Retribution (Anthem River)

Chapter 21

Chapter

Twenty-One

B ram stood there shocked as Kade stood over the sprawled out body of his father. The man had knocked his father out cold. Holy fucking shit, if Ram didn’t marry his ass he was going too.

Kade turned back towards where Amos’ voice was. “Can we please get on with the service before I bury him in that grave.” He was so done with this shit, he hated being in an area that he didn’t know. He couldn’t really protect Ram very well here.

Amos nodded, handing Ram a small fuzzy bag. “Her ashes are inside. I also wanted to let you know that Elizabeth, my niece, has taken in Beth, and she seems to be doing well.”

Ram sniffed hard. “I know I can’t take her, she would be lost in the city, but please call me if you ever need any help with her,” Ram begged.

“Call us both.” Bram spoke up, shaking his head as he watched his father try to stumble to his feet.

Kade tensed when he heard Valk let out a warning whine.

“I would stay where you are, Josiah, I won’t stop this man from hurting you again,” Amos warned his brother-in-law as he stumbled to his feet.

“Partner,” Ram stated, when he was able to speak. He met Amos’ eyes head on as he tilted his head towards Kade.

Amos’ eyes narrowed in confusion before his face brightened with a smile. “So that’s why my little sister was so happy lately… she knew?”

Ram nodded, hesitantly. He didn’t really expect his uncles to be happy about the fact that he was gay.

Amos clapped Ram on the shoulder. “I’m so happy for you.”

Ram felt like he was in an alternative universe and shared a confused look with Bram. The Amish were not known for their kind words or open mindedness, and while he knew the new bishop was trying to move their community to more modern times, this was just insane.

Amos took a deep breath. “I do believe Caleb is like you.”

Ram’s heart sank, just thinking about his sweet nephew. “Oh.” The boy was a treasure, he’d seen him periodically when he would drive by. His nephew was small in stature and frame and seemed to be an easy target for the bullies.

“He’ll be going on Rumspringa next year…” Amos said softly, shuffling his feet.

“He can stay with us.” Ram assured him immediately. “We’ll keep him safe.” He would never let anything happen to his nephew. He knew the boy would sneak out and go to visit Bram sometimes and he felt a pang of guilt that he hadn’t really been around to be a good role model for the boy.

Amos breathed out a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much.”

After a few minutes of silence Kade was done. “Can we leave now?” he snapped, his temper at the end of its rope.

Ram looked over at Kade in shock, he wasn’t used to hearing that tone from his sweet boy. He looked over at Saint who was moving closer to Kade. “Yeah, we can.” Ram thanked his uncle and moved closer to Bram while keeping Kade on his other side so he wouldn’t get hit if his father were to attack. “Are you okay?” he asked Kade softly before he allowed him to open the truck door. His boy was fidgety and tense.

“I just want to get you somewhere that’s safe,” Kade mumbled.

Ram kissed Kade’s temple. “I am safe, baby. You wouldn’t let anything happen to me and neither would my brother.”

While Kade felt validated with what Ram said, another part was pissed off. “Like he did when you were kids?”

Ram grunted, pulling back. “Kade we were kids, it’s not like he fucking understood what was going on, he wasn’t there for most of it. That’s what our father did. He tried to pit us against one another and when it didn’t work he just started to show Bram more attention hoping it would get a reaction. Well jokes on him, my mom was the best parent ever.”

Kade crossed his arms over his chest.

Ram shook his head at Saint who started to get back out of the truck. This was between him and Kade. “Baby, I can see where you’re coming from, but that’s not exactly what happened.” He moved closer to Kade hugging his waist. “But I do love the fuck out of you for decking my old man. I’ve wanted to do that shit for years.”

Kade relaxed a little, but he still wasn’t happy.

“You’re welcome. Now let’s go home.” Kade jumped in the truck and got comfortable with Valk at his feet and settled in. He kept his gaze pointed towards the window and almost wished he could see the sights that passed by. He could feel Ram next to him, almost like he wanted to reach out but was afraid Kade wouldn’t accept his affection.

The ride back to Kade’s apartment was silent and he exchanged worried glances with Saint as Kade ignored everyone, but rubbed Valk’s soft ears seemingly without even thinking about it. When Bram pulled into the parking lot, Kade jumped out and headed to the apartment. Ram leaned forward and placed the bag in his lap. “Keep her safe for me, until I can get us each something made to hold some of her forever.”

Bram nodded, twisting in his seat to hug his brother tight. “I hope everything’s okay.”

Ram nodded. “Kade’s just on edge, he always is after an altercation. I think seeing first hand what a dick our father is brings up bad memories.”

“Did you see that right hook?” Bram said in shock, chuckling as he pictured it again.

Ram snorted. “I know right, that was fucking awesome.”

Bram sobered. “I wish I had done more.”

Ram shook his head lovingly at his brother. “You were the reason I survived.” He kissed his brother’s forehead. “Never doubt how much you mean to me.” Without saying anything else he went to go find his wayward boyfriend. “Kade, baby?” He found the man in question in the kitchen guzzling a bottle of water. “Are you okay?”

“Peachy,” Kade grumbled as he headed for the bedroom.

Ram sighed and followed him. “Baby, if something is wrong I need you to tell me so I can fix it.”

“Nothings wrong,” Kade replied immediately.

Ram took a fortifying breath before he pushed. Pushing Kade wasn’t always the best thing to do, but when his boy refused to talk to him it was the only way he could get the answers he needed. “Mercy, if you have a problem I need you to tell me what it is, because you are not fine.”

Kade ground his molars together. Ram just had to bring out the Daddy voice didn’t he, the fucker. “I didn’t like being in a place I didn’t know, with someone that wanted to hurt you. I can’t see to protect you and I don’t like it.”

Ram blinked. “Kade, baby, you knocked my father on his ass. He was the only one there who would have lifted a hand to hurt me and I’m a grown man now, I’m not a child who’s scared of him anymore. I love that you want to protect me baby, but you don’t have to, I can protect myself.”

“But…” Kade was cut off when warm lips met his.

“No buts baby. I don’t want you to worry about it. You protected me even though you didn’t have to and I love you for it, but don’t make it a habit. I damn near had a heart attack,” Ram groused at him.

Kade snorted, wrapping his arms around Ram’s neck to really enjoy the kisses he was getting. “I can’t just turn that part of me off, Ram. I don’t want to disappoint you, but I will always throw myself in front of you.”

Ram hugged his boy tighter. “Just try to warn me okay.”

Kade chuckled. “Sure thing, Daddy.”

Ram growled and nipped Kade’s neck. “Don’t tease me, it’s not nice.”

Kade laughed. “I’m sure you can think of a way to get back at me for it.”

Ram froze and pulled back a little to be able to see Kade’s face. While he’d wanted to continue to be intimate with Kade over the past several days he knew his boy needed some time to process all the feelings and thoughts he was having. “I can think of many ways baby, the question is, are you ready for that?”

Kade swallowed hard. “Yes, please.”

Ram nodded, leaned down to grip Kade’s thighs and hauled him into his arms as he headed for the bed. He tossed Kade onto the bed, smiling at Kade’s laugh as he bounced. Ram yanked off his shirt and pants before he followed Kade down. He rested on his knees as he yanked on Kade’s pants while his boy tugged his own shirt off. Once they were down to just their boxers Ram laid down on Kade, groaning at the skin to skin contact.

“Fuck,” Kade hissed, arching into Ram. He fucking loved it when Ram gave him his weight. It always made him feel so damn loved and protected, making tears burn at the back of his eyes. He shut them to hopefully keep them at bay, he didn’t want to always cry when he was intimate with Ram, it made him feel like a wuss. He knew Ram didn’t think that way and that he was happy Kade felt safe enough to allow his emotions out but that was the problem, Kade wasn’t allowing shit, it just seemed to happen anytime Ram showed him any amount of decency. It was completely fucked and he needed to remember to talk to Justice about it. It sucked that he was afraid to be intimate with the man he loved because he couldn’t control his emotions.

Ram rolled them settling underneath Kade as he found his balance on top of him. He smiled at the flush that over took Kade’s face traveling down his neck and chest.

“I don’t…” Kade tried to speak but he didn’t even know what to say. He’d never been on top like this, it was always Devin bent over any flat surface that was around.

“You’re beautiful up there, baby,” Ram assured him, as he ran his hands up and down Kade’s thighs. “Do you want to try this position? Or do you want to go back to what we did last time?”

Kade licked his suddenly dry lips. “I mean… I would like to try it, I just don’t know if it’s a good idea.” Kade said the last part softly, looking down at his chest.

“Why? Because your scars are on display?” Ram asked, already knowing the answer. “Because they don’t bother me, I love them because they made you who you are. While I hate the pain you went through to get them, they are a part of you and who you are, baby. I wouldn’t change a damn thing about you.” Ram sat up bringing them chest to chest as he spoke, he could see the unease and shame swimming in Kade’s electric eyes. “These don’t make you less than, baby, they make you Daddy’s warrior and I’m so proud to call you mine, Kade. They show me deep down what kind of man you are, what you went through to save your men and to come home, even though you didn’t really have a home to come back to.”

“I didn’t save my men.” The guilt he felt was like an old friend coming back after a vacation away. It felt like a weighted blanket that was too heavy to be comfortable with.

“You gave it your all, Kade. Do you honestly think they would blame you?” Ram demanded. He couldn’t see anyone blaming him just for surviving because in reality he had suffered a lot more than his men had. They’d had quick deaths from what he understood, whereas Kade had been tortured and left to die of starvation before he was rescued. Not to mention all the obstacles he’d had to overcome when he’d made it home. His baby was still having trouble dealing with the survivors’ guilt that seemed to do nothing but weigh Kade down so much that it was a miracle he was still standing.

Kade ran his fingers through the hair on Ram’s chest as he thought. He couldn’t see any of his men being upset that he had made it home. Especially after what he’d endured, but it was hard to come to terms with that. He could no longer even pull up a picture in his mind of what his men looked like, if he did their faces were always blurry, and that was yet another hit to his already battered soul. He could remember their voices but just barely and if he tried to focus on one he’d lose it. “I don’t think so,” he said softly. How many more brothers was he going to lose before God finally said enough was enough.

Ram pulled him closer to his chest. “I know they wouldn’t, baby. Just from the stories I’ve heard from you and Saint and the rest of your brothers. They loved you Kade, plain and simple. When you were hurt they reacted in a way that led to their deaths. They wanted to save you, baby, and they succeeded in that plan.”

Kade kept his eyes looking towards Ram’s chest as he tried to grasp what his man was telling him. “You… you… you think they… made noise knowing what would happen… to save me?”

Ram’s breath caught when Kade’s watery eyes met his. “I think it’s a very good possibility.” It would have been what he would have done had he been there at the time. Ram would have done whatever it took to save Kade, even if that meant laying his life down to make it happen.

Kade sighed as he rested his forehead on Ram’s shoulder. “I don’t want to think about that right now,” he murmured.

“That’s fine.” Ram assured him, rubbing his thighs. “Do you want to continue? Or do you want to take a nap?”

Kade pulled back and licked his lips. “I want to continue.”

Ram could see his boy was nervous about asking something. “What do you need?”

“Can… can I… blindfold you?” Kade asked, softly. “Even though I can’t see you, I can feel your eyes on me and it makes me nervous,” he tried to explain.

“I understand, baby. Hold on and let me grab a blindfold.” Ram tapped his thigh and slid out from underneath him.

“You happen to have a blindfold just laying around at my house?” Kade asked with a raised brow.

Ram snorted. “It’s in my bag, it’s just a scarf.”

“Mmmmhhhmmmm.”

Ram snickered at his boy’s bratty response. “Here.” He wrapped the long rectangle of fabric around Kade’s hands. “Do you want to put it on me? Or do you need help?”

“Help, just to make sure I do it right,” Kade said immediately. God forbid he tied it too tight. Or leave the man’s eyes completely uncovered.

Ram slid back in the bed, urging Kade to resume his position straddling his thighs and took both of Kade’s hands in his. “Okay here we go.” He kept his hands over Kade’s as he showed the man how tight to tie it and where to tie it so Ram could lay flat and not get uncomfortable. “Now what are you planning?” Ram asked, amusement clear in his voice.

“Can I explore… or… is that okay?” Kade asked, worriedly.

Ram laid back, spreading his arms wide. “Have at me, baby.”

This had always been one of Kade’s fantasies, to have a big man like Ram laid out before him like a buffet he couldn’t wait to overindulge in. He wished he could see the masterpiece that was spread out before him with his eyes, but he would have to make do with his touch. He started with Ram’s chest. It was one of his favorite parts of Ram’s body, it was so thick and warm, covered in a thick pelt of soft fur that he loved to run his fingers through. His nipples were flat disks until he brushed his calloused thumbs over them, then they became pointed peaks that his mouth watered wanting to taste. So he did, he leaned down and sucked one while brushing the other with his fingernail.

“Oh fuck,” Ram hissed as his body arched in response to the pleasure overtaking his body. “Be careful baby, I’ll come just from this.”

Kade pulled back and blinked. “Really?” he asked, as he moved up and down with Ram’s harsh breaths.

“Yes, they’re very sensitive. I was just letting you know so you wouldn’t be surprised if you get covered in my spunk,” Ram said through his laughter.

Kade tried to smother his giggle. “Thanks, otherwise I would have just assumed you peed on me.”

Ram choked on his laughter. “Oh fuck no… not unless you asked at least.”

Kade laughed loudly. “Well thanks for that.” He’d continued to play with Ram’s nipples as they spoke and he really enjoyed each jerk and shiver Ram’s body gave him in return. “It’s almost like riding a bucking bronco,” he teased.

Ram snorted. “Well it is like you have my balls attached to a rope and you’re tugging on it.”

Kade gasped in mock horror and pinched Ram’s nipple. “You take that back.”

Ram groaned deeply. Fuck he was going to come if Kade didn’t slow down, not that he would complain but he wanted Kade to be able to explore fully and not feel rushed because he couldn’t hold back.

“Okay, okay I’ll move on.” Kade gently kissed the nipple he’d abused and moved lower, tracing his tongue through all that gorgeous chest hair until he reached his belly button and happy trail. He gave Ram’s belly button a sharp nibble before he moved lower. He used his hands to map his way. Ram’s thighs were huge and thick with muscles, his waist was trim and solid, but the skin on top was smooth and silky. It was a weird contrast. He could feel the coarse hair get thicker as he moved lower. It was both soft and coarse which was a really interesting feeling, Kade thought as he ran his fingers through it gently. It was one thing to tug on Ram’s chest hair, it was a whole new thing to tug on a man’s pubic hair. He’d knock someone the fuck out if they tried it on him. He nuzzled Ram’s inner thigh where it connected to his pelvis and breathed deeply. Man and musk was a smell he’d always adored but never really got the chance to enjoy. Ram always smelled of a forest, crisp, and spicy and he fucking loved it. He sucked one of Ram’s balls into his mouth and gently sucked on it.

“Shit,” Ram hissed, his hand landing on Kade’s head as he petted his hair, like he was praising him for making his Daddy feel this good.

Kade moved from one ball to the other giving it the same attention and smiling when Ram’s legs became restless. He licked up Ram’s shaft until he got to the head and he stopped. “I’ve never really done this… because I wanted to, I mean… so, I’m sorry if it’s not good,” Kade told him quietly.

Ram shook his head. “I’ll love whatever you do to me, but if you’re not comfortable you can stop.”

Kade wanted to do this. He really fucking did. Taking a deep breath he sucked Ram all the way to the back of his throat.

“Oh shit,” Ram wheezed when Kade choked and gagged. Why the fuck did that always set him off? He grabbed Kade’s hair and made him stop, as he tried to catch his breath. “You’re about to get a mouth full of cum if you don’t stop.”

Kade eased up, just keeping the head in his mouth softly sucking periodically as he let Ram settle.

Ram sucked in lungfuls of air before he gripped the base of his own dick. “You can try again, a little at a time until you get used to it.” He was not a small man at almost eight and a half inches and the fact that Kade just deepthroated him was going to take some time to recover from. He’d never had a boy be able to do it before, while they loved to be fucked by him that was pretty much it. Some liked to nurse on the head of his dick but wouldn’t go further. Kade had just blown his damn mind and that was saying something.

“Did I do something wrong?” Kade asked, confused.

“No baby, but I’m kinda big so you want to work your way up to taking all of me instead of just going at it.” He wanted Kade to enjoy this, not come to dread it.

Kade hummed in agreement as he used his hands to trace Ram’s groin and where his hand had a hold of his dick before he leaned back down to suck the head.

“Ah, shit,” Ram cursed under his breath as he tried to keep still. He really wanted to thrust into Kade’s mouth and come down his throat. Once Kade seemed to be taking him in easily and wasn’t choking he let go of his dick and let Kade have his fun. Of course his boy was an overachiever so he immediately went all the way down to the root and swallowed. The warm wet constriction on his head was too much. “Gonna come, baby,” he warned and let out a low whine when Kade pulled off.

“I’m not done, but I really want you to fuck me again,” Kade whispered.

Ram’s eyes rolled into the back of his head. Goddamn his boy was going to kill him. “If you want that then we gotta get going, I won’t fucking last, baby.”

“Okay,” Kade said easily.

That was all Ram needed to hear. He rolled Kade underneath him blindly reaching out for the lube and it took him a few seconds to pop the lid because his hands were shaking so much. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down as he gently fingered Kade’s entrance. Just because he was so wound up didn’t mean he wouldn’t treat his boy right. Thankfully Kade seemed to be just as eager and he was able to get him ready in record time. “Ready?”

Kade spread his legs wider, and held out his arms, pulling off the scarf as he nodded. “Yes, please.”

Ram kissed him roughly as he laid down over him. “So polite when asking for my dick.” He smiled when Kade’s face went beet red, but groaned when he thrust into Kade all the way to the hilt. “Fuck me, just perfect,” he breathed. Kade was so warm and tight he just wanted to live here all the time.

Kade shifted groaning when Ram brushed up against his prostate. “Move please.” He could already feel himself ready to fall over that cliff, but he needed more before he’d be able to.

Ram chuckled as he gave a few shallow thrusts before he found a good easy pattern. Not too soft or too hard, just fucking perfect.

Kade gripped the back of Ram’s biceps in a hard grip as his dick was rubbed against the ridges of Ram’s abs, fuck him he was going to come. “Shit, shit, shit,” he chanted as he threw his head back and came all over their stomachs.

“Fuck yes,” Ram panted as he picked up the pace, fucking Kade through his orgasm. His own snuck up on him and before he knew it he was following Kade over. He slumped down on Kade, knowing his boy would want the security of his body in the aftermath. Kade would never admit it but Ram knew the truth. His boy was a snuggle slut and he adored him for it. While a lot of boys wanted to cuddle, most didn’t want to cuddle like Kade. Then again Kade was the largest boy he’d ever been with. All his other partners had been small in frame, and didn’t always like his bigger, hairier, body on theirs.

As the weeks passed Ram started to notice a change with Kade. It was small at first but got worse overtime. Ram trudged through the front door of Kade’s apartment, his jacket hanging in his hands as he moved. It was his night to stay over and he was exhausted.

“‘Bout damn time you showed up,” Kade rumbled from the doorway to the hallway leading to the bedrooms, his powerful arms crossed over his equally powerful chest as he glared at Ram.

Ram winced. Fuck him. Ever since his mother’s funeral and his father’s threats and abuse, Kade had become almost feral in his attempts to keep Ram safe. He didn’t want to make Kade think he was being unreasonable but he was worried Kade was having some kind of mental break and obsessing over Ram as a way to cope. “I’m sorry, baby, there was an emergency at work and I stayed to offer assistance.”

“Offered? So it wasn’t required?” Kade asked, his voice a deep rumbling growl.

He was in so much shit, Ram thought. He’d told Kade he would be home hours ago. He sighed, sometimes he felt like Kade was the Daddy and not the other way around. “Kade, baby,” he sighed deeply. “Yes, I stayed to help because it was just the two girls tonight and the patient was a two-hundred and fifty pound dog.”

Kade raised one eyebrow. He didn’t give a shit what the patient weighed, Ram had promised he’d be home hours ago, and he hadn’t answered Kade’s numerous calls and messages.

Ram rolled his eyes. “Kade, this has to stop.” He reached out and grabbed his man as panic flitted over his face. “I don’t mean the relationship, baby.” He pulled Kade into his arms. “I just want you to talk to me about what’s going on. You’re over here acting like the Daddy over everything I do, and I’m not okay with that. I don’t care that you’re obsessed with me. I’m worried about why you’re obsessed with me.”

Kade shook his head pulling back. “Later, right now I want you.” He pulled Ram after him to the bedroom, ignoring the man’s attempts at getting him to talk. He didn’t want to fucking talk. He wanted the man to realize that if anything ever happened to him Kade would not survive it. Coming face to face with the abuse Ram had suffered as a child was an eye opener for him. While his parents had been a hell of a lot more physical, the words that man had said to his tender hearted Daddy filled him with so much rage it scared him. The man was lucky Kade had only been able to knock him on his ass before Ram had grabbed him. Had he gotten a hold of the man completely, he had no idea what he was capable of doing. He stripped Ram down quickly, before pushing him back on the bed. He was going to make his Daddy pay for scaring the shit out of him, and he had the perfect way to do it. He moved to the headboard, reaching for the straps he knew he would find there before reaching for Ram’s wrist and attaching the handcuff before he moved to the other side.

“What are you planning, baby?” Ram asked softly, watching Kade closely. His baby was still tense and his anger was a living thing as he moved around the bed in jerky motions.

“You’ll find out.” Was all Kade said.

Ram didn’t like that answer, at all. He had no idea what was happening but he could see he had hurt Kade deeply, and that made him want to flay his own skin off with how much it burned in response.

Kade quickly stripped himself before he climbed on the bed and straddled Ram. With the man’s hands out of the equation he could put his plan into motion. He gently kissed Ram’s neck before he moved to the man’s collar bones, making sure to nip them hard enough to elicit a hiss from Ram. On it went, Kade biting just enough to hurt but not enough to break the skin, Ram would be bruised for days after this.

“Kade, baby. Ow,” he barked when Kade nipped a little too hard at the base of his dick. “Easy baby, no permanent marks.” He didn’t care if Kade covered his body in hickeys but he didn’t do scarring or blood play.

Kade ignored Ram and went back to what he was doing, he’d heard what Ram had said but it hadn’t fully registered.

“Fuck.” Ram pulled against his bindings as Kade bit into his dick. He saw little droplets of blood come out from right under his head. “RED!” He snapped loud enough that Kade flinched and looked a bit panicked as he scrambled to release Ram. Ram cupped his dick which had gone soft and gently rolled the foreskin back, hissing while he did. He wanted to check the wounds before letting the foreskin roll back into position because it could lead to infection easily. Thankfully it was just two tiny little scratches where Kade’s canines had broken the thin skin. He swallowed hard and looked up at Kade. He almost reached out to his boy who was too white for comfort, but he didn’t. He waited a few moments to calm down before he spoke. “We need to make an appointment with Justice.” Was all he trusted himself to say.

Kade opened his mouth to speak, then swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be that rough.” He wrung his hands as the fucking tears started again. Did he just ruin the greatest thing that had ever happened to him? Had he actually hurt Ram?

Ram took a deep breath before reaching out to grab Kade’s hand. “Kade, baby.” He sighed when Kade flinched away from his touch. He moved closer making sure to leave some space between them but close enough Kade could feel him. “I’m not mad at you, Kade. I’m concerned. You’ve been spiraling for a while now and we need to get it taken care of now before things get worse.” Ram could see Kade’s demons dance like shadows through his eyes. He would never proclaim to know what Kade was going through but he really wished his boy would take it fucking easy on his heart, it was already getting a workout.

Kade had to swallow a few times before he could speak. “I’m sorry I bit you.”

Ram smiled sadly and kissed Kade’s temple. “You’re forgiven, baby.” He sensed letting Kade off the hook for something like this would do nothing but anger the man so he gave him what he needed. His forgiveness. “Let’s get some sleep baby, it’s been a trying day for us both okay?”

Kade nodded.

Ram helped Kade off the bed. “Let’s take a shower real quick, we’ll feel better when we’re clean.”

Again all Kade did was nod. He allowed Ram to wash him and even returned the favor but Ram could see Kade had mentally checked out. It was going to be a shitty week he could already tell.

Ram walked into Kade’s apartment a few days later, tired from working on the farm. Kade hadn’t been feeling well lately so he hoped his baby had been able to get some sleep, he’d hated to leave him but he didn’t want to crowd Kade. He’d noticed when his boy didn’t feel good he liked to sleep in a cold room with a bunch of pillows and blankets, so he’d made that happen before he’d left earlier. “Valk?” he called out. He was a little worried as the big baby always came to greet him at the door. He heard Valk whine from Kade’s bedroom and headed that way. “Hey, buddy, what’s a matter?” he asked the dog. Valk was laying on the bed pressed up against Kade’s back. Kade was facing away from him and he eased around the bed to check on him. He didn’t want to wake him up if he’d finally been able to get some sleep. Kade wasn’t moving and was unnaturally still. “Kade, baby.” Ram reached out to gently shake his shoulder and found his baby stiff and cold to the touch. “Baby…” he gasped as his legs gave out and his entire world shattered into a million pieces.