by Ashley Marie
The male wolves stare long and hard into each other’s eyes. Jeff gives a stern nod causing Kayden to release a burst of air.
“You’re crazy.” Cam’s eyes are wide as saucers, “You can’t be serious.”
“Cam,” Jeff warns, stopping Cam’s protests.
“Take her to the house Kayden. Let’s hope you are not wrong and this doesn’t blow up into something worse. Once we deal with the others we’ll join you.”
Kayden bends down beside Avery, a hand goes under her knees and one under her upper back. He lifts her up like she’s the most precious thing in his world and she is. Avery makes no movement, not even a twitch of her fingers when he gets her cradle against his body and in his powerful arms.
That scares the air from his lungs.
She’s cold as ice. It seeps from her body and into his. Stealing the warmth from his body. He doesn’t like the cold dead feel of her or the emptiness of her glossy eyes. Dread pools in his gut.
Maybe I’m too late.
“Stay with me.” He whispers out. Praying for everything that he’s worth that she can hear him. That she’s fighting whatever this is, making her a ghostly shell.
His feet eat up the distance between the beach and the house. Moving as fast as he can. He can’t be too late. This must work.
Kayden blazes through the back door and up the stairs.
Not wanting to cause her any more stress. He goes to a guest room instead of her room. Remembering how she wanted her things gone.
He lays her down gently on the cream cover. Her body still and unmoving, not even a blink with her blank eyes.
What if she’s gone?
Kayden climbs into the full-size bed with Avery. He takes a deep breath straddling her tiny hips and leans down, placing his hot forehead against Avery’s cold one.
She’s ice cold. Concentrate.
Kayden has never done this. Never been told how to form the life mate bond. It’s a well-kept secret to prevent non-mates from forming a bond that would eventually end in their deaths. If it’s meant to be. He should just know how to form the bond.
Will she even accept it? Will she even know what’s going on? God, I hope so. This must work. It just has too.
He closes his red eyes and looks within himself to that buzzing connection he felt out on the beach.
There. In the core of his soul. It’s gold. Okay, what now. He thinks and ponders. Looking around with his mind’s eye. He sees it. A faint gold cord. He latches onto to it with everything in him. An electrical current jerks his body.
Cold. God, it is so cold. Opening his eyes, he sees nothing but the deepest blackness.
Excitement makes him giddy. He’s made it. He’s here in Avery’s mind.
He starts to think of Avery. Her tiny statute. Her dark silk hair that he wants to run his fingers through. Her icicle eyes. The way she glides across the ground. Her milky white skin that he wants to touch and never stop. Those dark red lips he wants to taste.
The more he thinks of her the more he glows with their brilliant connection. Lighting up the dark like a beacon. Now to find his Avery.
Kayden starts walking forward. Following the pull of his blood.
What happened to you?
He thinks. For this silent darkness to be her mind.
Kayden moves forward. The light of their connection glowing brighter. Soon he stops at a tiny figure on the ground.
Avery.
The closer he gets the more of her he can see. She looks so tiny with her pale arms curled around her legs. Her forehead resting on her knees. Her dark hair like a curtain around her frail body.
Can she sense me?
Kayden kneels in front of a rocking Avery. His large hands coming to land softly on her arms. She’s so small. His hands wrapping completely around her cold arms.
“Avery,” Kayden says softly. Not wanting to scare her, but needing her attention. Needing her to see him, hear him. His heart thuds painfully in his chest.
She’s so freaking beautiful. He already feels a love for her. He’d protect her till his dying breath.
“Kayden.” Avery gasps out. A shiver course on his skin.
He just wants to gather her up and never, let go, but first, he must get her the hell out of here.
Her head raises causing her silky black hair to fall backwards like smooth water. Her blue eyes lock onto his green ones. Sadness shinning at him that has his lungs squeezing.
“Why are you here?” She whimpers, tears staining her face.
A soft smile forms on Kayden’s face. He sees a little bit of life in her eyes and face. More so than before.
He sits down in front of her. Never taking his eyes from her face, touching their foreheads together.
“You need me, Avery. I need you.”
It’s crushing for Kayden to say he needs her. He’s a wolf. A soon to be powerful Alpha. He’s not supposed to need anything. But it’s a truth he will never come to regret. He does need her more than she or he truly knows.
Kayden watches as panic forms on Avery’s face. She shakes her head no, hard and fast. Damn. She’s going to give herself whiplash.
He scoots closer, catching her face by placing both of his hands on either side of her cheeks.
Surprise splashes across her features.
He can’t help but let out a breathy sigh as Avery leans into his palm. Nuzzling it like a wolf would. It prompts him to move closer wrapping his arms around her dainty body. Shielding her.
A low growl forms in his chest. She needs to eat more. He feels nothing but skin and bones.
Placing his hot mouth next to her ear he murmurers, “Yes, you do Avery. Let me help you.”
Kayden feels her body tense up. Causing him to worry. Did he get to close?
“Don’t you feel it. This connection between us. We’re two halves of one whole.” He says softly.
“I don’t want to leave.” Avery whimpers, “To go back means never being free. Always cold and hard. Always on guard. I can’t”
Kayden’s heart thuds painfully in his chest at Avery’s words. He never really understood what kind of pain she’s in or the fear she feels. But this place here is not freedom. It’s a death sentence wrapped in darkness.
Kayden turns Avery slowly around in his arms inhaling her winter scent. Face to face his breath catches at the desolate look on her pale face.
“You have to leave this place, Avery. This isn’t real.” He says softly but commanding. Wanting her to understand to really listen.
“It is. It’s real and so close to perfect.” Avery says with so much conviction in her voice that he knows she really believes it. And that scares him more than anything.
How can she believe this place is real? It is to an extent but this is her mind. Her broken mind and if she stays here, her body will waste away in the real world. Kayden can’t let that happen.
“No.” He snaps out letting his anger get the better of him.
Taking a deep breath of air, he tries again, hanging his anger to the back of his mind, “I can help you, Avery. In here you will waste away. Out there, in the real world, I can help you.” A tear falls from his eye. His heart feels like it’s breaking inside of his chest.
“No.” She cries out.
It splinters his pounding heart knowing she feels safe in this cold endless darkness. He will fix this. He must. He will fix her, make her life better, worth living with him by her side.
“Please, come with me,” Kayden begs and sees a shutter run over Avery’s tiny body.
An idea pops into his head. Their connection is already so strong. Maybe knowing that he can’t stay with her will force her into coming with him.
“I can’t stay here Avery.” His soft lips touch her forehead. He lingers for minutes. Enjoying the feel of her skin on his lips. Her smell all around him.
“Trust me.” He breaths out, his eyes squeeze shut. Please trust me.
Kayden watches her face with keen eyes. Emotions and decisions warring i
nside of her.
“Okay,” Avery whispers, a tiny small on her pink lips.
He hearts soars with happiness. A gorgeous smile breaks across his face.
Kayden leans into Avery. His warm lips touching her cold ones.
It’s like fireworks. Her lips. Her taste. So, sweet.
He kisses her slowly savoring the feel of her, his pulse going wild.
Kayden slowly slips his tongue into her mouth. Moving in against hers. They tangle together in their very own dance that heats his blood to his core.
An electric shock jolts him into Avery. Searing heat through his body. Then nothing but light takes them both away.
Chapter Twelve
Avery
MY THROAT. UGH. It’s so dry my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth like glue. I go to reach up to my neck with my hand. My arms won’t move. I’m weak as a new born babe. My eyes, I’ve come to find out won’t open either. They feel heavy and weighed down like I have a hundred blocks on just my eyes alone.
What in the hell happened to me?
The last thing I remember is the black thick ribbons that called to me like a siren. The cool feel of them as they twisted and turned up my arm. The intense pain and equal amounts wonders of pleasure.
Did I die?
No, that can’t be right. I can still feel things. Well, physical things anyways.
The aches and pains going zooming along my never endings. The hunger pains in my stomach. My bone-dry mouth. The feather soft bed I’m in with the smooth silk sheets sticking to my sweaty skin. The suns warm rays on the side of my face.
Voices.
I concentrate on the muffled voice. Wanting to turn my head towards the noise but can’t. My sore fingers curl instead.
Like a volume button, the voices slowly turn up and come into focus.
“She should have woken up, right? I mean if he did it right, which he said he did and nothing went wrong. She should have woken up. It’s been three days.” It’s Camron and now that I can hear him I get this zap of nervous energy.
I’d groan if I could.
“I don’t know Cam. Quite asking me.” Aden snaps out.
Why does Cam hang around someone so grumpy and snappy as Aden?
Then it clicks. Cam said three days. Three days. I’ve been out for three days. What the hell? And why are those two in here with me?
Where’s Jeff? Or Shelly? They’re the adults, why aren’t they here.
I ignore Cam and Aden snapping back and forth. I put my mind on moving my fingers more. It’s slow going and feels like I’ve never moved a day in my life. Its stiff and sore sending twangs of pain up my arms. I keep at it and my fingers move more and more. The stiffens leaving. Soon I can move both of my hands, slowly rotting my wrists, but my arms are made of stone. They don’t want to move at all.
Just that little bit has already worn out my tired body. Making me want to go back to sleep. I’ve slept long enough and I really need to pee.
I start moving my eyes behind my closed lids. Side to side. Up and down. They start to water, breaking away whatever it is that has them glued together. I get a small slit to open.
Seeing the color of cream, I believe it might be the heavy blanket covering me and making me hot.
I take a breath and jerk my eyeballs upward, causing my lids to pop with them. Blinding light shines in my eyes. I blink and blink until I can make out my surroundings through a watery gaze.
I’m in an unfamiliar room. White walls. A single black dresser and a chair are the only items in the room other than the bed. I flick my eyes around, still not being able to move my ten-ton head.
Aden is leaning up against the closed door and Camron is pacing at the end of the full-size bed I’m swaddled in.
He’s a rainbow of colors. Grey’s, blues, greens, pinks, purples, reds, so many colors that I have no meaning for and don’t feel like deciphering now.
I stare and stare at him. Come on. Feel me staring at you. I want to know what happened and I need a drink of water and a bathroom.
I can’t swallow and I’m going to pee on this bed if I don’t get help very soon.
He whips around. All the colors blinking out lighting fast. An excited anxious smile on his face.
He rushes to the right side of the bed. My eyes following his every move. My head moving a little. Progress.
“Get Kayden.” Cam gasps.
“Avery.” His head falls to the side, shaggy hair with it, “How are you feeling?”
Stupid question. Stupid boy. Why Kayden? I don’t want him here with his annoying tingles. I need a drink and a toilet. Not Kayden.
My cracked lips open and I kind of grunt or something like it.
Cam just stares until the light bulb goes off. Understanding widens his eyes and he runs through a door I didn’t notice before.
I hear running water that doesn’t help my bladder. Bathroom then. He comes back with a cup and a bright pink straw, bending down he gets it to my mouth and I suck.
God. That’s good. My tongue unsticks from the roof of my mouth as the cool water flows and sooths my sore throat.
“More,” I say in a scratching whisper.
We do these two more times till I feel satisfied and my stomach is a moving ocean and I really need to go to the bathroom now.
I breathe easier and energy seems to make me more mobile.
“Bathroom,” I grunt moving my stone arms.
“Bathroom?”
“I have to pee Cam. Help me.”
“Oh right.”
He helps me up by pulling on both of my arms. I grunt and a whimper falls from my lips as my back pulls and spikes of pain.
He drops my arms, horror on his face, “I hurt you. Are you okay?”
He shakes.
“I’m fine Cam. Just get me to the toilet.” I gasp between the pain.
What happened to me?
Cam helps me swing my legs over the bed and pulls me to my feet. I lean on him as we take one step at a time and grunt as something pulls at my hand. I look down seeing a needle. I follow the tubbing with my eyes seeing an ivy stand. I jerk the needle out letting it follow to the floor. Cam gasps but I just step forward making him help me to the bathroom. Tiny spikes of pain shooting through me.
I’m sweating and breathing hard when he gets me to the bathroom. I lean up against the counter top and look at Cam, “Thanks. You can leave now.”
His hands flutter in the air and he nods.
With the clicking of the bathroom door shutting I shuffle to the toilet with cemented legs. I fall on the toilet and a sigh pops from my mouth as the pressure on my bladder disappears.
Once that’s done, I climb slowly on stiff legs. A deep breath and I shuffle forwards pausing at the large oval mirror. I look more strung out than usual. I shrug and move to the door. My legs shaking.
My hand sits on the door knob. Those damn tingles cause my already sore body to jerk. Being so weak I can’t hold in how my body response to them. My eyes snap to the door knowing who’s on the other side.
I push the door open slowly and standing close to the bathroom is Kayden. A rumpled black shirt stretches across his board shoulders. Wrinkled blue jeans and a pair of black shoes. He’s scuff tiring into a full bread that makes him look older.
I eye him as I slowly edge around his prone form. His eyes following my every movement seem brighter than normal. What in the world his deal?
I grunt as I sit on the bed and start to stretch out my stiff arms and legs. Getting the cement out of my blood.
I look up as Kayden finally moves. His glowing eyes never leaving my face. The closer he gets the stronger the tingles come. It’s a buzz underneath my skin.
I pull up from stretching my back. My eyes narrowing on his crazed look.
“Avery.” He breaths my name like it’s his air and drops on his knees between my legs hanging over the edge of the bed.
I jerk and Cam squeaks.
What is with these damn people?
&nb
sp; My legs tighten pushing against the bed and away from Kayden. My eyes widen as I see his tan arm come towards me. Hand shaky as he reaches out towards my face. My eyes flicker up to a shifting Camron and back to that large hand heading my way. Fear slips through my steel wall giving me the power to jerk my legs up on the bed and shuffle backwards away from Kayden. Away from that hand heading to my face.
“Kayden,” Camron warns.
Kayden growls and snaps his teeth like a dog.
“Don’t.” My voice cracks, “Don’t touch me.”
I watch his hand stop and pull back towards his body in a clinched fist. A look of hurt flashes in his eyes as he stares at me. A blue and grey ribbon flashes in and out. I hurt his feelings.
Too damn bad.
I lean to the side further away from him and push, shove the fear back behind my walls.
“Leave.” My voice comes out strong and emotionless.
His eyes squeeze shut. I what his wide chest move up and down as he takes in fast gulps of air. My eyes narrow as I see his skin twitch and move. Like something is hiding in his body and wants out.
He’s up and moving, snarling never looking back as he passes a confused Jeff standing in the door way.
Why would he try to touch me? I don’t know him. He should know the rules. No touching Avery.
“How are you feeling?” Jeff asks walking into the room.
“Why was he trying to touch me?”
Jeff looks uncomfortable, “I don’t know.”
I huff, “Does he not know the rules?”
“I’ll mention it to him again. So how are you feeling.”
“Stiff and I want a bath,” I say leaning up against the head board.
“Let’s see what the doctor says first. He’s on his way.” Jeff says.
I follow his gaze to the left side of the bed. An iv stand is sitting there.
His head cocks to the side at the tubing laying on the floor.
“I took it out.”
He gives me a stern look but doesn’t say anything.
I’m still looking at the tubing remembering those first few days in the hospital. I hated it. The drugs they pumped into me. The many busted veins on my body from nurses not being able to do their jobs right.