The Hunger (The Lycans 3)

Well, he told me he still wanted to get married, but I had the control so I set the pace.

“Yes, with you by my side.” I couldn’t hold in the sigh of female appreciation and contentment at how devoted Caelan was to me. “But she said she didn’t need me to drop what I was doing. She point-blank said she didn’t want me to come back because it would just add more drama and chaos.” I shrugged.

“Are ye sure we shouldn’t just go? Just show up and be there for her?”

I snorted and shook my head. “No. Hell no. I want to be there for her, but Evelyn is tough as nails, and if she wanted me by her side to hold her hand, she’d for sure tell me. The fact that she specified not coming tells me she really does want to deal with this on her own.” I exhaled and leaned my head back against his chest. “I hate it, but I’m going to respect her wishes. Right now at least. If she goes MIA on me, that’s a whole other beast.”

“Whatever ye want tae do, I’m with ye. No matter what.”

I smiled and squeezed his arms. On top of Caelan’s support in every decision I made, he told me if I wanted to move back to America, he’d pack his bags and be ready to go. And as much as the idea of going back there appealed in a familiar kind of way, I liked it in Scotland. I loved it, in fact—so much so that I wanted to call it my home.

“Maybe she and Cian are shacking up and she’s just not telling me…” My words faltered when I felt Caelan push the hair off my shoulder and start nuzzling my neck—right where his mark was.

I couldn’t see this mating mark when I looked in the mirror, but he assured me it was there for all the Otherworld to see. The possessiveness and male pride in his voice as he’d told me that was clear, and I couldn’t help but feel pleased about it. Maybe not the most feminist, independent way of thinking, but hell, who could blame me with a man like Caelan in my life?

We were silent for some time as Caelan let me gape at this incredible estate he’d taken me to look at. For the last couple of weeks we’d been doing nothing but getting to know one another in between me getting to know my father. And the latter was going so well, much easier than I’d ever imagined. It felt so… natural to have Conor in my life. My father and my mother hadn’t been with each other long at all, the stories he shared with me made me feel like I was right there experiencing their love right along with them.

I knew Conor and I still had a long way to go for us to bridge the gap in our relationship and make it mean something special, something strong and forever, but we were both in this for the long haul. I wanted a father. He wanted a daughter. And I had never been happier. And I knew he was happy. I could see it in the way his eyes lit up when he saw me. I could hear it in his voice as he called me daughter. And I could see the physical changes in him too. No longer did he seem worn-down and malnourished. In fact, in just the short couple of weeks that we’d been in each other’s lives, he’d put on much needed weight and was now just as fearsome and big as the other Lycan males.

“This place isn’t as big as the last one.”

I smiled and shook my head, pulling away from Caelan so I could turn and look into his face. “Caelan, seriously?”

He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and shrugged, the corner of his mouth kicking up in an almost boyish look. “What?” He shrugged again.

All I could do was shake my head again. “You mean this one has twelve bedrooms instead of fifteen like the last place we checked out, or it only has fifty acres instead of sixty?”

He looked around again. “I mean, if we plan on having a horde of babies, then we need all the room we can get.”

I lifted a brow at that. “A horde of kids?” His grin was slow and downright sexy. I didn't have anything else to say to that thought, because if I were being truthful, the idea of having Caelan’s baby, having a little person who was half the man I loved, sounded like heaven. In fact… I couldn’t wait for that.

Caelan was right in front of me again, this soft expression covering his face. “But truthfully, it doesn't matter where we are. As long as I’m by yer side, I’m in heaven, lass.” He pulled his hands out of his pockets, slid them up my arms, and rested them on the side of my neck, his thumbs positioned right under my pulse points. “I’d gladly be a ground dweller if that’s where ye wanted tae to live.” He leaned in and kissed me deeply, thoroughly. Passionately.