"You are so beautiful..."
The words escaped Ryker's lips before he could stop them. They came out as little more than a whisper, soft enough that he hadn't even realized he had spoken aloud. Julia blinked.
"What?"
Ryker immediately froze. His eyes widened ever so slightly before he quickly cleared his throat. His hand, which had been gently cupping her cheek only moments before, slowly fell back to his side. His wolf let out a disappointed whine.
"Why did you stop touching our mate?"
Ryker ignored him.
"I..."
He coughed awkwardly.
"Nothing."
Julia looked at him curiously for another moment before deciding she must have imagined hearing something. Ryker forced himself to regain his composure.
"You don't have to worry about where you'll stay."
His voice became calm again, though h
