Chapter 23
Malin
When I came through the kitchen door from the garage, I was looking forward to seeing Cassius. I’d had a great sesh with Jacob. No alcohol required. Jacob told me I seemed calmer over the past weeks, less defensive. He was pleased with my progress.
Undoing my scarf and tossing it on the counter, I called out for Cassius. No answer.
I walked through the dining room and peeked into the game room. No one.
When I realized I had felt a breeze in the hall, I walked around the wall that separated the dining room from the hallway and saw the back doors were open. That was when I heard the screaming. The sobbing. It chilled me to the bone.
I opened my mouth and called out. “Cassius!”
The ear-splitting screams continued. I ran through the doors and across the patio. That was when I saw three men carrying off a struggling Cassius. My Cassius.
“Cassius!” It came out a roar.
Shift. Now!
I didn’t have time to prepare. Malinekan burst through my skin and clothes until I was looking down on everything and everyone.
I recognized Bish and my anger grew. My dragon eyes narrowed in on Cassius as I charged.
It took only seconds for Malinekan to grab the omega and hurl himself high into the air.
His instinct was to get to a treetop for safety.
Unless the alphas below shifted, they would not be able to reach us.
Perching on a high branch, Malinekan gave another roar, a river of fire shooting from his throat, challenging them to shift.
The alphas scattered at the threat, narrowly avoiding the burn.
From our high vantage, we saw them running around the side of the house toward the street.
I’d seen a car there when I drove up but thought nothing of it.
Sometimes people parked on the road below to hike the woods or fly.
As long as they didn’t block my driveway, I didn’t care.
What were Bish and his cronies doing here? He always texted if he wanted to come by. What an ass. Now he was on my shitlist.
Cassius was still sobbing like he was having trouble catching his breath.
Down, Malinekan. Now! Let me have him.
My dragon obeyed in a graceful swoop. It was one of his softest landings. The very next second I was in my naked skin holding a sobbing little wolf on the lawn by the patio.
I sprinted for the doors, running inside and kicking them closed. The closest place to lay Cassius down was the couch in the game room. There had been a fire in there but it was just embers now. The air in the room was cold.
I placed Cassius on the cushions. He was still letting out short, low moans. He coughed every time he breathed out.
I ran my hand down over his chest and stomach. “Did they hurt you? Where are you injured?” Bruises had already begun to show on his face. His legs were hobbled with a belt.
I unfastened and tore off the belt, throwing it toward the fireplace, then cupped his head between my hands.
“Cassius, look at me.”
Damp scared eyes blinked up, meeting my own. I spoke quickly. “Deep breaths, little wolf. You’re safe. Deep, like this.” I inhaled and slowly let my breath out. “Breathe with me.”
He was still hitching at air, his hands grasping at my shoulders.
“Slowly. Match my breath. I’ve got you.”
Tears rolled into the hair at his temples but finally his eyes cleared. “They came through the gate. So fast. I was sitting by the pool. I tried to run.”
My palm brushed the hair back from his forehead. “You’re going to have a black eye.”
He started to silently sob again. “They were going to take me away. I kicked. I screamed. I have no rights. They were stronger. It’s not fair!” His lips thinned into a tight line. “It’s wrong!”
This was how Kirion must’ve felt when I’d chased him around my dad’s house. I’d been drunk and twenty. But that was no excuse. I had intentions to scare him, nothing more. I was angry at him and Dad. But he didn’t know that.
Shame washed over me but I had no time right now for any flashbacks.
“They laughed.” Cassius’s voice was broken.
“They were drunk idiots. But that’s no excuse. If I see Bish again I’ll fucking kill him.”
A shiver took Cassius’s whole body. I grabbed the blanket that was over the armrest of the couch and spread it over him. “I need to fix the fire and turn up the heat. I’ll get you something for those bruises.”
He was still in shock, gaze darting about the room. I stood and his eyes widened. I looked down at my body, remembering my clothes had been ripped away. “Malinekan came out. I couldn’t stop him.” I grabbed another blanket and wrapped it around my waist.
“He’s big.” Cassius was breathing better now. “He saved me. Thank you.”
My palm pressed the top of his head. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
He clutched at the blanket, eyes wide, and watched me walk to the fireplace. I lit another fire, then hurried toward the kitchen to grab something for his swollen face. In the hall, I turned up the heat.
When I returned, Cassius was up on one elbow. I brought him water, a soda and juice. I set them on the table. “I didn’t know which you’d prefer.”
He didn’t reply. He still looked terrified. I had an urge to wrap him up in my arms and never let go. But that wouldn’t be appropriate.
I held up a towel and opened it. “And I brought this.” In it was a bag of cold, squishy cubes. “This is for black eyes and such.”
“You had that on hand?” he asked.
“You have no idea how many fights I’ve been in, do you?”
He shook his head as I pressed the towel against his face. He winced.
“It’s cold,” I said. “But it helps. Does your head hurt?”
“A little.”
I reached into a drawer under the coffee table and brought out the aspirin. I handed him two along with the juice. “Are you sure Malinekan didn’t scratch you?”
“He scared me at first. He didn’t hurt me. Is he mad?”
“At those alphas, yes.”
“At me?”
“Why would he be mad at you? He wants you to know he’s not angry. He was scared for you. He didn’t mean to come on you so fast or hold you so tight. He was afraid they’d already hurt you.”
“I—I didn’t mean to get into any trouble.”
“You didn’t. My friend who is no longer my friend came unannounced and broke into my yard. But no matter what, he should never have touched or threatened you.”
“Why are alphas like that?”
Immediately, I thought of my dads. “Not all are.”
“You’re not.”
“I used to be.” I sucked in a breath and pointed at myself. “A work in progress.” I pressed the towel closer to his swollen eye. “Go on. Take that aspirin.”
He finally swallowed the two pills he’d been holding with orange juice.
“What will I do now?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” My other hand pulled the blanket further over his chest.
“I don’t want to upset your dragon or be in the way. You don’t like sets. I don’t want to be trouble but that’s my life. It’s controlled by others. I’m just a disruption for you.” His face became drawn. He shut his eyes.
“Not another word about that.” My voice came out low. I wasn’t the placating type. I’d rarely used that tone with anyone.
“But I am a disruption and my heat’s coming and—and…”
“Cassius, relax. Bish did this. You’re not responsible. And you’re not a burden.” I wasn’t sure what to say to the remark about his heat. Had he felt symptoms? I sniffed the air and there it was, faint but undeniable, a sweet, honeyed scent that made me want to lean closer.
Had Bish and his cohorts scented it? Again, not an excuse for their behavior.
But it could explain why Malinekan jumped out of my skin with little warning.
His instincts and senses were more heightened.
As a dragon, he was protective. Dragon instinct and dragon behavior.
But I’d never known him to fly out of my skin like that.
You must see it. Cassius is special.
Over these past weeks I had seen it. “You know,” I began. “I don’t actually hate sets. I just said that at the party that night because anything that reminds me of Kirion starts a war inside me. It’s easier not to deal with it. Easier to hate.”
“He’s the only other set omega you ever met, right?” Cassius asked.
“Yeah. And it was under terrible circumstances for me.” I had one hand on the towel and the other in his hair as if I could hold his head still while applying the cold compress.
But really, I wanted to feel his hair. My fingers buried themselves in the softness.
That honey scent returned and a warmth ran through my body in response.
“Are you feeling any better?” I asked.
“Yeah. It’s cold but my eye doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“Cassius, you said something about your heat coming.”
He turned away from me, the towel sliding away. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.
“Why are you sorry? It’s natural for you.”
He pushed his hands on either side of himself to sit up. “I’m an abomination. Nothing about me is natural. Nothing.” His eyes welled up and he wouldn’t look at me.
I had to say something. It was a compulsion. Normally I would walk away. I didn’t like heavy emotion. But Cassius controlled me somehow. He made me need to do more.
“Over the past weeks I think we’ve gotten to know each other, haven’t we?”
Silence.
“I disagree with everything you just said. Abomination is the worst word you could use to describe yourself. You’re kind and smart and a fantastic cook.” I chuckled. “You’re funny and weird and cute. And you’re a much better man than I am. So you can cut that word right out of your vocabulary.”
He looked up, frowning. “You scent my heat, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I knew it. That’s why you’re saying those things. As an alpha you can’t help it.”
Immediately, a counter to that statement came into my mind. “You weren’t in heat when I went to Brimstone and talked to my dad after so long with no contact and then took you away with me. You haven’t been in heat these last weeks. You have to admit; we’ve had some fun. Give me some credit.”
“But—but you don’t like sets.”
“I already explained that. Me and my big mouth.”
He opened his eyes and looked at me sheepishly. “Well, I might’ve said I don’t like alphas at some point.”
“You might have,” I agreed.
“I didn’t mean you.”
“Okay, then. We have an understanding.”
“What?”
“That we don’t not like each other.” I couldn’t contain my smile. “That we’re okay with each other.” More than okay, but now wasn’t the time to say it.
Cassius was sitting up now. I still held the towel to his face but his hand came up and he took it from me. His shoulders were hunched, a tremor shivering his hands.
I turned on the TV but kept my attention on him, fluffing a couple of pillows for him, tucking in the blanket.
Bring food. More pillows. Make nest. Need nest.
It was automatic to want to follow Malinekan’s commands. I stood, adjusting the blanket around my waist. Cassius watched me with big eyes.
“I’ll be right back.”
“I had food prepped to cook for dinner. I need to go do that,” he said, sliding forward.
I held my hand against his chest. “Rest. It’ll keep.”
“But—”
“I’d do it myself but I’m not sure what to do, little wolf. But I can do soup. Are you hungry?”
“You’re not going to order out?”
“Sure. Later.”
He frowned but nodded.
In the kitchen I microwaved some chicken soup.
Then I made grilled cheese sandwiches, something I was handy at since being a teen.
As I was getting it all together on a tray, I realized I should get dressed.
But my instincts made it uncomfortable for me to run upstairs and leave him alone even for that short time. The blanket would have to do.
When I entered the room, tray in hand, Cassius’s head was down, eyes closed. He was half propped on pillows. The towel with the cold bag had fallen to his lap.
I set the tray on the coffee table. At the sound, his eyes snapped open, going wide. It was official, I was going to punish Bish one way or another for this trauma.
I took the towel away, replaced it with a flat pillow and set the tray on it. I’d brought enough for two so I sat beside him and took the second bowl. The soup was steaming. It smelled pretty great.
“You made all this?” Cassius asked. He stared at my bare chest again making tingles rush through me.
“Yep. From scratch.”
He grunted. Was that a small smile I saw? Spoon in hand, he scooped up some soup, blew on it, and sipped, still watching me.
“Good?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Try one of these.” I grabbed one of the grilled cheeses. “It took me years to learn how not to burn them.”
He picked one up and bit into it. “That’s really good.”
It sounded like he was feeling better. I took that as a win.
Grilled cheese. Comfort food. Never failed on days I didn’t want to deal with the world.
I sat back and ate my sandwich in about three bites. I was happy. Happy? Wait, that didn’t happen with me. But sitting next to Cassius, feeling his warmth, watching him eat something I’d prepared was everything for me in that moment. Everything.