Chapter 46
FORTY-SIX
SLOAN
“He’s a strong shifter.” The doctor exited Sloan’s apartment, wiping bloody hands on a clean, white towel. “The wound will lay him up for a few weeks, but he’ll be fine.”
Sloan let go of a sigh she didn’t know she was holding. She wasn’t the only one. There was a noticeable sense of relief from the gathered crowd of friends. Edison and Elwood gave one another high-fives; Kimberly gave Sloan a gentle squeeze on her shoulder. Even Aareth and Ashley managed smiles.
“Can I go in and see him?” Edison looked at the doctor with eager eyes. “I’ve gotten so close with Kade lately. I feel like if he could see anyone, he’d want it to be me.”
The doctor looked from Edison to Sloan. His expression was worth a thousand words.
“Oh, he’s serious.” Aareth looked over from the doctor to Edison. “I think Sloan should be the one to go in and see how he’s feeling.”
“Yes, well, I guess that would make the most sense.” Edison and Elwood both heaved heavy sighs at the same time. “Give him our best, then.”
“I will.” Sloan hid a grimace as her gathering thirst grabbed at her gut once more.
“Are you all right?” Ashley asked as Sloan reached for the door handle. “You don’t look well.”
“I’m fine.” Sloan faked a smile to her friends before opening the door. “I won’t be long. I’m sure he’s tired.”
Sloan entered the room and closed the door behind her before anyone else could question her further.
She crossed through the small apartment that Kade and Edison shared with Elwood, which was an exact duplicate of her own—a small living space to her right and an equally small kitchen area to her left, a door in front of her that led to the one room and attached bathroom.
Sloan entered into the sparsely decorated chamber. Her eyes landed on the bed where Kade lay grinning at her.
“Don’t look so glum, gorgeous.” Kade gave her one of his signature winks. “Doc says I’ll be up and causing trouble soon.”
“You could’ve been killed.” Sloan sat gently on the bed next to Kade. She reached out a hand to brush back his short, golden brown hair. “The doctor didn’t say it, but I’ve seen plenty of wounds to know an inch toward your heart and you would have been dead.”
“Could have, would have, should have.” Kade reached up to embrace Sloan’s hand in his own and brought it down to his lips.
He kissed her hand gently. “But I’m alive, we saved the spy who, by the way, better have earth-shattering intel for the bullet I took for her.
I swear to you, if she’s coming back with information on the best places to eat in New Hope or the queen’s latest fashion trends… ”
Kade allowed his voice to trail off.
“You’re impossible.” Sloan rolled her eyes. “You nearly died, and here you are, cracking jokes.”
“We all have a day set for our deaths.” Kade still held her hand. He brought it to the opposite side of his chest, away from the white gauze bandage. “Fate has made sure of that. Today isn’t my day, and no matter how much I worry about it, nothing will change.”
“I should have guessed you’d believe in fate.”
“Believe and embrace. After all, fate is what brought you to me.”
“You’re not going to try to get me to join a cult now or anything, are you?”
Kade cracked a grin and actually laughed, though his normal cheerful chuckle was cut short by a grimace of pain.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Sloan winced. “I should know better than to make you laugh.”
“It’s fine,” Kade said, regaining composure. “It only hurts when I breathe.”
“The doctor said you’d be up in a few weeks.” Sloan leaned in for a kiss. “Until then, you need to rest up and not push yourself.”
Sloan’s lips met Kade’s briefly, first brushing against his, then pressing against them more intently.
“But what about you and your dietary needs?” Kade pulled back the tiniest bit so she could still feel his hot breath on her own lips. “We need to figure something out.”
“I’ll figure something out.” Sloan leaned in again. “Now shut up and kiss me.”
The door to Kade’s room swung open.
“Oh! Oh my, this is provocative.” Edison coughed into his palm, then thought better of it and covered his eyes with both hands. “I didn’t see anything. We’re all adults here.”
Sloan looked over to the scientist whose face was bright red past the hands that tried to hide it.
“Button up or zip whatever needs to be put away,” Edison continued to babble. “I swear I didn’t see?—”
“Take it easy.” Kade struggled to prop himself up. “It’s your apartment, too. What’s up?”
“The spy wants to thank you three for saving her, and Theo requests whoever is available to join in the meeting as the spy gives her report,” Edison said, still covering his eyes for some reason.
“I thought Sloan would like to know, since you’re laid up, and Aareth is … going through a rough time right now.”
“What’s wrong with Aareth?” Sloan rose from the bed.
“He’s saying good-bye.”
The concern she held for her friend was something still new to Sloan.
She stood on the main path in Azra, ready to go to the capitol building and listen to the spy’s report.
The pain Aareth had to be going through at the moment was hard to understand.
How could someone live through losing a spouse, only to find out they were alive, then lose them all over again?
The sun in Azra was finally beginning to set. A contingent of guards was ready to walk Sloan up to the capitol building.
“I’ll make sure the beast man doesn’t do anything stupid,” Kimberly said, exiting the apartment complex.
She was finally free of the large robe she wore to protect herself from the sun’s rays.
“He needs time to figure this out on his own, but I’ll be there to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. ”
“Thank you.” Sloan looked toward the large gates of Azra that opened down to the sloping path behind her a few hundred yards away.
She could see Aareth’s large form and Ashley’s slimmer physique just under the gate arches.
“I hate using the word ‘deserve,’ but he needs a break. I wish I could give him peace.”
“We all have our burdens to bear in this life.” Kimberly followed Sloan’s gaze to the pair saying their farewells. “Aareth is a strong beast man. He’ll find his way through this.”
“I hope so.” Sloan turned from her conversation with the gargoyle and began jogging up the city street toward the capitol building.