Chapter 10
Chapter ten
Luna
Cade leads me toward the bar as Damien disappears into the crowd, swallowed by the mass of tuxedos and evening gowns.
My stomach tightens, watching him walk away.
Part of me wants to stay glued to his side in this sea of unfamiliar faces and designer dresses, but I push the impulse aside and focus on Cade.
The man beside me is not what I expected when Damien told me about his COO on the helicopter ride.
He could have walked straight out of a military recruitment poster.
Tall, broad-shouldered, and as intense as, if not more so than, Damien, with steel-gray eyes that seem to catalog every detail about me in the span of a heartbeat.
His handshake was firm but not crushing, his smile genuine but measured.
Damien told me he was ten years older, but if it weren’t for his head full of cropped salt and pepper hair and the crows’ feet at the corners of his eyes, I’d never have thought he was in his mid-to-late fifties.
Like Damien, he’s handsome and has aged well.
The kind of man who gets better with time instead of just older.
He guides me through the throng of guests with confident, controlled movements. People part for him, though I notice several women giving him appreciative glances. He seems oblivious to the attention, his focus on navigating us through the crowd.
“So, what’s your poison?” He asks as we reach the bar, gesturing to the impressive array of top-shelf liquor. “I’d suggest something strong to deal with this crowd.”
I consider the options, then decide to go with my instincts. “Whiskey. Neat.”
His eyebrows rise, and for the first time, his smile reaches his eyes. “Make that two,” he tells the bartender.
The amber liquid burns as it slides down my throat, warming me from the inside out. Cade watches me drain half the glass without flinching, and I catch the subtle dip of his chin, like I’ve passed some kind of test I didn’t know I was taking.
“You’re not what I expected.” He swirls his own drink.
“What did you expect?”
“Someone more…” He pauses, searching for the right word. “Delicate. Damien described you as fierce, but most people hear ‘veterinarian’ and picture someone gentle.”
“I am gentle. With animals.” I take another sip. “Humans are a different story.”
His laugh is low, rumbling from deep in his chest. “I can see why Damien likes you.”
The way he says it makes me pause. I study his face. At the same time, his gaze travels across my features—forehead, cheekbones, and jaw. Not hostile, but not warm either.
I take a sip of my drink. “How long have you worked for him?”
He leans against the bar, casual but alert. “Twenty-five years, give or take. We met when I was fresh out of the Army.”
“What kind of work do you do for him? I mean, I know about the security systems, but Damien mentioned you run all his businesses.”
“I handle whatever needs handling. Damien’s brilliant, but he gets… focused. He needs someone to manage the details while he’s busy changing the world.” There’s affection in his voice, but something else too. Worry, maybe?
“That sounds like a big responsibility.”
“Not really. He’s a good man, Luna.” Cade’s expression grows serious. “Better than he gives himself credit for.”
The intensity in his voice surprises me. There’s real emotion there, controlled but unmistakable. “You really care about him.”
“He’s family. The only family I have besides my daughter.” His jaw tightens. “That’s why I’m protective of him. And why I need to know that anyone in his life has his best interests at heart.”
My breath catches. This casual conversation suddenly feels less casual.
“Ahh. So that’s what this is? You vetting me, Cade?”
“Not exactly.” He takes a measured sip of his whiskey, those eyes never leaving mine. “There isn’t one thing I or anyone on this planet could say that would change Damien’s mind about you. He’s quite smitten.”
“So, what do you want to know? Are you asking if my intentions are honorable?”
“Something like that.”
I finish my whiskey and set the glass down. “I care about Damien. More than I should, considering we haven’t known each other long. But I’m not after his money, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Money’s the least of my concerns.” His gaze doesn’t waver. “Damien doesn’t let people close. On the rare occasions he does, it’s significant.”
A defensive prickle runs through me. “I get the feeling you don’t approve of my being here.”
Cade signals the bartender for another round. “It’s not about approval. It’s about what happens when you step into his world. It can be complicated.”
“Complicated how?”
He hands me a fresh glass, his fingers brushing mine.
They’re calloused and scarred, hands that have seen violence and hard use.
“Let’s just say Damien often has dealings with certain types of people.
Not the kind you meet at charity galas. You get close to him, you’re exposed to that world whether you want to be or not. ”
The temperature in the room hasn’t changed, but goosebumps pebble along my arms anyway.
“Are you trying to scare me?”
“I’m trying to prepare you.” His voice is gentle but firm. “If you’re going to be in his life, you need to understand what that means.”
“I’m stronger than I look.”
“I’m beginning to see that.” He studies me over his glass. “Tell me about your sanctuary. Damien says you’re doing important work there.”
The change of subject is deliberate, giving us both a chance to step back from the intensity. My shoulders relax as we move to safer ground.
“We rehabilitate injured and abused wildlife and provide sanctuary for animals that can’t be released. Nothing glamorous, but it matters.” I smile, thinking about Maren at home with Ricky.
“Can’t be easy work.”
“It’s not always easy, no. But these animals deserve advocates, people willing to fight for them when they can’t fight for themselves.”
“That’s exactly what Damien said you’d say.”
“He talks about me?”
“I told you, he speaks of little else.” His expression shifts, and the wariness fades from his eyes. “He’s different since he met you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this… invested in someone.”
Warmth spreads through my chest, though his word choice is a little odd. “I enjoy spending time with him too.”
“Good. He deserves that.”
We stand in silence for a moment, watching the elegant crowd swirl around us. A string quartet plays in one corner while couples dance on the polished floor. The tension from earlier has dissolved, replaced by something that feels like an understanding between us.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“Earlier, you said Damien doesn’t let people close. What about you? You seem just as guarded.”
His laugh is rueful. “Occupational hazard. When your job is keeping someone safe, you learn to see threats everywhere.”
“That must be exhausting.”
“It can be.” He drains his whiskey. “But some people are worth protecting.”
I think about my wolf again, the secrets I keep to protect him, the lies I’ve told Karen, and the darkness I’ve discovered in myself.
“I understand that feeling.”
Cade’s eyes sharpen, and I cringe. The alcohol is making my tongue too loose. A commotion near the entrance draws our attention. A small crowd gathers around a distinguished man with silver hair.
“Looks like the governor’s arrived. Damien will want to speak with him.”
I scan the room until I spot Damien still deep in conversation with Denver's mayor and several other men in suits. Even across the crowded ballroom, he’s magnetic—commanding attention without effort.
“He looks like he’s in his element, but he hates every second of this, doesn’t he?”
“He would rather eat glass. But he does it for the animals. He’s become even more passionate about them since meeting you.”
I blush, grateful for the dim lighting. “You’re quite the confusing wingman, Cade.”
“I don’t peddle in bullshit, Luna. I tell it like it is. Damien’s interest in you is genuine.”
A waiter approaches with a tray of canapés, and I realize I haven’t eaten since this morning. I grab two toast points with something pink smeared on top. The tiny portions of fancy food disappear before I can taste them, making me wish for a real meal.
Cade’s gaze follows another waiter crossing the room before returning to me. “Not much substance to the food at events like this.”
“I keep waiting for the actual dinner part of this party.” I eye another passing tray, and something shifts in Cade’s expression. Not quite a smile, but close.
“There’ll be a five-course meal later, but each course will be smaller than what you’d feed a child. I always eat before these things.”
“Good to know for next time.” The words slip out before I can stop them, and I flush. There’s no guarantee he’ll invite me to one of these events again.
“There will be. A next time.” It’s like he spotted my doubt the moment it surfaced. “Damien’s not letting you go anywhere.”
The steel-edged certainty in those words should raise every warning flag I have. Instead, my heart beats faster, my pulse jumping with what feels like anticipation.
“I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.
” Cade pauses, his fingers tracing the rim of his glass in slow circles.
The statement feels odd considering he’s only seen us together for less than five minutes.
“Damien doesn’t do anything halfway. When he commits to something—or someone—it’s absolute.
” He sets the glass down with a soft clink.
“The question is whether you’re prepared for that level of devotion. ”
I think about my wolf’s hands on my body, the possessive way he touches me, claims me. The way Damien’s eyes follow my every movement when we’re together.
“I’m learning to be.”
“Good.” He nods, and I get the sense I’ve passed whatever test he’s been giving me. “Because he’s going to need someone strong enough to stand beside him, not behind him.”
“Do I strike you as the kind of woman who stands behind anyone?”
“Not at all. The fact that you rehabilitate dangerous animals for a living and you’re going toe-to-toe with me right now makes it clear you can hold your own.” The last traces of his earlier wariness melt away. “Most people find me intimidating.”
“You are. But so am I when the situation calls for it.”
Across the room, Damien’s head turns. Our eyes meet through the crowd, and heat spreads across my chest, crawling up my neck. He leans toward the mayor, his mouth moving, but his attention stays locked on me. Then he’s cutting through the clusters of guests, closing the distance between us.
“He’s coming back.” My hands find the fabric of my dress, smoothing wrinkles that aren’t there.
“Probably worried I’m scaring you off.”
“I don’t scare easily.”
Cade studies me, his gaze assessing. “No, it appears you don’t. If I may be so bold to say, I think you might be exactly what he needs.”
A brunette intercepts Damien. She’s stunning, all curves and confidence in a red dress that leaves nothing to the imagination.
“Oh, that’s not good.” Cade signals the bartender. “That’s his ex. We better go save him before he tosses her out on her ass.”
His tone is casual, almost amused rather than urgent. He slides a champagne flute toward me.
“Come on. Let’s go rescue your man.”