Chapter 26 Heat
Heat
When I woke, the heat of Luca against me felt like an oven. Groaning, I turned over, letting cool air wash over my skin. We’d kicked off the covers in the night.
Already, sunshine filled the room. An aching pit in my stomach prevented me from falling back asleep, so I dragged myself to the bathroom. A cool shower washed away my exhaustion and that sticky, sweaty feeling of being overheated by the big werewolf I slept with.
When I emerged, Luca was groggily rubbing at his eyes.
“Good morning, sunshine,” I teased.
He fell back onto his pillow. “If you insist.”
Chuckling, I headed to the kitchen, leaving my grumpy lover alone so he could get more sleep. That gnawing feeling in my belly wouldn’t leave me alone, so I gathered up fruit and one of the cinnamon rolls Holt had made the day before and walked to the patio.
The sunshine was hot on my skin, but it felt good. Sighing, I sank into a cushioned chair and balanced my plate on the wide arm rest.
All was peaceful, if not a little uncomfortably warm, until footsteps interrupted my solo breakfast.
Lana jogged up the steps, her boobs bouncing in a tight sports bra with a cutout in the middle to show off the line of her breasts pressing together.
Rolling my eyes, I went back to my breakfast. Unfortunately, she stopped in front of me. Her blonde ponytail fell over her shoulder as she removed ear buds.
“Good morning, Summer.”
Forcing a smile, I echoed her, “Morning, Lana. Have a good run?”
“Oh yes, I’m trying to get a feel for the territory. Have you ever explored those waterfalls on the far side of the lake?”
My teeth ground together. “No, can’t say that I have.”
“You haven’t even hiked around the lake, have you?” she said, her polite words turning into a sneer.
Ugh, this woman was wildly unlikable.
“It’s only been a couple of weeks, and we’ve been busy prepping for the mission and with other things.” I arched my eyebrows, daring her to ask.
“Hmm, yeah I guess you’ve been screwing someone other than your fated mate. My cousin’s always been...” She tilted her head, pressing a finger into her cheek like she was deep in thought.
“Don’t finish that sentence,” I warned, my patience running thin. “It’s none of your business.”
“Hey, I get it, if he wasn’t my cousin…” she drawled. “But you can’t exactly stonewall Cade while you’re fucking Luca.”
“That’s not what’s happening!”
A growl rumbled from my chest. My blood heated, and rage clouded my vision. I got to my feet unsteadily, facing Lana with my shoulders squared.
“It’s what it looks like to me. You’re screwing your fated mate’s mate. Kinda twisted.” She shrugged, her ponytail swinging.
Sweat broke out over my forehead and my stomach clenched. This was more than rage. Something was wrong. Maybe my breakfast was bad?
A flush climbed up my neck, stinging my cheeks, and down my arms until the inside of my elbows and wrist stung too.
“I don’t feel good,” I mumbled, swaying.
Lana’s sneer turned to a scowl and she stepped back a pace. I gripped the arm of my chair and pivoted, thinking a cold shower and staying near the toilet was my best bet.
This felt like detoxing off vampire venom, but worse. Less nausea and more fever.
Cade stood in the doorway, watching our exchange. His eyes locked on me, but I was too consumed with this sudden sickness to sense his emotions.
My skin was on fire. The muscles in my arms and legs hurt, and my stomach cramped so badly I doubled over. I wasn’t going to make it into the bathroom. I needed relief now. Something cool to take away the inferno consuming me.
Shoving past Lana, I stumbled forward, nearly falling as I descended the couple of steps from the deck to the dock.
The glittering lake stretched out before me. I’d never been in the lake but it had to be cool.
I was starting to suspect it had never been a warm morning, and I had been feverish since I woke up.
The expanse of blue and silver looked so appealing. It would wash away this horrid feeling and extinguish the fire that was killing me from the inside out.
I couldn’t think clearly, couldn’t reason. I just needed relief. A few more steps, each one agony, and I fell. My arms windmilled, my muscles taut with pain, as I toppled into the water.
It splashed as I hit the surface, and the noise of it was swallowed up by the icy water rushing into my ears. It enveloped me, cooling that burn exquisitely.
For a suspended moment, I floated, the sudden relief choking me. My muscles still ached, and my stomach was cramping horribly, but the awful burn had been cooled.
But then my body began to sink, drifting downward. With my muscles already pained, it was difficult to move my arms and legs, and my first attempt at swimming failed miserably.
I’d never had swimming lessons, a fact that had escaped me until this moment. Shit.
The water swirled around me, stirred up like something else was here. I peeled my eyes open, but there was nothing but bubbles and shadowy water, until hands seized me.
Strong arms scooped around my waist. He dragged me up in jerky movements as his legs kicked. Somehow, I knew it was Cade. The fated mate bond sang in delight at his contact, and I wanted to throw up.
We broke the surface, and I coughed, expelling the lake water from my lungs and sucking in air. My throat felt like sandpaper.
“Here, lift her up,” Luca’s voice shouted.
Blearily, I blinked at Cade. His beautiful golden hair was plastered to his head, and his tanned skin was pale. He lifted me up, and another set of hands gripped under my arms and hauled me out of the water.
“No, I’m burning,” I mumbled, unable to help my whimper.
Water streamed off of me, soaking Luca as he went from crouching on the deck to sitting with me in his lap. I leaned back against him, all the fight leaving my body.
“What the hell happened?” Luca asked, his words quick and furious.
Cade gripped the dock and pulled himself up. His muscles bulged gloriously, and arousal swirled in my belly and tingled between my legs. It was as strong as or maybe even worse than that first day after the mate bond formed between us.
I needed him.
Luca held me with his hands across my ribs, snug against his chest. I needed his hands higher or lower, preferably both. Shameless, I squirmed, needing something, everything, all of them right now.
Cade stepped forward, lake water pouring off of him. He was dressed in pants and a shirt that now clung to him.
“What’s wrong?” Luca asked, his hands squeezing tighter.
Cade said nothing. His eyes were glazed. He stopped right in front of us and dropped to his knees.
“Cade?” Luca asked.
“She’s in heat,” Cade rasped, not taking his gaze off of me.
Behind me, Luca stiffened. I felt the tickle of his nose against my neck as he smelled me. One of his hands went to the exposed skin on my chest.
“Oh, fuck,” Luca said.