Page 18 of Bloodline Unbound

Is she still there?

“Yep.”

I didn’t like that I couldn’t see what she did. A ripple of cool air washed over me and my fur puffed out like a pom-pom.

The glass swung open and Logan stepped outside, scooping me into her arms.

“Hey!” she snapped. “Quit scaring my cat.”

Caden had his arm around her waist, trying to pull us both back inside.

I clung to her, claws digging into her arm as Caden hoisted us away from the patio. He locked the doors, closed the curtains, and went to the kitchen to dig out a salt shaker from the cupboards. While he sprinkled the ground along the door, Logan held me cuddled to her chest.

I can’t believe you yelled at a ghost.

“Is that what it was?”

Not a fucking clue. I bumped her chin with my head. You’re a badass, Lo.

She scratched my ears and I melted into her touch, my purr vibrating through me.

Magic fingers.

I squawked as Caden scooped me up by the belly, lifted me off, and dropped me onto the floor.

Caden eyed me. Stop it.

“I wish we had more than salt,” Logan said.

“We have more in the trunk, but no one is going out there to get it. This is better than nothing.” Caden paced the cabin and I snuck back to Logan since she was nervously picking at her cuticles. I could think of much better ways to work out nervous energy. She pet me without even looking, her hands too in the habit of responding to something warm and fluffy nearby. Caden glared at me, but didn’t come to toss me this time. He double and triple-checked the locks, not that they would do much against a ghost.

If you want me to do guard duty tonight, I’ll need to get some sleep first.

Caden nodded.

I wasn’t keen on running forever. We needed to find someone who could tell us what the fuck was following us.

Caden let out a low growl. He had to be pissed right off that he didn’t know how to keep her safe. I had no fucking idea either and it was making me antsy.

I wanted to know how fucked we all were.

Helplessness was a feeling I’d never gotten used to. Logan always looked at me with such quiet affection, trusting I’d protect her. I didn’t know how I was going to do that this time. All I wanted to do was wrap her in my arms and pretend everything was fine.

“You should sleep,” I said.

“I’m not tired,” Logan said, even as she yawned.

I bundled her onto the couch and sat down, getting her to stretch out with her head on my lap. I draped one of the blankets over her and she snuggled in. She deserved so much more than I could give her. Seth sat on the floor, staring up at her, until she patted the couch for him to hop up.

I rolled my eyes. Even knowing it was a shifter, she couldn’t help but treat my brother like she’d treat any regular cat out there. I supposed I should be grateful she loved so widely and so easily. It had saved my life after all, but my brother knew how to get under my skin. He also had to know that Logan’s guard was down when he was in his small form. She wouldn’t be patting the couch for him to join her if he were a panther or a human.

I sighed and tried not to pay too much attention to the way he weaseled himself into her arms and purred like there was no place else he’d rather be.

It wasn’t fair.

It was his own damn fault I couldn’t love him the way I used to. He’d ruined everything. Now he’d waltzed right back into my life and ruined it all again.

Fucking perfect.

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