Cade (Society Book 2)

by Mason Sabre

Stephen started the engine as Cade and Gemma slipped into the car. He drove slowly, lights off, just as Cade had said. With their enhanced hearing, all three would catch any sound long before they even caught sight of any roads and blockades.

  “This one, too,” Stephen said, gritting his teeth. They had tried several lanes, and there had been a road block on every single one of them so far. He swore and reversed once more. They had to try all the lanes before the estuary. That had to be the last resort, but it looked like they were going to have to take it. There wasn’t anywhere else they could go.

  Gemma sat quietly in the front seat of the car. Cade watched her, the silky length of her hair, the way the loose tendrils fell around her face and fluttered gently in the breeze. Her delicate hand reached up to tuck a strand behind her ear, and Cade wished it was his hand instead of hers. As if sensing his eyes on her, her eyes flicked up to the mirror on the visor above her and her eyes met his. The force of it was like being hit by a truck, the wind knocked out of him. With her eyes still on him, Gemma reached down the side of her seat, between her and the door where Stephen wouldn’t see, and held out her hand to Cade. He knew he shouldn’t. He knew that it was wrong in so many ways. But he needed her touch.

  “We can't go farther than this,” Stephen said suddenly, pulling to a stop just outside the car park to one of the areas forbidden to Others. It was just outside a Human summer caravan site. The kinds of places they took their spoilt little darlings to in the summer for a break they didn’t deserve after school so that they could whine about ice cream and money for the arcade before making themselves vomit from the over-indulgence of high-sugared foods that they gorged into their flabby bellies. Oh, they had the luxury of eating what they wanted and as much as they liked. Obesity was becoming the best friend of most Humans.

  “I hate these places,” Stephen said, scowling.

  “Just a place for money and shit,” said Cade absently, his eyes still on Gemma’s. She tightened her hold on his hand for a second, then slowly let go. Cade had to fight the sudden feeling of loss, his heart clenching painfully in his chest.

  “Smells like it, too,” agreed Stephen. “Part of me wishes we could unleash this half-breed on them. Is he still out of it?” He threw a quick glance at the back seat.

  Cade reached over and placed his hand on the back of the boy’s neck. He was warm to touch—too warm. “He has a fever.” Cade closed his eyes and searched for the small wolf. He was easier to find now. He was exactly where he had left him before. “He’s sleeping.”

  “How do we do this?” Gemma’s eyes were riveted on the boy. “Make him shift in the car? Carry him?”

  “We drag him out and make him shift,” said Stephen imperturbably.

  Gemma shot him an appalled look. “He’ll go into a frenzy. Maybe we need to get food for him first.”

  Stephen shook his head. “There’s no time.” He pointed out ahead of them. A car pulled in and when it stopped and the doors opened, the three of them watched the happy little Human family hop out of the car. “We need to just get to the water and shift. We leave the car here. It’s not illegal for us to park here.”

  “We need to take his bag just in case,” Cade said.

  “No one’s going to find it.”

  “If they do, and it’s in my car, where do think they are going to come looking?”

  Stephen glanced at Gemma for backup, but saw he was alone in this. “Fine, but Gemma carries it in her mouth.”

  “Do I look like your lap dog?” she grumbled.

  “You’re a tabby cat, sweetheart. Do as you’re told.”

  “And you’re a sexist pig,” she muttered. He smirked before continuing with his plan.

  “Gemma takes the bag. She swims by you. You guide the boy, and I’ll swim behind you both and make sure nothing happens. We carry him down to the water and we shift there. There’s plenty of shade, and no Humans are going to come out there at this time. We go over by the bridge. It’s the shortest part. We swim there.”

  “We’ve just got to get there.” Cade watched as the Humans closed the door to their caravan for the night.

  “Aye, we do. Ready?”

  Cade nodded.

  The boy was light. It wasn’t so hard to get him down to the path. It was a trail that Human kids used in the daytime. Cade turned his nose up at the stench of it. They slid through some bushes and then down to the bank, made up mostly of sand and mud that created a sludgy mess.

  “Here will do.” Stephen motioned towards an overgrown area behind them. It gave them some protection from any lost Humans. “Then we go to the right and get in the water. You need to shift first, and then the boy.”

  “Stay behind me then,” said Cade as he lay the boy down on the ground. He didn’t want them close if this went wrong. He didn’t want Gemma close. Stephen could handle himself easily enough. So could Gemma, but he wasn’t going to risk anything. He pulled his shirt off, kicked off his trainers and then removed his jeans. He held them out to Gemma so that she could stuff them into the boy’s bag for the other side. He stood there naked, and he had to tell himself that the glances Gemma stole were not what he thought, only what he wanted them to be. Nudity amongst Others was as natural as breathing, so when Gemma seemed to be staring, her eyes lingering on his body, Cade’s heart did a somersault. But he had no time to wonder. He closed his eyes.

  His wolf was tired in his mind. He had already shifted for one night, and he stood wearily in his mind. Cade still called to him, though. Summoned him and invited him to take over. It only took seconds for the fur to begin to peak through his skin and his bones begin to move. He ground his teeth as the shift ripped through his body, realigning everything so that he became a new form. When he was done, he went to the boy, but found himself hesitating. This bond was growing deeper with each connection, and this would need a great amount of connection to bring about the boy’s shift. His first shift.

  Cade didn’t believe in God, but he did ask that they make it through this. Not that he knew who he was asking. He hoped the boy would forgive him because he was about to rip the poor kid’s body to shreds without his permission.

  The small wolf was inside where he left him. In the corner of his mind. Come to me, Cade whispered to him. Come here. The small wolf only raised his weary head and stared. Cade took a tentative step towards him, not wanting to startle him or set him off. He stared at the small wolf, eyes locked together. He pushed everything in his mind into the boy, flinging the howl he had saved as energy into him and picturing the boy’s wolf getting larger.

  Let go. Cade said. Let the wolf become you.

  The small wolf gave a frightened look, his blue eyes reflecting the depth of his fear. Cade’s heart squeezed at the sight. He hated what he had to do.

  Close your eyes and let him grow.

  The boy let out his own howl, but it was not like Cade’s. This one was filled with pain and terror as the shift took hold of the boy. He slashed out with his claws in desperation, panic digging in deep.

  Outside their minds, Cade knew the boy’s actions would be mimicking those of the wolf’s. His fingers would curl unnaturally as he grasped for air, his head snapping from side to side as he fought the realignment of his facial bones, back arching as the shift took hold of him. Cade leapt for the young wolf, blanketing him protectively. He knew that contact would bind them more, but he was desperate to calm both child and wolf. The fur on the small wolf’s head streaked with browns, weaving in and out like a badge of ownership. Cade allowed it go so far and then gradually let go. He opened his mind, welcoming the young wolf inside. Cade didn’t expect the flood of sorrow and despair that rushed in. The deluge threatened to drown him. He heard screams and yells, the harsh words of a man … the boy’s father. He saw laughter and games, heard the thunderous crash and felt the sorrow of a life lost.

  Gasping for breath, Cade snapped open his eyes and almost lost his balance. He instinctively tightened his hold on the wolf he was holding in his mind
.

  Stephen stepped forward. “Have you got him?”

  In front of Cade, stood a small wolf. His blue eyes started up at him helplessly, terror in them—yet there was strength, too. The boy’s clothes lay shredded and strewn around them.

  Cade nodded as the small wolf came to him on unsteady feet, and after only a moment’s hesitation, tentatively rubbed against his side.

  The wolf was his now.

  Chapter Eight

  The water was cold as Cade immersed himself into it, its icy-like claws digging into him and seeping deep inside. He breathed slowly, trying to mentally hold onto the boy instead of giving in to the cold. The small wolf beside him, scrabbled to stay close to Cade. His movements were jerky, uncertain, and afraid—like a toddler just learning to walk.

  Cade watched him as he lowered his face to the water, his paws sinking into the mud. He puffed out his cheeks as if taking in the scents. What it must be like, Cade wondered, to suddenly be gifted with the abilities of Others. The wolf stepped forward cautiously, and Cade hoped that the shock of the temperature wouldn’t contrast too much with the fever that he was running. Humans always got fevers when they were turned. More often than not, it was the fevers that eventually claimed their fragile lives. They had to learn to regulate it. Their bodies were designed for the normal thirty-seven degrees, but it was hotter for weres. It drained them, took all of their resources. It was partly why they ate so much and had insatiable appetites. Their bodies ran hot and devoured energy that needed replenishing.

  The small wolf glanced up at Cade with fear-filled, blue eyes, wanting the reassurance of the dominant wolf. Cade motioned with his head for him to follow. Stay with me. He spoke to him between their minds. Just me.

  The young wolf took a tentative step, and then another. He paused, glanced at Cade once more, and at Cade’s nod, the young wolf let himself slide into the water. His eyes opened wide as the freezing cold enveloped him, but he floundered to catch up to Cade.

  Gemma swam up beside the boy so that he was flanked by her and Cade, but she stayed far enough away so as not to distract him. Stephen stayed at the back. He slipped into the water a good while after everyone else, making sure they were safely in and on their way. He had perfected the low and silent swim, keeping the water calm, his head the only part above the water’s surface, his eyes constantly scanning the area. It was only a fool who would try to escape a tiger by getting into water and believing that cats wouldn’t follow.

  The boy’s mind was a slippery slope, ready to plunge into dark water. Chaos threatened at the edges, and Cade fought with all he had to push it away so that it didn’t consume them both. It was hard enough for Cade to distract his own mind. He had his own hunger to worry about, and he could feel it rising inside. His wolf hadn't hunted this evening. He had faced danger, protected and fought—he needed to be rewarded. Cade focused on reaching the bank. He avoided thinking about Stephen or Gemma. If he didn’t, his mind always landed on her—and that was a whole different hunger, one that was even harder to fight.

  The young wolf paddled furiously next to Cade. They swam slowly, keeping a nice, even pace. But then, abruptly, Cade started losing the boy—he was losing his grasp on the world around him. He saw the panic that rose inside him, watched as it shone bright in his eyes. He stopped, letting his wolf speak to him through their bond. Calm, he said. Listen to me. But the boy was past listening. We’re nearly there. They were. They were so damn close that it was almost tangible. They had crossed the main body of water, the deeper parts of it. The tide was out; they had been in luck with that.

  Cade glanced at Gemma and Stephen—they had come to a stop, too. The young wolf started to struggle as he trod water. Spluttering as water entered his mouth, he suddenly went under. Overcome by dread, Cade waited for a moment for the boy to re-emerge. When the moment had passed and the young wolf was nowhere to be seen, Cade forced himself to calm and think. He closed his eyes and searched for the boy.

  Panic slammed into Cade’s chest and he gasped, taking in a mouthful of water. Disorientated for a minute, he slowly started to realise that it wasn’t his panic he was feeling—it was the boy’s. Focusing hard, he pushed into the boy’s psyche, willing him to calm down. Sudden splashing had Cade’s eyes shooting open. The young wolf had resurfaced and was wildly thrashing about.

  Cade fought to keep himself afloat physically and mentally. We can do this, he soothed. We’re trying to help but you have to stay with us. Stay with me. Hear my voice. Feel it inside. The boy’s hunger was rising again. Cade could sense it. The rabbit was nothing to sate it for very long. He wished that he could speak and tell Gemma and Stephen how urgent it was to get to the other side. He hoped that they would realise on their own. He swam towards the young cub, his heart like a drumbeat in his head. Using his muzzle, he pushed him with both his mind and his body, forcing him onto the bank.

  The field that led to Cade’s house normally contained sheep. Cade hoped with everything he had that tonight, they would be inside. That they would be locked up in the safety of the barn and not served up on a platter of green grass for the emerging ravenous young wolf. He wouldn’t stop slaughtering them until everything was dead, unable to comprehend that his body had had enough. When the hunger got hold of you, it was so strong that no amount of food seemed to be able to quench it. It had to be learnt to be tolerated. It had to be taught. If he could just survive long enough, Cade could teach him how.

  When they reached the bank, Gemma and Stephen held back, allowing Cade to first calm the cub. Cade pushed himself onto the bank first, and then the boy followed. He sidled up to Cade and pressed against him. He rested his muzzle under Cade’s chin, and Cade lowered his head in response, offering him some kind of comfort in a world that was so confusing.

  Like a beacon on the hill, a sheep bleated, having sensed predators in the vicinity. The young wolf’s head snapped up, eyes wide, ears pricking.

  Cade gave a silent curse and let a growl roll from deep in his throat—it was a warning to the cub to stay. But the boy snarled and snapped in rebellion and then darted off in the field.

  He was lighter than the three of them, so it was easier for him to dash through the mud. Their paws sank deep with each step as they tried to go after him, their weight a hindrance in this marshland.

  No, yelled Cade in his mind, hoping to reach the boy. But it was no use. The boy had already reached the grassy edge and was out of the morass. Cade pushed himself forward, putting power into his hind legs. He raced for the boy before shit happened that he’d never be able to undo.

  The boy was only a half-breed, though. He wasn’t used to running on four legs. He didn’t have the natural talent to use his tail for balance. When he reached the turnstile, he tumbled to the side. He rolled with the fall, smashing his head off the wood. The sheep on the other side chorused their cries of fear and warning. Shut up, Cade thought. Shut the hell up. If they didn’t, it would not be long before the stupid Humans came out to see what the racket was all about. It wouldn’t matter that they had made it across and to Cade’s house. They’d have been caught out, the Humans would know, and then they would all be fucked. Just like that.

  It was Gemma who raced past him. She was smaller than Cade and Stephen and moved with much more ease than they did. She raced ahead of them both, and as the boy made another leap for the field, she leapt into the air and tackled him to the ground. She bit the back of his neck, holding him in place and dragging him down into the mud. Gold and orange fur meshed as they rolled together, the cub thrashing for his freedom as he tried to deny the submission Gemma was trying to impose on him. He slashed out and caught her on the shoulder, making her yelp, but it didn’t stop her. She kept a firm grip on the nape of his neck, pressing him into the dirt until he stopped struggling.

  Cade and Stephen were only just milliseconds behind. Cade skidded forward, spinning as he did so that he landed in front of the boy, snout to snout. He held the wolf’s gaze for a minute before closing
his eyes and forcing himself into the boy’s mind. The sudden invasion had the boy thrashing under Gemma’s weight once more, but he was now pinned heavily to the ground. Inside his mind, he was half boy and half wolf. Lost with the ravages of his hunger, he rolled about, screaming as he clutched the wolf’s head with a boy’s hands.

  Listen to me, Cade demanded. Listen to me and breathe. You can fight it. I know you can. Don’t let it consume you in here. Listen to my voice.

  The boy snarled and growled so that he could get free. The scent of blood hung thick in the air, but Cade wouldn’t open his eyes right now to see whose blood that was. He couldn’t allow himself to break his concentration with the boy. Cade pushed deeper in his mind, using everything he had. Come to me, he said. We can do this. But it was no use. The boy was salivating, overtaken with his hunger. Cade opened his eyes again and stared into the young wolf’s. The boy stared back and, for a second, he was still and tears ran down his fur.

  Push it down, Cade urged.

  Stephen snarled from his place next to them, but Cade ignored the tiger. He shuffled forward, sliding closer until his face was touching the boy’s. He opened his mouth then and bit down gently enough not to hurt, but firmly enough that it connected them, inside and out, strengthening their bond to a deeper level. The boy relaxed and closed his eyes.

  Chapter Nine

  Cade’s house was small but adequate in comparison to places like the Davies’ residence, or even the place he grew up in. It was, in most respects, just a mere shell of a house, but it was his. He had bought it with the hopes that one day, it would be filled with the life of the family he might have in the future. He didn’t hope for much, just enough that he could be happy and have peace inside. However, with every passing day, he was sure that peace might never come—not if he couldn’t shake the things that his mind wanted, but that he couldn’t have.

  He was more than aware of Gemma’s presence as they made their way across the fields and to the land at the back of his house. She was like some kind of homing beacon that, for whatever reason, his wolf had caught onto and didn’t care that she was a tiger. She padded on ahead of them, pushing her way through the jungle that was the land behind Cade’s house. Her fur was a lighter shade of orange compared to Stephen’s, and she seemed to have fewer stripes than he did. Cade couldn’t take his eyes from her as she led them to his house.