Raina had never been to the city. She had been hiding in the dark all her life. So her eyes never left the window. She kept staring out without blinking. Callen looked at her in the mirror with a rare spoiling smile on his face. She looked no less than an adorable child looking at the candy shop.
Callen parked near a theater and opened the door for her "have you ever seen a movie?"
"Only on those little screens at the library," she said, still staring at the blinking lights. "I didn't know they were this big in real life."
He grinned and grabbed her hand. "Then we're changing that."
They bought two tickets and sneaked in extra snacks, making her eyes widened.
"I swear it is a tradition." he grinned like a boy and she giggled while holding his other hand. This rare warmth not only touched her skin but her heart.
The theater was nearly empty. As the trailers rolled, Raina leaned back in the plush seat, eyes wide with wonder. The screen lit up with sound and color and music that made her chest ache.
She could feel his warm hand on her arms and his gaze never leaving her face.
"You should look at the screen." she blushed. She tried hard but it was hard to control when he did not look away at all.
"Why? You are much more beautiful than the girl on the screen." she shook her head and bit her lips, hiding the smile that warmth even her exhausted soul.
"Have I told you that I want to mark you." he had, but she did not reply. She was sure he was teasing her.
"You are going to be beta."
"I am not going to be alpha. You would not be luna. You would not face duties. I will handle it all." he placed the hand on his chest as if he was taking a rare oath.
"Callen!" He looked away like a pouting child. She could feel his disappointment. But he soon smiled again and this time, he did watch a movie with her, though only for mocking the female lead that she was not brave and beautiful like her.
By the time they stepped back into the cool night air, her face hurt from smiling. "That was amazing."
"You deserve more outings like these!" He pulled her closer and took off his jacket to cover her thin top.
Her smile faded, replaced by something quieter. "And what do *you* deserve it?"
He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You."
The world narrowed to that moment—the heat between them, the unsaid things, the steady thrum of her heart that beat faster whenever he got this close. She felt the bond stirring. Not fully formed yet.
But it was there. Undeniable.
They wandered the city streets after that, eating greasy fries out of a paper tray, stealing kisses in alleyways where no one could see. Callen took her to a rooftop garden lit by strings of soft yellow lights. They lay on their backs and looked at the stars, pretending they weren't wolves. Pretending they weren't born to bleed and obey.
"Let's run away," he said suddenly.
Raina turned to him, startled. "What?"
"Tonight. Right now. We take the bike, drive until we hit the ocean, find a small house, forget the packs, the bonds, all of it." His voice cracked, barely above a whisper. "Before it's too late."
She stared at him.
Then shook her head. "You know we can't."
"Why not?"
"Because you have duties. And because the second we leave, they'll follow. And they'll drag us back in pieces."
Callen closed his eyes. "Then I'll fight them."
She touched his cheek, thumb brushing over his skin. "You already do. Just by loving me."
He leaned in. Their lips met—not with hunger, but with quiet reverence. Like they were sealing a vow neither of them dared speak aloud.
When they pulled apart, she rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.
"I had a dream," she murmured.
"Yeah?"
"My mother. She told me not to mate." Raina's voice tightened. "She was afraid. Said the bond would destroy me."
Callen stiffened slightly. "Maybe it would've. If it was anyone else."
Silence settled between them.
"I want you to mark me," she whispered.
He looked down at her, eyes wide. "Raina... if I do, there's no going back. Our souls will be bound."
"I don't want to go back," she said, voice steady despite the storm in her chest. "You are all I have ever chosen."
Callen stared at her, and for a moment, he didn't look like a wolf or a beta or a boy born into bloodlines and duty. He just looked like a man in love.
He leaned in slowly, giving her time to change her mind. She didn't. She tilted her head, offering him her neck, her pulse fluttering beneath her skin.
He kissed her there first softly, reverently.
Then his wolf surged forward.
Sharp heat. A sudden pain that was gone almost as fast as it came. And then the warmth. Flooding through her chest, her limbs, her soul.
Raina gasped.
She felt him. Not just in the physical sense, but in her blood, in her spirit. A tether that hadn't existed before now snapped into place, singing with strange, bright energy. It burned and soothed all at once.
Callen held her close, his breath shaky against her hair.
"It's done," he murmured. "You're mine. I'm yours."
"What if your family disagrees?" a layer of worry covered her face and he chuckled.
"You are worrying about it now?' he chucked and brushed her cheeks. "You should be worried about our first night, Mrs Callen Althrone. We should hold the ceremony soon so that I can eat you to my heart's content."