Reclamation (The Ravening #3)(16)
Author: Erica Stevens

I grabbed my clothes to follow him but sat back with them crumpled in my lap. Something hadn’t been right, his face, his eyes… I knew the death that lurked beneath his surface, but I’d never seen him look like that. For a heart stopping minute I’d been certain that he was going to launch himself at me and drain me of every ounce of blood and soul I possessed.

I hastily threw my clothes on and scrambled from the makeshift shelter. Cade had vanished as I’d already known he would. A sheet at the end of the hall swung slightly back and forth but there was no other movement within the tunnel. Grabbing a flashlight, I cautiously made my way forward but I had no idea which way to go or where to begin looking.

I may not know which way he had gone but I refused to give up as I turned toward the right. He had fed from me but it hadn’t been enough, a fact that he’d kept hidden well until tonight when he seemed to have lost all control. I wasn’t sure there was anything that I could do to help him, but I couldn’t leave him out here all alone. Not when I knew that I could handle him taking more from me.

Chapter 8

"Bethany."

I turned and lifted the flashlight to reveal the tunnel behind me. I’d heard Aiden approaching before he’d spoken but I’d hoped that he would go away. I turned back around and focused on the tunnel before me. When I hadn’t found Cade by what I could only assume was morning judging by the single watch hanging in the larger tunnel opening that had been designated as the meeting room, I had volunteered to take over the position Dan had been holding when he’d opened fire on us. The idea of disappearing into the tunnels had actually been appealing for a change as my chest felt as if it were being squeezed by a boa constrictor whenever I thought of Cade.

"Aiden," I greeted as he stopped beside me.

"Are you ok?"

"Fine."

He removed the rifle from his back and placed the butt of it on the ground before him. "Where’s Cade?"

His guess was as good as mine but I wasn’t about to say that to him. He already didn’t trust Cade; a snippy retort wasn’t going to help with that. I knew Cade would come back to me, I just didn’t know when, and I was scared that it may be days if not weeks before he felt he was in control of himself enough to be around me again. The thought made me feel like crying at the same time that I wanted to punch a wall and scream against the unfairness of it all.

I wish he had listened to me before he took off, but what difference would it have made really? I already knew what he was going through, what he was frightened he would do to me. There was no changing what he was. I just wanted to relish in the joy and beauty of everything we had shared, instead I was sitting here wondering when he would return to me.

"Bethany?"

I turned toward my brother and managed a dismissive shrug. "Around."

"Is he coming back?"

I turned away from him again. I didn’t know how to answer that but I knew Aiden wouldn’t leave me alone unless I gave him some solid answer. "Of course."

"When?"

My jaw clenched as I grappled with the same question. I could lie to myself about when, but I couldn’t lie to Aiden. "I’m not sure."

Aiden released a loud sigh and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. In that moment he looked so much like our father that I was rocked by the realization that though both our parents were gone they would always live on in us. I blinked back the tears that filled my eyes as Aiden continued to question me.

"What is going on with him Bethany?"

I swallowed heavily as my mind searched for a possible escape from this line of questioning. "I don’t know what you mean."

"Did he kill Ian?"

I felt like I’d been dumped in an icy pond as my mouth dropped. "Why would you ask that?" I managed to choke out.

"Bethany something is not right with him, I can clearly see that."

I forced myself to maintain eye contact as I uttered my next words. "Cade is not a cold blooded killer."

At least it wasn’t a lie. Cade may be a killer but he’d done it to save me, he hadn’t planned to kill Ian and he hadn’t enjoyed it.

"You really believe that?"

"Yes."

"Because you’re sleeping with him?"

I didn’t think there was anything that could have shocked me more than his question about Ian, but I realized now that I’d been completely wrong. Like a trapped animal, I came back fighting as indignation filled me. "That’s none of your business!" I hissed.

"I know," he muttered as he focused on his shoes and his face started to flush. "I just… ah… I just don’t want you to get hurt."

"I know," I assured him as I tried to regain control of my indignation. He wasn’t trying to be nosy, he wasn’t trying to be mean; he was simply trying to care about me. "He loves me."

"I’m sure you think he does." He held up a hand to stall my angry retort. "Hear me out. You’re young Bethy, and you’re trusting. I don’t know if mom ever talked to you…"

"I had the sex talk with mom Aiden."

"Uh… ah… yeah, yeah sure." He nervously ran a hand through his disordered hair again as he shifted uncomfortably. "I mean… um yeah. I’m sure mom told you things, but she wouldn’t have understood how men are."

I folded my arms over my chest as I stared at him. If I wasn’t so annoyed I probably would have laughed at the look on his face. "Is that how you are with Molly?" I retorted.

His eyes came back to me as some of the color drained from his face. "No, absolutely not. Molly and I are just friends."

"I have eyes Aiden."

His shoulders slumped as he nodded. "Yeah, ok you’re right. I like her, a lot, and she likes me." I couldn’t help but melt at the smile that tugged at his lips. "She’s a good person."

"She is," I agreed.

"But we’re not as serious as you and Cade…"

"Yet."

"Ok, yet, but Molly is a lot more open and easier to trust than Cade."

"We’ve known Cade since we were kids," I protested.

His eyes were so forceful that I felt pinned to the spot. "We don’t know him though, or at least I don’t. I still don’t even know where he was or what happened to him when the aliens took him."

"I do."

I could sense his growing frustration with me as he inhaled deeply and let it out in a low rush. "Ok, but…"

"If you can’t trust him than trust me. He would never do anything to hurt me or anyone I love, please believe me. I love him Aiden and he loves me."

"Then where is he?" Aiden demanded. "Where did he go? What did he do to you!?"