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Unfortunately, the big alpha insisted they stay at least one night so his witches could check him over in the morning to make sure he really was on the mend.
Caden had to wonder if he had suggested it because he truly felt that way or if his mate had pressured him to do it, wanting another chance to try and make Caden stay.
Either way, Quinten agreed, so Caden went along with it too.
Quinten and Dare escorted him back to the bedroom he’d been given, and he yawned just as he was opening the door.
“Get some rest,” Quinten said. “We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”
He whipped around and stared. “You’re not staying?”
Quinten’s scent fluctuated a little, but all he did was give a slight smile. “I need to make a few phone calls and arrangements, but they’ll be putting me in the room right next door.” He nodded toward a door that seemed awfully far away from his own. “And Dare will be outside your door the whole time. If you need anything, just call for him.”
Caden wrapped his arms around himself, rubbing at the exposed skin and not liking this plan at all, but he didn’t want to seem overly needy. After the spectacle he’d made of himself in the sitting room, he should probably conserve some of his dignity.
But he had been hoping that even if Quinten wouldn’t lie down with him, he would at least stay in the room, filling it with his orange blossom scent and sense of safety so Caden could actually rest. He didn’t say any of that though. He just pasted on a smile and stepped into the bedroom, letting it drop when Quinten closed the door for him.
He did end up falling asleep for a while, but when he woke up, the clock on the wall told him that it was still the middle of the night. He sighed, turning on his side.
There was a pitcher of water and a covered plate on the bedside table. He wondered if Dare or Quinten had brought it in, knowing if it had been anyone else, he would have woken up as soon as the door opened.
He drank two glasses and then ate the burger that was still sort of warm. Both made him feel a little more like normal. His body didn’t ache as much, but he could still barely feel his jaguar inside him, and his cat was quieter than he’d ever been. He told himself not to panic, that he was already feeling better, and it had only been half a day. He needed to give himself time.
Tiptoeing, he went over and cracked open the door. Dare was standing right there, waiting for him, scarred eyebrow raised in question.
Maybe one day, he’d know him well enough to ask about the scar. As a shifter, he should have healed, even if his eye had been too damaged to repair itself.
“Alright?” the wolf asked, his voice quiet and rumbly.
“Bathroom?”
Dare nodded. “Three doors down.”
Caden slipped out of his room and headed that way. Quickly, he relieved himself and then washed up. There were extra washcloths and toiletries sitting on the counter, so he made use of them to clean his face and his body a bit. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d showered and shuddered. In the morning, he’d ask Dare or Quinten for new clothes so he could.
He wondered if Quinten had been the one to wash him up at his penthouse, his blood heating at the idea.
As soon as he finished, he crept back down the hallway, gave Dare a grateful smile, and went back inside. He lay down, but he wasn’t feeling overly tired anymore, and even though the house was well-built to reduce the amount of noise, there was enough that it kept snagging at him, drawing his attention and keeping him wide-awake.
He tossed and turned for a while before flopping on his back and staring up at the ceiling.
There were still five hours before he could politely get up and request that they leave, and that was going to feel like an eternity if he was awake the entire time and didn’t have something to do other than let his mind run over all of the things that had happened to him recently.
Not the good things, like meeting Quinten.
The bad things. The things he tried not to think about.
His whole body jerked when there was a soft knock on the door. His nose told him it was Dare before it opened and the wolf’s head appeared.
“Can’t sleep?”
Caden sat up on his elbows and shook his head. “No, it’s too… I don’t know. I can’t get comfortable though.”
Dare nodded and came all the way inside, something black and square in his hand. “Yeah, I can’t sleep somewhere I don’t feel safe either.”
Caden was pretty sure that was the longest sentence the wolf had ever said to him, and he also really appreciated what he was doing, letting Caden know that he wasn’t being ridiculous.
Dare came over and held out the object he was holding. It was a tablet of some sort, the screen off.
