Kane has always been good at hiding his feelings, burying them beneath that cold, indifferent exterior. But now they’re written across his face.
And he looks… scared.
I reach out, fingers brushing his wrist—
He leaves.
No words. No warning. Even the shadows hesitate, reluctant to follow, but eventually disperse.
I stare at the empty space and the ache hits instantly, like something’s been yanked away. I press my palm to my sternum, trying to breathe past the hollow, then wrap my arms around myself. It doesn’t help.
“He was worried about this,” I murmur, still staring at the place he’d been. “Not this exactly, but… he said he’d be too much. For me. For you guys.”
“Well, when doesn’t Kane think he’s too much for anyone?” Sai scoffs, but it’s a softer sound than usual. Less bite. “He hates himself more than a shifter who finds out they’re a fish.”
Ezekial stares at him, deadpan. “That’s the first comparison you could think of?”
Julien’s lips twitch. “A real tragedy.”
Somehow, impossibly, after everything—after Kane fleeing—I’m seconds away from laughing.
But then the cold returns. Not on my skin, but somewhere deeper inside of me. The ache blooms in my chest like a bruise freshly touched.
I tighten the hold around myself, trying to trap the warmth that’s slipping away. And goddesses, I’msotired. When did I get so tired?
“I’m worried about him,” I say quietly.
They move closer before I even finish.
“Baby,” Sai says gently, and that softness, that tone, nearly undoes me. My lip trembles. “We’ve been around Kane a long time. This isclassic Kane behaviour. He doesn’t care about much, but when he does, he either pushes it away, or he’s protective as hell.”
Ezekial steps closer, placing a warm hand on my shoulder. We’ve shared far more intimate touches than this, but somehow, he knows this is what I need. That quiet, grounding weight. The gesture I’ve seen them use on each other.
And it helps.
“We’ll speak with him.” Ezekial’s voice is low and soothing, but also so certain. “Sai is right. We know him, and he’ll be fine. Try not to worry.”
I nod, or try to, but my head feels… heavy.
Ezekial’s fingers shift, brushing the side of my neck. The touch is small, soft, but filled with warmth. “You’re still tired?”
“Only a little…” I murmur, but the way I sway says otherwise.
“Every time the rune’s been altered, you’ve needed extended rest.” Julien steps closer, his voice soft. “You need to sleep.”
Right on cue, pain flickers behind my eyes in a tight pinch I try to blink away. Julien steps forwards and Ezekial’s at my back, hand supporting my neck.
Sai’s voice drops. “She’s crashing.”
“No…” I try to protest, forcing myself to stay upright. “We need to find Kane…”
“We will, but not now.” Sai saunters beside Julien, then smirks. “You won’t win this fight, Red.” His fingers brush my cheeks, smirk widening into something a little feral. “Although I do love it when you fight.”
Zeek sighs, and Sai winks at him. Julien just smiles.
I try to laugh, and maybe I do, but it’s quiet because everything feels far away. Fuzzy…
One moment, I’m upright. Next, I’m weightless, being held in a strong, warm hold that I recognise as Ezekial’s arms.
