I had wanted to be there when he woke up, since I was concerned about him and his health. It felt unfair that I was the one to find him and rescue him, thanks to our new mental link, only for me to have to leave before he regained consciousness. Was he really okay, or was he playing tough guy for the medic?
"The fries in this place taste rubbery," Jessie complained with a sigh.
"Better than Taco Tuesday," Holt said, and I shared a light laugh with them. My brain was split in half, partially with my team and partially with Kane. I stuffed down the feelings inside me. Not now, not here. Kane could take care of himself. I truly cared for him, but… it was clear that our lives had no more reason to intersect. We weren't like Lyra and Dorian, skipping merrily along like two destined lovers with perfectionist tendencies and laser-sharp leadership skills. We were two misfits who’d happened to meet and get along, but he was a vampire. He likely wanted to stay in the Immortal Plane. It was his home.
Having a psychic version of a cell phone connection doesn't mean anything.
His face flashed before me as I recalled the blur of movement as he went to kiss me. He had kissed me. What about that? I tried not to think about it. The warm sensation rushed through my traitorous body.
"You okay, Cap?" Jordan asked. "You're looking a bit red."
"Feeling the burn from Hindley," I said with a lopsided smile. They laughed, but Jessie began watching me more closely. The problem with working with soldiers was that they saw more than I wanted them to. It was a blessing that Colin wasn't here at the moment.
The kiss didn't matter. It doesn't change anything. It doesn't change us. There was no reason for me to get involved.
"What happened to the others?" Kane asked. "I was with some humans when I came in."
Butterflies erupted in my stomach. I pushed my tray toward Jordan. "I think I've lost my appetite." He descended upon my lunch with great happiness.
"Oh, thanks," Kane muttered to his invisible healer.
I can't believe this is still happening. Is it going to keep going forever?
"Roxy?" Kane asked. I stiffened in my seat. He’d finally heard me. All plans to not get involved went out the window.
I'm here. I stood up from the table.
"I've got to go," I told my team. "I'll see you at our training session." It was in an hour, and I couldn't be late. The twins exchanged sneaky grins.
"Someone's getting a call," Jessie said in a sing-song voice. Mild embarrassment couldn't beat my joy from the knowledge that Kane could now hear me.
"I have to have a conversation," I told them with a roll of my eyes. "With someone you don't know."
"It's the vampire," Jordan said. "We technically don't know him." Holt gave me a pitying look as I started to shake my head, but I stopped. There was no point in insisting it wasn't true.
Someone cleared their throat behind me, and I turned to see Colin, who had come to join us for lunch. He must have overheard everything. He watched me with a knowing look but merely offered a smile as he joined the table.
Great. The twins were going to tease me for hours. It was fine. I could handle them. If they went too far, I could just hand out extra training. Part of being a leader was learning how to balance out their personalities. For the twins, it meant taking advantage of their desire to avoid extra work whenever possible. I liked handling the background issues among my teams now that I had a better grasp on things. After all, I’d become a fine leader in the end.
What's been going on? I think it's been three days since I saw you. I knew full well how many days it had been, but I wanted to act casual. Did he even remember the kiss? It's nice to hear your voice again. I had no idea where we stood, but I genuinely missed him.
His voice rang out in soft reply. "I'll say the same to you. I've been fed, so it feels like my brain is fully functioning again." Although the volume of his voice was low, our connection was strong. I made my way outside and ducked into a more private area of the courtyard. There was one particular bench that was tucked away behind a hedge, where I could talk to myself without looking crazy to onlookers. "I've been in and out of consciousness for the past few days. I had the craziest dreams…" He trailed off mysteriously. My lips tingled from the memory, but I didn't press it. He might have been thinking of something else. If he wanted to bring it up, he could.
"You sound a lot better," I said cheerfully. "They're taking good care of you, from the sound of it."
Kane grunted. "I know. It's humiliating to go from fighter to feeding off another vampire. I hate this coddling. I'm not a child."
Annoyance pricked me. Everyone needed help sometimes; it wasn't a moral failing. He could be so stubborn, but given everything I’d heard about his childhood… I understood him better now. He had a drive to succeed because he had to be the best. I wanted him to know that he didn't need to push himself to do that all the time.
You looked bad when I found you. It's amazing that you sound this strong. The Pocket Space was a rough place.
"You're right about that." Kane paused. I picked a stray piece of lint off my pant leg, lest Hindley chastise me after lunch. "Thank you for rescuing me, by the way."
The compliment hit me straight in the chest. My heart thumped excitedly. No problem. You think I could leave your
