"Yeah." Rand's breath was a caress against his neck. His chest expanded against Cai's back in a sigh. "I'm really sorry about your family, too."
Silence reigned for a while, their minds drifting, touching, moving away. No words exchanged, just images. When Cai saw Rand's children, overlaid with Fane's, his thoughts went in a different direction.
He didn't have to voice the thought. Why torture himself? Because he was a damned pro at it, that was why. "So, you want kids again someday, I'll bet. You're great with Fane's."
"Maybe. We'll see. Got all I can handle right now with one annoying vampire. Shut up and let's sleep a bit. Don't know how long I'll have to stay up once we get to the house. Fane may want to crack open a keg and celebrate. Unlike you vamps, we don't have a mandatory bedtime."
"Sure, send me to bed so you can drink all the beer. What an asshole."
Rand chuckled. "Speaking of drinking, while you're holding onto that wrist, you could take some more. I'm feeling stronger, thanks to you. It's nice, that rejuvenation thing. Works fast."
Lyssa had mentioned that back-and-forth blood feeding between vampire and servant could be a surprisingly quick-acting spiral, making strength and healing go in the right direction for both. And the thought of drinking from Rand was a nice one, but it also reminded Cai of that annoying empty gap in his mouth. He wanted to sink two fangs into Rand, even if one was fake. He pushed that aside. There were way more important considerations right now. Like his wolf's well-being.
The leg had been a bad break, yes, and he agreed with Rand a good twelve-hour sleep would help the healing process, but Cai had a bad feeling about what was going on with it. So he went with his gut.
"Since we agreed our rabbit-hunting skills are at an all-time low, we'll go back to Fane's and get you something to eat first. Like another bucket of venison or something. I'll be fine until then."
When Rand's chest expanded again, a hint that he was about to argue, Cai increased his grip and the force of his resolve.
Not until you've eaten.
Rand went quiet, but stayed close. Maybe even adjusted closer. Master and servant. It was having a lot more meanings in Cai's head than it ever had before, which was just opening himself up to getting kicked in the face. But that had been done to him plenty. For now, he'd sit here and let himself marinate in those feelings he couldn't explain, running the words through his head. Master and servant.
They drifted back into that somnolent haze together, but Cai kept his grip on Rand's wrist, thumb sliding across the layered scar and third mark. He held the male to him while the night watched, waiting for two predators to decide what they were going to do next.
Cai wished like hell he knew.
When they rose, they took another dip in the creek to wash. Rand donned the shorts again, and they found a change of clothes for Cai on the ATV Fane had left on the nearest accessible deer trail. A pair of jeans and a T-shirt, clothes that Cai expected belonged to one of Fane's family. They were a decent but loose fit. Good thing he could rely on the charity of Rand's friends. He'd been losing a lot of backpacks lately.
He was glad Fane had left the ATV. While on a normal day the running distance wouldn't be much of anything to him or to Rand, it had been a long-assed night, and they would have had to hoof it to get in close to dawn. He could stay out, burrowed in the earth, but they both wanted to check on Dovia, no matter how effective her protection detail.
Rand was still limping, but when he used a sturdy branch Cai found for him, he employed it more like a cane than a crutch. Still, Cai unapologetically searched his mind to find out if Rand was masking pain, acting like he was doing better than he was.
He was.
Muttering a curse, Cai slid himself under Rand's shoulder, told him to shut up when he said he didn't need the help, and lent him extra leverage to get to the ATV. He'd never driven one before. Rand walked him through it while sitting on the back-facing seat, leg stretched out and propped on a short platform. He teased Cai about running them off a cliff or crashing them into a tree, until Cai threatened to do it for real. In time, with careful navigation of the deer trails, they came out behind Fane's home.
He'd seen Fane and Lynn's house through Rand's eyes, but in person it was even more comfortably chaotic and homey. The Wolf Waltons. Okay, not his best material, so he kept that observation to himself. Mostly. Rand sent him a wry look as Cai helped him up the stairs where Todd and Fane waited. He and Todd examined Rand's leg on the porch.
"It probably would be in better shape if you'd left the split in place," Todd said, a firm rebuke. "Stubborn wolves. But swelling's gone down some."
Yeah, it had. Even Cai could see that. Maybe he was just being impatient, too worried, his head too messed up about today. He needed to shut it off for a while.
Before someone accuses you of acting like a fussy old woman.
Before Cai could retort with some mature response like takes one to know one, they were in the kitchen.
Lynn and Darcy provided Rand what Cai would consider the equivalent of a bucket of deer meat. Though the shifter consumed over half of it quickly, the kind of day they had had overtook him. Cai had to save him from falling asleep and doing a face plant in the remains of the meal.
"Good enough. Time to go to bed."
"Dovia first," Rand insisted. Cai didn't disagree.
Lynn went with them, guiding them down the steps to the cellar. Rand held onto the railing, but managed it capably enough. Cai just needed to be patient, give it time.
Patience was so not his strong suit.
You waited decades for the right moment to kill a Trad and free yourself from them, Rand observed. You have patience. It's just selective.
Rand's ability to read his emotions aside, Cai knew he should at least try to close his mind to Rand. If for no other reason than to prove he could. Honor the bullshit elitist vampire code. Yeah. That was so him.
But for some reason, he just hadn't felt like it since the whole rescue and magic bonfire thing. Having an open door to Rand in his mind kept Cai from being in there all by himself, weird as that sounded.
Maybe it gave Rand reassurance, too. Cai knew it made him feel better, dipping into the wolf's mind and seeing that Rand sincerely wasn't worried about his leg. And that concern grew even more distant when the shifter had the satisfaction of seeing Dovia in far better surroundings than when they'd seen her last.
Fane's mate and daughters had turned the girl's corner of the cellar as much into a bedroom as they could, transporting a double-sized bed down there, outfitting it with comfortable linens and pillows. A soft, stuffed animal, a bunny with long, velvety ears, was on the pillow next to Dovia's head, mostly submerged under the covers. It reminded Cai of her mother.
Cilya sat on the foot of the bed, her hand resting on Dovia's leg, hidden underneath the same blankets. She was humming a soft, formless tune that was nevertheless soothing, her dark eyes concerned and focused on the sleeping young woman.
Cai had listened in on some of Rand's visit with the family before they approached Goddard's camp, so he knew Cilya worked at a school. Seeing her in person, Cai could easily imagine it. She had the kind of female energy that broadcast firm authority, gentle care and competent experience, things that could figure out what a young, hurting soul most needed. They'd chosen the right one of Fane's children to be sitting with Dovia.
"I know she's probably too old for the rabbit," Lynn whispered to Rand. She stood on the bottom stair, Cai standing behind her, Rand at ground level. All three watching the female vampire sleep. "But when we were cleaning her up, she was a child in need of mothering. Cilya thought it would bring her comfort. She'd bought it for a teacher friend's baby shower. Plenty of time to pick up something different if Dovia wants to keep it."
"Good thought," Rand said. "She's in good hands."
"Cilya and I have been taking turns watching her. Sangra gave her the sedatives in the dosage you instructed, so she's out, but whenever one of us isn't
sitting on the bed, she becomes restless." Lynn paused. "She asked for you and Cai last thing before she fell asleep. I made you up a cot down here with the others. I figured you'd want to stay close to her anyway and..." Her gaze strayed briefly to Cai and skittered away. "And him."
"If you think she's better with the two of you, with females, I can bunk down elsewhere," Rand said, concerned.
"No. She asked for you. Sangra says one of the best things she could have around her right now is male energy she trusts." A shadow crossed Lynn's expression, a deep anger on Dovia's behalf. "A reminder that there are good males. If you decide she needs one of us down here, just come get us, but...
Lynn's brow creased, as if the woman was having difficulty comprehending whatever she'd intuited from Dovia, but her words were sincere. "I have a feeling you're what she needs right now."
She patted Rand's arm and said her goodnights. A low word to her daughter had Cilya rising. The younger woman came to the stairs. She didn't speak, but she squeezed Rand's arm before she went up the stairs. Cai adjusted out of the way. She nodded to him, her pensive expression saying having a bunch of vampires in the cellar wasn't her uppermost concern. However, Lynn skirted around him on the way up with an awkward but courteous nod. As the door above closed behind her, Cai raised a brow.
It's safe to say the matriarch of the house will be happy when the vampire guests are gone.
He shifted his attention to the other side of the cellar. Daegan sat on a cot against the wall at watchful attention, but he was in the farthest, shadowed corner, perhaps so he wouldn't be conspicuous to Dovia if she woke.
Lynn had been right. Only a couple moments had passed since Cilya had left her side, but Dovia was already showing signs of distress. Her lips parted as little whimpers escaped her. One arm emerged, fingers fisting on the covers.
Daegan's gaze shifted to Rand. He'd figured it out, too. It wasn't likely a vampire she barely knew could bring her much comfort. Cai might be a passable second, but he suspected Lynn had said Dovia had asked about both of them just to be courteous.
Not likely. You underestimate what the girl feels toward you, vampire. Rand moved toward the bed.
Cai let it lie, but stayed at the stairs, watching him. Good thing they went with a full-sized bed. You wouldn't fit on a twin by yourself, let alone with her, no matter how petite she is.
No twin beds in the house, Rand responded. Shifters rarely sleep alone. Giving wolves from the same litter separate beds while they're growing up is a waste of money.
Rand slid in behind Dovia. He wore the shorts but nothing else. She immediately turned toward him, flattening herself against his broad chest, fingers curling in his chest hair.
Cai noted the two cots near Daegan's. Lynn might not be comfortable having him here, but she was a good hostess. However, she might have saved the effort with Daegan, since Cai was pretty sure the Council's pit bull was genetically engineered not to sleep, ever. If he did, it would be long after Cai had to succumb to the pull of the oncoming daylight. Damn age difference. He wondered where Gideon was, and then realized the obvious; the male would be the topside lookout during daylight hours.
He moved toward one of the empty cots, but Rand's thought stopped him.
There's plenty of room over here, if we stay close together. Wolves don't often have nightmares. Another benefit of sleeping together as a pack. I think it works on other species as well.
Cai turned back toward his servant. Do I look like the type that gets nightmares?
Stupid thing to say since yes, Rand had seen him have nightmares, but Cai had had a long day.
I think it has been a very long day and night. I would like you to be closer. If you are willing to indulge me.
A clingy and needy wolf. Great.
But as a smile touched Rand's lips, his steady eyes serious and knowing, Cai came to the bed. There was enough room for three, if they were as close as Rand and Dovia were now. I don't want to upset her.
You won't. You didn't see the two of you enter the water together, or the way she looked at you after you helped return her babe to the heavens. From that moment forward, she knew your heart. She'll recognize it as she rests. The two of us will make sure she can sleep peacefully. Take off your shirt. She'll need the heat.
Cai met Rand's gaze. The wolf was merely stating the truth, but the slight twitch to his lips said he wouldn't mind the view. Cai found that gratifying and arousing, though he squelched the latter since...well, obviously inappropriate timing.
Asshole.
Rand's lips stretched into a deeper grin, but his eyes fell shut. Cai climbed into the bed on the other side and slid in close to Dovia's back. He wondered if they should have told Daegan what they were about. If he thought Cai was taking advantage of her vulnerable state, he'd likely skewer him. But Daegan hadn't moved.
He understands what we're doing and is pleased with how much we care for her welfare.
You can get all that from his scent?
Rand nodded. "Pretty much." He had his arms around Dovia's lower back and shoulders, so Cai draped one of his own over her, resting his hand on Rand's hip, the other tucked under his own head as he considered the male. He thought of how Rand had chased him down in the forest. Then he saw the shifter's expression tighten, the lingering smile gone. He was thinking of Cai wounded again, nearly baked by the sun.
"Hey," Cai said quietly, making the male open his eyes. "You did what you were supposed to do. You got her out of there. And you came back for me. Plus, none of the wolves were hurt."
"Thanks to you and your plan to divert attention. Though we didn't anticipate you'd turn it into a match of honor with your old nemesis." Rand had his hand on Cai's leg. The touch was welcome, though he'd never thought of himself as a touchy-feely person.
Maybe because you've never been able to indulge the pleasure. You may be more of a pack animal than you think, vampire.
If you're going to insult me, I'm going to go sit next to Daegan. Mimic his stoic samurai pose until I irritate the fuck out of him and he goes to sleep.
Or he kills you and we end this night as we expected. Dead.
Cai lifted his gaze to Rand's. Because he wanted to do so and couldn't think of a reason to deny himself, he curled his fingers against the shifter's hip, hooking his thumb in the waistband of the loose shorts. "I couldn't have done it," he admitted quietly.
If our positions were reversed, I couldn't have left you, Rand, knowing what they might do to you. Dovia... I would have given her a head start, told her which way to go, maybe. And we would have both died. Dovia probably, too. You were the smart one.
"Well," Rand said after a long moment. "One of us has to be."
Cai snorted, but he could feel the male's reaction to his words. A big, gushing emotional surge that would have discomfited Cai and made him regret his admission, if Rand hadn't tempered it with the mildly insulting comment. Probably why he'd done it. The wolf got him. A useful thing in a servant, right?
Another silence ensued. Cai had no idea how much Daegan was listening, but the hell with it. He needed to speak aloud before he said more stupid things in his head. "Fane and his pack want you to stay with them, you know."
Rand's eyes had fallen shut again during their pause. They didn't open now. "Sshh. Go to sleep."
"Did you really just ssh me?"
The curve to Rand's lips deepened, his lashes fanning his cheeks. "I did. Sleep, vampire. Now's not the time for talking."
He didn't think Rand was wrong, but him setting the terms were kind of annoying. He'd take him to task for that when he woke. Much later.
As Cai closed his eyes and let out a long, relieved breath, Rand's hand moved to rest briefly on his jaw, his fingertips slipping through Cai's hair, a soft stroke, before he returned his palm to Dovia's back, his knuckles resting against Cai's chest.
Yeah, Rand needed a pack. Needed to stay with family who could appreciate that kind of stuff. Because Cai really wasn't a touchy-feely kind of guy
. No matter how good Rand's touch felt. Cai didn't take another breath, because the motion only rubbed the jagged edges of the thought against his insides in a way he didn't like. Rand was right. Now wasn't the time for talking, even to one's self.
Maybe especially to one's self.
Chapter Seventeen
Humans talked about the three a.m. hour being when demons would most likely walk on their grave, wake them with worries. From Cai's struggle with nightmares, Rand had surmised it was between one and two in the afternoon for vampires, when the sun had settled into its peak time.
Dovia was below ground and protected physically, but the hour still had the power to bring unrest to her that even their proximity couldn't keep at bay. Though Cai had said it would be hard to rouse a vampire so young at that hour, no matter how deep below ground she was, obviously terror had the power to yank her from that rest.
She woke fighting, thrashing, hissing, her cries echoing through the cellar. Between them, Cai and Rand brought her fully awake, helped her realize she was safe, and with them. Even so, in those first volatile moments, Rand wouldn't have been surprised if she'd tried to shove them out of the bed or bolted from it herself. He could tell Cai was as ready as he was to give her enough room she wouldn't feel trapped, while doing their best to keep her from accidentally harming herself.
However, she started to calm without exiting the bed. As she relaxed inside the span of his arms, Rand crooned to her, rubbed her back. When she settled, Cai likewise adjusted himself back onto his pillow and folded arm. He ran his hand lightly up and down her arm, over her shoulder and hair.
Lynn and her daughters had trimmed it, evening up the chopped section so it was neat, shoulder length on one side. On the burned side, they'd buzzed it evenly. Rand vaguely recalled the style from a couple of the magazines the women had lying around upstairs. A deliberate close crop buzz over one delicate ear, a straight fall of hair over the other. All she needed was a dainty nose ring or a rose shoulder cap tattoo. Greenwald would love that.