Page 59 of These Dangerous Fates

“Thank you,” she whispers against my mouth.

Shaking my head, I roll us so she is laying on top of me. If wolves could purr, mine would sound like an engine rumbling as she snuggles against me. Goosebumps rise on our skin as the sweat cools, so I grab a blanket from the back of the couch and pull it over our bodies. She relaxes and her breath across my chest evens out. My post-orgasm euphoria slowly fades as I realize what I just let happen. Guilt churns in my gut. I’ll never forgive myself for letting it go that far. She’ll never forgive me.

“I’m so sorry, Ellis,” I whisper to the top of her head.

I’m such a fucking idiot.

Cade

Waking with Kai sprawled over my body is definitely something I could get used to. The only thing missing is Ellis. I look for her, but she isn’t here. As comfortable as I am, there is a weird sensation in my gut. It’s like a warning that’s making my insides twist and turn. Maybe I’m just paranoid. Last night was amazing. With Ellis and Kai bonded together, I assume that means she won’t be leaving any time soon. But the joy that thought brings is tempered by the nagging sensation that it can’t last.

Kai grunts as I shove him off of me. “What the fuck, man.” He grumbles and sits up, looking around for Ellis. “Where is she?”

I take a moment to stare at him with his messy hair and sleep filled eyes, but I ignore the emotions that try to distract me. “No idea, I just woke up,” I say, climbing over him.

We quickly dress and head for the library, the most likely place for her to be. As we push through the door, I smile. Ellis is sprawled across Sterling’s chest, both completely naked under the blanket that has fallen to her waist. Looks like she got what she’s been wanting. I’m not sure why Sterling has been holding out, but I knew there was no way he could keep saying no to her.

Sterling glances at us as we walk through the door. The look of regret and guilt in his eyes makes me miss a step. What’s that all about? His hand rubs gentle circles on her bare back and my palm itches to replace his hand with mine.

Kai plops on the chair across from them and grins. “You assholes are lucky I’m willing to share my beloved.”

Sterling stiffens and closes his eyes tightly. I study him with narrowed eyes. There is something going on with him. And I’m worried whatever it is has to do with Ellis.

“I got an email yesterday,” Kai says quietly, holding his phone up. “About the next challenge. Ellis’s dad will call me tonight at nine. The email said he has a message for Ellis before he gives out the details.”

We all fall silent as we think about what message her dad could have for her. Whatever it is, I’m sure it won’t be good. The uneasiness in my gut intensifies. Could this be the cause of my concern? Does my subconscious somehow know something bad is going to happen? There’s only one hour until nine and it will be the longest hour of my life.

Ellis stirs against Sterling’s chest, and his arms tighten around her briefly before he helps her sit. Swiping her hair from her eyes, she stares at us. “What’s happened? You all look so serious.” Her voice is husky with sleep and it shoots straight to my cock.

I shift in my seat and adjust myself, noticing Kai doing the same thing in his chair.

“Your dad is going to call in about an hour,” Kai says. “He says he has a message for you.”

Ellis swallows and looks to her lap. “I should probably get dressed then.” Standing, she wraps the blanket around her.

I almost forgot what she looks like when she feels small and human. Her shoulders curl forward and she keeps her head down. The brightness of her eyes that I have come to love, is missing. The past week, she’s slowly come out of that darkness that haunts her, and I want so badly to keep the shadows at bay.

“Do you want someone to come with you while you get ready?” I ask, studying her closely.

She shakes her head. “No. I think I want to be alone. To prepare myself.”

I nod and watch her leave, itching to follow her and make sure she’s okay.

“Nothing good will come of this,” Kai says after the door closes behind her.

“Think we could skip the call?” I ask, glancing at him.

“Probably not a good idea,” Kai answers. “We need to play by the rules if we want to win. Kennedy will do everything in his power to make sure we lose. If we step out of line one time, it’s over for us.”

“What if we tell him she’s your beloved? I mean, that bond trumps everything.” I’m grasping at straws, but I’m desperate to keep the smile on Ellis’s face. “Maybe he would call the whole thing off when he realizes this is bigger than him.”

Kai snorts. “Not likely. My gut tells me he wouldn’t take it seriously, especially since Ellis isn’t magical.” He shakes his head and a muscle feathers in his jaw. “Besides, just look at how my dad handled a similar situation—he had both my mom and her beloved killed. I wouldn’t put it past Kennedy to do the same thing.”

I glance at Sterling, who hasn’t said a word since we walked in. “What’s up with you?” I ask. “This mopey bitch act is getting old.”

He shrugs his shoulders before he stands and pulls his sweats on. “I just have a bad feeling about all of this.”

I narrow my eyes on him. Sterling has always been the subdued one of the group, so this isn’t too far out of the ordinary, but it’s gotten worse since we brought Ellis into the mix. We’re going to have to sit him down to talk about whatever this is.

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