‘What? But I’m not going to just—’
‘Forget about it. It’s not important.’ Lachlan repeated. His gaze pinned Cam in place as effectively as his arms. ‘From now on, we’re going to solveyourcurse. I want to know everything about it. About everyone in your family who died from this… this Scorching. Where and why and how they died. Why you can’t stop the fire. Why can’t youstop it,Cam?’
Cam suddenly found it hard to talk around the lump in his throat. ‘It’s—it’s just not something we can control. In the end, it gets everyone. People have tried… My family have already tried to find a cure. Or even a reason for why it happens. There’s stacks of research in Glencoe. But it’s never amounted to anything—’
‘Then I want to go to Glencoe,’ Lachlan said immediately. Cam’s heart jumped. Lachlan hadneveragreed to leave the loch before. ‘I want you to show me everything. We’re going to find a way through this, Cam.’
We’re going to find a way through this.
The words hit Cam hard. Just like that simpleYou’re going to be okay,earlier. He’d never even considered there might be a way out of this. He’d just kept running, hoping that if he didn’t look back then at least he wouldn’t know when fate was finally on his heels.
Cam lost the ability to speak, and when he blinked he realised tears were sliding down the sides of his face. Lachlan swiped at them with his thumbs, an intense frown underpinning the steely determination in his eyes.
‘Can you take me there tomorrow?’ Lachlan asked quietly.
Cam began to nod, then remembered the reality of the situation. ‘My bike… I still need to fix it. And the werewolf, Lachlan, I can’t—’
‘Leave it to Bryce,’ Lachlan cut in. ‘He can handle it. You said so yourself.’
Cam squirmed. ‘But I’m not sure he should. What if the thing doesn’t mean any harm? What if there’s more to it?’
‘I don’t care,’ Lachlan said simply. He took in the shock that flickered over Cam’s face and let out a weary sigh, before burying his head in Cam’s neck. ‘Selfish choices, remember? Right now, I am choosing you.’
Cam squeezed his arms as tight as he could around Lachlan’s body. He felt so weak in so many ways, especially when he compared himself to Lachlan. Lachlan, who’d traded places with a monster to save his village without batting an eye. Lachlan, who’d endured centuries of loneliness and loss. Lachlan, who still found the strength to smile, to radiate such infectious cheerfulness that he couldn’t help but brighten anyone’s day.
Lachlan, who was determined to save him.
I was supposed to be saving you,Cam thought ruefully. Allowing the tables to be flipped seemed decidedly un-witchlike.
But, by god, did he want to be saved by this beautiful man.
After a long time, Lachlan lifted his head, voice drowsy. ‘I need to go back to the loch.’
Cam’s arms tightened, unwilling to let him go. ‘Why?’
‘I wasn’t in the water for long enough. I can feel it trying to pull me back.’ He pressed a lingering kiss to Cam’s cheek. ‘I mustn’t ignore it.’
Cam sighed against his hair, then reluctantly let him slide free. ‘Come back soon.’
‘As soon as I can,’ Lachlan promised. Still, he loitered in the doorway, not taking his eyes off Cam. Like he was worried Cam might burst into flames in his absence.
‘Don’t worry about me.’ Cam forced a smile. ‘I can’t even feel the fire right now. I think the cold water sucked it right out of me.’
Lachlan’s brow furrowed. ‘You always feel it, normally? It’s always there?’
Cam hadn’t meant to worry him even more. He had to remind himself not to sidestep the truth again. Lachlan wanted to know everything. He needed to know everything.
‘Yes,’ Cam admitted. ‘It usually feels like a low… heat, I suppose. Right here.’ He pointed to just underneath his sternum. ‘When I’m stressed it flares up, kind of spreads all over.’
‘But the cold water took it away?’ Lachlan’s gaze drifted to the window, while his fingers absently played with his sleeves.
‘What are you thinking?’ Cam asked.
Lachlan’s attention returned to him and he gave a small, embarrassed smile. ‘Just wondering how feasible it is to keep you in a tank full of iced water.’
After an incredulous second, Cam burst out laughing. ‘Can’t say I’m fond of the idea,’ he said, scrubbing yet more overwhelmed, amused tears out of his eyes. ‘But it could work.’
‘I’ll do whatever it takes,’ Lachlan promised. ‘Get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.’
