Wild Hunt - Kali Argent Page 0,12

is the Revenant?”

The crowd that had gathered for her meltdown had started to disperse, though a few still lingered nearby. They kept to themselves, and they didn’t try to approach, so she did her best to ignore them and focus on Cade.

“Come on, let’s get you back to your room, and I’ll try to explain as much as I can.” He held his hand out, his palm turned up in offering. “You’re bleeding, Mack. We need to get that looked at.”

Blood smeared the inside of her arm where she’d violently removed her IV. The bandages on her hands and feet had also come unraveled during her dash for freedom. While the skin had started to heal, the appendages were still a mess of burned, oozing skin.

“I don’t…” She turned her palms outward to show him the damage. “You probably don’t want to touch this.”

“It’s not going to bother me, but it might feel like shit for you.” Instead of taking her hands, he looped his fingers around her slender arm and helped her to her feet that way. “Steady,” he murmured, wrapping an arm around her when she swayed. “Are you good?”

As much as she wanted to snuggle into him and soak up his warmth, she didn’t dare. He might be her mate, chosen for her by some higher power she couldn’t begin to comprehend, but he was also human. She didn’t know if he felt the way she did, or if he could sense the growing connection between them, and the last thing she wanted to do was scare him.

Scared humans were dangerous humans.

“I’m okay.”

“Hey, Cade.” A petite female with long, raven locks and the biggest, greenest eyes Mackenna had ever seen bounced up to them. “Do you want me to come tell you when the others return?”

Mackenna didn’t know who the female spoke of or where these mysterious people would return from. What she did know was that the stranger, with her full breasts and smooth, fair skin, stood too damn close to Cade for her liking.

“Yeah, I want to know.” His gaze darted between them. “Mack, this is Roux Jennings. Roux, this is Mackenna.” He arched an eyebrow. “Sorry, I don’t know your last name.”

“Wade,” she answered reluctantly. Could that be used against her? She didn’t think so, but then again, nothing made much sense right then.

“Nice to meet you,” Roux said, and she sounded as though she meant it. “I wish it was under better circumstances. I look forward to getting to know you once you’re feeling up to socializing.”

She sounded like she meant that, too, and though past experience said she shouldn’t, Mackenna believed her. She even offered the female a tentative smile. That was, until Roux reached out to touch Cade’s arm while saying her goodbyes.

Baring her fangs, Mackenna growled threateningly, her eyes transfixed on Cade’s arm. “Mine.”

Everyone froze. Time stood still. Then, very slowly, Roux removed her hand and took a step back. Now that the perceived threat had been neutralized, Mackenna wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Not only had she just alienated a possible ally, but that wasn’t how she’d intended to break the news to Cade.

So, the last thing she expected was for Roux to start laughing.

“Oh,” the female practically sang, “this is going to be fun.” Then, she turned and bounced away, cackling like crazy the entire way down the hall.

“I’m sorry,” Mackenna blurted. “I didn’t mean to growl at her.”

“She deserves to be growled at.” Cade carded his fingers through his dark, shaggy hair. “I guess we can just add that to the list of shit we need to talk about.”

“I don’t expect anything.” She wanted to make that very clear. “I mean, I know that humans don’t have mates. So, I don’t—”

“Shh, easy.”

Mackenna braced for a blow when he lifted his hand toward her face, but he just brushed her hair back, his touch as light and soft as a butterfly’s wings.

“We can talk about everything once we get you back to bed, okay?”

“Okay.” Because she couldn’t stop herself, she had to ask, “You’re not a Hunter?”

His expression turned stormy, but the arm around her shoulders remained gentle. “There aren’t any Hunters here. These are good people. You can trust them.”

Nodding, Mackenna took a step at his urging but nearly collapsed when the pain in her foot shot straight up her leg. Damn it, her body really needed to get its act together and heal already.

“I’ve got you.” Hooking an arm behind her knees, Cade