Page 20 of These Dangerous Fates

“Why are you being so nice to me?” I whisper back. It doesn’t seem right to break the silence surrounding us.

He gives me a small smile that makes my stomach do a funny little flip. “Why wouldn’t I? I know what people say about me—about us. It’s not true.” He cringes and nods his head from side to side. “Mostly.”

“Why are you guys taking part in my father’s challenge?” Which one of you wants to marry me is what I really want to ask, but I’m too scared.

“It was Kai’s idea. He gets bored easily and was thinking it would be a fun change of pace. I don’t think any of us really thought about the deeper implications of this whole thing. We didn’t think about what it means to you, or how it would affect you. For that, I’m sorry.”

His gaze roams over my face, lingering a second too long on my lips. Butterflies erupt in my belly, and it’s such an unusual sensation for me I gasp. There are no razor tipped wings this time, cutting into my insides and making me bleed. It’s the soft flutter that makes my blood sing and my heart race for an entirely different reason than panic.

He slides his hand lower on my cheek, the warmth of his skin traveling with it, and his thumb moves to rub along my bottom lip. His other hand is still pinning mine to his chest, and under my palm, his heartbeat kicks up a notch, right before he leans forward. My gaze drops to his lips and I freeze. A mixture of fear and excitement swirl together in my stomach, making me nauseous and hopeful at the same time. Cade closes the distance between us before I can decide if I want to stop him. The kiss is so gentle, barely a brush, a feather soft caress.

My breath catches in my throat as I try to figure out how to handle this. The kiss is not entirely unwelcome in its gentleness, but my mind conjures images of not so gentle kisses. I don’t understand how I can simultaneously want him to kiss me more and want him to stop. The awful memories that rear their ugly head take away from the moment.

Cade pulls back, and when he notices my uncertainty, his eyes shutter. “I’m sorry, Ellis. I’m so sorry,” he apologizes. “I shouldn’t have done that. It won’t happen again. I promise.”

I say nothing, because while his promise comforts me, it also makes the butterflies in my stomach cease their fluttering, and I don’t understand how I can feel both things at the same time. Do I want him to kiss me again? All I know is that at this moment, I want to crawl into a hole and hide away from the world.

“The shower is through there.” He won’t meet my gaze as he nods toward a door I hadn’t noticed in my panic attack.

“Thank you,” I whisper. Thank you for all of it.

I stand in a daze with my hand touching my lips. They’re tingly, like they’re waking up after a long slumber. Cade Campbell kissed me. And I’m not sure if I liked it or hated it. What the hell does that mean? Has Sam ruined me forever?

Those questions stay with me as I stand in the spray of the shower with steam floating around me. I’m still standing under the water as it turns cold, but I still have no answer when I eventually step out and get dressed.

Cade

I fucking kissed her.

That had not been part of the plan, but seeing her falling apart did something to me. It physically hurt me to see her upset and struggling. My heart ached and my limbs trembled. The urge to make it all go away was so strong I had a hard time keeping my body in control. I couldn’t stop myself from leaning in and stealing a kiss. And how fucking horrible of a person am I that I never even thought about how she would react? I don’t know for certain that she’s been abused, but I’m willing to bet everything I own on it. What kind of asshole doesn’t even think about that before kissing someone?

Fuck.

I run my hands through my hair and mentally kick myself. Fucking moron, thinking only with my dick. I shouldn’t have done it. But even knowing that, I can’t help but want to do it again. I hadn’t been prepared for the rush of emotions that swept through me as my lips touched hers. Excitement, hope, desire, a strange feeling of rightness. Even my magic reacted to the kiss, sending a jolt of electricity through my blood that did nothing to ease the temptation to kiss her again.

I can still picture her hand on my chest, the heat from her body soaking through my shirt, her fingers digging into the muscle. Trying to erase the memory, I rub the spot. It doesn’t work. Fuck. What now? While she showers, I pace Kai’s room, trying to think of anything but her lips. And I fail miserably. She takes a while, and I don’t blame her. I can’t imagine what she is going through right now, and my idiotic actions probably made everything worse. By the time she steps out of the bathroom with her curls wet and heavy on her head, I still have no answer to my question.

“Hungry?” I ask, offering her my hand and holding my breath, hoping she takes it. “The cook here is phenomenal.”

That little time we touched—my hand on her cheek, my lips on hers—was addicting. I want more. She hesitates a second before placing her much smaller hand in mine, her fingers trembling slightly. It feels so good, so … right. I release a relieved breath, holding back a nervous laugh.

There are a million questions in my head I want to ask her, but sudden nerves dry my mouth, and I can’t bring myself to ask them. I’ve never been shy or nervous around a girl before, but I’m so scared to say or do something that will spook her. So instead of voicing my thoughts, we walk silently through the halls, hand in hand, and I memorize the way her fingers wrap around mine, like a puzzle piece.

In the library, Sterling is unloading a tray of food onto the coffee table in front of the massive fireplace. The smells of roasted meat and savory sauces permeate the air and my mouth waters. I wasn’t lying when I said the cook here was amazing. I walk Ellis to the couch by the coffee table and she sits down.

“Is meat okay?” I ask. When she nods, I grab a plate and fill it full of meat and veggies, and pour one of cook’s special sauces over all of it. “Would you like something to drink? We have everything here. Wine, vodka, beer, soda, water.”

“Water is fine,” she says, as she takes the plate from me. “Thanks.”

“Sterling?” I ask over my shoulder, snagging a bottle of water from the fridge by the bar.

“Beer,” he grunts around a mouthful of food.

I grab three beers and take my haul back to the coffee table. The silence is oppressive and unusual for us in this room. In our sanctuary, we typically have music playing, or are joking and laughing with each other. Rarely is it so quiet. I know Sterling doesn’t mind the stillness. He is the most reserved of the three of us, opting to watch and keep his focus on our surroundings. But my mind tends to wander when it’s quiet. And right now, the wandering leads me right back to Ellis.

Again, I wish I had Kai’s empath abilities. What I wouldn’t give to know what Ellis is feeling right now. With her shoulders curved in and her eyes on her plate, I can only guess she’s trying to stay as quiet and out of sight as possible. Like she’s hoping we’ll forget she’s here. Not for the first time, I wonder what’s happened to her to make her act this way.

Halfway through our dinner, Kai comes back. He’s pissed, with his brows drawn down and his jaw clenched. I know his fangs will have descended before he opens his mouth to talk. But, him being mad after talking to his father is nothing unusual. I’m just glad he’s back, because he won’t let the quiet linger.

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