Page 55

I rest my head back against Cave’s chest and let his body hold me. Though it quickly goes rigid at the sound of footsteps, and I turn my head to see Valli walking into the shed.

“Hey, I brought . . .” Valli stops when she sees Cave. I watch her eyes roam over him, shoulders tensing slightly when she notices the blood, and it’s then she must also notice the change in him.

“Cave?” she says carefully, like she is approaching a wild animal, and right now she might as well be.

Noa steps in closer, and Cave clocks his movement.

“Are you hurt?” she asks.

He doesn’t turn toward her, though he keeps ahold of me.

“He’s okay,” I tell her. “He just needs some time.”

It’s partly a lie, but one she will understand. Cave needs time to come back from whatever part of his brain he is stuck within. He needs to figure it out in his own time.

Valli sets down the food and moves closer, careful not to startle him. It’s smart, as in this state, Cave is unpredictable and dangerous. One wrong move could cause a level of chaos that none of us could handle.

“My brother—” she starts.

“Don’t ask. He won’t tell you anyway,” I answer for him.

She nods in understanding. Cave is never forthcoming with information, and until he says otherwise, we will never know.

“Cave . . . I’m⁠—”

Cave turns, and without looking at her, heads for the bathroom. His rejection causes tears to well in Valli’s eyes, and my heart breaks.

“He just needs some time,” I say again, and Noa puts his hand on her shoulder.

When Cave comes out freshly showered, Valli is still standing.

“I’m worried about you,” she says, stepping forward as he turns his back to change. “I’m sorry that this happened, but I need to know you’re okay before I leave.”

Cave turns, his jaw clenching. For a second, I think he is going to snap upon hearing that she wants to leave. He moves closer, and her eyes grow wider as he grabs her wrist, pulling her into his chest with a growl. Cave is possessive, and I can see his grip is bordering on painful. When he brings her hand to his chest, Valli’s eyes fill with tears and spill down her face.

They stand there in silence, her hand pressing to his chest, their only connection, until his hand comes up and grabs her face. Cave’s fingers dig into her jaw, almost as if he’s afraid that she’ll run. His thumb brushes her cheekbone, then he leans in and slams his mouth to hers.

Valli gasps as she twists her fingers into his shirt.

Noa shifts beside me but stays quiet, which isn’t like him. Hopefully, he can see how much Cave needs this—to consume her until he grounds the beast inside him.

Cave takes her waist, backing her up as she stumbles slightly on her feet until her back hits the wall. He doesn’t break their kiss; rather, he leans into it deeper, his fingers curving into her waist.

“Mine,” he growls into her mouth.

Valli whimpers, and as Cave moves his mouth down her neck, she tilts her head back to give him better access. Her eyes close, hands fisting his shirt as if she’s reluctant to let him go.

Cave is showing her how she belongs to him in the only way he knows how. She is not going anywhere.

Cave grips her thigh and lifts her leg up, helping her wrap it around his hip as her arms snake around his neck.

“God,” she moans.

Noa leans into my side and whispers, “This is like our very own live porn.”

I smirk. Of course he would say something like that. “Shh,” I reply, because while he isn’t wrong, I won’t let him ruin their moment, no matter how hard his cock is right now.

Cave makes a feral sound, and I realize the Scarecrow isn’t fading into the background; instead, he is taking over. Some may think they are the same person, and while on some level they are, to Cave they are not.