“Wade,” she answered reluctantly. Could that be used against her? She didn’t think so, but then again, nothing made much sense right then.
“Nice to meet you,” Roux said, and she sounded as though she meant it. “I wish it was under better circumstances. I look forward to getting to know you once you’re feeling up to socializing.”
She sounded like she meant that, too, and though past experience said she shouldn’t, Mackenna believed her. She even offered the female a tentative smile. That was, until Roux reached out to touch Cade’s arm while saying her goodbyes.
Baring her fangs, Mackenna growled threateningly, her eyes transfixed on Cade’s arm. “Mine.”
Everyone froze. Time stood still. Then, very slowly, Roux removed her hand and took a step back. Now that the perceived threat had been neutralized, Mackenna wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Not only had she just alienated a possible ally, but that wasn’t how she’d intended to break the news to Cade.
So, the last thing she expected was for Roux to start laughing.
“Oh,” the female practically sang, “this is going to be fun.” Then, she turned and bounced away, cackling like crazy the entire way down the hall.
“I’m sorry,” Mackenna blurted. “I didn’t mean to growl at her.”
“She deserves to be growled at.” Cade carded his fingers through his dark, shaggy hair. “I guess we can just add that to the list of shit we need to talk about.”
“I don’t expect anything.” She wanted to make that very clear. “I mean, I know that humans don’t have mates. So, I don’t—”
“Shh, easy.”
Mackenna braced for a blow when he lifted his hand toward her face, but he just brushed her hair back, his touch as light and soft as a butterfly’s wings.
“We can talk about everything once we get you back to bed, okay?”
“Okay.” Because she couldn’t stop herself, she had to ask, “You’re not a Hunter?”
His expression turned stormy, but the arm around her shoulders remained gentle. “There aren’t any Hunters here. These are good people. You can trust them.”
Nodding, Mackenna took a step at his urging but nearly collapsed when the pain in her foot shot straight up her leg. Damn it, her body really needed to get its act together and heal already.
“I’ve got you.” Hooking an arm behind her knees, Cade lifted her easily and cradled her to his chest. “Is this okay?”
Again, Mackenna nodded.
The doctor met them outside the door Mackenna had fled from, her expression approving. “Get her in the bed, please.”
It didn’t seem possible that someone so big could be so gentle, but Cade handled her like spun glass as he lowered her onto the mattress. Then, he adjusted the bed so that she could sit up comfortably, and he even arranged her pillows behind her for added comfort. He was so sweet, so attentive. Still, she couldn’t help but notice that he looked confused by the entire process, as if he didn’t quite understand why he was doing those things.
When she reached for the blanket, he stopped her with a hand on her wrist. “We’re going to have to rebandage your feet.”
“Oh, right.” Damn, she hated being cold.
Apparently, the thought was written all over her face, because after studying her for a moment, he pulled the blanket off the bed and draped it over her shoulders, tucking it around her until only the lower half of her legs remained visible. “Better?”
Grateful, she smiled up at him. “Much. Thank you.” Movement at his shoulder drew her attention, and she met the doctor’s gaze with a contrite grin. “Sorry about earlier.”
Dr. Lancaster laughed. “You’re not the first person to growl at me, and I highly doubt you’ll be the last. Now, let me look you over and change those bandages. Then, we can talk about getting you something to eat.”
Backing away to give the doctor room to maneuver, Cade stood careful watch from the corner of the room. She liked that he didn’t seem in a hurry to go anywhere. With him there, she felt safe, and that was something she hadn’t experienced in such a long time.
She just hoped he’d still want to stay after they’d had their talk.
Chapter Four
Not once in his nearly thirty-six years of life had Cade ever thought he’d be pulled between two women. Granted, this wasn’t a romance novel kind of love triangle, but he still felt divided allegiances.
He’d made a promise to protect Abby. That promise might have only been to himself, and perhaps his motivations had been selfish, but still, he’d promised. Yet, choosing to stay behind with Mackenna at the safe house while the rest of the team traveled on to the shifter camp had been the easiest decision he’d ever made.
Mackenna was a stranger who had quite literally stumbled into his path. At the time, he hadn’t even known her last name. There’d been something about her, though, something that triggered a protective instinct he’d thought had been burned out of him long ago.
Sure, he felt protective of Abby, and he’d always be a defender of the innocent, but it wasn’t the same with Mackenna. With her, he needed her to be safe, to be happy, to be…whole. When he’d found her in the middle of the highway, naked, bleeding, and terrified, he’d wanted to lay waste to everyone who’d had a hand in her suffering.
When they’d arrived at the safe house, that should have been the end of the road for him. He’d played the hero, rescued her, and delivered her securely into the hands of people who could actually help her. Seeing her lying in that bed, though, hearing the doctor extrapolate on her list of injuries, he hadn’t been able to leave her. He couldn’t have walked away if he’d wanted.
So, he’d stayed, hoping that eventually, it would
