Page 65 of Scarlet Wars
His promise coiled inside me, a vow I wasn’t ready to hear but couldn’t ignore.
“Caden…” My voice broke on his name, warning and wanting tangled into one.
He leaned closer, his mouth hovering right above mine, his thumb pressing a little firmer against my lip as if daring me to give in. My chest rose, brushing his, traitorous in its desperation.
“I can’t,” I forced out, the words scraping raw from my throat. “We can’t do this. You saw what they did, heard what they commanded. I have one year to find my way back to James.Thisis not exactly helping.”
For a heartbeat, I thought he would close the distance. I thought I would let him. The world narrowed to the space between our mouths, to the ache threading through my ribs.
But then he released me, hand falling away like a weapon sheathed too soon.
“I know their threats triggered all your worst fears at once,” he said quieter now. “Threatening the death of loved ones is always effective. But aiming it at someone who’s grieving…” Caden shook his head, before a sharp exhale cut through the space. “Those assholes knew exactly what they were doing.”
His face hardened into something lethal and certain. “But we’re going to beat this, Emma. We will beat them.”
A brittle smile tugged at my mouth. “Like we did today?”
He froze, and for a moment the silence between us hurt more than the words. Then he said softly, “I failed you today.”
I caught his hand before he could pull away, squeezing tight, grounding him in the only truth we had left. “You didn’t. You fought for us, for everyone. But we were unprepared, and what we’re up against…”
Caden bent, pressing his lips to my knuckles before releasing me.
The ghost of his touch almost scorched my skin. “That’s not what I meant, Nightcrawler. I failed you because I let a bunch of assholes convince you they have all the power, when you’re the most powerful person on the fucking planet.”
Heat flushed through me at his words, settling low and dangerous.
I shook my head. “I’d be a fool to pretend they don’t hold any power over me. They can get to anyone I care about, hurt them, kill them, or do something worse, and then use what’s left to turn me into whatever it is they want.”
Caden went still. Too still.
“I could always fake a bond with James,” I suggested softly, carefully even. “If worse comes to worst.”
His head snapped toward me, eyes blazing like I’d stabbed him in the gut. “Excuse me?”
I shrugged, trying to keep it casual, even though something in his tone already had my pulse climbing. “James and I could fake the bond. Not as if anyone can see it, so it’s not impossible.”
His laugh was humorless. “You’re not faking any fucking bond with Walker.”
“Why not?” I asked defiantly, tilting my head, daring him to explain.
“Because I don’t want you to.”
“Oh wow.” I arched a brow. “That’s your grand argument? Straight out of the toddler handbook.”
The muscle in his jaw ticked, his hands flexing at his sides. “Because it’s not fighting the Chiefs, it’splacatingthem.”
I scoffed. “I’m sorry, were we in the same meeting just now? Because placating fifteen of the deadliest trained killers who threatened to kill everyone I love doesn’t sound like the worst strategy.”
“It is when you’re the one paying the price!”
“And you’re shouting at me as if it’syouwho has to pay it!” I shot back.
His chest rose hard and fast, fury sparking in his eyes. “If you think I could ever stand by and watch you suffer that cost… Ifyou think I’d ever let you bleed just so they could keep breathing, you have no idea who I am.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut me off, his voice dropping low again. “You were forced into the True Bond once before. I killed the bastard who did that to you, and I’d do it again in a second. Whoever they may be.”
He took a shaky breath, his anger giving way to something raw, something almost vulnerable. “Don’t make me watch you do something because you think you don’t have any other choice. I can’t do that, Emma. I can’t fuckinghandlethat.”
