by Chant, Zoe
“Oh my God,” she said, as they made their way out of the restaurant. “I’m stuffed.”
“But you enjoyed it, right?” Callan asked.
Ella nodded. “Yeah, I did. I’m starting to see why people like food. Maybe I’ll have to let you take me out more often.”
“That can definitely be arranged,” Callan said, meaning it. Hell, he’d learn to become a gourmet chef himself if it meant he got to see Ella closing her eyes in bliss as she tasted some morsel of food or other, chewing and swallowing with undisguised delight.
It was as if the fact that food had a taste was a revelation to her – and it was a newly acquired knowledge that Callan intended to indulge her in.
He watched her now as she said goodbye to her friends.
She looked beautiful, Callan thought, her eyes bright, cheeks pink, every cell in her body suffused with happiness and amazement.
Ella was always stunning, of course – she was his mate, and Callan would never be able to see her as anything but the most stunningly gorgeous thing he’d ever laid eyes on. But the way her soul was shining in her eyes now, the wideness of her smile, the excitement in her movements made her incandescently beautiful.
Everything about it made his heart glow with love and warmth and pride.
She is perfect. Utterly perfect.
The mated bond seemed to sing in his chest, wreathing his heart in its golden light. The connection between them seemed almost palpable – what no one had ever told him about the bond was the way it grew over time, becoming stronger and stronger the more time he spent with Ella, getting to know her better, falling asleep next to her and waking up by her side.
It was everything Callan had ever wanted – everything he would ever want.
Priyanka drove them back to the university, letting them out with a wink and wave, and the advice Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!
Callan turned to Ella as Priyanka’s car turned away, honking its horn in farewell.
It was just getting on to afternoon, and the sun was still shining, the weather mild and warm.
“I don’t feel like going back to the hotel just yet,” Ella sighed as they walked back to Callan’s motorbike. “Don’t get me wrong, this last week has been amazing, but it feels good to stretch my legs and get out in the fresh air again.”
“You’re not wrong there,” Callan said. “Got any ideas for killing an hour or so?”
“I do, but we probably shouldn’t do it in public,” Ella said, her eyes flashing with laughter. “But why don’t we head to a park and look at the lake?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Callan handed her her motorbike helmet. “C’mon – I know just the place.”
It felt… right somehow, to have Ella on the back of his bike with him again, Callan thought, as they rode out onto the street, picking up speed as they went. It reminded him of how they’d met – it might have been under some pretty strange circumstances, but ultimately, Callan couldn’t bring himself to regret it. Not now that everything had turned out all right, anyway: Ella was safe, and her father had been found. He hadn’t turned out to be the man Ella had feared he would be. They had reconciled, and he was working to make up for some of the damage he’d caused by helping the Agency.
And Ella is happy.
He could feel her happiness as his own. He couldn’t wait to do his best to make her this happy every single day of her life – every single moment they had together.
Forever.
The thought of having the rest of their lives together sent a sudden burst of light from his heart straight into hers, the mated bond pulsing between them. As if in answer, he felt Ella’s arms tighten around him.
He’d changed, Callan realized. Before Ella, he’d always considered himself sensible, calm, never one to do something spontaneously. Now, he realized, it was fun to let go every now and then – to relax, to let life happen and be carried away by emotion every once in a while.
He even wondered if his diprotodon might have loosened up a little.
Inside him, he felt it huff, indignant.
Without me, you wouldn’t have followed your heart or your instinct to help your mate in the first place.
I’m sorry, you’re quite right, Callan told it. He’d always known that in a battle between his mission and his mate, his mission was never going to win – but his diprotodon had cast the winning vote.
Exactly, it said, its self-satisfaction clear.
Callan rolled his eyes as he pulled up in the parking area of one of the large parks along the edge of Lake Burley-Griffin. It looked fairly empty, and Callan didn’t see any other people around as he and Ella strolled hand-in-hand to the lake, sitting down in the dappled light beneath a tall tree.
Callan took a deep breath. Ella had been right. After a week inside – no matter how great that time had been – it was good to be back outside in the fresh air. His diprotodon rumbled contentedly, enjoying the feel of the sun and wind.
Ella lay her head on his shoulder, pressing her hand to his, twining their fingers together.
There was no need for any words in these moments – Callan knew what was in her heart, and he knew his was just as open to her. They simply sat, enjoying the open air, the knowledge that every day of their lives together would be like this.
“This whole thing… it’s made me think,” Ella said at last, just as a cloud slipped over the sun. “Well, obviously – but I mean, it’s made me think about what kind of person I want to be. Whether I want to be stuck in the past all the time, thinking about how I’ve been hurt, or how I made mistakes back then and think I still deserve to be punished for them now.”
Callan pulled her closer against his chest. “You were just a child back then. You were hurting. No one could blame you for that.”
“I suppose so. But still, it couldn’t have been easy for Aunt Jude – she didn’t ask for my dad to dump me in her lap. But she still looked after me all those years, even when times were tough.”
“Does she know now how you feel?”
Ella nodded. “I hope so – I wrote her a letter a few years ago to apologize for being such a difficult kid. She wrote back saying it was all worth it now to see me doing so well.”
Kissing the top of her head, Callan played his fingers through her hair. “She forgives you, then, if she even had to in the first place.”
“I know. But that’s just what I mean – even though I know there’s no bad blood between us now, I still think back to what I was like back then and feel guilty about it. Sometimes I still think I don’t really belong in my PhD program.”
“Not true.” A fierce sense of protectiveness welled up inside Callan’s heart. His diprotodon lifted its head indignantly, not understanding what it was hearing.
How can she think that? Our mate is perfect! She deserves the sun, the earth, the moon, the stars, the sky!
“Maybe not.” Ella laughed lightly. “And maybe that’s how I’m going to start seeing things from now on. Or try to, anyway. And realizing that sometimes you can’t weigh everything up according to ‘deserve’ or ‘don’t deserve’.”
“Good idea.” Callan shifted so he could look into Ella’s eyes, stunned once again by their deep, dark beauty. “If I started thinking like that, I’m pretty sure I’d go nuts – since there’s literally nothing on this earth I could do to deserve having you as my mate.”
“Oh, stop,” Ella said, her face coloring, a smile twitching her lips. “Don’t be cheesy.”
“I’m not being cheesy,” Callan protested – even though he knew he was, just a bit. “I could rescue a million kittens from a million trees, help a million old ladies cross a million streets, and it still wouldn’t – mmpf!”
Callan wasn’t able to continue his litany of good deeds that would mean he still didn’t deserve Ella as his mate, since at that moment she leaned up and planted a kiss on his lips, her hand cupping his jaw.
“I thought I said stop being cheesy,” she said, laughter dancing in her
eyes when she pulled back.
“Oh, all right, all right,” Callan mock-grumbled. “But I’ll have you know I’m a pretty cheesy person. This is clearly a hurdle we’re going to have to overcome.”
“Good thing we’ve got so much time for you to work on it, then,” Ella said, leaning forward and raising her face to his once more.
You’re right, Callan thought, as he lowered his mouth to hers, capturing her lips in a kiss. We’ve got forever.
The story will continue with Euan: Outback Shifters – coming soon!
Have you read the first book in the series? Start with Hector: Outback Shifters today!
A note from Zoe Chant
Thank you for buying my book! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please click here to be added to my mailing list.
Please consider reviewing Callan: Outback Shifters even if you only write a line or two. I appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative.
The cover of Callan: Outback Shifters was designed by Isabelle Arden.
More Paranormal Romance by Zoe Chant
Outback Shifters Series
Hector
Callan
Euan – coming soon!
The Lost Dragons Series
A Mate for the Dragon
Fated for the Dragon
Destined for the Dragon
A Bride for the Dragon
Bound to the Dragon
See Zoe Chant’s complete list of books here!