The train gave me time to sleep – really, finally, sleep. With my head resting on Cade’s shoulder, his arm around me and his scent in the air, I felt at home, at peace. Even with everything that was going on, just being with my mate made me feel like all hell could rain and we would remain dry and untouched.
I awoke to soft gray eyes caressing my face. Just like always I lost my breath. I knew Cade knew the effect he had on me as those gray eyes crinkles at me as he smiled. I positively melted. There couldn't possibly be a better way to make up. I’m sorry, but anything suggesting otherwise is completely ludicrous. I wouldn't even trade waking up to Cade’s eyes to waking up to money falling over my face or a house completely made of chocolate.
“Morning , gorgeous,” he rumbled. His free hand grazed over my cheek, nose, and temple. His hand slid to my scar and I stiffened. When he began to stroke the length of it - the long, long length of it – I jerked away.
“Cade don't.”
“What?” He shifted to face me and looked over my scar. His appraisal of it was so thorough I began to feel sick.
“I have to go.” I stood up, but Cade caught my hand and pulled me down facing him on his lap. I buried my face in his shoulder, unable to face his criticism. Cade had never been one to mince words, not even with me, and I didn’t expect him to start now.
“Ainsley, look at me,” he sighed.
“No.”
“Ainsley. Please.” There was a slight growl to his voice. Cade never liked being refused.
Slowly, I raised my head. As I met his eyes, I saw anger clash through those gray orbs.
I almost threw up.
“Damnit, Ainsley.” Cade’s words were rough, his voice a mix of anger and confusion. Tears filled my eyes and I lowered them. Never in my life had I felt more ashamed of myself. I didn’t know if he would still want me. With his looks he could have his share of the women in the pack. I’d seen them and as much as I wished differently none of them came relatively close to being hideous. Without Cade I had no place in the Were world, but my old world no longer belonged to me.
Silence reigned between us as Cade continued to scrutinize my face. The longer he stared the more my discomfort and unhappiness grew. It got to the point where I couldn't stop the tear that slid from my eye.
It was as if the moment had pulled him out of his reverie. Cade’s hand came to cup my check and I leaned into it, relishing his touch. His thumb swiped away the tear.
“Damnit it, Ainsley. How are you even more beautiful now?”
He didn’t give me a chance to answer, but instead leaned in and kissed me.
It seemed like forever since we had kissed, but our lips molded together as if they’d never been separated. The world and its problems completely fell away. This was all that mattered: Cade and I. Nothing could touch us because we were mates – we were destined to be together. I was his and even better, he was mine.
Cade held my face between his hands,, holding me as though I would slip through his hands and be lost forever. Needing more, I linked my fingers at the nape of his neck and pulled him closer to me, sliding forward on his lap.
At my movement, Cade groaned into the kiss, sending shivers down my spine. He licked at my lips coaxing them open. As if he had to ask. They parted and our tongues met. It was electric, delicious and everything that I needed. He bit don on my lip just hard enough to smart and I gasped.
Cade’s hand slid down my back as he broke off the kiss. We were both breathing raggedly and Cade’s cheeks were flushed. As the world returned to me I blushed too. I looked across the aisle to where Kat and Declan were sleeping. Phew. Thankfully, the rest of our train car was empty.
“God I missed you,” Cade groaned. His lips trailed over my face and kissed down the length of my scar. “You are beautiful. So, so beautiful I can hardly think around you.” He whispered to me between kisses.
“I love you,” I whispered brokenly. How had I gotten so lucky? I kissed him, giving him everything I had. Our gentle, slow kisses turned hot and passionate. His hand fell the small of my back and brushed the upper curve of my butt as he pulled me tighter against his body. His other hand speared through my hair and fisted it, holding me fiercely as he devoured my mouth.
“Stop moving,” Cade growled against my mouth.
“What?” I gasped.
“You’re grinding yourself on my lap and if you don’t stop, we’re going to make a baby right here.”
I smiled even as I groaned, this time out of disappointment. “Isn’t there a washroom or something?” I nipped his jaw and watched it jump. So hot. “Anything?”
“As much as I really, really want to, there’s not nearly enough room. I checked.”
I grinned. “You would.”
“Hey! You suggested it,” he laughed. “Don’t worry, we’ll be alone soon enough.”
“Just after we save the world.”
“Exactly.” Cade smiled that smile at me and my entire body responded.
I needed a new pair of panties.
I snuggled back into him, settling for the comfort of this soft intimacy. Across the aisle Kat and Declan were doing the same. Declan’s head rested on Kat’s shoulder and her hand gently stroked his hair. Sensing my eyes on her, she turned to me. When I waggled my eyebrows at her she blushed, but didn’t stop. I was glad they'd found each other. Everyone needed a bit of love.
***
It was noon the next day when the train pulled into the station with a wheeze. All four of us stretched, our bodies stiff from disuse.
“We need directions,” I said as we filed off the train.
“It’s not even a proper address,” pointed out Cade.
“What is it with men and directions?” asked Kat.
“Men don’t need directions,” said Declan. “We have a natural GPS.”
“We have to try anyway,” I said, ignoring Kat and Declan. “I told you before, you can come with me or not.” I walked away, heading into the station.
“Women,” mumbled Cade before following me.
Kat caught up to me. “Hey, how are you doing?”
I knew what she was really asking. “You mean considering Irina cut my face open so we could have matching scars? Just peachy, we’re totally BFFs now.”
Kat gaped at me. “She did it on purpose?”
“Well I didn’t just fall on the knife,” I snorted.
“Cade is totally going to hack her alive. Ugh, I can just see her blood spurting-”
I held out a hand to stop her rambling. “Gross, Kat. So gross.”
We were a few feet from the front desk when a hand pulled me a stop. Cade.
“From the last time, Cade, I’m doing this, whether you like it or not.” He could be so exasperating sometimes.
“Yes, yes I know, girl power and all that.”
“How is that girl power?”
“Anyway, I stopped you because do you really think going up there looking all beat up is the best choice?”
“If Irina’s men come through here, we don’t to stand out enough for anyone to remember us. Cade and I have already had a chance to clean up. We’ll go,” said Declan.
“What happened to your ‘natural GPS’?” I teased.
“Do you want directions or not?”
And so Kat and I went to the bathroom and cleaned up. I pestered and questioned her about Declan, but she wouldn't give up anything. She would shrug and smile enigmatically.
Having washed up and rinsed my mouth I felt and looked a lot better. The area around my scar was still irritated and an angry red but the absence of blood made me look a lot less suspicious.
“I think we should dye our hair,” said Kat as we exited.
“What? No!” I fingered my long black hair, a bit protectively to be honest. “I like my hair colour.”
“Come on! It’ll be fun and it certainly help us avoid Irina.”
“Kat...” I hemmed and hawed my protest but she was relentless. Finally I broke. “Fine! But I refuse to go blond.”
“Aw, boo! I was just imagining an amazing platinum blond on you.”
“Platinum blond?” We’d reached Cade and Declan who were poring over a map. Declan looked up. “Who’s platinum blond?”
“Ainsley’s going to colour her hair,” Kat supplied.
“What?” Cade’s displeasure was evident in his voice.
“Did you get directions?” I asked, trying to change subjects.
“Ainsley...” From Cade’s tone I knew he definitely wasn’t happy.
“The clerk wasn’t much help,” said Declan. I gave him a grateful look for going with my subject change. “He only told us that it’s most likely a cabin in this area.” He pointed to an area on the map shaded green.
“It’s a forest. And it’s huge.” Kat said.
“Great observation. You should be a detective,” teased Declan, grinning at her withering look. Cade stifled a laugh but sobered up when she transferred that glare to him. Kat was such a little hellcat.
Cade cleared his throat. “We can take a cab up to this road,” he said, indicating a small dirt road. “The rest will have to be on foot. Let’s get going.”
The cab drive was long and hot. The cabs out in this hick town were tiniest I’d ever seen and the passenger seat of the cab was broken. I didn’t mind being pushed up against Cade, but I couldn't say much for Declan’s elbow. The heat combined with four unwashed bodies definitely not help to make the drive much better.
We made a stop at a drugstore where we bought hair dye. I was the most reluctant to actually go through with colouring my hair, but Cade was a close second. For me, it was as if doing this would be driving away the last vestiges of my former life, but I knew if I wanted any life at all I would have to just suck it up.
Forty minutes later Kat was a light brunette with streaks of blond, Declan a dark brunette, Cade a sexy dirty blond and me, a sassy redhead. When we exited the bathroom we were a completely different group of people. The cabbie did a double take and I laughed for the first time in a long time.
Two hours later, the cab sputtered to a stop. “That’ll be two twenty five,” drawled the driver.
“Two hundred and twenty five dollars?!” Kat exclaimed. Declan gave a yelp as he jabbed him in the side as she leaned forward. “How about I let you keep your life?” She flashed her teeth, sharpened at the canines at him. He paled, gulped and nodded.
“So hot,” Declan breathed
We popped out of the car, one by one, relieved not to have to breathe in the same air.
“Which way now?” Declan asked. “About north east?”
“More north-north-east,” Kat corrected.
“Keep your eyes peeled for this cabin,” Cade said.
With that, we trudged into the forest. The sunlight seemed extra bright, the forest critters super loud and the soft crunch of our feet like the stampede of a small herd of buffalo. My senses were heightened to the point of over-stimulation and it was driving me crazy.
“I feel like my head is going to explode,” I said. “Everything here is too intense.”
“I noticed it too,” said Kat. “Just push them to the back of your mind.”
It took me a while to get it right, but eventually I managed to subdue the intensity of my surroundings. It was much easier to focus on finding the cabin without feeling like I had a small Amazon jungle in my brain.
My alertness, however, began to fade as the hours began to pass. I was tired and hot and panting, but alone with my exhaustion – Cade, Kat and Declan were as perky and energized as when we’d started. I wanted to throw a small boulder at them. Was that wrong?
I stumbled and bumped into Kat. We tumbled forwards to the ground in an unsophisticated heap.
“Ah, balls, ow!” Kat yelled.
I rolled off her, embarrassed and apologizing. “I’m so sorry, Kat. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just impaled my hand on a stick. No biggie.” Her hand held a hint of sarcasm.
“Damn, I’m really sorry. Oh crap, you’re bleeding.” Major understatement. Kat was positively gushing.
“Werewolf, remember? I’ll be fine. Let’s just find this cabin.”
A stick snapped and in the next nanosecond the four of us, even bloody Kat, had our weapons pointed at various points of the forest. My breathing accelerated and I forced it to slow down, like Reese had taught me.
Another stick snapped and then a third.
“Come out.” Cade demanded, his voice like iron. A shadow rustled by the tree nearest Kat before a figure stepped out. Our guns were on the figure in a second, every safety on our guns off.
A Native-looking man, barefoot wearing only a pair of trousers stepped out. The better majority of his body was covered in tattoos and he carried himself with grace and ease. He was tall and well-muscled from use rather than simple exercise.
“Who are you?” Cade barked.
“I don’t believe you are in a position to be demanding answers,” the man said. I shivered. His voice was like liquid sex. Unbelievable.
“Funny, because I do believe we’re the ones with the guns,” Declan snapped.
“This is true, but you are greatly outnumbered,” the man replied calmly.
“Were you ever any good in math?” Kat asked, mock-innocently. “Because right now it looks like it’s four to one.”
The man smiled and I shifted uneasily. “Look again.”
At his words, shadows moved all throughout the forest. The four of us tried aimlessly to pinpoint the sources of the shadows, but they were either moving too quickly or there was too many. And then, in the blink of an eye, the shadows simultaneously became figures. I began to count them, to estimate what our chances of success would be, but I couldn't.
We were surrounded by a small country of people.