Chapter 48

"He was shot with a mild tranquilizing dart," Kaden explained, plucking something out from Holden's thigh. The dart consisted of a silver tip and a red body; it looked like something one would use to pop balloons at a carnival game. It was so tiny, and therefore not surprising that I hadn't seen it. It was a relief to know the FBI agents' guns were filled with tranquilizing darts instead of actual metal bullets. "That's why I was able to drag him all the way to the car," Kaden continued, when neither Ryan nor I commented. "I'm surprised it didn't knock him out sooner."

"Even with tranquilizing fluid coursing through him he was still able to get the better of you," Ryan cheekily stated. We were all outside now and I wanted nothing more than to get back into the car to escape the cold of the night.

"Not like you were stronger than him," Kaden replied, with a tone that was tinged with bitterness and loathing.

"Who shot him?" I asked, wondering if either of them had seen something that I hadn't.

Kaden shrugged.

"Why didn't you tell us?" I asked.

"I would have told you sooner, if your boyfriend didn't point a gun at Holden." Kaden shook his head.

"You held a knife to Sage's throat." Ryan moved closer to Kaden, until both boys were standing an inch away from each other.

"The difference is," Kaden said as he ran a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes, "the FBI wanted Sage alive. They couldn't give a damn about what happened to Holden."

"Please stop," I told them, not meeting either of their eyes. Instead I looked into the tree canopy, noting that an owl was staring down and regarding us with an air of wisdom. "And Ryan's not my boyfriend." I wasn't sure why I said this. Hadn't I decided a relationship with Ryan was what was best? Why did I care what Kaden thought? It was clear Ryan was hurt by my words, but he tried to mask it as best he could. We hadn't defined out relationship yet, but from the way he reacted it seemed that Ryan already considered me his girlfriend.

"I'm sorry," I apologised, placing a hand on Ryan's arm. I was about to say something more, but was distracted by the look of triumph on Kaden's face. I started to scold him, but gasped instead. There was a wide gash across his forehead, which dripped crimson blood onto his eyebrow. When we had hit the tree, he must have knocked his head on the steering wheel. My eyes filled with tears at the thought of him being in pain and holding it in the whole time. "You're..." I pointed to his face, unable to finish my sentence.

"Devastatingly handsome? Yeah, I know." He winked and gave me a lopsided smile, and his cockiness reminded of why I had fallen for him.

"Bleeding," I finished, touching his forehead with my index finger.

"That's not where I'm bleeding the most." He placed his closed fist on his chest. I got the feeling that we weren't talking about the same kind of bleeding anymore.

I cupped his face with my palm, causing him to turn his head and place a lingering kiss on my hand, a kiss that filled me with desire and longing. Suddenly I was aware of the rising level of intimacy of the situation, and jerked my hand away. I looked to Ryan, who was watching us with an unreadable expression. I wanted to apologise again, but didn't dare do so. It seemed best to let him think he was seeing something that wasn't there.

"We need to move the car." Kaden shook his head as if he was dazed.

"How?" I asked, scrutinizing the broken-down sedan. The hood had popped open and was spewing fumes into the air, forming a dark cloud of chemicals above our heads.

"We push," he responded.

"Or we could just cover it in leaves and twigs and hope the FBI drive past it." Once the words were out of my mouth I realised how unlikely that sounded. "Anyway, it's not like we're going to stay here." I gestured around us, to the expanse of nothing that lay ahead of us. The road was desolate, apart from one truck that was quickly moving away from us. On either side of the road was a thicket of trees that stretched as far as the eye could see.

"Actually, I think we should." Kaden bit his lip, as if he was trying to make a decision. "None of us are in any condition to walk. We'll head off into the woods and rest for the night."

I looked at Holden's motionless body and knew he was right, but moving from here seemed like more of a risk than what it was worth. "No, thanks." I folded my hands over my chest. "I'm not eager to play Red Riding Hood."

"Don't worry," Ryan pulled me to him and kissed my cheek. "I promise to keep all wolves off of you." I knew he was still mad at me, but he was trying to prove to Kaden that he wasn't ready to give up on me, at least not yet.

Kaden opened his mouth to say something, but shut it again, and instead leered menacingly. I wasn't sure if this look was directed at me or Ryan, or at both of us.

***

"Don't be stubborn," I told Kaden, who was still trying to move the unmoveable car.

"Where's Ryan?" he enquired, leaning his back against the car and crossing his arm around his torso in a way that made his muscles bulge attractively. His eyes were tired, but he somehow still managed to gaze at me intently; as if he were seeing down to my soul and peeling away the charade of emotions I had built up.

"Asleep." I gestured behind me to the clearing where Kaden had left Holden. We had decided that was the best place to rest. Kaden had promised to stay awake and watch out for trouble, while Ryan and I slept. Ryan fell asleep fairly quickly, but the ground was too uncomfortable for me to sleep, so I decided to stay up with Kaden. I wasn't expecting him to still try to move the car away from the road, further into the woods.

"Some guy," Kaden muttered. "What happened to keeping you safe from wolves?"

"He was just really tired and he thought I would sleep next to him. He's perfectly capable of keeping me safe."

"Keep telling yourself that. He abandoned the stolen car and walked up to me, keeping his emerald eyes trained on me to see my reaction to his close proximity.

"You should also sleep."

"I need to do something about that," I said as I pointed to his forehead.

"I don't see how." He swiped his hand over the cut and winced when he irritated it.

"Sit," I instructed and pushed down on his broad shoulders. He obeyed and sat cross-legged on the ground, looking up at me with raised eyebrows until I joined him. I started by ripping off a piece of the jacket Kaden gave me.

"That's the only clothes you have." Kaden caught my wrist, causing the strip of material to fall to the ground.

"That's the only face you have," I retorted.

"Why are you such a...," he paused, pretending to decide what the right word was, "...spitfire?"

I pursed my lips and chose not to answer; instead I wrapped the cloth around his head, pulling tight. I used my sleeve to rub off the blood that had dried around his eye, and realised there was not much more I could do. I didn't even have any water to clean the wound.

I leaned back to admire my handiwork, but Kaden pulled me closer to him. He held me against his chest, and I practically sat on his lap. Just like that my resolve to stop wanting to be with Kaden went out the window.

"Aren't you going to kiss it better?" He stroked my neck with the back of his hand, his fingers merely skimming my skin, but making me want more.

I considered squirming out of his hold, but knew that would only encourage him to come after me. I brushed my lips across his forehead, careful to apply as little pressure as possible.

"I missed you," he moaned, kissing my jaw.

It was nice to be held by him again, so I placed my head against his chest and contented myself with listening to his heart; it was beating as rapidly as mine was. Eventually it became apparent that holding me wasn't enough for him, and he put his hand under my chin and lifted my face up to the same level as his.

"This feels like a Midsummer's Night's Dream," Kaden observed.

"Have you ever read it?" I asked, unable to picture Kaden with a Shakespeare book in his hand.

"No," he confessed, not showing any embarrassment for admitting it. "But I'm assuming there's a prince and a princess and a bunch of fairies, and as the name suggests they live in luxury in the woods."

"This is luxury?" I asked, ignoring the fact that he could be Lysander, but I was far from being anyone even remotely resembling Hermia.

"Isn't it?" he asked, running his hands up and down my arms. The fact that I was wearing a jacket didn't help, his touch still gave me goosebumps. "You have me, and I have you. What more do we need to live in bliss?"

My breath caught in my chest. How could I deny him, when he spoke so lovingly towards me. He brought his face close to mine. His eyes captured mine, sparkling in the moonlight as his long eyelashes fluttered invitingly.

"Kaden, please don't..." I didn't get to finish my sentence as his lips travelled from my jawline to my ear and back again. His index finger traced my lip and sent a sweet tingle through my body.

"Please don't what?" he questioned, his warm breath hitting my cheek.

I whimpered at the sudden need to kiss him. We were surrounded by the smell of rotting leaves and the stench of critters that had long since died, yet all I could smell was him. His vanilla scent overpowered everything else. It hung around me, almost tangible. I wanted to grab it and wrap it around myself like a blanket; hold it forever. I could never get enough of the way he smelt.

"Tell me what you want?" He waited patiently and I knew that he wouldn't do anything I wouldn't want him to.

"Kiss me." It didn't sound like I was finishing off my previous sentence; it sounded like a whole new sentence. It sounded like an order. Dammit, I screamed internally when I realised that was how my heart had wanted those words to sound.

"Your wish is my command. Kaden grinned as he crushed my body to his chest and kissed me. It started off as a sweet kiss, but I wanted more. I needed more. I clutched his shoulder and my nails dug into his flesh, but he didn't seem to mind; it only encouraged him to lower my body to the ground and lay down on top of me. My fingers continued to rake his biceps and his hands rested on my hips, securing me to the ground. I didn't care that sand was getting into my hair, or that the cold was biting my skin. All I cared about was him.

His kiss opened up a part of me that I thought I had managed to hide. That part of me was very vital and I knew that now. It felt good to be whole again, but the reasonable part of my brain told me this couldn't last, and there was no point prolonging it. It would just hurt both of us. I reminded myself that Kaden was obligated to be with Gina, and I still had Ryan. Even if he was just a back-up boyfriend, he was good to me and that was all that mattered.

Those thoughts were the only things that made me remove my lips from Kaden's. He smiled disarmingly, seeming very pleased with himself. He sobered when he saw my sullen expression.

"We can't do this," I told him. I was well aware that I sounded unconvincing with my shaky voice and teary face, but I had to say something. Kaden and I weren't meant to be together, and that was just pure fact.

"We'll talk about it in the morning." Kaden sighed deeply and tightly clenched his jaw.

I shook my head, since I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

"Foxie..." he tried to reason with me, but I swiftly put my hand on his mouth. I was mortified when he was kissed my fingers. I quickly removed my hand from his lips and brought it slowly back to my face and started wiping my tears away.

"Please don't crush my heart...it's in your hands." The feeling in his voice was beginning to choke me and I was close to wrapping my arms around him and playing with his hair, but I didn't dare do so.

"Don't make this difficult for me," I begged, grinding my teeth together, trying to sound stronger than I felt.

"I'm not the one making things difficult," he smiled sadly. "You're the one who's taking comfort from me, whilst breaking up with me."

"What?"

"You' re still sitting on me," he said, matter-of-factly.

I quickly crawled away from him on all fours, not bothered by the small pebbles that stuck to my skin.

"I wasn't breaking up with you," I explained. "I did that the day I ran away." Sheesh, this was taking a lot longer than I intended. It would have made more sense if I said my part and then just walked away. Why did I have to torture both him and myself by sticking around?

"Then what was this? Your cruel way of reminding me of what I can't have?"

I pretended like I hadn't heard him, and instead stomped off into the clearing where Holden and Ryan were. My intention had been to stay up with Kaden, since I knew he'd stay up the whole night on look-out duty, but I couldn't be alone with him and pretend our connection didn't exist.

After I made sure Holden was still breathing, I lay down next to Ryan. I could hear Kaden grumbling as he slouched against a tree, but I tuned him out and concentrated on Ryan. He didn't stir in his sleep. I marvelled at the fact that he could sleep on the hard ground, without so much as a twitch. Sleep eluded me, but I passed the time by noting how the moon hung over us, with the stars as her protectors.