Page 46 of These Wicked Desires

"They’re on their way back," he tells his mom. "Connor and I moved the beds around upstairs so they will both be in the same room. It’ll be easier for Allie to take care of them if they’re together."

"Good," Shari says. Ever since we came to her with the idea of bringing Cade's family here, she's been in go mode, making sure her house is ready and welcoming. "Cole, help me get some soup started."

The wait for them to arrive almost kills me. Even Sterling attempting to distract me doesn't keep me from pacing the living room. The scent of vegetables, spices, and herbs float through the house, making it even more welcoming. My stomach grumbles, the aroma enticing me, but the thought of eating makes my stomach clench uncomfortably.

Car doors opening and closing have me rushing to the front door. I throw it open and dart onto the porch. Cade helps a woman out of the backseat, and despite her haggard appearance and matted brown hair, the resemblance is clear. His sister.

My heart stops, though, when Kai lifts a blanket wrapped bundle from the back seat. A rattling cough sounds from the fabric, and Cade's pinched expression deepens.

"Sterling will show you to your room," I say, clutching my stomach. I search his gaze for ... anything. His violet eyes are dim and clouded with worry. "Allie is up there too."

He nods and leads his sister inside, followed by Kai carrying his mom. I stand on the porch, unsure what to do now. I'm no use to them upstairs. I'll only get in the way. But standing on the porch, I feel so useless.

"Have you eaten yet today?" Cole asks, popping his head around the door frame.

His blue eyes study me, taking in everything from the worry pinching my eyes to the way I chew on my cheek. His eyes are so similar to Sterling's. I realize I'm staring and not answering his question, so I shake my head, cheeks heating.

He ushers me inside and to the kitchen table. "The least I can do is make sure you don't starve to death. Sterling will kill me if you do."

A steaming bowl of vegetable soup appears in front of me, the scent forcing itself up my nose. I swallow, my mouth suddenly watering.

"Here." Cole hands me a spoon and sits across from me. "It's strange. After all that hustle and bustle, and here we are. Sitting quietly in the kitchen with nothing to do."

"I feel so useless," I whisper.

He shakes his head. "Nah. Your skills will be needed later."

"And what skills are those?"

"Comforting Cade. When his adrenaline disappears, and he's exhausted from using his magic, it will be your job to care for him. To make sure he does what he needs to stay healthy."

“I guess,” I mumble, between blowing on my soup to cool it. “I just feel like there should be … more … for me to do.”

“Don’t underestimate the power of your presence. Just being here is helping Cade more than you could know.”

I nod, even though I’m still skeptical, and eat a spoonful of the soup. Damn. Shari can cook. This is the best vegetable soup I’ve ever had. It doesn’t take long for me to get half the soup eaten, despite it burning my tongue. Once it hit my stomach, I realized how hungry I really was.

Cole clears his throat and rubs the back of his neck. “Hey, Ellis? While we’re here, I wanted to thank you.”

I choke on the mouthful I’d just taken, a piece of carrot getting stuck in my throat for a moment. “For what?” I finally rasp.

“For being honest with me. For forcing me to see the truth and giving me the encouragement to talk to Sterling.” He shrugs, digging at the table with his nail and refusing to look at me. “I don’t remember a lot from before he left, I was so young. But I remember the feeling of being lost for a long time. I idolized him when I was a pup. And when he left, I didn’t understand why. I just knew that it hurt. And I let that hurt cloud my judgment when I was finally old enough to understand.”

“Well, you're welcome. I just know what it’s like to lose a sibling. And if I could do something to help you guys, I had to do it.”

He nods, and we go back to eating our soup in silence. When I’m finished, I rinse my bowl and place it in the sink, turning around to find Kai descending the stairs. I rush toward him.

“How are … things?” I ask.

Kai appears to deflate as he releases a breath, and he wraps me in his arms, burying his nose in my hair. “Mmm, you smell good,” he mumbles.

“Kai.” I poke him the ribs, attempting to get him back on track.

“Chloe is fine. She’s just malnourished and exhausted. His mom … well, I think it’s like what happened to Sterling.” He links our fingers together and leads me to the couch, sighing again as he sits down. None of us got a lot of sleep last night, and being awake during the day is disorienting. “Their magic was blocked by something that was fed to them. His mom is struggling to fight off an infection caused by a cold. Allie thinks she has pneumonia, and may possibly be septic. Cade and Connor have both tried healing her, but whatever is in her system, it’s blocking their magic too. Allie gave her an IV for fluids and antibiotics, as well as a fever reducer. The hope is when her magic comes back, it will help her heal.”

I bite my bottom lip, dread curling through me. “Oh gosh. What can I do? Can I do anything?”

“Cade is upstairs,” Allie says, overhearing my questions as she comes down the stairs with Shari and Connor. All three of them sit in the living room with heavy sighs. Connor looks drawn and pale, like he used a lot of his magic helping Cade. “He could use you, I think.”

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