I didn’t care if they thought I was being irrational. I didn’t care about anything except getting to him. Caden needed me, and I wasn’t going to let anything stop me.
Not even bothering with the fact that I was standing in front of these men in some questionable lingerie, I started to look frantically for my clothes, the urgency clawing at me like a wild animal.
Before they could respond, my frustration boiled over. “Why the hell didn’t he portal out with me? He was in need of medical attention too! No way he was fine after we spent that much time in that fucking ice-box!”
“He was perfectly fine when I last saw him, Emma. We thought?—”
“That’s not possible, Sean!” I cut him off, the words tearing out of me before I could stop them. “How could he be fine when I almost died out there? He would be suffering from hypothermia, just like I was!”
“Emma, listen. Caden’s at least twice your size. We’ve all been trained for extreme conditions. It would’ve taken hours for the cold to evenstartaffecting him.”
I shot him a glare, feeling very frustrated with my best friend at the moment. “Training or not, McGrath, he’s not invincible! If he’s still out there, alone—he could be in serious trouble.” I grabbed my shirt, pulling it on haphazardly. “We need to find Caden, now!”
Right as I turned to them to demand more answers, a deep voice I knew all too well rumbled behind me, catching me completely off guard.
“Did I hear someone whisper my name?”
I froze, heart hammering like crazy as I spun around.
My breath caught as I finally laid eyes on him—Caden.
Standing right there, stepping through a portal into the room like he hadn’t just scared the living shit out of me. He looked tired but intact, his familiar dark eyes locking onto mine.
“Caden,” I whispered, barely able to get the word out through the lump in my throat. My voice broke, but I didn’t care.
Without hesitation, I stumbled across the room, my legs shaky beneath me, and leaped into his arms. Tears streamed down my face as I buried myself against his chest, clinging to him like I’d never let go.
“I was so worried,” I sobbed, my words muffled against him, the overwhelming mix of relief and anguish spilling out in waves.
He wrapped his arms around me tightly, holding me like I was the most important thing in the world. “I’m okay, love,” he murmured in my ear, his voice low and soothing. His hand moved gently up and down my back, grounding me. “Don’t you ever worry about me.”
I pulled back just enough to see his face, and he gently took my chin in his hand, lifting my gaze to meet his. His eyes, warm and reassuring, crinkled at the corners as he smiled. With his thumb, he wiped away the tears still falling down my cheeks. “You’re crying? Over me?” he teased, chuckling softly. “I’m honored.”
The wave of relief crashed into a surge of frustration, and without thinking, I punched him in the shoulder. Hard.
“There she is,” he groaned with a grin, rubbing the spot where I’d hit him, before he lifted me in his arms, and carried me back to the bed—his motions so effortless, I even forgot to protest.
“What the hell happened to ye?” Sean’s tone was clipped, cutting through the room like a blade. It was laced with both anger and concern. “Ye couldn’t let us know ye were all right? We were worried sick.”
Caden, unfazed by the outburst, lowered me gently onto the bed. His touch was soft but firm, guiding me as I settled in under the covers. He tucked me in with surprising care, then gestured for Sean and Jackson to sit beside me.
“I managed to get the Amplifier to Stephen,” Caden began, sounding weary, and the exhaustion clear in every word. “It was activated the entire time, so I had to use human transportation. Sixteen hours just to reach him, and another fourteen hours to figure out how to neutralize the damn thing.” He exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over his face. “Only after we destroyed it could I portal back home. Nice to see you guys all hanging out in my room, by the way.”
Sean scoffed, folding his arms, but the anger had softened, replaced with relief. “Ye could’ve given us a heads-up.”
“I could have,” Caden said, his voice steady but tired. “But time wasn’t exactly on my side.”
I shifted under the covers, my worry still fixated on him. “How are you feeling?” I asked, my voice softer, more focused. I didn’t give a shit about the Amplifier at that moment; all I cared about was him.
Caden met my gaze, that comforting warmth flooding through his, making me feel grounded. “I’m perfectly fine,” he said, reassuring me with the same kind of confidence he always seemed to carry. “How are you holding up?”
I let out a small sigh, trying to ease the anxiety that had been building inside me since everything started. “I’m okay,” I replied, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips. “Not ready to hit the slopes anytime soon, but I’m managing.”
Caden chuckled, that wonderful, and warm sound filling the room. “I’m guessing ice-skating’s out for a while too?”
I winked at him. “At least for a while.” My hand slipped out from beneath the covers, reaching for his instinctively. He didn’t hesitate, intertwining his fingers with my own, his grip gentle.
“You got us out of there,” I whispered, the words thick with gratitude.
