Page 70 of These Wicked Desires

Body and head. Did she cut his head off? My vicious harpy. I’m so glad she got her revenge. Hopefully this gives her the closure she needs and she can finally move on with her life.

“Is it over?” I whisper.

“It’s over. We can start our life together now. Build our family. Live in peace.”

Kai’s words bring tears to my eyes, and I bury my head in his chest, breathing deeply. When the door opens, Sterling sits on the edge of the bed with a plate of food and a glass of water. I down the water in one gulp, sighing as the cold, wet liquid slides down my throat. The roasted chicken and veggies don’t last long either.

With my belly full and almost two days of sleep, I’m feeling more like myself. But one glance at my chest and the dried blood and dirt and ash, and I grimace. “I need to shower.”

Kai hops out of the bed and heads straight for the bathroom, and soon the sounds of the shower fill the quiet space. I lean over and press a kiss to Ellis’s forehead, studying her sleeping face. She’s paler than usual, and a frown pulls her lips down even in sleep. Slight creases surrounded her eyes, and I desperately want to wake her and let her know I’m okay. I can only imagine the pain she’s feeling, even in her sleep. But I know she needs that rest.

Instead, I force myself up, not even slightly ashamed I need Sterling to help me. The room spins alarmingly, and I grasp his arm until it stops. He hesitates just outside the bathroom.

“That was the scariest moment of my life,” he says quietly, head ducked and gaze averted. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”

I grin. Sterling has never been big on showing his emotions. His way of showing he cares is by protecting us. By being the alpha of our family and making sure we have everything we need. Words have never been easy for him. I pull him in for a hug, and he thumps me on the back before pulling away. He’s not quick enough to hide the shine of his eyes, though.

“I’ll sit with Ellis. Take your time.” Sterling goes back to the bed and sits next to Ellis, fingers gently tracing over her cheekbone.

When I push through the door, I find Kai standing in the steam with his shirt off. “Get in,” he says, voice low and almost growly.

My skin prickles under his intense stare as I tug my sweats down. Kai’s gaze is like a brand, burning every inch of my flesh. As turned on as I am, I don’t have it in me for this, and I hate to be the one to break it to him.

Kai smiles and shakes his head. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to ravish you. I just … I just want to be here with you.”

The vulnerability in his words and the almost timid way he says them cracks me open. So I step into the shower, the hot spray of water cascading over me as I wait for Kai to strip out of his pants and join me.

He stares at me for a moment, fang biting into his lower lip. “Turn around,” he says quietly.

I do as he says, and Kai runs his hands over my shoulders, soapy suds slipping down my chest. He slowly and meticulously washes every inch of me. When he gets to my hair, I close my eyes and bite back a moan. His fingers rubbing my scalp, gently massaging, loosens every muscle I’ve been holding tight since I woke up.

“Rinse off,” Kai whispers.

I turn around to rinse off the suds and wash them out of my hair. “Thank you,” I say, reaching out my hand and cupping his cheek.

There is a bleakness in his eyes, a haunted look that he doesn’t seem to be able to get rid of. It hurts to see it. This strong, cocky vampire is lost. He leans into my touch and I step forward, sliding my hand around to grab the back of his neck. Pulling him against me, I kiss him.

It’s like we can’t get close enough. Kai clings to me, pressing our bodies together so every inch of our naked skin touches. I thought the kiss would turn desperate, but instead, it stays gentle. The warm water continues to spray down on us, and we lose ourselves in the touches.

If he needs this reminder that I’m okay and alive, I’ll give it to him. He doesn’t seem to want to take it any further, and I’m okay with that. I don’t need to have sex with him to know how much he loves me. I don’t need his empath abilities to feel the depth of that love. It’s there, in the kiss, in the way he holds me tighter.

When we break apart, the water has cooled. I didn’t even realize we’d been in here that long, lost in each other. Kai stares at me with a wild look.

“Never again, Cade. Don’t ever die on me again.”

Ellis

Awareness returns slowly. I know I’m in a bed. It’s soft, and there’s a warm blanket covering me. For a while, that’s all I know. And I’m content to float in the warmth and comfort, mindless and numb to everything. I know what awaits me.

Eventually, the sounds of soft conversation filter into my mind. No words. Just the gentle humming of voices. It’s familiar. Like the voices are part of me. I let them wash over me, soothing the slowly rising tide of emotions I won’t be able to hold at bay much longer.

My fingers and toes are the first parts of my body that I can distinguish in the slowly dissipating fog. My arms and legs are next. Followed by my stomach. I try to keep the feeling at bay. I don’t want it to reach my chest where I know it will hurt unbearably.

But the wave crests. No matter how hard I try to stop it, it washes ashore and there is no stopping the complete and utter despair that floods through me. It steals my breath. Burns my throat and lungs. And where my heart should be, it echoes in the empty space, making the missing pieces all that much more recognizable.

Cade is gone.

My soul-bonded. My mage. My world.

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