Wild Hunt - Kali Argent Page 0,47
wonder if their dynamic was a ruse as well. Others led their humans around by leashes attached to leather collars on their necks. Those, she didn’t wonder about.
“Don’t even think about it,” Cade grumbled out of the side of his mouth.
“I don’t know. I think you’d look sexy in leather.”
“Mack.”
“Relax, I’m just messing with you.” She turned toward him, intending to kiss him, then realized why that would be a very bad idea. “Now, shush, before you get us both in trouble.”
They managed to get an elevator to themselves, though she remained mindful of the surveillance camera in the corner of the cab. The ride up to the fourth floor passed in silence, as did the long walk down the corridor to their room. Once inside with the door closed behind them, though, Cade didn’t hold back.
“Are you kidding me? This was such a bad idea. I can’t believe I let you talk me into this shit.”
“What other choice did we have?”
“We could have driven back to Colorado.”
“Cade, you can barely stand.” He was so pale, and the dark circles under his eyes concerned her more than she wanted to admit. “You need rest. I’d really like to get a medic up here to look you over.”
“No.”
“We could say you were attacked by an animal, that the Raiders had a dog. Why are you being so stubborn?”
“Maybe you could just tell them you had to punish me for being a bad pet.”
Mackenna recoiled at the coldness in his tone. “That’s not fair.”
They glared at each other for a long time before Cade finally sighed and pulled her into his arms. “You’re right. That wasn’t fair. I’m sorry.” Holding her close, he kissed the top of her head and rocked them from side to side. “I don’t like this, Mack. There’s just so much that could go wrong, and I don’t have any way to protect us here.”
She could take out a Ravager pack in her wolf form, but that wasn’t a trick she could rely on often. If anyone from the Coalition found out what she could do, she’d be back in a lab faster than she could say “immunity.”
Her status in the paranormal world provided them some safety, though. She had no association to the Revenant, rebels, or any other undesirables. As far as anyone at the hotel was concerned, she was just another Gemini brutalized by savage humans. They didn’t suspect her. They didn’t look at her as the enemy. As long as Cade didn’t do anything rash, that security extended to him as well.
“Then, let me protect us for a little while.” She pressed her palm to the side of his cheek and brushed her thumb across the shadow under his eye. “Trust me, Cade. You’ve taken such good care of me. Let me take care of you now.”
“I…” His eyelids fluttered, and he stumbled to the side.
“Cade!” Wrapping her arms around his waist, she managed to keep him upright as she helped him over to the foot of the king-sized bed. “Cade, open your eyes.”
“Just tired,” he slurred as he slumped back on the mattress. “I’m okay.”
He neither looked nor sounded okay, but she didn’t know how to help him. “What do you need? Tell me what to do.”
He didn’t answer for so long she worried he’d passed out. Then, he opened his eyes and looked up, his gaze filled with a whole world of pain and uncertainty.
“Call a medic.”
Chapter Fourteen
According to the medic, Cade had lost a lot of blood, a fact which Mackenna had already known. What she hadn’t realized was that the bite on his neck had become infected as well.
By the time the doctor—a shifter female with shrewd eyes and keen instincts—had arrived, he’d been feverish, exhausted, but still feeling well enough to argue against the IV drip. Naturally, he’d been overruled.
The doctor hadn’t asked how he’d sustained the injuries, and Mackenna hadn’t volunteered an explanation. They’d both known a common dog hadn’t left the wounds, and she wouldn’t insult either of them by trying to claim otherwise.
Thankfully, Cade hadn’t needed a blood transfusion in addition to the saline bag and the antibiotics. He had, however, required eight stitches to close one of the claw marks on his ribs.
Three days later, the dark circles had disappeared from beneath his eyes, he had more color in his cheeks, and he no longer tired so easily. Mackenna still worried for him. If they did have to face off against Raiders—or the goddess forbid, another