Lilith pressed her face against his chest and listened to his heartbeat, steady and strong, and felt some of the panic that had been clawing at her all day finally ease.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "For bringing me here."
"You needed it." His hand stroked down her back. "And I needed you away from the estate for a while. Away from the pack and the pressure and everything else."
She pulled back enough to look at his face.
"Are you okay?"
He smiled slightly. "You're always asking me that."
"Because you never answer honestly."
His smile faded and he looked at her for a long moment before finally admitting, "I'm jealous."
Lilith blinked. "Of what?"
"Of Sebastian. Of the fact that he got to have you in the woods and I had to feel it through the bond." His jaw tightened. "Kael is possessive and he does not like sharing. Even with my own brothers."
"But you have the bond," she said softly. "You're the only one who's marked me. That has to count for something."
