The same rough hands circle Kade’s wrists, he didn’t even realise he had his own on Lachlan’s shoulders, but they’re pulled down now, removed.Lachlan tries to step back but Kade growls low in his throat, pursues with a sense of ownership that has no right to exist, yet itdoes.
‘Don’t,’ he begs, familiarity painting his insides with neon light, he’s said thisbeforein just this way, wants to scream, beg,cryfor Lachlan not to stop it, healwaysstops it, and Jules loves him so fucking much, why, why,whywon’t he love him back even if it was pretend, just pretend, he’d take that, he’d treasure it and never ask for more, he’s so down bad it hurts, and no amount of one night stands can compare to the thirty seconds when Lachlan first comes to collect him and they look at one another and Lachlanknowshe wants him, they both know it, but Jules is trying so hard to get over it because Lachlan doesn’t want him the same way but he’s bound to him, so these thirty seconds areelectricand Jules thinks maybe he only evenhasthese one night stands just so Lachlan can look at him like that afterwards, when the earth stops turning, and the skies sing his name, and the moon promises to keepalltheir secrets because she’s the only mother he ever had, and Jules lets himself admit how desperately, woefully,monstrouslyin love he is with Lachlan fucking Tann—
NO.
STOP.
S T O P.
?
He wakes in the Tower.
Kade would know home anywhere.
The smell of laundry detergent.
The feel of the walls, the hum of electronics.
The Tower is his home.
Iron Star is his family.
Riley is his best friend and the boss.
Kade is their best.
He sits up in his own bed.
It’smorning.
‘Shit,’ he says, blinking to soften the glare of the sunlight streaming through his window.‘Fuck.’Kade checks his watch but finds it dead.‘Oh, perfect.’
His knees are wobbly when he gets out of bed.Someone put him in a clean tee and boxers(he’d bet that’s Luca),but he can walk fine so he wastes no time heading into the Watch.Cole and Finn are arguing with…
Oh, right.Him.
‘You,’ Kade says.
He’d almost forgotten about the immortal motherfucker who killed eighteen of their people.Lachlan is already looking at Kade, expression unreadable.
‘Kade,’ Cole greets, tone pleasant now he’s not speaking with Lachlan.Both he and Finn come closer.‘Are you feeling all right?Any problems?’
‘I’m fine.’Kade can’t spare more than a moment without looking at Lachlan.‘What’s happening?’he asks rather thanwhat happenedbecause his instincts are telling him to focus on what’s ahead, not behind.‘Where’s the boss?’
Lachlan steps forward.‘Kade.’
‘No, where is he?’
‘He’s in his room,’ Finn explains, ‘resting.’
His throat tightens as panic rises.‘What the fuck doesthatmean?’Kade demands, already striding past Lachlan and through Riley’s heavy-duty doors, both currently open.Kade takes the spiral staircase two steps at a time, practically running until he’s in Riley’s room.
He finds him on the bed inside, but sitting up, awake,alive.
Kade throws a hand over his heart.‘That scared theshitout of me!’
Riley makes a face, gingerly slipping his legs out of bed.‘Yeah, same.’
