again. Try that smaller one next.”
She nodded and resumed the position, carefully going through the steps he’d taught her. Grip, aim, squeeze. But the bullet zoomed past the target.
“Damn.” She pouted, and it was the cutest thing he’d seen. Would their young have those same pouty lips?
“It’s okay, keep trying.”
Several tries later, she still hadn’t hit the smaller can.
“I think the first one was a fluke,” she muttered.
“No, it just takes practice.”
The next shot landed and the relief on her face was palpable. She wanted to be good at this, he could tell.
“How come the cans aren’t falling over like in the movies?”
“I put rocks in the bottom.”
“Oh.”
“Then when we’re finished, we’ll see how many holes you make.”
“Got it.”
When she’d mastered the .38, Cael introduced her to the 9mm. She hit the big can so many times the side was mangled.
“Don’t think we’ll be counting holes. More like just seeing which can is more demolished.” He let his pride show through his voice and her eyes smiled. If she gave him a real smile, with her mouth, he probably wouldn’t be able to hold back from kissing her.
Her eyelashes fluttered as she looked away. “You were right, you know.”
“About what?”
“The young. I can sense it today.” Her lips curved upward just slightly. “It scares me, to know I’m bringing a wolf into this world, when it has been so bleak until now. I’m scared I’ll screw up. Or not be good enough. But…”
“But?”
“It… I… It also makes me happy ,” she barely whispered. “Happy. I can count the times in my life I’ve been happy on one hand.”
Cael reached up to brush his thumb along her cheek.
“Do you…” She bit her lip, clearly having trouble finishing the question. “Do you… wish it wasn’t me? Giving you young?”
He opened his mouth to answer, but she rushed forward.
“Do you wish it was someone better? Or your intended? Or—”
He stopped her with a finger to her lips. Emotion wrecked him, making his breath come hard and heavy. “You,” he said on an exhale. “Always you. I don’t regret what we did. I wondered if I would, but I just… don’t.” He pulled her collar aside to check his bite. Just seeing it there on her neck made him grow hard. If there was ever any question before, there wasn’t now. His wolf was fully invested.
Isabesh stared at the ground. “That really means a lot to me, Cael. To hear you say that. Thank you.”
She was so formal with him. As if they were in an arrangement instead of… what? What was this? What they had didn’t fit in a category, that was clear, but what he felt for her was stronger than any formal agreement. And she still had feelings for him. That kiss had been more than gratitude. He wasn’t wrong about that. She just needed time. They needed time.
He brushed the bite gently with his fingers. “This is beautiful.”
A pink blush colored the skin of her neck.
Her stomach growled, and her rosy blush turned fiercely red.
Cael chuckled. It’d been so long since he’d done it, that his small laugh turned into a full on bark. He stepped back, holding his middle and just let it go. Why not? They’d been through so much, they were due a laugh or two even if they cried in the very next minute. It was all okay.
Isabesh crossed her arms over her belly, one hand going to her mouth to stifle a small grin. But her smile grew bigger than her hand and before he knew it, a quiet giggle escaped. The sound was so beautiful, he stopped laughing completely.
Staring at her, with that stupid grin still plastered to his face, he took her hand, pulling her forward. “That’s my new favorite sound,” he husked. “Now let’s go get you something to eat.”
Together, they collected the guns and trekked back to the cabin. Cael held the door open, but Isabesh froze mid-step.
“Did you hear that?”
He listened, tilting his head. “No.”
She frowned. “I
She nodded and resumed the position, carefully going through the steps he’d taught her. Grip, aim, squeeze. But the bullet zoomed past the target.
“Damn.” She pouted, and it was the cutest thing he’d seen. Would their young have those same pouty lips?
“It’s okay, keep trying.”
Several tries later, she still hadn’t hit the smaller can.
“I think the first one was a fluke,” she muttered.
“No, it just takes practice.”
The next shot landed and the relief on her face was palpable. She wanted to be good at this, he could tell.
“How come the cans aren’t falling over like in the movies?”
“I put rocks in the bottom.”
“Oh.”
“Then when we’re finished, we’ll see how many holes you make.”
“Got it.”
When she’d mastered the .38, Cael introduced her to the 9mm. She hit the big can so many times the side was mangled.
“Don’t think we’ll be counting holes. More like just seeing which can is more demolished.” He let his pride show through his voice and her eyes smiled. If she gave him a real smile, with her mouth, he probably wouldn’t be able to hold back from kissing her.
Her eyelashes fluttered as she looked away. “You were right, you know.”
“About what?”
“The young. I can sense it today.” Her lips curved upward just slightly. “It scares me, to know I’m bringing a wolf into this world, when it has been so bleak until now. I’m scared I’ll screw up. Or not be good enough. But…”
“But?”
“It… I… It also makes me happy ,” she barely whispered. “Happy. I can count the times in my life I’ve been happy on one hand.”
Cael reached up to brush his thumb along her cheek.
“Do you…” She bit her lip, clearly having trouble finishing the question. “Do you… wish it wasn’t me? Giving you young?”
He opened his mouth to answer, but she rushed forward.
“Do you wish it was someone better? Or your intended? Or—”
He stopped her with a finger to her lips. Emotion wrecked him, making his breath come hard and heavy. “You,” he said on an exhale. “Always you. I don’t regret what we did. I wondered if I would, but I just… don’t.” He pulled her collar aside to check his bite. Just seeing it there on her neck made him grow hard. If there was ever any question before, there wasn’t now. His wolf was fully invested.
Isabesh stared at the ground. “That really means a lot to me, Cael. To hear you say that. Thank you.”
She was so formal with him. As if they were in an arrangement instead of… what? What was this? What they had didn’t fit in a category, that was clear, but what he felt for her was stronger than any formal agreement. And she still had feelings for him. That kiss had been more than gratitude. He wasn’t wrong about that. She just needed time. They needed time.
He brushed the bite gently with his fingers. “This is beautiful.”
A pink blush colored the skin of her neck.
Her stomach growled, and her rosy blush turned fiercely red.
Cael chuckled. It’d been so long since he’d done it, that his small laugh turned into a full on bark. He stepped back, holding his middle and just let it go. Why not? They’d been through so much, they were due a laugh or two even if they cried in the very next minute. It was all okay.
Isabesh crossed her arms over her belly, one hand going to her mouth to stifle a small grin. But her smile grew bigger than her hand and before he knew it, a quiet giggle escaped. The sound was so beautiful, he stopped laughing completely.
Staring at her, with that stupid grin still plastered to his face, he took her hand, pulling her forward. “That’s my new favorite sound,” he husked. “Now let’s go get you something to eat.”
Together, they collected the guns and trekked back to the cabin. Cael held the door open, but Isabesh froze mid-step.
“Did you hear that?”
He listened, tilting his head. “No.”
She frowned. “I
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