Page 9 of Sustaining
All that laughteris gone by the time the sun sets that evening.
“I’ll be back in less than three days.” Kain’s whisper sinks right through me and lays uneasily at the pit of my stomach.
I know he has to go back. He has to explain everything to his mother and to Chaos’ about where he is and that they’re safe. I didn’t want them leaving because of me like they left before.
And yet here we are.
“Let me just vanish there with you. It would take no time at all if I used my magic.” Then I wouldn’t have to worry about if Carlin is going to harness my dragon shifter away in a dark dungeon for what he thinks I did.
My father looks up from the dinner table, his gaze watching the five us closely as we whisper near the front door. My mother sits quietly across from him, and ever since the dick-that-shall-not-be-seen incident, she hasn’t glanced at Sinister one time.
“I can’t take the chance of them trying to lock you away.” Both of his hands slip down the length of my arms, reminding me of faint soreness of my scar. He pulls me slowly against his chest, his palms pushing down my back. “Watch after her,” he says to the three men behind me, and I roll my eyes at his constant protectiveness.
“I was just fine on my own before I met you, Kain,” I mumble into his chest.
“You can say that but you had a hellhound at your side every day, love.” Sinister’s know-it-all comment rubs right into my face, but Kain doesn’t give me time to glare over at the demon.
His lips press firmly to mine, gentle palms caressing the sides of my face as he kisses me in the softest, sweetest way that I didn’t even know he was capable of. The time he demanded I kiss him in Agatha’s bathroom is nothing like this. The demanding, arrogant shifter isn’t who he seemed to be when he’s with me. It makes me crave him. I want him so much my breath catches, and it only makes my lungs ache more knowing that he’s leaving.
“I’ll be back soon.” He kisses me slowly one more time, dragging out the pressing pain that’s building in my chest. When he pulls back, he looks into the other room down the hall, spotting my father there. “She needs ships,” he calls out, snapping me right out of my bubble of romance. “She owes someone several ships.” Kain waits for my father’s reply, lingering there until he knows every aspect of my life will be taken care of while he’s gone.
With flushed cheeks, I peer past Rime and Sinister and make eye contact with my father for the briefest moment before he swings his attention back to the serious shifter. “How many?”
“A lot.” There’s no hesitation in Kain right now. He’s all straightforward business right now.
“Then it looks like my daughter’s flock of men will be busy tomorrow.”
* * *
The pallet my mother made on the living room floor is adorable. The three men tucked in beneath the blankets like they’re preparing for the world’s broodiest slumber party, are even cuter.
“Goodnight,” I whisper to them, lingering on the bottom of the stairs, my father looking sternly down at us as he makes his way down the hall to their bedroom at the far end.
I have four mates, and my father really expects me to virtuously sleep alone.
Perfect.
Rime lies on his back in the middle of Chaos and Sinister, his jaw locked tight, his gaze sweeping restlessly over the ceiling. Sinister keeps a nice amount of space between his arm and Rime’s, while Chaos all but drapes himself right over the ice shifter’s chest.
It might be an interesting night for Sinister if Chaos’ hand slips any lower by accident.
The demon glances back at me then, and the moment he looks at me, I’m already plotting sneaking down here in an hour.
Hopefully I haven’t missed the fun by then.
The smooth wood of the steps skims against my feet, and it’s a slow trek to my room alone. With intention, I don’t close the door behind me. I keep it open and when I slip beneath the soft lavender blankets, that’s where my gaze lingers in the dark. I watch the open span of the door for too long.
And then my thoughts drift to him.
I feel like a piece of me is missing without Kain here. It’s only been a couple hours, but I hate it. It’ll be a quick trip by dragon flight, less than a day’s journey there. I’ll worry about him the entire time, though. I don’t know what I’d do if he wasn’t there to watch over me. To piss me off. Infuriate me. Love me.
I’m exhausted, but my thoughts won’t quiet. The pressure in my chests rises until it shakes out in an uneven breath.
A beat passes, and then I try something I haven’t tried yet.
I test the bond between Kain and I. I’m…assuming we have one. I’ve spoken with Chaos several times. A little with Rime. But I’ve never tried with Kain. It exists. I feel it. I just have to use it to strengthen it.
Kain?
