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Before Elara can answer, he scoops her up. She gasps in shock, but Kade doesn’t acknowledge it, just tucks her against his solid, warm chest, turns, and slips her into the car, being careful not to bump her arms.
He straightens again. “I’ll be back shortly.”
Kade strides away, leaving her a little gob smacked. He’s gruff and brooding. Yet gentle and almost…hurting.
And has possibly been following her, Elara reminds herself. Was it just a coincidence that he was driving down the highway at night, right when she happened to need him? She doubts he’d answer than if she asked him, but it’s something to keep in mind. Just because he’s hot, doesn’t mean he’s not dangerous.
Now that she’s alone again, the pain becomes harder to ignore. Her forearms feel like they’ve been shredded. Nausea churns at the realization she was attacked. By a wolf. What if it comes back… She’s lucky all she has is cuts on her arms. Elara finds herself humming gently in an attempt to calm herself down as she waits. It shouldn’t take Kade long to get to Kira and Jordyn. Hopefully between the two of them, they’ll be able to carry her out.
Thankfully, her prediction is correct. It's less than ten minutes before Kade stalks out of the forest, carrying Kira in his arms, Jordyn looking pale and worried beside him. Elara breathes a sigh of relief as Kade places Kira on the seat behind her.
“I’m telling you, it’s not as bad as it looks,” she says.
Jordyn climbs in on the other side and puts her seatbelt on. “We’ll let the medical professionals decide that.” She gasps as her gaze falls on Elara’s wrapped arms. “What happened, Elara?”
She gives her two friends a weak smile. “Would you believe me if I said it’s not as bad as it looks?”
“You’ve been hurt!” says Kira as she strains to look over the seat, horrified.
“It’s just a few scratches,” Elara assures them. “A?—”
Kade turns on the engine. “I’ve heard that there have been a lot of different animal attacks out here lately. And it was dark. It could’ve been anything.”
Elara falls silent, glad when Kira and Jordyn sit back, despite their frowns. Kade helped put them at ease, but he also stopped her from saying anything about a wolf. Like he didn’t want her to mention it.
Or as if he’s questioning what she saw…
The drive to the hospital is quick and silent. The burning seems to alternate between flaring and abating, like a slow, throbbing strobe. Elara’s not sure if it’s the pain or everything that has her mind whirling, so she focuses on the lights that are becoming more and more frequent as they zip past her window. She just wants to get to the hospital to make sure Kira’s okay. And get some serious painkillers.
They pull into the ER parking lot and Elara’s relieved when two nurses come out, one with a wheelchair. One of them opens the door, noting Elara’s wrapped arms.
“Not me,” Elara manages to say. “Kira’s leg is hurt. She’s the one who needs the wheelchair. I can walk.” She gestures behind her, and the nurses quickly help Kira out.
It’s only once she’s inside and standing beneath the fluorescent lights does she realize that they’re all still in their bikinis. She’s the only one who had the chance to put on a t-shirt. Elara goes to cross her arms, then winces as pain streaks up them, lancing enough to make her eyes water. When a blanket lands on her shoulders she glances up in surprise, finding Kade there.
He frowns. “You don’t want to get cold.”
Elara's about to answer when she sees that Kira’s being wheeled away, Jordyn with her. “Text me,” she mouths to her and Jordyn nods. They disappear behind opaque sliding doors.
“Is there anyone you want me to call?” Kade asks.
She blinks, pulling the blanket a little more tightly around her even though it hurts to flex her hands. “I’ll, ah, call my parents.” Not that she knows what she’s going to tell them. There’s no scenario where they don’t freak out.
Another nurse appears, smiling in that universal nurse-smile of theirs. “Let’s take a look at those cuts, shall we?”
Elara nods. She walks forward a few steps, finding that Kade’s not beside her. She glances over her shoulder to see he’s still standing in the same spot.
“They’ll take good care of you,” he says stiffly. Almost coldly.
Elara’s own spine feels like a pole just got rammed down it. Did she really think he’d come with her and keep her company until her parents arrived? When this guy is more like the dark knight rather than some savior in shining armor?
She lifts her chin. “Of course. And ah, thanks for the ride.”
Kade turns away without answering, as if he’s already dismissed her.
Her cheeks stinging, Elara follows the nurse. She wanted to know who the mysterious guy she’s been seeing everywhere is, and she now has some idea—someone she sure as heck doesn’t want in her life right now. Or ever.
She follows the nurse to the door Kira went through only a few minutes ago, telling herself to focus on the painkillers she’ll be getting soon. She just wants to put this whole night behind her.
