I grinned at the memory of when I’d jabbed my dagger into Asher’s shoulder not too long ago. “Welcome to being human, big guy.”
Kade sniffed the air then as if he was trying to detect the scent of something. He’d been doing it ever since he’d told us he couldn’t shift, and a permanent look of irritation shadowed his face.
I didn’t hide my concern. “Are you all right?”
Kade frowned, his dark brows pulling down. “Everything is duller now. Before I could scent the age of the algae growing on the rocks and identify the number of crabs that visit this cave when the sun goes down, but now”—he turned to me, his golden eyes tinged with sadness—“it’s like an entire world has been closed off to me. Like I’ve been blinded. I didn’t know it would feel like this.”
My lips thinned, and I was silent as I tried to think of something sympathetic to say when Kade’s demeanor abruptly changed, his lips twitching upward into a half-smile and his eyes brightening again.
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, confused by his sudden change in attitude. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I may have lost my wolf for now, but I’ve gained something else,” he replied cryptically.
“Are you talking about your sanity?” I asked.
“No,” Kade said with a shake of his head. “For the next few days, I have complete control,” he said calmly.
Control?The idea was laughable in our current situation. We were in an unknown land and had been chased behind a waterfall by giant buzzing insects. And now we were magicless, Kade and the others had no monster abilities, and we were effectively trapped until we attempted to leave in the hopes we could escape the dazra’s territory before they spotted us.
I was about to comment that he was delusional because our situation was as chaotic as ever, when he started prowling toward me. Heat flared in his eyes, and it was only then that I understood what he meant. Until the venom from the dazra wore off, he didn’t have to worry about controlling his wolf side. He didn’t have to worry about controlling himselfwith me.
I gulped, and my body warmed, anticipation making my skin tingle and my heart race. In a few swift movements, Kade had dropped down beside me and pulled me onto his lap. His large arms wrapped around me, and his hard body pressed me against him, molding me to his large form.
His lips crushed against mine, pushing my head back and demanding I respond. Our bond sparked, surprisingly the only thing unaffected by the dazra’s venom, but I didn’t have time to question why that was. I melted into him, kissing him back and tangling our tongues.
Kade growled possessively, and while the sound wasn’t as deep and rumbling as it usually was, my entire being still responded, my desire blazing hotter at the sound. Wetness pooled between my thighs, and I was already aching for him to touch me.
Kade finally pulled his lips from mine, and his voice was gravelly and full of emotion as he said, “That information about our bonds, you shouldn’t have kept it from us, Mahare. You might not want to admit it, but you’re ours now, and you’re mad if you think we’d want to force you away from us.” Even without his wolf, his eyes were carnal and wild, like he was desperate to hear that I wouldn’t keep secrets from him again.
Regret went through me at the thought. I hadn’t intentionally kept the information from them. I was so used to keeping my own secrets that it was now second nature. I was so accustomed to not having someone to talk to, confide in, or make decisions with. Let alone having four of those someones. I hadn’t even thought that keeping that information might hurt Kade and the others. I’d just assumed they’d be happy to be free of the bonds, and I hadn’t really stopped to consider they might want them to remain. I mean, I knew they held affection for me, but the bonds tied ourlivestogether. If I died, they died, and I struggled to believe they could want that.
But…You’re ours now.The possession with which he’d said those words made my throat sore, and I swallowed thickly. “I know” was all I managed to squeeze out.
Kade’s hand brushed gently against my cheek. “If you want to break the bonds, we’ll face it together, but we wouldneverforce you.”
My eyes watered, and I couldn’t speak with the emotion clogging my throat. Kade’s hands trailed lower, sliding between my breasts, and I sucked in a sharp breath.
“Don’t keep anything like that from us again,” he said, and his pleading stare was so intense I couldn’t look away.
“I–I won’t,” I said, my throat tight.
The sheer relief on Kade’s face from those small words shattered me. I knew then I couldn’t keep Cara from them. Not when she was such a large part of my life. Not when she could be the reason I might have to separate from them.
I wet my lips. “There…is something else I haven’t told you,” I said slowly. My gaze slid from Kade to Asher and Darian, who were staring at me just as intently, their expressions not judging but listening.
It was a risk to tell them about my sister. What if they knew who she was and she was their enemy? What if they didn’t want to lose me that badly that they would risk hurting her? Or what if they’d known she was dead this whole time? Warrick was evil, and Locke was Warrick’s son. These were Locke’s friends. What if they knew a sinister, dark secret involving Cara and Warrick?
But Kade’s, Asher’s, and Darian’s eyes were full of light as they stared at me. Their gazes were full of…love. For me.Even if they hadn’t admitted it out loud. The least I could do was take the risk and tell them about my sister. Especially when deep down, I knew I loved them too.
No one spoke as they waited for me to continue, and I sucked in a deep breath, steeling myself. “Back on the island during the Night of the Offering, Iwantedto be selected,” I admitted quietly. “During the previous offering, all those years earlier, my sister was chosen. Cara. And it was my fault. I shouldn’t have been spying on the ritual. I vowed to find her and make sure she was all right. She was only sixteen when she was selected, younger than the usual age, and I’ll do anything to find her. I have to know if she’s alive. And if she’s unhappy and wants to leave Katakin.” I paused again, my words becoming quiet. “I had planned to leave with her and find a way for us to escape.” I took in another deep breath as I finished, feeling as though it had taken significant energy to get those words out.
For a moment, the cave remained silent. My uncertainty and the fears I held simmered on the surface, but deep in my core, I knew these monsters were good. That telling them was the right thing to do.
Kade was the one to speak first. “The friend you told me about. You were talking about your sister?” he asked softly. I’d told him briefly about my search for a friend nights ago after the first time we’d been together, but I hadn’t given away any specific details. Now empathy shone on his face, and I knew if anyone would understand my situation, it would be him—the wolf shifter who had lost his own family to the fae. Tears welled in my eyes, and he leaned forward, cradling my face in his hands. “You should have told us. Wecould have been helping you search for her.”
A tear slipped down my cheek, and I sniffed. “You’d taken me from my island just like Cara had been stolen. How was I supposed to trust you with this?”
Regret showed on Kade’s face, and Asher and Darian wore similar expressions. I knew it wasn’t fair to put this all on them. They had explained they had no choice and were forced by the council to play their part in the trials, but they’d still done it.
