Page 42 of Scarlet Wars
Caden’s tone dropped to something lethal. “What did you just say?”
Rachel’s expression didn’t flicker. “You heard me.”
His voice remained quiet, terrifying even. “If she’s not welcome here, I’ll recall every Crown Offensive stationed in Kanata C.” He rolled his shoulders once. “And you can explain to the United Chiefs why you created an international rift between us, when we’re on the brink of war with NMC’s.”
Rachel’s jaw clenched. “That’s unreasonable.”
“Wish I cared,” Caden replied, shrugging like the threat was nothing. “You threaten her, you threaten me and my Collective.”
“Second that,” I hissed, for once agreeing with the bastard who’d take her from me if he could.
Rachel exhaled hard, throwing her hands up. “Fine. No threats. Just ask her to help. We’ll take it from there.”
“I’m not asking her shit,” I muttered, more to myself than anyone else, but the words landed.
Caden rolled his eyes, then pushed back the chair from the table. “I’ll handle it.”
CADEN
I found her in her room, sitting stiffly against the headboard, her beautiful eyes closed, and Sean draped across the bed like some kind of guard dog. His arm across her waist sent an irrational jolt of irritation down my spine, which I quickly tamped down.
Sean’s gaze snapped to mine, widening as he caught the expression on my face. Yeah, I wasn’t in a good fucking mood.
He mouthed, “What’s happening?” but I ignored him, shaking my head once. My boots barely made a sound on thefloor as I moved around the bed, crouching beside Emma. My gaze roamed her face, scanning for any sign of life beyond the overwhelming grief I knew was eating her alive.
Her face was pale, too pale, but her expression wasn’t shattered. It was blank, shuttered, and her breathing was too steady, as if she were forcing every inhale. She seemed carved from ice, her beauty edged with frostbite.
“Emma?” Her name came out low, softer than I thought I was capable of.
Her eyes opened slowly but not like she was being dragged from the depths, more like she was bracing herself. The steel in her gaze caught me off guard. There was pain there, sure, but caged, hidden. She wasn’t letting me in.
“Can we talk for a second?” I asked, keeping my tone steady.
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze cool, detached. Not a yes, not a no, only waiting to see what I’d do next.
“We need some answers,” I said carefully. “About everything that happened back in the Human World.”
Sean’s jaw clenched, his hand tightening where it rested against Emma’s blanket. “All that shit can wait. She’s barely holdin’ on, Caden.”
I shot him a sharp glare over Emma’s shoulder. “You don’t think I know that?” I hissed back. “I’m here to give her a choice, not to take it away.”
Emma’s flat and clipped tone cut through the tension between us. “Not exactly in the mood to talk, Caden.”
“I wouldn’t ask if there was any other way,” I replied quietly. “We need to know what we’re up against, and we need your help. Your expertise.” I paused. “And Rachel wants you to join the team.”
Her expression didn’t falter. She didn’t fidget. She didn’t break. Simply stared at me like I was another problem she had to endure.
I drew in a slow, deliberate breath. “But it’syourchoice. If you don’t want to get involved, I’ll make sure no one so much as looks at you. Anyone who even tries to push you for answers, anyone who even thinks about it, will die a slow, painful death. You have my word on it.”
Sean muttered something incomprehensible under his breath, but I ignored him.
Emma’s focus flicked to my side, toward the door. She wasn’t looking at me, she was looking past me. Waiting for James, maybe? My heart twisted painfully at the thought.
I exhaled slowly. “James will back you too. No matter what you decide.”
Her gaze shifted back to me, and for a moment, I thought she might say something, anything to ease the ache sitting like a weight on my chest. But she didn’t.
I nodded once, forcing myself to my feet. “I’ll give you some time to think about it,” I said gruffly as I stepped back from the bed. My legs felt heavy as I turned toward the door, the taste of failure bitter in my mouth. My hand was already on the doorknob when I heard her.
