Page 57 of Cage Me

Her light begins to fade, as do the images, and for the first time in my life, I finally know who I am, who we are.

Chapter 22

SPENCER

Awareness of the world around me returns, and so does my hearing. Drake is screaming at Kasha, but I don’t hear her replies if she even gives any. Rolling over onto my side, I finally catch Drake’s attention and he helps me up.

“Fuck, Spencer.” He gathers me into his arms. His body trembles, and I can barely breathe from his tight embrace.

“I told you I would be okay.” My voice is muffled, but he must hear me because he squeezes harder until I wince.

He gently pulls back. “Are you hurt? What happened to you? I thought you…”

“I’m not hurt.” My fingers stroke his cheek, the heat of his skin seeping into me. “You were just holding on a little tight. As far as what happened, my wolf broke the wall I’d apparently built between the two of us, showing me our true power.”

Considering I didn’t die, I don’t see how it would be helpful to tell him that I almost did. It’s not like any of it was intentional. At least, my wolf didn’t think so.

Speaking of… Wolf?

She spoke so clearly in my mind. With the weight of exhaustion pressing in on me, I hadn’t been able to enjoy that fact in the moment, and I wouldn’t be sad if that becomes something we can always do.

Except, the longer I wait, the stronger the silence becomes.

She’s there inside me, more present than ever before, but her voice is gone.

That’s okay, I tell her. We’re still going to be okay. Better than okay.

Her energy blossoms within my chest, and there’s a slight rumble in my mind that I take as her agreement.

“Your skin,” Drake says, pulling me back to the present, “it was turning grey, like a week-old corpse, and your heartbeat was so faint.” He grabs my hands, holding them firmly. “I had no idea what was happening.”

I smile and chuckle. “If it helps, neither did I. My wolf did all the work. All I had to do was lie there.”

“Sooo,” Kasha says from the porch now. “Are you going to leave us in suspense or tell us what you learned so I can decide if it’s worth enough to not retaliate against your mate for his inappropriate threats?”

My gaze goes back to Drake, but he only shrugs. “I told you, I’m not as kind as you think I am. At least, not to anyone but you.”

That’s something I have no problem accepting about him.

“Help me up,” I say to him, then add, “Slowly.”

While I’m pulsing with new power and strength, I’m still weak from taking on so much all at once. Sleep is what I need next, but I know we have some things to discuss. Though, showing them the changes might be fun as well.

Drake gets me on my feet, and I grab his hand. Energy that transforms to heat moves from my core, up to my chest, then straight to my arm and pools within my palm. I panic for a moment when my skin starts to burn, unsure how to get the power from me to Drake, but I close my eyes and take a deep inhale.

As soon as I exhale, the energy inside me moves through my skin and into Drake’s, causing him to come to an abrupt stop next to me. “What the…”

I open my eyes and grin. Even though I can’t see my handiwork myself, I have no doubt that it’s worked based on the widening of Drake’s eyes and how the silver flecks there start to turn white.

“Where the hell did you go?” Kasha says sharply, her eyes narrowed as she searches the yard.

“How did you do that?” my mate asks, seeming to be transfixed with awe.

Kasha’s arms cross, and she’s now staring at us. “Why can I hear you, but not see you?”

I release Drake and expect her glare to drop, but that doesn’t happen. One glance at Drake and his eyes are still glowing with my energy.

Huh. So, I didn’t get it all right, but I’m sure I’ll figure things out soon enough.

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