Kade is there in the next instant, his arms wrapping around me as he pulls me against him, settling me so I'm straddling his lap in the grass. I bury my head into his neck, breathing in that cedarwood and leather scent, trying to ground myself and remember that I'm not in the isolation room.
"I've got you, baby girl." His voice rumbles through his chest as his hand comes up to cradle the back of my head, holding me closer.
My whole body is shaking with the force of the panic rushing through me, another presence settling beside me, the combination of their scents wrapping around me and giving me a little more relief. Dustin runs a hand up and down my back, further soothing my panic. "What happened? You were doing okay and then you just started panicking."
"I didn't do anything wrong." The words come out muffled against Kade's neck. "I'll do better. I promise I'll do better."
Dustin frowns, the confusion radiating off of him. "Solana, what are you talking about?"
Kade pulls me back a little bit, his hands moving to rub up and down my arms. "You haven't done anything wrong."
I force myself to look at him and meet those dark brown eyes. "The truck. It reminded me of when they put me in a space. After they caught me with Dustin, they put me in isolation. It was small and dark and quiet and I was alone and I couldn't get out."
Dustin jostles Kade's shoulder as the Alpha blows out a breath. The sound is almost a snarl but he pulls it back, his jaw clenching with the effort. I can see the rage flickering across his face, before it’s quickly suppressed.
"I'm sorry." I drop my gaze back to his chest, unable to maintain eye contact. "I didn't mean to cause problems. I just couldn't breathe in there."
"You have nothing to be sorry about." Kade's voice is firm, leaving no room for argument. "What will make this easier? Tell me what you need."
I chew my lip, trying to figure out how to explain what happened without making him angry. "It was silent and dark in there. The isolation room. No windows, no sounds except my own breathing. Being in the truck started to feel the same way. It’s really dark out here and even darker in the car and I just..."
Kade gives me a small smile, his hand coming up to caress my cheek. I lean into the touch automatically, craving the comfort. "Okay, I think we can change that."
Dustin shifts beside us. "You need something, don't you? To make the rest of the drive bearable?"
I nod slowly, not entirely sure what I need but knowing I can't get back in that truck the way it was. "Can we just stay here for a moment? I need a minute to catch my breath."
"We've got all the time in the world." Kade settles more comfortably in the grass, adjusting me in his lap so I'm pressed against his chest. "Take as long as you need."
Chapter ten
Dustin
I'm not entirely sure how we found ourselves about a mile from the house on our own property, spread out on a thick blanket under the stars while Kade explains in meticulous detail every single horse we have on the ranch.
We haven't left the spot where Solana crawled out of the car in a panic, but that turned out to be okay. Better than okay, actually, because forcing her back into that enclosed space would have been cruel after watching her completely unravel.
After she calmed down enough to breathe normally again, Kade suggested we just stay put for a while. Give her time to adjust to being out of Harmony House without adding more stress by pushing her comfort levels.
He walked back to the truck and pulled out the emergency kit we keep stashed in the back, the one with blankets and water and a first aid kit for when we're working the far pastures and something inevitably goes wrong. It only took a few minutes for him to lay everything out on the grass before Solana climbed in the middle, Kade moving to lie beside her. Then he started talking in that low, steady voice of his about the ranch and the horses and everything waiting for her at home.
Solana is listening intently to every word, shifting every now and then to get more comfortable. She's resting on her stomach now with her eyes closed, her face turned toward Kade as if his voice is a lifeline she's clinging to. She looks so peaceful lying there, all the tension from earlier completely melted away from her features.
The fear that had her clawing at the car door is gone, replaced by something that almost looks like contentment. Kade's voice drones on in that perfect tone, the one that finally managed to soothe her anxiety after nothing else worked. He's telling her about Thunder and how the stallion has a stubborn streak a mile wide but responds beautifully to gentle handling. About the new mare we bought last month from a breeder in Montana and how she's still settling into the herd dynamics. About the foal that's due in spring and how Solana will get to help name it if she wants.
Freaking out when she was screaming in the car felt like the appropriate response at the time. For a few horrible moments, I thought we had done something horribly wrong, that bringing her home was a catastrophic mistake and we were just adding to her trauma. The panic in her scent had been overwhelming, drowning out everything else until the whole truck reeked of her fear. But it's fine now. She's calm and safe and breathing easy between us, her scent slowly returning to something sweeter.
My phone buzzes insistently in my pocket and I pull it out, trying not to disturb the peaceful moment. Stefan's name flashes across the screen and I answer quickly, keeping my voice low so I don't disturb Solana. "Hey."
"You get her out okay?" Stefan's voice comes through rough and tired, like he's been awake for days straight. I really need to talk to him about Ashton and not get the general surface answers he always gives me. "No problems with the paperwork or Graves getting suspicious?"
"Yeah, we're safe. Thanks for everything you did to make this happen." My gratitude runs deep because without Stefan sticking his neck out and stealing that invitation, we'd still be trying to figure out how to even get through Harmony's doors.
"Good. Keep me updated on how she's doing." There's genuine concern in his voice, the kind he usually keeps buried under layers of sarcasm and attitude.
"Will do." I end the call and immediately shoot him a text confirming we're all fine and settled for the night, then pull up my messages to send another one to our main ranch hand. I need to make sure the horses are taken care of because I'm definitely not going to make it back in time for evening feeding.
He responds with a thumbs up emoji and a message saying everything is handled. A small snore breaks through the quiet night air, causing me to look up and chuckle at the sound. God, she’s beautiful like this.
