Page 18 of Cultivating Caden
“Did he live to see Sanctuary get completed?”
“Of course. He still lives here. His place is separated from most of the other houses, but he’s still hale and hearty.”
Quade bit back a laugh when Caden’s jaw dropped. “But you said this was a hundred years ago.”
“I did. I know this is all new for you, but dwarves are very long lived. Right now, Dandrot would be, at best, midthirties for a human.” He stood. “Thank you for dinner, but I should get back to my room.”
“What about Ten? And what happens here? I have a lot of other questions.”
“How about we get together tomorrow and I’ll do my best to answer more? You’re looking at a century of lore. It’s not like we’re going to get through it all in a night. As for Ten, the doctor said he’ll be okay, so I have to believe it. I’ll check on him before I turn in.”
“Okay. Thank you for… just thanks. I was scared and didn’t know what to do.”
“My room is down the hall if you ever need me.”
“Yeah, well…. If the door hadn’t opened, I wouldn’t have gotten to you.” He chuckled nervously. “Maybe Ten was right and it is alive.”
Quade took a deep breath. He was about to make a decision that had the potential to come back and bite him in the ass, but if they wanted Caden to trust them, then they had to do the same. “Yeah, about that. I’m not going to lock the door. You’re free to come and go as you please. I’m just going to ask that you don’t leave. I know you’re nervous and I get that I played a large part in that, but for your safety, as well as that of your friends, it’s best that you don’t leave.”
“What do you mean, for their safety?”
“With your abilities you killed nine men without even realizing it. What happens the next time you get scared or nervous? You have a tough customer come into your shop and start bitching because his peonies wilted. Someone cuts you off by making a turn in front of you, so you have to slam on your brakes. How many things throughout your day trigger a reaction? Now, imagine if somehow it happens again, only this time it’s not to a group of men hurting you, but Ten who annoys you with a bunch of questions. That’s the reason I was sent to kill you—not just for the fact that those men died, but to keep innocent people from having the same thing happen to them. That’s why Sanctuary exists, Caden. To protect everyone.”
Quade got up and walked to the door. He wanted to say something else, but really, what was left?
“Good night.”
He left the room and headed down the hall to his own place. Stepping into the spartan room, he was finally able to breathe. Goddamn Ten, trying to do shit on his own like that. What would Quade do if…? No, he refused to even think about it. Ten was fine, and would be okay.
But if he wasn’t? The idea was too horrific to think about. Quade never wanted to go back to what he’d been before Sanctuary took him in. He still remembered the look in the girl’s eyes as he stood over her, fangs dripping with saliva. He could smell the blood, taste her fear, and it was glorious. His wolf had no compunction about killing her right then and there.
Thank the divines that hadn’t happened.
Ten had stopped him cold. With barely a word, he’d brought Quade to his knees and forced his way into the darkest recesses of Quade’s mind, dragging his human self to the surface and putting it back in control.
If it hadn’t been for Ten, they would have put Quade down for the general welfare of everyone involved, and Quade would have been grateful for the release.
Who knows? When the day finally came, maybe he still would be.
