He had a family. And if he survived this, he’d be going home with them. But maybe she could see those beautiful blue eyes again.
Just one last time before she told him goodbye.
Chapter Five
Cade came awake in the woman’s room. At some point, he’d been moved from the cushion in the art studio to her bed, the scent of her strong in his nostrils. An earthy, floral blend of tuberose and vanilla, rosewood with a hint of jasmine, and something else that was uniquely her beneath it all.
Lucy.
At least he’d learned her name.
Lucy Vasquez.
She was a pretty thing, with her dark hair and golden skin. Her caramel-brown eyes and that beautiful smile. He’d enjoyed the way she’d coddled and fussed over him, Googling left and right to make sure she gave him the best care. But then again, she thought he was a beloved house pet, didn’t she? He should probably be more annoyed by the turn of events, but for whatever reason, he wasn’t.
Maybe that frankincense she’d been diffusing really did help with the calming.
For the first time in ages, he wasn’t running scenarios in his head, determining viable plans and predicting outcomes. He was just enjoying being back in her bed, that lovely mattress with the soft linens that carried her scent. That wonderful place where he’d watched over her, protecting her from the storm while she’d slept.
He’d ended up sleeping last night too, and it had been some of the best damn sleep of his life. He wasn’t sure how much of that had to do with his injury, and how much had to do with Lucy. There was something about that woman that called to him. Something that simultaneously excited and soothed him. He’d never experienced that before and, as strange as it was, the thought of leaving her later made his heart ache.
But maybe that was just the drugs.
Whatever that vet had given him had Cade feeling groggy. He’d thought he’d heard Maddox through the pack link earlier, but hadn’t been with it enough to respond coherently. Though the worst of it had passed, even now, his senses felt dulled, his thoughts a bit jumbled.
Cade was glad to be back in Lucy’s bed, though. He liked the way the blankets held her scent, making it easy to imagine her being in the room with him, even though she wasn’t.
“Alright, Cade.” Grey’s soothing voice reached through his hazy thoughts. “How bad’s the pain? And don’t even think about lying to me.”
“You mean like he did last night?” Unlike Grey, Asher’s voice wasn’t soothing. His friend was obviously pissed off about Cade omitting a few details when he’d checked in through the pack link last night.
Cade groaned, wondering when someone had decided to open the party line and whose bright idea it was to interrogate him through the telepathic link when his brain was barely coming back online.
“Explain.”
Maddox’s order had Cade opening his eyes.
What the hell was his Alpha doing here in Lucy’s room? And Grey?
“What the fuck?” The sound of his own voice had Cade realizing he wasn’t in wolf form anymore.
He was buck-ass naked in Lucy’s bed.
When had he shifted?
“About an hour ago.” Maddox frowned.
“Are you in my head or did I say that aloud?”
“Yes.” Maddox leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. “You need to explain, and quickly.”
Cade glanced around the room, noting the tension in his friends’ bodies, the crossed arms, the clenched jaws, the furrowed brows and frowns. Maddox, he could understand. But hell, even Grey looked pissed off, and the healer was usually unflappable. One person was conspicuously absent, though, the person he most wanted to see.
“Where’s Lucy?”
“Distracted for now.” Maddox said matter-of-factly.
“We need to get you out of here.”
