by Kali Argent
As the fire raged out of control, the other members of his team seemed to realize it as well. No one, let alone a human, could survive that kind of blaze. If the flames didn’t kill them, the smoke surely would, and there was nothing anyone could do to change it.
Rhys Lockwood appeared at his side, his hands covered in blood, and the inferno reflected in his eyes. “It’s too late.”
Lynk chuffed in agreement. This was one fight they weren’t going to win, and the only option now was retreat.
As if reading his mind, Rhys whistled, the sound loud and shrill over the den of the fight. “Fall back!” he shouted. “Thea, get the hell out of there!” The words were still on his lips when the puma hurdled through the air to land on the back of a young lioness. “Damn female.”
With a grunt, Rhys hurried off to assist his mate. His call had been heard, though, and the rest of the team began fighting their way back toward the forest.
Beyond the ones they’d lost in the battle, the only person missing from their group was Luca Moretti. Lynk hung his head. He now knew who had set off that final blast. Fuck. Luca had been a hardnosed bastard with a take-no-shit attitude, but he’d liked the hell out of the guy. It wasn’t often that a human climbed to the rank of captain within the Revenant, and he’d more than earned the respect of the entire group.
“Holy shit,” Deidra murmured, jabbing her finger at the fire. “Look!”
“Holy shit,” Rhys echoed as he rushed back into the open. “Cover him!”
Transfixed, Lynk stepped out of the tree line as well, watching in amazement as Luca walked right out of the inferno, Abby cradled securely in his arms.
Chapter Eight
According to the clock on the bedside table, it was just after three in the morning when a quiet knock roused Cade from his light doze.
He hoped whoever waited outside the room would have the common sense not to knock again. It had been a rough night for Mackenna. He’d thought that sleep would at least give her some peace, but even then, she’d been restless. Twice, she’d called out for him. Twice, he’d thought his heart would shatter.
Careful not to wake her, he eased out from beneath his mate and repositioned her on the mattress. She whimpered and reached for him but settled quickly when he stroked her hair. Once he was sure that she wouldn’t wake again, he tiptoed across the room and slipped out into the hallway, leaving the door cracked an inch so he could hear her if she called for him.
“They’re back,” Roux said by way of greeting.
“All of them?”
Her eyes misted as she shook her head.
“Who?”
“Miles, Kellen, and Izan.”
Damn. He’d met the humans just once, and frankly, he hadn’t cared much for them, but that wasn’t the point. His personal feelings aside, they’d seemed like decent guys, and the world needed a lot more decent people in it. While he hadn’t known Miles much better, he would miss him. The vampire had possessed a wicked sense of humor, and Cade had liked him almost instantly.
“Abby?”
“She’s here. A little banged up, but she’ll be okay.”
“What about the other females?”
The muscles in her neck strained as she swallowed, and it took several seconds before she could answer. “There was a fire. They couldn’t get the others out in time.” Her eyes strayed to the door behind him as she started to back away. “Anyway, I just thought you’d want to know that they’re back.”
As much as he wanted to follow after her, to see Abby with his own eyes, it wasn’t that simple anymore. He couldn’t just think about himself and what he wanted. Mackenna needed him, and he couldn’t bear the thought of her waking up alone and afraid.
“Thanks, Roux.” He pushed the door open a little wider, cursing the bright lights in the corridor. “I’ll catch up in a little bit.”
“Is everything okay?” Mackenna asked when he slipped back into the room.
Damn it.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. Watch your eyes.” Closing the door, he slid his hand along the wall until he found the light switch. Fluorescent light flooded the small area, making them both blink a few times. “That was Roux. She was telling me that the team just got back.”
“You should go.”
“I will in a little bit.”
Sitting up in the bed, she shoved her tangled hair back from her face and sighed. “I’m okay, Cade. Really. You should go be with your friends.”
There was that word again. He didn’t know why he had such an aversion to it, especially when it was so accurate. Maybe it was just habit.
As for her being “okay,” he didn’t buy it. He’d never heard someone cry like that, like their very soul was being torn apart. He hadn’t known one person could hold that much pain, and there had been fuck all he could do about it. There had been no monster to fight, no dragon to slay. Never in his entire life had he felt so completely useless.
“Are you hungry?”
Mackenna stared at him for a long time, her gaze narrowed and probing. “I could eat.” Tossing the blanket off, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and was on her feet before he could stop her. “Let me just go to the bathroom first.”
“Mack, get back in bed.”
“I have to pee.”
Well, she had him there. “Fine. Hurry up.”
“Will you stop barking orders at me?”
Yes. Maybe. When she stopped scaring the shit out of him. “You need to rest.”
“I rested. I’m almost completely healed.”
“You cried.” He really hadn’t meant for that to come out as accusatory as it had. Oops.
“I did. It was a good cry, long overdue, and I’m fine now.” When he just arched an eyebrow at her, she sighed and shook her head. “Okay, maybe I’m not fine, but I do feel better. I can’t hide in this room forever.”
“It’s been a day.”
“And what’s going to change tomorrow? Or the day after that? I can do this. I need to do this.”
While his instincts said she needed more time to heal, both physically and emotionally, she wasn’t a child. She wasn’t a prisoner anymore, either. If she wanted to leave her room, it wasn’t his place to stop her or try to talk her out of it. As much as he wanted to be, he wasn’t the hero of her story. That honor belonged solely to her. He was just the supporting cast.
So, he’d be supportive. “If you change your mind, or if it’s too much, we can come right back. No one will judge you.”
The first truly genuine smile he’d seen from her lit up her entire being. “Thank you. I just need to…” She trailed off and jerked her thumb toward the bathroom. “I’ll be right back.”
Even letting her out of his sight for that long made him uneasy, despite the fact she hadn’t even technically left the room. Surely, that had to be the mating bond. It had to be some weird, magical connection that was turning him into a raving lunatic. Sure, he cared about people’s suffering, and he helped where he could, but he barely knew her. He certainly shouldn’t feel as protective of her as he did.
While his brain supplied this reasonable explanation, his heart scoffed. So what, it said. So what if it was the mating bond? So what if he had only known her for a short time? Neither one of those excuses changed a damn thing. They didn’t change how he felt. They didn’t negate how intensely he felt it.
When Mackenna exited the bathroom, she had a little more color in her cheeks, and that bright, beautiful smile was still in place. “Okay, I’m ready.”
Underweight, dressed in an ugly, blue hospital gown with her hair falling in messy, tangled waves down her back, she was still absolutely stunning. Her amber eyes dominated her face, giving her a pixie-like appearance that he found both alluring and disarming.
Crossing the room in a few strides, he caught her cheeks between his palms and just held her there, computing every detail to memory right down to the exact place of her freckles. Then, very slowly, giving her plenty of
time to pull away or knee him in the balls, he lowered his mouth to hers. Mackenna didn’t try to stop him, and they met in a sweet, gentle kiss that ignited every nerve ending in his body.
Her hand came up to rest on his shoulder, and she swayed into him, parting her lips on a soft sigh. Vibrating with desire, he wrapped his arm around her waist and dragged her closer as he caressed the seam of her mouth with his tongue. He kept the kiss gentle and coaxing, delving deeper, then retreating until Mackenna relaxed into the rhythm with another one of those intoxicating sighs.
When her hand clenched against his shoulder, fisting in his shirt, he reluctantly pulled back, ending the kiss with another chaste brush of their lips. Christ, he wanted her, but she wasn’t ready. Frankly, he didn’t know if he was ready.
“Last chance to change your mind.” His voice was still heavy with lust, but he hoped she understood he meant leaving the room, not getting naked with him.
“No, I’m ready.” She bit her kiss-swollen lip and took his hand, linking their fingers together. “Just, maybe, don’t leave me.”
He tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. “Never.”
With her hand clasped in his, he led her out of the room and down the hall, following the sounds of conversation to the hospital’s waiting area. Since being taken over by the Revenant, the lobby had been transformed into more of a rec room with comfortable sofas and chairs, a flat screen television, and even a gaming console.
He spotted Abby immediately, her golden hair and Barbie blue eyes standing out even beneath the layer of soot that coated her pale skin. She stood off to the side of the check-in desk, wrapped up securely in Luca’s arms, and the big male wasn’t letting anyone near her.
Cade didn’t know their story, and he didn’t need to know. They looked happy together, and Abby was alive and back where she belonged. That was all that mattered.
He scanned the room, looking for someone not occupied who could tell him what had happened at the shifter camp. Eventually, his gaze settled on Lynk, their eyes met, and the shifter nodded before starting to make his way across the room. Beside him, Mackenna tensed and pressed closer to his side.
Even under the best of circumstances, he could understand the reaction. Over six and a half feet tall, Lynk towered over everyone else in the room. His snowy white hair hung loosely around his face, the strands matted with blood, ash, and Christ only knew what else. If that wasn’t intimidating enough, the gaping wound in the side of his neck would have given anyone pause.
Eyes the color of pure moonlight flickered between him and Mackenna, and Cade recognized the exact moment Lynk decoded the situation. The shifter stopped a few feet away and dipped his head.
“Congratulations.”
Cade returned his nod and pulled Mackenna tighter against his side. “Mackenna, this is Lynk Foster. He’s a dick, but he saved my life, so I guess he’s okay.”
Lynk snorted. “That’s a hell of an endorsement, Novak.”
True, but his backhanded compliment had produced the desired result. Mackenna giggled, and some of her shaking subsided.
“It’s nice to meet you, Lynk.”
She didn’t speak loudly, just barely above a murmur, but honestly, Cade was surprised she’d said anything at all. “Look.” He jerked his head to the side. “Here comes trouble.”
“Hi!” Roux said brightly as she bounced to a stop beside them. “Boys, if you’ll excuse us, I think Mackenna is probably ready to get out of that hospital gown.” She didn’t crowd close, but she offered her hand, along with an encouraging smile. “What do you say? We can find you some real clothes, then I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
“Roux,” Cade said warningly.
“No.” Pulling away from his side, Mackenna patted his arm and smiled up at him. “It’s okay. Real clothes would be great.” She straightened her spine and reached out to take Roux’s offered hand. “Thank you.”
“She’s tough,” Lynk commented as they watched the females walk away. “Roux filled me in on a little of what happened to her,” he added when Cade arched an eyebrow at him. “I don’t know how someone survives something like that, let alone walks away so…normal.”
Mackenna wasn’t unfazed by the ordeal, but Cade agreed that he’d expected it to take much longer before she felt comfortable being around other people. “She’s amazing.” And he’d happily spend hours talking about his new mate. Later. “What happened out there? I thought it was supposed to be a quick in and out.”
“Fucking land mines.” Lynk snorted in disgust. “Miles tripped the first one. After that, everything just went to hell.”
“Jesus.” That was a shitty way to go, and not something he would wish on anyone. “Is that why everyone’s covered in soot?”
“No, that was the fire. The building where they were keeping the females went up like kindling. Abby is the only one who survived.”
Cade knew that from Roux, but he still frowned. There was something in the shifter’s tone, a note of confusion maybe. “What is it?”
“Luca walked right out of that fucking inferno with her in his arms. Not a single burn. Hell, his hair isn’t even singed.” His gaze strayed to Abby, and he frowned. “She looked bad. She looked really bad, man.”
Cade glanced across the room, mirroring the shifter’s scowl. “There’s not a mark on her.”
“I know.” Raking his fingers through his hair, Lynk sighed. “When he brought her out of that cabin, though, I swear…”
He had a feeling he knew where this was going, but he wanted to hear Lynk say it. “What?”
“I swear she was dead.” He looked at the female again and shook his head. “Then, there’s that.”
Cade didn’t have to ask what “that” was. He’d noticed as well. The other two humans, the remaining members of the Valkyrie, were gathered around her and Luca, their heads bent together in whispered conversation. The males reacted to Luca with respect, the way one might a superior. The way they looked at Abby, though, was more deferential, almost worshipful.
Maybe they were in some kind of polyamorous relationship. Live and let live was Cade’s motto, but he didn’t think that was the case. For one thing, neither of the men touched Abby. They didn’t hold onto her the way Luca did. While they hovered around her protectively, there was no desire in their eyes or their body language.
“Somethings going on,” Lynk said after a long pause, “and I want to know what the fuck it is.”
“I agree there’s something weird there, but if you start throwing around accusations, it’s not going to do anything but start a fight.” Yeah, something was definitely wrong when he came out of a conversation as the rational one. “Let’s give it some time. She’s been through hell and back.”
“And she looks completely unaffected,” Lynk argued. “Does that look like the Abigail Dawson you know?”
No, it really didn’t. The woman Cade had met back in Trinity Grove had been fierce and outspoken, but she’d fallen apart at the first sign of physical conflict. She was easily spooked, quick to cry, and she didn’t rebound easily. The Abby he stared at now was confident, cool, and her eyes had the hardened look of a battle-scarred warrior.
“We don’t know what happened to her since she left the werewolf pack in St. Louis,” he reasoned. He knew what he had suffered, and he’d been barely conscious for most of it. “That kind of shit changes people.”
“I guess, but something still feels off.”
“I’m not arguing that, but just give it time.”
He hadn’t even spoken to Abby yet, but he could sense the difference from across the room. And he was just a human with no extraordinary ability. So, if Lynk said something wasn’t right, he was quick to believe him. He stood by what he’d said earlier, though. Throwing around accusations wasn’t going to accomplish anything.
Abby looked up then, their eyes met, and Cade didn’t think he imagined the anxiety that flashed across her face before she quickly averted her gaze. Well
, that hurt. It also didn’t make any sense. He hadn’t seen her since they’d been separated in St. Louis, and he damn sure hadn’t done anything to make her fear him.
“I’m telling you,” Lynk said, having clearly caught the brief interaction, “shit is getting weird.”
Cade started to respond, happy to continue speculating, but Mackenna reentered the room at that moment, and she commanded his full attention. She looked comfortable in a pair of flowy black pants and a white, long-sleeved V-neck. Her wild, flame-like hair had been tamed in a loose braid that trailed down to the middle of her back, and as she passed by one of the table lamps, the light gleamed off her glossy lips.
The fitted clothing revealed just how thin and frail her years of captivity had left her, but she looked no less stunning because of it. Physically, she would heal. Mentally, he knew the scars might never fade.
For the moment, though, she looked happy. When she caught him watching her, she responded with a shy smile that took his breath away.
“Damn,” Lynk chuckled. “You’ve got it bad.”
Cade didn’t even try to deny it. “Look at her. Do you blame me?” He considered that for a moment, then shook his head. “Never mind. Don’t answer that.”
Lynk laughed again and clapped him on the shoulder. “Go be with your female. We’ll talk later.”
Waving the shifter off, he crossed the room, meeting his mate near one of the overstuffed sofas. “Hey.”
“Hi,” she said a bit breathlessly. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“What?” Damn, he couldn’t think when he was around her. “Oh, you mean Lynk?” He jerked his head dismissively. “Fuck that guy.” God, she had a great laugh, and he swelled with pride that he’d been the one to bring it out of her. “Are you hungry? You should eat.”
“You’ve been feeding me all day.”
He didn’t understand her point. “So…that’s a no?”
“No.” She graced him with another one of those heart-stopping smiles. “I’m not hungry.”
“Okay, break it up.” Roux marched in between them and poked Cade in the chest. “You’ve had her to yourself all day. Go away.”