Mara couldn’t loosen her grip. The fire held her to Katerina, searing every part of her. When Katerina took her last breath, her spirit escaped her lips in a puff of smoke.
Mara’s arms fell away. She teetered on unsteady legs and stared down at her sister’s body. Katerina’s heart was gone. In its place was a burned and blackened hole. What the hell happened?
A dull roar filled Mara’s ears. Darkness pressed in on her. The last thing she felt was Cade’s arms, and her scorched cheek landing against his chest.
She’d done it. He was safe.
Mara’s skin glowed white hot in Cade’s arms.
“Cade!” Eleanor called from the ground below. Six naked werewolves stood outside the fence looking up at him. The earth elemental was dead, eviscerated by lupine jaws. They owed Eleanor their lives. She’d masked his pack’s scent, wrapped them in the smells of the lake and the grass, and hidden their footfalls long enough to sneak close to the circle of fire that protected Katerina and Mara. Eleanor called his name again. “Get her down here.”
He sprinted down the two flights of stairs. Mara was preternaturally still. He wasn’t even sure she was breathing. Listening, he caught the sound of her heart. It was faint. Very slow. She was dying. A quarter-sized burn in the middle of her chest steamed.
When he reached his pack, Eleanor peeled back one of Mara’s eyelids. “Get her into the water. Now.” She pointed towards the lake.
Cade sprinted down a hill and splashed into the icy depths. He hissed as his fingertips and toes prickled with pain from the icy water. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but Mara. “Come back to me, honey. Please. Don’t leave me. Not now.”
One by one, his pack approached. The men had pulled on pants, the women shirts. Shawn’s arms were around Livie. Christine leaned against Peter. Ollie had his hand on Eleanor’s arm, steadying her steps. The air elemental had expended a tremendous amount of energy hiding them.
Liam cleared his throat. “She risked her life for ya.”
“I know.”
Eleanor took a bag from Liam’s shoulder and rifled inside, coming up with a bottle of water. “Get her to drink something,” she urged.
“She’s unconscious,” Cade replied. He supported Mara’s body with one arm and stroked her hair with his free hand. It fanned out in the water like a halo of crimson around her head. She was so beautiful, even here with blood and ash streaking her face and her eyes sunken.
“Try anyway,” Christine said.
Liam slid into the water. “Here.” He uncapped the bottle and handed it to Cade.
Cade tipped the bottle to Mara’s lips, parting them slightly. A bit of the cool liquid dribbled down her chin. “Drink, honey. Please.” Another thin trickle washed over her tongue. No response.
“Mara,” Cade said sharply. “Listen to me. You are not going to die. You are going to drink and you’re going to open your eyes and say my name. Now, dammit.”
Her tongue slipped over her lips. She swallowed. He gave her a bit more. Her head turned, seeking out the bottle. A tiny wheeze escaped her lungs. Eyelids fluttered.
“That’s it, Mara. Come on. Open those beautiful eyes for me.” Cade kissed her lightly.
“Cade.”
With that single word, his entire world righted. He only had a glimpse of dull green irises before she closed her eyes again, but it was enough. She was alive.
Nineteen
Eleanor had cloaked the entire area surrounding the old gasification towers in mist so no one would see them fight the elementals, but the pack left the park quickly before anyone came to investigate the smoke. Peter hauled Jeremy’s body onto the green belt and Christine dug a hole under some blackberry bushes to bury him.
Cade allowed Liam to hold Mara long enough to pull on pants and shoes and then cradled her to his chest again. His hands and feet were numb, but he didn’t care. He’d warm up quickly, especially since her skin was still burning.
The ride to her house was silent. Eleanor drove, Christine sat in the passenger seat—as a healer, she wanted to stay close to Mara—and Cade and Mara huddled in the tiny back seat of the roadster. Everyone else shifted back into wolf form and followed to the green belt and the edges of the trail that led within two blocks of Mara’s home.
“Get her into the tub,” Christine ordered when they were back inside the house. “Lukewarm water. I’m going to make some dandelion tea for her. It’s a cooling herb.”
Cade carried her into the bathroom and laid her down on the bath mat. She was pale and bruised, with patches of blistered skin at her temple, her wrists, and her belly. The scar between her breasts was the worst. The skin was black and oozing. Her tub was deep enough for two, so he sank down with her and waited for the cool water to rise enough to cover her.
He didn’t move when Christine came in. She rummaged through the medicine cabinet, hummed, pursed her lips, and ducked her head out of the door. “Get me aloe, mint, comfrey, and sage. Oh, and some shea butter wouldn’t be a bad idea either. And a humidifier.”
Someone—Peter by the sound of it—agreed and the front door opened and shut. Christine handed Cade a small, steaming cup. “Get her to drink this. All of it. Even if it takes an hour. I don’t care how badly you prune, you don’t take her out of the water until I come back with the poultice for her burns.”
“Mara? Tea.” Cade brought the cup to her lips. “I need you to drink this. Now.” She parted them slightly and swallowed. “Good, honey. Good. You’re going to be all right. I promise.”
For the first eighteen hours, Mara’s fever raged. After removing her from the tub and placing her in bed, Cade dabbed her forehead with a cool cloth, covered her only in a thin sheet, and repeatedly rubbed her burns with the poultice and the rest of her skin with aloe and shea butter. His wolves came and went, bringing him food, more tea and broth for Mara, and once, setting two bags of new clothes for him next to Mara’s closet. He had nothing to say to them, only grunting his thanks. Mara didn’t stir other than to accept liquid whenever Cade offered it.
Lillian showed up and sat with him for an hour. “She’s a fighter, that one is,” she said. “Eleanor told me what she did. Thinks she’s some sort of miracle. I told her I reckon she’s right. Don’t know what sort, other than the kind that you want on your side.”
“I can’t lose her,” Cade said, breaking his silence.
The old woman chuckled. “Darlin’, that child ain’t never given up. Not even when she was dyin’. Oh, she’d accepted it—her illness. Her death. But she never gave up. I don’t reckon she’s gonna start now.” She got to her feet with a groan. “These old bones need their bed.”
Paper thin lips pressed to Cade’s forehead. “You gonna give up on her?”
“No. Never.”
“Then tell her that.” Lillian leaned over and kissed Mara’s forehead too and shuffled out of the room.
When midnight came and went, Cade stripped off his shirt and pants and slid into bed with his mate. The fever had broken and now she had bouts of uncontrollable shivers. Her eyes never opened, and she wouldn’t acknowledge his presence. He started to talk. He told her stories of his childhood, of shifting, of running with his pack. He talked all night. Livie brought him cup after cup of coffee, food he barely touched, and more tea and broth for Mara.
The next day, his pack moved through the house. He didn’t know what they were doing and he didn’t care. There was only Mara. Darkness fell again with no change.
“Cade?” Liam knocked on the bedroom door as he opened it.
“Go away,” Cade growled. He sat by Mara’s bedside, her cool hand held in his.
Liam cleared his throat. “No, Cade. I need ya.”
“Mara needs me.” He’d brought her back to the bath a few hours ago, warm this time, scented with almond oil. The burns were healing. Her color was better. But he wouldn’t settle until she woke up and spoke to him.
“Ya can’t do her any good by killin’ yourself. I’m not askin’ ya to leav
e her for long. Come to the kitchen. I need to ask ya something.”
“Ask here.” Cade brushed the backs of his fingers against Mara’s cheek.
“The house next door is for sale.”
Cade whipped his head around. He’d forgotten.
Liam held a flier in his large hands. “I called the realtor. If we—you get an offer in before midweek, she’s sure it’ll be accepted—even at twenty thousand below askin’. The seller is desperate.”
He rose and met Liam at the door. “I can’t. What if she doesn’t want me?”
“She sacrificed herself for ya. For all of us. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is. And they can’t keep sleepin’ on her living room floor forever. I’m makin’ plans to leave, but the rest of them . . .”
Cade grabbed Liam’s arm. He didn’t want to lose his beta. “Don’t go.”
“You said . . .”
“I know what I said. I could lose her. I can’t lose anyone else. You risked your life for her. That has to carry some weight.”
Liam enveloped Cade in a bear hug. “I’m so sorry, Cade. It’s my fault she’s hurt.”
“It’s Katerina’s fault. If she doesn’t wake up, I don’t know what I’ll do.” The single word she’d spoken to him dunked in the waters of Lake Union hadn’t reassured him for long. She’d accepted a few sips of broth or tea whenever he’d offered, but there hadn’t even been movement of her eyelids.
“She’ll come back to ya. Let me make an offer. It’s big enough for all of . . . us. We went through it a few hours ago. We can do all the restoration ourselves. Ya could get back to woodworking. Seattle is growin’. There are dozens of construction jobs to bid on. The sheriff’s department is hirin’. Naturopaths are in high demand. We can all find work here. A new start. Let me buy the house.”
Cade ran a hand through his unkempt hair. He needed to sleep.
“Cade?”
The quiet whisper had Cade and Liam whirling towards the bed.
“The previous owners were assholes. Picked all of my roses. You lot better not pull that shit.” Mara’s eyes were bloodshot, but they focused on Cade and she tried to smile.
“That’s good enough for me,” Liam said. He backed out of the door and closed it quietly.
Cade was at Mara’s side in another breath.
“H-h-hey,” she whispered through chattering teeth. “C-cold.”
Cade shed his clothing and slid under the covers with the woman he loved. She shivered in his arms, trying to burrow into his chest. He reached over and turned on the electric blanket. “This is familiar.”
Her weak laugh righted everything that ailed his heart. Whoops and triumphant cheers from the other side of the door piqued Mara’s interest. She lifted her head. “They’re all here?”
“Yep. Every single one of them has tried to edge their way in here to see you the past two days. You impressed them, honey. What you did. Choosing me over your family. Over your own life.”
“She wasn’t my family. You want to be my family. You want them to be my family too.”
“I do.” He kissed the top of her head, tightening his arms around her.
“I want that too.” Mara pressed her lips to his neck. “Tired. Don’t leave.”
“Never.” Cade smoothed a hand over her hair, relishing the feel of his mate’s silk-clad body against his. She was ice cold, but her shivers were lessening and her scent was returning to normal. Spring rain, almonds, and shea butter. In a day, maybe two, she’d be whole and perhaps he’d be able to relax. Until then, he’d keep her close. For now, they’d both sleep.
Mara woke in the middle of the night. Cade held her against his warm, hard body, but he was fast asleep. “Cade,” she whispered. She was thirsty. He didn’t stir.
She’d heard every word he’d spoken while he kept vigil at her bedside. His pleas, his prayers. His stories. She’d fought to come back to him, to make a sound, to reassure him that she was still here, but Katerina’s fire charm had stolen the oxygen in her blood. After dealing with her illness for so long, she knew exactly what the charm had done to her—and how to fix it. She’d done nothing but listen to Cade’s voice and try to heal, drawing upon the sweet resonating tones of the water in the air to replenish her.
Slowly, she shifted out of his arms. He stirred and settled quickly. Her knees buckled when she stood, but she didn’t fall. She refused to give in to the weakness of her body. She wrapped herself in her robe and shuffled out into the hallway.
Snores met her ears. Mara peeked into the living room. Liam, Peter, and Ollie were curled up on air mattresses. Christine had the couch. The guest room door was closed—Livie and Shawn would be in there. Mara tiptoed into the kitchen, got a glass, and ran water from the sink.
“Mara?” Liam appeared in the doorway silently, wearing a pair of pajama pants and nothing else. “Are ya well?”
“Enough,” Mara whispered. The glass shook in her hand, but she managed to down a third of it without spilling.
“I’ll get Cade. You’re too sick to be out of bed.”
“You’ll do no such thing. I’m not going to run a marathon. I needed a glass of water. Cade is exhausted. He hasn’t slept since it ended. I’m going back to him in a minute.” She glared at Liam and he met her stare, then almost immediately looked down. She knew this look now. Submission. He was submitting to her. No longer was the beta wolf challenging her. Mara drained the glass and left it in the sink. “Is everyone okay?”
“Livie’s mad we didn’t let her fight much. Shawn’s wolf broke his leg, but he shifted back and he’s fine now.”
“Good. I’m going back to bed.” Mara was nearly at the bedroom door but turned when Liam called her name.
“Can you forgive me? For frightening ya into leaving?” He stepped forward and clasped his hands in front of him. When he met her gaze, a single tear glistened on his cheek.
“If I’d stayed, she might have hurt Aunt Lil. Or maybe she’d have snuck up on all of us in the middle of the night and set the house on fire. And I understand. Livie told me that you loved an elemental once. That she died.”
The pain that blanketed Liam’s face was absolute. “Yeah. Caitlin was her name.” His voice trembled, as if he hadn’t said her name aloud in a long time. “She was air. Such a fragile bird. My beauty. My Cait.” He drew in a deep breath, as if reliving his time with her and bottling it up all in one moment. “She smelled like fig blossoms, ya know. Fig blossoms and the sea.”
A memory tickled at Mara’s mind. She’d smelled fig blossoms recently. Where had it been? Nerves fluttered her belly and she hugged herself tightly.
Liam shoved his hands through his red hair and yanked it, grimacing. “I let my own pain cloud my judgment of ya. It was wrong and I’m sorry.”
She nodded. “I forgive you.”
Liam rubbed his eyes. “Thank you, Mara. I don’t deserve it. There’s one other thing I want to ask, if you’ll indulge me.”
Mara was exhausted again. If Liam didn’t get the point, she was going to topple over.
“Will ya claim him?”
A knowing smile tugged at her lips. She’d found her answer up on that catwalk. Cade was the one she wanted. He’d made her a promise the moment he’d shifted. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. And as her sister’s fire had spread through her limbs, she’d made her own vow. This werewolf was hers and she’d fight for his life with everything she was.
She slipped back behind her bedroom door with a single whispered word.
“Yes.”
Epilogue
“Good morning, honey.”
A warm hand caressed Mara’s cheek. The scent of her favorite morning drink, an almond milk cappuccino, wafted up and Mara grinned before she even opened her eyes. “You’re spoiling me,” she murmured.
“I’ll bring you coffee every morning for the rest of my life if you’ll let me.” The mattress depressed and Mara drank in the sight of her werewolf. He wasn’t wearing a shirt and she ran her f
ingers down his chest, over the well-defined ridges of his abs. She tugged the waistband of his pajamas. A possessive growl emanated from his chest. She knew it well. It was his personal mating call.
Laughter and the banging of pots and pans filled the house outside their bedroom door. The pack’s offer on the neighboring house had been accepted and since they had enough cash—Shawn had invested well for the past seven years—they were already sleeping there, but the entire kitchen had to be redone so they took all of their meals at Mara’s house. Mara and Cade’s house.
Cade leaned in and kissed her. He tasted of coffee. His own mug sat next to hers on the nightstand. “Merry Christmas.”
For the past two weeks, she’d rested at Cade’s insistence. After the confrontation with Katerina, her water element and the fire in her blood had been terribly off balance. She’d had hours, even half a day here and there, where she’d felt fine and then suddenly she’d weaken. After her second fainting spell, Cade had refused to let her out of bed without him at her side. This lasted for several days, but she’d managed to talk Livie into taking her shopping on the twenty-third so she could buy presents for everyone.
“How do you feel today?” he asked her. “You look good.”
She offered him her wrist so he could determine the balance of her elements.
“Strong.” A kiss pressed to her inner arm sent a shiver down her spine.
“I’ve had three good days in a row. Maybe it’s over?” She raised her brows. Cade passed her the mug of coffee.
“I hope so. I talked to Eleanor last night. She called after you fell asleep. Everything’s set for our trip.” He took a sip of his black brew and sighed contentedly.
They were headed to Cannon Beach, Oregon on New Year’s Day. There was a large elemental community there: fire, water, earth, and air. They didn’t much care for outsiders, but Eleanor had obtained permission for Mara and Cade to spend a week there so Mara could learn from both water and fire elementals. The general consensus was that as a water child of fire, Mara might be able to wield both elements with the right training.
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