Page 64 of Cole: Bloodlines
After a few more twists and turns, they entered a corridor with windows. Dawn was just beginning to light the sky outside, casting a pale glow through the broken windows, allowing the men their first real look at what was leading them through the behemoth structure. It wasn’t the sight of the giant that caused their steps to falter, but its small, creature-like companion that leered at them with razor-tipped teeth and eyes of madness.
Cole’s grip on the gun tightened as he watched the thing warily. The way it sized them up made his skin crawl—as if it might lunge at them at any moment. A glint of lust mingled with the madness in its green eyes, causing Cole to watch its every move, never taking his eyes off the thing.
He understood it was just aperson—a young man in his early twenties—but it wasn't easy to see it as fullyhumanby the way it moved… itsteeth…the primalsavageryin its eyes. What the fuck happened to him to turn him into…this?
CHAPTER 28: FRIENDS IN DEED
Maddy hadn't held herlike this since he returned home from the island—his arms firm around her, instead of tentative, his fingers pressed into her skin with certainty, rather than hesitation. And what she heard in his voice now—the low, unwavering tone that used to make her feel invincible—had been missing for months, replaced by whispers and half-finished sentences. Something on that godforsaken island had hollowed him out, leaving behind only a shadow with downcast eyes and trembling hands, stealing the fire from his eyes. But now that spark blazed again in the darkness, kindling hope in her chest. She didn't know if it would stay once they got home, didn't know if the nightmares would reclaim him, but right now his strength enveloped her like armor. She needed it—needed the Maddy who planted his feet and squared his shoulders and fought with everything inside him, the Maddy whose jaw clenched with determination instead of fear, the Maddy who didn't back down.
The warmth and security of his arms enveloped her like a fortress against the nightmare surrounding them, making her feel truly safe for the first time since she was kidnapped. She pressed closer, burrowing against his solid frame, her cheek finding the familiar hollow of his collarbone. Something wet and tacky smeared across her skin, and she pulled back, her heart skipping. “Are… Are youbleeding?”
“A little,” he said, his voice a ragged whisper in the blackness. “I'm okay.”
“Where are you bleeding?” Her trembling fingers skimmed across his collarbone, leaving goosebumps in their wake as they traveled up the corded muscles of his neck, searching for the wound.
“The back of my neck,” he said, wincing as her fingertips found the matted hair and punctured skin. “But it's okay. I don't think it's that bad.”
“What happened?”
“Uh...” Maddy faltered, his breath catching. “I-I'm not sure how to explain it... without sounding crazy.” His thumbs stroked her tear-stained cheeks, tracing the curve of her jawline. “How did you get... here?” he asked, his voice barely audible. “In this room?”
Savannah hesitated, the memory of yellowed fangs and inhuman movements flashing behind her eyelids. “You'll think I'm crazy.”
Maddy shook his head, and though she couldn't see his smile in the darkness, she could hear it in his voice, feel it in the way his fingers curled against her jaw. “After the things I've seen, I won't. I swear.”
How could she describe Jitterbug without sounding nuts? “Someone... helped me,” she whispered, her voice catching on the words. “He... He let me out of the cage I was in and... and brought me here. He told me to stay, to hide.”
“Who... helped you?” Maddy murmured slowly, his fingers tightening protectively around her wrist.
“He...” Savannah licked her cracked lips, tasting blood and salt. “His name is... Jitterbug. He... He scared me, at first... I thought he was going to...” Her breath hitched in her throat. “I don't know...” She swallowed tightly, recalling her initial terror of the strange young man with his jerky, spider-like movements. “He's creepy. I-I thought, at first, he was some kind of... animal. His teeth...” She trembled, remembering the yellowed fangs that gleamed in the dim light, filed to sharp points.
Maddy was silent for a moment, his breathing shallow against her ear. “Was he with anyone?”
“Yeah,” Savannah murmured, her skin prickling with goosebumps at the memory. “A... giant. Bigger than Cochise.”
Quietly clearing his throat, Maddy said, “They're the ones who put me in here, too.”
“What?” Savannah blinked in the darkness, her heart stuttering. “They didn't... hurt you, did they? I told them I had friends trapped here. I asked them not to hurt my friends.” She reached for his neck again, her voice stretching taut. “Did… Did Jitterbug…”
“I'm fine,” Maddy whispered and kissed her forehead, his lips warm and dry against her skin.
Savannah leaned against him, savoring his warmth and presence. She pressed her ear to his chest, listening to the quickened beat of his heart—thump-thump, thump-thump—a rhythm more precious than any music, and thanked God, over and over, that he was alive and safe.
They slid down the rough concrete wall, huddling together on the cold floor. Maddy's fingers rubbed small circles on her arm and back, his touch gentle despite the dirt and dried blood under his nails. Just having him close, feeling the rise and fall of his chest against hers, having tangible proof he was alive, filled her with warmth that radiated from her core to her fingertips.
“I love you, Maddy,” she whispered in the dark, her voice trembling. “I really... love you.” Hot tears welled in her eyes, blurring what little she could see in the blackness. “It isn't just a teenage crush. I love you with all my heart. I don't ever want to be with anyone but you.”
Maddy shifted slightly, and his lips found her mouth in the darkness. He kissed her softly, his breath warm against her face. “I love you, too, baby,” he said thickly. “I loved you at first sight. I knew you were the one, the only one for me.”
Their second kiss crashed together like waves breaking against rock—deeper, hungrier. Savannah pushed into it as herfingers dug into the knotted muscles of his shoulders, her nails leaving indentations in his skin. Terror and desire twisted together in her stomach as she pressed against him, gripping Maddy's body with a desperation that sent tremors down her spine, the rapid rise and fall of his chest matching her own.
She couldn't pull away as all her fears of losing everyone she loved—of losing the boy whose heartbeat had become her favorite sound—culminated inside her. She began to cry through the kiss, clinging to Maddy as if he might dissolve into the darkness. Tears streamed hot and salty into their joined mouths, and sobs tore from her throat in ragged gasps.
Breaking away, Maddy gathered her against his hammering heart, burying his face in her tangled hair. His tears dampened her scalp as his body shuddered against hers, their shared grief and relief pulsing between them like a single heartbeat in the darkness.
They sat like that, holding each other in the cold darkness until Savannah lost track of time. She woke up a few times after falling asleep on Maddy’s shoulder. She didn’t know if minutes or hours had passed, as Maddy held her close, trying to keep her warm.
Each time she opened her eyes after drifting off, she briefly thought she was still in her cage and alone in the dark. Then she would feel Maddy shift, his arms tighten around her, his warm breath on her hair, and she would remember she wasn’t alone anymore.
