We had sex all over the room. We both might have rug burns from when I decided to make him chase me. He caught me on the stairs. I popped us to our pond. I conjured a floating mattress and wiggled my eyebrows, “Give me what you got.” He grunted and entered me from behind and pulled my leg on top behind him. I teased, “You’re lucky I’m flexible.”
He grunted and played with my clit while sliding into me. He worked me over slowly but pleasurably. I wasn’t surprised when the earth reached out to me and I was more ready to let the magic go. When it hit us, he went crazy. We ended up in the water, but we didn’t care. We could hear excited noises all around us, but all that mattered was each other.
Eventually after the haze subsided, I woke up smiling in my bed. I loved it. I lightly touched his face. His eyes snapped open. I smiled, “Good morning, My Commander.” He kissed me and slid right back inside me. God. Did this ever get old? Every time we had sex was amazing. He brought us to a slow release.
I put my forehead on his, “We need to talk about everything.” Cayden nodded, “Go shower. I’ll cook us breakfast.” I pouted, “You could shower with me.” Cayden smacked me playfully on the butt when I stood. He winked, “Not if you want to talk I can’t.”
I rolled my eyes, “You’re supposed to have great control.” I stuck my tongue out at him. He trapped me against the wall, nipped my neck, and whispered in my ear. “You kill my control. I have so much around literally everyone else. I’ve always prided myself on it. Then you came popping out of a tree and popped away with all my control.” He entered me again.
I gasped and laid my head on his shoulder. His fingers snaked between my legs. I wiggled my butt against him. He brought us both to a quick release. He pulled out of me slowly. He ordered, “Now, go get in the shower.” I mockingly saluted him, “Yes, My Commander.”
Cayden’s eyes narrowed, “I have a meeting this afternoon. You say you want to talk, but your actions are in direct contradiction with that directive.” I laughed, “I’m going.” Rain grumbled, “How could he know he has a meeting? Everyone’s schedules got all messed up from the Fairy powers we released. He might not have a meeting.” I chuckled, “He probably got a text or something. Or it’s in the human realm. It wasn’t days in their realm.” She grumbled, somewhat annoyed.
I jumped into the shower and quickly washed off. I snapped myself into yoga pants and a crop top before going to find my mate. Cayden kissed me then instructed, “Watch the bacon. I’ll be right back.” I’d just flipped over the bacon and the pancakes when he came back shooing me out of the kitchen.
I sat down and drank my orange juice. He came over with our plates a few minutes later. We ate in comfortable silence. When I was done, I drank some more juice. Eventually I said, “I’m sorry about not telling you about my mission. You were right, I should’ve told you I was going out. Even if I couldn’t tell you where.”
Cayden nodded, “I’m sorry I ran out. I was just so mad, but I should’ve gone with you to your family's house.” I shrugged, “It’s not a big deal.” Cayden shook his head, “I don’t want to do things like that. I don’t want to close little doors between us.”
I replied, “My mom said communication is the hardest issue for all couples. That we will figure it out and live to fight another day.” Cayden pulled my chair over to him. He looked into my eyes, “I will fight for you and for us. Always. I was just so damn worried about you.” I whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Cayden ran a hand through his hair, “I panicked. Plus, I didn’t handle you being in pain well. All that was compounded by the fact that I didn’t know where you were. Hendrix said you’d left saying you’d see me later. Silas went to your family, but you weren't there. I was losing my mind.”
I kissed him, “I really am sorry. I promise if this ever happens again, I’ll tell you.” Cayden nodded, “I will fight my instinct to walk out the door when you make me so damn mad I can’t see straight. I didn't even realize how long I’d been gone. I was just running out my anger. Then I felt you fighting again.”
I raised an eyebrow, “Why did you feel a tinge of jealousy just now?” Cayden looked me dead in the eyes and declared, “Because you should fight by my side, not Jason fucking McAlister’s. I need that man to find his mate. It would make me so goddamn happy.”
I laughed, “Jase doesn’t like me that way anymore.” Cayden raised an eyebrow, “No, he respects that you are mated. Any unmated man with eyes wants you in a physical way, Cassie Crawford. Jason McAlister is no exception. Especially when he’s the guy who’s copped a feel before we met.”
I rolled my eyes, “It’s not like that anymore.” Cayden picked me up and put me in his lap. He said, “Hell to the fuck no it’s not like that anymore. The point is, I should’ve been there. You should’ve been fighting by my side, not his. My place is by you in any damn fight. Always. That was two in one day that I was missing from.”
I frowned, “I mean you got there though.” Cayden said, “I only got to the first one because someone called me and it well after the fact. Uncle Bjourn would’ve got to you first. Someone was running to ask your Cambridge relatives if they knew where you were. Then my phone rang, and I knew it was a burner you’d use. You wouldn’t answer me though. Now that I’ve thought about it, I heard two people breathing before I heard someone running away. I know the cadence of your breathing so I knew one was you.”
I frowned, “My Uncle Aiden cast that Fairy charm I had. No one should be able to see past it.” Cayden nodded, “I figured that would be the only way Uncle Bjourn would send you. I don’t know how, but I know Bravo One…” I coughed, “Ashley.”
Cayden laughed, “Fine. I don’t know how, but Ashley did. I was not the first number on that burner, I was third. Also, you will NEVER go out with a burner I am not first on ever again.” I laughed. Rain purred, “You know I love it when he gets all dominant on us. He’s done it so much since we came home.” He had and it was glorious.
Cayden kissed my forehead, “I’m deadly serious, Cassie Crawford.” I tapped his chest saying, “I know.” Cayden added, “There were no prints on the phone besides yours and Uncle Bjourn’s. I’m meeting with Ashley later, but I have nothing to prove it was her.”
I offered, “I could come sit in the car and see if my power would work without looking her in the eyes.” Cayden smirked, “Thank you for the offer, and don’t think I’m not tempted.” He looked away then sighed, “But no, I want to be above board with Ashley. If it went south and I lost what trust I’d built with her, I think it would be really bad.”
He admitted, “I don’t know why, but everything in me says the trust I have with her matters. Not because she watches out for us. I don’t know. I just feel like something big is brewing. Something is going on and I’m at the cusp of grasping it. Then it just slips through my hands. I don’t know what to make of it.” I whispered, “I feel that way too.”
Cayden frowned, “That’s not good. What is going on?” I shrugged, “I wish I knew.” Cayden closed his eyes. His frustration was bouncing between us. He sighed, “I know it’s right there in front of me. I know Ashley’s connected to so much. I have no goddamn idea what her problem with Peter Kyle is though.”
I frowned, “What if she thinks he’s the mole on the council?” Cayden sighed, “Why though? She’s never met him. We vetted each and every one of them. Peter Kyle is a good man and he’s certainly not amole. There’s nothing remotely bad on him to find. There’s no goddamn reason she wouldn’t trust him. She doesn’t even fucking know him.”
I bit my lip, “What if her parents knew Peter? Or she had a family member that knew him? Have we looked into that?” Cayden admitted, “No, we haven’t tracked down both sides of the family. I know the people on her birth certificate never met Peter Kyle, but they do have siblings. I could look into that.” It felt like a little bit less than nothing.
He kissed my lips, “Thank you.” I smiled, “You’re welcome. I did notice you called them the people on her birth certificate.” Cayden frowned, “She doesn’t look like them at all. Micah tracked down a picture. I’d believe she was adopted before I’d believe she was their kid. It’s off. Ashley said she shares features with her parents, but I didn’t see a single resemblance in that picture we found. I looked hard too. I even ran it through one of Gunner’s program. The likelihood they are related biologically is less than zero percent.” We both sat in silence for a while.
He looked into my eyes, “We will figure it out.” I asked, “But will it be too late by then?” Cayden replied, “It’s never too late. It might make whatever we have to come against an uphill battle. I just know Ashley is key. I know she trusts me.”
He groaned, “Damn it! This is so goddamn infuriating. I don’t know what’s holding her back. Something scares her and I can’t reach it. I don’t know what it is, and it’s driving me insane. Reading people is what I do. I KNOW she’s the sniper. The best one. Maybe if I offer to let her meet Alexander that will get me somewhere.”
I gasped in mock surprise teasing, “Hey! Why him and not me? I’m awesome.” Cayden shrugged, “Micah is with her and has been for an hour.” I muttered, “Not an answer.” He tickled me then added, “Ashley was catching up on emails and it turns out Alexander reached out to her.” Did he?
Cayden continued, “Micah said she practically had a panic attack then went on a rant about whether or not she should answer then spent two hours typing on her phone and muttering under her breath before she started pacing. Mason told her to go use the computer they have in the back of the diner. He said she was gone for another hour.”
