Page 66 of These Dangerous Fates

“Please,” I beg though my choking breaths. “Please, Sterling. Don’t leave me.”

I raise my head, tears streaming down my face, and look at him. His eyes are closed and his silver hair is splayed out around his head. There is no injury that I can see. He looks peaceful, like he’s sleeping. But he’s not just sleeping. He’s gone.

Sterling is gone.

“Cade!” I scream, voice hoarse.

He kneels next to me, his purple eyes solemn and shining with emotion.

“Help him,” I beg. “Please, save him.”

“I don’t think I can,” he says shakily, looking lost as he turns to face me. “It’s too late, Ellis.”

“No! You have to try!” I grab the front of Cade’s shirt and cling to him. “Please. Try. Cade, you have to try. I can still feel it. It’s there. The bond is still there, Cade. Don’t let him …” The flood of words trail off. Is it still there? Was that it? The little flutter in my chest, was that the bond? Or was that my imagination?

Kai approaches from behind and gently pries my hands off Cade. He wraps his arms around me and holds me close as more tears fall from my eyes. Cade turns to Sterling and his shoulders raise as he takes a bracing breath. Violet light erupts from his hands as he places them on Sterling’s chest, enveloping his body like a second skin.

Cade closes his eyes and his brow furrows. “It can’t be …” he mutters. Something resembling hope lights in my chest when Cade cocks his head to the side and his breath hitches.

The light intensifies as Cade sends more of his magic into Sterling. It’s so bright now I have to squint to see through it. I’m not sure I’m breathing, and from how tight Kai is holding me, I’m not sure he is, either.

Cade grunts and wobbles on his knees. With his inhuman reflexes, Kai jumps in and wraps his arm around Cade’s waist, preventing him from falling. All of a sudden, Cade’s magic disappears, sucking back inside of him like it was never there. I don’t spare Cade any notice, I know he’ll be okay. Instead, my focus is on Sterling.

I hold my breath and close my eyes as I press my hand to his chest. His skin is warm under my fingertips, and a faint thump pulses against my palm. Gasping, my eyes fly open as hope sends my own heart into overdrive. I search his face for any sign of life. Under my hand, another thump, this one harder. It’s followed by another, then another. Before I know it, a steady rhythm is beating against my palm. Sterling’s eyes move under his eyelids and I brush a silver strand of hair from his forehead.

“Sterling,” I whisper. “Wake up. Please, wake up.”

At the sound of my voice, his eyes flutter open, and I’m staring into those icy blue orbs.

“Don’t cry,” he whispers. He lifts a hand and cups my cheek, brushing away the tears that are falling again. “I hate seeing you cry.”

It only makes me cry harder. Collapsing on top of him, I bury my face in his neck. I don’t know what to think or feel. The bond growing weaker inside me was terrifying. The thought of losing that forever, makes my skin cold and clammy. I don’t know how to reconcile that with the pain of his betrayal.

His arms come around me. “Ellis,” he breathes. “I am so sorry. Please believe me, I never wanted to hurt you. I fucked up, and I will do anything to make it up to you. Just … give me a chance. Please.”

I nod my head, not trusting my voice. Of course I’ll give him a chance. It might take me a while to trust him again, to open myself up to him again, but at least we have the time to figure it out.

Kai puts his hand on my back, and I sit up, looking over my shoulder. He’s supporting Cade, who looks like he’s one breath away from falling over. Dark circles line the underside of his eyes, and his breathing is wet and labored. Healing Sterling took a lot out of him.

“We need to get out of here before anyone else shows up,” Kai says, pulling me to my feet.

As soon as I’m steady, he helps Sterling stand while I wrap an arm around Cade’s waist. We follow Kai and Sterling through the city. It’s quiet now. Most people having gone home or passed out somewhere. Sterling’s land rover is parked in front of Allie’s apartment and we pile in, with Kai at the wheel.

As Kai pulls away, I take my first deep breath since being captured. I made it out. My guys saved me, and we all survived. I close my eyes and lean my head against the headrest. Adrenaline leaves my body in a flood, and I’m pulled into unconsciousness.

Malakai

I can’t believe we got her back.

I sit against the headboard of my bed as she sleeps next to me, snuggled in Cade’s arms, wearing nothing but one of my shirts. Unable to keep myself from touching her, I smooth her hair down her back, over and over. Those few hours were the scariest moments of my very long life. I don’t think I took a full breath until she was crying in my arms in that alley.

When we got back to my place, Ellis barely managed to shower without falling over from fatigue. Sterling and Cade weren’t much better off, so I quickly helped her wash and pulled one of my shirts over her head before I tucked her into bed.

Sterling is slouched in a chair across the room, eyes glued to Ellis. It takes all my self control to not lay into him. I still can’t believe he lied to her like that. There had been plenty of opportunities for him to say something, but he was a coward, and in the end, he hurt her. How the fuck he can live with himself now, knowing he hurt his mate and almost lost her because of it, I’ll never know. The only thing that’s keeping me from tearing into him is the self-loathing rubbing against my barriers. He hates himself for what happened, and I’m content to let him stew in that vitriol he feels toward himself.

Cade is laying on the other side of Ellis, fingers trailing up and down her arm laying across his chest. Both Cade and Sterling should be sleeping, but they’re fighting it. I know they’re just as desperate as I am to watch over Ellis, to know that she’s safe. We’re also all dying to know what happened to her. As much as I dread learning, and as much as I hate for her to relive it, we need to know.

“It’s still not over,” Cade mumbles. He yawns so wide his jaw pops and tears spring to his eyes. “This won’t be over until Sam is taken care of.”

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