Page 30 of These Deadly Dreams

Sterling’s only reply is a grunt.

It’s almost daylight by the time we reach the cabin. My poor car is thoroughly battered, and the sound of scraping is forever etched into my brain. I swear I hear it sigh in relief when Sterling cuts the engine.

My eyes are burning and I have to ask Cade to give me the sunglasses out of the glovebox—they’re always more sensitive to light when the red is showing. And for some reason, I haven’t been able to calm down enough since the attack. I’m guessing it has to do with Ellis shivering in my lap, and there being nothing I can do to help her.

“Wake up, baby girl” I say as I rub her shoulder. “We’re here. We’ll get you inside and comfortable.”

She groans and shudders, curling into a tighter ball. I check her forehead and she’s still burning up. We’ll have to run to a store to get medicine for her. And food. We never stopped to get food.

I run my hand down her back to try and wake her up. She gasps and flinches, her moan of discomfort turning into one of pain. I jerk my hand away, alarmed at her reaction.

“What’s wrong?” Cade asks, turning around his seat.

“My back,” she mumbles. “It hurts.”

“Okay,” I say quietly. “Let’s get you inside and we’ll check it out.”

Sterling hops out of the car and opens the back door for me. Even lifting her as gently as possible she still whimpers. Tears form on her lashes through her closed eyelids, and each one is like a stake to my heart.

“I’m so sorry, baby girl. I’m trying to be gentle,” I whisper.

I hurry up the wooden steps and through the front door Sterling holds open. Cade grabs a plaid blanket from the back of the couch and I lay her down on her side. Carefully, Cade lifts her shirt to look at her back. There is nothing but smooth, creamy skin. Not a single blemish or mark.

“Where does it hurt, love?” Cade asks.

“Upper back,” she gasps.

He brushes two fingers down her spine from her nape to her mid back and she flinches again. She curls herself into a ball, trying to escape his touch.

“It burns when you touch me,” she whimpers.

He pulls his hand away and a crease forms between his eyebrows. “I have no idea.”

Anger and fear flash in his violet eyes. Having a puzzle before him he can’t solve will drive him mad. I know him well enough to see the frustration. And with it involving his soul-bonded, it’s bound to be a hundred times worse.

I tug her shirt down, careful to not touch her back, and cover her with the blanket. “Just rest, Ellis. We’ll be here.” I sit on the floor next to her and tuck a curl behind her ear.

“We need supplies,” Sterling says. “Medicine, food, clothes. I’m going to call my friend and see if he can pick up some stuff for us. None of us should be seen in town if at all possible.”

He heads for the porch to make his call, and I glance at Cade. He’s watching Ellis sleep, shoulders tense and eyes creased with concern. Reaching out with my senses, I’m bombarded by his emotions. Fear, anger, helplessness, anxiety, love. It all swirls around so thickly it almost chokes me.

This is possibly the first time I wished my ability was more than just sensing emotions. Right now, I wish I could take what he is feeling away from him. I’d take it all for myself if I could. Instead, I grab his hand and tug him down to sit between my legs with his back against my chest.

“I know you’re beating yourself up right now, and I get it. But there’s nothing we can do.” I massage his neck and shoulders, the muscles so tight under my hands. “You haven’t done anything wrong, Cade.”

“I feel like I’m failing her,” he whispers. “What good is my magic if I can’t heal her when she needs it? What good am I as a Shield if I can’t keep her safe? I have one purpose in life, one job I was destined to do, and I’m failing.”

“You are keeping her safe. You got us out of the estate when we needed it. I froze, Cade. I fucking froze. I let her emotions take over me, and if it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t have made it out. You are not failing her. This is something out of our control, and there is nothing we can do about that. You are not failing her,” I repeat, punctuated by increased pressure on his muscles.

He moans and the sound shoots straight to my cock. When he tilts his head to the side and stretches out his neck, my gums tingle as my fangs descend. I swallow thickly and close my eyes, but the urge doesn’t go away. Inhaling through my nose also makes it worse as his scent invades me.

Cade moves slightly. Just enough for his ass to brush against my erection. He stiffens and sucks in a breath. “Kai,” he says in a low, raspy voice.

The control I had been fighting, snaps. I lean forward and lick up the side of his throat, tasting him, wanting so badly to bury my fangs in his neck. He grabs my thighs and squeezes tightly as I drag my fangs across his skin.

“Fuck, Kai.” Reaching one hand back, he palms the back of my head and presses my mouth against his throat.

Needing no more encouragement, I bite down, sinking my fangs into his vein. The taste of his blood, like rich spiced wine, explodes on my tongue. He tastes so fucking good. We both moan at the same time, and his hips jerk, seeking friction. I slide a hand down his abs and into the waistband of his pants. I palm his cock and stroke it from base to tip, squeezing the head how I know he likes it. Cade’s chest is heaving as if he’s just run a marathon.

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