When Callie surfaced from her memories, she wasn't sure where reality began and her dreams ended. She was comfortable and she was safe, or so the voices said. Perhaps she was dead. Yes, that would explain the chorus of people around her.
Everything smelled of Vik. Every breath marred with his scent. Yet she did not hear his voice. Surely death wouldn't deprive her of him.
So, when she opened her eyes, she couldn't help but glare at the warm and welcoming faces of J, Cassidy, Leah, Kelsey and J's grandmother.
"Callie," J said warmly, reaching for her hand.
Callie rolled her eyes and glared at the ghost of the she-wolf. "Even in death I can't catch a break," she muttered, sitting up on the bed.
It was Vik's bed, they were in Vik's shack. So her ever after had taken her to the place she felt safest in the world, had surrounded her with people she loved but still prevented her from being with the one she loved the most.
J recoiled from her obvious disappointment and shared a confused glanced with Cassidy who shifted forwards, taking a seat on the bed beside Callie. "You OK, kid?" she asked, an echo of another conversation they'd had.
So her imagination could recreate conversations she'd had with Cassidy but couldn't recreate one of the nights she'd spent wrapped around Vik? Now that just wasn't fair.
"This is so ridiculous," she muttered, "what next? I remember the thrilling time I did the washing up?"
She growled and angrily crossed her arms over her chest. "Death sucks," she muttered again.
"Callie, you're not dead," J said with laugh.
Callie narrowed her eyes. "Of course I am. That's why you're all here. But I'd ask why my brain can concoct all of this," she said, waving her arm around the room. "Can have me remember conversations I've had with you guys, but can't just cut me a break and let me reminisce having mind blowing sex with Vik."
The she-wolves around her recoiled in shock. A surprised giggle from Kelsey shattering the silence.
"I'm just saying!" Callie yelled, her voice shrill.
The door rattled and opened, and Vik walked in to the silent room.
Callie's eyebrow rose in suspicion. "Oh, you're here."
Judging by the flash of surprise across his face, those were not he words he was expecting.
As other faces began to appear behind him, first Jake and then Jonathon and then the others, a rising feeling of panic had Callie burying her face in her hands.
"I'm not dead am I?"
Somebody laughed awkwardly.
"No, Cal'. You're still alive and kicking," J said kindly, aware of Callie's rising embarrassment as her cheeks flushed pink.
"Kill me now," Callie muttered as the bed dipped beside her and hands pulled her hands from her face. "Vik," Callie breathed in relief.
He stared at her silently, drinking in every detail on her face, his wolf doing the same, before he leant forwards and kissed her, hard.
Kelsey's wolf whistle was drowned out by voices demanding that that was enough. Callie laughed softly as Vik pulled back, leaning his forehead against hers. His hands cupped her face, rubbing her skin softly. "I thought I'd lost you."
Callie smiled and shook her head, placing her hands on top of his. "I'm not that easily to get rid of."
The sad smile he gave her nearly broke her heart. "Don't even joke," he whispered, leaning back but not before planting a soft kiss on the back of her hand.
Callie reluctantly tore her eyes from him to scan the room. Her family had come when called. Well nearly everyone.
"Where's Saf?"
Leah shrugged. "We needed a baby sitter and she's pregnant so we didn't want her to travel."
Callie nodded. "You guys were at Rootbridge?" she asked Jonathon and Zander.
"Yeh, I wanted Leah to check Saf out. We have our own healer but..."
"But he doesn't trust anyone with his precious mate," Zander said with an eye roll.
Callie smiled, enjoying the familiar pattern of her family's quirks. "I bet he's been insufferable," she teased.
Zander, catching on, nodded enthusiastically. "You have no idea."
"I'm right here, you know," Jonathon muttered, elbowing Zander in the ribs. "Just wait until you both have a cub on the way and then tell me I'm being too much."
Callie laughed at the absurdity of the thought before remembering that maybe it wasn't so strange anymore. Her laughter stalled as her eyes flicked to Vik to find him having the same thought.
Someone cleared their throat, leaving to Callie to wonder how long they'd been staring at each other.
No one would quite look her in the eye, smiles playing on their lips.
"You want to tell us what happened, Cal'?" Jake asked from the doorway.
Callie's smiled faltered and fell. She hung her head. "A wolf called Henderson from the Magnum pack, he killed my mum and dumped me." She drew in a jagged breath and looked up to find J staring at her.
"He was in love with my father and had convinced himself that my mum wasn't his moonmate. He was trying to prove it."
J leant forwards and grasped Callie's hand, squeezing it tightly. "You did the right thing," she said assuredly and Callie nodded, believing the same.
"Your wolf is different," Vik commented quietly from the corner he'd retreated to.
Callie tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Yeh, I-I got my memories back and realised why my wolf had felt so weird, probably why the packlink wasn't working," she said, realising it as she spoke. His eyes tightened. "I'd been so busy ignoring all the pain and misery that I'd shut her out."
"But you're better now?" J pushed, worrying colouring her tone. She knew better than most what it was to be at odds with your wolf.
Callie nodded. "Much better." Her eyes drifted to Vik automatically. She could feel him, sense him more than she'd ever been able to.
"We should get going," J announced out of the blue. Callie's heart leapt – first at the idea of them going but then at the idea of having some alone time with Vik.
She glanced at him to find him watching her steadily. The same thoughts running through his head, no doubt.
The other wolves began to agree. "Where will you stay?" Callie asked their retreating figures as they headed outside.
"Caleb's offered us rooms for the night, we'll travel back tomorrow. He's worried, he'll no doubt want an update." J said as she paused at the door, holding Callie's hand. Vik growled behind them and Callie rolled her eyes.
J raised an eyebrow in question.
"Caleb's been a little difficult since..." Callie angled her head towards Vik. J nodded knowingly.
"I'll have a word," she promised.
Callie smiled in thanks and pulled the she-wolf in for a hug. "Thank you for coming," she whispered
"Thank Vik for calling us. Leah healed you, said you'd taken a pretty hard hit to the head. But are you OK? You know, in general?"
Callie paused for a moment, tucking away the information that Vik had reached out to them, she assumed Caleb had called. "I'm going to be OK," she said, knowing it was the truth. "I've got most of memories back but they don't fully make sense yet. But hopefully in time..."
J nodded, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "I'm really glad you're OK, Cal'. And for what it's worth, I like him."
Callie smiled and blushed. "That means a lot, J."
The she-wolf squeezed her hand and walked off to join the others. Callie watched as some climbed into a big black SUV while others disappeared into the treeline. Once they were gone, she turned back to Vik with a smile on her face.
"Hey," she whispered.
"Hey beautiful," he replied in the same whisper.
He took a step towards her and her heart flipped over in the her chest. He took another and her knees weakened.
"Kennedy," she said, throwing cold water over the fiery gaze in his eyes. "Where is she?"
Vik's smile was slow. "Staying with the Magnum pack for the night. She'll be back by morning."
Callie nodded and then nodded again when Vik's movements turned languid as he stalked towards her. "How come?" she asked, her voice slightly breathy as panic buffered against her. She wasn't sure what she was trying to delay – Vik had already claimed her – and yet there was something about his movements, something about the way she felt in that moment, that she knew had her standing on a precipice.
"Because I asked her to," he said, his voice like honey as he reached for her. "Now do you want to keep talking of her or... there's other things I can think of doing with you." His lips dipped to her neck, dragging a soft moan from her lips as her body opened up for him, his hands skimming up and down her sides, sweeping across her back – lower – possessively.
"Don't we need to talk about what happened?" she breathed, as he continued his assault of her senses.
"If you want to," he said, pausing his sensuous trail along her skin.
"Not really," she admitted on a moan as her hands clutched him to her, her nails digging into the muscles tensed beneath.
"Good," he purred as he slammed the front door and span her towards the bedroom.