9. A Plan
A Plan
Kade
W hen I woke at three am still on the couch in my nest of blankets, I cursed myself for being lazy. I stretched out all the kinks, groaning at the stiffness in my neck and back. Getting up had all the blood rushing elsewhere and a feeling of nausea rising. I sat again and waited until it passed.
My dream pulled at me, the memory of those stunning icy silver-blue eyes and a mop of dark hair. Those eyes came to me in the strangest of moments and made me wish for something that I couldn’t have. Not any more.
My hand reached for my phone and when the screen lit up, I noticed a few messages from Dakota.
Dakota: Are you doing okay? I had to work late. Can check in on my way home if you want?
Dakota: Kade? Are you sleeping? I’m just leaving now.
Dakota: I pulled over since I’ve not heard from you. I’m worried.
There were a couple of calls a minute or two later. Then, a little over half an hour later, there was another text.
Dakota: I used your spare key again to get in. Saw you were sleeping and didn’t want to disturb you or put you to bed and have you freak out in the morning. Made up some sandwiches for you. In the fridge. Will check in tomorrow.
Well fuck , I felt like a terrible person. Dakota and I were making progress to being something like real friends and there was me, ignoring his texts and sleeping the evening away. To be fair to myself, I was sick, but still. Not thinking about how late it was, I texted him back;
Kade: Just woken. I’m sorry you were worried. Thanks for the food. You’re the best.
Soon after, my phone buzzed with an incoming call.
“I’m sorry for texting so late,” I breathed as I answered.
“Hey,” Dakota’s voice was sleep roughened. “I just wanted to call and check if you were okay.”
“Sorry, I’ve just been sleeping a lot. I tried watching a movie but I just couldn’t concentrate on it and then I must have fallen asleep.”
“I figured when I came over. I’m sorry Kade, I just freaked out when you weren’t replying and never even thought that you’d be resting. This stuff with your dad is still in my head and I guess I just worried that he’d found you.”
Huh. I hadn’t even thought about my dad finding me with all the drama over my health.
Fuck , all of my magical safeguards were gone.
In my panic about possibly being infertile, I’d forgotten the doctor informing me a witch had stripped all the magic from me.
What the hell was I going to do? Did I just bank on it being so long since he’d been able to scry for me he wouldn’t try again?
The council had made sure they warded my house against uninvited entry.
My breaths sped up, coming in heavy pants as icy dread washed over me. In my home, I was safe. Out and about, I had my talisman to hide my scent. I’d have to check that I could continue to wear it since it didn’t involve taking the magic into me.
“Kade?” Shit. I’d forgotten that Dakota was on the phone.
Taking a shuddering breath, I dredged up the strength to ask for help. “Could you take me to see Poppy tomorrow, please? Or in the morning.” I scrubbed a hand over my face. “I need to... I need help to hide.” A sob escaped me. “Kota, I’m scared he’ll find me again.”
There was silence on the line for a minute.
While I waited for his answer, I tried to push back the tears.
“I’m going to take a couple of days off to look after you.
” I tried to interrupt. “No, I don’t like you being so ill and alone.
It means nothing, Kade, I know that. You just need someone to care for you.
I’ll pack a bag and I’ll be over soon.” He hung up before I could say a word.
I sat there for a minute staring at my phone and wondering if I should message him and tell him not to come and if he’d even listen if I tried.
The thing was, I was lonely. The thought of having someone with me made fresh tears prickle my eyes. Dakota had seen me at my worst and was still willing to be around me. He’d warned me about the blockers and hadn’t rubbed it in my face.
With Dakota coming over, I tried to eat the food he’d made for me and thought about attempting to pick up a bit before slumping back on the sofa, exhausted.
The sound of the door opening had me startling awake.
“Hey, it’s just me,” came Dakota’s soft voice.
He rounded the sofa and checked me over.
“Come on, let’s get you to bed.” I didn’t have time to object before he picked me up bridal style again and carried me to my room.
I felt so safe in his arms and felt guilty about relying on him for so much.
He flung back the covers and settled me in bed.
As he tried to withdraw, I grabbed his arm.
“I’ll be back in a minute. Need to lock up and get ready for bed. ”
“You’ll stay here with me?” I whispered.
“Of course. I bet your wolf is touch starved.” He brushed a curl from my forehead.
“Probably,” I muttered, then I admitted the words that almost had me spiraling again. “I can’t feel my wolf.”
Dakota stopped dead. “That’s temporary, right?”
My next words didn’t give either of us comfort. “They don’t know.”
Waking up with my head on Dakota’s chest, a leg thrown over him and my fingers in his thick chest hair was really not helping our boundaries issues, but he was so warm, comforting and left me feeling safe for a change.
I knew I shouldn’t have invited him to sleep in my bed, but he was right. My wolf and I were touch starved.
“Stop thinking you’ll hurt yourself.” He grumbled.
I tried to chuckle and extricate myself, but he tugged at my arm and I left it in place.
“Look, my bear wants you to be pack. The more time we spend together, the less he pushes me to be with you. I guess what I’m trying to say is that this is helping me draw that line, not harming me in any way.”
My mind worked to process that information, and in some strange way, it made sense to me. The more time that I spent with Dakota, the more comfortable I got with him, like we were settling into some sort of sibling relationship.
“Kota?”
“Yeah?”
“How old are you?” Supernaturals rarely asked ages, since our longer lives made age irrelevant in most cases.
“Huh... um... I’m in my fifties in human years. Fifty-three.”
My head shot up and for the first time in days, the rapid movement didn’t make me want to blow chunks.
“You’re older than Papa! You are literally old enough to be my daddy.
Shall I call you that?” I teased. “Daddy Kota, what’s for breakfast?
” I tilted my head at him and tried to widen my eyes to look all cute and innocent.
He stared at me for a second before bursting into loud laughter.
Then he ruffled my hair and got out of bed.
He’d dressed in sleep pants and they hung low on his hips.
Despite having a mouthwatering body, lots of firm muscles covered in tanned skin and a drool worthy, happy trail leading to what looked like a sizable bulge, I had nothing but affection for the man.
Objectively, I knew he was a great-looking guy and had the sense that he would have treated me really well now that I knew him a little better.
I’d always been told to trust my gut, and it told me that Dakota wasn’t for me.
He could be my new family, one that I chose for myself.
“How do you feel about pancakes? My Papa has a great recipe.”
My stomach growled then. “Sounds good. I’ll shower and join you in the kitchen.”
It’d been days since I’d showered and the water felt heavenly sluicing over my body. I took stock of the changes. I was substantially thinner than I’d been even a month ago, with my hip bones jutting out and my stomach slightly concave.
I dressed in sweatpants so I could pull the tie closed tightly to stop them from slipping down my ass.
All of my clothes looked too big, my hair and eyes dull, my skin dry.
It would be too easy to wallow in self pity, but these changes were temporary.
I’d eat well and exercise and soon be back to myself.
The smells from the kitchen were divine and I followed my nose to the small table where a plate stacked high with fluffy pancakes and bacon waited for me.
Dakota grumbled something too low for me to hear and put his phone away before turning to hand me an empty plate.
He observed me and made sure I’d served myself a decent helping of bacon before he filled his own plate.
We ate in comfortable silence until Dakota reminded me to take it slowly. “You’ll make yourself sick, eating that fast. I can make more.”
“With what? I’m surprised there was enough food to make all this.”
Dakota looked a tad abashed. “I stopped by the twenty-four seven and picked up things I hoped you’d like before I came over last night.”
Moon help me. He was a sweetheart. Squeezing his hand I said, “thank you.”
He stood as he finished up eating. “I’m going to go shower if that’s okay. Then we can go to that magic shop like you wanted.”
An hour later, we were on the road in Dakota’s truck and heading to the magic shop. We filled the car with classic rock and I sang along quietly to songs that I remembered from my childhood.
“You have a fantastic voice, Kade.”
I blushed. “Thanks. I always liked to sing with Papa at home. This song was one of his favorites.” Dakota listened to me sing the rest of the way, occasionally joining me, his voice a lovely baritone that blended well with mine.
I’d catch his eye and smile when we harmonized.
This was what I’d been looking for but hadn’t found in any of the places I’d lived in since they dissolved my pack.
A connection that didn’t rely on some sort of transactional affection.
Dakota needed nothing from me to treat me well.
He just cared about my wellbeing. I had to keep this.
This was where I needed to make my stand and I felt it to my bones. I was done running.