind and his fingers entered her again.

She lifted her bottom in reflexive invitation.

His fingers slid out, gliding lazily through the folds of her wetness, his mouth still at her ear, his voice husky when he stated admiringly, “Always in heat, my greedy, little queen.”

Then his hand disappeared, her hips settled and Sonia clutched her wolf closer as Callum tucked her tight in the bedclothes and she drifted off to sleep.

* * * * *

And this was to be the rhythm of Sonia’s life for a while.

Nights (and often during the days besides) being forced by the irresistible urge to “play” as she learned Callum called it. Sometimes rough, sometimes sweet but always ending up devoured by it. And, often in the nights, desperate to keep him close, to feel whole, sliding off her knees, Callum still inside, and falling asleep with his weight surrounding her, him filling her.

Mornings were spent cocooned in his arms as Callum gave her more of what her body craved and left her tucked safe in her bed in a way her mind wished it could truly be.
 

All of this leaving her feeling pampered, desired, protected and adored.

* * * * *

But Sonia spent her days steadfastly guarding her heart against a king who apparently wanted his queen to believe she was much desired, much adored, definitely pampered and even cherished.

Which meant that Sonia had to guard her heart with a growing ferocity that, the longer she did it, the more the bitterness built.

Chapter Thirteen

Party

“Callum, this is Jay and Jo, my neighbors from down the street, and their boys Jed and Jake,” Sonia introduced Callum to the family who’d just arrived at her Christmas Party. “Guys, I’d like you to meet my new husband, Callum.”

Callum heard Jo gasp and saw Jay’s eyes grow wide in shock and this was about the same reaction as everyone had when they met him.

His fingers, resting at Sonia’s hip, tensed reflexively.

Even though it was a human word that meant little to him as it meant little to many humans, he fucking loved it when Sonia called him “husband”.

And tonight she’d been doing that a great deal.

The family recovered from their surprise and the man thrust his hand out to shake Callum’s.

“We’re the ‘J’ family,” he announced. Then, strangely, to Callum’s way of thinking (but many things humans did Callum thought were strange), removed himself from the family legacy his wife clearly created by declaring with practiced embarrassment. “It was Jo’s idea.”

Callum’s eyes went to Jo. “It’s a good idea. My mother had the same. My brothers’ names are Calder, Caleb and Calvin.”

Sonia’s body stiffened beside him which he completely ignored. She did this often for reasons sometimes unknown, sometimes she’d tell him. He had decided in the three weeks he’d known her that if it was important, she’d tell him which she didn’t have the least problem doing. The other times weren’t worth concerning himself with.

“You’re the ‘Cal’ family,” Jo declared brightly, giving her husband an annoyed nudge with her elbow.

“We are,” Callum stated proudly.

“Jed, Jake, your presents are under the tree,” Sonia said, her eyes fond on the two young lads. “Go and –”

She didn’t finish. The boys raced to the tree, both of them ending their dash dropping to their knees on a skid.

“They love your presents best every year,” Jo confided and Callum turned back to see she’d leaned toward Sonia. “It’s giving me a complex,” she added jokingly.

That night Callum learned many people loved Sonia’s presents best every year. Indeed that night Callum learned Sonia gave
everyone
presents they loved best every year. He’d never seen anything like her casual generosity.

Another in a myriad of ways he’d found in the three weeks he’d had his queen that she was absolutely, fucking perfect.

“Um, it wasn’t
my
skateboards I saw them racing each other on, fruitlessly I might add, through the snow on the sidewalks on Christmas day last year,” Sonia replied on a smile.

“So!” Jay boomed, butting into the women’s conversation and glancing between the two of them. “This is unexpected, though we’ve seen a lot of activity at your house lately,” Jay informed them, eyes speculative, declaring openly his neighborly prying, something else humans did that mystified Callum. Wolves let other wolves be. If they wanted to share, which they usually did, they’d share. Uninvited inquisitiveness might get your throat torn out by another wolf’s teeth, a strong deterrent. “Married!” Jay continued. “That’s a big surprise. How did you two meet?”

Sonia tensed and opened her mouth to reply but, as usual that night, Callum got there before her.

“We didn’t meet. I saw her and thought she was the prettiest woman I’d ever laid eyes on. I grabbed her, carried her up to my cabin in the mountains and spent three days talking her into marrying me. She agreed, we did the deed and came back down the mountain.”

Callum liked this story.
 

He liked it because of the hilarious reactions of the humans.

“You…
what?
” Jay asked while Jo blinked at him, repeatedly and rapidly.

“He’s joking!” Sonia exclaimed, going directly into damage control, as usual that night after he told this tale, leaning into him and patting his stomach. Now her pats were much harder than they were at the beginning of the evening but they were still puny, as female human pats tended to be. Or likely male ones, for that matter, though Callum had never been patted by a male, nor would he ever be. “We’ve known each other forever,” she went on. “It almost feels like we knew each other since before we were born. I met him when I was seventeen. It’s been an off and on, long-distance relationship. I never knew it would come to this but when he surprisingly asked me, I said yes right away. We decided not to waste any more time so we eloped.”

Callum liked Sonia’s story better.

What he liked best of all was that they were both, mostly, true.

Suddenly, Jo’s eyes bugged out, she leaned forward and grasped Sonia’s hand.

Callum stiffened.

This party was not in the least like a party a wolf would throw. For one thing, no one had shown up smashed. For another thing, even though it started an hour ago, still no one was smashed. That said, he was enjoying himself immensely, mainly due to being with Sonia who was taking great pleasure in entertaining her friends and being with the people who clearly cared about her.

However, he was having more than a little difficulty with humans, female and male, touching his mate. The wolf’s protective instinct of their mate was naturally strong. Callum’s protective instinct for his queen was stronger. Callum’s protective instinct for Sonia was immeasurable. You didn’t approach a wolf’s mate without permission, certainly not if you were a stranger to that wolf and you definitely didn’t touch her.
 

Even so, tonight amongst Sonia’s people, he couldn’t give in to the instinct. If he had, her beautifully clinical living room would be littered with unconscious bodies.

“My God!” Jo cried. “Your ring is
gorgeous!
”

“Oh Lord,” Jay told the ceiling as his eyes had rolled there. “Here we go.”

Jo examined Sonia’s ring closer, not taking her eyes from it but still managed to bicker. “Well it
is
, Jay,” she yanked Sonia’s hand toward her husband, “look at it.”

Jay didn’t look at Sonia’s ring.

He turned aggrieved eyes to Callum, seeking male camaraderie. “She’s always on me to buy her a bigger ring.”

He didn’t find his camaraderie as Callum replied abruptly, “So do it.”

It was Jay’s turn to blink, Sonia’s turn to stiffen but Jo burst out laughing.

“I like him,” she said to Sonia, releasing Sonia’s hand and jerking her head at Callum. “If I didn’t like all that was
him,
” she boldly gestured to Callum from top-to-toe, “then I’d like his accent. If I didn’t like
that
then I’d
still
like him.”

Sonia relaxed and smiled at Jo, as did Callum, deciding that he also liked Jo.

“If you want to make nice with the men in the neighborhood,” Jay advised with forced joviality, “you might want to take a little care.”

“It’s highly unlikely Sonia and I will be settling here,” Callum announced.

Sonia went rock-solid at his side and Jed and Jake, who were rushing up to them with their unwrapped presents in their hands, skidded to a halt and the cheerful expressions on their faces melted.

“Sonny’s moving?” Jed, or Jake, Callum didn’t know which was which, whispered.

“We haven’t decided yet,” Sonia said swiftly with a radiant smile at the boy and quickly changed subjects. “So, what do you think? Do you like them?”

The boys, as children do, human or wolf, immediately remembered their presents. Their faces lit and Jake (or Jed), shouted, “They’re
awesome!
”

Then both boys ran forward and gave her awkward yet genuine hugs which forced Callum to release her.

This he didn’t mind. Children were no threat.

Further, he liked watching Sonia’s relaxed, innate affection for the boys. Something which he hoped, very soon, he’d be witnessing between her and their own children.

“I’m hungry,” Jay announced and then made another try at friendly discourse with Callum. “Sonia always puts on the best spread.”

This, to Callum’s way of thinking, wasn’t true. Although there was a good deal of food and every bite-sized item he had tasted was appetizing, there wasn’t enough meat, there wasn’t enough cheese and there wasn’t a single thing that required a knife and fork. Most people took a small, white, china plate and a napkin and saw them through.

The minute Callum had seen the caterers laying out the fare, he’d been alarmed. Although no one but the other wolves in attendance had his reaction.

Wolves did
not
do finger food.

“You’ll undoubtedly not be disappointed this year,” Callum told Jay with truthfulness.

“Go in, help yourselves.” Sonia invited, giving Jed (or Jake) a playful cuff on the head and Jake (or Jed) a teasing shove on the shoulder as they walked toward the dining room table.

Then she seemed to be moving away from him, which Callum didn’t like so he hooked an arm around her waist and curled her front to front. Her eyes lifted to his and he knew she was pissed.

He grinned.

Callum even liked it when she was angry. He was pleased his queen had spirit and fire. Immensely pleased.

Her gaze narrowed on his grin and when her eyes came back to his she irately commanded, “Would you
stop
telling that story?”

“No,” he calmly replied.

She growled low in her throat.

Callum chuckled low in his.

Then she suddenly asked, “Who’s Calvin?”

He felt the pain slash through his gut, his arm tightened convulsively around her and his grin died.

“My brother,” he replied tersely.

At his instantaneous reaction, sweet Sonia’s eyes were no longer narrowed but searching.

Then, her voice much softer, she enquired, “Brother?”

“Died. In battle. Years ago.” His words were short and curt and he didn’t try to gentle them because this effort would be impossible.

Her body jerked lightly in his arm then it, too, went soft and settled against his.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He was too, more than he could say.

Callum didn’t reply.

“I shouldn’t have asked but I was surprised. You’d never mentioned him,” she told him.

“He was the youngest of us, we didn’t protect him. It’s not a subject we discuss.”

He felt her heave a fluttering, little sigh and she lifted a hand and curled her fingers around his neck, murmuring, “Callum.”

He wished he’d had her years ago when Calvin fell. That sweet sigh, the touch at his neck, the feel of her yielding body pressed to his, the murmur of his name would have gone far in soothing the grief. He knew this because it was something it did now.