Wings of the Walker - CoraLee June Page 0,120

still felt unsure of where we stood since our differing views on Heat, especially now that it led to Cyler and Patrick’s abduction. I wanted to lean against his shoulder and slip into a comforting sleep but remained firm and rod-straight in my leather seat, avoiding all contact despite the warmth that came off of him in waves of temptation.

“Come here, sweetheart,” Jacob cooed while shoving Kemper and indicating that we should switch spots. With careful maneuvering, I crossed the transport and sank into the seat beside him. He wormed my legs over his lap and cradled me. “You need to rest, Ash,” he whispered into my ear in a low tone intended only for me.

“I—I can’t,” I replied with a cracked voice. His large hands migrated to my boots and he slowly worked their brown laces before slipping them off. They fell to the floor of the transport with a thud, but no one paid us much mind. His fingers roamed over my legs and feet in circular motions with a medium pressure. “Relax,” he breathed out. “We’ll find them.”

“What if we don’t?” I asked. The question made pain radiate throughout my chest. “If something happened to them, Jacob, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Jacob’s warm scent and calming movements continued as he remained in pensive silence. “Ash,” he began, and I stiffened at the tone of it. His voice seemed detached. “I know Cyler and Patrick better than anyone. They’ll do everything in their power to come back to you—to us,” he choked out.

“I never–” I began before biting my tongue.

“You never what?” Jacob probed. His fingers stopped their comforting massage, and I blinked back tears.

“I never got to tell them . . .” I drifted off in embarrassment. I noticed that Huxley was listening to me now, and I couldn’t—no— wouldn’t finish the regretful thoughts that were poisoning my mind.

I never got to tell them how I felt. How they made me feel. How Cyler’s touches felt like pure, unadulterated freedom and comfort. Or how Patrick’s smile made my heart race with giddy anticipation, and I could spend eternity in his arms.

“Sweetheart,” Jacob replied. “They know. We all know.”

The slow massage made me feel drowsy with desire, and slowly, ever so slowly, I fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Ashleigh, wake up,” a soft voice murmured. My eyes opened, and I rolled my neck to work out the uncomfortable kinks that plagued my joints. “We’re an hour outside of the Capital, and we need to refuel. Tallis is taking us in through an abandoned entrance, but we need to remain diligent,” Kemper explained with kind but tired eyes.

I observed him in a daze while sitting up. His shirt was wrinkled from sitting in the transport. My eyes shifted to find Jacob awake and eyeing me with appreciation. My hair felt wild from sleep, and my shirt was loose and stretched out, revealing my healthy cleavage.

I looked outside and was greeted by vast, sandy emptiness. Dust kicked up from beneath the transport, and I noticed a looming metropolis in the distance. Tall towers and bright lights illuminated the night sky, like a beacon in the wasteland.

“You and Mia need to change into clothes more suited for the Capital,” Huxley said. “You’ll stick out like a sore thumb wearing that .” Hux nodded at me, and I adjusted my shirt to cover up my chest. The movement caused Kemper to blush.

“I grabbed some extra clothes before leaving,” Kemper said with a cautious smile before rummaging through his pack and throwing two dresses at me. The thick velvet material that I once adored and longed for, now felt heavy and limiting.

Mia scrunched her nose and peered at the dresses like they were going to burst into flames at any moment. “I’ll never understand Capital fashion. How the fuck am I supposed to stab someone while wearing this?” she asked while clicking her tongue and pulling at the seams, as if trying to stretch it out more.

“You’ll need to go ahead and get changed. We will be there within the hour,” Kemper choked out awkwardly while giving me an appreciative look. The thought of changing clothes in this cramped transport made me blush in embarrassment.

However, the ever confident Mia simply slipped off her tight shirt and casually shimmied out of her charcoal leather pants. Everyone averted their eyes in polite discomfort.

“I didn’t think Dormas men were such prudes,” she joked with a snort while buttoning the collar of the maroon dress. She