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It was in the form of a question, but Caden knew that it was more of a demand. He’d had a feeling that Quinten had known he’d been lying when he’d told the Kincaid and his witches that he didn’t remember anything, yet the idea of laying out everything that had happened to him exhausted him even before he started.
A small part of him was also worried about what Quinten—and even Dare—would think about him after they knew. They were both so strong and formidable. What had happened to Caden never would’ve happened to either of them. They wouldn’t have allowed themselves to be taken to that place to be used like an animal.
“Tomorrow,” Caden whispered.
Quinten nuzzled into the back of his neck. “Well, later today.”
Caden huffed out a soft laugh. “What time is it?”
“Way too early. Go back to sleep.”
He rubbed his lips together and stared at the wall ahead of him. “I don’t think I can. I’m still a little… wound up.”
He was scared, but he couldn’t force himself to say that. Quinten had probably never been scared of anything in his life.
“I’m right here,” Quinten said softly. “You don’t have to be… wound up.”
Of course he knew the truth. Caden had probably been whimpering and crying in his sleep, maybe even screaming. He tried not to feel embarrassed, telling himself for the millionth time it wasn’t his fault that he’d gotten taken. That he’d only done what he’d needed to so he could survive.
It… almost worked.
Quinten disentangled his hand from Caden’s hold just enough that he could move his palm up and press it flat over where Caden’s heart was still beating too fast. He took a big, deep, exaggerated breath, his chest expanding against Caden’s back, and then let it out slowly. He did it again, and Caden copied him without thinking.
They breathed like that for a while, neither saying anything. It took almost half an hour, but Caden finally was able to settle down. He relaxed into the bed, scooting back until his ass was pressed against Quinten’s groin.
“Can you pull the covers back up? I’m cold.” He said it quietly, his voice soft in a way it wasn’t usually.
Quinten didn’t say anything, but he sat up and grabbed the covers from where Caden had tossed them aside and carefully covered them both before realigning their bodies underneath and wrapping his arm back around Caden.
His hold felt good, possessive. Caden let out a tired breath. Maybe he would be able to fall asleep again after all.
“Do you want to tell me the real reason why you’re in my bed?” Quinten murmured, just before Caden was going to drift off.
“I told you,” he slurred. “It smells better.”
“Caden.” Quinten sighed, his scent taking on an edge of frustration.
All the happy, gooey feelings Caden had been swimming in on the way to dreamland began to ebb. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“The truth would be nice.”
He drew a star on the back of Quinten’s hand with one of his fingers as he considered that. His room did smell better; that was the truth, though it was only half of it.
Quietly, he said, “You make me feel safe. I haven’t been safe in a long time, but you make me feel that way. Right now… I just need to be near you. That’s as much truth as I can give you.”
Quinten didn’t say anything, not for a long moment. Caden could practically hear the seconds ticking by. Finally, Quinten pressed his lips to the back of Caden’s neck and gave him a soft kiss and then another as he moved just a fraction of an inch over.
And then another, and then another.
Caden shivered in his hold as Quinten pressed kiss after kiss into his skin, all the way to the rounded edge of his shoulder, and then he started making his way back.
“Quinten,” he moaned, not sure what had happened, what had changed, but not upset about it at all.
“I make you feel safe,” Quinten said, almost like he couldn’t believe it.
“Of course you do,” Caden said breathlessly, arching his back to press more firmly against the growing length pressing into him. “You make everyone around you feel safe.”
Quinten huffed a laugh as he reached the curve of Caden’s throat and gave a soft nip that sent tingles down his spine and out to his fingertips. “I most definitely do not make everyone around me feel safe.”
