Land of Wolves

Chapter 68

Caleb's breathing is steady, with a deep inhale followed by a two-second pause and a slow exhale. I appreciate the pattern, and I count it when my thoughts grow too loud in my head. Too many of them are swirling around my mind, and it's beyond overwhelming.

Objectively, I understand I'm in a state of shock.

I slide my fingers up Caleb's arms, trailing the tips over the curve of his elbow before traveling up the side of his bicep. His skin pebbles wherever I touch it, but there are still no shocks. I grew so used to feeling them that I hardly even noticed, but it's incredibly apparent now that they're gone.

I should have never taken them for granted.

A pained noise slips out of my throat, and I grimace as I hear it. I sound pathetic.

Caleb must sense my disappointment as he grabs my wrist to still my hand.

"I'm on a suppressant," he explains. "It weakens my wolf and slows my healing, but it also numbs the mate bond."

I press my lips together as I digest that information. I've never heard of such a suppressant before, and I clear my throat before pulling back to look Caleb in the eye. There's no reason for him to lie to me about that, but I'm sure I would've heard about a suppressant that weakens wolves and numbs the mate bonds if one existed.

Caleb's lips curl into an easy smile.

"HPAW doesn't know," he says.

HPAW doesn't know? Why would Caleb tell me something HPAW doesn't know? Without thinking, I bring my hand to my collarbone and press into the small bandage where Greg cut the chip from me.

"I..." I begin to say.

"Adam told me what happened," Caleb says, interrupting my apology. "That HPAW put an audio and location tracking chip in you."

Guilt suffocates me, weighing me down until I'm pretty sure I'm nothing more than it.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper, unsure what else to say.

What else is there to say? I betrayed the wolves. Despite how hard I tried to prove I wasn't working with HPAW, I provided them with information at every step. They heard everything I did, and the location tracking ensured I led them directly to Caleb's pack.

They know where his home is, his office, literally everything.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Evelyn," Caleb says, cupping my head.

He slips his fingers through my hair before guiding me forward, his gaze locked on my lips. I know exactly what he's doing, and I shut my eyes just moments before his mouth meets mine. Adam and I were trapped in the HPAW facility for less than a week, but it feels like it's been lifetimes since Caleb and I last kissed.

I missed it.

Caleb moans, a quiet, deep sound that emerges from his throat as he tightens his grip on the back of my head and wraps his other arm around me. He presses my chest against his, not allowing for even an inch of space between us.

I'm sure not complaining.

His lips are soft, and when he tilts his head slightly to the side, I happily follow his lead and deepen the kiss. I slide my hands to his pecs, curling my fingers into the firm muscle. I wish he weren't wearing a hospital robe so I could feel his bare skin, but I'll take what I can get.

"You have no idea how scared I've been," Caleb whispers, pulling away.

He trails his lips to my neck, peppering my skin with soft kisses until he reaches my shoulder and makes his way back up. I shiver, my blood rushing through my ears and my heart pounding. The sparks may be suppressed, but that doesn't change how my body reacts to his touch.