Page 33 of These Dangerous Fates

He’s sporting a black eye and claw marks cover his arms and chest. His shirt is bloody, torn, and hanging in rags. One arm is pressed tight across his middle, and his whole body is hunched over like it hurts to stand straight.

“Another fucker joined the fray after you left,” he wheezes. “Even with my magic, I couldn’t take a vamp and two shifters.”

“Can you take care of Ellis?” I ask, worry creeping in.

“Yeah. At least, I should be able to.”

I follow him as he shuffles his way into the bedroom and falls to his knees by the bed.

“Shit. Ellis,” he groans. “I’m so sorry, love.” Purple light wreaths his hands and they hover over her body as he takes inventory of her injuries. “What the fuck happened to her?” he grunts. “Almost every bone is broken. Her lungs and a kidney have been punctured, and she’s bleeding internally.”

The room wobbles and I have to steady myself on the doorframe. “You can heal her, though, right?” I ask.

“I’m fucking drained, but I can take care of the life-threatening injuries.”

I watch as he gently places a kiss on her forehead before he sets his hands on either side of her head. Violet magic flows through her body, lighting up under her skin and healing the broken bones and internal damage. When the light fades, Cade sways on his knees. I jump forward and grab his shoulders.

“She’ll be fine,” he slurs. “Just needs rest.” He exhales heavily, and his breath is a wet rasp as it leaves his chest.

His eyes roll up in his head and he goes limp in my hands. I gently lay him down on the floor next to the bed and shove a pillow under his head. After taking care of his injuries, I sit on the bed to keep an eye on both of them, while my wolf remains on high alert.

I itch under my skin. The urge to shift is so strong—my wolf wants to protect. Cade and Kai became my pack after I lost mine, and the day Ellis came into my life, my wolf knew she was part of the pack as well. I have to fight him to keep my human form. Sitting still on the bed isn’t working, so I stand and pace the length of the room, trying to ease the jittery feeling that has settled in my muscles. Five steps from one wall to the other.

Another knock on the door draws me from the room.

“It’s Kai.”

I open the door and find Kai, bloody but alive.

“Why the hell are you here?” he asks, shoving into the apartment. As soon as he sees Ellis and Cade, both unmoving and injured, his body goes preternaturally still. He whirls to face me. “What the fuck happened?” His words are distorted as his fangs descend and his eyes turn more red than gray.

I quickly explain, and he only calms down once he knows both of them will be okay. Still, he curses Cade and me for failing to keep Ellis safe, and I let him. We deserve it.

With Kai here, I feel safe enough to let myself go. I yank my sweats off and my wolf surges forward and takes over. We brush past Kai and nuzzle Cade’s neck before hopping up on the bed. A soft whine escapes our throat as we gently lay our head on Ellis’s thighs, gaze trained on the bedroom door.

There will be time later to discuss how the challenge went. Right now, we both settle in to watch over our pack and keep them safe.

Ellis

The red carpet under my feet squishes with each step. Red carpet? I glance at the rug in confusion. It’s supposed to be cream with flowers. Why is it red? I take another step and watch the crimson ooze between my toes. It’s thick and sticky, and cool against my skin.

My gaze follows the rug, climbing the stairs. More red is puddled on the treads. I step in each one, fascinated by the contrast of the bright color against my tan skin. At the top of the stairs, two bodies lay sprawled on the wooden floor, a floor now soaked in the same red liquid.

I recognize the blond hair splayed out around the first body’s head. The curls are the same as mine. But, they’re stained crimson.

“Mom?” It’s so quiet in our house. My voice echoes, reverberating off of the wooden floors and walls. “What are you doing?”

I kneel next to her, the red soaking into my pants. It’s so cold. I brush my mom’s hair from her face. The sight is so unexpected and so gruesome. Her neck is split open, so wide I can see inside her throat. A scream tears from my chest.

I scream, and scream, but my mom doesn’t open her eyes. I’m scared to look at the other body, but I force myself to take in the brown curly hair, the blood that’s pooled around the body, and the unnatural angle of the limbs.

“Gracie?” I whisper, my voice trembling.

I bolt upright in bed, gasping for breath, heart pounding in my chest. The sweat coating my skin feels so much like the blood in my dream I have to lean over the side of the bed to heave as my stomach tries to empty its contents. Shivering and stomach roiling, I’m pulled from the visions left in my mind as puffs of warm air wash over my shoulder.

I look behind me and almost scream. There is a wolf in bed with me, and the damn thing practically takes up the entire space. It’s not just any wolf, though. Even if I hadn’t recognized the eyes, something inside me would have told me with absolute certainty that it was Sterling.

He pushes my shoulder with his nose again and whines, looking into my eyes with concern.

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