Page 87 of Primal Urges

Lucas waited for Cade to raise his beer as well.

They both drank together.

Taking another breath, the boy continued.

“Before I met you, I didn’t think that I could ever feel this way again. You gave me hope. You showed me what it was like to be equals. To have my opinions valued and to feel safe and cared about.” Lucas looked down at his glass of wine. “For that, I will always be grateful.”

Why was Lucas talking in the past tense?

“I know that Darryl is in town.” Lucas’s voice was suddenly cold. Gone was the nervous, stammering boy Caden had spoken to only a few moments ago.

“What? Where?” Caden growled, jumping to his feet.

A wave of vertigo hit Caden, and he grabbed the table quickly for support. The walls around him began to sway, and his body was beginning to feel all floaty.

“Sit back down, Cade. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

He was back to not making eye contact. Lucas took another sip of his wine and waited.

Caden slumped back into his seat, clutching the table for support.

“He gave me an ultimatum. Either I leave with him tonight quietly, or he will kill you and Lizzy.”

Caden’s eyes went wide when he realized what was happening.

Lucas stood, downing the last little bit of his wine.

“I love you too much to see any harm come to either one of you.”

Caden’s vision was starting to get blurry. He struggled to focus on the man standing across from him.

“I’m leaving with Darryl,” Lucas announced, taking a step backward. “I’m going to end this thing one way or another.”

“Lucas! No!” Caden tried to argue. He lifted his arm, which felt like a million pounds.

He glanced at Lucas’s food, which remained untouched, and then at his own.That little fucker…

“I slipped a little something into your beer. You’ll be fine when you wake up. I just need a head start.”

Lucas walked around the table and stopped right next to Cade.

“I love you, Cade,” he confessed before bending down and kissing his cheek ever so softly.

Lucas was sacrificing himself and his happiness in order to protect Caden and his daughter. Caden’s heart cried out in pain.

“Lucas…” Caden whispered as his body slumped forward on the table.

Lucas ran his hand through Caden’s hair one final time before turning and walking toward the kitchen door.

With his body slumped across the table, Caden watched the blurry image of Lucas fade into the darkness.

His eyes became heavy, and he could no longer fight the pull.

Blackness enveloped him as he sank into the world beneath him.

27

CADEN

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