Chapter 22 McTits
McTits
Huge bowls of steak salad covered the dining table on the deck, and Holt was adding fluffy rolls as everyone sat down.
Cade rarely sat at the head of the table, but with guests present, he took the traditional role. To his right, the twins settled, with Lana-McTits nearest to my mate. Their father, Rhett, settled on his left.
Luca squeezed my hand as we headed for the table. I smiled as he pulled out a chair for me, and we sat beside his uncle. This put me three seats away from Cade - far enough he could ignore me, but close enough I could see every move Lana made.
It didn’t bother me when Cade and Luca embraced. But when Lana ran her hands over Cade’s forearm, my vision went red. Every instinct roared for me to attack. Rip her arm off her body and beat her with it.
I silently chanted that she was his mate’s cousin and it was platonic, but then she leaned forward and used her arms to shove her boobs together while fluttering her eyelashes at Cade, and I lost it.
That bitch was going to die.
Luca’s hand slid up my thigh, his fingers gripping the soft flesh there. “Calm down, wildcat.”
His tone was gentle and concerned, and it gave me pause.
Cade had a dazed look on his face, one I had assumed was from the titty show, but now I realized he was processing my intense emotions and letting them flow through him.
Across from me, Elowen raised her eyebrows and tilted her head in a silent question.
My lips thinned as I grimaced. My shoulders dropped, and I let out a harsh breath. I would have to endure.
Dishes were passed around, and Luca loaded extra steak onto my plate.
“I can’t eat this much,” I protested.
Luca pursed his lips into a pout. “Please, for me? You were really active today. You need the extra fuel. And it’s fucking delicious.”
Scoffing, I let a small smile bloom on my face. I loved how Luca took care of me. This was what I wanted from a partner. Not the icy indifference I got from Cade.
Conversation swirled around us. Rhett was giving Luca and Cade updates about their pack of origin, and it was all unfamiliar names. Mates having babies, people retiring. Lana popped in with commentary, making me bristle each time.
I tried to focus on the quiet discussion between Finn and Archer, but my attempt at ignoring Lana and Cade shattered when she placed her hand on his forearm. She looked up at him through her eyelashes and brushed that hand over his arm slowly.
So much rage poured through me, I couldn’t see straight. An animalistic growl burst from my throat, and I shoved my chair back, slamming my hands on the table and leaning toward the bitch.
“Get your hands off my mate,” I snarled.
Lana’s eyes widened and her hand went to cover her mouth, hiding a smile that reminded me far too much of Luca’s smirk.
“Oh, I didn’t realize she had teeth. That’s a wonderful surprise.”
Cade bolted up, mirroring my pose. “Summer, a word please?” he said through clenched teeth.
“I’ll happily use those teeth to teach you to keep your hands to yourself,” I growled, my anger making everything go hazy. It wasn’t reasonable, but I couldn’t help it.
Lana leaned over the table, glancing between me and Cade with a lazy grin on her face. “I like her.”
In two strides, Cade was at my side, grabbing my elbow and hauling me away. I couldn’t help baring my teeth at Lana as my fated mate dragged me inside. He didn’t stop until we were through a side door into what looked like a storage room, and out of view of our pack and guests.
“What the fuck was that?” he growled.
My vision spun. I wanted to strangle him, pin him down, rip off his clothes… I stumbled, and he grabbed me around the waist to keep me upright. “Summer!”
“She was hitting on you,” I managed to say. “The touching, and the boobs…”
Cade’s mix of anger and concern turned to exasperation in a flash. His face relaxed and his eyes flit to the ceiling briefly.
“That is ridiculous. Lana is just touchy. Most wolves are, which you would know if you grew up in a pack instead of those leeches.”
I jerked back as if he slapped me. “Are you blaming me for being a blood slave?”
“Of course not.”
“You are! You have. This whole time you treat me like I chose to be with the vampires. You’ve got to be kidding me. You think I’m some sort of untrustworthy vampire sympathizer, like I’m a traitor.”
“You embraced it. You fell for him,” Cade said, his voice a low growl.
My bitter words spilled out. I couldn’t stop myself. My voice rose, louder and angrier.
“I’m not going to apologize for what I had to do to survive.
I was eleven when they took me. Eleven. I spent eight years being held captive in the dark, used for my blood.
And then one vampire was nice to me. He told me I was special and that he wanted me.
He took me away from the rest of them, probably saving my life.
Are you seriously going to blame me for going along with that?
After years of being a juice box for whoever was hungry? ”
Cade’s jaw ticked as he let me spill out all my rage at him. When I stopped to draw a breath, I waited for his retort. Cade just stared at me, swaying a little on his feet.
Those honey-brown eyes unfocused and rolled back in his head, and he dropped like a stone. My fated mate crumbled at my feet.
“Cade!” I screeched, dropping to my knees. All that anger iced over into terror in an instant. With shaking hands, I cradled his head. He was limp and his eyes had shut.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, unable to think straight. “Cade!”
The door banged open and Luca stood there, his eyes wide.
“He just collapsed! I didn’t even touch him. There were no signs. One second he was fine and then he just fell. Fainted, maybe?”
Luca leaned out the door and shouted for help, and then he landed on the floor beside me. I held our mate steady while Luca checked his breathing and heartbeat.
“Damn you, idiot,” he muttered.
“What?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I think he’ll be fine. It’s his own fucking fault.”
Archer and Holt rushed in, and Luca pulled me away with gentle hands on my upper arms. He murmured in my ear.
“They’ll carry him to bed. He needs to rest. He’ll wake up soon, don’t worry.” Tears pricked in my eyes as I sank into Luca’s arms. His soothing words were the only thing keeping me sane. “It’s okay.”
Holt and Archer carried Cade up to his bedroom, the one he hadn’t slept in since before the full moon. I padded after them, ignoring the concerned chatter from our visitors.
At the bedroom door, Luca shooed everyone else away. I slipped under his arm and curled up in the armchair, sitting sideways so I could watch Cade’s unconscious form.
Luca shut the door and turned, leaning his back against it. I watched him for a moment before returning my attention to Cade.
The late afternoon light warmed his golden skin as his color returned. My fists tightened on the arm of my chair.
Sighing, Luca crossed the room and stood over Cade, brushing his hair back tenderly. My heart squeezed. Head hanging low, he crossed the room and sank to the floor beside my chair.
Without thought, I reached down and rested my palm on his chest. His hand came up and threaded our fingers together. We needed that small contact.
“So what’s wrong with him?” I whispered.
Luca hesitated. I held my tongue and waited. Finally, he exhaled and answered, “His body is rebelling because he won’t accept the fated mate bond.”
My muscles tensed. This was my fault.
“I’m so sorry.”
Luca frowned, tipping his head back to peer at me. “Why? This isn’t on you. He’s the one being a stubborn idiot.”
“Will he get better?”
“Eventually, his body will get used to the stress, but he will always be weaker without you. He’s missing a piece of himself.”
“He’s going to hate me even more,” I muttered, burying my face into the crook of my arm, cheek pressed against the back of the armchair.
Luca squeezed my hand. “We are going to work this out.”
I wanted to argue. Tell him that clearly that wasn’t the case, that his optimism was misplaced, that I wasn’t enough for Cade. I wasn’t enough for him either. My voice refused to catch.
With a groan, Cade turned over in the bed. Luca leapt to his feet, and I followed. But Cade might not want to see me. I took a few tentative steps, wanting to keep my distance.
With a confident grin, Luca sat on the edge of the bed and squeezed Cade’s shoulder. “Good morning, sunshine. Have a nice nap?”
“You fucker,” Cade growled, rolling into his back and throwing his arm across his eyes.
“Headache?” Luca asked, softer. Cade let out a grunt, and Luca walked to the bathroom to retrieve pain medication.
Tensing, I inched closer. Cade groaned again and pushed himself up to sit. His eyes fell on me, and a mix of emotions flickered across his face.
He was beautiful, disheveled, and unguarded. My instincts urged me to climb into his lap and curl up with him. Comfort him. But my feet stayed glued because I knew he would reject me.
I chewed my bottom lip and watched him in silence. His expression closed off, and my heart fell.
Luca returned and offered him water and a couple of pills.
“What time is it?” Cade asked, his voice scratchy.
“Two, I think,” Luca answered. “Are we going to talk about..?”
“We need to meet about the mission,” Cade said, swinging his feet over the side of the bed.
“You just fainted,” I blurted, wrapping my arms around my middle as if I was trying to hold myself together.
Eyes narrowed, Cade ignored me. “Tell everyone to gather in the meeting room.” He paused. “Everyone except Summer and Elowen.”
Luca’s mouth opened and closed.
“Now,” Cade said, every bit the asshole Alpha I hated. Luca’s shoulders slumped and he headed out of the room. Cade glanced back at me, jaw tight, before he walked out, leaving me standing there like an idiot.
Shock, anger, sadness, and a dozen other emotions mixed together, choking me. Without thinking, I crawled into the bed and pressed my face into the pillow Cade had rested his head on. I sucked that vanilla and burnt sugar scent into my lungs and let my thoughts fade away.