Aiden.
"Are these bastards bothering you, pumpkin?"
The rough deepness of his voice, paired with that ridiculous pet name, left a moment of gravened silence in the air. Every wolf froze. Including Paxton, the cocky Direwolf who never flinched, was left astounded. His sharp gaze darted to the floor before he forced himself to meet with mine again. Even the weak one – yeah, the one barely hanging on to consciousness – snapped out of his stupor. His face shifted, cycling through shock, awe, and maybe... respect?
Hell, I wasn't even left out, I was deeply affected. Those words were a gut punch. My breath hitched, my cheeks burned, and for a second, I forgot how to function. Bale didn't care that we weren't alone. Hell, it was like the rest of the room didn't exist to him. He only had eyes for me, standing there like a parasite ready to tear apart anyone who dared challenge him.
And damn it, I wanted to kiss him.
