The fitted clothing revealed just how thin and frail her years of captivity had left her, but she looked no less stunning because of it. Physically, she would heal. Mentally, he knew the scars might never fade.
For the moment, though, she looked happy. When she caught him watching her, she responded with a shy smile that took his breath away.
“Damn,” Lynk chuckled. “You’ve got it bad.”
Cade didn’t even try to deny it. “Look at her. Do you blame me?” He considered that for a moment, then shook his head. “Never mind. Don’t answer that.”
Lynk laughed again and clapped him on the shoulder. “Go be with your female. We’ll talk later.”
Waving the shifter off, he crossed the room, meeting his mate near one of the overstuffed sofas. “Hey.”
“Hi,” she said a bit breathlessly. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“What?” Damn, he couldn’t think when he was around her. “Oh, you mean Lynk?” He jerked his head dismissively. “Fuck that guy.” God, she had a great laugh, and he swelled with pride that he’d been the one to bring it out of her. “Are you hungry? You should eat.”
“You’ve been feeding me all day.”
He didn’t understand her point. “So…that’s a no?”
“No.” She graced him with another one of those heart-stopping smiles. “I’m not hungry.”
“Okay, break it up.” Roux marched in between them and poked Cade in the chest. “You’ve had her to yourself all day. Go away.”
He glared at the little spitfire. “I’m perfectly capable of introducing her around.” Taking Mackenna’s hand, he pulled her into his arms. “If she wants that. So, you go away.”
“But…”
“Don’t you have your own mate to annoy?”
Her expression fell, and tears gathered in the corner of her eyes. “Dr. Lancaster took him back for some X-rays. She said she’d come get me when he’s finished.”
Ah, now he got it. She was scared, worried for the man she loved, and this was a distraction. Not unsympathetic, he looked to his mate for guidance. While they couldn’t speak telepathically like vampires, an understanding passed between them when their eyes met, and Mackenna dipped her head a fraction.
“I’m going to go find you something to eat.” It wasn’t just an excuse, either. Whether she wanted it or not, she needed the calories. “Are you good for a few minutes?” If she gave any indication that she wasn’t, he’d stay.
She nodded confidently. “I’m good.”
He kissed her forehead, then patted Roux awkwardly on the back. “Try not to worry. I’m sure he’s going to be okay.”
Roux just nodded miserably.
He started to walk away then, but slender fingers wrapped around his wrist to stop him.
“Cade? Thank you.”
Mackenna didn’t elaborate, but she didn’t need to. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her, even if that thing was simply getting out of her way and letting her figure it out on her own.
Taking her hand, he unwound it from his arm and brought it to his lips. “Always.”
Chapter Nine
Clouds gathered in the distance, rolling across the tops of the mountains and refracting the moonlight. There was a chill on the breeze, the kind that stole the breath and sent shivers through the body.
Tucked safely under the awning of the hospital’s back patio, Mackenna pulled the blanket she’d brought from her room more securely around her shoulders. The night was still, quiet, the calm before the storm. She hadn’t seen a weather report, didn’t know if such things even still existed, but she could sense it. She could feel the moisture in the air, the shift in pressure.
By morning, everything she could see would be covered in snow.
She heard the heavy footsteps approaching before the back door swung open, bringing with it a rush of warmth. The scent of disinfectant was strong, but not so overpowering that she didn’t detect the rich, earthy fragrance beneath it.
“I was wondering when you were going to come find me.”
She’d been at the safe house for three days now, and very rarely in that time did Cade let her out of his sight. It was sweet, and she adored how thoughtful he was, but she couldn’t rely on him forever. Eventually, she had to stop being afraid. She couldn’t spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder. She wouldn’t.
“Hey, Mack.”
Strong arms encircled her middle, and a wall of solid muscle pressed against her back. Goddess, he was warm. Steady. He was her rock when the turbulence of life became too much.
And he reeked of anxiety.
“They’re ready to talk to me, aren’t they?”
“They just need some information. You don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to, but the more you can give us, the better it’s going to be for everyone.”
She also loved the fact that he never lied to her, even when the truth wasn’t something she wanted to hear. “I’ll try, but I really don’t know how much help I can be. I spent most of my time in a cage.”
Moving his arms to her shoulders, he applied gentle pressure to encourage her to turn until she faced him. “You were there for two years. I know it’s not easy to talk about, but I’m willing to bet you know more than you think you do.”
Well, he was right about one thing. She had no desire to relive the time she’d spent in the Hunter camp. Hell, she hadn’t even told Cade all the gory details yet. She’d never be able to forget the things she’d seen, nor the things that had been done to her. Hiding while the same kind of hell happened to others, however, made her no better than the monsters
